theirishtimes--2020-09-11--Hospitals saw estimated 25% drop in cases of self-harm in April

Hospital presentations as a result of self-harm dropped by an estimated 25 per cent at the height of coronavirus restrictions compared with the same time in the previous two years .
Provisional figures from the National Self-Harm Registry show there were 306 presentations at eight hospitals around the State in April , down from an average of 408 in 2018 and 2019 .
This compares with a 40 per cent reduction in all-cause hospital presentations over the same period .
Dr Paul Corcoran , head of research at the National Suicide Research Foundation ( NSRF ) , presented the unpublished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Suicide Prevention Day on Thursday .
“ Initially this looks like very good news .
The concern about increased self-harm presentations has not materialised .
The reduction is not as much as for all-cause emergency department presentations but it is quite significant , ” he added .
He said it was possible there was an increase in fatal self-harm but because of the registration system for suicides in Ireland it would be “ three to four years before this could be verified , which is a big frustration ” .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital tends to be different from fatal cases so the suggestion is “ we may not have seen such an increase ” .
The event heard there was anecdotal evidence the rate of self-harm presentations had increased since stay-at-home restrictions were eased .
Speakers also expressed concern about the potential long-term effects of a Covid-19 induced economic downturn on levels of self-harm and suicide .
NSRF chief scientist Prof Ella Arensman stressed the focus of suicide prevention policy should be on targeted supports for priority groups .
“ That work can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even intensified during very challenging times such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
” “ Knowing the evidence about priority groups that we were already supposed to focus on we were surprised that some specially trained staff in suicide prevention were redeployed in the first months.
” A HSE spokeswoman said five staff from the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention ( NOSP ) were redeployed to “ Covid-specific projects or work streams for varied time periods between March and June 2020 .
Since , no staff from the NOSP have been redeployed elsewhere.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also suffering from the absence of real-time data on suicide .
I keep saying to policymakers if you keep asking ‘ do we have data ?
’ , which we don ’ t on a national level , then now is the time to get that right.
” Provisional data from the Central Statistics Office released in May indicated there were 421 deaths by suicide in 2019 .
In Ireland , deaths are not officially determined as suicides until investigated by coroners .
Findings from the Suicide Support and Information System in Cork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in collaboration with coroners show that construction workers and female healthcare workers were at higher risk of suicide .
People with a history of self-harm , sexual abuse or chronic physical conditions are also at elevated risk .
Prof Arensman said there were some positive signs in that there was no significant increase in suicide or self-harm evident so far but the lack of real-time data meant it was difficult to draw firm conclusions .
She said the NSRF was evaluating a pilot real-time system for suicide data based on the SSIS and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ireland .
Prof Arensman also expressed concern over the impact of Covid-19 on treatment for people who were suffering from severe mental health conditions as “ the jury is still out on whether telemedicine or online self-management will be an effective alternative for people with severe conditions .
There is emerging positive evidence for people with mild to moderate depression and anxiety but when it comes to people with severe clinical depression , ongoing increased anxiety or personality disorders , it is not proven that online or telemedicine will have the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a past president of the International Association for Suicide Prevention who initiated World Suicide Prevention Day in 2003 , said there was limited evidence thus far for a significant increase in suicide internationally during the pandemic .
If you are affected by anything in this article , Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo @ samaritans.ie or jo @ samaritans.org .
Pieta House can be reached at freephone 1800 247 247 .

Hospital presentations as a result of self-harm dropped by an estimated 25 per cent at the height of coronavirus restrictions compared with the same time in the previous two years.
Provisional figures from the National Self-Harm Registry show there were 306 presentations at eight hospitals around the State in April, down from an average of 408 in 2018 and 2019. This compares with a 40 per cent reduction in all-cause hospital presentations over the same period.
Dr Paul Corcoran, head of research at the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF), presented the unpublished figures at a webinar held to mark World Suicide Prevention Day on Thursday.
“Initially this looks like very good news. The concern about increased self-harm presentations has not materialised. The reduction is not as much as for all-cause emergency department presentations but it is quite significant,” he added.
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He said it was possible there was an increase in fatal self-harm but because of the registration system for suicides in Ireland it would be "three to four years before this could be verified, which is a big frustration". However, the profile of people who present at hospital tends to be different from fatal cases so the suggestion is "we may not have seen such an increase".
The event heard there was anecdotal evidence the rate of self-harm presentations had increased since stay-at-home restrictions were eased. Speakers also expressed concern about the potential long-term effects of a Covid-19 induced economic downturn on levels of self-harm and suicide.
NSRF chief scientist Prof Ella Arensman stressed the focus of suicide prevention policy should be on targeted supports for priority groups. "That work cannot be abandoned, that should be maintained and even intensified during very challenging times such as the Covid-19 pandemic."
“Knowing the evidence about priority groups that we were already supposed to focus on we were surprised that some specially trained staff in suicide prevention were redeployed in the first months.”
A HSE spokeswoman said five staff from the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) were redeployed to “Covid-specific projects or work streams for varied time periods between March and June 2020. Since, no staff from the NOSP have been redeployed elsewhere.”
Suicide data
Prof Arensman added: “We were also suffering from the absence of real-time data on suicide. I keep saying to policymakers if you keep asking ‘do we have data?’, which we don’t on a national level, then now is the time to get that right.”
Provisional data from the Central Statistics Office released in May indicated there were 421 deaths by suicide in 2019. In Ireland, deaths are not officially determined as suicides until investigated by coroners.
Findings from the Suicide Support and Information System in Cork city and county which records individual suicides in collaboration with coroners show that construction workers and female healthcare workers were at higher risk of suicide. People with a history of self-harm, sexual abuse or chronic physical conditions are also at elevated risk.
Prof Arensman said there were some positive signs in that there was no significant increase in suicide or self-harm evident so far but the lack of real-time data meant it was difficult to draw firm conclusions. She said the NSRF was evaluating a pilot real-time system for suicide data based on the SSIS and hoped to expand it to other regions in Ireland.
Prof Arensman also expressed concern over the impact of Covid-19 on treatment for people who were suffering from severe mental health conditions as “the jury is still out on whether telemedicine or online self-management will be an effective alternative for people with severe conditions. There is emerging positive evidence for people with mild to moderate depression and anxiety but when it comes to people with severe clinical depression, ongoing increased anxiety or personality disorders, it is not proven that online or telemedicine will have the same effect.”
Prof Diego De Leo, a past president of the International Association for Suicide Prevention who initiated World Suicide Prevention Day in 2003, said there was limited evidence thus far for a significant increase in suicide internationally during the pandemic.
If you are affected by anything in this article, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie or jo@samaritans.org. Pieta House can be reached at freephone 1800 247 247.


theirishtimes--2020-09-11--Coronavirus: All direct provision residents and staff to be offered Covid-19 testing

All residents and staff in direct provision centres will be offered Covid-19 testing from Saturday .
In a joint statement on Friday , the Department of Justice and the HSE said : “ In line with the recommendations of the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) , a comprehensive programme of Covid-19 testing is starting across all accommodation centres housing asylum seekers and refugees in the State .
“ This covers residents and staff in accommodation centres ( both permanent and temporary ) and in emergency reception and orientation centres .
Testing will roll out across centres from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be voluntary and free .
The commitment comes a month after a report from the Irish Refugee Council found that more than half ( 55 per cent ) of respondents in direct provision centres did not feel safe during the Covid-19 pandemic .
Half of respondents said they were unable to socially distance from other residents ; 42 per cent shared a bedroom with a non-family member and 46 per cent shared a bathroom with a non-family member .
One respondent said : “ We could only tackle this virus using social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t any social distancing .
Living [ with ] three/four or more people in the room is not [ the ] proper way to avoid this virus in my opinion .
“ So staying [ in ] direct provision is not very good in this time , because if one gets the virus then it can be easily spread out.
” The council was among several organisations calling for asylum seekers with underlying conditions to be moved out of congregated accommodation centres , arguing : “ Overcrowding and shared rooms [ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for concern for those with pre-existing health conditions.
” Clusters of the virus in direct provision centres in counties Kerry and Kildare have heightened concerns amid the pandemic .
In their statement on Friday , the Department of Justice and HSE said accommodation centres posed “ additional challenges during the pandemic to prevent and control the spread of the virus ” .
They stressed : “ Neither a refusal to participate [ in the testing programme ] nor a positive result will affect a person ’ s status or application for international protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage all residents and staff to participate to keep themselves , their families and their communities safe from coronavirus .
Each resident and staff member will be offered a test .
Children aged under five years and people who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 will not be tested .
”

All residents and staff in direct provision centres will be offered Covid-19 testing from Saturday.
In a joint statement on Friday, the Department of Justice and the HSE said: "In line with the recommendations of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), a comprehensive programme of Covid-19 testing is starting across all accommodation centres housing asylum seekers and refugees in the State.
“This covers residents and staff in accommodation centres (both permanent and temporary) and in emergency reception and orientation centres. Testing will roll out across centres from September 12th, 2020.” The testing will be voluntary and free.
The commitment comes a month after a report from the Irish Refugee Council found that more than half (55 per cent) of respondents in direct provision centres did not feel safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Half of respondents said they were unable to socially distance from other residents; 42 per cent shared a bedroom with a non-family member and 46 per cent shared a bathroom with a non-family member.
One respondent said: “We could only tackle this virus using social distancing but in the centre there isn’t any social distancing. Living [with] three/four or more people in the room is not [the] proper way to avoid this virus in my opinion.
“So staying [in] direct provision is not very good in this time, because if one gets the virus then it can be easily spread out.”
The council was among several organisations calling for asylum seekers with underlying conditions to be moved out of congregated accommodation centres, arguing: “Overcrowding and shared rooms [in such centres] is a major cause for concern for those with pre-existing health conditions.”
Clusters of the virus in direct provision centres in counties Kerry and Kildare have heightened concerns amid the pandemic.
‘Additional challenges’
In their statement on Friday, the Department of Justice and HSE said accommodation centres posed “additional challenges during the pandemic to prevent and control the spread of the virus”.
They stressed: “Neither a refusal to participate [in the testing programme] nor a positive result will affect a person’s status or application for international protection in any way.
“We strongly encourage all residents and staff to participate to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe from coronavirus. Each resident and staff member will be offered a test. Children aged under five years and people who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 will not be tested.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-11--Man convicted of murder of Michael Barr in north Dublin pub

A man has been convicted by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of murdering the manager of the Sunset House pub in Dublin more than four years ago .
Liverpool native David Hunter ( 41 ) , with an address at Du Cane Road , White City , London , had denied the murder of 35-year-old Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin ’ s north inner city on the night of April 25th , 2016 .
Presiding judge Mr Justice Alexander Owens said on Friday that the evidence had been heard in a “ compelling way ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who entered the Summerhill pub and murdered Barr by shooting him .
Hunter ’ s involvement in the murder had been “ fully proved ” and the three-judge court was “ sure of his guilt ” , the judge remarked .
The judge noted that the major part of a DNA profile taken from a ski-mask recovered during the investigation into the shooting of Mr Barr matched and verified the profile of Hunter .
The circumstantial evidence in the case “ pointed inextricably ” to Hunter ’ s guilt , and the facts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reasonable doubt and no other rational explanation could be drawn , indicated the judge .
Mr Justice Owens said the court rejected Hunter ’ s explanation for his whereabouts on the night in question and found it “ implausible ” , with part of it being contradicted by other evidence .
He also said a whole story about how Hunter came to lose the ski-mask “ did not have a ring of truth about it ” , and there was no doubt that the mask was intended for use either at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a voluntary statement to gardaí , Hunter had said that the ski-mask was his but that he had dropped it in a car driven by another man when he visited Ireland two months before the murder on a car-stealing exercise .
Hunter claimed he had used the mask on various ski trips with his children to Norway , France , Spain , Scotland , Austria and Switzerland .
A number of holiday photos of Hunter in a ski-mask were handed into court during the trial .
The judge said on Friday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” that the ski-mask had been left behind by him on a previous trip to Dublin .
Hunter is the second man to be found guilty of murdering Mr Barr .
In January 2018 , Eamonn Cumberton ( 32 ) , of Mountjoy Street , Dublin 7 , was also convicted of murdering the Tyrone native .
Barr was shot seven times after two armed men wearing boiler suits and full rubber masks over their faces entered the Sunset House pub at about 9pm on the date in question .
He was shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the leg and once in the shoulder .
The then deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis found that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds .
During Hunter ’ s five-week trial , which ended in July , evidence was given that at about 9.20pm at Walsh Road in Drumcondra on the date in question , a silver Audi A6 was seen to arrive and that three occupants got out and set the car alight .
The three men then got into what was described as a “ possibly silver ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Audi A6 vehicle was subsequently examined and cocked and loaded weapons , ready for use , were discovered .
Boiler suits , two ski-masks and two rubber masks were also found in the rear seat .
A phone , which had a number of missed calls , was found next to a bullet on the grass nearby .
During the trial , Dr Edward Connolly of Forensic Science Ireland testified that mixed DNA profiles had been found on two masks – one rubber and one ski – taken from the Audi by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he found a mixed DNA profile on a ski-mask with four elements : one major , two minor and one trace .
The “ major contributor ” of the ski-mask ’ s DNA profile formed 61 per cent of the mixed profile , he said .
DNA samples from an apple core and a cigarette butt discarded by Hunter in the course of his extradition from the UK and his processing in Ireland on October 16th , 2019 , were also cross-referenced by Dr Connolly .
The witness testified that the odds on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the apple core being of “ an individual unrelated to the DNA on the ski-mask were a thousand-million to one ” .
Closing the prosecution case in July , prosecuting counsel Dominic McGinn SC , with Ronan Kennedy SC , said Hunter would have to be an “ extremely unlucky ” man if he was not involved in the killing .
He argued that “ there could be no reasonable doubt ” of Hunter ’ s involvement , unless the court was to believe that he had been “ extremely unlucky with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been offered in his defence .
Mr McGinn also said that ballistics could match the guns used in the murder to those found in the Audi A6 shortly after the shooting .
Defence counsel Roisin Lacey SC said in her closing address that her client was “ no James Bond , or Ethan Hunt ” , and was instead a “ two-bit car thief ” .
Ms Lacey pointed out that Hunter , who claimed he had come to Ireland to see a concert and said he was with two women in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting , could not “ logically ” have been the gunman .
The barrister stressed that her client was not in the Sunset House pub and not in the vehicles used on the night and that he did not shoot anyone .
Mr Justice Owens will hand down the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on November 2nd and remanded Hunter in custody until that date .
He adjourned sentencing after Ms Lacey asked for time to read the victim impact statements which will be submitted to the court .

A man has been convicted by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of murdering the manager of the Sunset House pub in Dublin more than four years ago.
Liverpool native David Hunter (41), with an address at Du Cane Road, White City, London, had denied the murder of 35-year-old Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin's north inner city on the night of April 25th, 2016.
Presiding judge Mr Justice Alexander Owens said on Friday that the evidence had been heard in a "compelling way" that Hunter was one of the two gunmen who entered the Summerhill pub and murdered Barr by shooting him. Hunter's involvement in the murder had been "fully proved" and the three-judge court was "sure of his guilt", the judge remarked.
The judge noted that the major part of a DNA profile taken from a ski-mask recovered during the investigation into the shooting of Mr Barr matched and verified the profile of Hunter. The circumstantial evidence in the case “pointed inextricably” to Hunter’s guilt, and the facts taken together had established his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and no other rational explanation could be drawn, indicated the judge.
READ MORE
Mr Justice Owens said the court rejected Hunter’s explanation for his whereabouts on the night in question and found it “implausible”, with part of it being contradicted by other evidence. He also said a whole story about how Hunter came to lose the ski-mask “did not have a ring of truth about it”, and there was no doubt that the mask was intended for use either at the murder or in the getaway car.
In a voluntary statement to gardaí, Hunter had said that the ski-mask was his but that he had dropped it in a car driven by another man when he visited Ireland two months before the murder on a car-stealing exercise.
Hunter claimed he had used the mask on various ski trips with his children to Norway, France, Spain, Scotland, Austria and Switzerland. A number of holiday photos of Hunter in a ski-mask were handed into court during the trial.
The judge said on Friday that it was not a “credible explanation” that the ski-mask had been left behind by him on a previous trip to Dublin.
Hunter is the second man to be found guilty of murdering Mr Barr. In January 2018, Eamonn Cumberton (32), of Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7, was also convicted of murdering the Tyrone native.
Barr was shot seven times after two armed men wearing boiler suits and full rubber masks over their faces entered the Sunset House pub at about 9pm on the date in question. He was shot fives times in the head, once in the leg and once in the shoulder. The then deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis found that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds.
Evidence
During Hunter's five-week trial, which ended in July, evidence was given that at about 9.20pm at Walsh Road in Drumcondra on the date in question, a silver Audi A6 was seen to arrive and that three occupants got out and set the car alight. The three men then got into what was described as a "possibly silver" Ford Mondeo and left the scene. The Audi A6 vehicle was subsequently examined and cocked and loaded weapons, ready for use, were discovered. Boiler suits, two ski-masks and two rubber masks were also found in the rear seat. A phone, which had a number of missed calls, was found next to a bullet on the grass nearby.
During the trial, Dr Edward Connolly of Forensic Science Ireland testified that mixed DNA profiles had been found on two masks – one rubber and one ski – taken from the Audi by gardaí. The expert witness said that he found a mixed DNA profile on a ski-mask with four elements: one major, two minor and one trace. The "major contributor" of the ski-mask's DNA profile formed 61 per cent of the mixed profile, he said.
DNA samples from an apple core and a cigarette butt discarded by Hunter in the course of his extradition from the UK and his processing in Ireland on October 16th, 2019, were also cross-referenced by Dr Connolly. The witness testified that the odds on the profile created by the cigarette butt and the apple core being of “an individual unrelated to the DNA on the ski-mask were a thousand-million to one”.
Closing the prosecution case in July, prosecuting counsel Dominic McGinn SC, with Ronan Kennedy SC, said Hunter would have to be an “extremely unlucky” man if he was not involved in the killing. He argued that “there could be no reasonable doubt” of Hunter’s involvement, unless the court was to believe that he had been “extremely unlucky with all of these coincidences” that had been offered in his defence.
Mr McGinn also said that ballistics could match the guns used in the murder to those found in the Audi A6 shortly after the shooting.
Defence counsel Roisin Lacey SC said in her closing address that her client was "no James Bond, or Ethan Hunt", and was instead a "two-bit car thief". Ms Lacey pointed out that Hunter, who claimed he had come to Ireland to see a concert and said he was with two women in a Dublin hotel about the time of the shooting, could not "logically" have been the gunman. The barrister stressed that her client was not in the Sunset House pub and not in the vehicles used on the night and that he did not shoot anyone.
Mr Justice Owens will hand down the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on November 2nd and remanded Hunter in custody until that date. He adjourned sentencing after Ms Lacey asked for time to read the victim impact statements which will be submitted to the court.


theirishtimes--2020-09-11--Figures show wide discrepancies in Covid infection rates across Dublin

Parts of Dublin have Covid-19 infection rates 2½ times as high as neighbouring areas in the capital , according to the latest figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre ( HPSC ) .
For example , the number of cases appearing in Dublin South East – including parts of the south city centre and Dundrum and Ballinteer – are 155 per cent higher than those being found in Dublin South .
The figures cover cases as recorded by the HSE local health office ( LHOs ) areas , which have been collated by David Higgins , an economist with Carraighill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which stretches from Baggot Street through Rathmines and Ranelagh to Leopardstown and Sandyford , recorded 93.8 Covid-19 case per 100,000 people in the 14 days between August 27th and September 9th .
Meanwhile , Dublin South , which comprises of Dún Laoghaire , Stillorgan , Foxrock and down to Loughlinstown , recorded just 36.7 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 in the same period .
Dublin North West , which stretches from Cabra to Mulhuddart and includes many recently-built areas in west Dublin , is another hot spot for the disease , with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100,000 .
Across the capital an average of 73.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people is now being recorded , which is a significant increase on cases collated between August 20th and September 2nd , and August 27th and September 9th .
The worst affected area , Dublin South East , had 44.5 more weekly cases in the week between September 2nd and 9th as it did between August 20th and August 27th .
Dublin North , by contrast , had 35.8 extra cases between that time .
Ranelagh-based GP Dr Maitiu Ó Tuathail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dublin South East is explained by demographics .
Those who live in Dublin South are older and more settled , he suggests .
“ We have a large population of young people who work in tech and attend college .
We have seen increases in demand for tests weeks ago , and it has just steadily been increasing since lockdown measures were reversed .
“ The Ranelagh , Rathmines , Grand Canal area has a very sociable demographic .
It fits the current trend in statistics that we are seeing with the majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr Ray Walley , a GP based in Glasnevin , which is part of the Dublin West area , said the high numbers currently in his area may be explained by higher poverty and more people living together .
Black , Asian and middle-eastern communities have already been shown in the UK to be more vulnerable to Covid-19 , and the same may be occurring in north and west Dublin , both of which have higher immigrant numbers .
“ They are a more vulnerable group and they are looking into why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vitamin D deficiency , ” he said .
Epidemiologist Prof Sam McConkey said the wide differences being seen in Dublin shows that a general lockdown of the city would not be justified .
The public should be told more about Covid-19 cases in their neighbourhoods .
“ Dublin is 1.5 million people .
It is too big to be treated as one area , ” said Prof McConkey , “ This is a geographically heterogeneous disease , and there should be a heterogeneous response to it .
“ There are huge differences in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and awareness in the areas where there is a lot of transmission .
In the areas with less transmission we need to be less panicky.
” The breakdown of Covid-19 case numbers over the last 14 days by local health office districts is the most detailed information given by the HPSC .
It does release data by electoral districts , but only on a two-month basis .
Higgins said more granular detail from the HPSC would precisely identify hot spots .
“ It ’ s unlikely that every neighbourhood within Dublin South East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be quite localised.
” Speaking in Co Cork , Taoiseach Micheál Martin said “ there is not going to be a knee-jerk reaction ” to rising infection rates in Dublin as he played down suggestions of a regional lockdown in the capital .
Ahead of the publication on Tuesday of the Government 's plan for tackling Covid-19 over the next six months , he said : “ We have got to be clever , we have got to be smart and we have to be resilient in terms of how we deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be public health but equally to protect livelihoods and keep people working and then have a decent quality of life for our children and our people overall .
”

Epidemiologist Prof Sam McConkey says the wide differences in Covid rates seen in Dublin shows a general lockdown of the city would not be justified. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Parts of Dublin have Covid-19 infection rates 2½ times as high as neighbouring areas in the capital, according to the latest figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
For example, the number of cases appearing in Dublin South East – including parts of the south city centre and Dundrum and Ballinteer – are 155 per cent higher than those being found in Dublin South.
The figures cover cases as recorded by the HSE local health office (LHOs) areas, which have been collated by David Higgins, an economist with Carraighill data analysts.
Dublin South East, which stretches from Baggot Street through Rathmines and Ranelagh to Leopardstown and Sandyford, recorded 93.8 Covid-19 case per 100,000 people in the 14 days between August 27th and September 9th.
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Meanwhile, Dublin South, which comprises of Dún Laoghaire, Stillorgan, Foxrock and down to Loughlinstown, recorded just 36.7 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 in the same period.
Dublin North West, which stretches from Cabra to Mulhuddart and includes many recently-built areas in west Dublin, is another hot spot for the disease, with an instance of 83.8 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000.
Across the capital an average of 73.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people is now being recorded, which is a significant increase on cases collated between August 20th and September 2nd, and August 27th and September 9th.
The worst affected area, Dublin South East, had 44.5 more weekly cases in the week between September 2nd and 9th as it did between August 20th and August 27th. Dublin North, by contrast, had 35.8 extra cases between that time.
Ranelagh-based GP Dr Maitiu Ó Tuathail said the differences between Dublin South and Dublin South East is explained by demographics. Those who live in Dublin South are older and more settled, he suggests.
“We have a large population of young people who work in tech and attend college. We have seen increases in demand for tests weeks ago, and it has just steadily been increasing since lockdown measures were reversed.
“The Ranelagh, Rathmines, Grand Canal area has a very sociable demographic. It fits the current trend in statistics that we are seeing with the majority being under 45,” he said.
Higher poverty
Dr Ray Walley, a GP based in Glasnevin, which is part of the Dublin West area, said the high numbers currently in his area may be explained by higher poverty and more people living together.
Black, Asian and middle-eastern communities have already been shown in the UK to be more vulnerable to Covid-19, and the same may be occurring in north and west Dublin, both of which have higher immigrant numbers.
“They are a more vulnerable group and they are looking into why that it is – it may be vitamin D deficiency,” he said.
The area of Dublin North Central as shown on the map refers to Dublin North City
Epidemiologist Prof Sam McConkey said the wide differences being seen in Dublin shows that a general lockdown of the city would not be justified. The public should be told more about Covid-19 cases in their neighbourhoods .
“Dublin is 1.5 million people. It is too big to be treated as one area,” said Prof McConkey, “This is a geographically heterogeneous disease, and there should be a heterogeneous response to it.
“There are huge differences in different areas. We need strict restrictions and awareness in the areas where there is a lot of transmission. In the areas with less transmission we need to be less panicky.”
The breakdown of Covid-19 case numbers over the last 14 days by local health office districts is the most detailed information given by the HPSC. It does release data by electoral districts, but only on a two-month basis.
Higgins said more granular detail from the HPSC would precisely identify hot spots. “It’s unlikely that every neighbourhood within Dublin South East is experiencing a strong outbreak. It could be quite localised.”
Speaking in Co Cork, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said “there is not going to be a knee-jerk reaction” to rising infection rates in Dublin as he played down suggestions of a regional lockdown in the capital.
Ahead of the publication on Tuesday of the Government's plan for tackling Covid-19 over the next six months, he said: “We have got to be clever, we have got to be smart and we have to be resilient in terms of how we deal with it. The overarching objective must be public health but equally to protect livelihoods and keep people working and then have a decent quality of life for our children and our people overall.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-12--Taoiseach: We will not hesitate to impose Covid-19 restrictions in Dublin

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the Government will not be afraid to reimpose Covid-19 restrictions in Dublin if it is deemed necessary .
Mr Martin held out the possibility that the restrictions imposed upon Kildare , Laois and Offaly recently could also be imposed upon Dublin in response to rising Covid-19 numbers .
Meanwhile , new data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ( ECDPC ) on Saturday shows Ireland now has a 14-day rate of infection of 40.6 per 100,000 population .
This compares with 31.6 a week ago .
Ireland now has a higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries including Italy ( 32.1 ) and Germany ( 21.1 ) .
The rate in The United Kingdom is 45.1 , in the US it is 160.4 while the rate is lower in Canada ( 22.1 ) and Australia ( 4.4 ) .
In his first substantial interview with the Irish language media , broadcast on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta on Saturday , Mr Martin said the Government would have no hesitation in implementing restrictions specific to Dublin .
Currently infections in Dublin are running at more than 100 a day and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital in the last 14 days .
The National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) has warned that case numbers will double in the capital in the coming fortnight if measures are not taken to halt the spread of the virus .
Speaking on An tSeachtain le Máirín Ní Ghadhra on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta , he said the Government had learned from its actions in Kildare , Offaly and Laois .
In early August , in response to surging cases in the three counties , the Government ordered all cafés and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except for takeaways .
It restricted all travel outside the counties except for work and ordered all cinemas , theatres , casinos , betting shops , bingo halls , gyms , leisure centres , swimming pools , exercise and dance studios to close .
The restrictions were lifted after two weeks in Laois and Offaly and three in Kildare .
NPHET has recommended to the Government that the number of families allowed in any one house during visits in Dublin should be reduced from three to two .
It also urged caution over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 21st .
Mr Martin told Raidió na Gaeltachta : “ We ’ ll get advice from NPHET on Tuesday and we ’ ll have to weigh their advice .
The most important thing about Dublin is how to get to grips with the virus to lower the number of cases and to put pressure on the virus .
We won ’ t be afraid to implement measures specifically in Dublin , if that ’ s the way forward .
“ We did that in Kildare , Offaly and Laois .
I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , and I understand that argument , that there are differences and so the same restrictions shouldn ’ t apply .
“ The new plan has flexibility from that side - we can assess the situation from county to county .
The very highest level of restrictions is to implement measures on a national basis.
” The Taoiseach said that we all had to stick to the guidelines , but that the Government understood the need to be cognisant of the mental health impact of measures too .
“ We know from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus has had a terrible impact on physical and mental health , and we need to focus on that .
“ So we ’ re considering people ’ s lifestyles , and we ’ re looking at that in terms of sport and culture , we have to make exceptions and tailored plans for those sectors in this country.
” Epidemiologist Prof Sam McConkey said the wide differences being seen in infection rates in different parts of Dublin shows that a general lockdown of the city would not be justified .
The public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their neighbourhoods .
“ Dublin is 1.5 million people .
It is too big to be treated as one area , ” said Prof McConkey .
“ This is a geographically heterogeneous disease , and there should be a heterogeneous response to it .
“ There are huge differences in different areas .
We need strict restrictions and awareness in the areas where there is a lot of transmission .
In the areas with less transmission we need to be less panicky .
”

Dr Ronan Glynn: ‘It’s all time for us to redouble our effort to say safe.’
A further 159 new cases of coronavirus have been reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) on Saturday.
There have been two further deaths, NPHET said in its daily statement on the virus.
The Republic has seen a total of 30,730 cases of the virus reported so far and 1,783 deaths including today's figures.
Of today’s cases:
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70 are men and 89 are women
65 per cent are under 45 years of age
51 per cent are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case
23 cases have been identified as community transmission
75 are in Dublin, 10 in Louth, 6 in Cork, 6 in Donegal, 6 in Meath, 5 in Laois, 5 in Wexford, and the remaining 46 cases are in Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath and Wicklow.
Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, said: “Forty seven per cent of the cases reported today are in Dublin City and County. For the people of Dublin in particular, this is a critical moment to address the spread of the disease in the community.
"Individual choices can make all the difference - reconsider your plans for the weekend, reduce the number of people that you meet and avoid social activities that involve large groups of people.
"Covid-19 is a highly infectious disease that can spread even when you have no symptoms. Remember, when you do meet with friends, family and colleagues, staying 2m apart is the best way to keep everyone safe.”
In the North, a member of East Belfast GAA club has tested positive for Covid-19. It has suspended all further activity until contact tracing and testing is complete. A further 104 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health said with a total of 554 diagnosed over the last seven days.
Measures limiting social interaction between households amid soaring Covid-19 infection rates in the Belfast council area come into effect on Monday.
Meanwhile, new data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC) on Saturday shows Ireland now has a 14-day rate of infection of 40.6 per 100,000 population. This compares with 31.6 a week ago. Ireland now has a higher rate of Covid-19 infection than many European countries including Italy (32.1) and Germany (21.1). The rate in The United Kingdom is 45.1, in the US it is 160.4 while the rate is lower in Canada (22.1) and Australia (4.4).
Earlier, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Government will not be afraid to reimpose Covid-19 restrictions in Dublin if it is deemed necessary.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin pictured getting a thermal Covid check at the announcement in Clonakilty, west Cork that the company Global Shares is to create 150 jobs. Photograph: Daragh McSweeney/Provision
Mr Martin held out the possibility that the restrictions imposed upon Kildare, Laois and Offaly recently could also be imposed upon Dublin in response to rising Covid-19 numbers.
In his first substantial interview with the Irish language media, broadcast on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta on Saturday, Mr Martin said the Government would have no hesitation in implementing restrictions specific to Dublin.
Currently infections in Dublin are running at more than 100 a day and there has been 1,055 cases reported in the capital in the last 14 days.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has warned that case numbers will double in the capital in the coming fortnight if measures are not taken to halt the spread of the virus.
Speaking on An tSeachtain le Máirín Ní Ghadhra on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, he said the Government had learned from its actions in Kildare, Offaly and Laois.
In early August, in response to surging cases in the three counties, the Government ordered all cafés and restaurants to close in the three counties except for takeaways.
It restricted all travel outside the counties except for work and ordered all cinemas, theatres, casinos, betting shops, bingo halls, gyms, leisure centres, swimming pools, exercise and dance studios to close.
The restrictions were lifted after two weeks in Laois and Offaly and three in Kildare.
NPHET has recommended to the Government that the number of families allowed in any one house during visits in Dublin should be reduced from three to two. It also urged caution over the reopening of pubs in Dublin from September 21st.
Mr Martin told Raidió na Gaeltachta: “We’ll get advice from Nphet on Tuesday and we’ll have to weigh their advice. The most important thing about Dublin is how to get to grips with the virus to lower the number of cases and to put pressure on the virus. We won’t be afraid to implement measures specifically in Dublin, if that’s the way forward.
“We did that in Kildare, Offaly and Laois. I know that some counties have low number of cases, and I understand that argument, that there are differences and so the same restrictions shouldn’t apply.
“The new plan has flexibility from that side - we can assess the situation from county to county. The very highest level of restrictions is to implement measures on a national basis.”
The Taoiseach said that we all had to stick to the guidelines, but that the Government understood the need to be cognisant of the mental health impact of measures too.
“We know from the research that the situation with the virus has had a terrible impact on physical and mental health, and we need to focus on that.
“So we’re considering people’s lifestyles, and we’re looking at that in terms of sport and culture, we have to make exceptions and tailored plans for those sectors in this country.”
Epidemiologist Prof Sam McConkey said the wide differences being seen in infection rates in different parts of Dublin shows that a general lockdown of the city would not be justified.
The public should be told more about Covid-19 cases in their neighbourhoods .
“Dublin is 1.5 million people. It is too big to be treated as one area,” said Prof McConkey, “This is a geographically heterogeneous disease, and there should be a heterogeneous response to it.
“There are huge differences in different areas. We need strict restrictions and awareness in the areas where there is a lot of transmission. In the areas with less transmission we need to be less panicky.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-12--Covid-19: Dr Ronan Glynn pleads with Dubliners as virus spreads rapidly in households across capital

The rise in cases in Dublin is being driven by household transmission , the acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn has stated .
Dr Glynn said there were “ lot of cases ” concentrated in household clusters , and they are in all parts of Dublin city and county .
In a personal message to people living and working in Dublin , Dr Glynn asked people to limit their social contacts “ as much as possible ” .
In a video message posted on the Department of Health website and on social media , he said : “ Avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see , but keep groups small and see them regularly rather than meeting lots of people from lots of different households .
“ Concentrate on your core circle over the coming weeks .
I know you know the core messages , but it ’ s all time for us to redouble our effort to say safe .
“ You need to act as if you have the virus to protect friends and family and colleagues going about your day .
“ I know it is a big challenge but keeping your little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important while we live with the threat of this virus .
Your individual actions do work.
” He warned cases in will double in Dublin in the next fortnight if trends continue as they are doing .
“ We are seeing lots of cases clustered in households and these clusters are spread all across Dublin city and county ” , Dr Glynn added .
Fortunately , the “ vast majority ” of cases in Dublin are in young people and the rates of hospitalisation are low , he added .
He also said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases can not be linked to other cases , are broadly the same in Dublin as it is elsewhere in the country .
“ This provides a window of opportunity to bring the disease under control .
We all need to act now to break the trains of transmission , ” he said .
Dr Glynn said cases are currently growing at 4 per cent per day in the capital and the R0 , the reproduction rate , is 1.4 .
Dr Glynn said there has been 1,055 cases in Dublin in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an average of 104 per day .
Trinity College Dublin Professor of Experimental Immunology Kingston Mills said approximately half of all people who are testing positive for Covid-19 at present have no symptoms .
Most instances of the disease are now happening in young people who often are not affected by it , but can spread to more vulnerable people , he warned .
He suggested that we should not let strangers into our homes and hold outdoor gatherings where possible when we are meeting people .
Speaking to the RTÉ Radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prof Mills said we should assume that people are infected with the disease and act accordingly .
He suggested that people should wear masks when are speaking to each other in indoor settings .
Parts of Dublin have Covid-19 infection rates 2½ times as high as neighbouring areas in the capital , according to the latest figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre ( HPSC ) .
For example , the number of cases appearing in Dublin South East – including parts of the south city centre and Dundrum and Ballinteer – are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found in Dublin South .
The figures cover cases as recorded by the HSE local health office ( LHOs ) areas , which have been collated by David Higgins , an economist with Carraighill data analysts .
Dublin South East , which stretches from Baggot Street through Rathmines and Ranelagh to Leopardstown and Sandyford , recorded 93.8 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the 14 days between August 27th and September 9th .
Meanwhile , Dublin South , which comprises of Dún Laoghaire , Stillorgan , Foxrock and down to Loughlinstown , recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same period .
Dublin North West , which stretches from Cabra to Mulhuddart and includes many recently-built areas in west Dublin , is another hot spot for the disease , with an instance of 83.8 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 .
Across the capital an average of 73.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people is now being recorded , which is a significant increase on cases collated between August 20th and September 2nd , and August 27th and September 9th .
The worst affected area , Dublin South East , had 44.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 2nd and 9th as it did between August 20th and August 27th .
Dublin North , by contrast , had 35.8 extra cases between that time .
Ranelagh-based GP Dr Maitiu Ó Tuathail said the differences between Dublin South and Dublin South East is explained by demographics .
Those who live in Dublin South are older and more settled , he suggests .
“ We have a large population of young people who work in tech and attend college .
We have seen increases in demand for tests weeks ago , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown measures were reversed , ” he said .
“ The Ranelagh , Rathmines , Grand Canal area has a very sociable demographic .
It fits the current trend in statistics that we are seeing with the majority being under 45 .
Dr Ray Walley , a GP based in Glasnevin , which is part of the Dublin West area , said the high numbers currently in his area may be explained by higher poverty and more people living together .
Black , Asian and middle-eastern communities have already been shown in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the same may be occurring in north and west Dublin , both of which have higher immigrant numbers .
“ They are a more vulnerable group and they are looking into why that it is – it may be vitamin D deficiency , ” he said .

Dr Ronan Glynn: ‘It’s all time for us to redouble our effort to say safe.’
The rise in cases in Dublin is being driven by household transmission, the acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn has stated.
Dr Glynn said there were “lot of cases” concentrated in household clusters, and they are in all parts of Dublin city and county.
In a personal message to people living and working in Dublin, Dr Glynn asked people to limit their social contacts “as much as possible”.
A direct message to people living or working in Dublin to explain where we are currently and what we can all do to get where we need to be with #COVID-19. Your individual actions really do matter. They all count. They do work. #HoldFirm [For Closed Captions, select "cc".] pic.twitter.com/fbZlexdOVl — Department of Health (@roinnslainte) September 11, 2020
In a video message posted on the Department of Health website and on social media, he said: "Avoid crowds. Prioritise the people you need to see, but keep groups small and see them regularly rather than meeting lots of people from lots of different households.
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We are seeing lots of cases clustered in households and these clusters are spread all across Dublin city and county - Dr Ronan Glynn.
“Concentrate on your core circle over the coming weeks. I know you know the core messages, but it’s all time for us to redouble our effort to say safe.
“You need to act as if you have the virus to protect friends and family and colleagues going about your day.
“I know it is a big challenge but keeping your little bit of distance from others is really important while we live with the threat of this virus. Your individual actions do work.”
He warned cases in will double in Dublin in the next fortnight if trends continue as they are doing.
“We are seeing lots of cases clustered in households and these clusters are spread all across Dublin city and county”, Dr Glynn added.
Fortunately, the “vast majority” of cases in Dublin are in young people and the rates of hospitalisation are low, he added. He also said that rates of community transmission, where cases cannot be linked to other cases, are broadly the same in Dublin as it is elsewhere in the country. “This provides a window of opportunity to bring the disease under control. We all need to act now to break the trains of transmission,” he said.
Dr Glynn said cases are currently growing at 4 per cent per day in the capital and the R0, the reproduction rate, is 1.4.
Dr Glynn said there has been 1,055 cases in Dublin in the last 14 days and cases are rising at an average of 104 per day.
Strangers
Trinity College Dublin Professor of Experimental Immunology Kingston Mills said approximately half of all people who are testing positive for Covid-19 at present have no symptoms.
Most instances of the disease are now happening in young people who often are not affected by it, but can spread to more vulnerable people, he warned.
He suggested that we should not let strangers into our homes and hold outdoor gatherings where possible when we are meeting people.
Speaking to the RTÉ Radio One with Brendan O’Connor, Prof Mills said we should assume that people are infected with the disease and act accordingly.
He suggested that people should wear masks when are speaking to each other in indoor settings.
Parts of Dublin have Covid-19 infection rates 2½ times as high as neighbouring areas in the capital, according to the latest figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
The area of Dublin North Central as shown on the map refers to Dublin North City
For example, the number of cases appearing in Dublin South East – including parts of the south city centre and Dundrum and Ballinteer – are 155 per cent higher than those being found in Dublin South.
The figures cover cases as recorded by the HSE local health office (LHOs) areas, which have been collated by David Higgins, an economist with Carraighill data analysts.
Dublin South East, which stretches from Baggot Street through Rathmines and Ranelagh to Leopardstown and Sandyford, recorded 93.8 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the 14 days between August 27th and September 9th.
Meanwhile, Dublin South, which comprises of Dún Laoghaire, Stillorgan, Foxrock and down to Loughlinstown, recorded just 36.7 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 in the same period.
Dublin North West, which stretches from Cabra to Mulhuddart and includes many recently-built areas in west Dublin, is another hot spot for the disease, with an instance of 83.8 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000.
Across the capital an average of 73.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people is now being recorded, which is a significant increase on cases collated between August 20th and September 2nd, and August 27th and September 9th.
The worst affected area, Dublin South East, had 44.5 more weekly cases in the week between September 2nd and 9th as it did between August 20th and August 27th. Dublin North, by contrast, had 35.8 extra cases between that time.
Ranelagh-based GP Dr Maitiu Ó Tuathail said the differences between Dublin South and Dublin South East is explained by demographics. Those who live in Dublin South are older and more settled, he suggests.
“We have a large population of young people who work in tech and attend college. We have seen increases in demand for tests weeks ago, and it has just steadily been increasing since lockdown measures were reversed,” he said.
“The Ranelagh, Rathmines, Grand Canal area has a very sociable demographic. It fits the current trend in statistics that we are seeing with the majority being under 45.
Dr Ray Walley, a GP based in Glasnevin, which is part of the Dublin West area, said the high numbers currently in his area may be explained by higher poverty and more people living together.
Black, Asian and middle-eastern communities have already been shown in the UK to be more vulnerable to Covid-19, and the same may be occurring in north and west Dublin, both of which have higher immigrant numbers.
“They are a more vulnerable group and they are looking into why that it is – it may be vitamin D deficiency,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-09-12--Homeless in the pandemic: Meet Ciara and Shane, Darragh and Gary

It was difficult “ mentally ” , says Darragh King ( 36 ) – who has been homeless for several years – to absorb what was happening around him as Dublin went into lockdown from mid-March .
Overnight , along with the rest of the city , most homeless day services closed their premises .
“ The shopping centres were closed .
The cafes were closed .
Even the churches were closed .
There was nowhere to go and sit , nowhere to get out of the rain , nowhere even to go to the toilet.
” King had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend Gary Dixon ( 37 ) for several months .
Their routine had been to cross the Liffey each morning to Merchants Quay Ireland ( MQI ) , a voluntary drug treatment and homelessness service , for breakfast and showers .
They sometimes returned at night to sleep in the project ’ s “ night cafe ” .
Merchants Quay ’ s premises remains mostly closed .
It is providing takeaway meals , takeaway needle-exchange and some on-site medical and counselling services for “ the most vulnerable , ” but the majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside .
Most advice and supports are provided literally on the pavement outside the building .
The “ night cafe ” – which provided roll-out beds on the floor for about 60 people a night – is gone .
In April , King and Dixon , after many years on the streets , were offered emergency accommodation .
They share a twin room which would have accommodated four before the pandemic and have benefitted from the measures put in by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive ( DRHE ) in response to the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beds to ensure people sleeping rough could get off the streets and to reduced overcrowding in existing emergency accommodation .
The pair still visit Merchants Quay Ireland regularly , missing being able to sit inside , but grateful for the addiction and counselling services it still gives .
“ Only for it , I ’ d be lost , ” says Dixon .
In the eye of the gathering Covid-19 storm , and amid serious fears of a large outbreak among the homeless population , State and voluntary agencies worked together , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the extra 450 beds – much of it in former short-term holiday lets – over 600 units of cocooning or shielding accommodation were sourced .
All registered drug-users were to be offered methadone maintenance and , where necessary , provision was made for methadone and other prescription drugs to be delivered to homeless people where they were staying .
Ciara Carty , head of services with Focus Ireland , recalls : “ We opened a shielding service in a three-day turnaround .
In it there are 18 units , self-contained apartments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the HSE and the DRHE .
It was a phenomenal collaborative success – and shows what can be done.
” Roxanne Nolan ( 37 ) , who has rheumatoid arthritis and has had several hospitalisations with pneumonia in recent years , was placed in a Focus Ireland cocooning unit in April having been in and out of homelessness since her teens .
“ I have not had my own place in over 20 years .
My health has improved .
Life is better for me now than it has been in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sleeper outreach worker with Dublin Simon , recalls “ very entrenched rough sleepers ” whom services had been struggling for long periods to get into accommodation , “ getting into accommodation overnight ...
It was quite surreal ” .
Her colleague , Róisín Casey , however , quickly adds some of those placements broke down in subsequent weeks .
“ People who sleep rough can have other factors in their lives to deal with .
They ’ re already so socially isolated .
So being suddenly in a single room , it doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provision of more beds has been positive , but they stress that supporting vulnerable , complex people , like those sleeping rough , especially in the midst of a fast-changing and unpredictable crisis , requires more than just accommodation .
Several serious issues remain , resulting in people – including children , say Dublin Simon – sleeping in parks , doorways , in car-parks and on the streets .
Among these are an almost blanket ban on anyone from outside Dublin accessing emergency accommodation , the removal of all crisis one-night-only beds from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency beds for couples ( there are 60 for a homeless population of almost 3,000 adults without children ) along with strict rules on accessing them .
So while numbers sleeping rough in the capital fell dramatically in late March to about 25 , they are now back up at over 100 a night , according to Dublin Simon .
And while the number of children and families in emergency accommodation fell through the crisis , the number of single adults in emergency accommodation in Dublin is growing – there were 2,916 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In July , 176 single adults became homeless for the first time in Dublin compared with 105 in June , 123 in May , 99 in April , 108 in March , 160 in February , and 215 in January .
A DRHE report to councillors this week warned : “ We will soon be entering the winter period , and numbers amongst single adults are likely to increase.
” Wednesday night , shortly after 11pm , finds Ciara Fennell ( 25 ) and her partner Shane Linnie ( 30 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 nights previously in a lane behind the National Gallery .
It is raining heavily for the second consecutive night .
The inside “ walls ” of the tent are damp .
“ We are homeless this last year , ” says Ciara .
Both from south Co Dublin originally , their families moved to Wexford when they were younger .
They met there .
Ciara could no longer afford her rented accommodation in Enniscorthy , and , unable to get housing , the couple came to Dublin last year .
Having been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and as a result of the Covid crisis , they got an emergency couple ’ s bed in May .
Due to coercive intimidation directed at Ciara from someone outside the accommodation they had to leave , however .
These details are confirmed by Dublin Simon .
To access an alternative couple bed they must have a joint housing application , a process made more difficult during lockdown as all interaction with Dublin City Council has been by email .
“ It ’ s just very hard , and it ’ s like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except the Simon Community , ” says Ciara .
“ We got into the hostel for about three months and we were happy there .
Then all that started happening and we had to leave .
“ It ’ s been tough during Covid , having no services , no one to speak to .
It ’ s like we ’ re invisible.
” Asked how they clean themselves , she says : “ Just use babywipes .
For food we use the soup runs .
I have no family I can go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she continues : “ This is not my kind of life .
I went to school .
The people around here are not the type I ’ d mix with .
I ’ m terrified of the winter coming .
I ’ m cold .
It ’ s like the Government just don ’ t care .
I ’ m just sick of being invisible to everybody.
” Shane pulls Ciara to him as she becomes distressed .
“ I ’ m so worried for her , ” he says .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source further accommodation that would be suitable for couples ” .
In the doorway of Brown Thomas on Grafton Street , Stephen Cullen ( 47 ) is with his partner Mary , who does not give her surname .
Painfully thin , he explains he has “ cancer all over ” .
Rubbing his neck and jaw he says they are “ full of tumours ” .
“ It ’ s very hard to get a bed together.
” He has been offered a cocooning bed , but Mary would not be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have a joint housing application .
They will sleep outside the Gaiety theatre tonight , he says .
The median age of death among homeless men is 44 , according to a 2016 study from the Institute of Public Health in Trinity College .
For homeless women it is 38 .
Among others we meet are a family of three adults , including an elderly couple , from Romania , bedded down in a secluded doorway to the Ilac Centre , off Henry Street .
They speak no English .
Near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addiction , is sleeping behind a barricade of cardboard boxes .
He had a hostel bed , but left because there were “ too many drugs ” .
He is trying to get transferred to another accommodation .
The most distressing development since Covid , says Dublin Simon outreach worker Ciarán King , has been coming across families , including children under 10 , sleeping out .
“ We ’ ve met them at the GPO , Store Street .
There haven ’ t been any children in the last few weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether because they ’ ve lost their accommodation or services are closed and they have nowhere to go for advice .
Usually they have not been assessed as homeless [ so can not access a bed ] .
They ’ ve all been from outside Ireland , so that ’ s another complication in getting emergency accommodation .
“ We ’ ve had to call gardaí when it ’ s out of hours and it ’ s potentially a child protection issue.
” The DRHE said it was “ not aware of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases reported to them would be responded to “ urgently ” .
Being from outside the country , or even county , has become a “ huge ” obstacle to accessing beds in Dublin since Covid-19 struck , says Louisa Santoro , chief executive of the Mendicity Institution .
She has dealt with “ a significant number ” of homeless men who were refused any emergency bed because they have difficulties proving “ a connection to Dublin ” .
“ They are being told to go back to Tipperary or wherever , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” says Santoro .
“ Local authorities around the country are telling me they have no emergency beds .
So they ’ d be going back to sleep rough in Thurles or Ennis or wherever – and without the day services they have in Dublin .
“ Meanwhile the embassies are asking me what they are supposed to do with one of their nationals who is homeless in Dublin .
That ’ s not their responsibility.
” The DRHE says there is a process for dealing with this issue : “ Emergency accommodation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
A person should always contact the local authority from which they became homeless in the first instance .
It is critical that each household is registered for housing support with the authority where they have a local connection.
” The closing of all one-night-only beds – for hygiene and best-practice reasons – has been widely welcomed .
But it “ seems hard-line ” , says Santoro .
“ It means there is literally nothing for people if they can not prove they are ‘ entitled ’ to housing supports in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , proving that can take a few days .
They are still human beings .
They are ending up in really dire situations out there.
” A spokeswoman for the DRHE said the elimination of one-night beds in favour of longer-term rolling beds only had had “ some negative outcomes ” .
“ We are working to find a solution to this issue in order to ensure full usage when there is a strong demand.
” The continued closure of most day services ’ premises coming into the winter is a huge concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meals , those who used them have lost social spaces , shelter from the weather , to shower , to use the toilet .
Without homeless people dropping into their premises socially , services have lost opportunities to engage casually with them to build the relationships from which trust and further engagement grow .
David , who did not give his surname , has been engaging with Merchants Quay Ireland for several years .
“ I miss going in a lot , ” he says .
“ You used to be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have a chat .
Now you can ’ t even do that .
I am finding it very difficult.
” The “ big need ” , says Mark Kennedy , Merchants Quay Ireland ’ s director of recovery services , “ is the social , the human contact .
That ’ s what they miss .
It definitely impacts on their mental health.
” He is worried too about those who are not coming to service at all anymore , put off by the gathering of people outside them and the lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accommodation is hugely important , and people can stay in the hostels all day now if they wish .
But sitting in a room all day , there ’ s more to it than that .
We humans , we wither if we don ’ t get social contact .
That has to be there .
People have mental health problems , physical health problems .
We have got to address that too.
” Merchants Quay Ireland is examining whether it can access additional premises to enable some social interaction in the winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agrees .
“ Yes , accommodation is crucial , and on that we have had wins in this crisis .
We have got people into accommodation who would have been in tents .
But there is a danger in focusing solely on the very basic needs .
You could be missing other issues .
“ This winter is going to be very tough on people .
The only way we are going to get through is by working together in a way that prevents homeless people from having to sleep rough and from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ When someone has a stable home a lot of the other issues are easier to resolve .
”

It was difficult "mentally", says Darragh King (36) – who has been homeless for several years – to absorb what was happening around him as Dublin went into lockdown from mid-March.
Overnight, along with the rest of the city, most homeless day services closed their premises.
“The shopping centres were closed. The cafes were closed. Even the churches were closed. There was nowhere to go and sit, nowhere to get out of the rain, nowhere even to go to the toilet.”
King had been sleeping at the Four Courts with his friend Gary Dixon (37) for several months. Their routine had been to cross the Liffey each morning to Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI), a voluntary drug treatment and homelessness service, for breakfast and showers. They sometimes returned at night to sleep in the project's "night cafe".
READ MORE
Merchants Quay’s premises remains mostly closed. It is providing takeaway meals, takeaway needle-exchange and some on-site medical and counselling services for “the most vulnerable,” but the majority of people needing its supports cannot go inside.
Most advice and supports are provided literally on the pavement outside the building. The “night cafe” – which provided roll-out beds on the floor for about 60 people a night – is gone.
In April, King and Dixon, after many years on the streets, were offered emergency accommodation. They share a twin room which would have accommodated four before the pandemic and have benefitted from the measures put in by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) in response to the pandemic.
It sourced an additional 450 emergency beds to ensure people sleeping rough could get off the streets and to reduced overcrowding in existing emergency accommodation.
The pair still visit Merchants Quay Ireland regularly, missing being able to sit inside, but grateful for the addiction and counselling services it still gives. “Only for it, I’d be lost,” says Dixon.
Roisin Casey (L) and Daire Moriarty, both members of the Dublin Simon rough sleeper outreach team speak to a homeless man on Dublin's Henry Street. Photograph: Damien Eagers
*****
In the eye of the gathering Covid-19 storm, and amid serious fears of a large outbreak among the homeless population, State and voluntary agencies worked together, and quickly, from mid-March.
In addition to the extra 450 beds – much of it in former short-term holiday lets – over 600 units of cocooning or shielding accommodation were sourced.
All registered drug-users were to be offered methadone maintenance and, where necessary, provision was made for methadone and other prescription drugs to be delivered to homeless people where they were staying.
As well as missing hot sit-down meals, those who used them have lost social spaces, shelter from the weather, to shower, to use the toilet
Ciara Carty, head of services with Focus Ireland, recalls: "We opened a shielding service in a three-day turnaround. In it there are 18 units, self-contained apartments. We achieved that working with Anna Liffey, the HSE and the DRHE. It was a phenomenal collaborative success – and shows what can be done."
*****
Roxanne Nolan (37), who has rheumatoid arthritis and has had several hospitalisations with pneumonia in recent years, was placed in a Focus Ireland cocooning unit in April having been in and out of homelessness since her teens.
“I have not had my own place in over 20 years. My health has improved. Life is better for me now than it has been in a long time.”
Daire Moriarty, rough sleeper outreach worker with Dublin Simon, recalls "very entrenched rough sleepers" whom services had been struggling for long periods to get into accommodation, "getting into accommodation overnight... It was quite surreal".
Her colleague, Róisín Casey, however, quickly adds some of those placements broke down in subsequent weeks. “People who sleep rough can have other factors in their lives to deal with. They’re already so socially isolated. So being suddenly in a single room, it doesn’t always help.”
Darragh and Gary at Merchants Quay Ireland in Dublin. The “night cafe” – which provided roll-out beds on the floor for about 60 people a night – is gone. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
The rapid provision of more beds has been positive, but they stress that supporting vulnerable, complex people, like those sleeping rough, especially in the midst of a fast-changing and unpredictable crisis, requires more than just accommodation.
Several serious issues remain, resulting in people – including children, say Dublin Simon – sleeping in parks, doorways, in car-parks and on the streets.
Among these are an almost blanket ban on anyone from outside Dublin accessing emergency accommodation, the removal of all crisis one-night-only beds from the system, and a dearth of emergency beds for couples (there are 60 for a homeless population of almost 3,000 adults without children ) along with strict rules on accessing them.
So while numbers sleeping rough in the capital fell dramatically in late March to about 25, they are now back up at over 100 a night, according to Dublin Simon.
And while the number of children and families in emergency accommodation fell through the crisis, the number of single adults in emergency accommodation in Dublin is growing – there were 2,916 in July, up from 2,897 in June.
In July, 176 single adults became homeless for the first time in Dublin compared with 105 in June, 123 in May, 99 in April, 108 in March, 160 in February, and 215 in January.
A DRHE report to councillors this week warned: “We will soon be entering the winter period, and numbers amongst single adults are likely to increase.”
*****
Wednesday night, shortly after 11pm, finds Ciara Fennell (25) and her partner Shane Linnie (30), returning to their tiny tent, pitched 10 nights previously in a lane behind the National Gallery. It is raining heavily for the second consecutive night. The inside "walls" of the tent are damp.
“We are homeless this last year,” says Ciara.
Both from south Co Dublin originally, their families moved to Wexford when they were younger. They met there. Ciara could no longer afford her rented accommodation in Enniscorthy, and, unable to get housing, the couple came to Dublin last year.
Having been in a tent for nine months, and as a result of the Covid crisis, they got an emergency couple’s bed in May. Due to coercive intimidation directed at Ciara from someone outside the accommodation they had to leave, however. These details are confirmed by Dublin Simon.
To access an alternative couple bed they must have a joint housing application, a process made more difficult during lockdown as all interaction with Dublin City Council has been by email.
Ciara Fennell and Shane Linnie outside their tent in Dublin city centre. “It’s like the Government just don’t care. I’m just sick of being invisible to everybody,” says Ciara. Photograph: Damien Eagers
"It's just very hard, and it's like there's no help from anyone except the Simon Community, " says Ciara. "We got into the hostel for about three months and we were happy there. Then all that started happening and we had to leave.
“It’s been tough during Covid, having no services, no one to speak to. It’s like we’re invisible.”
Asked how they clean themselves, she says: “Just use babywipes. For food we use the soup runs. I have no family I can go to.”
Wiping tears from her face, she continues: “This is not my kind of life. I went to school. The people around here are not the type I’d mix with. I’m terrified of the winter coming. I’m cold. It’s like the Government just don’t care. I’m just sick of being invisible to everybody.”
Shane pulls Ciara to him as she becomes distressed. “I’m so worried for her,” he says.
The DRHE said it was “trying to source further accommodation that would be suitable for couples”.
*****
In the doorway of Brown Thomas on Grafton Street, Stephen Cullen (47) is with his partner Mary, who does not give her surname. Painfully thin, he explains he has "cancer all over". Rubbing his neck and jaw he says they are "full of tumours".
“It’s very hard to get a bed together.” He has been offered a cocooning bed, but Mary would not be able to go with him as they don’t have a joint housing application. They will sleep outside the Gaiety theatre tonight, he says.
Daire Moriarty, Ciaran King and Roisin Casey, all members of the Dublin Simon rough sleeper outreach team. Photograph: Damien Eagers
The median age of death among homeless men is 44, according to a 2016 study from the Institute of Public Health in Trinity College. For homeless women it is 38.
Among others we meet are a family of three adults, including an elderly couple, from Romania, bedded down in a secluded doorway to the Ilac Centre, off Henry Street. They speak no English.
'This winter is going to be very tough on people'
Near them Barry, a musician recovering from addiction, is sleeping behind a barricade of cardboard boxes. He had a hostel bed, but left because there were “too many drugs”. He is trying to get transferred to another accommodation.
*****
The most distressing development since Covid, says Dublin Simon outreach worker Ciarán King, has been coming across families, including children under 10, sleeping out.
“We’ve met them at the GPO, Store Street. There haven’t been any children in the last few weeks. It’s only since Covid, whether because they’ve lost their accommodation or services are closed and they have nowhere to go for advice. Usually they have not been assessed as homeless [so cannot access a bed]. They’ve all been from outside Ireland, so that’s another complication in getting emergency accommodation.
“We’ve had to call gardaí when it’s out of hours and it’s potentially a child protection issue.”
The DRHE said it was “not aware of any children sleeping rough”, adding that cases reported to them would be responded to “urgently”.
Greg Duff and Amy Carroll, harm reduction outreach project workers at Merchants Quay Ireland. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Being from outside the country, or even county, has become a "huge" obstacle to accessing beds in Dublin since Covid-19 struck, says Louisa Santoro, chief executive of the Mendicity Institution. She has dealt with "a significant number" of homeless men who were refused any emergency bed because they have difficulties proving "a connection to Dublin".
"They are being told to go back to Tipperary or wherever, or to their country's embassy," says Santoro. "Local authorities around the country are telling me they have no emergency beds. So they'd be going back to sleep rough in Thurles or Ennis or wherever – and without the day services they have in Dublin.
“Meanwhile the embassies are asking me what they are supposed to do with one of their nationals who is homeless in Dublin. That’s not their responsibility.”
'You used to be able to have a shave and clean yourself up, have a chat. Now you can't even do that. I am finding it very difficult'
The DRHE says there is a process for dealing with this issue: “Emergency accommodation is provided by each housing authority in the country. A person should always contact the local authority from which they became homeless in the first instance. It is critical that each household is registered for housing support with the authority where they have a local connection.”
*****
The closing of all one-night-only beds – for hygiene and best-practice reasons – has been widely welcomed. But it “seems hard-line”, says Santoro. “It means there is literally nothing for people if they cannot prove they are ‘entitled’ to housing supports in Dublin. And even if they are, proving that can take a few days. They are still human beings. They are ending up in really dire situations out there.”
Roisin Casey (R) and Daire Moriarty, both members of the Dublin Simon rough sleeper outreach team speak to a homeless woman on Dublin’s Grafton Street. Photograph: Damien Eagers
A spokeswoman for the DRHE said the elimination of one-night beds in favour of longer-term rolling beds only had had “some negative outcomes”.
“We are working to find a solution to this issue in order to ensure full usage when there is a strong demand.”
The continued closure of most day services’ premises coming into the winter is a huge concern.
As well as missing hot sit-down meals, those who used them have lost social spaces, shelter from the weather, to shower, to use the toilet.
Without homeless people dropping into their premises socially, services have lost opportunities to engage casually with them to build the relationships from which trust and further engagement grow.
David, who did not give his surname, has been engaging with Merchants Quay Ireland for several years. “I miss going in a lot,” he says. “You used to be able to have a shave and clean yourself up, have a chat. Now you can’t even do that. I am finding it very difficult.”
David at Merchants Quay Ireland. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
The “big need”, says Mark Kennedy, Merchants Quay Ireland’s director of recovery services, “is the social, the human contact. That’s what they miss. It definitely impacts on their mental health.”
He is worried too about those who are not coming to service at all anymore, put off by the gathering of people outside them and the lack of privacy.
“Of course the accommodation is hugely important, and people can stay in the hostels all day now if they wish. But sitting in a room all day, there’s more to it than that. We humans, we wither if we don’t get social contact. That has to be there. People have mental health problems, physical health problems. We have got to address that too.”
Merchants Quay Ireland is examining whether it can access additional premises to enable some social interaction in the winter.
In Focus Ireland, Ciara Carty agrees. “Yes, accommodation is crucial, and on that we have had wins in this crisis. We have got people into accommodation who would have been in tents. But there is a danger in focusing solely on the very basic needs. You could be missing other issues.
“This winter is going to be very tough on people. The only way we are going to get through is by working together in a way that prevents homeless people from having to sleep rough and from becoming homeless in the first place.
“When someone has a stable home a lot of the other issues are easier to resolve.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-12--Another Life: How are Ireland’s elms faring in 2020?

The trees of my youth were urban and majestic .
They loomed over parks and pavements and grand civic spaces .
Hurrying about , one was aware of dark trunks , notched and scarred , with huge and heavy boughs overhead .
In Brighton , my hometown , elms lined the main roads into the centre .
They encircled the lawns of the Royal Pavilion , exotic summer residence of George IV .
The city of Brighton and Hove still has some 17,000 elm trees of many breeds , including the two oldest and largest of the surviving English elms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Elm Collection – this after the ravages of Dutch elm disease and a hurricane , in 1987 , that left the green spine of the borough a heartbreaking tangle of trunks .
The chalky soil and salty winds of Brighton made elms the choice of Victorian planners .
The chalk downs rising behind the town formed a natural cordon sanitaire against the invasion of the fungus-bearing beetle Scolytus scolytus .
Even last summer , however , yet another of the Royal Pavilion ’ s elms , which was some 12m tall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A favourite tree on the Pavilion lawn has quite an exceptional shape : a great low umbrella of boughs and leaves .
One of the finest such specimens left in the UK , this is a weeping wych elm , Ulmus glabra “ Horizontalis ” .
Without such fancy cultivation , the wych elm is Ireland ’ s only native elm species , its Irish name ( leamhán sléibhe ) suggesting a liking for wilder ground .
It is common across the island , and the spread of elm disease from the 1970s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the UN ’ s International Year of Plant Health , how have Ireland ’ s elms recovered from Dutch elm disease ?
English elms , and many others of unknown European provenance and hybridisation , were planted in their thousands in Ireland in the late 18th and 19th centuries .
They were usually planted from suckers , as clones , and without genetic variation they had little resistance to fungal infection .
The fungus-bearing elm beetles are attracted to trees higher than 1.5m , with well-developed bark in which to lay their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ died ” , the postmortem suckers of English elms have still grown up from the roots .
Helped by an appeal to readers in this column in 2006 , Teagasc researchers found healthy elms still growing here , mostly in coastal counties and some even on the seashore in counties Antrim and Cork .
Many were clearly the native wych elm but others were uncertain hybrids .
Almost 200 trees yielded hundreds of cuttings for trial propagation at Kinsealy .
Unlike the genetic programme for breeding disease-resistant ash trees , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elm .
But Teagasc ’ s Dr Miguel Nemesio-Gorriz continues to pursue the agency ’ s hopes of fostering resistant trees with heritable genes ( see teagasc.ie ) .
Candidate elms for propagation have to be older than 40 years or be thicker than 45cm , and to stand as completely healthy among neighbouring elms that are sickly or dead .
Only one in 10 million elms is naturally disease-resistant , and these few belong mainly to the narrow-leaved Ulmus minor , a field elm of southern Europe , or to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s wych elm is an “ orphan ” species genetically , but as a seed-producing tree its conservation takes on special purpose .
In the past year , Dr Nemesio-Gorriz has visited 10 more candidate Irish elms and taken twigs from which to propagate cuttings .
In four years they will be mature enough to test resistance to Dutch elm disease by inoculation with several strains of the pathogen .
Ireland ’ s living elms can still surprise .
In 2006 , a dozen mature elm trees at Ardee , Co Louth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , low-hanging seeds .
Finding them gave special delight to Dr Gerry Douglas , Dr Nemesio-Gorriz ’ s predecessor at Teagasc .
Identified as those of the European white elm , Ulmus laevis , hitherto unknown in Ireland , the seeds were grown by Coillte into 15,000 saplings .
These were sold to the public or donated to schools , and Dr Douglas knows of some that are still “ growing well ” .
A notably fast-growing , stately tree , most at home in central and eastern Europe , Ulmus laevis might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tree is of low economic value , ” says Euforgen , a European forest genetic agency , “ and unlike other European elms , the timber is not appreciated.
” There are other kinds of value .
Donegal County Council , for example , cherishes half-a-dozen “ heritage ” wych elms as a genetic resource for local woodland .
And in Heritage Trees of Ireland ( 2013 ) , a beautiful book for the Tree Council of Ireland , Aubrey Fennell pictures two lofty hybrid elms at Donegal town .
One of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest known surviving elm in Ireland .
Fennell urged a visit “ before they inevitably succumb to disease ” .

The trees of my youth were urban and majestic. They loomed over parks and pavements and grand civic spaces. Hurrying about, one was aware of dark trunks, notched and scarred, with huge and heavy boughs overhead.
In Brighton, my hometown, elms lined the main roads into the centre. They encircled the lawns of the Royal Pavilion, exotic summer residence of George IV.
The city of Brighton and Hove still has some 17,000 elm trees of many breeds, including the two oldest and largest of the surviving English elms. It holds, indeed, the National Elm Collection – this after the ravages of Dutch elm disease and a hurricane, in 1987, that left the green spine of the borough a heartbreaking tangle of trunks.
The chalky soil and salty winds of Brighton made elms the choice of Victorian planners. The chalk downs rising behind the town formed a natural cordon sanitaire against the invasion of the fungus-bearing beetle Scolytus scolytus. Even last summer, however, yet another of the Royal Pavilion’s elms, which was some 12m tall, fell victim to Dutch elm disease.
READ MORE
A favourite tree on the Pavilion lawn has quite an exceptional shape: a great low umbrella of boughs and leaves. One of the finest such specimens left in the UK, this is a weeping wych elm, Ulmus glabra “Horizontalis”.
Without such fancy cultivation, the wych elm is Ireland’s only native elm species, its Irish name (leamhán sléibhe) suggesting a liking for wilder ground. It is common across the island, and the spread of elm disease from the 1970s left gaunt silhouettes in many hedgerows.
Recovery
In the UN’s International Year of Plant Health, how have Ireland’s elms recovered from Dutch elm disease?
English elms, and many others of unknown European provenance and hybridisation, were planted in their thousands in Ireland in the late 18th and 19th centuries. They were usually planted from suckers, as clones, and without genetic variation they had little resistance to fungal infection.
The fungus-bearing elm beetles are attracted to trees higher than 1.5m, with well-developed bark in which to lay their eggs. So even after trees have “died”, the postmortem suckers of English elms have still grown up from the roots.
Helped by an appeal to readers in this column in 2006, Teagasc researchers found healthy elms still growing here, mostly in coastal counties and some even on the seashore in counties Antrim and Cork. Many were clearly the native wych elm but others were uncertain hybrids. Almost 200 trees yielded hundreds of cuttings for trial propagation at Kinsealy.
Unlike the genetic programme for breeding disease-resistant ash trees, there is no official project to support research for the elm. But Teagasc's Dr Miguel Nemesio-Gorriz continues to pursue the agency's hopes of fostering resistant trees with heritable genes (see teagasc.ie).
Candidate elms for propagation have to be older than 40 years or be thicker than 45cm, and to stand as completely healthy among neighbouring elms that are sickly or dead. Only one in 10 million elms is naturally disease-resistant, and these few belong mainly to the narrow-leaved Ulmus minor, a field elm of southern Europe, or to its hybrids with resistant Asiatic species.
Ireland’s wych elm is an “orphan” species genetically, but as a seed-producing tree its conservation takes on special purpose.
In the past year, Dr Nemesio-Gorriz has visited 10 more candidate Irish elms and taken twigs from which to propagate cuttings. In four years they will be mature enough to test resistance to Dutch elm disease by inoculation with several strains of the pathogen.
Surprising results
Ireland's living elms can still surprise. In 2006, a dozen mature elm trees at Ardee, Co Louth, produced a massive crop of winged, low-hanging seeds. Finding them gave special delight to Dr Gerry Douglas, Dr Nemesio-Gorriz's predecessor at Teagasc.
Identified as those of the European white elm, Ulmus laevis, hitherto unknown in Ireland, the seeds were grown by Coillte into 15,000 saplings. These were sold to the public or donated to schools, and Dr Douglas knows of some that are still "growing well".
A notably fast-growing, stately tree, most at home in central and eastern Europe, Ulmus laevis might not warrant a forest. “The tree is of low economic value,” says Euforgen, a European forest genetic agency, “and unlike other European elms, the timber is not appreciated.”
There are other kinds of value. Donegal County Council, for example, cherishes half-a-dozen "heritage" wych elms as a genetic resource for local woodland. And in Heritage Trees of Ireland (2013), a beautiful book for the Tree Council of Ireland, Aubrey Fennell pictures two lofty hybrid elms at Donegal town. One of them, almost 5m in girth, is the largest known surviving elm in Ireland. Fennell urged a visit "before they inevitably succumb to disease".


theirishtimes--2020-09-12--What is this bug my son found on Killiney Hill? Readers’ nature queries

My six-year-old son Cilian found this bug on Killiney Hill .
He thinks it ’ s beautiful .
Doug Carruthers , Killiney , Co Dublin An unusual find , it ’ s the fifth and last stage of the nymph of the Juniper shield bug before it becomes an adult .
While washing lettuce I found this larva attached by a threadlike link to a leaf .
It had lovely gold patches that really glistened .
Agnes Coleman , Cappamore , Co Limerick The pupa of the small tortoiseshell butterfly has golden patches .
This fish was found by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s strand in Schull in August .
It was identified as a tub gurnard , but is that definite ?
Denise Caruth-Stevenson , Schull , Co Cork Definitely a gurnard , and at that size more than likely a tub gurnard .
It could grow to 75cms .
This insect was sitting on a cupboard door handle in my kitchen , It had a wingspan of about 1cm .
Jill Bolton , Shankill , Dublin 18 It ’ s one of the micro moths , called the beautiful plume moth , Amblyptilia acanthadactyla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the White Strand south of Louisburgh , Co Mayo .
Is it a turtle and where do they come from ?
Denis Harte , Drumcondra , Dublin 9 It ’ s a leatherback turtle and they travel all around the Atlantic from the Caribbean , where they breed , following their food source , shoals of jellyfish .
Can you tell me about this jellyfish which we found on Gurteen Beach , Co Galway , this summer ?
Alex O ’ Neill , Kilcullen , Co Kildare It ’ s the compass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tentacles and arms were lost before it landed .
This spider is living in my kitchen window .
What kind is it and how long do they live ?
Isobel Butler , Harold ’ s Cross , Dublin 12 The garden spider won ’ t live outside for more than one year ; inside she can last for two or three years .
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn , Louisburgh , Co Mayo , F28 F978 , or by email at viney @ anu.ie .
Please include a postal address @

My six-year-old son Cilian found this bug on Killiney Hill. He thinks it's beautiful.
Doug Carruthers, Killiney, Co Dublin
An unusual find, it's the fifth and last stage of the nymph of the Juniper shield bug before it becomes an adult.
Pupa of the small tortoiseshell butterfly
While washing lettuce I found this larva attached by a threadlike link to a leaf. It had lovely gold patches that really glistened.
Agnes Coleman, Cappamore, Co Limerick
The pupa of the small tortoiseshell butterfly has golden patches.
Gurnard
This fish was found by the Stevenson and Moloney children on Cadogan's strand in Schull in August. It was identified as a tub gurnard, but is that definite?
Denise Caruth-Stevenson, Schull, Co Cork
Definitely a gurnard, and at that size more than likely a tub gurnard. It could grow to 75cms.
Beautiful plume moth, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
This insect was sitting on a cupboard door handle in my kitchen, It had a wingspan of about 1cm.
Jill Bolton, Shankill, Dublin 18
It's one of the micro moths, called the beautiful plume moth, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla.
READ MORE
Leatherback turtle
I found this creature washed up on the White Strand south of Louisburgh, Co Mayo. Is it a turtle and where do they come from?
Denis Harte, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
It's a leatherback turtle and they travel all around the Atlantic from the Caribbean, where they breed, following their food source, shoals of jellyfish.
Compass jellyfish
Can you tell me about this jellyfish which we found on Gurteen Beach, Co Galway, this summer?
Alex O'Neill, Kilcullen, Co Kildare
It's the compass jellyfish, just the cap; the tentacles and arms were lost before it landed.
Garden spider
This spider is living in my kitchen window. What kind is it and how long do they live?
Isobel Butler, Harold's Cross, Dublin 12
The garden spider won't live outside for more than one year; inside she can last for two or three years.
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, F28 F978, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address.