theirishtimes--2020-06-14--Coronavirus: No new deaths announced in Northern Ireland

The North ’ s Deputy First Minister Michelle O ’ Neill has suggested there will be “ significant ” developments in the coming week in terms of easing the lockdown in Northern Ireland .
On Sunday the Department of Health in its daily bulletin reported that there were no deaths in Northern Ireland from coronavirus .
This was the fifth time in the past eight days that it recorded zero deaths .
The death rate remains at 541 .
The department also reported just seven new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland taking the number of cases to 4,848 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall Ms O ’ Neill said there will be announcements on Monday and Thursday favourable to the hospitality industry and to other sectors as well .
At the start of the month it was announced that from July 20th hotels , guest houses , B & Bs , hostels and caravan and mobile home sites could reopen .
Ms O ’ Neill suggested there could be further relaxations .
“ We want to keep moving forward , ” she said .
“ We want to keep giving people that wee bit more to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of normality .
So the hospitality sector is one , but there are other sectors out there that are now asking for an indicative dates and I think it ’ s important that we give them all indicative dates , ” she added .
“ I want to signpost that Monday and Thursday will be significant days in terms of Executive announcements , ” she told the BBC ’ s Politics Programme .
Ms O ’ Neill also sounded a note of caution .
While she wanted the hospitality sector to open up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of the virus .
“ Imagine if we were to open up now and have to shut everything down in four or six weeks ?
” “ I ’ m working our way through our plan gradually and incrementally .
We ’ re certainly in a good place , making positive steps forward , but we need to do it gradually , ” she said .
Ms O ’ Neill said that as relaxations increased childcare and reopening schools would be key issues .
“ More people are returning to work but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t tell them to go back to work without saying what childcare will look like .
We have asked the health and education Ministers to bring forward the childcare recovery plan , ” she said .
“ For me , there are two key issues in the week ahead : what does school look like in September and what does childcare look like for our families ?
” Last Thursday First Minister Arlene Foster and Ms O ’ Neill announced further easing of the lockdown .
These included a person living alone being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opening of all non-essential retail , including shopping centres ; groups of six to ten people who do not live together allowed to meet outdoors ; permission for elite athletes to train outdoors ; and allowing house moves and the sale of homes .
Meanwhile , Alliance party Assembly member John Blair has raised an issue about a demonstration of several hundred people outside Belfast City Hall on Saturday to protect war memorials that they feared could be threatened by the Black Lives Matter campaign .
The protest took place without incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no arrests were made on Saturday while a “ significant number ” of fines were given out at last week ’ s Black Lives Matter protests in Belfast and Derry .
“ People should not be gathering in large groups in the midst of a pandemic .
They are putting into risk not only their own lives , but the lives of others , ” said Mr Blair .
He added , “ However , the PSNI needs to apply a consistent approach to all such protests or else they risk damaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly from ethnic minority members of our society .
”

Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill: ‘We want to keep giving people that wee bit more to try to get back to some semblance of normality.’ Photograph: Kelvin Boyes/PA Wire
The North's Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has suggested there will be "significant" developments in the coming week in terms of easing the lockdown in Northern Ireland.
On Sunday the Department of Health in its daily bulletin reported that there were no deaths in Northern Ireland from coronavirus. This was the fifth time in the past eight days that it recorded zero deaths. The death rate remains at 541.
The department also reported just seven new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland taking the number of cases to 4,848.
With the death rate continuing to fall Ms O’Neill said there will be announcements on Monday and Thursday favourable to the hospitality industry and to other sectors as well.
READ MORE
‘Keep moving forward’
At the start of the month it was announced that from July 20th hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, hostels and caravan and mobile home sites could reopen.
Ms O’Neill suggested there could be further relaxations. “We want to keep moving forward,” she said. “We want to keep giving people that wee bit more to try to get back to some semblance of normality. So the hospitality sector is one, but there are other sectors out there that are now asking for an indicative dates and I think it’s important that we give them all indicative dates,” she added.
“I want to signpost that Monday and Thursday will be significant days in terms of Executive announcements,” she told the BBC’s Politics Programme.
Ms O’Neill also sounded a note of caution. While she wanted the hospitality sector to open up she also wanted to avoid a second wave of the virus. “Imagine if we were to open up now and have to shut everything down in four or six weeks?”
“I’m working our way through our plan gradually and incrementally. We’re certainly in a good place, making positive steps forward, but we need to do it gradually,” she said.
Ms O’Neill said that as relaxations increased childcare and reopening schools would be key issues.
“More people are returning to work but they need childcare. You can’t tell them to go back to work without saying what childcare will look like. We have asked the health and education Ministers to bring forward the childcare recovery plan,” she said.
“For me, there are two key issues in the week ahead: what does school look like in September and what does childcare look like for our families?”
Last Thursday First Minister Arlene Foster and Ms O'Neill announced further easing of the lockdown. These included a person living alone being permitted to visit one other household; the opening of all non-essential retail, including shopping centres; groups of six to ten people who do not live together allowed to meet outdoors; permission for elite athletes to train outdoors; and allowing house moves and the sale of homes.
Demonstration
Meanwhile, Alliance party Assembly member John Blair has raised an issue about a demonstration of several hundred people outside Belfast City Hall on Saturday to protect war memorials that they feared could be threatened by the Black Lives Matter campaign.
The protest took place without incident.
Mr Blair said the PSNI confirmed that no arrests were made on Saturday while a “significant number” of fines were given out at last week’s Black Lives Matter protests in Belfast and Derry.
“People should not be gathering in large groups in the midst of a pandemic. They are putting into risk not only their own lives, but the lives of others,” said Mr Blair.
He added, “However, the PSNI needs to apply a consistent approach to all such protests or else they risk damaging the community confidence in the organisation, particularly from ethnic minority members of our society.”


theirishtimes--2020-06-14--Michael Portillo: ‘Ignorance of Ireland among the British is rather shocking’

Last year while filming his new documentary about the War of Independence , former British defence secretary Michael Portillo found himself alone at the monument to the Clonmult ambush which occurred in February 1921 .
The spot in east Cork near Midleton marks the worst reverse for the IRA in the war when 14 volunteers were shot dead after being surrounded by British forces while hiding out in a farmhouse .
The suspicion remains to this day that at least five of them were shot after surrendering .
He expected the woman of the house who maintained the monument to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister .
Instead , she emerged and told him with a cake in hand : “ I ’ ve baked you a lemon drizzle.
” Hawks and Doves : Ireland ’ s War of Independence is Portillo ’ s second foray into the fraught world ( for an outsider and a Briton ) of Irish history .
In 2016 he made a well-received documentary from the British point of view about the Easter Rising .
Hawks and Doves , a two-parter , tells the story of the Irish War of Independence from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the long trail of documents left by the British administration as they seek to grapple with their oldest problem .
Portillo said he is constantly amazed in travelling around Ireland at the magnanimity shown to him as a former British politician about Irish history , about Irish knowledge of Britain and the knowledge ordinary Irish people display about their history in contrast to his own country .
“ Ignorance of Ireland among the British is rather shocking , I ’ m afraid .
It is a theme that occurs again and again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened 100 years ago appears to be highly relevant to a large number of people in Ireland perhaps even a majority .
There is a huge difference between how the Irish regard their history and how the British are engaged by their history .
The British are really engaged by only one thing - the second World War.
” Before he became a politician , Portillo gained a first class degree in history from Cambridge University , but he freely concedes that he , like the vast majority of British people , knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m sorry to plead ignorance as some kind of virtue , but I think one of the things they ( the producers ) wanted me to do as a presenter is to use my relative ignorance and my experience as a cabinet minister to look over the documents and try to put myself in the mind of the people who were writing these documents , ” he says .
British political ignorance of Ireland extended even to the peace talks which ended in the Belfast Agreement .
Former Downing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he and British prime minister Tony Blair were “ pretty ignorant ” of the history of Ireland , but turned it into a virtue .
“ If we knew how much history had been freighted into this , we might never have tried to resolve Northern Ireland .
Luckily the blessing of ignorance allowed us to try , ” Powell tells Portillo in the documentary .
Hawks and Doves is dedicated to the late UCD professor of history Ronan Fanning and draws heavily on his book , Fatal Path , a masterful study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the years 1912 and 1922 .
The book and documentary accurately chronicle the indifference and indecisiveness which caused the UK to lose most of Ireland just three years after being on the winning side in a world war .
The documentary is set in the post-war context : British prime minister David Lloyd George has abdicated responsibility for domestic affairs and is too busy reordering the world at the Paris peace conference to pay attention to what is happening in Ireland .
“ As far as the British are concerned , Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
“ The British are always dealing with Ireland I ’ m afraid in this ignorant , off-hand way .
The policies are driven forward by the one or two people in the cabinet who have given the matter any thought at all , but they have given it from a unionist point of view.
” The hawks in Portillo ’ s documentary are the Irish administration fronted by Walter Long , the first lord of the admiralty and unionist chair of the parliamentary committee on Ireland , the lord lieutenant field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself as the head of a “ quasi-military government ” and the chief secretary of Ireland Ian MacPherson , who spent most of his time in London .
In 1919 they proscribed every major nationalist organisation ; the Dáil ; Sinn Féin ; the GAA ; and the Gaelic League .
It did not stop the sporadic violence .
Indeed , it emboldened the IRA into going into all-out war , burning RIC barracks in early 1920 .
In March 1920 the British prime minister David Lloyd George sent his permanent secretary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland to report back .
His observations , as recounted in the documentary by Portillo , could hardly be more damning .
“ The government of Ireland strikes one as almost woodenly stupid and quite devoid of imagination .
It listens solely to the ascendency party and it never seemed to think of the utility of keeping in close touch with opinions of all kinds .
The phrase Sinn Féin is a shibboleth with which everyone not a loyalist is denounced.
” Portillo , who has seen a few government memos in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ anything as frank or as damning as Warren Fisher ’ s minute ” .
It led to a change in the Dublin Castle administration which was more amenable to the reality that the IRA ’ s campaign was more than an outbreak of lawlessness , but expressed a desire on the part of nationalist Ireland for independence .
Still , though , the killings continued .
The arrival of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries has been well documented and the War of Independence ended up being a tit-for-tat affair .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as evidence by the sacking of Balbriggan in September 1920 and the burning of Cork in December of that year that did as much damage as the IRA to British prospects , Portillo believes .
The absence of discipline within British forces forfeited the advantages they had in terms of men and munition .
“ It is perfectly evident that this is terrible for the British as pointed out by the Labour Party , the Church of England , the British Empire heads of government and it poisons the relation with the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Churchill .
One of the most remarkable changes is in Churchill ’ s position.
” The documentary expertly chronicles the lost opportunity to end the war early when Archbishop Patrick Clune , as a British government intermediary , put out peace feelers to the IRA in late 1920 , but the British demanded that the IRA disarm first , amounting to a surrender , and it foundered .
The costs of this failure were terrible .
The bloodiest six months of the war lay ahead .
Portillo identifies king George V ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland parliamentary in June 1921 as the critical factor that would lead to the Truce three weeks later and eventually the Anglo-Irish Treaty .
The British king ’ s famous speech in which he appealed to all Irishmen “ to pause , to stretch out the hand of forbearance and conciliation , to forgive and to forget , and to join in making for the land which they love a new era of peace , contentment , and goodwill ” went well beyond the usual monarchical platitudes .
It is , Portillo opines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have ever seen from a monarch ” .
Portillo says the dichotomy between hawks and doves was one he wrestled with himself .
He was first elected to parliament in December 1984 at a byelection occasioned by the death of Anthony Berry who was killed in the Brighton hotel bombing .
Portillo says he sat in the same car that Airey Neave was blown up in by the INLA in 1979 and Ian Gow , who was assassinated by the IRA in 1990 , was a personal friend of his .
Nevertheless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s attempts to open a dialogue with Sinn Féin .
“ I was on the Northern Ireland committee , when it came up , I was not opposed to it , ” he recalls .
“ John Major did not have a close relationship , but I would pay tribute to him for that .
It was terribly difficult for us that we had all lost friends to the IRA .
“ Oddly enough Labour did not have any casualties .
We would have found it difficult as the Conservatives to go all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but at least we started it.
” Portillo completes the two part documentary by positing the question as to whether or not the War of Independence was necessary to secure Irish independence .
It ’ s a genuine question , he stresses , in the context of the Civil War which followed , to which he is not positing a definitive answer .
Portillo , whose republican father fled Spain at the end of the Spanish Civil War , says he hopes to make a third film on the Irish Civil War to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Doves : Ireland ’ s War of Independence is on RTÉ One on Wednesday at 9.35pm .

Last year while filming his new documentary about the War of Independence, former British defence secretary Michael Portillo found himself alone at the monument to the Clonmult ambush which occurred in February 1921.
The spot in east Cork near Midleton marks the worst reverse for the IRA in the war when 14 volunteers were shot dead after being surrounded by British forces while hiding out in a farmhouse. The suspicion remains to this day that at least five of them were shot after surrendering.
He expected the woman of the house who maintained the monument to be suspicious of a former Tory cabinet minister. Instead, she emerged and told him with a cake in hand: "I've baked you a lemon drizzle."
Hawks and Doves: Ireland’s War of Independence is Portillo’s second foray into the fraught world (for an outsider and a Briton) of Irish history.
READ MORE
In 2016 he made a well-received documentary from the British point of view about the Easter Rising. Hawks and Doves, a two-parter, tells the story of the Irish War of Independence from the British point of view, more specifically from the long trail of documents left by the British administration as they seek to grapple with their oldest problem.
Portillo said he is constantly amazed in travelling around Ireland at the magnanimity shown to him as a former British politician about Irish history, about Irish knowledge of Britain and the knowledge ordinary Irish people display about their history in contrast to his own country.
“Ignorance of Ireland among the British is rather shocking, I’m afraid. It is a theme that occurs again and again,” he says.
“What happened 100 years ago appears to be highly relevant to a large number of people in Ireland perhaps even a majority. There is a huge difference between how the Irish regard their history and how the British are engaged by their history. The British are really engaged by only one thing - the second World War.”
Before he became a politician, Portillo gained a first class degree in history from Cambridge University, but he freely concedes that he, like the vast majority of British people, knew little about this period of Irish history.
“I’m sorry to plead ignorance as some kind of virtue, but I think one of the things they (the producers) wanted me to do as a presenter is to use my relative ignorance and my experience as a cabinet minister to look over the documents and try to put myself in the mind of the people who were writing these documents,” he says.
British political ignorance of Ireland extended even to the peace talks which ended in the Belfast Agreement.
Former Downing Street chief of staff Jonathan Powell said he and British prime minister Tony Blair were "pretty ignorant" of the history of Ireland, but turned it into a virtue.
"If we knew how much history had been freighted into this, we might never have tried to resolve Northern Ireland. Luckily the blessing of ignorance allowed us to try," Powell tells Portillo in the documentary.
Hawks and Doves is dedicated to the late UCD professor of history Ronan Fanning and draws heavily on his book, Fatal Path, a masterful study of British policy in relation to Ireland between the years 1912 and 1922.
The book and documentary accurately chronicle the indifference and indecisiveness which caused the UK to lose most of Ireland just three years after being on the winning side in a world war.
The documentary is set in the post-war context: British prime minister David Lloyd George has abdicated responsibility for domestic affairs and is too busy reordering the world at the Paris peace conference to pay attention to what is happening in Ireland.
“As far as the British are concerned, Ireland is an awful distraction,” Portillo says.
“The British are always dealing with Ireland I’m afraid in this ignorant, off-hand way. The policies are driven forward by the one or two people in the cabinet who have given the matter any thought at all, but they have given it from a unionist point of view.”
The hawks in Portillo's documentary are the Irish administration fronted by Walter Long, the first lord of the admiralty and unionist chair of the parliamentary committee on Ireland, the lord lieutenant field marshal Sir John French, who saw himself as the head of a "quasi-military government" and the chief secretary of Ireland Ian MacPherson, who spent most of his time in London.
In 1919 they proscribed every major nationalist organisation; the Dáil; Sinn Féin; the GAA; and the Gaelic League. It did not stop the sporadic violence. Indeed, it emboldened the IRA into going into all-out war, burning RIC barracks in early 1920.
Damning
In March 1920 the British prime minister David Lloyd George sent his permanent secretary to the treasury, Warren Fisher, to Ireland to report back. His observations, as recounted in the documentary by Portillo, could hardly be more damning.
“The government of Ireland strikes one as almost woodenly stupid and quite devoid of imagination. It listens solely to the ascendency party and it never seemed to think of the utility of keeping in close touch with opinions of all kinds. The phrase Sinn Féin is a shibboleth with which everyone not a loyalist is denounced.”
Portillo, who has seen a few government memos in his time, said he had never seen “anything as frank or as damning as Warren Fisher’s minute”.
It led to a change in the Dublin Castle administration which was more amenable to the reality that the IRA’s campaign was more than an outbreak of lawlessness, but expressed a desire on the part of nationalist Ireland for independence.
Still, though, the killings continued. The arrival of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries has been well documented and the War of Independence ended up being a tit-for-tat affair.
The tacitly sanctioned reprisals by the British government as evidence by the sacking of Balbriggan in September 1920 and the burning of Cork in December of that year that did as much damage as the IRA to British prospects, Portillo believes.
The absence of discipline within British forces forfeited the advantages they had in terms of men and munition.
"It is perfectly evident that this is terrible for the British as pointed out by the Labour Party, the Church of England, the British Empire heads of government and it poisons the relation with the United States. That point eventually sinks into Churchill. One of the most remarkable changes is in Churchill's position."
The documentary expertly chronicles the lost opportunity to end the war early when Archbishop Patrick Clune, as a British government intermediary, put out peace feelers to the IRA in late 1920, but the British demanded that the IRA disarm first, amounting to a surrender, and it foundered. The costs of this failure were terrible. The bloodiest six months of the war lay ahead.
Portillo identifies king George V’s speech at the opening of the Northern Ireland parliament in June 1921 as the critical factor that would lead to the Truce three weeks later and eventually the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
The British king’s famous speech in which he appealed to all Irishmen “to pause, to stretch out the hand of forbearance and conciliation, to forgive and to forget, and to join in making for the land which they love a new era of peace, contentment, and goodwill” went well beyond the usual monarchical platitudes. It is, Portillo opines, “the most content-laden speech I have ever seen from a monarch”.
Portillo says the dichotomy between hawks and doves was one he wrestled with himself. He was first elected to parliament in December 1984 at a byelection occasioned by the death of Anthony Berry who was killed in the Brighton hotel bombing. Portillo says he sat in the same car that Airey Neave was blown up in by the INLA in 1979 and Ian Gow, who was assassinated by the IRA in 1990, was a personal friend of his.
Nevertheless, he supported prime minister John Major’s attempts to open a dialogue with Sinn Féin. “I was on the Northern Ireland committee, when it came up, I was not opposed to it,” he recalls.
"John Major did not have a close relationship, but I would pay tribute to him for that. It was terribly difficult for us that we had all lost friends to the IRA.
“Oddly enough Labour did not have any casualties. We would have found it difficult as the Conservatives to go all the way in the peace process, but at least we started it.”
Portillo completes the two-part documentary by positing the question as to whether or not the War of Independence was necessary to secure Irish independence. It’s a genuine question, he stresses, in the context of the Civil War which followed, to which he is not positing a definitive answer.
Portillo, whose republican father fled Spain at the end of the Spanish Civil War, says he hopes to make a third film on the Irish Civil War to complete a trilogy of films.
Hawks and Doves: Ireland’s War of Independence is on RTÉ One on Wednesday at 9.35pm.


theirishtimes--2020-06-14--Immediate rent payments for victims of domestic abuse granted

Victims of domestic violence have been granted immediate access to rent supplement payments to help protect them from abuse during the coronavirus pandemic .
Minister for Social Protection , Regina Doherty said people at risk of abuse will be able to claim the payment without a means test for three months to ensure they are not prevented from leaving their home because of financial concerns .
The measure , which has been welcomed by service providers working with victims of domestic abuse , follows recent Garda statistics showing the number of calls for help relating to domestic violence increased 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 people were charged in the last two weeks of May as part of a new crackdown on violence in the home .
The process of accessing the payment will be based on referrals from Tusla-funded services .
Referrals from An Garda Síochána and the HSE will also be accepted .
After the three-month period , a further three-month extension may be provided , subject to a means assessment .
After six months , if the tenant has a long term housing need , they can apply to their local housing authority for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will be able to access housing assistance payments ( HAP ) .
Covid-19 restrictions on movement and the increased confinement of many people to their homes has brought the issue of domestic abuse into “ stark relief ” Ms Doherty said .
“ I am determined that no one should suffer additional trauma during the current health emergency , ” she said .
“ For that reason , I am introducing a relaxation of the means-test normally required to qualify for Rent Supplement – support with deposit payments and rent costs – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of domestic violence .
After three months , the individual ’ s ongoing entitlement will be reviewed based on the normal means-test for the scheme.
” Mary McDermott co-chief executive of Safe Ireland , a coalition of 38 refuge and support services which had sought the measure , said access to rent supplement “ directly removes the entrapment ” victims experience .
“ This support will enable women and children fleeing violent partners to be sheltered quickly and safely regardless of their circumstances and directly addresses , in particular , the financial abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Sherry FitzGerald said the imbalance between supply and demand remains the foremost obstacle facing the market
Victims of domestic violence have been granted immediate access to rent supplement payments to help protect them from abuse during the coronavirus pandemic.
Minister for Social Protection, Regina Doherty said people at risk of abuse will be able to claim the payment without a means test for three months to ensure they are not prevented from leaving their home because of financial concerns.
The measure, which has been welcomed by service providers working with victims of domestic abuse, follows recent Garda statistics showing the number of calls for help relating to domestic violence increased 25 per cent this year while more than 100 people were charged in the last two weeks of May as part of a new crackdown on violence in the home.
The process of accessing the payment will be based on referrals from Tusla-funded services. Referrals from An Garda Síochána and the HSE will also be accepted.
READ MORE
After the three-month period, a further three-month extension may be provided, subject to a means assessment. After six months, if the tenant has a long term housing need, they can apply to their local housing authority for social housing supports and, if eligible, will be able to access housing assistance payments (HAP).
Removes entrapment
Covid-19 restrictions on movement and the increased confinement of many people to their homes has brought the issue of domestic abuse into “stark relief” Ms Doherty said.
“I am determined that no one should suffer additional trauma during the current health emergency,” she said.
“For that reason, I am introducing a relaxation of the means-test normally required to qualify for Rent Supplement – support with deposit payments and rent costs – for an initial three months for victims of domestic violence. After three months, the individual’s ongoing entitlement will be reviewed based on the normal means-test for the scheme.”
Mary McDermott co-chief executive of Safe Ireland, a coalition of 38 refuge and support services which had sought the measure, said access to rent supplement "directly removes the entrapment" victims experience.
“This support will enable women and children fleeing violent partners to be sheltered quickly and safely regardless of their circumstances and directly addresses, in particular, the financial abuse which pervades many abusive relationships.”


theirishtimes--2020-06-14--RTÉ removes 1982 clip of Twink in blackface from archives

A March 1982 clip featuring a Twink in blackface has been removed by RTÉ from its archives .
She and three other actors had been made up as Gladys Day and the Pits , a take off of US black quartet Gladys Knight and the Pits , for an episode of the The Live Mike light entertainment show , featuring Mike Murphy .
A spokeswoman for RTÉ said “ times have changed since then ” and that “ RTÉ reviews programmes and content available on the RTÉ Player and on RTÉ.ie on a daily basis.
” RTÉ , she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion around racism and programme material , and that content made in the past may no longer be acceptable by today ’ s standards .
In this context , where an issue arises RTÉ will give due consideration to the content and make decisions in keeping with our editorial standards and audience expectations.
” She also pointed out that “ current programming and content produced by RTÉ must meet a number of compliance requirements before broadcast or publication .
The requirements reflect the changing cultural landscape.
” Don Morgan , son of comedian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media calls for the removal of an episode of Father Ted where the titular character ends up portrayed as a racist in an misunderstanding with the Chinatown residents of Craggy Island .
In a tweet he said his father “ abhorred racism of every type and actively worked against it .
Whilst insignificant compared to the suffering and upset of victims of racism , you might forgive me for feeling more than a little sad about this.
” He said “ all I have left of my father is his work and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right There Father Ted ?
, first broadcast in March 1998 , begins with Ted giving a less than flattering impression of a Chinese person , only to then turn around to see the Yin family , a Chinese family living on the island , watching him from outside .
Speaking on RTÉ ’ s Radio One ’ s Sunday with Miriam , Mr Morgan described the episode as “ a comedy of misunderstanding ” which had “ hilarious consequences ” , but was that it was “ not offensive to the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about an episode of Fr Ted where blackfaced priests dressed up as US trio the Supremes took part in a talent competition .

In the clip, Twink and three other actors had been made up as Gladys Day and the Pits, a take off of US black quartet Gladys Knight and the Pits. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
A March 1982 clip featuring a Twink in blackface has been removed by RTÉ from its archives. She and three other actors had been made up as Gladys Day and the Pits, a take off of US black quartet Gladys Knight and the Pits, for an episode of the The Live Mike light entertainment show, featuring Mike Murphy.
A spokeswoman for RTÉ said “times have changed since then” and that “RTÉ reviews programmes and content available on the RTÉ Player and on RTÉ.ie on a daily basis.”
RTÉ, she said, “is mindful of the ongoing discussion around racism and programme material, and that content made in the past may no longer be acceptable by today’s standards. In this context, where an issue arises RTÉ will give due consideration to the content and make decisions in keeping with our editorial standards and audience expectations.”
All my family have left of my father is his work and reputation. He abhorred racism of every type and actively worked against it. Whilst insignificant compared to the suffering and upset of victims of racism, you might forgive me for feeling more than a little sad about this. https://t.co/SWr9N4k81M — Don Morgan (@gutenmorgan) June 11, 2020
She also pointed out that “current programming and content produced by RTÉ must meet a number of compliance requirements before broadcast or publication. The requirements reflect the changing cultural landscape.”
READ MORE
Actor Dermot Morgan played Father Ted Crilly in the show from 1995 until 1998.
‘Not offensive’
Don Morgan, son of comedian Dermot Morgan, has expressed concern at social media calls for the removal of an episode of Father Ted where the titular character ends up portrayed as a racist in an misunderstanding with the Chinatown residents of Craggy Island.
In a tweet he said his father “abhorred racism of every type and actively worked against it. Whilst insignificant compared to the suffering and upset of victims of racism, you might forgive me for feeling more than a little sad about this.”
He said “all I have left of my father is his work and reputation”.
The episode Are You Right There Father Ted?, first broadcast in March 1998, begins with Ted giving a less than flattering impression of a Chinese person, only to then turn around to see the Yin family, a Chinese family living on the island, watching him from outside.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Radio One’s Sunday with Miriam, Mr Morgan described the episode as “a comedy of misunderstanding” which had “hilarious consequences”, but was that it was “not offensive to the Chinese community”.
He was less certain about an episode of Fr Ted where blackfaced priests dressed up as US trio the Supremes took part in a talent competition.


theirishtimes--2020-06-14--Man arrested after car hijacking in west Belfast

A 37-year-old man was arrested by the PSNI after a hijacking incident in west Belfast on Saturday evening .
The incident happened at a filling station at Finaghy Road North around after a young couple parked their Vauxhall Corsa outside shops in the forecourt of the station .
The male driver had left the car and gone into a fast food outlet leaving a female passenger inside the vehicle , explained PSNI Sgt O ’ Flaherty .
“ At this point a male got into the driver ’ s seat of the car and drove off .
The female passenger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was thankfully not hurt as a result , ” he said .
“ The car was then driven across west Belfast ending at Whiterock Close where the car was involved in a collision .
Members of the public detained the male driver until police arrived at the scene a short time later , ” added Sgt O ’ Flaherty .
A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including hijacking , driving whilst disqualified and breach of bail .
He is currently in custody assisting with police enquiries @

A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including hijacking, driving whilst disqualified and breach of bail. Photograph: Paul McErlane/EPA
A 37-year-old man was arrested by the PSNI after a hijacking incident in west Belfast on Saturday evening.
The incident happened at a filling station at Finaghy Road North around after a young couple parked their Vauxhall Corsa outside shops in the forecourt of the station.
The male driver had left the car and gone into a fast food outlet leaving a female passenger inside the vehicle, explained PSNI Sgt O’Flaherty.
“At this point a male got into the driver’s seat of the car and drove off. The female passenger exited the vehicle as it pulled away and was thankfully not hurt as a result,” he said.
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"The car was then driven across west Belfast ending at Whiterock Close where the car was involved in a collision. Members of the public detained the male driver until police arrived at the scene a short time later," added Sgt O'Flaherty.
A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including hijacking, driving whilst disqualified and breach of bail. He is currently in custody assisting with police enquiries.


theirishtimes--2020-06-14--Coronavirus: Man had Covid-19 in Cork in late February before first confirmed Irish case

Doctors at Cork University Hospital have identified a case of Covid-19 in February that appears to predate the first known Irish case .
They say the case , involving a 43-year-old man who died after 27 days on a ventilator , represents the first known example of community transmission of the disease in the Republic .
As reported in last month ’ s Irish Medical Journal , the man tested positive for the virus after being tested “ outside the national guidance ” at the time .
He presented himself at hospital days before the first confirmed case of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29th .
Genetic analysis later established the particular strain in his case showed “ very little difference ” from the original strain from China ’ s Hubei province and had none of the characteristic mutations found in strains then current in Bavaria or Lombardy .
It was found to be similar to three strains from the UK but to share most genetic similarity with a strain from South Korea .
However , the man had no epidemiological link to any area where the virus was prevalent at the time or any link to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , testing was ordered which “ revealed a crucially important diagnosis ” , the authors say .
“ For the patient in question this had implications for management , prognosis and family contact-tracing .
From a hospital perspective it allowed immediate staff and patient contact-tracing and isolation to commence.
” The study says there was “ a number ” of cases of onward transmission from this index case , affecting staff and patients .
“ It had far-reaching implications on the wider epidemiology of SARS CoV-2 in Ireland as it provided evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imported cases having been reported nationally at time of diagnosis.
” The national testing algorithm was changed as a result and other community cases were identified “ at short interval ” .
“ This informed the national response to SAR-CoV-2 which has suppressed the curve and saved countless lives nationally.
” “ This case highlights the importance of clinical judgement in deciding appropriate clinical investigation and management .
In an unprecedented moment in the history of modern medicine , where evidence-based guidance and high quality clinical trials are lacking , individual clinical acumen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever .
”

Doctors at Cork University Hospital have identified a case of Covid-19 in February that appears to predate the first known Irish case.
They say the case, involving a 43-year-old man who died after 27 days on a ventilator, represents the first known example of community transmission of the disease in the Republic.
As reported in last month’s Irish Medical Journal, the man tested positive for the virus after being tested “outside the national guidance” at the time.
He presented himself at hospital days before the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the Republic on Saturday, February 29th.
READ MORE
The author of the report, Dr Corinna Sadlier told RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland that the man presented to CUH with a headache, then developed respiratory symptoms. He was treated as one would treat someone with community acquired chest infection, she said, unfortunately his condition deteriorated and he required non invasive ventilatory support and then went on to require admission to the intensive care unit.
Genetic analysis later established the particular strain in his case showed "very little difference" from the original strain from China's Hubei province and had none of the characteristic mutations found in strains then current in Bavaria or Lombardy.
It was found to be similar to three strains from the UK but to share most genetic similarity with a strain from South Korea.
Link
However, the man had no epidemiological link to any area where the virus was prevalent at the time or any link to a confirmed case. As a result, testing was ordered which “revealed a crucially important diagnosis”, the authors say.
“For the patient in question this had implications for management, prognosis and family contact-tracing. From a hospital perspective it allowed immediate staff and patient contact-tracing and isolation to commence.”
The study says there was “a number” of cases of onward transmission from this index case, affecting staff and patients. “It had far-reaching implications on the wider epidemiology of SARS CoV-2 in Ireland as it provided evidence of community transmission in spite of only six imported cases having been reported nationally at time of diagnosis.”
The national testing algorithm was changed as a result and other community cases were identified “at short interval”.
“This informed the national response to SAR-CoV-2 which has suppressed the curve and saved countless lives nationally.”
“This case highlights the importance of clinical judgement in deciding appropriate clinical investigation and management. In an unprecedented moment in the history of modern medicine, where evidence-based guidance and high quality clinical trials are lacking, individual clinical acumen and reasoned decision-making are more important than ever.”
Dr Sadlier thanked the family of the man for allowing medics to write about his case in the Irish medical Journal.
Following the man’s case there was an extensive public health look back, she said. “Identification of this case triggered a rapid and intense public health look back to try and identify where the case emerged from, but to date we haven’t identified any source of infection for this index case in the country.
‘Tragic’
“It’s very tragic for his family and for the many families around the country who have lost loved ones to Covid-19 infection.
“This patient went through the non-Covid pathway when he came into hospital because at the time he met no criteria for the diagnosis to be considered, so he was being managed in our general intensive care unit, standard infection control precautions were being carried out, but the level of PPE that we use for Covid-19 infection would not have been in place at that time.
“Obviously there would have been a large number of close contacts in health care workers and in patients at that time and there was a very rapid and intense response in the hospital following identification of this case, to make things as safe as possible for both health care workers and patients who would have had contact with this patient.
“Unfortunately there were some cases of health care workers and patients who were infected with Covid.”
Dr Sadlier explained that there was still uncertainty to when Covid-19 arrived in the country, “obviously our case antedated the first known case, or what we thought was the initial known case of Covid-19 in Ireland.
“Clearly there were chains of community transmission before this gentleman presented to hospital, so I imagine as further research in terms of the national antibody testing emerges we will have further information on that in time.”
Only time will tell when Covid-19 actually arrived in Ireland, she added. The diagnosis of this patient was unexpected at that time. “But one I’m glad we considered because identifying a community acquired case at that time showed us that we were much further along in the epidemic at a national level once we had evidence of transmission of chains of transmission in the community it made it much more likely that we were going to see an outbreak in Ireland of Covid-19 infection and that is what has emerged, it would have prompted the government, the national public health or it would have informed the national public health emergency team in terms of when to introduce measures in terms of changing guidelines - broadening screening at rapid intervals following identification of this first case and there were further cases identified in the community - in fact within three days there was a second case of community acquired Covid-19 identified in Cork, very shortly after we had further cases in the east of the country.”


theirishtimes--2020-06-14--Coronavirus outbreaks in private houses more than treble in one week

The number of outbreaks of coronavirus in private houses has more than trebled in the space of a week , new figures show .
By Thursday , there were 240 clusters of the disease , also known as Covid-19 , in private houses , according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre ( HPSC ) , a number exceeded only by the 251 clusters recorded in nursing homes .
The increase has prompted the HPSC to resume counting outbreaks in private houses as a separate category .
A week earlier , it had recorded 266 outbreaks in “ other ” locations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pubs , hotels , shops , etc .
By Thursday , there were 240 clusters in private houses and another 80 in the “ other ” category .
Public health officials warned last week the virus was moving into household settings , though the overall number of cases continues to drop .
On Thursday , there were also 186 outbreaks in residential institutions and 100 in hospitals .
In the past week , nine cases of the disease were imported through travellers arriving from other countries , the HPSC figures also show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close contacts per confirmed case of Covid-19 has increased to six , twice the level seen throughout May , data from the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) shows .
Testing people for the virus is taking an average of 1.2 days to complete , and 2.4 days for contract tracing to be carried out .
There were 202 Covid-19 patients in hospital on Saturday evening ; 74 confirmed cases and 128 suspected cases , the latest HSE operational report shows .
The Mater hospital had the highest number of confirmed cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the highest number of suspected cases , at 34 .
In intensive care , there were 27 confirmed cases and nine suspected ones .
Across the system , 88 critical care beds remained free .

The increase has prompted the HPSC to resume counting outbreaks in private houses as a separate category. File photograph: Alan Betson
The number of outbreaks of coronavirus in private houses has more than trebled in the space of a week, new figures show.
By Thursday, there were 240 clusters of the disease, also known as Covid-19, in private houses, according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), a number exceeded only by the 251 clusters recorded in nursing homes.
The increase has prompted the HPSC to resume counting outbreaks in private houses as a separate category.
A week earlier, it had recorded 266 outbreaks in “other” locations, which included private houses, community, pubs, hotels, shops, etc. By Thursday, there were 240 clusters in private houses and another 80 in the “other” category.
READ MORE
Public health officials warned last week the virus was moving into household settings, though the overall number of cases continues to drop.
On Thursday, there were also 186 outbreaks in residential institutions and 100 in hospitals.
In the past week, nine cases of the disease were imported through travellers arriving from other countries, the HPSC figures also show.
Meanwhile, the average number of close contacts per confirmed case of Covid-19 has increased to six, twice the level seen throughout May, data from the Health Service Executive (HSE) shows.
Testing people for the virus is taking an average of 1.2 days to complete, and 2.4 days for contract tracing to be carried out.
There were 202 Covid-19 patients in hospital on Saturday evening; 74 confirmed cases and 128 suspected cases, the latest HSE operational report shows.
The Mater hospital had the highest number of confirmed cases, at 17, while University Hospital Limerick had the highest number of suspected cases, at 34.
In intensive care, there were 27 confirmed cases and nine suspected ones. Across the system, 88 critical care beds remained free.


theirishtimes--2020-06-15--Rapist who abused sister and his seven daughters jailed for 20 years

A 75-year-old man has been jailed for 20 years for raping and sexually abusing his sister and seven daughters over a 23 year period .
James O ’ Reilly , with an address at Killeens , Ballynonty , Thurles , Co Tipperary , pleaded not guilty to 81 counts of rape and sexual assault .
He was convicted of 58 counts of rape and nine counts of sexual assault following a 27 day trial at the Central Criminal Court .
The abuse occurred against a backdrop of squalor and poverty .
As well as sexual abuse , his victims were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degradation .
In 1988 , O ’ Reilly raped one of his daughters , causing her to become pregnant .
She gave birth to a daughter the following year .
At the time O ’ Reilly told his daughter to allege she had been raped by another man .
He continued abusing her and only stopped when she threatened him with a knife .
Later DNA tests confirmed he was the father , a factor which was instrumental in securing his conviction .
One victim said she was starved and forced to beg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not know what a Christmas present was until she was an adult .
Outside the court on Monday morning , O ’ Reilly ’ s seven daughters embraced and cheered as they celebrated what one called “ the end of a nightmare ” .
They called for women who have been abused to come forward , particularly women from the Travelling community .
“ We ’ ve been silent about this for too long , ” said one victim .
“ I would advise people , if the person is not deceased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s never too late , ” said another .
“ We ’ ve been living through this our whole lives .
My whole life was destroyed because of this .
I ’ m just getting on with my life now.
” In a statement read on their behalf , the women asked how the abuse was allowed continue for so long .
“ How could schools , social workers , medical professionals and others who have a so called duty of care turn their back time after time as the evidence was hitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the same would have happened to a settled family .
“ They were vulnerable Traveller children forced to live on the edges of Irish society .
Already looked down on , discriminated against and denied their basic human rights .
Does this denial of their rights also extend to their right to protection as children ?
” During his trial , the prosecution contended O ’ Reilly ’ s offending lay in the most serious category and warranted a life sentence .
The defence were able to offer little mitigation , aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age and health problems .
O ’ Reilly continues to deny any wrongdoing and claims the DNA tests showed the child was his granddaughter rather than his daughter .
In weighing up the sentencing options , Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the difference between a life sentence and a lengthy but finite sentence may be academic given O ’ Reilly ’ s age .
He said he wanted to construct individual sentences for each offence so that “ each victim can perceive a distinct sentence for the offending which was carried out on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from two years- the maximum allowed for some of the indecent assault offences- and twenty years , all to run concurrently .
He said he was giving the accused “ as much light at the end of the tunnel as I can leave given horrific factors of this case.
” Mr Justice Hunt also paid tribute to the women who he said dealt with the case with “ courage , dignity , remarkable stoicism and an occasional flash of good humour.
” The abuse caused incalculable harm to the women , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would ever completely overcome it .
He wished them well for the future .
In her victim impact statement , which she read out in court , Philomena Connors ( 35 ) said she sometimes thinks why did her mother have her and wishes she had never been born .
She said she always had emptiness in her heart and she still has to this day .
O ’ Reilly ’ s sister , Christine Rooney ( 56 ) , said she felt like he had stolen her childhood and education .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get back .
Ms Rooney said her brother thought he could control her with fear and it worked .
She said he would not feed her and she had to beg for food outside .
“ He will not beat me , ” Ms Rooney said .
She said in her view he should never be free to cause the pain and misery he inflicted on her to anyone else .
His daughter Helen O ’ Donoghue said she had no education , no life and her father took everything from her .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ being raped , starved and beaten all her life .
Ms O ’ Donoghue said she feels suicidal at times and it is her children that keep her going .
She said she has never had the love of parents to this day .
She said as a child she did not know what a Christmas present was or what Christmas dinner was .
She said she did not even know what age she was until she got married .
Kathleen O ’ Driscoll said she can remember her father abusing her from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she prayed each night that she would not wake up .
Ms O ’ Driscoll said her father threatened that if she told anyone about the abuse , he would cut her throat and the throat of her person she told .
She said she had watched him cut the throats of goats .
She said she at the time she had never heard anyone in her community speak about rape and she said that women in her community are expected to be virgins .
She said that if the marriage of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to her parents .
Margaret Hutchinson said the abuse was a constant part of her life .
She said her father told her if she ever told anyone about the abuse he would kill her and her mother .
Ms Hutchinson said her father took her childhood and her innocence .
She said she had no friends and only went to school for her Communion and Confirmation .
She said her father threatened that he would make her pregnant and that no one would marry her .
She said that when she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the threat he made was now real .
Mary Moran said her life was never ever going to be the same again .
She said she struggles to wake up every morning .
She said the pain is always in her heart and it never leaves .
She said there are times when she does not even want to leave her house .
She said her father destroyed her life and took everything from her .
She said she hates her mother more for not stopping him .
Anne O ’ Reilly ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not killed herself is because she loves her children so much .
Ms O ’ Reilly said when she goes out , she runs everywhere just to get home .
She said she would have loved to go to school and could not even write her name until she was aged 16 .
Brigid O ’ Reilly ( 37 ) said her whole childhood was taken away from the start .
She said she hears his voice and has flashbacks daily .
Ms O ’ Reilly said she is afraid to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time .
She said she locks herself away and goes days without eating .

L to R: Sisters Philomena Connors; Helen O”Donoghue; Mary Moran; Margaret Hutchison; Anne O’Reilly; Bridget O’Reilly and Kathleen O’Driscoll outside the Central Criminal Court in Dublin after their father James O’Reilly was jailed for 20 years. Photograph: Tom Honan
A 75-year-old man has been jailed for 20 years for raping and sexually abusing his sister and seven daughters over a 23 year period.
James O'Reilly, with an address at Killeens, Ballynonty, Thurles, Co Tipperary, pleaded not guilty to 81 counts of rape and sexual assault. He was convicted of 58 counts of rape and nine counts of sexual assault following a 27 day trial at the Central Criminal Court.
The abuse occurred against a backdrop of squalor and poverty. As well as sexual abuse, his victims were subject to physical beatings, starvation and degradation.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 3 James O’Reilly: convicted of 58 counts of rape and nine counts of sexual assault following a 27 day trial at the Central Criminal Court.
In 1988, O’Reilly raped one of his daughters, causing her to become pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter the following year.
READ MORE
At the time O’Reilly told his daughter to allege she had been raped by another man. He continued abusing her and only stopped when she threatened him with a knife.
Later DNA tests confirmed he was the father, a factor which was instrumental in securing his conviction.
James O’Reilly: convicted of 58 counts of rape and nine counts of sexual assault following a 27 day trial at the Central Criminal Court.
One victim said she was starved and forced to beg for food outside while another said she did not know what a Christmas present was until she was an adult.
Outside the court on Monday morning, O’Reilly’s seven daughters embraced and cheered as they celebrated what one called “the end of a nightmare”.
They called for women who have been abused to come forward, particularly women from the Travelling community. “We’ve been silent about this for too long,” said one victim.
“I would advise people, if the person is not deceased, to come forward. It’s never too late,” said another. “We’ve been living through this our whole lives. My whole life was destroyed because of this. I’m just getting on with my life now.”
In a statement read on their behalf, the women asked how the abuse was allowed continue for so long. “How could schools, social workers, medical professionals and others who have a so called duty of care turn their back time after time as the evidence was hitting them in the face.”
They asked if the same would have happened to a settled family. “They were vulnerable Traveller children forced to live on the edges of Irish society. Already looked down on, discriminated against and denied their basic human rights. Does this denial of their rights also extend to their right to protection as children?”
During his trial, the prosecution contended O’Reilly’s offending lay in the most serious category and warranted a life sentence. The defence were able to offer little mitigation, aside from citing O’Reilly’s age and health problems.
O’Reilly continues to deny any wrongdoing and claims the DNA tests showed the child was his granddaughter rather than his daughter.
In weighing up the sentencing options, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the difference between a life sentence and a lengthy but finite sentence may be academic given O'Reilly's age.
He said he wanted to construct individual sentences for each offence so that “each victim can perceive a distinct sentence for the offending which was carried out on them.”
The judge imposed sentences ranging from two years to 20 years, all to run concurrently.
Sisters Anne O’Reilly and Bridget O’Reilly outside the Central Criminal Court in Dublin after their father James O’Reilly was jailed for 20 years. Photo: Tom Honan for The Irish Times.
He said he was giving the accused “as much light at the end of the tunnel as I can leave given horrific factors of this case.”
Mr Justice Hunt also paid tribute to the women who he said dealt with the case with “courage, dignity, remarkable stoicism and an occasional flash of good humour.”
The abuse caused incalculable harm to the women, he said, adding he was not sure they would ever completely overcome it. He wished them well for the future.
In her victim impact statement, which she read out in court, Philomena Connors (35) said she sometimes thinks why did her mother have her and wishes she had never been born. She said she always had emptiness in her heart and she still has to this day.
O'Reilly's sister, Christine Rooney (56), said she felt like he had stolen her childhood and education. She said these were things she could never get back.
Ms Rooney said her brother thought he could control her with fear and it worked. She said he would not feed her and she had to beg for food outside.
“He will not beat me,” Ms Rooney said. She said in her view he should never be free to cause the pain and misery he inflicted on her to anyone else.
Sisters Helen O Donoghue and Mary Moran Photo: Tom Honan for The Irish Times.
His daughter Helen O’Donoghue said she had no education, no life and her father took everything from her. She said she has put up with being raped, starved and beaten all her life.
Ms O’Donoghue said she feels suicidal at times and it is her children that keep her going. She said she has never had the love of parents to this day.
She said as a child she did not know what a Christmas present was or what Christmas dinner was. She said she did not even know what age she was until she got married.
Kathleen O’Driscoll said she can remember her father abusing her from her earliest childhood memories. She said she prayed each night that she would not wake up.
Ms O’Driscoll said her father threatened that if she told anyone about the abuse, he would cut her throat and the throat of her person she told. She said she had watched him cut the throats of goats.
She said she at the time she had never heard anyone in her community speak about rape and she said that women in her community are expected to be virgins. She said that if the marriage of a Traveller woman ends she would have to return to her parents.
Margaret Hutchinson said the abuse was a constant part of her life. She said her father told her if she ever told anyone about the abuse he would kill her and her mother.
Ms Hutchinson said her father took her childhood and her innocence. She said she had no friends and only went to school for her Communion and Confirmation.
She said her father threatened that he would make her pregnant and that no one would marry her. She said that when she became pregnant aged 16, she knew the threat he made was now real.
Mary Moran said her life was never ever going to be the same again. She said she struggles to wake up every morning.
She said the pain is always in her heart and it never leaves. She said there are times when she does not even want to leave her house.
She said her father destroyed her life and took everything from her. She said she hates her mother more for not stopping him.
Anne O’Reilly (40) said the only reason she has not killed herself is because she loves her children so much. Ms O’Reilly said when she goes out, she runs everywhere just to get home. She said she would have loved to go to school and could not even write her name until she was aged 16.
Brigid O’Reilly (37) said her whole childhood was taken away from the start. She said she hears his voice and has flashbacks daily. Ms O’Reilly said she is afraid to go asleep and will stay up for days at a time. She said she locks herself away and goes days without eating.


theirishtimes--2020-06-15--Government ‘not ruling out’ making face coverings mandatory

The Government is not ruling out making face coverings on public transport and retail outlets mandatory to help stop the spread of coronavirus , the Taoiseach has said .
Leo Varadkar launched a Government campaign to encourage people to wear face coverings on buses and trains and other public transport as more shops begin to open .
Mr Varadkar called for the public to use face masks in places where social distancing is difficult , including public transport , crowded indoor places or when visiting the home of someone who has been cocooning .
“ It ’ s seen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce the spread of infection , ” he said .
“ There will be a government ad campaign running over the coming days and weeks .
“ I do see people using them more and more so I think the message is getting across.
” Asked whether Government will enforce wearing face coverings , Mr Varadkar said : “ We have given it consideration in making it mandatory , we don ’ t rule that out , but there are real difficulties with that .
“ Some people have phobias , some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lots of different reasons as to why you wouldn ’ t make it mandatory .
“ From what we have seen during the pandemic is Irish people really understanding and following public health advice , and we haven ’ t had to underpin much of that with laws or fines .
“ It ’ s much better to have people understand why it ’ s right to wear a mask and do it voluntarily.
” He added that the idea of refusing people entry into shops and on public transport without a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Health Simon Harris said : “ Today is a really important step in our information campaign and at each stage of the Covid pandemic we need to look for new measures to take and we know that when it comes to face coverings that you can wear one and make it harder for your droplets to transfer to someone else .
“ We are asking you , on all types of public transport and shops , in supermarkets to wear a face covering .
“ It ’ s going to require us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face covering in a bag in your pocket just like you do with you phone , keys or wallet .
“ It ’ s not a magic shield from the coronavirus , but it is an additional hygiene measure.
” Senior civil servant Liz Canavan said that face coverings protect people from the risk of infection others might be carrying .
“ You may not even be displaying the symptoms , ” she added .
“ It ’ s important how you use your mask or other covering .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and if it ’ s reusable how you keep it clean .
“ Advice on all of this , including how to make your own face mask is available on gov.ie.
” Meanwhile , shopping centres have reopened and people are allowed to visit their loved ones in nursing homes and residential care facilities as lockdown measures continue to ease .
The Government had originally not envisaged reopening shopping centres until August 10th but it has been brought forward as coronavirus has been suppressed in recent weeks .
Last Monday , all retail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to queue at major retailers such as Ikea and Zara .
Shopping centre owners have been given time to modify the inside of the buildings to ensure there can be safe social distancing .
Seating and dining areas will be removed to lessen dwell time among shoppers while people will be advised not to browse for long periods of time .
To enforce social distancing , there will be limits on the number of customers allowed into stores .
People will be allowed to visit nursing homes and residential care facilities following a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sage Advocacy , which campaigns for vulnerable people and patients , said people are “ counting down the minutes to see their loved ones again ” .
Executive director of Sage Advocacy Mervyn Taylor said many families had suffered heartbreak and loss during the pandemic .
He said : “ We also recognise how difficult it has been for nursing staff , carers and all workers in care homes and residential care facilities .
People have been advised to ring ahead before they visit a nursing home and to wear a face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not last more than half an hour .
On Sunday , it was reported that one more person with Covid-19 died in Ireland , bringing the overall death toll to 1,706 .
A further eight cases were confirmed , bringing the total number of cases to 25,303 .
–PA

(L to R)Minister For Health Simon Harris TD, Anne Graham CEO NTA,Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD Minister for Transport Shane Ross wearing face masks during a press briefing to promote the wearing of masks on Public transport at Merrion Square, Dublin Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
The Government is not ruling out making face coverings on public transport and retail outlets mandatory to help stop the spread of coronavirus, the Taoiseach has said.
Leo Varadkar launched a Government campaign to encourage people to wear face coverings on buses and trains and other public transport as more shops begin to open.
Mr Varadkar called for the public to use face masks in places where social distancing is difficult, including public transport, crowded indoor places or when visiting the home of someone who has been cocooning.
“It’s seen as an additional hygiene measure that can help reduce the spread of infection,” he said.
READ MORE
“There will be a government ad campaign running over the coming days and weeks.
“I do see people using them more and more so I think the message is getting across.”
Asked whether Government will enforce wearing face coverings, Mr Varadkar said: “We have given it consideration in making it mandatory, we don’t rule that out, but there are real difficulties with that.
“Some people have phobias, some people have breathing difficulties, there’s lots of different reasons as to why you wouldn’t make it mandatory.
“From what we have seen during the pandemic is Irish people really understanding and following public health advice, and we haven’t had to underpin much of that with laws or fines.
“It’s much better to have people understand why it’s right to wear a mask and do it voluntarily.”
He added that the idea of refusing people entry into shops and on public transport without a mask is “under consideration”.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said: "Today is a really important step in our information campaign and at each stage of the Covid pandemic we need to look for new measures to take and we know that when it comes to face coverings that you can wear one and make it harder for your droplets to transfer to someone else.
“We are asking you, on all types of public transport and shops, in supermarkets to wear a face covering.
“It’s going to require us getting in the habit of putting our face covering in a bag in your pocket just like you do with you phone, keys or wallet.
“It’s not a magic shield from the coronavirus, but it is an additional hygiene measure.”
Senior civil servant Liz Canavan said that face coverings protect people from the risk of infection others might be carrying.
“You may not even be displaying the symptoms,” she added.
“It’s important how you use your mask or other covering.
“It’s important how you dispose of it, and if it’s reusable how you keep it clean.
"Advice on all of this, including how to make your own face mask is available on gov.ie."
Shopping centres
Meanwhile, shopping centres have reopened and people are allowed to visit their loved ones in nursing homes and residential care facilities as lockdown measures continue to ease.
The Government had originally not envisaged reopening shopping centres until August 10th but it has been brought forward as coronavirus has been suppressed in recent weeks.
Last Monday, all retail shops reopened, with hundreds turning up to queue at major retailers such as Ikea and Zara.
Shopping centre owners have been given time to modify the inside of the buildings to ensure there can be safe social distancing.
Seating and dining areas will be removed to lessen dwell time among shoppers while people will be advised not to browse for long periods of time.
To enforce social distancing, there will be limits on the number of customers allowed into stores.
People will be allowed to visit nursing homes and residential care facilities following a ban on non-essential visits since early March.
Sage Advocacy, which campaigns for vulnerable people and patients, said people are “counting down the minutes to see their loved ones again”.
Executive director of Sage Advocacy Mervyn Taylor said many families had suffered heartbreak and loss during the pandemic.
He said: “We also recognise how difficult it has been for nursing staff, carers and all workers in care homes and residential care facilities.
People have been advised to ring ahead before they visit a nursing home and to wear a face covering and gloves, and visits should not last more than half an hour.
On Sunday, it was reported that one more person with Covid-19 died in Ireland, bringing the overall death toll to 1,706.
A further eight cases were confirmed, bringing the total number of cases to 25,303. –PA


theirishtimes--2020-06-15--Second Covid-19 wave in the North could be ‘significantly worse’, scientists warn

Any second or subsequent waves of coronavirus in Northern Ireland have the potential to be “ significantly worse ” than the current outbreak , scientists have warned .
On Sunday night the North ’ s Department of Health published its scientific data which shows that the reproduction ( or R ) rate of infection is between 0.5 and 0.9 .
Plans to continue easing the lockdown in the North hinge on the R rate remaining below one .
The number of individuals in Northern Ireland infected with Covid-19 is estimated at between 300 and 2,000 , which equates approximately to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 6,300 , according to the scientific evidence from the health department .
“ The large range for numbers infected in mainly due to uncertainty about the percentage of patients with Covid who are asymptomatic , ” the department explained in a statement .
It added that preliminary results from studies indicated that less than 5 per cent of the population have recovered from coronavirus and have detectable antibodies .
“ This means that over 95 per cent of the population remain susceptible to Covid-19 and that any subsequent waves of the epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than wave one , ” the scientists warned .
They also stressed that their modelling can not predict what will happen in relation to the epidemic beyond the next two to three weeks .
They added however that modelling was useful “ to illustrate what might happen in different scenarios ” .
They explained that at the outbreak of the pandemic the R rate in Northern Ireland was approximately 2.8 .
The scientists said that “ if R rose to 1.5 , the epidemic would peak in early October with close to 800 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
“ If R rose to 1.3 , the epidemic would peak in early December with just over 300 patients requiring ICU support , ” they added .
“ In either of these scenarios , deaths would be much greater than in wave one of the epidemic , ” they warned .
So far 541 people have died from coronavirus in Northern Ireland .
The health department statement added that if R rate rose to 1.2 , the epidemic would still be increasing at the end of 2020 and over 100 virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Based on the R 1.2 modelling the scientists also painted a scenario where a second wave – “ much worse than the first – would peak in early 2021 ” .

Any second or subsequent waves of coronavirus in Northern Ireland have the potential to be “significantly worse” than the current outbreak, scientists have warned. File photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Pubs, hotels and restaurants can reopen from July 3rd in Northern Ireland, it was announced on Monday as the Northern Executive accelerated the graduated move out of lockdown.
In a major relaxation of the coronavirus restrictions the Executive also agreed that from Friday week, June 26th, caravan parks, camping sites, self-catering tourist accommodation and holiday homes can re-open.
Previously the target date for these moves was July 20th.
The lockdown easings were detailed by First Minister Arlene Foster, Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Economy Minister Diane Dodds on a day when no coronavirus deaths were recorded in the North.
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This was the sixth time in the past nine days that zero deaths were reported by the North's Department of Health, leaving the death rate at 541.
The Department also reported four new cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 4,852. So far 66,053 people have been tested for the virus in the North.
Public houses and bars will be permitted to reopen from July 3rd to sell food and alcohol on a table service basis. Pubs with outside spaces, such as beer gardens, will be able to use these spaces to serve alcohol with table service.
These relaxations also apply to hotel restaurants, bars and outdoor areas. However, spas and leisure facilities at hotels will not be permitted to open at this stage. Visitor attractions can open from July 3rd.
Ms Foster said while Northern Ireland was “in a better place today” there was no room for complacency.
Separately this was reflected in a warning by scientists that any second or subsequent waves of coronavirus in the North have the potential to be “significantly worse” than the current outbreak.
The North’s Department of Health published its scientific data which shows that the R rate of infection is between 0.5 and 0.9.
Current plans to continue easing the lockdown in the North hinge on the R rate remaining below one.
The number of individuals in Northern Ireland who are currently infected with Covid-19 is estimated at between 300 and 2,000, which equates approximately to between one person in 950 and one in 6,300, according to the scientific evidence from the health department.
“The large range for numbers infected in mainly due to uncertainty about the percentage of patients with Covid who are asymptomatic,” the department explained in a statement.
It added that preliminary results from studies indicated that less than 5 per cent of the population have recovered from coronavirus and have detectable antibodies.
“This means that over 95 per cent of the population remain susceptible to Covid-19 and that any subsequent waves of the epidemic have the potential to be significantly worse than wave one,” the scientists warned.
They also stressed that their modelling cannot predict what will happen in relation to the epidemic beyond the next two to three weeks. They added, however, that modelling was useful “to illustrate what might happen in different scenarios”.
Close to the outbreak of the pandemic the R rate in Northern Ireland was approximately 2.8.
The scientists said that “if R rose to 1.5, the epidemic would peak in early October with close to 800 patients requiring ICU support”.
“If R rose to 1.3, the epidemic would peak in early December with just over 300 patients requiring ICU support,” they added.
“In either of these scenarios, deaths would be much greater than in wave one of the epidemic,” they warned.
The health department statement added that if R rose to 1.2, the epidemic would still be increasing at the end of 2020 and over 100 virus patients would be in critical care.
Based on the R 1.2 modelling the scientists also painted a scenario where a second wave – “much worse than the first – would peak in early 2021”.


theirishtimes--2020-06-15--Pedestrian killed in hit and run incident in Co Donegal

A male pedestrian has been killed in a suspected hit and run incident in Co Donegal .
The body of @ @ @ @ @ Windyhall , Letterkenny at 4am on Monday morning .
Gardaí and emergency services attended the @ @ @ @ @ transferred to Letterkenny University Hospital where he was later pronounced dead .
The Windyhall road @ @ @ @ @ investigators carry out a full technical examination .
Gardaí at Letterkenny are appealing for anyone @ @ @ @ @ .
Gardaí are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage ( @ @ @ @ @ travelling in the Windyhall area from 1am to 4am to make this footage available to @ @ @ @ @ is asked to contact Letterkenny Garda Station on 074 9167100 , the Garda Confidential Line @ @ @ @ @ or any Garda station .

A pedestrian has been killed in a suspected hit and run incident in Co Donegal. The body of the man was discovered by a road user along the road way at Windyhall, Letterkenny at 4am on Monday morning. File photograph: Bryan O’Brien/The Irish Times
A man in his 20s has been arrested in connection with a Co Donegal hit and run incident in which a man was killed.
The body of the male pedestrian was discovered at Windyhall, Letterkenny at 4am on Monday morning.
Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene and the man was transferred to Letterkenny University Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The arrested man is being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at Letterkenny Garda station.
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The Windyhall road was closed for forensic collision investigators tp carry out a full technical examination.
Gardaí at Letterkenny are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Gardaí are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling in the Windyhall area from 1am to 4am to make this footage available to Gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Letterkenny Garda Station on 074 9167100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.


theirishtimes--2020-06-15--Covid-19 threatens future of EU, Social Justice Ireland says

The social and economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic could destroy the EU , Dr Seán Healy , director of Social Justice Ireland , has said .
The EU “ never fully recovered from the financial crisis of 2008 and without substantial and coordinated action now , the current social and economic crisis could destroy it , ” he said .
“ Over 10 years on from the financial crash , and after six years of economic growth , before the onset of Covid-19 , across the European Union there were 16.8 million people unemployed , 6.65 million people long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in poverty of whom 19 million were children .
This presents significant challenges as Europe grapples with the social and economic consequences of the current crisis , ” he said .
He was speaking at the launch of A Rising Tide Failing to Lift All Boats , the latest publication from Social Justice Ireland in its European Research Series .
Michelle Murphy , research and policy analyst at Social Justice Ireland , said “ the European response must be focussed on protecting people across the lifecycle , young and old , men and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those with no incomes .
Those people who were already in a difficult situation before the Covid-19 crisis will be hit the hardest , and unlike in 2008 , they must be protected as part of any recovery.
” Dr Healy said their latest publication indicated a need “ to develop a social welfare and support system that can adapt to changing realities and withstand future shocks in a post-Covid world .
Minimum income schemes , the Living Wage , Basic Income schemes , the changing nature of work , adequate investment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustainability are policy areas which are discussed and examined in this research.
” It had found that “ in 2018 , 17.1 per cent of the population ( in the EU-28 ) was living at risk of poverty ( over 86 million people ) , there were 6 million more people affected in 2018 than in 2008 ” , while “ around one fifth of Europe ’ s children ( around 19.2 million ) are at risk of poverty ” .
About 10 per cent of employed people in the EU live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater proportion than in 2008 , it found .

The social and economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic could destroy the EU, Dr Seán Healy, director of Social Justice Ireland, has said. File photograph: Getty Images
The social and economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic could destroy the EU, Dr Seán Healy, director of Social Justice Ireland, has said.
The EU “never fully recovered from the financial crisis of 2008 and without substantial and coordinated action now, the current social and economic crisis could destroy it,” he said.
"Over 10 years on from the financial crash, and after six years of economic growth, before the onset of Covid-19, across the European Union there were 16.8 million people unemployed, 6.65 million people long-term unemployed, and 86 million people living in poverty of whom 19 million were children. This presents significant challenges as Europe grapples with the social and economic consequences of the current crisis," he said.
He was speaking at the launch of A Rising Tide Failing to Lift All Boats, the latest publication from Social Justice Ireland in its European Research Series.
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Michelle Murphy, research and policy analyst at Social Justice Ireland, said "the European response must be focussed on protecting people across the lifecycle, young and old, men and women, those with an income and those with no incomes. Those people who were already in a difficult situation before the Covid-19 crisis will be hit the hardest, and unlike in 2008, they must be protected as part of any recovery."
Dr Healy said their latest publication indicated a need “to develop a social welfare and support system that can adapt to changing realities and withstand future shocks in a post-Covid world. Minimum income schemes, the Living Wage, Basic Income schemes, the changing nature of work, adequate investment, access to quality services, representation and sustainability are policy areas which are discussed and examined in this research.”
It had found that “in 2018, 17.1 per cent of the population (in the EU-28) was living at risk of poverty (over 86 million people), there were 6 million more people affected in 2018 than in 2008”, while “around one fifth of Europe’s children (around 19.2 million) are at risk of poverty”.
About 10 per cent of employed people in the EU live in poverty on an ongoing basis, a greater proportion than in 2008, it found.


theirishtimes--2020-06-15--Man to appear in court in Galway over stabbing incident

A man has been charged following a stabbing incident that occurred at Ballybane , Galway , on Sunday .
Gardaí @ @ @ @ @ the scene at Ballybane at about 4pm , and discovered a man aged in his @ @ @ @ @ .
The man was taken to University Hospital Galway where his injuries were said to @ @ @ @ @ a patrol of the area by a number of Garda units , a man in @ @ @ @ @ taken to Galway Garda Station .
This man has since been charged in connection with @ @ @ @ @ to appear at Galway District Court on Monday morning .

Gardaí in Galway arrested a man in his 40s while patrolling the Ballybane area. Photograph: Frank Miller / The Irish Times
A man has been charged following a stabbing incident that occurred at Ballybane, Galway, on Sunday.
Gardaí said they were called to the scene at Ballybane at about 4pm, and discovered a man aged in his 40s with a stab wound. The man was taken to University Hospital Galway where his injuries were said to be non-life threatening.
Following a patrol of the area by a number of Garda units, a man in his 40s was arrested and taken to Galway Garda Station.
This man has since been charged in connection with the incident and is due to appear at Galway District Court on Monday morning.


theirishtimes--2020-06-15--Two-thirds of men drinking to cope with the lockdown, national survey reveals

Two-thirds of men have been drinking to cope with the lockdown , new research reveals .
The Drinkaware/Behaviour & Attitudes reported a sharp increase of men drinking to cope with life .
A total of 66 per cent in 2020 are drinking to cope in comparison with 56 per cent in 2018 .
The study , which focused on the 30-day period prior to April 24th 2020 during the peak of the lockdown found that two-thirds of men reported drinking to cope for reasons including loneliness , anxiety and boredom .
Drinkaware is a national charity partially funded by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Drinkaware and conducted online in April 2020 by Behaviour & Attitudes with 1,015 adults ( 18+ ) in Ireland .
The aim was to assess national attitudes , behaviours and motivational drivers regarding alcohol consumption during Covid-19 restrictions when the majority of people were confined to within just two kilometres of their home .
The findings , released at the start of Men ’ s Health Week , show a disproportionate increase in frequency and volume consumed among men in Ireland when compared with women and the overall population .
Men are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 66 per cent ) than women ( 55 per cent ) .
Men are also more than twice as likely to report binge drinking four or more times in those 30 days ( 21 per cent ) , compared to 10 per cent of women and 15 percent national average .
However , men are significantly more likely to try and change their drinking habits as a result of the lockdown .
Some 35 per cent made small positive changes to their drinking habits during lockdown , compared to 27 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Commenting on the research , Drinkaware chief executive Sheena Horgan said : “ The data tells the story of stark gender divide regarding alcohol consumption in Ireland .
“ Irish men are clearly using alcohol as a way to cope with the anxiety , loneliness and boredom of Covid-19 .
Men already fared worse in terms of frequency and volume of drinking .
Now they are exhibiting consistently hazardous and potentially harmful drinking habits .
“ Men ’ s Health Week gives us the chance to put the focus on men ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other and renew our collective efforts to spark an open dialogue about men ’ s physical and mental wellbeing .
”

Two-thirds of men have been drinking to cope with the lockdown, new research reveals. Photograph: Getty Images
Two-thirds of men have been drinking to cope with the lockdown, new research reveals.
The Drinkaware/Behaviour & Attitudes reported a sharp increase of men drinking to cope with life. A total of 66 per cent in 2020 are drinking to cope in comparison with 56 per cent in 2018.
The study, which focused on the 30-day period prior to April 24th 2020 during the peak of the lockdown found that two-thirds of men reported drinking to cope for reasons including loneliness, anxiety and boredom.
Drinkaware is a national charity partially funded by the drinks industry. The survey was commissioned by Drinkaware and conducted online in April 2020 by Behaviour & Attitudes with 1,015 adults (18+) in Ireland.
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The aim was to assess national attitudes, behaviours and motivational drivers regarding alcohol consumption during Covid-19 restrictions when the majority of people were confined to within just two kilometres of their home.
The findings, released at the start of Men’s Health Week, show a disproportionate increase in frequency and volume consumed among men in Ireland when compared with women and the overall population.
Men are more likely to report drinking to cope (66 per cent) than women (55 per cent).
Men are also more than twice as likely to report binge drinking four or more times in those 30 days (21 per cent), compared to 10 per cent of women and 15 percent national average.
However, men are significantly more likely to try and change their drinking habits as a result of the lockdown. Some 35 per cent made small positive changes to their drinking habits during lockdown, compared to 27 per cent of female drinkers and 31 per cent .
Commenting on the research, Drinkaware chief executive Sheena Horgan said: "The data tells the story of stark gender divide regarding alcohol consumption in Ireland.
“Irish men are clearly using alcohol as a way to cope with the anxiety, loneliness and boredom of Covid-19. Men already fared worse in terms of frequency and volume of drinking. Now they are exhibiting consistently hazardous and potentially harmful drinking habits.
“Men’s Health Week gives us the chance to put the focus on men’s wellbeing, and to support each other and renew our collective efforts to spark an open dialogue about men’s physical and mental wellbeing.”