theirishtimes--2020-08-01--Thinking Anew: Growing up gay in a Christian household

We had some guest speakers at our church some months back : a mother ( fellow curate ) and her daughter who is lesbian .
The daughter shared her story about growing up in a Christian household in which she never heard anything positive about being gay .
Her mum had no notion of her daughter ’ s inner turmoil around her emerging sexuality and recalls saying , at the dinner table : “ I have nothing against gay people but it ’ s just not God ’ s best ” .
Imagine hearing yourself referred to ( on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s best ” ?
Imagine this being spoken over you by your beloved mother whom you know adores you , who loves God with her whole heart , who has no idea of the deadly effect her cheerful words are having ?
Imagine hearing this kind of thing again and again from those you love and trust the most ?
Many ( perhaps most ) LGBTQ+ people have never heard anything good from the church about who they are .
Worse than that , even , they are told that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hate the sin ” trips blithely off the tongue .
But where does this leave a person ?
In a kind of psychic annihilation , a double-bind ; worse in some ways than frankly being hated and rejected , freed to shake the dust off one ’ s feet and move on .
In the words of theologian James Alison , “ The experience of many gay people is that the Church , in one way or another , kills us.
” Imagine the very fact that you exist means you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat to the very unity of the church you love ?
Another response often offered to gay Christians is that if you are Christian that ’ s fine ( all welcome ! )
but you are called to be celibate .
After all , aren ’ t all Christians called to be celibate unless married ?
I think the confusion between celibacy and chastity ( an unfashionable Christian virtue which holds an important place in the common life of the church ) has been disastrous for many people .
Both celibacy and chastity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex , but celibacy is a calling , a special gift given just to some .
It is an intentional renunciation of the joy of marriage and the right place of sex within this in order to sublimate this God-given impulse into a profounder service of God ’ s people .
Celibacy is therefore a celebration as well as a renunciation of the regular heart-longing of most people for a soul mate , a life-partner , that tender provision from God who said at the very beginning “ It is not good for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But celibacy can not be imposed .
When a gay person is told that their desires are so disordered that they may never be fulfilled with another person ( regardless of how loving , faithful and covenantal that relationship may be ) that is not celibacy , neither is it chastity .
It is , rather , a recipe for self-loathing , a primal dissonance .
It can wreak havoc with a person ’ s internal integrity , their ability to form healthy relationships in general .
Celibacy is about the preciousness – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex .
Chastity , in the absence of a life-partner , is quite different .
It , too , may be a tall order , but it incorporates an openness to the possibility of intimate , faithful , covenant love , the kind which incarnates the faithfulness of God ’ s own love for his church .
It protects in a person the image of God ’ s goodness ; faith , hope and love can continue to flow .
The church has so much to offer in terms of the honourable ordering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and celebrate the generosity and freedom of commitment .
Yet the face of the church has become for most people , particularly for young adults , the face of intolerance .
It breaks the heart that the message most clearly heard is that it is only those whose faces fit , for whatever reason , who can find a safe place at God ’ s holy table .

‘It breaks the heart that the message most clearly heard is that it is only those whose faces fit, for whatever reason, who can find a safe place at God’s holy table.’ Photograph: iStock
We had some guest speakers at our church some months back: a mother (fellow curate) and her daughter who is lesbian. The daughter shared her story about growing up in a Christian household in which she never heard anything positive about being gay. Her mum had no notion of her daughter’s inner turmoil around her emerging sexuality and recalls saying, at the dinner table: “I have nothing against gay people but it’s just not God’s best”.
Imagine hearing yourself referred to (on a good day) as “not God’s best”? Imagine this being spoken over you by your beloved mother whom you know adores you, who loves God with her whole heart, who has no idea of the deadly effect her cheerful words are having? Imagine hearing this kind of thing again and again from those you love and trust the most?
Many (perhaps most) LGBTQ+ people have never heard anything good from the church about who they are. Worse than that, even, they are told that they are loved. “We love the sinner and hate the sin” trips blithely off the tongue. But where does this leave a person? In a kind of psychic annihilation, a double-bind; worse in some ways than frankly being hated and rejected, freed to shake the dust off one’s feet and move on. In the words of theologian James Alison, “The experience of many gay people is that the Church, in one way or another, kills us.”
Imagine the very fact that you exist means you are a problem to be solved, a threat to the very unity of the church you love? Another response often offered to gay Christians is that if you are Christian that’s fine (all welcome!) but you are called to be celibate. After all, aren’t all Christians called to be celibate unless married? I think the confusion between celibacy and chastity (an unfashionable Christian virtue which holds an important place in the common life of the church) has been disastrous for many people.
READ MORE
Both celibacy and chastity are an affirmation of the goodness of sex, but celibacy is a calling, a special gift given just to some. It is an intentional renunciation of the joy of marriage and the right place of sex within this in order to sublimate this God-given impulse into a profounder service of God’s people.
Celibacy is therefore a celebration as well as a renunciation of the regular heart-longing of most people for a soul mate, a life-partner, that tender provision from God who said at the very beginning “It is not good for a person to be alone”.
But celibacy cannot be imposed. When a gay person is told that their desires are so disordered that they may never be fulfilled with another person (regardless of how loving, faithful and covenantal that relationship may be) that is not celibacy, neither is it chastity. It is, rather, a recipe for self-loathing, a primal dissonance. It can wreak havoc with a person’s internal integrity, their ability to form healthy relationships in general. Celibacy is about the preciousness – not the shamefulness and wrongness – of sex.
Chastity, in the absence of a life-partner, is quite different. It, too, may be a tall order, but it incorporates an openness to the possibility of intimate, faithful, covenant love, the kind which incarnates the faithfulness of God’s own love for his church. It protects in a person the image of God’s goodness; faith, hope and love can continue to flow.
The church has so much to offer in terms of the honourable ordering of love and sex. We understand and celebrate the generosity and freedom of commitment. Yet the face of the church has become for most people, particularly for young adults, the face of intolerance. It breaks the heart that the message most clearly heard is that it is only those whose faces fit, for whatever reason, who can find a safe place at God’s holy table.


theirishtimes--2020-08-01--That shell you found in Kerry has sunburn. Readers’ nature queries

While on my holidays in Baile an Sceilg , Ciarraí , I found this unusual shell on the beach .
It was 5-7cm long .
Caoimhe Ní hAodh , Baile Átha Cliath , 6w It ’ s an oyster shell that got sunburned .
If an oyster shell is exposed to direct sunlight it begins to turn black .
There is melanin in the shell that reacts to UV light just like our skin does .
Could you identify this amazing flower which I photographed in the sand dunes on Lough Swilly in Donegal ?
Pete Fisher , Rathmullen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrots growing in the polytunnel .
It was 2.3cm long from wingtip to wingtip , I hope it eats aphids .
Rosemary Ryan , Tutestown , Co Kilkenny It ’ s the white plume moth .
The larvae feed on bindweed .
What is this butterfly , which was photographed in Mount Usher recently ?
Is it a native or a visitor ?
Frances Cooke , Maple Road , Dublin 14 The comma butterfly has been a regular visitor from Britain to the east of the country , but it may be occasionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests for identification of the wood wasp or horntail .
This insect is a sawfly , not a wasp .
The female uses her ovipositor to bore into pine tree where she lays her eggs .
The eggs hatch and the larvae remain there for two or three years when they emerge as the adult insect .
This photo was sent by Emilie Mason of Ballyadams , Co Laois .
We spotted this fly at Blessington lakes .
It looks like a type of dragonfly or damselfly .
Myles and Noi Reid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the sabre wasp .
The female bores into pine trees in the same way as the wood wasp and lays her eggs in the larvae of the wood wasp .
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn , Louisburgh , Co Mayo , F28 F978 , or by email at viney @ anu.ie .
Please include a postal address .

While on my holidays in Baile an Sceilg, Ciarraí, I found this unusual shell on the beach. It was 5-7cm long. Caoimhe Ní hAodh, Baile Átha Cliath, 6w
It’s an oyster shell that got sunburned. If an oyster shell is exposed to direct sunlight it begins to turn black. There is melanin in the shell that reacts to UV light just like our skin does.
Kidney vetch, a lovely flower of the seashore
Could you identify this amazing flower which I photographed in the sand dunes on Lough Swilly in Donegal? Pete Fisher, Rathmullen, Co Donegal
It’s kidney vetch, a lovely flower of the seashore.
READ MORE
White plume moth
This gorgeous insect was on carrots growing in the polytunnel. It was 2.3cm long from wingtip to wingtip, I hope it eats aphids. Rosemary Ryan, Tutestown, Co Kilkenny
It’s the white plume moth. The larvae feed on bindweed.
Comma butterfly, a regular visitor from Britain
What is this butterfly, which was photographed in Mount Usher recently? Is it a native or a visitor? Frances Cooke, Maple Road, Dublin 14
The comma butterfly has been a regular visitor from Britain to the east of the country, but it may be occasionally over-wintering here now.
Sawfly, the female uses her ovipositor to bore into pine tree where she lays her eggs.
There were several requests for identification of the wood wasp or horntail. This insect is a sawfly, not a wasp. The female uses her ovipositor to bore into pine tree where she lays her eggs. The eggs hatch and the larvae remain there for two or three years when they emerge as the adult insect. This photo was sent by Emilie Mason of Ballyadams, Co Laois.
iIchneumon wasp, the sabre wasp
We spotted this fly at Blessington lakes. It looks like a type of dragonfly or damselfly. Myles and Noi Reid, Dublin
It's an ichneumon wasp, the sabre wasp. The female bores into pine trees in the same way as the wood wasp and lays her eggs in the larvae of the wood wasp.
[ viney@anu.ie ]


theirishtimes--2020-08-01--Anti-chaos theory: How do ant colonies organise so efficiently?

Ants do it , bees do it , horseshoe crabs in chilly seas do it .
.
.
Not quite Noël Coward ’ s jaunty lyrics , but a few words prompted by the latest demonstration of nature ’ s unruly nuptial swarms .
One day last month , with blue skies over England ’ s southeast counties , the UK Met office was puzzled by an apparent rain cloud on its radar , some 50 miles across .
On closer analysis , its raindrops resolved into flying insects – millions of ants from hundreds of underground colonies , impelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a whirling ascent to the sky .
Such an event could promote the notion of a single Flying Ant Day , triggered by ideal weather – calm and warm , perhaps muggy .
Regional conditions can clearly prompt exceptional synchrony between ant colonies .
But a UK study over three years , using citizen observers , found winged ants emerging on suitable days right through July and August .
The role of temperature in the timing means that cities , which generate and store extra heat , will tend to concentrate the synchrony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their parks and gardens , beneath paving and in concrete crevices , high populations of the black ant , Lasius niger , that makes up most of the flying swarms .
For Dubliners , as I recall , a muggy afternoon in late July or early August can bring a sudden aerial presence – not so much of the ants themselves ( though they can sometimes look thick as smoke ) , but of wheeling flocks of birds that are feeding on them : swifts , swallows , starlings and gulls .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from miles away , the flying ant colonies avoid inbreeding .
The males are dead within a day or two , but the queens , often mating several times with different partners , spin back to earth and cut off their wings .
They have stored enough sperm to keep laying thousands of eggs underground for the next 10-20 years .
The swarming modes of nature , but particularly those of ants , have received intense scientific study by those engaged in computer modelling .
In the new realm of artificial intelligence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maximum efficiency .
Did you know , for example , of the “ travelling salesman problem ” that so bedevils operations research ?
Nor did I , but Wikipedia puts it plainly : “ Given a list of cities and the distance between each pair of cities , what is the shortest possible route that visits each city and returns to the origin city ?
” I would have thought you just get the map and a bit of paper and .
.
.
well , that might work for cities ( Wikipedia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when applied to things like DNA sequencing or the optimal minimum movements of telescopes between stars .
One might then have to wrestle with research papers such as “ Solving the travelling salesman problem based on the genetic simulated annealing ant colony system with particle swarm optimisation technique ” by Shyi-Ming Chen and Chih-Yao Chien .
The Chinese seem really into this , as in the “ Ant-based swarm algorithm for charging co-ordination of electric vehicles ” , a team study led by Shaoiun Xu .
This responded , in 2013 , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicles in China by 2030 , making huge demands on the power system from intermittent , random chargings in time and space .
The team ’ s answer to grid congestion and network failure was a “ decentralised swarm intelligence technique ” , drawing on “ the swarm intelligence of ants ” .
The ant swarms in question are not , it seems , those whirling around in the sky , in which males are searching frantically for females , but rather the everyday seething of ants marching in and out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
How do they organise themselves for optimal avoidance of chaos ?
From a raft of relevant studies , I pick “ Chaos-order transition in foraging behaviour of ants ” in which two students from the Beijing University for Posts and Telecommunications joined a team at Germany ’ s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research .
This study watched the ants , alerted to a source of food , using trail pheromones in refining the shortest path between the food and the nest .
“ While a single ant is certainly not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German authors , Jurgen Kurths , “ the collective acts in a way that I ’ m tempted to call intelligent.
” Indeed , he believed that ants were actually more effective at organising data about their surroundings than a collective of human beings , using Google , could ever be .
One day last year , a briefing was held at Huawei ’ s new Cyber Security Transparency Centre in Brussels to respond to American mistrust of the company ’ s 5G technology .
Said Sophie Batas , the centre ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , we are ants .
But ants can carry 1,000 times their own weight .
”

Ants do it, bees do it, horseshoe crabs in chilly seas do it . . . Not quite Noël Coward’s jaunty lyrics, but a few words prompted by the latest demonstration of nature’s unruly nuptial swarms.
One day last month, with blue skies over England’s southeast counties, the UK Met office was puzzled by an apparent rain cloud on its radar, some 50 miles across. On closer analysis, its raindrops resolved into flying insects – millions of ants from hundreds of underground colonies, impelled to stretch their newly grown wings in a whirling ascent to the sky.
Such an event could promote the notion of a single Flying Ant Day, triggered by ideal weather – calm and warm, perhaps muggy. Regional conditions can clearly prompt exceptional synchrony between ant colonies. But a UK study over three years, using citizen observers, found winged ants emerging on suitable days right through July and August.
The queens have stored enough sperm to keep laying thousands of eggs underground for the next 10-20 years
The role of temperature in the timing means that cities, which generate and store extra heat, will tend to concentrate the synchrony of nuptial flights. They shelter in their parks and gardens, beneath paving and in concrete crevices, high populations of the black ant, Lasius niger, that makes up most of the flying swarms. For Dubliners, as I recall, a muggy afternoon in late July or early August can bring a sudden aerial presence – not so much of the ants themselves (though they can sometimes look thick as smoke), but of wheeling flocks of birds that are feeding on them: swifts, swallows, starlings and gulls.
READ MORE
By bringing together young virgin queens and males from miles away, the flying ant colonies avoid inbreeding. The males are dead within a day or two, but the queens, often mating several times with different partners, spin back to earth and cut off their wings. They have stored enough sperm to keep laying thousands of eggs underground for the next 10-20 years.
The swarming modes of nature, but particularly those of ants, have received intense scientific study by those engaged in computer modelling. In the new realm of artificial intelligence, the insects become particles in networks of maximum efficiency.
Chinese riddle
Did you know, for example, of the “travelling salesman problem” that so bedevils operations research? Nor did I, but Wikipedia puts it plainly: “Given a list of cities and the distance between each pair of cities, what is the shortest possible route that visits each city and returns to the origin city?” I would have thought you just get the map and a bit of paper and . . . well, that might work for cities (Wikipedia draws an example) but apparently not when applied to things like DNA sequencing or the optimal minimum movements of telescopes between stars.
One might then have to wrestle with research papers such as “Solving the travelling salesman problem based on the genetic simulated annealing ant colony system with particle swarm optimisation technique” by Shyi-Ming Chen and Chih-Yao Chien. The Chinese seem really into this, as in the “Ant-based swarm algorithm for charging co-ordination of electric vehicles”, a team study led by Shaoiun Xu.
How do they organise themselves for optimal avoidance of chaos?
This responded, in 2013, to an official prediction of 60 million such vehicles in China by 2030, making huge demands on the power system from intermittent, random chargings in time and space. The team’s answer to grid congestion and network failure was a “decentralised swarm intelligence technique”, drawing on “the swarm intelligence of ants”.
The ant swarms in question are not, it seems, those whirling around in the sky, in which males are searching frantically for females, but rather the everyday seething of ants marching in and out of the nest to find food, and so on. How do they organise themselves for optimal avoidance of chaos?
Collective intelligence
From a raft of relevant studies, I pick “Chaos-order transition in foraging behaviour of ants” in which two students from the Beijing University for Posts and Telecommunications joined a team at Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
This study watched the ants, alerted to a source of food, using trail pheromones in refining the shortest path between the food and the nest. “While a single ant is certainly not smart,” said one of its German authors, Jurgen Kurths, “the collective acts in a way that I’m tempted to call intelligent.” Indeed, he believed that ants were actually more effective at organising data about their surroundings than a collective of human beings, using Google, could ever be.
"Compared to the United States, we are ants. But ants can carry 1,000 times their own weight"
One day last year, a briefing was held at Huawei's new Cyber Security Transparency Centre in Brussels to respond to American mistrust of the company's 5G technology. Said Sophie Batas, the centre's director: "Compared to the United States, we are ants. But ants can carry 1,000 times their own weight."
They’re more clever, too.


theirishtimes--2020-08-01--Covid-19: Cases to be reviewed over weekend ahead of decision on phase-four reopening

The number of Covid-19 cases will be monitored “ very carefully ” over the weekend , the Taoiseach has said ahead of a Cabinet decision on Tuesday on moving to phase four of the reopening roadmap .
Last night marked 38 additional cases of Covid-19 reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team following a spike of 85 new cases on Thursday .
The acting chief medical officer warned “ we may be beginning to see more cases which we can not link to outbreaks or close contacts ” .
Phase four , due to commence on August 10th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food reopen as well as gatherings of up to 100 people indoors and 500 outdoors .
Mr Martin yesterday said the spike in cases was a concern and the Government will “ watch and monitor very carefully ” what happens in the coming days .
“ We have to see if a pattern has emerged or if it was relating to specific clusters that have emerged in recent days , ” he said .
Dr Ronan Glynn last night said mass testing had taken place in relation to a number of known outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dog Foods in Co Kildare .
Some of the workers who lived in two direct provision centres have been moved to isolation facilities at Citywest , Co Dublin .
Of the 123 cases in the past two days 84 are linked to known outbreaks , 19 are community transmission and 20 are under investigation .
The median age of Friday ’ s cases was 30 years of age .
However , no further deaths were notified .
Dr Glynn aid the importance of isolating as soon as people had flu symptoms “ can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health emergency team said a survey of GPs found most patients with Covid-like symptoms in the past week had not been self-isolating .
Meanwhile , staff in the public service have been told that they will now be required to return to the work premises “ when and as necessary and deemed appropriate by their employer ” .
Previous advice stipulated that public sector workers would continue to stay at home and work remotely where possible .
The new circular indicates that “ any continuation of home working must be balanced with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective and efficient services to the public ” .
Employers have been asked to consider new temporary arrangements including flexible shifts , staggered hours , longer opening hours , blended working patterns and weekend working .
“ There should be engagement between management and unions/associations , in line with appropriate arrangements , for any such continued or new arrangements.
” In the circular , dated July 30th from the Department of Public Expenditure , nearly 340,000 staff in the public sector have also been told that they will not have to restrict their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Government ’ s travel “ green list ” .
They were previously told that if they engage in non-essential travel abroad , they would effectively have to use up holidays or applying for unpaid leave on return .
In other developments the Government has reversed a decision to exclude proprietary directors from the new Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme after small business owners warned the move would lead to the closure of companies .
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said late on Friday that he had asked Revenue to reinstate directors who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scheme and has also asked his department to review the provision .
Elsewhere an interim report was published by the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee setting out 19 recommendations on nursing homes whose residents were disproportionately affected by the outbreak .
Advocacy groups welcomed the report ’ s acknowledgement that a lack of statutory clinical oversight in private nursing has been “ one of the biggest weaknesses ” exposed by the crisis .
Recommendations include that health authorities take steps to ensure adequate staffing and that infection control is in place ahead of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be discharged from hospitals to nursing homes with substandard infection control and that , more broadly , there is a need to develop independent living models for older people .

The acting chief medical officer warned ‘we may be beginning to see more cases which we cannot link to outbreaks or close contacts’. File photograph: The Irish Times
The number of Covid-19 cases will be monitored “very carefully” over the weekend, the Taoiseach has said ahead of a Cabinet decision on Tuesday on moving to phase four of the reopening roadmap.
Last night marked 38 additional cases of Covid-19 reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team following a spike of 85 new cases on Thursday. The acting chief medical officer warned “we may be beginning to see more cases which we cannot link to outbreaks or close contacts”.
Phase four, due to commence on August 10th, would mean pubs which do not serve food reopen as well as gatherings of up to 100 people indoors and 500 outdoors.
Mr Martin yesterday said the spike in cases was a concern and the Government will “watch and monitor very carefully” what happens in the coming days. “We have to see if a pattern has emerged or if it was relating to specific clusters that have emerged in recent days,” he said.
READ MORE
Dr Ronan Glynn last night said mass testing had taken place in relation to a number of known outbreaks. This included an outbreak at Irish Dog Foods in Co Kildare. Some of the workers who lived in two direct provision centres have been moved to isolation facilities at Citywest, Co Dublin.
Of the 123 cases in the past two days 84 are linked to known outbreaks, 19 are community transmission and 20 are under investigation. The median age of Friday’s cases was 30 years of age. However, no further deaths were notified.
Dr Glynn aid the importance of isolating as soon as people had flu symptoms “cannot be overstated”. The public health emergency team said a survey of GPs found most patients with Covid-like symptoms in the past week had not been self-isolating.
Meanwhile, staff in the public service have been told that they will now be required to return to the work premises “when and as necessary and deemed appropriate by their employer”. Previous advice stipulated that public sector workers would continue to stay at home and work remotely where possible.
The new circular indicates that “any continuation of home working must be balanced with the requirement to continue to provide the most effective and efficient services to the public”. Employers have been asked to consider new temporary arrangements including flexible shifts, staggered hours, longer opening hours, blended working patterns and weekend working.
“There should be engagement between management and unions/associations, in line with appropriate arrangements, for any such continued or new arrangements.”
In the circular, dated July 30th from the Department of Public Expenditure, nearly 340,000 staff in the public sector have also been told that they will not have to restrict their movements if they return from a country on the Government’s travel “green list”. They were previously told that if they engage in non-essential travel abroad, they would effectively have to use up holidays or applying for unpaid leave on return.
Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme
In other developments the Government has reversed a decision to exclude proprietary directors from the new Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme after small business owners warned the move would lead to the closure of companies.
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said late on Friday that he had asked Revenue to reinstate directors who retain ordinary employees on their payroll to the scheme and has also asked his department to review the provision.
Elsewhere an interim report was published by the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee setting out 19 recommendations on nursing homes whose residents were disproportionately affected by the outbreak.
Advocacy groups welcomed the report’s acknowledgement that a lack of statutory clinical oversight in private nursing has been “one of the biggest weaknesses” exposed by the crisis. Recommendations include that health authorities take steps to ensure adequate staffing and that infection control is in place ahead of any second wave.
It says no patients should be discharged from hospitals to nursing homes with substandard infection control and that, more broadly, there is a need to develop independent living models for older people.


theirishtimes--2020-08-01--Sunny south east to get the best of the Bank Holiday weather

The sunny south east is expected to live up to its name this weekend by getting the best of the Bank Holiday period weather .
With high traffic volumes on all of the roads out of Dublin on Friday and Saturday morning , sunseekers heading south east are set to fare best , according to Met Éireann ’ s forecast Some of the warmest temperatures are spread across the south midlands , including Kilkenny and Carlow , while the sunniest beaches are likely to be from Brittas Bay in Co Wicklow , southwards along the Wexford coast including Curracloe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Cork Coast from Ballycotton to Inchydoney .
The further west one goes the greater the likelihood of cloudier conditions and Saturday , with rain showers , some of them thundery , forecast from Kerry up through the west coast of Clare , across Connemara and up as far as Donegal .
The possibility of the best weather on the east coast does not guarantee sunshine , according to Met Éireann meteorologist Paul Downs .
“ But the wind coming off the land will be warmer on east coast beaches than the wind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast ” he said .
Sunday is set to be a similar day , starting mainly dry , with sunny spells .
Scattered showers in the west and north west of the country will become widespread through the afternoon occasionally turning heavy .
Afternoon temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees in light to moderate , occasionally fresh westerly winds are forecast .
Rain is due to move into the east coast in late afternoon .
Monday will see some sunny spells everywhere with some sunshine over the northern half of the country and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showers are possible in the north and west .
Highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees are expected with mostly moderate westerly winds .
People travelling on public transport over the Bank Holiday weekend have been asked to remember the health advice is still to only travel for essential purposes .
The National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) has warned of the potential for the spread of Covid-19 over the Bank Holiday weekend and said elements of Phase 4 of the reopening due on August 10th , may depend on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holiday .
Those planning to use public transport should remember it is mandatory to wear face masks and capacity on trains and buses is still restricted .
Bus Éireann in particular has warned that peak travel time in now “ sometime mid-afternoon ” .

The sunny south east is expected to live up to its name this weekend by getting the best of the Bank Holiday period weather.
With high traffic volumes on all of the roads out of Dublin on Friday and Saturday morning, sunseekers heading south east are set to fare best, according to Met Éireann’s forecast
Some of the warmest temperatures are spread across the south midlands, including Kilkenny and Carlow, while the sunniest beaches are likely to be from Brittas Bay in Co Wicklow, southwards along the Wexford coast including Curracloe, Tramore, Co Waterford, and on the Cork Coast from Ballycotton to Inchydoney.
The further west one goes the greater the likelihood of cloudier conditions and Saturday, with rain showers, some of them thundery, forecast from Kerry up through the west coast of Clare, across Connemara and up as far as Donegal.
READ MORE
The possibility of the best weather on the east coast does not guarantee sunshine, according to Met Éireann meteorologist Paul Downs. “But the wind coming off the land will be warmer on east coast beaches than the wind coming off the sea on the west coast” he said.
Sunday is set to be a similar day, starting mainly dry, with sunny spells. Scattered showers in the west and north west of the country will become widespread through the afternoon occasionally turning heavy. Afternoon temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees in light to moderate, occasionally fresh westerly winds are forecast. Rain is due to move into the east coast in late afternoon.
Monday will see some sunny spells everywhere with some sunshine over the northern half of the country and in west Kerry. A few light showers are possible in the north and west. Highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees are expected with mostly moderate westerly winds.
People travelling on public transport over the Bank Holiday weekend have been asked to remember the health advice is still to only travel for essential purposes.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has warned of the potential for the spread of Covid-19 over the Bank Holiday weekend and said elements of Phase 4 of the reopening due on August 10th, may depend on the spread of the virus over the Bank Holiday.
Those planning to use public transport should remember it is mandatory to wear face masks and capacity on trains and buses is still restricted. Bus Éireann in particular has warned that peak travel time in now “sometime mid-afternoon”.


theirishtimes--2020-08-01--Man (25) held over €45,000 cash and drugs seizure in Dublin

Drugs worth an estimated €30,000 and €15,000 in cash has been seized by gardaí in south Dublin .
In an @ @ @ @ @ Drugs Unit , gardaí at approximately 8.30pm conducted a surveillance operation observing what they called @ @ @ @ @ ” involving a car belonging to a man ( 25 ) on the Rathmines Road @ @ @ @ @ of the car led to the discovery of an estimated €1,000 in cocaine and €1,000 @ @ @ @ @ searches were carried out at separate residences in Dublin in the early hours of Saturday @ @ @ @ @ of these searches , cocaine with an estimated street value of €27,000 , MDMA valued @ @ @ @ @ cash were seized alongside other drug paraphernalia .
The man is currently detained under Section @ @ @ @ @ Drug 1984 at Rathmines Garda station .

Cocaine, MDMA, cash and other drug paraphernalia seized during the operation. Photograph: Garda Press Office/Facebook
Drugs worth an estimated €30,000 and €15,000 in cash has been seized by gardaí in south Dublin.
In an operation led by Terenure District Drugs Unit, gardaí at approximately 8.30pm conducted a surveillance operation observing what they called “a significant drug transaction” involving a car belonging to a man (25) on the Rathmines Road in Dublin.
A search of the car led to the discovery of an estimated €1,000 in cocaine and €1,000 in cash. Two follow-up searches were carried out at separate residences in Dublin in the early hours of Saturday morning.
During the course of these searches, cocaine with an estimated street value of €27,000, MDMA valued at €2,000 and €14,000 in cash were seized alongside other drug paraphernalia.
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The man was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Drug 1984 at Rathmines Garda station. He was later released without charge and a file is being prepared for the DPP.


theirishtimes--2020-08-01--Belfast LGBTQ Pride parade 2020 to be held online

Belfast ’ s LGBTQ Pride parade is being held online this year with a virtual celebration instead of the usual colourful street parade .
The city ’ s 30th LGBTQ celebration was postponed due to the pandemic and an online event has been organised on Saturday instead on Facebook .
Last year ’ s parade was the biggest to date with more than 50,000 people taking to the streets .
For 2020 , the organisers have asked people to send in a short video instead about how they are celebrating .
Parade hosts Trudy Scrumptious and Gareth Woods began a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best of the videos sent in .
From 7pm , an online Party In The Square will take place featuring music and talent from Northern Ireland ’ s LGBTQ community .
Public Health Agency spokeswoman Fiona Teague said Pride is an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the organisations working to support the health and wellbeing of the LGBTQ community .
“ Due to the Covid-19 restrictions we , like so many other supporters , are unable to take part as usual in the Pride parade .
“ We want to send a message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let them know there are support services available for their needs , and to not struggle on their own with whatever they are going through .
“ Research has shown that overall , members of the lesbian , gay , bisexual and/or transgender community are more likely to experience depression , anxiety , low self-esteem and other mental health issues due to discrimination and social isolation.
” Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said Pride was a chance to reflect on positive changes for the LGBTQ community in Northern Ireland .
In a video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ While we will certainly miss having the gathering of the Pride parade , it is still nevertheless very important that we focus on what we have achieved over the past few years as a community and what we can achieve in the future by working together.
” “ Obviously we have had big wins with equal marriage but we still have work to do to ensure those in civil partnerships can transfer them to be marriages if they wish to do so.
” The first same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland took @ @ @ @ @

Belfast’s LGBTQ Pride parade is being held online this year with a virtual celebration instead of the usual colourful street parade.
The city's 30th LGBTQ celebration was postponed due to the pandemic and an online event has been organised on Saturday instead on Facebook.
Last year’s parade was the biggest to date with more than 50,000 people taking to the streets.
For 2020, the organisers have asked people to send in a short video instead about how they are celebrating.
READ MORE
Parade hosts Trudy Scrumptious and Gareth Woods began a four-hour live show at 1pm featuring the best of the videos sent in.
From 7pm, an online Party In The Square will take place featuring music and talent from Northern Ireland’s LGBTQ community.
Public Health Agency spokeswoman Fiona Teague said Pride is an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the organisations working to support the health and wellbeing of the LGBTQ community.
“Due to the Covid-19 restrictions we, like so many other supporters, are unable to take part as usual in the Pride parade.
“We want to send a message of support to the LGBTQ+ community and let them know there are support services available for their needs, and to not struggle on their own with whatever they are going through.
“Research has shown that overall, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender community are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and other mental health issues due to discrimination and social isolation.”
Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said Pride was a chance to reflect on positive changes for the LGBTQ community in Northern Ireland.
In a video posted on Twitter, Ms Long said: “While we will certainly miss having the gathering of the Pride parade, it is still nevertheless very important that we focus on what we have achieved over the past few years as a community and what we can achieve in the future by working together.”
“Obviously we have had big wins with equal marriage but we still have work to do to ensure those in civil partnerships can transfer them to be marriages if they wish to do so.”
The first same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland took place in February. -PA


theirishtimes--2020-08-01--Coronavirus: 45 more cases confirmed in ‘clearly concerning trend’

There have been no further deaths related to Covid-19 in the State and 45 new cases confirmed , according to figures released on Saturday evening by the Department of Health .
This means the death toll from the virus stands at 1,763 while the total number of cases in the State rises to 26,109 .
In a statement , the department ’ s Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said : “ Over the last five days we have seen an average of 44 cases a day .
This trend is clearly concerning and now is the time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every effort to keep each other safe .
“ Ensure gatherings are kept to a minimum and invite no more than 10 others into your home .
“ Restaurants must enforce a limit of 50 people ( including staff ) on their premises at any one time .
“ All workplaces should again review their procedures and protocols .
“ Avoid congregated settings or environments where safety precautions are not in place .
“ Wash your hands regularly , carry hand sanitizer and wear a face covering where appropriate .
“ Ensure you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like symptoms .
“ It is our individual action that will stop the spread.
” Of the latest cases notified , 23 are men and 22 are women .
Some 77 per cent are under 45 years of age ( 50 per cent are aged 25- 44 years ) .
Nine cases are located in Co Limerick , eight in Co Kildare , seven in Co Mayo , six in Co Cavan , four in Co Dublin with the remainder spread across five other counties .
A total of 18 are associated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , while 12 cases have been identified as community transmission .
The HSE said it was working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread .
On Friday , Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the number of Covid-19 cases would be monitored “ very carefully ” over the weekend before the Cabinet decided whether or not to proceed to the next phase of the reopening of the economy .
Under phase four of the reopening roadmap , pubs that do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gatherings of up to 100 people indoors and 500 outdoors would be permitted .
The Cabinet ’ s decision on whether phase four can start on August 10th is due on Tuesday .
Friday night saw 38 additional cases of Covid-19 reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) following a spike of 85 new cases on Thursday .
Speaking on Saturday , the Licensed Vintners Association ( LVA ) said the Government ’ s decision to wait until next week to decide whether pubs should reopen the following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ adding real stress ” to publicans and staff .
Donall O ’ Keefe , chief executive of the LVA , which represents publicans in Dublin said guidelines for reopening pubs were supposed to be published three weeks ago .
“ They were then meant to be published this week .
They weren ’ t .
So we now have pubs across the country having to guess if they will be able to open on August 10th and also having to guess what rules will then apply to them , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to effective preparation .
We see absolutely no reason why the guidelines couldn ’ t have been published earlier.
” Mr O ’ Keefe said by August 10th pubs will have had “ no income ” for just under 150 days , which is more than 40 per cent of the year .
“ In Dublin alone at least 2,450 pubs jobs have already been lost in that period and 11 pubs have gone out of business .
Further delays will result in more job losses , more stress on these publicans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doors for good , ” he added .
“ The pub sector is the last industry to reopen , despite being the first to close .
We have been singled out .
If this treatment is to continue then the Government needs to be forthcoming about what they plan to do to protect the future of a sector which continues to be deprived of an opportunity to earn a living at the request of the Government.
” The Vintners ’ Federation of Ireland ( VFI ) , which represents publicans outside the greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number one priority but “ as the experts learn more about the virus it ’ s clear a blanket ban on pubs opening is not the answer ” .
“ In Australia , where there is a substantial increase in Covid cases , pubs in Victoria will remain open because the authorities view pubs as a safe , controlled environment where social distancing can be enforced , ” said Padraig Cribben , chief executive of the VFI .
“ They view house gatherings , which are now banned , as more dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here in Ireland.
” Mr Cribben said publicans have been forced to order stock and rehire staff “ once again ” before the Government has announced its decision on reopening pubs .
“ No other sector is being treated in this manner and , it should be noted , this is the third deadline publicans have faced with no guarantee they will be allowed open , ” he said .
“ The delay in publishing guidelines is a further blow to our members .
With just one week to the planned reopening , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific protocols will be introduced .
For instance , can customers sit at the bar counter ?
This is a hugely important issue for rural pubs and if the counter is off limits many publicans say they won ’ t bother opening .
”

Acting Chief Medical Office Dr Ronan Glynn: ‘Ensure gatherings are kept to a minimum and invite no more than 10 others into your home.’ Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Dublin
There have been no further deaths related to Covid-19 in the State and 45 new cases confirmed, according to figures released on Saturday evening by the Department of Health.
This means the death toll from the virus stands at 1,763 while the total number of cases in the State rises to 26,109.
In a statement, the department’s Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: “Over the last five days we have seen an average of 44 cases a day. This trend is clearly concerning and now is the time to ensure you and your families are making every effort to keep each other safe.
“Ensure gatherings are kept to a minimum and invite no more than 10 others into your home.
READ MORE
“Do not organise or attend house parties.
“Restaurants must enforce a limit of 50 people (including staff) on their premises at any one time.
“All workplaces should again review their procedures and protocols.
“Avoid congregated settings or environments where safety precautions are not in place.
“Wash your hands regularly, carry hand sanitizer and wear a face covering where appropriate.
“Ensure you isolate immediately if you experience any flu like symptoms.
“It is our individual action that will stop the spread.”
Of the latest cases notified, 23 are men and 22 are women. Some 77 per cent are under 45 years of age (50 per cent are aged 25- 44 years).
Nine cases are located in Co Limerick, eight in Co Kildare, seven in Co Mayo, six in Co Cavan, four in Co Dublin with the remainder spread across five other counties.
A total of 18 are associated with outbreaks or close contacts of a confirmed case, while 12 cases have been identified as community transmission.
The HSE said it was working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.
On Friday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the number of Covid-19 cases would be monitored “very carefully” over the weekend before the Cabinet decided whether or not to proceed to the next phase of the reopening of the economy.
Under phase four of the reopening roadmap, pubs that do not serve food would be allowed to reopen and gatherings of up to 100 people indoors and 500 outdoors would be permitted.
The Cabinet’s decision on whether phase four can start on August 10th is due on Tuesday.
Friday night saw 38 additional cases of Covid-19 reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) following a spike of 85 new cases on Thursday.
Pub trade uncertainty
Speaking on Saturday, the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) said the Government's decision to wait until next week to decide whether pubs should reopen the following Monday was "deeply unhelpful" and "adding real stress" to publicans and staff.
Donall O’Keefe, chief executive of the LVA, which represents publicans in Dublin said guidelines for reopening pubs were supposed to be published three weeks ago.
“They were then meant to be published this week. They weren’t. So we now have pubs across the country having to guess if they will be able to open on August 10th and also having to guess what rules will then apply to them,” he said.
“This isn’t conducive to effective preparation. We see absolutely no reason why the guidelines couldn’t have been published earlier.”
Mr O’Keefe said by August 10th pubs will have had “no income” for just under 150 days, which is more than 40 per cent of the year.
“In Dublin alone at least 2,450 pubs jobs have already been lost in that period and 11 pubs have gone out of business. Further delays will result in more job losses, more stress on these publicans and their staff and more businesses closing their doors for good,” he added.
“The pub sector is the last industry to reopen, despite being the first to close. We have been singled out. If this treatment is to continue then the Government needs to be forthcoming about what they plan to do to protect the future of a sector which continues to be deprived of an opportunity to earn a living at the request of the Government.”
The Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI), which represents publicans outside the greater Dublin area, said public health is the number one priority but "as the experts learn more about the virus it's clear a blanket ban on pubs opening is not the answer".
"In Australia, where there is a substantial increase in Covid cases, pubs in Victoria will remain open because the authorities view pubs as a safe, controlled environment where social distancing can be enforced," said Padraig Cribben, chief executive of the VFI.
“They view house gatherings, which are now banned, as more dangerous. We need that type of approach here in Ireland.”
Mr Cribben said publicans have been forced to order stock and rehire staff “once again” before the Government has announced its decision on reopening pubs.
“No other sector is being treated in this manner and, it should be noted, this is the third deadline publicans have faced with no guarantee they will be allowed open,” he said.
“The delay in publishing guidelines is a further blow to our members. With just one week to the planned reopening, publicans remain in the dark about what specific protocols will be introduced. For instance, can customers sit at the bar counter? This is a hugely important issue for rural pubs and if the counter is off limits many publicans say they won’t bother opening.”


theirishtimes--2020-08-02--Motorcylist dies in Co Wexford crash

Motorcylist dies in Co Wexford crash

A motorcyclist has died in a crash at the Frankfort Roundabout , near Camolin , Co Wexford earlier on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ at about 7.15am , and the victim , a man in his 30s , was @ @ @ @ @ .
The body has been taken to Waterford University Hospital for a postmortem .
The @ @ @ @ @ time for investigation but has since reopened .
Gardaí at Gorey are appealing for any @ @ @ @ @ camera footage .
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gorey Garda Station on 053 @ @ @ @ @ Line on 1800 666 111 .

A motorcyclist died in a crash at the Frankfort Roundabout, Co Wexford. File photograph: The Irish Times
A motorcyclist has died in a crash at the Frankfort Roundabout, near Camolin, Co Wexford earlier on Sunday.
The single-vehicle incident happened at about 7.15am, and the victim, a man in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The body has been taken to Waterford University Hospital for a postmortem.
The road was closed for a time for investigation but has since reopened.
READ MORE
Gardaí at Gorey are appealing for any witnesses and for any relevant camera footage.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gorey Garda Station on 053 9430690 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.


theirishtimes--2020-08-02--Keeping schools opening ‘on track’ is Government priority, says Donnelly

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said the Government ’ s overriding priority was ensuring schools reopen after the summer .
He said the Cabinet was awaiting the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) on Tuesday before deciding whether to progress to phase four of the reopening plan , under which pubs that do not serve food could reopen .
While the Government would make its own decision , it would follow very careful the advice of NPHET , he added .
However , he stressed , “ the number one focus is getting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Radio on lunchtime on Sunday , he said “ decisions could be made if NPHET deem them necessary in order to keep the opening of schools on track ” .
He said he couldn ’ t give advice to individual pubs in advance of the decision on Tuesday .
On travel , he said the international situation was becoming more volatile and “ we have taken a cautious approach ” about allowing overseas visitors .
On Saturday , there were no further deaths related to Covid-19 in the State reported but there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death toll from the virus stands at 1,763 while the total number of cases in the State rises to 26,109 .
The Acting Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health Dr Ronan Glynn said : “ Over the last five days we have seen an average of 44 cases a day .
This trend is clearly concerning and now is the time to ensure you and your families are making every effort to keep each other safe.
” He reiterated advice on keeping gatherings to a minimum , allowing no more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Do not organise or attend house parties , ” he stressed , adding restaurants must enforce a limit of 50 people - including staff - on their premises at any one time .
The Cabinet ’ s decision on whether phase four can start on August 10th is due on Tuesday .
Under phase four of the reopening roadmap , pubs that do not serve food would be allowed to reopen and gatherings of up to 100 people indoors and 500 outdoors would be permitted .
The Licensed Vintners Association ( LVA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wait until next week to decide whether pubs should reopen the following Monday was “ deeply unhelpful ” and “ adding real stress ” to publicans and staff .
Donall O ’ Keefe , chief executive of the LVA , which represents publicans in Dublin said guidelines for reopening pubs were supposed to be published three weeks ago .
“ They were then meant to be published this week .
They weren ’ t .
So we now have pubs across the country having to guess if they will be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to guess what rules will then apply to them , ” he said .
“ This isn ’ t conducive to effective preparation .
We see absolutely no reason why the guidelines couldn ’ t have been published earlier.
” Mr O ’ Keefe said by August 10th pubs will have had “ no income ” for just under 150 days , which is more than 40 per cent of the year .

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said he couldn’t give advice to individual pubs in advance of the decision on Tuesday. Photo: Stephen Collins /Collins Photos Dublin
Random testing will be introduced at Irish airports to help boost the fight against Covid-19, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said.
A timeframe for the introduction of such checks has yet to be announced, however, as the Cabinet has yet to sign off on the plan.
It is one of a number of issues to be discussed as part of ongoing measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic when the Coalition decides whether to further ease social restrictions on August 10th.
The Cabinet is also awaiting NPHET’s recommendation before deciding on whether to allow the re-opening of pubs that do not serve food.
READ MORE
On Sunday, the Minister said “the number one focus is getting the schools reopened”.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio at lunchtime, he added “decisions could be made if NPHET deem them necessary in order to keep the opening of schools on track”.
On international travel, he said: “We’re introducing random testing at the airports and an increased public health presence and we’re examining other options for further restrictions on non-essential travel because... the international situation is becoming more volatile”.
He said that even in Spain, Belgium, Germany, France and parts of England “it is a very serious situation”.
Mr Donnelly also said “the [passenger] locator form is becoming electronic and we’re bulking up the team that chases up on that.”
Proposals for random testing at ports and airports were among a number of related issues discussed at a Cabinet meeting on July 21st.
Details of how the measure will be introduced, the number of tests to be carried out each day and if flights from particular countries would be targeted are expected to be clarified following the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Mr Donnelly said Ireland had “the most restrictive and green list of any country in the EU, which is helping obviously”.
However, Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said further measures were required.
While he welcomed the move on random testing, he said his party had called for a number of measures to be implemented including “mandatory temperature screening and wearing of facemasks in airports”, a requirement for all passengers to download the Covid-19 Contact Tracing App, and random testing of a proportion of incoming passengers from “green list” countries.
“In addition, we called for all visitors arriving from high-risk ‘red list’ areas should be required to pay for their Covid-19 testing and accommodation at designated isolation facilities, and only be permitted to enter the state after the isolation period has passed, or two negative Covid-19 tests have been recorded,” Mr Cullinane said.
Uncertainty over pubs
On the movement towards phase four of the reopening plan, Mr Donnelly said publicans asked a “very fair question” as to why they were being single out” because retail and other sections of business were open.
But public health officials had said international experience showed that when pubs reopened the number of new cases went up.
“It did not seem to be the case with restaurants, for example, which is why they advise the restaurants could open... with the restrictions in place.”
He stressed again that he did not want to pre-judge the NPHET recommendations. Caution was required, “given that we now have a five day average of 44 [new cases] which has gone up, and we have about 80 cases in the last 14 days where they’re from so-called community transmission meaning [and] it isn’t clear where they came from”.
He noted 90 per cent of cases were an “entirely domestic situation” and not from overseas travel.
The Covid-tracing app had been downloaded by 1.5 million people and was making a big difference, the North and launched their app and the two governments were working to ensure that information in terms of contact tracing would be shared.
They were also bulking up the team that chases passengers through the locator form which is going online.
Mr Donnelly said there had been significant clusters in the midlands, including factory outbreaks in Kildare, with one factory closed as a result, as well as direct provision outbreaks in Kildare and Laois.
“We’re looking at an outbreak in Clare and a new cluster in Limerick.”
He said what concerned public health doctors more is community transmission, where “people are coming forward, are testing positive and we don’t know where they contracted the disease”.
The Cabinet’s decision on whether phase four can start on August 10th is due on Tuesday.
Under phase four of the reopening roadmap, pubs that do not serve food would be allowed to reopen and gatherings of up to 100 people indoors and 500 outdoors would be permitted.
The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) said the Government’s decision to wait until next week to decide whether pubs should reopen the following Monday was “deeply unhelpful” and “adding real stress” to publicans and staff.
Donall O’Keefe, chief executive of the LVA, which represents publicans in Dublin, said by August 10th pubs would have had “no income” for just under 150 days, which is more than 40 per cent of the year.


theirishtimes--2020-08-02--‘Seven years it took me’: Limerick man celebrates €500,000 EuroMillions win

A Limerick taxi driver who won half a million euro in Friday night ’ s EuroMillions Plus draw said he feels “ on top of the world ” .
Eddie Costelloe , from Moyross , welled up as he recalled telling his mother Helen , before she died in 2013 , that one day he would win the lottery .
Mr Costelloe ( 43 ) said : “ On my mother ’ s deathbed , I said to her ‘ Mam , I ’ m going to win the lotto one of these days ’ , and she said ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve been chasing this for a long time.
” The father of two added : “ Seven years it took me , and I got it .
I ’ m after getting half a million.
” He described the win as “ life-changing ” for himself and his wife , Antoinette , and their two children , Cian ( 5 ) and Megan ( 9 ) .
His mother ’ s anniversary , ( 4-7-13 ) has twice previously brought him good luck , netting him €15,000 from two previous lotto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do a EuroMillions Quick Pick at his local Circle K filling station , in Thomondgate , after a long day at work transporting parcels for delivery firm Nightline , a position he took up after his work as a taxi driver dried up during the coronavirus lockdown .
“ I ’ m top of the world , top of the world .
We are sorted for life .
I ’ m going to rent out my taxi because I don ’ t want to be listening to drunk people anymore — I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done , ” he said .
Despite the massive cash boost , Eddie and Antoinette , who is a care worker , will continue working .
“ It ’ s not going to ( stop ) me from working , because it ’ s not in me to sit around , I ’ ll always work , ” Mr Costelloe said .
However , the couple , who have been together for 12 years , and married for the past three years , will be travelling in style to work from now on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new van ” , and she “ is going to pick her new car , whatever she wants ” .
“ We ’ ll buy our house , and a nice holiday home in Lanzarote , ” Mr Costelloe added .
The Liverpool fan is also considering becoming a season ticket holder at the title-winning club .

Antoinette and Eddie Costelloe pictured after after their €500,000 win in the EuroMillions Plus draw on Friday night. Photograph: Press 22
A Limerick taxi driver who won half a million euro in Friday night’s EuroMillions Plus draw said he feels “on top of the world”.
Eddie Costelloe, from Moyross, welled up as he recalled telling his mother Helen, before she died in 2013, that one day he would win the lottery.
Mr Costelloe (43) said: “On my mother’s deathbed, I said to her ‘Mam, I’m going to win the lotto one of these days’, and she said ‘son, you will’, and I’ve been chasing this for a long time.”
The father of two added: “Seven years it took me, and I got it. I’m after getting half a million.”
READ MORE
He described the win as “life-changing” for himself and his wife, Antoinette, and their two children, Cian (5) and Megan (9).
His mother’s anniversary, (4-7-13) has twice previously brought him good luck, netting him €15,000 from two previous lotto draws.
On Friday, he decided to do a EuroMillions Quick Pick at his local Circle K filling station, in Thomondgate, after a long day at work transporting parcels for delivery firm Nightline, a position he took up after his work as a taxi driver dried up during the coronavirus lockdown.
“I’m top of the world, top of the world. We are sorted for life. I’m going to rent out my taxi because I don’t want to be listening to drunk people anymore — I’m finished, I’m done,” he said.
Despite the massive cash boost, Eddie and Antoinette, who is a care worker, will continue working.
“It’s not going to (stop) me from working, because it’s not in me to sit around, I’ll always work,” Mr Costelloe said.
However, the couple, who have been together for 12 years, and married for the past three years, will be travelling in style to work from now on as he plans on purchasing “a new van”, and she “is going to pick her new car, whatever she wants”.
“We’ll buy our house, and a nice holiday home in Lanzarote,” Mr Costelloe added. The Liverpool fan is also considering becoming a season ticket holder at the title-winning club.


theirishtimes--2020-08-02--Man (26) arrested after Dublin robbery and car chase

Gardaí are investigating an armed robbery at a premises in , Baldoyle , Co Dublin , on Saturday .
Two @ @ @ @ @ Grange Road at about 4.30pm armed with what was believed to be a firearm and @ @ @ @ @ with a sum of money and jumped into a grey-coloured car .
Responding gardaí saw @ @ @ @ @ and followed it .
A pursuit operation ended when the car crashed on Priorswood Road @ @ @ @ @ arrested a man ( 26 ) who ran from the car and seized a firearm @ @ @ @ @ .
The man is being held at Raheny Garda Station under Section 30 , Offences @ @ @ @ @ 1939 .
Investigations are ongoing .
Nobody was injured during the robbery or pursuit .

A man has been arrested after a robbery in Baldoyle, Co Dublin. File photograph: The Irish Times
Gardaí are investigating an armed robbery at a premises in, Baldoyle, Co Dublin, on Saturday.
Two men entered the premises on Grange Road at about 4.30pm armed with what was believed to be a firearm and threatened staff. They left with a sum of money and jumped into a grey-coloured car.
Responding gardaí saw a vehicle leaving the scene and followed it. A pursuit operation ended when the car crashed on Priorswood Road, Dublin 17.
Gardaí arrested a man (26) who ran from the car and seized a firearm and cash from the robbery.
READ MORE
The man is being held at Raheny Garda Station under Section 30, Offences Against the State Act, 1939. Investigations are ongoing.
Nobody was injured during the robbery or pursuit.


theirishtimes--2020-08-02--Man (30s) arrested over series of burglaries in Co Clare

A man has been arrested in relation to a series of burglaries in Co Clare , including theft from a church .
Shortly after 3pm on Saturday , gardaí in Kilrush received a report of a possible burglary at a house on Toler Street .
Gardaí attended and saw a man coming out through a side window of the house .
Following a short foot chase the man , aged in his 30s , was arrested .
He was also found to be in possession of a knife , gardaí said .
The scene was preserved and examined by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hatchet and a screwdriver that are believed to have been used during the course of the burglary were also recovered , gardaí said .
The suspect was detained at Kilrush Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act , 1984 .
He has since been charged in relation to burglary at a shop on Francis Street on June 26th , criminal damage to a shop on John Street on May 31st , burglary at a house on John Street on May 31st and theft from a church in Kilrush on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Ennis District Court on Sunday .

Shortly after 3pm on Saturday, gardaí in Kilrush received a report of a possible burglary at a house on Toler Street. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
A man has been arrested in relation to a series of burglaries in Co Clare, including theft from a church.
Shortly after 3pm on Saturday, gardaí in Kilrush received a report of a possible burglary at a house on Toler Street.
Gardaí attended and saw a man coming out through a side window of the house. Following a short foot chase the man, aged in his 30s, was arrested. He was also found to be in possession of a knife, gardaí said.
The scene was preserved and examined by the local scenes of crime unit. A hatchet and a screwdriver that are believed to have been used during the course of the burglary were also recovered, gardaí said.
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The suspect was detained at Kilrush Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
He has since been charged in relation to burglary at a shop on Francis Street on June 26th, criminal damage to a shop on John Street on May 31st, burglary at a house on John Street on May 31st and theft from a church in Kilrush on March 23rd.
He is due to appear before Ennis District Court on Sunday.


theirishtimes--2020-08-02--Nasa astronauts set for splashdown aboard Crew Dragon capsule

Two Nasa astronauts who took the first commercial trip to orbit have left the International Space Station and are scheduled to return home on Sunday .
Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley traveled to the space station in May aboard a Crew Dragon capsule built and run by SpaceX , the private rocket company started by Elon Musk .
The Crew Dragon undocked from the space station at 7.35 p.m. EDT on Saturday , with brief thruster firings pushing the spacecraft back .
As the capsule backed away from the station , Mr Hurley thanked the current crew of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground that helped manage their mission .
“ We look forward to splashdown tomorrow , ” he said .
If the weather remains favourable , it will splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola , Florida , at 2.41pm .
on Sunday , Nasa announced .
A safe return would open up more trips to and from orbit for future astronaut crews , and possibly space tourists , aboard the spacecraft .
Storm Isaias is forecast to sweep up along the Atlantic coast of Florida over the weekend .
Nasa and SpaceX @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mexico and the Atlantic , but the track of the storm ruled out the three in the Atlantic .
– New York Times

Two Nasa astronauts who travelled to the International Space Station on SpaceX's new Crew Dragon capsule are heading home after a two-month voyage. Splashdown is expected at 2.48 pm EDT in the Gulf of Mexico. Video: Nasa TV
US astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who flew to the International Space Station in SpaceX’s new Crew Dragon as part of the first commercial trip to orbit, splashed down in the capsule in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday.
The pair’s two-month voyage was Nasa’s first crewed mission from home soil in nine years. The Crew Dragon capsule was built and run by SpaceX, the private rocket company started by Elon Musk.
Mr Behnken and Mr Hurley left the International Space Station on Saturday and landed in the waves off Florida’s Pensacola coast on schedule at 2.48pm ET following a 21-hour journey aboard Crew Dragon Endeavor.
The successful splashdown was a final key test of whether Mr Musk’s spacecraft can transport astronauts to and from orbit – a feat no private company has ever accomplished before. “On behalf of the SpaceX and Nasa teams, welcome back to planet Earth. Thanks for flying SpaceX,” SpaceX mission control said upon splashdown.
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For the return sequence, on-board thrusters and two sets of parachutes worked autonomously to slow the acorn-shaped capsule, bringing Mr Behnken and Mr Hurley’s speed of about 28,000km/h in orbit down to 563km/h upon atmospheric re-entry, and eventually 24km/h at splashdown.
During re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere, the capsule’s outer shell withstood temperatures as high as 1,927 degrees Celsius, while Mr Behnken and Mr Hurley, wearing SpaceX’s white flight suits strapped inside the cabin, experienced 29 degrees.
The crew were to spend up to an hour floating inside the capsule before joint recovery teams from SpaceX and Nasa retrieve them for a helicopter trip ashore. There the duo will undergo medical checks ahead of a flight to Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas.
Mr Behnken and Mr Hurley’s homecoming was also the first crewed splashdown in an American capsule in 45 years.
Space station
The astronauts had set off for the space station on May 31st.
The Crew Dragon undocked from the space station at 7.35pm EDT on Saturday, with brief thruster firings pushing the spacecraft back.
Astronauts Bob Behnken (L) and Doug Hurley, having just entered the orbiting lab of the International Space Station on May 31st, 2020. Photograph: Nasa via The New York Times
As the capsule backed away from the station, Mr Hurley thanked the current crew of the space station and the teams on the ground that helped manage their mission. “We look forward to splashdown tomorrow,” he said.
The safe return could open up more trips to and from orbit for future astronaut crews, and possibly space tourists, aboard the spacecraft.
The landing was complicated by Storm Isaias sweeping up along the Atlantic coast of Florida over the weekend. Nasa and SpaceX have seven splashdown sites in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, but the track of the storm ruled out the three in the Atlantic. – Reuters/New York Times


theirishtimes--2020-08-03--'Huge increase' in falls among older people following lockdown

There has been a “ huge increase ” in the number of falls and injuries to older people as a result of inactivity during the coronavirus restrictions , physiotherapists have said .
The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists , in conjunction with the HSE , has released a pamphlet encouraging older people to get out and get active again as restrictions lift and the country begins to reopen .
Margaret Fitzpatrick , a chartered physiotherapist who works with a HSE community team , said older people ’ s muscles have weakened over the lockdown , resulting in increased injuries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the main things we treat as physios in the over-70s , and they lead to broken bones and hospital stays .
We ’ re definitely seeing the impact of cocooning in the last month – we ’ d describe the decreased activity levels as the silent impact of the pandemic , ” Ms Fitzpatrick said .
“ There is now a higher incidence of falls among service users , and they ’ re becoming more dependent as well .
So they ’ re losing their functional independence .
When you become weaker you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the things that you used to be able to do .
You mightn ’ t be able to use the stairs ; you could get to that point.
” However , Ms Fitzpatrick said “ all is not lost ” , and for people who were cocooning and did not contract the virus it is “ hoped that they could return to their pre-cocooning base line ” .
“ It ’ s just a case of getting back active and moving again , and taking that fear and anxiety away.
” She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear of the virus , older people begin to resume exercise to strengthen their muscles and bones .
“ It has impacts , not only on your physical health , but it is noted it has effects on your mental health as well .
It has an impact on bone density , muscle strength , cardiovascular health as well , but a big one lately is really mental health .
“ Even getting outdoors , out in the fresh air , will help as well .
There ’ s an exercise for everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day , it doesn ’ t have to be done all at once.
” The “ Let ’ s Get Moving Again ” pamphlet details eight exercises – including stepping up and down the stairs , calf and toe raises , and arm strengthening – which should be completed once or twice a day .
Dr Gráinne Kelly , interim physiotherapy manager for the HSE Dublin West area , said being physically active and exercising were “ important for good health ” .
“ Many members of the public and users of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returning to physical activity and exercise following periods of inactivity or reduced activity.
” She added that the booklet should assist older people who were nervous about resuming exercise to return “ safely to physical activity and exercise ” .
It could be used “ beyond Covid-19 in helping people become more active and resume activities they enjoy ” .

Despite the fear of coronavirus, older people should begin to resume exercise to strengthen their muscles and bones. Photograph: Getty Images
There has been a “huge increase” in the number of falls and injuries to older people as a result of inactivity during the coronavirus restrictions, physiotherapists have said.
The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, in conjunction with the HSE, has released a pamphlet encouraging older people to get out and get active again as restrictions lift and the country begins to reopen.
Margaret Fitzpatrick, a chartered physiotherapist who works with a HSE community team, said older people's muscles have weakened over the lockdown, resulting in increased injuries.
“In general falls are one of the main things we treat as physios in the over-70s, and they lead to broken bones and hospital stays. We’re definitely seeing the impact of cocooning in the last month – we’d describe the decreased activity levels as the silent impact of the pandemic,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.
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“There is now a higher incidence of falls among service users, and they’re becoming more dependent as well. So they’re losing their functional independence. When you become weaker you mightn’t be able to do the things that you used to be able to do. You mightn’t be able to use the stairs; you could get to that point.”
However, Ms Fitzpatrick said “all is not lost”, and for people who were cocooning and did not contract the virus it is “hoped that they could return to their pre-cocooning base line”.
“It’s just a case of getting back active and moving again, and taking that fear and anxiety away.”
She said it was important that, despite the fear of the virus, older people begin to resume exercise to strengthen their muscles and bones.
“It has impacts, not only on your physical health, but it is noted it has effects on your mental health as well. It has an impact on bone density, muscle strength, cardiovascular health as well, but a big one lately is really mental health.
“Even getting outdoors, out in the fresh air, will help as well. There’s an exercise for everyone. It can be spread out throughout the day, it doesn’t have to be done all at once.”
Eight exercises
The “Let’s Get Moving Again” pamphlet details eight exercises – including stepping up and down the stairs, calf and toe raises, and arm strengthening – which should be completed once or twice a day.
Dr Gráinne Kelly, interim physiotherapy manager for the HSE Dublin West area, said being physically active and exercising were "important for good health".
“Many members of the public and users of physiotherapy services report fear and anxiety in returning to physical activity and exercise following periods of inactivity or reduced activity.”
She added that the booklet should assist older people who were nervous about resuming exercise to return “safely to physical activity and exercise”. It could be used “beyond Covid-19 in helping people become more active and resume activities they enjoy”.


theirishtimes--2020-08-03--Five cases of Covid-19 confirmed at food processing factory in Co Offaly

Five workers at the Carroll Cuisine food-processing factory in Tullamore , Co Offaly , have tested positive for Covid-19 .
Last week an employee of Carroll Cuisine informed the company that they had tested positive for the virus and were self-isolating .
Carroll Cuisine carried out testing of all 330 employees at the factory and four other staff members , who work with the initial colleague affected , tested positive and are now also self-isolating .
No other positive cases have been identified and the company says it will continue testing all staff .
In a statement , Carroll Cuisine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected employees and are working closely and co-operatively with the HSE who are satisfied with the actions we are taking .
“ Since the first outbreak of Covid-19 in Ireland , we have implemented stringent health and safety measures to protect our employees and to help prevent the spread of the virus.
” Carroll Cuisine said a deep clean had taken place in the factory and it would continue production as normal .
Food processing plants have been among the hardest-hit settings for Covid-19 in Ireland .
Up to the beginning of July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and poultry plants with the first case recorded on St Patrick ’ s Day .
Cases peaked in May and have fallen dramatically since .

Carroll Cuisine said a deep clean had taken place in the factory and it would continue production as normal.
Five workers at the Carroll Cuisine food-processing factory in Tullamore, Co Offaly, have tested positive for Covid-19.
Last week an employee of Carroll Cuisine informed the company that they had tested positive for the virus and were self-isolating.
Carroll Cuisine carried out testing of all 330 employees at the factory and four other staff members, who work with the initial colleague affected, tested positive and are now also self-isolating.
No other positive cases have been identified and the company says it will continue testing all staff.
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Safety measures
In a statement, Carroll Cuisine added: “We are supporting our affected employees and are working closely and co-operatively with the HSE who are satisfied with the actions we are taking.
"Since the first outbreak of Covid-19 in Ireland, we have implemented stringent health and safety measures to protect our employees and to help prevent the spread of the virus."
Carroll Cuisine said a deep clean had taken place in the factory and it would continue production as normal.
Food processing plants have been among the hardest-hit settings for Covid-19 in Ireland.
Up to the beginning of July, there were 1,115 cases at meat and poultry plants with the first case recorded on St Patrick’s Day. Cases peaked in May and have fallen dramatically since.


theirishtimes--2020-08-03--Resolute and resilient: ‘I’m not ready to go yet. I’ve still life to live’

Frances Foley begins every morning with stretches , going up on her toes , and back down again to loosen her muscles before going downstairs .
She does these exercises religiously , never missing a day , because “ I ’ m not ready to go yet .
I ’ ve still life to live.
” Foley , who is active in the senior citizens ’ club and the local parish , found lockdown particularly difficult because she has never been one to sit around .
She believes that if she hadn ’ t been advised on how to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d probably be stuck in my bed.
” She adds her exercises to her daily routine – when she ’ s watching television or making a cup of tea .
On days when she ’ s feeling particularly stiff , she ’ ll go up and down the stairs two or three times until she feels better .
“ I had breast cancer young , a heart attack , and then arthritis and scoliosis now .
The spine is curving .
So if I don ’ t do them [ the exercises ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d be in a bad way , ” she says .
Foley ’ s husband Jack , who died 20 years ago , was a professional boxer for much of his life .
The Dublin 8 native is using her husband ’ s commitment to fitness as her inspiration to keep moving .
“ He was a professional boxer , a very fit man .
He ’ d have his raw egg and sherry every morning , he always did his exercises .
I wouldn ’ t do them for him .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I ’ d say ‘ I don ’ t need to do any of that ’ , ” she says with a smile .
As well as her indoor exercises , she also goes for a walk at least once a day .
“ I used to go in around town , but I don ’ t do that now .
I don ’ t like going near crowds , I don ’ t want to get the Covid .
I just go for a walk around here .
I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an incline , I avoid that .
And you can ’ t use an umbrella on a wet day when you ’ re walking with the walker.
” Her biggest motivation to keep going and to stay fit , she says , is to ensure that she can remain living in her home for the past almost 62 years .
“ I ’ m here on my own .
My husband is dead , my three children are married .
Two live in America and the other lives in Walkinstown .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a nursing home .
I like the peace here , and being able to do what I want .
”

Frances Foley begins every morning with stretches, going up on her toes, and back down again to loosen her muscles before going downstairs. She does these exercises religiously, never missing a day, because "I'm not ready to go yet. I've still life to live."
Foley, who is active in the senior citizens’ club and the local parish, found lockdown particularly difficult because she has never been one to sit around. She believes that if she hadn’t been advised on how to keep active at home, “I’d probably be stuck in my bed.”
I had breast cancer young, a heart attack, and then arthritis and scoliosis now
She adds her exercises to her daily routine – when she’s watching television or making a cup of tea. On days when she’s feeling particularly stiff, she’ll go up and down the stairs two or three times until she feels better.
Fitness routine
“I had breast cancer young, a heart attack, and then arthritis and scoliosis now. The spine is curving. So if I don’t do them [the exercises], I’d say I’d be in a bad way,” she says.
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Frances Foley (92) exercising close to her home in Oscar Square, The Tenters, Dublin, with physiotherapist Margaret Fitzpatrick. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell
Foley’s husband Jack, who died 20 years ago, was a professional boxer for much of his life. The Dublin 8 native is using her husband’s commitment to fitness as her inspiration to keep moving.
I'm here on my own. My husband is dead, my three children are married
“He was a professional boxer, a very fit man. He’d have his raw egg and sherry every morning, he always did his exercises. I wouldn’t do them for him. He’d be down doing his press-ups, and I’d say ‘I don’t need to do any of that’,” she says with a smile.
Avoiding Covid
As well as her indoor exercises, she also goes for a walk at least once a day.
“I used to go in around town, but I don’t do that now. I don’t like going near crowds, I don’t want to get the Covid. I just go for a walk around here. I don’t go anywhere where there’s an incline, I avoid that. And you can’t use an umbrella on a wet day when you’re walking with the walker.”
Her biggest motivation to keep going and to stay fit, she says, is to ensure that she can remain living in her home for the past almost 62 years.
"I'm here on my own. My husband is dead, my three children are married. Two live in America and the other lives in Walkinstown. But I don't want to go to a nursing home. I like the peace here, and being able to do what I want."


theirishtimes--2020-08-03--Prominent GP Cowley dreading possible second wave of coronavirus

Mulranny GP Jerry Cowley had two patients at his surgery recently who caused him a bit of concern .
The pair , who were cycling the greenway from Achill and had fallen off their bicycles , were from New York .
He did ask if they had been quarantining but wasn ’ t too clear how rigorously they had obeyed the rules .
“ When people arrive at your door and they are all bloody , what can you do ?
” he said .
The former Independent TD for Mayo is very worried about a second wave of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I hope to God there is a vaccine because we will all have the central heating on and that will make people more prone to sickness .
The virus is lurking , it is menacing and it will pounce.
” While the community doctor thinks the majority of Irish people have been “ wonderful ” in how they have responded to the virus , he said there are always a few who don ’ t like to be told what to do “ and can be aggressive if you do tell them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if there is a vaccine some “ stupid stupid people ” will refuse to have it .
“ There are people who have a fetish about vaccines , even the flu vaccine and they don ’ t care if they put other people at risk by not having it .
Mostly they are so-called intelligent people who will bowl you over with their stupidity.
” Dr Cowley has a bird ’ s eye view of the throngs of tourists who have descended on this part of the Wild Atlantic Way in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , and many of them driving UK-registered cars .
He said tourists are “ as welcome as the flowers in May ” as long as they stick to the rules about social distancing and masks .
If he has noticed a “ complacency ” setting in among young people , the opposite is the case with his older patients .
“ There are older people who still have not come out of their houses because they are scared out of their wits.
” Its an observation made by several GPs including Co @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his older patients are anxious “ almost to the point of being obsessed ” .
Based in Castlerea , he is also impressed with how people in the community have adhered to restrictions and guidelines , with masks now commonplace .
A GP for 40 years , he said one of the by-products of the Covid crisis is that telemedicine has come into its own in just a few short months .
He has been emailing photographs of rashes and skin blemishes to consultants who decide very quickly if further investigation or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients might have had to wait months or even years to be seen.
” Dr Kelly said he can understand why the Government stalled the reopening of pubs but believes that in counties where the reproduction number is less than one , licensed premises should be allowed to open “ as long as there is strict monitoring and the threat of immediate closure if social distancing is not observed ” .
“ I do think that in rural areas there are people whose only outing is to the pub and the church , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We all need a bit of company.
” Phone and video consultations became the norm for GPs working at the Carrick-on-Shannon medical centre once lockdown started and patients who do attend the surgery must telephone from their cars before being seen .
“ Before Covid I was doing 30 to 35 consultations a day but now it ’ s down to eight , ” said Dr David Greene .
He estimated that about 25 per cent of the workload is face-to-face rather than remote or phone consultations .
Two of his partners are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age so they don ’ t attend surgery and do remote consultations only .
Dr Greene pointed out that a lot of minor illnesses such a respiratory issues have plummeted because people are not socialising .
This is especially notable among children with for example very little croup around , something that doctors expect to change once the schools and crèches are up and running .
It can be mentally demanding to make a diagnosis if you can ’ t “ eyeball ” a patient , according to Dr Greene .
“ With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 when they walk in the door with their mother or father you can immediately spot something like shortness of breath.
” He said that most people in the community are very responsible when they are out and about and try to avoid coming too close to older people .
Dr Greene believes the onus will be very much on the older population to keep themselves safe this winter to the extend that some form of cocooning will be inevitable .
“ If schools reopen and I think they should , and if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know if locking down the whole country again will be an option .
It ’ s hard to see how there would not be some form of cocooning even if it ’ s not called that , but I think the onus will be on older people to distance themselves from others .
”

Dr Jerry Cowley: “There are older people who still have not come out of their houses because they are scared out of their wits.”
Mulranny GP Jerry Cowley had two patients at his surgery recently who caused him a bit of concern. The pair, who were cycling the greenway from Achill and had fallen off their bicycles, were from New York. He did ask if they had been quarantining but wasn’t too clear how rigorously they had obeyed the rules.
“When people arrive at your door and they are all bloody, what can you do?” he said.
The former Independent TD for Mayo is very worried about a second wave of the virus.
“I am dreading winter and I hope to God there is a vaccine because we will all have the central heating on and that will make people more prone to sickness. The virus is lurking, it is menacing and it will pounce.”
READ MORE
While the community doctor thinks the majority of Irish people have been “wonderful” in how they have responded to the virus, he said there are always a few who don’t like to be told what to do “and can be aggressive if you do tell them”.
One worry is that even if there is a vaccine some“stupid stupid people” will refuse to have it.
“There are people who have a fetish about vaccines, even the flu vaccine and they don’t care if they put other people at risk by not having it. Mostly they are so-called intelligent people who will bowl you over with their stupidity.”
Dr Cowley has a bird’s eye view of the throngs of tourists who have descended on this part of the Wild Atlantic Way in recent weeks, just as many as in previous years, and many of them driving UK-registered cars. He said tourists are “as welcome as the flowers in May” as long as they stick to the rules about social distancing and masks.
If he has noticed a “complacency” setting in among young people, the opposite is the case with his older patients.
“There are older people who still have not come out of their houses because they are scared out of their wits.”
Its an observation made by several GPs including Co Roscommon-based Dr Greg Kelly who said some of his older patients are anxious “almost to the point of being obsessed”.
Based in Castlerea, he is also impressed with how people in the community have adhered to restrictions and guidelines, with masks now commonplace.
A GP for 40 years, he said one of the by-products of the Covid crisis is that telemedicine has come into its own in just a few short months. He has been emailing photographs of rashes and skin blemishes to consultants who decide very quickly if further investigation or treatment is necessary.
“Hitherto these patients might have had to wait months or even years to be seen.”
Dr Kelly said he can understand why the Government stalled the reopening of pubs but believes that in counties where the reproduction number is less than one, licensed premises should be allowed to open “as long as there is strict monitoring and the threat of immediate closure if social distancing is not observed”.
“I do think that in rural areas there are people whose only outing is to the pub and the church, and the closures are causing depression. We all need a bit of company.”
Phone consultations
Phone and video consultations became the norm for GPs working at the Carrick-on-Shannon medical centre once lockdown started and patients who do attend the surgery must telephone from their cars before being seen.
“Before Covid I was doing 30 to 35 consultations a day but now it’s down to eight,” said Dr David Greene. He estimated that about 25 per cent of the workload is face-to-face rather than remote or phone consultations. Two of his partners are in the at-risk category because of their age so they don’t attend surgery and do remote consultations only.
Dr Greene pointed out that a lot of minor illnesses such a respiratory issues have plummeted because people are not socialising. This is especially notable among children with for example very little croup around, something that doctors expect to change once the schools and crèches are up and running.
It can be mentally demanding to make a diagnosis if you can’t “eyeball” a patient, according to Dr Greene.
“With children especially, seven times out of 10 when they walk in the door with their mother or father you can immediately spot something like shortness of breath.”
He said that most people in the community are very responsible when they are out and about and try to avoid coming too close to older people.
Dr Greene believes the onus will be very much on the older population to keep themselves safe this winter to the extend that some form of cocooning will be inevitable .
“If schools reopen and I think they should, and if the virus starts to circulate, I don’t know if locking down the whole country again will be an option. It’s hard to see how there would not be some form of cocooning even if it’s not called that, but I think the onus will be on older people to distance themselves from others.”