theirishtimes--2020-12-26--Irish people became slightly smellier, hairier during year as buying habits changed

Irish people became slightly smellier , hairier and , perhaps , more natural versions of themselves over the course of the year as Covid-19 and all its trappings led to dramatic shifts in our buying habits .
Sales of fancy dresses and sharp suits took a big hit with many people feeling disinclined to dress up in anything more elaborate than a tracksuit for their daily commute from the bed to the couch .
Meanwhile , sales of hand sanitiser , face masks and Vitamin D went through the roof as people sought to do whatever they could to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ razors declined across the market said Aldi ’ s group buying director John Curtin , although soap sales jumped by 55 per cent as people took to washing their hands with the vigour of Howard Hughes or a heart surgeon heading into the operating theatre .
“ Purchases of hand sanitiser exploded by 850 per cent , ” Curtin added .
With eating out no longer an easy option , many people started taking advantage of their kitchens .
Curtin said sales of flour climbed by 136 per cent , baking ingredient sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 per cent increase in fresh meat sales .
“ Over half of what we sell is Irish sourced and we saw big increases across the majority of our Irish products , ” he added .
“ During the early weeks of the first lockdown , 80 per cent of our top 20 selling products were Irish sourced.
” With confinement to the fore , Aldi shoppers appeared more inclined to indulge themselves than they might have in times past .
“ Spikes in seasonal sales such as chocolate at Easter and Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Curtin said .
Sales of crisps climbed by 60 per cent , snacks and nuts by 25 per cent and microwave popcorn by 35 per cent as people stayed home watching TV or streaming services .
Some of the most searched for items on the Boots website during lockdown periods were hand sanitiser , handwash , hair clippers , thermometers and hair dye .
“ There has been a renewed interest in health and wellness with customers stocking up more on immunity vitamins , particularly Vitamin C and D , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have also seen a great interest in natural remedies which began to emerge pre-Covid and still continues.
” She said that with offices , pubs , nightclubs , entertainment venues and gyms all closed – for at least of some of the year – there was “ a dip ” in sales of men ’ s razors and grooming products .
Interest in respray and certain cosmetics also slowed , she said .
A spokeswoman for Supervalu said that grocery shopping had “ fundamentally changed ” since the beginning of March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shops and what people buy changing ” .
She noted a marked switch to food with a long shelf life such as pasta with and away from pre-prepared salads and the like .
Sales across the home baking category in SuperValu were up by around 63 per cent with flour sales alone rising by 200 per cent and related products such as toppings , mini marshmallows and core baking ingredients like raising agents , flavourings and food colourings all selling strongly .
With the huge rise in people cooking meals from scratch , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 80 per cent with its fresh fruit and vegetables , and meat , poultry and fish proving “ an absolute hit ” .
She also said that people appeared to be more conscious of the importance of eating healthy , with banana sales running at an average of one “ every second in recent months ” .
With people spending more time at home , there sales of cleaning and washing products soared with dishwasher tablets climbing by an impressive 60 per cent but still dwarfed by the surge in soap purchases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lidl has also experienced some interesting sales trends as a result of the pandemic with its bananas and flours having among the product lines to have “ significant uplifts ” .
When the stay-at-home summer came round its customers set out to have barbecues at home .
Over the June Bank Holiday weekend alone , it saw a sales increase by 78 per cent with almost half a million items sold across its barbecue meats range .
it said some 80,000 bottles of its own-brand sun creams sold that same weekend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage .
Amongst the most popular items in Currys PC World were Apple AirPods reflecting the massive change in our work , living and social habits .
“ With everyone working from home , a good set of headphones has become non-negotiable for many , ” said Jamie Cantwell , head of electricals at Currys PC World .
“ The Airpods were followed closely by a JVC 40 ” TV .
With people seeking out second screen options while working from home , many opted for a TV instead of a monitor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sales inevitably increased massively throughout the year with printers and scanner sales climbing 50 per cent above last year ’ s volume .
It also appears that people were missing their takeaway coffees with an almost 100 per cent increase in the sale of coffee machines , with bean to cup machines seeing the fastest growth .
Sales of gaming consoles were by up more than 300 per cent , reflecting the desire for home entertainment while sales of virtual reality equipment , albeit from a low base , climbed by 500 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to escape their actual reality for a spell .

Irish people became slightly smellier, hairier and, perhaps, more natural versions of themselves over the course of the year as Covid-19 and all its trappings led to dramatic shifts in our buying habits.
Sales of fancy dresses and sharp suits took a big hit with many people feeling disinclined to dress up in anything more elaborate than a tracksuit for their daily commute from the bed to the couch.
Meanwhile, sales of hand sanitiser, face masks and Vitamin D went through the roof as people sought to do whatever they could to keep themselves virus-free.
Sales of hand sanitiser, face masks and Vitamin D went through the roof
Sales of shampoo and razors declined across the market said Aldi's group buying director John Curtin, although soap sales jumped by 55 per cent as people took to washing their hands with the vigour of Howard Hughes or a heart surgeon heading into the operating theatre.
READ MORE
“Purchases of hand sanitiser exploded by 850 per cent,” Curtin added.
With eating out no longer an easy option, many people started taking advantage of their kitchens.
Curtin said sales of flour climbed by 136 per cent, baking ingredient sales rising by 51 per cent and a 20 per cent increase in fresh meat sales.
“Over half of what we sell is Irish sourced and we saw big increases across the majority of our Irish products,” he added. “During the early weeks of the first lockdown, 80 per cent of our top 20 selling products were Irish sourced.”
With confinement to the fore, Aldi shoppers appeared more inclined to indulge themselves than they might have in times past.
“Spikes in seasonal sales such as chocolate at Easter and Christmas came a lot earlier than other years,” Curtin said.
Sales of crisps climbed by 60 per cent, snacks and nuts by 25 per cent and microwave popcorn by 35 per cent as people stayed home watching TV or streaming services.
Some of the most searched for items on the Boots website during lockdown periods were hand sanitiser, handwash, hair clippers, thermometers and hair dye.
"There has been a renewed interest in health and wellness with customers stocking up more on immunity vitamins, particularly Vitamin C and D," Boots spokeswoman Claire Moran said.
“We have also seen a great interest in natural remedies which began to emerge pre-Covid and still continues.”
She said that with offices, pubs, nightclubs, entertainment venues and gyms all closed – for at least of some of the year – there was “a dip” in sales of men’s razors and grooming products. Interest in respray and certain cosmetics also slowed, she said.
A spokeswoman for Supervalu said that grocery shopping had "fundamentally changed" since the beginning of March, "with lower footfall, bigger trolley shops and what people buy changing". She noted a marked switch to food with a long shelf life such as pasta with and away from pre-prepared salads and the like.
Sales across the home baking category in SuperValu were up by around 63 per cent with flour sales alone rising by 200 per cent and related products such as toppings, mini marshmallows and core baking ingredients like raising agents, flavourings and food colourings all selling strongly.
With the huge rise in people cooking meals from scratch, SuperValu saw its olive oil sales increase by 80 per cent with its fresh fruit and vegetables, and meat, poultry and fish proving “an absolute hit”.
She also said that people appeared to be more conscious of the importance of eating healthy, with banana sales running at an average of one “every second in recent months”.
With people spending more time at home, there sales of cleaning and washing products soared with dishwasher tablets climbing by an impressive 60 per cent but still dwarfed by the surge in soap purchases - up a whopping 400 per cent.
Lidl has also experienced some interesting sales trends as a result of the pandemic with its bananas and flours having among the product lines to have "significant uplifts".
When the stay-at-home summer came round its customers set out to have barbecues at home. Over the June Bank Holiday weekend alone, it saw a sales increase by 78 per cent with almost half a million items sold across its barbecue meats range. it said some 80,000 bottles of its own-brand sun creams sold that same weekend, though few remember sunny weather at this stage.
Amongst the most popular items in Currys PC World were Apple AirPods reflecting the massive change in our work, living and social habits.
“With everyone working from home, a good set of headphones has become non-negotiable for many,” said Jamie Cantwell, head of electricals at Currys PC World.
“The Airpods were followed closely by a JVC 40” TV. With people seeking out second screen options while working from home, many opted for a TV instead of a monitor,” he said.
Home office equipment sales inevitably increased massively throughout the year with printers and scanner sales climbing 50 per cent above last year’s volume.
It also appears that people were missing their takeaway coffees with an almost 100 per cent increase in the sale of coffee machines, with bean to cup machines seeing the fastest growth.
Sales of gaming consoles were by up more than 300 per cent, reflecting the desire for home entertainment while sales of virtual reality equipment, albeit from a low base, climbed by 500 per cent, no doubt as people sought to escape their actual reality for a spell.


theirishtimes--2020-12-26--How the baron of Dunsany carried out an ambitious rewilding project in Meath

Like his ancestors , Randal Plunkett was once able to look from the windows of Dunsany Castle , between Trim and Dunshaughlin , Co Meath , onto herds of cattle and sheep that filled many of the estate ’ s 1,600 acres .
Today , the cattle and sheep are gone : “ When I became a vegan , I couldn ’ t really continue to have livestock here , could I ?
” the 21st baron of Dunsany , from a line tied by blood linked to St Oliver Plunkett , reflected .
Plunkett is part of the European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restore nature across the continent , from reintroducing wild bison in the Vanatori-Neamt park in Romania , to the restoration of the huge Naliboksky Forest in Belarus .
If difficult to bring about , the mission statement of the European project – which was set up in 2011 in the Netherlands , but has since spread its influence – is simple .
“ It ’ s about letting nature take care of itself , enabling natural processes to shape land and sea , repair damaged ecosystems and restore degraded landscapes , ” it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s first member of the project , the work in Dunsany began six years ago with a decision to rewild 750 of the 1,600 acres around Dunsany Castle and rid the plains of the vast estate from sheep and cows .
The first fruits are emerging .
This year , the estate had the first breeding pair of woodpeckers ever recorded in Co Meath , along with sightings of red kites , snipe and stoats – and even an unconfirmed spotting of the rare red squirrel .
Confirming the presence of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hatch of BirdWatch Ireland said : “ There is no evidence that they were ever in Meath before.
” However , a few have been found in recent years in Wicklow , having migrated from Britain .
“ We have rewilded about 750 acres .
Up to 500 acres is forestry and another 250 acres are grass fields , ” said Randal , “ Before , we had our own herd of cattle and sheep and rented out fields to farmers who grazed their animals.
” Though begun six years ago , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I ’ ve never been convinced that animal agriculture is cost-effective and it ’ s proven that it is detrimental to the environment .
“ I don ’ t think that it is the way forward to focus on such an inefficient means to produce food , particularly when you see the level of carbon being emitted as a result of it , ” said Randal .
“ We still have tillage but everything else is being left to wildlife which I ’ ve never interfered with , not even by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ When we first allowed things to go wild , we had a lot of weeds at first , as you can imagine .
It was the worst thistle and ragwort that I had ever seen .
But then , as the weeds began to abate , saplings and wildlife started to appear as the natural ecosystem took hold .
“ I used to pull up to 40 stalks of ragwort a day to avoid chemicals .
Now I don ’ t need to , as there are hardly any because wild flowers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We started to see a lot more insects .
Then more small birds appeared before the bigger birds of prey began making their home here , ” he declared .
Recently , visiting botanists from Dublin ’ s Trinity College – who have come to the estate ever more frequently as the changes wrought by the rewilding have become visible on the ground – spotted 50 butterflies within 200m of each other .
“ That ’ s a lot of butterflies in such a short distance .
It ’ s really interesting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are no great quantities of any one thing , ” said Randal , who took over the estate from his father in 2011 .
“ I think when it comes to climate change and the ecosystem , we really do tend to overthink things .
The environment needs to simply be allowed to exist .
“ When I first started this , I tried to do a lot , but now I realise that instead of trying to control it , I just try and maintain and enhance what is there.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Randal has been rehabilitating injured animals and birds found on the land and releasing them back into the wild .
“ I ’ d say in recent months , we have helped to save six injured foxes , 12 hedgehogs and a large number of birds.
” His project has gained national recognition from agencies such as BirdWatch Ireland and the Irish Bee Conservation Project , who are hoping to co-operate with Randal to create up to 200 hives for dwindling native Irish black bees in the years ahead .
“ At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive issue , there are very few doing anything really about it , in my view .
“ I ’ m lucky enough to be in a position where I ’ ve got privilege and can do something to help.
” So far , the work at Dunsany is being funded by Randal himself : “ I ’ m not getting any grants or money from anywhere at the present .
I feel that I ’ m doing my duty to my country and my planet .
“ The estate is a business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a budget .
I have gone without holidays and other things for this , but no success is without sacrifice .
“ This is important and it transcends comforts .
“ At the moment , I ’ m funding the project myself with income from tillage and my film production facilities in Dunsany .
Every time a company uses these facilities , they are contractually obligated to donate a tree to the reserve .
“ We have plans to plant more forestry in the next five years , possibly with the aid of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rewilding project is not without its obstacles .
“ I face challenges all the time .
One of the biggest threats to this project is overdevelopment of this area .
“ In the current Dunshaughlin area plan , there is talk about a new train line cutting across parts of this forest – the very forest where the woodpeckers are now living .
“ People say [ the coronavirus ] lockdown made them appreciate nature but once they are back on the hamster wheel , eaten bread is soon forgotten , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years since the film-maker inherited the ancient castle before his 30th birthday , after the death of his father Edward Plunkett , the 20th baron of Dunsany .
The young man embraced the rural challenge , despite it being worlds apart from New York , where he grew up , and London , where he studied film-making .
However , despite the rewilding , he still manages to maintain his love of film , with a new production he wrote and directed , The Green Sea , due to be released next year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is the first to admit he was a huge lover of meat dishes in his younger days .
“ I was the biggest proponent of steak .
I ate a lot of it and I ate raw eggs for breakfast like Rocky , before finally realising that it ’ s not good for you or the environment .
“ I was a steak-eating , rock-concert-going city slicker and now I ’ m lord of the rural manor who has swapped leather clothes and shoes for more eco-friendly cruelty-free options .
“ Wild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t expect that you needed .
Before , I was interested in possessions , status and money .
That was all that motivated me .
Now , even if I achieve nothing else in my life , I will consider it a success.
” Passionate about his new lifestyle , he hopes it will make a difference and encourage others .
“ At the minute , the vision is wilderness .
The future has to be rewilding .
I ’ ll be long gone in 200 years but the trees I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come , if we embrace biodiversity now.
” The European Rewilding Network can help others across the continent to deliver rewilding dreams , he believes : “ I feel privileged to join a movement of like-minded individuals who are committed to restoring Europe ’ s natural heritage .
“ We are already on the last bus , but if we all got together and acted now and governments followed , then we still have a chance .
”

Randal Plunkett, the 21st baron of Dunsany, is a film director and holder of one of the oldest surviving Irish peerage titles. Photograph: Barry Cronin
Like his ancestors, Randal Plunkett was once able to look from the windows of Dunsany Castle, between Trim and Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, onto herds of cattle and sheep that filled many of the estate's 1,600 acres.
Today, the cattle and sheep are gone: “When I became a vegan, I couldn’t really continue to have livestock here, could I?” the 21st baron of Dunsany, from a line tied by blood linked to St Oliver Plunkett, reflected.
Plunkett is part of the European Rewilding Network, which is attempting to restore nature across the continent, from reintroducing wild bison in the Vanatori-Neamt park in Romania, to the restoration of the huge Naliboksky Forest in Belarus.
If difficult to bring about, the mission statement of the European project – which was set up in 2011 in the Netherlands, but has since spread its influence – is simple.
READ MORE
“It’s about letting nature take care of itself, enabling natural processes to shape land and sea, repair damaged ecosystems and restore degraded landscapes,” it declares.
For Randal Plunkett, Ireland’s first member of the project, the work in Dunsany began six years ago with a decision to rewild 750 of the 1,600 acres around Dunsany Castle and rid the plains of the vast estate from sheep and cows.
At a time when global warming is a massive issue, there are very few doing anything really about it, in my view
The first fruits are emerging. This year, the estate had the first breeding pair of woodpeckers ever recorded in Co Meath, along with sightings of red kites, snipe and stoats – and even an unconfirmed spotting of the rare red squirrel.
Confirming the presence of the pair of greater spotted woodpeckers, Niall Hatch of BirdWatch Ireland said: "There is no evidence that they were ever in Meath before." However, a few have been found in recent years in Wicklow, having migrated from Britain.
“We have rewilded about 750 acres. Up to 500 acres is forestry and another 250 acres are grass fields,” said Randal, “Before, we had our own herd of cattle and sheep and rented out fields to farmers who grazed their animals.”
Decades of gestation
Though begun six years ago, the work has been in gestation for decades: “I’ve never been convinced that animal agriculture is cost-effective and it’s proven that it is detrimental to the environment.
“I don’t think that it is the way forward to focus on such an inefficient means to produce food, particularly when you see the level of carbon being emitted as a result of it,” said Randal.
“We still have tillage but everything else is being left to wildlife which I’ve never interfered with, not even by sowing grass in the initial stages.
“When we first allowed things to go wild, we had a lot of weeds at first, as you can imagine. It was the worst thistle and ragwort that I had ever seen. But then, as the weeds began to abate, saplings and wildlife started to appear as the natural ecosystem took hold.
“I used to pull up to 40 stalks of ragwort a day to avoid chemicals. Now I don’t need to, as there are hardly any because wild flowers and plants have taken control.
“We started to see a lot more insects. Then more small birds appeared before the bigger birds of prey began making their home here,” he declared.
Dunsany Castle, Dunsany, Co Meath. Photograph: Barry Cronin
Recently, visiting botanists from Dublin's Trinity College – who have come to the estate ever more frequently as the changes wrought by the rewilding have become visible on the ground – spotted 50 butterflies within 200m of each other.
“That’s a lot of butterflies in such a short distance. It’s really interesting to see how nature has balanced itself. There are no great quantities of any one thing,” said Randal, who took over the estate from his father in 2011.
“I think when it comes to climate change and the ecosystem, we really do tend to overthink things. The environment needs to simply be allowed to exist.
“When I first started this, I tried to do a lot, but now I realise that instead of trying to control it, I just try and maintain and enhance what is there.”
Rehabilitating animals
In the last number of months especially, Randal has been rehabilitating injured animals and birds found on the land and releasing them back into the wild.
“I’d say in recent months, we have helped to save six injured foxes, 12 hedgehogs and a large number of birds.”
His project has gained national recognition from agencies such as BirdWatch Ireland and the Irish Bee Conservation Project, who are hoping to co-operate with Randal to create up to 200 hives for dwindling native Irish black bees in the years ahead.
“At a time when global warming is a massive issue, there are very few doing anything really about it, in my view.
“I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I’ve got privilege and can do something to help.”
So far, the work at Dunsany is being funded by Randal himself: “I’m not getting any grants or money from anywhere at the present. I feel that I’m doing my duty to my country and my planet.
“The estate is a business so it’s all about balancing a budget. I have gone without holidays and other things for this, but no success is without sacrifice.
“This is important and it transcends comforts.
“At the moment, I’m funding the project myself with income from tillage and my film production facilities in Dunsany. Every time a company uses these facilities, they are contractually obligated to donate a tree to the reserve.
“We have plans to plant more forestry in the next five years, possibly with the aid of State forestry subsidies at that stage.”
We are on the last bus, but if we all got together and acted now and governments followed, then we still have a chance
The rewilding project is not without its obstacles.
“I face challenges all the time. One of the biggest threats to this project is overdevelopment of this area.
“In the current Dunshaughlin area plan, there is talk about a new train line cutting across parts of this forest – the very forest where the woodpeckers are now living.
“People say [the coronavirus] lockdown made them appreciate nature but once they are back on the hamster wheel, eaten bread is soon forgotten,” he said.
Embracing challenge
It's nine years since the film-maker inherited the ancient castle before his 30th birthday, after the death of his father Edward Plunkett, the 20th baron of Dunsany.
The young man embraced the rural challenge, despite it being worlds apart from New York, where he grew up, and London, where he studied film-making.
However, despite the rewilding, he still manages to maintain his love of film, with a new production he wrote and directed, The Green Sea, due to be released next year.
Although now a strict vegan, he is the first to admit he was a huge lover of meat dishes in his younger days.
“I was the biggest proponent of steak. I ate a lot of it and I ate raw eggs for breakfast like Rocky, before finally realising that it’s not good for you or the environment.
“I was a steak-eating, rock-concert-going city slicker and now I’m lord of the rural manor who has swapped leather clothes and shoes for more eco-friendly cruelty-free options.
“Wild nature gives you something you didn’t expect that you needed. Before, I was interested in possessions, status and money. That was all that motivated me. Now, even if I achieve nothing else in my life, I will consider it a success.”
Passionate about his new lifestyle, he hopes it will make a difference and encourage others.
“At the minute, the vision is wilderness. The future has to be rewilding. I’ll be long gone in 200 years but the trees I’m planting will hopefully be enjoyed by generations to come, if we embrace biodiversity now.”
The European Rewilding Network can help others across the continent to deliver rewilding dreams, he believes: “I feel privileged to join a movement of like-minded individuals who are committed to restoring Europe’s natural heritage.
“We are already on the last bus, but if we all got together and acted now and governments followed, then we still have a chance.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-26--Council takes court action over O’Rahilly house demolition

Dublin Editor Dublin City Council has initiated court action over the demolition of 40 Herbert Park , the former home of Michael Joseph O ’ Rahilly , the only leader to have been killed fighting during the 1916 Rising .
The council has written to the District Court seeking a hearing date to prosecute Derryroe Ltd for carrying out “ unauthorised development ” at the site beside the Herbert Park Hotel in Ballsbridge .
The house was demolished last September to make way for a 12-storey apartment and hotel development .
While the council was pursuing action against the developers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make them rebuild the house .
Derryroe Ltd , owned by the McSharry and Kennedy families , who own the Herbert Park Hotel , was last September granted permission by An Bord Pleanála for the demolition and redevelopment scheme .
However , the council said the company had failed to comply with the conditions of planning permission before beginning work .
“ Our solicitors have written to the District Court Office requesting a date for hearing for a prosecution in respect of the carrying out of unauthorised development in advance of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the council ’ s assistant chief executive Richard Shakespeare said in a letter to councillors .
“ Summonses will be issued once this date is secured.
” The council has issued an enforcement notice to the developers ordering all work on the site to stop .
“ Until all pre-commencement conditions have been complied with , works can not recommence , ” Mr Shakespeare said .
Joint motion Councillors in October approved a joint Sinn Féin and Green Party motion calling for “ the immediate restoration of the house ” .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was “ no apparent legal basis for calling for the restoration of the structure ” given it was not on the city ’ s Record of Protected Structures and , while councillors had voted to initiate this process , it had not formally begun .
Councillors , An Taisce , relatives of 1916 leaders , including O ’ Rahilly ’ s grandson Proinsias Ó Rathaille , and local residents objected to the hotel and apartment development , which included the demolition of the house .
The Pembroke Road Association has initiated judicial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to grant permission for the scheme .
Derryroe Ltd did not respond to requests for comment .

Dublin Editor Dublin City Council has initiated court action over the demolition of 40 Herbert Park, the former home of Michael Joseph O'Rahilly, the only leader to have been killed fighting during the 1916 Rising.
The council has written to the District Court seeking a hearing date to prosecute Derryroe Ltd for carrying out "unauthorised development" at the site beside the Herbert Park Hotel in Ballsbridge.
The house was demolished last September to make way for a 12-storey apartment and hotel development. While the council was pursuing action against the developers, it said it had no powers to make them rebuild the house.
Derryroe Ltd, owned by the McSharry and Kennedy families, who own the Herbert Park Hotel, was last September granted permission by An Bord Pleanála for the demolition and redevelopment scheme. However, the council said the company had failed to comply with the conditions of planning permission before beginning work.
READ MORE
"Our solicitors have written to the District Court Office requesting a date for hearing for a prosecution in respect of the carrying out of unauthorised development in advance of the pre-commencement compliance conditions being agreed," the council's assistant chief executive Richard Shakespeare said in a letter to councillors. "Summonses will be issued once this date is secured."
The council has issued an enforcement notice to the developers ordering all work on the site to stop. “Until all pre-commencement conditions have been complied with, works cannot recommence,” Mr Shakespeare said.
Joint motion Councillors in October approved a joint Sinn Féin and Green Party motion calling for “the immediate restoration of the house”. However, in his letter, Mr Shakespeare said there was “no apparent legal basis for calling for the restoration of the structure” given it was not on the city’s Record of Protected Structures and, while councillors had voted to initiate this process, it had not formally begun.
Councillors, An Taisce, relatives of 1916 leaders, including O’Rahilly’s grandson Proinsias Ó Rathaille, and local residents objected to the hotel and apartment development, which included the demolition of the house. The Pembroke Road Association has initiated judicial review proceedings of the An Bord Pleanála decision to grant permission for the scheme.
Derryroe Ltd did not respond to requests for comment.


theirishtimes--2020-12-26--Christmas sales: ‘They will be a lot more muted this year’

When is a sale not a sale ?
Today .
This time last week retailers across the State were gearing up to launch their winter sales on a St Stephen ’ s Day like no other , optimistic despite the gloom that they would be able shift the stock they struggled to move before Christmas .
Dedicated followers of fashion , meanwhile , were readying themselves for a post-Christmas splurge .
But then the bombshell announcement came from the Government that while non-essential retailers would be allowed to remain open – unlike gastro pubs and restaurants – they would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as normal .
The announcement caused much confusion across the sector , not least because many , if not most , shops had been discounting since being permitted to resume trading in early December .
Retail expert Eddie Shanahan describes the call for a deferment of the winter sales as “ bizarre ” and confusing .
“ I understand the concept of wanting to keep large crowds off the streets but it displays a lack of understanding of how retail works , ” he says .
“ I would rather see retailers trusted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shops , and all the evidence shows that they have been doing that well , ” he added .
He says that “ whatever happens , there will be discounts over the next four to six weeks , although there might not be the big red signs in the windows ” .
Duncan Graham of Retail Excellence echoes those sentiments and says sales are an essential part of the business .
He also stresses that it would not be possible to have sale prices online with higher prices in store .
“ Imagine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he says .
“ Apart from anything else , if retailers had to charge more for their stock online because of restrictions in the physical stores then it would only have the affect of driving more retail business towards overseas-based sites.
” That is why that the sales will take place but may not be called sales .
Shops will continue with their reductions as planned but will almost certainly scrap or dilute their marketing and take signs boasting about bargains out of the windows .
Brown Thomas and Arnotts had both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sale mode as of today but instead pivoted to a traditional winter sale online while applying “ seasonal discounts ” in-store , many - if not all - of which had been rolled out in the run-up to Christmas .
“ Of course shops are going to be in sale mode in the post-Christmas period , ” says retail expert and Technical University Dublin academic Damien O ’ Reilly .
“ It is only a matter of terminology .
Will it be a special offer or a sale ?
” He says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dictate the prices charged by retailers .
“ That is not something they can do , and retailers are allowed to charge what they like .
Many of them will have bought in stock for the sales and will have no choice but to sell it as planned.
” O ’ Reilly says the evidence of the pre-Christmas spending is indicative of what might come in the days ahead .
“ It wasn ’ t manic , ” he says .
“ There were not the queues we had maybe expected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also points to the dramatic shift of spending to the online world and points to the absence of a place for people to go as marking another shift .
“ There is no market for occasion wear and people are still buying athleisure , ” he says .
“ The areas to watch will be furniture , homewares and electrical goods , but even then a lot of that was bought by people during the lockdown with sales up by more than quarter.
” “ Ultimately , I think people are screaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onside with the public health measures and they are scared , particularly of this new strain from the UK.
” Shanahan does not anticipate that this year will be a bumper one for bargains in any event .
He suggests that many retailers have proved themselves adept at managing their stock levels during the crisis and have been able to keep trading during the most recent lockdown in online and click-and-collect channels , which means there may not be large volumes of stock to shift .
“ From what I could see , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not a lot of stock in stores in the run-up to Christmas , and I think that could mean there will be a less frantic sales period than normal.
” The absence or otherwise of bargains will not , however , be the determining factor in how busy towns and cities get , he believes .
“ People remain on high alert , particularly with the new strain of Covid that emerged in the UK just before Christmas , and I really think that will make many people think twice before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they get a sense crowd volumes are building up.
” He says awareness of the realities of the crisis had been evident throughout December even across the weekend before Christmas Day , which is traditionally one of the busiest shopping windows of the year , when queues were few and far between and there were spaces to be found in car parks .
“ We will definitely see smaller numbers in stores than previous years , and I think retailers might look to extend their opening hours as they did before Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoppers.
” David Gibney , of Mandate trade union , which represents many retail workers , says many retailers , big and small , are taking a more softly-softly approach to the sales this year .
He says one notable difference between this sales season and previous ones is that retailers have not exerted pressure on staff to work and have instead asked for volunteers .
“ I think they have recognised that there is a business case for not pushing sales too hard , and while many will open this weekend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumers is unlikely to be the same as previous years , ” he said .
“ With the social distancing rules that are in place and the need to restrict numbers , there is also not going to be the need to have as many people on the shop floor as in previous years.
” Another feature may see discounts stretched out over a longer-than-normal period to stop people flooding the shops this week .
“ I think there might be fewer deep discounts and not so many immediately after Christmas , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham says .
“ The sales will be a lot more muted this year .
I think that is certain .
”

When is a sale not a sale? Today.
This time last week retailers across the State were gearing up to launch their winter sales on a St Stephen’s Day like no other, optimistic despite the gloom that they would be able shift the stock they struggled to move before Christmas.
Dedicated followers of fashion, meanwhile, were readying themselves for a post-Christmas splurge.
But then the bombshell announcement came from the Government that while non-essential retailers would be allowed to remain open – unlike gastro pubs and restaurants – they would not be allowed to go into sales mode as normal.
READ MORE
The announcement caused much confusion across the sector, not least because many, if not most, shops had been discounting since being permitted to resume trading in early December.
Retail expert Eddie Shanahan describes the call for a deferment of the winter sales as "bizarre" and confusing.
" I understand the concept of wanting to keep large crowds off the streets but it displays a lack of understanding of how retail works," he says.
“I would rather see retailers trusted to manage those who come into their shops, and all the evidence shows that they have been doing that well,” he added.
He says that “whatever happens, there will be discounts over the next four to six weeks, although there might not be the big red signs in the windows”.
Duncan Graham of Retail Excellence echoes those sentiments and says sales are an essential part of the business. He also stresses that it would not be possible to have sale prices online with higher prices in store.
“Imagine the complaints if they did that,” he says. “Apart from anything else, if retailers had to charge more for their stock online because of restrictions in the physical stores then it would only have the affect of driving more retail business towards overseas-based sites.”
Diluting
That is why that the sales will take place but may not be called sales. Shops will continue with their reductions as planned but will almost certainly scrap or dilute their marketing and take signs boasting about bargains out of the windows.
Brown Thomas and Arnotts had both been planning to to into full winter sale mode as of today but instead pivoted to a traditional winter sale online while applying “seasonal discounts” in-store, many - if not all - of which had been rolled out in the run-up to Christmas.
“Of course shops are going to be in sale mode in the post-Christmas period,” says retail expert and Technical University Dublin academic Damien O’Reilly. “It is only a matter of terminology. Will it be a special offer or a sale?”
He says it would be unwise for Government to attempt to dictate the prices charged by retailers.
“That is not something they can do, and retailers are allowed to charge what they like. Many of them will have bought in stock for the sales and will have no choice but to sell it as planned.”
O’Reilly says the evidence of the pre-Christmas spending is indicative of what might come in the days ahead.
“It wasn’t manic,” he says. “There were not the queues we had maybe expected, and people were all very careful.”
He also points to the dramatic shift of spending to the online world and points to the absence of a place for people to go as marking another shift.
“There is no market for occasion wear and people are still buying athleisure,” he says. “The areas to watch will be furniture, homewares and electrical goods, but even then a lot of that was bought by people during the lockdown with sales up by more than quarter.”
“Ultimately, I think people are screaming out for normality but they are also onside with the public health measures and they are scared, particularly of this new strain from the UK.”
Managing stock
Shanahan does not anticipate that this year will be a bumper one for bargains in any event. He suggests that many retailers have proved themselves adept at managing their stock levels during the crisis and have been able to keep trading during the most recent lockdown in online and click-and-collect channels, which means there may not be large volumes of stock to shift.
“From what I could see, at least in Dublin, was there was not a lot of stock in stores in the run-up to Christmas, and I think that could mean there will be a less frantic sales period than normal.”
The absence or otherwise of bargains will not, however, be the determining factor in how busy towns and cities get, he believes.
“People remain on high alert, particularly with the new strain of Covid that emerged in the UK just before Christmas, and I really think that will make many people think twice before the coming into busy retail settings, particularly if they get a sense crowd volumes are building up.”
He says awareness of the realities of the crisis had been evident throughout December even across the weekend before Christmas Day, which is traditionally one of the busiest shopping windows of the year, when queues were few and far between and there were spaces to be found in car parks.
“We will definitely see smaller numbers in stores than previous years, and I think retailers might look to extend their opening hours as they did before Christmas in order to accommodate both staff and shoppers.”
Softly softly
David Gibney, of Mandate trade union, which represents many retail workers, says many retailers, big and small, are taking a more softly-softly approach to the sales this year.
He says one notable difference between this sales season and previous ones is that retailers have not exerted pressure on staff to work and have instead asked for volunteers.
“I think they have recognised that there is a business case for not pushing sales too hard, and while many will open this weekend, the reality is that the demand among consumers is unlikely to be the same as previous years,” he said.
“With the social distancing rules that are in place and the need to restrict numbers, there is also not going to be the need to have as many people on the shop floor as in previous years.”
Another feature may see discounts stretched out over a longer-than-normal period to stop people flooding the shops this week.
“I think there might be fewer deep discounts and not so many immediately after Christmas, with some being phased through January,” Graham says. “The sales will be a lot more muted this year. I think that is certain.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-26--‘I don’t want to tell them how broken the world is’

The Royal Institution lecture has been a Christmas tradition in Britain since 1825 , when it was initiated by the renowned scientist Michael Faraday at a time when organised education for the young was scarce on the ground .
The lectures continue to this day but have become engaging , mind-expanding BBC Four television programmes for people of all ages .
Irish environmental scientist Tara Shine will be part of a threesome delivering their take on the world during this year ’ s programmes .
The theme is “ Planet Earth – a user ’ s guide ” and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarkable natural wonders that sustain life .
They will explore how human activity has become an overwhelming geological force “ disrupting the finely-tuned systems that have kept our planet running smoothly for billions of years , ” Shine explains .
Shine is not the first Irish person to join this elite group of lecturers , which includes Nobel laureates and the Carlow-born polymath John Tyndall , who in 1859 discovered the physical basis of the greenhouse effect .
Trinity College Dublin molecular evolution expert Prof Aoife McLysaght co-presented the 2018 lectures entitled “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , geologist Chris Jackson will tell the Earth ’ s climate story through rocks and fossil records .
Physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski will focus on the part oceans play in the climate crisis and Shine , in the final lecture , will assess “ what ’ s really in the air we breathe ” .
Climate disruption features throughout but is countered by details of the ways humans can repair the damage and live more sustainably as the Earth ’ s population increases .
Shine is delivering a key message : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth works and not think as humans that we ’ re outside the system .
We are part of its natural process ” .
She says that fundamental understanding is necessary “ if we want to live in it , and not to cause the next extinction ” .
It is heavy stuff but Shine says the lecture will not be depressing , though it will come with a hard scientific message .
She wants to unburden young people and not to put any more weight on their shoulders .
“ I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken the world is , ” she adds , stressing a lot of the hard work is done on solutions and that it is about accelerating actions over the next decade .
The rewards will come with a better society that is fairer and better connected while its citizens will be significantly healthier , she says .
Next year is an opportunity for a fresh start , she adds .
While critical United Nations climate negotiations – known as COP26 – were put off due to the pandemic , she says “ more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and countries are coming up with more ambitious climate commitments ” .
They are realising they have to get to net-zero emissions by mid-century .
That heartening re-set is generating more momentum for COP26 , says Shine .
“ Every country just needs to do more , ” she says , especially in moving away from fossil fuels , adopting renewable energy and in changing land use to create carbon sinks rather than it being a source of CO2 .
Shine currently holds a role with the UN , overseeing the next international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is reassured by the new levels of knowledge informing the pursuit of long-term solutions , notably an appreciation of the big differences between a 1.5 and 2 degree rise in temperatures .
How a Joe Biden-led United States administration re-engages with the world and contributes to global efforts will be a telling moment next year , she predicts .
“ They have to lead by example , ” she says , adding that this is the year under the Paris climate accord when countries come back to say “ this is what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re going to do next ” .
People have a critical role in holding their governments and corporations to account , Shine says .
“ So , being inquisitive about what they ’ re doing and asking questions and using any power we have , whether it ’ s our pockets or our voice on social media or with our friends , all of that is a way to contribute to that as well , ” she said on a BBC podcast on the upcoming series .
Filmed at the famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London , with participation by a virtual audience including some Irish students , the lectures will be broadcast between Christmas and New Year – with Shine ’ s contribution going out on December 30th at 8pm .

The Royal Institution lecture has been a Christmas tradition in Britain since 1825, when it was initiated by the renowned scientist Michael Faraday at a time when organised education for the young was scarce on the ground.
The lectures continue to this day but have become engaging, mind-expanding BBC Four television programmes for people of all ages.
Irish environmental scientist Tara Shine will be part of a threesome delivering their take on the world during this year's programmes.
The theme is “Planet Earth – a user’s guide” and will see presenters unravel astonishing global systems and remarkable natural wonders that sustain life. They will explore how human activity has become an overwhelming geological force “disrupting the finely-tuned systems that have kept our planet running smoothly for billions of years,” Shine explains.
READ MORE
Shine is not the first Irish person to join this elite group of lecturers, which includes Nobel laureates and the Carlow-born polymath John Tyndall, who in 1859 discovered the physical basis of the greenhouse effect. Trinity College Dublin molecular evolution expert Prof Aoife McLysaght co-presented the 2018 lectures entitled "Who Am I?".
This year, geologist Chris Jackson will tell the Earth's climate story through rocks and fossil records. Physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski will focus on the part oceans play in the climate crisis and Shine, in the final lecture, will assess "what's really in the air we breathe".
Climate disruption
Climate disruption features throughout but is countered by details of the ways humans can repair the damage and live more sustainably as the Earth’s population increases.
Shine is delivering a key message: “We need to understand how the Earth works and not think as humans that we’re outside the system. We are part of its natural process”. She says that fundamental understanding is necessary “if we want to live in it, and not to cause the next extinction”.
Tara Shine delivering the 2020 Royal Institution lecture.
It is heavy stuff but Shine says the lecture will not be depressing, though it will come with a hard scientific message. She wants to unburden young people and not to put any more weight on their shoulders.
“I don’t want to tell them how broken the world is,” she adds, stressing a lot of the hard work is done on solutions and that it is about accelerating actions over the next decade.
The rewards will come with a better society that is fairer and better connected while its citizens will be significantly healthier, she says.
Next year is an opportunity for a fresh start, she adds. While critical United Nations climate negotiations – known as COP26 – were put off due to the pandemic, she says “more and more cities, companies, states and countries are coming up with more ambitious climate commitments”.
They are realising they have to get to net-zero emissions by mid-century. That heartening re-set is generating more momentum for COP26, says Shine.
“Every country just needs to do more,” she says, especially in moving away from fossil fuels, adopting renewable energy and in changing land use to create carbon sinks rather than it being a source of CO2.
Solutions
Shine currently holds a role with the UN, overseeing the next international review of global climate goals. She is reassured by the new levels of knowledge informing the pursuit of long-term solutions, notably an appreciation of the big differences between a 1.5 and 2 degree rise in temperatures.
How a Joe Biden-led United States administration re-engages with the world and contributes to global efforts will be a telling moment next year, she predicts.
“They have to lead by example,” she says, adding that this is the year under the Paris climate accord when countries come back to say “this is what we’ve done and this is what we’re going to do next”.
Tara Shine delivering the 2020 Royal Institution lecture.
People have a critical role in holding their governments and corporations to account, Shine says.
“So, being inquisitive about what they’re doing and asking questions and using any power we have, whether it’s our pockets or our voice on social media or with our friends, all of that is a way to contribute to that as well,” she said on a BBC podcast on the upcoming series.
Filmed at the famous lecture theatre at the Royal Institution in London, with participation by a virtual audience including some Irish students, the lectures will be broadcast between Christmas and New Year – with Shine’s contribution going out on December 30th at 8pm.


theirishtimes--2020-12-26--Horseracing in the time of Covid: ‘It’s hard to explain. Meetings are soulless now’

Noel Meade will be in Leopardstown on Tuesday for the first day of the Christmas racing meeting – a gathering that has for decades brought tens of thousands away from the fireside .
But this year won ’ t be like previous ones .
“ It ’ s hard to explain .
Meetings are soulless now , ” he told The Irish Times this week .
“ It just doesn ’ t feel the same .
It ’ s more like going to a gallops morning than a race meeting .
The excitement is just not the same.
” Fifty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turns 70 on January 2nd , has sent generations of winners to Leopardstown from his stables at Castletown Kilpatrick , near Kells in Co Meath .
He has amassed some 3,000 victories in his career .
Meade has had his own run-in with Covid-19 .
“ I was very unlucky to get Covid-19 at the start of April and I was very , very sick for three weeks .
I took to the bed , ” he said .
“ For the first two weeks.I couldn ’ t move with pains in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me.Thankfully , it [ Covid-19 ] never got into my chest but in every other way , I was so weak that I couldn ’ t eat for two weeks which is unlike me .
“ I don ’ t know where I picked it up .
I was in Cheltenham for a few days .
But it was nearly two weeks later that I got the Covid , so I can ’ t honestly say where I contracted it .
“ It ’ s funny how it hits people .
My wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when I was sick and I know she was being very careful but she never got it .
A couple of the lads in the yard also got it , but they were fine .
“ I ’ m fully recovered now and I ’ ve received three tests for antibodies which I apparently have .
But I ’ d urge anyone , especially those of an older age , to take real care not to get it as it ’ s a very , very nasty virus , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of racing between March 24th and June 8th forced a man who has worked seven days a week for decades to slow down , temporarily .
“ It is the first time ever I ’ ve had a break , because I ’ ve been forced to .
It ’ s great to be back racing though .
We ’ ve got to do what we ’ ve got to do .
It ’ s been a tough year for all in the industry but we just have to go forward with it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when the vaccine is rolled out and restrictions are eased further , maybe at least the horse owners will be able to attend , which will mean a few hundred more at the races .
“ But at present , it ’ s by far the norm and there ’ s no dressing up to be had .
People just wear their everyday clothes because there ’ s no-one to see them , ” he declared in his stables , as he prepared for the Christmas outing .
Each day , Meade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Leopardstown .
Quietly confident about the stable ’ s chances , he mentions Beacon Edge , Cask Mate and Jesse Evans .
But he stops short of tipping them as winners .
But there will be other Christmases for him in Leopardstown , with the crowds back in the stands , Meade believes .
“ I always felt that if you retire , your life is over , so I will definitely not be hanging up my boots .
Absolutely not !
” If Meade has to worry about his charges on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until the 29th , Leopardstown chief executive Tim Husband has to worry about everything else , in a year like no other .
Leopardstown has safely held more than a dozen meetings since the first lockdown in March .
“ We can do it .
We have shown we can provide racing in a compliant and safe way that is good for the industry and good for the spectator , ” he said .
There will be no bars open , even for those who are allowed in .
None of the usual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , other than one small food truck that will cater for racecourse staff and stable teams .
Everything possible is being done by Leopardstown , he said , to engage with the audience at home .
“ Perhaps we might even have added to our audience when this is all over , ” he said .
“ More people are now watching racing on TV than ever , because there is a dearth of other sport .
We have really tried to engage with and create a new , possibly younger , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Noel Meade has sent generations of winners to Leopardstown from his stables at Castletown Kilpatrick, near Kells in Co Meath. File photograph: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
Noel Meade will be in Leopardstown on Tuesday for the first day of the Christmas racing meeting – a gathering that has for decades brought tens of thousands away from the fireside. But this year won’t be like previous ones.
“It’s hard to explain. Meetings are soulless now,” he told The Irish Times this week. “It just doesn’t feel the same. It’s more like going to a gallops morning than a race meeting. The excitement is just not the same.”
Fifty years a trainer, Meade, who turns 70 on January 2nd, has sent generations of winners to Leopardstown from his stables at Castletown Kilpatrick, near Kells in Co Meath. He has amassed some 3,000 victories in his career.
Meade has had his own run-in with Covid-19.
READ MORE
“I was very unlucky to get Covid-19 at the start of April and I was very, very sick for three weeks. I took to the bed,” he said.
“For the first two weeks.I couldn’t move with pains in my head and legs and every part of me.Thankfully, it [Covid-19] never got into my chest but in every other way, I was so weak that I couldn’t eat for two weeks which is unlike me.
“I don’t know where I picked it up. I was in Cheltenham for a few days. But it was nearly two weeks later that I got the Covid, so I can’t honestly say where I contracted it.
“It’s funny how it hits people. My wife, Derville, was looking after me when I was sick and I know she was being very careful but she never got it. A couple of the lads in the yard also got it, but they were fine.
“I’m fully recovered now and I’ve received three tests for antibodies which I apparently have. But I’d urge anyone, especially those of an older age, to take real care not to get it as it’s a very, very nasty virus,” he said.
His illness and the Government-order enforced closure of racing between March 24th and June 8th forced a man who has worked seven days a week for decades to slow down, temporarily.
“It is the first time ever I’ve had a break, because I’ve been forced to. It’s great to be back racing though. We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do. It’s been a tough year for all in the industry but we just have to go forward with it,” he added.
“Hopefully, when the vaccine is rolled out and restrictions are eased further, maybe at least the horse owners will be able to attend, which will mean a few hundred more at the races.
“But at present, it’s by far the norm and there’s no dressing up to be had. People just wear their everyday clothes because there’s no-one to see them,” he declared in his stables, as he prepared for the Christmas outing.
Each day, Meade will have up to four horses running in Leopardstown. Quietly confident about the stable’s chances, he mentions Beacon Edge, Cask Mate and Jesse Evans. But he stops short of tipping them as winners.
But there will be other Christmases for him in Leopardstown, with the crowds back in the stands, Meade believes.
“I always felt that if you retire, your life is over, so I will definitely not be hanging up my boots. Absolutely not!”
If Meade has to worry about his charges on the track over four days of racing until the 29th, Leopardstown chief executive Tim Husband has to worry about everything else, in a year like no other.
Leopardstown has safely held more than a dozen meetings since the first lockdown in March.
“We can do it. We have shown we can provide racing in a compliant and safe way that is good for the industry and good for the spectator,” he said.
There will be no bars open, even for those who are allowed in. None of the usual restaurants in the stands will operate either, other than one small food truck that will cater for racecourse staff and stable teams.
Everything possible is being done by Leopardstown, he said, to engage with the audience at home.
“Perhaps we might even have added to our audience when this is all over,” he said. “More people are now watching racing on TV than ever, because there is a dearth of other sport. We have really tried to engage with and create a new, possibly younger, more social-media savvy, audience for horse racing.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-26--Thinking Anew – ‘A light shining in the darkness of the night’

It just has not felt like Christmas as we know it , with family gatherings restricted and homecomings cancelled .
That television advertisement with a young boy repeatedly asking , “ Is he coming ?
” , as he anticipates a visit from his grandfather , is touching .
It ends happily with a warm hug when grandad finally arrives , but this year that will not be happening for too many grandparents .
If there is a positive in this it is that we are reminded that what makes Christmas special is togetherness , being with family and friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help .
Of course , much of what we consider normal at Christmas , is relatively recent history in the context of the 2000-year-old celebration of the nativity .
Many of the customs , such as sending Christmas cards , date from the Victorian era .
Queen Victoria ’ s German-born husband Prince Albert introduced the Christmas tree , a European tradition , possibly pagan in origin but Christianised by the 16th century .
Carol singing although rooted in antiquity was to have a more prominent role in the 19th-century festivities .
Originally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sung in church .
But as hymn singing became popular , church musicians gradually introduced suitable carols into services .
Furthermore , secular carols were sung in private homes and alehouses and this attracted the attention of the Bishop of Truro , Dr Edward Benson , who on Christmas Eve 1880 conducted the first service of “ Nine Lessons and Carols ” hoping to attract “ revellers out of the pubs and into church by offering a religious celebration of Christmas ” .
He had limited success because people then , just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see this in the story of one our finest carols , In the Bleak Midwinter .
It was written by Christina Rossetti and published as a poem entitled A Christmas Carol in the Scribner ’ s Magazine in January 1872 .
She was paid £10 .
It was not well received because it was out of step with the merriment of the Victorian Christmas promoted by Charles Dickens and others .
It was too reflective .
But her words connect with where we are today in our own bleak mid-winter of separation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult : ‘ In the bleak mid-winter , frosty wind made moan , earth stood hard as iron , water like a stone.
” The weather conditions do not fit Palestine ; rather this is a word picture reminding us that the world Jesus was born into was not a warm , welcoming place .
This is a very feminine carol with its reference to the role of Mary the mother of Jesus : “ Enough for him , whom cherubim and seraphim worship day and night ; a breast full of milk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even in a cold , unfriendly world , the nurturing love of a mother could not be suppressed .
Christmas is the assurance that we are sustained and watched over by an even greater love and this gives us hope for the future .
The basis for that hope is what God has shown us of him/herself in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ .
People ask where do we find hope ?
The answer is we don ’ t .
It finds us because it is a gift from God – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In his book Feast of Silence , Ladislas Boros , Hungarian theologian and former Jesuit , wrote : “ We are not simply at the mercy of the hopeless and often bad experiences that we have in the everyday world .
.
.
New and unexpected things can always rise up out of our lives because there is , despite all the anxiety and unhappiness that surrounds us , a hidden source of salvation in the world that can begin to flow at any time .
Something that is bright and pure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is proclaimed in this Christmas mood .
It is that , despite all the evidence that exists in the world as we know it , there is a way from darkness into light ; there is a light shining in the darkness of the night .
”

It just has not felt like Christmas as we know it, with family gatherings restricted and homecomings cancelled.
That television advertisement with a young boy repeatedly asking, “Is he coming?”, as he anticipates a visit from his grandfather, is touching. It ends happily with a warm hug when grandad finally arrives, but this year that will not be happening for too many grandparents.
If there is a positive in this it is that we are reminded that what makes Christmas special is togetherness, being with family and friends and reaching out to strangers who need help.
Of course, much of what we consider normal at Christmas, is relatively recent history in the context of the 2000-year-old celebration of the nativity.
READ MORE
Many of the customs, such as sending Christmas cards, date from the Victorian era. Queen Victoria’s German-born husband Prince Albert introduced the Christmas tree, a European tradition, possibly pagan in origin but Christianised by the 16th century. Carol singing although rooted in antiquity was to have a more prominent role in the 19th-century festivities.
Originally carols were secular in content and not sung in church. But as hymn singing became popular, church musicians gradually introduced suitable carols into services.
Furthermore, secular carols were sung in private homes and alehouses and this attracted the attention of the Bishop of Truro, Dr Edward Benson, who on Christmas Eve 1880 conducted the first service of "Nine Lessons and Carols" hoping to attract "revellers out of the pubs and into church by offering a religious celebration of Christmas".
He had limited success because people then, just as now, preferred to party.
We see this in the story of one our finest carols, In the Bleak Midwinter. It was written by Christina Rossetti and published as a poem entitled A Christmas Carol in the Scribner's Magazine in January 1872. She was paid £10. It was not well received because it was out of step with the merriment of the Victorian Christmas promoted by Charles Dickens and others. It was too reflective.
But her words connect with where we are today in our own bleak mid-winter of separation and disease by acknowledging that life can be difficult: 'In the bleak mid-winter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone." The weather conditions do not fit Palestine; rather this is a word picture reminding us that the world Jesus was born into was not a warm, welcoming place.
This is a very feminine carol with its reference to the role of Mary the mother of Jesus: “Enough for him, whom cherubim and seraphim worship day and night; a breast full of milk and a manger full of hay.” Even in a cold, unfriendly world, the nurturing love of a mother could not be suppressed.
Christmas is the assurance that we are sustained and watched over by an even greater love and this gives us hope for the future. The basis for that hope is what God has shown us of him/herself in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. People ask where do we find hope? The answer is we don't. It finds us because it is a gift from God – the best Christmas present anyone could want.
In his book Feast of Silence, Ladislas Boros, Hungarian theologian and former Jesuit, wrote: "We are not simply at the mercy of the hopeless and often bad experiences that we have in the everyday world . . . New and unexpected things can always rise up out of our lives because there is, despite all the anxiety and unhappiness that surrounds us, a hidden source of salvation in the world that can begin to flow at any time. Something that is bright and pure and not simply superstitious or widely enthusiastic is proclaimed in this Christmas mood. It is that, despite all the evidence that exists in the world as we know it, there is a way from darkness into light; there is a light shining in the darkness of the night."


theirishtimes--2020-12-25--Coronavirus: New UK variant of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland as 1,025 new cases reported

A further two deaths of Covid-19 patients have been reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team .
This brings to 2,194 the total number of deaths in the pandemic .
Nphet also reported 1,025 confirmed cases of the disease , bringing to 84,098 the total number of cases in the Republic .
The number of daily Covid-19 cases has risen above the 1,000 mark for the first time in two months .
On Christmas Day , the National Public Health Emergency Team reported 1,025 confirmed cases of the disease , bringing to 84,098 the total number of cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure was over 1,000 was on October 25th .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan confirmed the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been identified in Ireland through whole genome sequencing at the National Virus Reference Laboratory in UCD .
“ Further testing in the coming days and weeks will establish the extent to which it is present here .
In the meantime , it is vitally important that we each stay at home , avoid social contact and avoid all forms of non-essential travel , ” Dr Holohan said/ “ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the UK strictly self-isolate for a full 14 days following arrival .
They should not interact with others , visit others , socialise or go shopping .
The HSE is making arrangements to test recent arrivals from the UK , Dr Holohan said .
Dr Cillian de Gascun , director of the NVRL , said the samples tested were from last weekend , so the variant of the virus was likely acquired around December 12th-14th .
On Christmas Eve , there were 50 confirmed cases in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin , 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There were 1,137 free beds in hospitals on Christmas Eve morning , a time of the year when occupancy are traditionally at low levels .
Covid-19 patients accounted for over 10 per cent of all patients in critical care , and 62 critical care beds were vacant .
Monaghan GP Shane Corr , who spent Christmas Day working in out-of-hours services in the north-east , said they were inundated with symptomatic virus patients .
He said it was particularly noticeable that multiple members in the one household were developing symptoms .
Dr Corr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next two weeks at a minimum .

A further two deaths of Covid-19 patients have been reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team. This brings to 2,194 the total number of deaths in the pandemic.
Nphet also reported 1,025 confirmed cases of the disease, bringing to 84,098 the total number of cases in the Republic.
The number of daily Covid-19 cases has risen above the 1,000 mark for the first time in two months.
On Christmas Day, the National Public Health Emergency Team reported 1,025 confirmed cases of the disease, bringing to 84,098 the total number of cases in the Republic.
READ MORE
The last time the figure was over 1,000 was on October 25th.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan confirmed the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been identified in Ireland through whole genome sequencing at the National Virus Reference Laboratory in UCD.
“Further testing in the coming days and weeks will establish the extent to which it is present here. In the meantime, it is vitally important that we each stay at home, avoid social contact and avoid all forms of non-essential travel,” Dr Holohan said/
“It is particularly important that those who have arrived from the UK strictly self-isolate for a full 14 days following arrival. They should not interact with others, visit others, socialise or go shopping.
Testing recent arrivals
The HSE is making arrangements to test recent arrivals from the UK, Dr Holohan said. Dr Cillian de Gascun, director of the NVRL, said the samples tested were from last weekend, so the variant of the virus was likely acquired around December 12th-14th.
On Christmas Eve, there were 50 confirmed cases in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, 26 in Letterkenny and 22 in Tallaght.
There were 1,137 free beds in hospitals on Christmas Eve morning, a time of the year when occupancy are traditionally at low levels. Covid-19 patients accounted for over 10 per cent of all patients in critical care, and 62 critical care beds were vacant.
Monaghan GP Shane Corr, who spent Christmas Day working in out-of-hours services in the north-east, said they were inundated with symptomatic virus patients.
He said it was particularly noticeable that multiple members in the one household were developing symptoms.
Dr Corr urged people to stay at home for next two weeks at a minimum.


theirishtimes--2020-12-26--Pandemic calls halt to St Stephen’s Day sales in eerily quiet Dublin

What happened Next was what the 15 or so men , women and children standing impatiently in a semi-socially distanced queue outside the retailer ’ s flagship store on Henry Street wanted to know .
While the sign in the Next window said it should have opened its doors at 8am on St Stephen ’ s Day – a good two hours later than a normal year when it would be in full sale frenzy by 6am – there was still no sign of lights or life inside at around 9.15am .
“ I don ’ t know what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to the top of the line said .
“ I ’ ve just Googled it and it says the shop should be well open now ” .
The queue leading nowhere was as clear a sign as any that the traditional shopping splurge of St Stephen ’ s Day was not going to plan and would be a whole lot different in 2020 than any normal year .
The winter sales window which had been due to open in towns and cities across Ireland was slammed shut by the Cabinet and by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shops that had decided to open their doors as scheduled were making it very clear they were not having a sale .
Seasonal discounts ?
Sure .
Sale ?
Absolutely no way .
People were directed online only for that carry on .
Shortly before 9am , the doors of Arnotts opened .
On Christmases past , the moment would have been marked by a phalanx of press photographers snapping away at the crowds of people happily streaming through the doors .
But on Saturday morning the shoppers were few and far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given the morning after the big day off .
All through the beauty hall and across the concessions , staff outnumbered customers by a significant margin .
“ I ’ ve never seen anything like this before , ” one member of staff said as he stood trying to make himself look busy .
It was an impossible task , really .
Shortly before 9.30am the large television screen at the Mary Street entrance which counts the numbers in the shop in real time read 106 .
Then 30 seconds later it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoppers spread over four floors .
The absence of voices and Christmas songs booming from shops along Henry Street meant conversations that would once have been more private echoed up and down the road .
Outside a shut-up Boots , one woman was chatting to a street sweeper .
“ There are no queues anywhere , ” she said , as yet oblivious to the mini-queue which had formed further up the road outside Next .
“ And all the shops are either empty or closed .
It ’ s weird isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Mad , ” he said .
On O ’ Connell Bridge , possibly the coldest and windiest part of the city centre , a Garda checkpoint had just been set up and three bitterly-cold looking guards stopped cars and chatted , mostly amicably , to the drivers who rolled down their windows .
It was , if anything , even quieter on Grafton Street with Brown Thomas one of only a handful of retailers to open its doors in the early morning .
This day last week the Brown Thomas plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on St Stephen ’ s Day but public health advice and the Government ’ s demand that sales be deferred derailed that entirely and the shop was very clear that it was not having a sale .
It did have seasonal discounts , mind you , most of which had been rolled out in the run-up to Christmas .
The shop had been due to open at 9am but opened some 30 minutes early , not , one staff member said , to accommodate any queues which had formed .
As it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outnumbered the shoppers but , given the times we live in no one was overly glum about that and the signs of the public health messages and the need to keep crowds to a minimum were evident at every turn .
As the gloomy morning sky lightened there was no surge of shoppers and the only groups in evidence were the by-now traditional gatherings of teenage boys in puffa jackets out seeking bargains .
Back across the Liffey in Arnotts several of the puffa groups wandered aimlessly having already scored the trainers they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do you have any AirPods ?
” one young man asked a staff member in the tech department .
“ No , ” came the terse answer .
“ They were well gone before Christmas.
” The group shrugged and made a plan to go for breakfast in McDonalds instead .
Shortly before 10am , there was still no movement in the Next queue although many of those who had been waiting had given up and gone in search of offers elsewhere .
The man who had been at the top of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and he had been replaced by a young woman .
“ It ’ s still shut , ” she said to someone on the other end of her mobile phone line .
“ I ’ m not sure what I am doing here .
”

What happened Next was what the 15 or so men, women and children standing impatiently in a semi-socially distanced queue outside the retailer’s flagship store on Henry Street wanted to know.
While the sign in the Next window said it should have opened its doors at 8am on St Stephen’s Day – a good two hours later than a normal year when it would be in full sale frenzy by 6am – there was still no sign of lights or life inside at around 9.15am.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” the man close to the top of the line said. “I’ve just Googled it and it says the shop should be well open now”.
The queue leading nowhere was as clear a sign as any that the traditional shopping splurge of St Stephen’s Day was not going to plan and would be a whole lot different in 2020 than any normal year.
READ MORE
Two men leave a shop on Henry Street in Dublin city centre. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
The winter sales window which had been due to open in towns and cities across Ireland was slammed shut by the Cabinet and by Covid-19 on the eve of Christmas and the shops that had decided to open their doors as scheduled were making it very clear they were not having a sale.
Seasonal discounts? Sure. Sale? Absolutely no way. People were directed online only for that carry on.
Shortly before 9am, the doors of Arnotts opened. On Christmases past, the moment would have been marked by a phalanx of press photographers snapping away at the crowds of people happily streaming through the doors. But on Saturday morning the shoppers were few and far between and the press photographers had been given the morning after the big day off.
All through the beauty hall and across the concessions, staff outnumbered customers by a significant margin.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” one member of staff said as he stood trying to make himself look busy.
It was an impossible task, really. Shortly before 9.30am the large television screen at the Mary Street entrance which counts the numbers in the shop in real time read 106. Then 30 seconds later it had fallen to 103. Just over 100 shoppers spread over four floors.
The absence of voices and Christmas songs booming from shops along Henry Street meant conversations that would once have been more private echoed up and down the road. Outside a shut-up Boots, one woman was chatting to a street sweeper.
“There are no queues anywhere,” she said, as yet oblivious to the mini-queue which had formed further up the road outside Next. “And all the shops are either empty or closed. It’s weird isn’t it.”
The street sweeper nodded. “Mad,” he said.
On O’Connell Bridge, possibly the coldest and windiest part of the city centre, a Garda checkpoint had just been set up and three bitterly-cold looking guards stopped cars and chatted, mostly amicably, to the drivers who rolled down their windows.
A quiet Grafton Street on Saturday moring. Photograph: Conor Pope
It was, if anything, even quieter on Grafton Street with Brown Thomas one of only a handful of retailers to open its doors in the early morning.
This day last week the Brown Thomas plan had been to launch its winter sale on St Stephen’s Day but public health advice and the Government’s demand that sales be deferred derailed that entirely and the shop was very clear that it was not having a sale.
It did have seasonal discounts, mind you, most of which had been rolled out in the run-up to Christmas.
The shop had been due to open at 9am but opened some 30 minutes early, not, one staff member said, to accommodate any queues which had formed.
As it was across the river, the staff members outnumbered the shoppers but, given the times we live in no one was overly glum about that and the signs of the public health messages and the need to keep crowds to a minimum were evident at every turn.
As the gloomy morning sky lightened there was no surge of shoppers and the only groups in evidence were the by-now traditional gatherings of teenage boys in puffa jackets out seeking bargains.
Back across the Liffey in Arnotts several of the puffa groups wandered aimlessly having already scored the trainers they had come in search of.
“Do you have any AirPods?” one young man asked a staff member in the tech department.
“No,” came the terse answer. “They were well gone before Christmas.”
The group shrugged and made a plan to go for breakfast in McDonalds instead.
Shortly before 10am, there was still no movement in the Next queue although many of those who had been waiting had given up and gone in search of offers elsewhere.
The man who had been at the top of the queue was among those who had given up and he had been replaced by a young woman. “It’s still shut,” she said to someone on the other end of her mobile phone line. “I’m not sure what I am doing here.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-26--More than 700 children contact Childline on Christmas Day

More than 700 children contacted the support service Childline on Christmas Day , a small decrease on the same day last year .
723 children contacted the 24-hour support line over Christmas Day and the early hours of St Stephen ’ s Day .
The phone line , operated by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children ( ISPCC ) , was run by 35 volunteers on Christmas Day .
Some of the issues the listening service reported children disclosing included family tensions , mental health difficulties , feelings of isolation , domestic violence , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Childline answered 615 calls and online messages from children on December 25th , and 105 contacts between midnight and 6am on St Stephen ’ s Day .
Last year the charity responded to 793 calls , texts and online messages from young people on Christmas Day , and 1,267 contacts on the same day in 2018 .
Overall this year the support line has seen a significant surge in contacts during periods of Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions , with demand up across all services .
John Church , ISPCC chief executive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presented so many challenges to so many children.
” “ They have borne the brunt of huge upheaval , with extended school closures , separation from their grandparents and other loved ones and more .
In many cases , there has been anxiety at every turn – and they have picked up on this , ” he said .
Mr Church said it was clear from the number of children contacting the charity ’ s support service on Friday that the magic of the Christmas season “ does not reach every child ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have been the most joyful of times can be the most frightening .
Tensions are heightened and children were left feeling lonely , upset and afraid , ” he said .
The organisation was “ hugely grateful ” to the volunteers who gave up their time to help run the service on Christmas Day , he said .
“ It was particularly striking yesterday for our service to hear from children and young people contacting us to thank us for having been there for them this year when they may have felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could turn , ” he said .

Childline has seen a significant surge in contacts during periods of Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions. Photograph: iStock
More than 700 children contacted the support service Childline on Christmas Day, a small decrease on the same day last year.
723 children contacted the 24-hour support line over Christmas Day and the early hours of St Stephen’s Day.
The phone line, operated by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), was run by 35 volunteers on Christmas Day.
Some of the issues the listening service reported children disclosing included family tensions, mental health difficulties, feelings of isolation, domestic violence, and the impact of family members consuming excessive alcohol.
READ MORE
Childline answered 615 calls and online messages from children on December 25th, and 105 contacts between midnight and 6am on St Stephen’s Day.
Last year the charity responded to 793 calls, texts and online messages from young people on Christmas Day, and 1,267 contacts on the same day in 2018.
Overall this year the support line has seen a significant surge in contacts during periods of Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions, with demand up across all services.
John Church, ISPCC chief executive, said "never before has a year presented so many challenges to so many children."
“They have borne the brunt of huge upheaval, with extended school closures, separation from their grandparents and other loved ones and more. In many cases, there has been anxiety at every turn – and they have picked up on this,” he said.
Mr Church said it was clear from the number of children contacting the charity’s support service on Friday that the magic of the Christmas season “does not reach every child”.
“For some, what ought to have been the most joyful of times can be the most frightening. Tensions are heightened and children were left feeling lonely, upset and afraid,” he said.
The organisation was “hugely grateful” to the volunteers who gave up their time to help run the service on Christmas Day, he said.
“It was particularly striking yesterday for our service to hear from children and young people contacting us to thank us for having been there for them this year when they may have felt as though there was nowhere else they could turn,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-12-26--Coronavirus: Northern Ireland enters six-week lockdown

All non-essential retail has closed in Northern Ireland after it entered a six-week lockdown on Saturday morning .
The first week of the measures are the toughest yet , with a form of curfew in operation from 8pm , shops closed from that time and all indoor and outdoor gatherings prohibited until 6am .
Non-essential retail will be closed throughout the next six weeks , as will close contact services .
Hospitality outlets will be limited to takeaway services .
Organised sport will be banned , with elite athletes included in the prohibition for the first week .
Covid-19 infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmissible strain first discovered in southern England and London recently detected in Northern Ireland .
Stormont ’ s chief scientific adviser has said Northern Ireland would have witnessed thousands of Covid-19 deaths if no action had been taken to suppress coronavirus .
Prof Ian Young has said the already over-capacity health service would have been completely swamped in January .
He warned the number of Covid-19 inpatients would have soared to between 3,000 and 4,000 by the end of the month if no action had been taken .
Recently , queues of ambulances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across Northern Ireland as patients were treated in car parks due to a lack of capacity inside hospitals .
At one point , 17 ambulances containing patients were lined up outside the emergency department at Antrim Area Hospital .
– PA

Non-essential retail in Northern Ireland will be closed throughout the next six weeks, as will close contact services. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP/Getty Images
Northern Ireland reported a further 20 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday as it entered a six-week lockdown to try to contain the virus.
The North’s Department of Health recorded 998 cases and 20 deaths over the past two days.
The first week of the new restrictions are the toughest yet, with a form of curfew in operation from 8pm, shops closed from that time and all indoor and outdoor gatherings prohibited until 6am.
Non-essential retail will be closed throughout the next six weeks, as will close contact services.
READ MORE
Hospitality outlets will be limited to takeaway services.
Organised sport will be banned, with elite athletes included in the prohibition for the first week.
Covid-19 infection rates remain high, with a more transmissible strain first discovered in southern England and London recently detected in Northern Ireland.
Stormont’s chief scientific adviser has said Northern Ireland would have witnessed thousands of Covid-19 deaths if no action had been taken to suppress coronavirus.
Prof Ian Young has said the already over-capacity health service would have been completely swamped in January.
He warned the number of Covid-19 inpatients would have soared to between 3,000 and 4,000 by the end of the month if no action had been taken.
Recently, queues of ambulances were witnessed at accident and emergency departments across Northern Ireland as patients were treated in car parks due to a lack of capacity inside hospitals.
At one point, 17 ambulances containing patients were lined up outside the emergency department at Antrim Area Hospital. – PA


theirishtimes--2020-12-26--First shipment of Covid-19 vaccine arrives in the Republic

The first shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has arrived in the Republic .
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly tweeted on Saturday : “ When is a fridge worth photographing ?
When it ’ s just had Ireland ’ s first Covid vaccines put in it ” .
Mr Donnelly said the country would begin vaccinating on Wednesday , December 30th .
Frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents will be vaccinated first .
The Pfizer vaccine has to be stored at temperatures well below zero .
The HSE has had several ultra-low temperature freezers delivered to the National Cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier , Paul Reid , chief executive of the HSE , said it was a “ momentous day ” as he tweeted he was “ heading off to take receipt of the first delivery of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for the HSE ” .
The first batch was expected to contain 10,000 doses of the jab .
The next shipment – of tens of thousands of doses – is due in the first week of January , and will be followed by similar shipments every week after that , Mr Donnelly said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HSE that 30,000 nursing home residents will be vaccinated , having received the required two doses , by the end of January .
After frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents are vaccinated , people over 70 ; other healthcare workers not in direct patient contact , people aged 65 to 69 and other “ key workers ” will be vaccinated in that order .
This will be followed by people aged 18 to 64 years with certain medical conditions ; who are residents of long-term care facilities , and living or working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunised will be key workers in essential jobs who can not avoid a high risk of exposure ; people working in education , people aged 55 to 64 , other workers in occupations important to the functioning of society and those aged between 18 and 54 .
However , Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said mass inoculation against Covid-19 is unlikely to be possible until May or June as the vaccine will not be available in sufficient quantities until then .
Mr Martin said normal life will not return until the summer at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be “ tentative ” .
“ I think the first six months of 2021 will see improvements but we certainly won ’ t have normality in the first six months as we knew it , ” he said in Government Buildings .
Mr Martin said European Union leaders had been briefed by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen that manufacturing vaccines “ will ramp up certainly [ in ] March onwards and she would have identified May-June as critical months in terms of high volumes of vaccines coming in ” .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January and February were “ relatively low in terms of what would come subsequently .
But that ’ s where we ’ ll be dealing with nursing home residents and healthcare workers and key workers .
.
.
that will make a significant difference in itself .
If we can immunise and can protect those most vulnerable , that already begins to give us a greater freedom in terms of policy options and decisions we take.
” On Christmas Day , the National Public Health Emergency Team reported 1,025 new confirmed cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total number of cases in the Republic .
The last time the figure was over 1,000 was on October 25th .
A further two deaths of Covid-19 patients were also reported by the team .
This brings to 2,194 the total number of deaths in the pandemic .

The HSE takes delivery of the first doses of the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a secure location in Ireland. Video: Twitter.com/Stephen Donnelly / eudebates.tv
A further six coronavirus-related deaths and 1,296 Covid-19 cases have been reported in the Republic on the day the first vaccines arrived in the country.
The National Public Health Emergency Team said on Saturday there had now been 2,200 deaths as a result of the pandemic.
It is the second day in a row that the number of daily Covid-19 cases climbed above the 1,000 mark. Before this week, the daily figure had not been above 1,000 since October 25th.
When is a fridge worth photographing? When it’s just had Ireland’s first #Covid vaccines put in it
The first doses have just arrived and many of them are sitting in that very, very cold fridge.
We’ll begin vaccinating in four days. #holdfirm. pic.twitter.com/T9zletiOBS — Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) December 26, 2020
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said in a statement: “Within a few short weeks of easing measures at the beginning of December, we have now returned to the very high levels of Covid-19 circulating in the community that we have not seen since the peak of wave two of this disease. This is very concerning.”
READ MORE
Earlier, the first shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine arrived in the Republic.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the country would begin its vaccination programme next Wednesday with frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents set to get the jab first.
The first doses of the BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine are being stored in ultra-low refrigeration conditions at a secure location ahead of the rollout of the national Covid-19 vaccination programme.
"After a difficult and different Christmas for many people, it is wonderful to see the first deliveries of Covid-19 vaccines to Ireland today," Mr Donnelly said. "The arrival of these vaccines to Ireland is a significant and positive" he added describing it as a "massive achievement by the scientific and medical communities [which] will save many lives".
He said the recent increase in cases had focused “our collective minds on the continued challenge of Covid-19” and said the advent of “safe and effective vaccines will help us to protect the most vulnerable in our society as we ramp up our immunisation programme”.
He suggested that the vaccine promised “a brighter year” but stressed the “need to be aware of the threat of Covid-19” and to follow all public health guidance “and remember that every contact counts”.
The chief executive of the HSE Paul Reid said the delivery was "a welcome sight at what is a very difficult time in our efforts to curb the devastating impact of Covid-19".
He said it represented “hope for us all as we move into a new year, but we must remember, we all still have our part to play”.
Prof Brian MacCraith, chair of the Government’s taskforce on Covid-19, added that after “a truly horrible year, today’s arrival represents a bright new dawn of hope. It’s a gateway of opportunity for Irish people to protect themselves against this awful virus.”
HSE’s chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry pointed out that while the vaccine’s arrival was a very positive development “it is critical that all of us keep in mind that the vaccine is not our first line of defence against Covid-19”.
He said the advice to the public remains the same “in particular as we see increased community transmission and case numbers continue to rise”.
The first batch of the vaccine is understood to contain 10,000 doses of the jab with the next shipment – of tens of thousands of doses – due in the first week of January.
It is envisaged by the HSE that 30,000 nursing home residents will be vaccinated, having received the required two doses, by the end of January.
After frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents are vaccinated, people over 70; other healthcare workers not in direct patient contact, people aged 65 to 69 and other “key workers” will be vaccinated in that order.
This will be followed by people aged 18 to 64 years with certain medical conditions; who are residents of long-term care facilities, and living or working in crowded settings.
Next to be immunised will be key workers in essential jobs who cannot avoid a high risk of exposure; people working in education, people aged 55 to 64, other workers in occupations important to the functioning of society and those aged between 18 and 54.
However, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said mass inoculation against Covid-19 is unlikely to be possible until May or June as the vaccine will not be available in sufficient quantities until then.
Mr Martin said normal life will not return until the summer at the earliest and the return to normal will be "tentative".
“I think the first six months of 2021 will see improvements but we certainly won’t have normality in the first six months as we knew it,” he said in Government Buildings.
Mr Martin said European Union leaders had been briefed by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen that manufacturing vaccines "will ramp up certainly [in] March onwards and she would have identified May-June as critical months in terms of high volumes of vaccines coming in".
He said the expected volumes of vaccines in January and February were “relatively low in terms of what would come subsequently. But that’s where we’ll be dealing with nursing home residents and healthcare workers and key workers . . . that will make a significant difference in itself. If we can immunise and can protect those most vulnerable, that already begins to give us a greater freedom in terms of policy options and decisions we take.”