theirishtimes--2020-06-11--Accused talked of ‘guilt of having murdered a cop in Ireland’ witness tells court

The man accused of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe said he had to “ carry around the guilt of having murdered a cop in Ireland , ” a witness has told his murder trial .
Molly Staunton said in her direct evidence that the accused man Aaron Brady also claimed during a drunken “ rant ” to be “ the most feared man in Ireland ” .
However , under cross examination defence counsel Fiona Murphy SC put it to Ms Staunton that the accused was concerned and upset that gardaí were looking for him in relation to the shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to having carried out the shooting of Det Gda Donohoe .
The witness replied : “ That ’ s correct.
” Giving her evidence via video link from her home in New York , Molly Staunton ( 24 ) told the Central Criminal Court trial that in July 2016 Aaron Brady lived with her then boyfriend and another man in an apartment in New York .
She remembered one evening Mr Brady came out of his bedroom , she thought he had been drinking .
He was distressed and “ ranting ” about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
When Brendan Grehan SC for the prosecution asked what Aaron Brady said , Ms Staunton replied : “ That he had murdered someone in Ireland and he had to carry around the guilt of having murdered a cop in Ireland.
” She later said that Mr Brady was , “ intoxicated and was kind of going kind of crazy , crying , going on like a huge rant.
” She added : “ He said that he was in fear of the cops coming to the apartment because he shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did not have enough money to take care of his son that he was going to be having and that he was the most feared man in Ireland.
” Ms Staunton said he was worried that he wasn ’ t earning enough money working in construction .
She described how one of the other men in the apartment tried to calm him down and “ eventually he went back into his bedroom.
” She said this happened only once when she was there and that she thought Mr Brady was “ fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him fine ” .
Later that summer the three men moved out of the apartment on 1st Avenue and she moved in with her boyfriend while Mr Brady moved in with his girlfriend .
She didn ’ t see Mr Brady again after that .
Under cross examination Ms Murphy said that her client denies making any admission to Ms Staunton or anyone else because he did not carry out the shooting .
Counsel put it to the witness that Mr Brady did not say he “ killed a cop ” but was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in relation to the killing .
The witness replied : “ Yes , that was part of the reason he was upset.
” Ms Murphy continued that Irish people wouldn ’ t use the word “ cop ” and suggested that he hadn ’ t said he was involved in a shooting and wasn ’ t making an admission .
Ms Staunton agreed and said that most of what she had heard came from the other two men in the apartment .
Ms Murphy said her client was worried because police were looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t make any admission to shooting a garda ” .
Ms Staunton replied , “ No , he did not ” .
Counsel suggested her client was upset because “ he was being sought by gardaí for the shooting.
” The witness agreed .
When Ms Murphy said : “ He never made any admission to having carried out that shooting , ” the witness replied : “ That ’ s correct.
” Aaron Brady ( 28 ) from New Road , Crossmaglen , Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was then a member of An Garda Síochána on active duty on January 25th , 2013 at Lordship Credit Union , Bellurgan , Co Louth .
Mr Brady has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location .
The cross examination of Ms Staunton will continue tomorrow in front of Mr Justice Michael White and the jury of six men and seven women .

The man accused of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe said he had to “carry around the guilt of having murdered a cop in Ireland,” a witness has told his murder trial.
Molly Staunton said in her direct evidence that the accused man Aaron Brady also claimed during a drunken “rant” to be “the most feared man in Ireland”. However, under cross examination defence counsel Fiona Murphy SC put it to Ms Staunton that the accused was concerned and upset that gardaí were looking for him in relation to the shooting but that he never made any admission to having carried out the shooting of Det Gda Donohoe. The witness replied: “That’s correct.”
Giving her evidence via video link from her home in New York, Molly Staunton (24) told the Central Criminal Court trial that in July 2016 Aaron Brady lived with her then boyfriend and another man in an apartment in New York. She remembered one evening Mr Brady came out of his bedroom, she thought he had been drinking. He was distressed and “ranting” about wanting to be a good father, she said.
When Brendan Grehan SC for the prosecution asked what Aaron Brady said, Ms Staunton replied: “That he had murdered someone in Ireland and he had to carry around the guilt of having murdered a cop in Ireland.”
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She later said that Mr Brady was, “intoxicated and was kind of going kind of crazy, crying, going on like a huge rant.”
She added: “He said that he was in fear of the cops coming to the apartment because he shot a cop in Ireland and was worried he did not have enough money to take care of his son that he was going to be having and that he was the most feared man in Ireland.”
Ms Staunton said he was worried that he wasn’t earning enough money working in construction. She described how one of the other men in the apartment tried to calm him down and “eventually he went back into his bedroom.” She said this happened only once when she was there and that she thought Mr Brady was “fine, ok, I got on with him fine”. Later that summer the three men moved out of the apartment on 1st Avenue and she moved in with her boyfriend while Mr Brady moved in with his girlfriend. She didn’t see Mr Brady again after that.
Under cross examination Ms Murphy said that her client denies making any admission to Ms Staunton or anyone else because he did not carry out the shooting. Counsel put it to the witness that Mr Brady did not say he “killed a cop” but was upset because gardaí were looking for him in relation to the killing. The witness replied: “Yes, that was part of the reason he was upset.”
Ms Murphy continued that Irish people wouldn’t use the word “cop” and suggested that he hadn’t said he was involved in a shooting and wasn’t making an admission. Ms Staunton agreed and said that most of what she had heard came from the other two men in the apartment.
Ms Murphy said her client was worried because police were looking for him, “but he didn’t make any admission to shooting a garda”. Ms Staunton replied, “No, he did not”.
Counsel suggested her client was upset because “he was being sought by gardaí for the shooting.” The witness agreed.
When Ms Murphy said: “He never made any admission to having carried out that shooting,” the witness replied: “That’s correct.”
Aaron Brady (28) from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe who was then a member of An Garda Síochána on active duty on January 25th, 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Mr Brady has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location.
The cross examination of Ms Staunton will continue tomorrow in front of Mr Justice Michael White and the jury of six men and seven women.


theirishtimes--2020-06-11--Gun found in Derry was used to kill Lyra McKee, PSNI confirm

The handgun recovered by police in Derry last weekend was the weapon used to kill journalist and writer Lyra McKee , the PSNI confirmed on Thursday .
Ms McKee was shot dead in April last year as she was observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry .
Last weekend police recovered a Hammerli X-Esse pistol following searches in the Ballymagroarty area of Derry .
Bullets also were recovered with the gun .
On Thursday evening detectives from the PSNI ’ s major investigation team confirmed this was the weapon used to kill the 29-year-old journalist .
Det Supt Jason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said since April 18th last year the PSNI had been “ collectively focused on seeking to bring to justice those who were involved ” in Ms McKee ’ s killing .
“ That collective effort has never been simply directed towards the person who pulled the trigger .
I am as clear today as I have ever been that the bringing of that gun onto the streets involved a number of senior figures in the New IRA , ” he added .
“ Today ’ s confirmation is a significant step forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation for my team .
We will be relentless in pursuing opportunities to bring to justice every person who was involved in the chain of events that led to the gunman indiscriminately firing four shots , ” said Det Supt Murphy .
One man was charged with her murder earlier this year .
A second man was charged with offences relating to the rioting that preceded it .
Det Supt Murphy said that on Wednesday night he had the “ unenviable task ” of telling Ms McKee ’ s family and her partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill her .
“ Understandably they are relieved that no other family will ever have to face the devastation arising from the use of that gun , that they have been forced to face for the past 15 months , ” he said .
“ They have appealed for the local community to continue to help my investigation , ” he added .
Det Supt Murphy said very detailed forensic examination of the gun , ammunition and the plastic bags in which they were wrapped was continuing .
“ The gun jammed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video footage that the gunman tried several times to eject the jammed rounds , ” he explained .
He added , “ For that reason , I have asked scientists to extend their forensic examination beyond the outside of the gun and forensically examine the inside mechanisms of it , to establish whether the gunman , in his haste to clear the blockage , may have left forensic traces inside the gun .
He said the forensic work would take “ some considerable time ” .
Det Supt Murphy said the shots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of which killed Ms McKee , placed many officers at significant risk of death or serious injury .
“ The presence of bystanders like Lyra , who were watching the unfolding events , was an inconvenience to the terrorists but the gunman clearly placed no importance on that .
Any reasonable assessment must be that for the New IRA , the community were , and continue to be , expendable collateral damage , ” he said .
“ The disregard shown by the New IRA is staggering but completely unsurprising .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ above the rights of local communities to live in peace , ” he said .
The officer added that the investigation also extends to the disappearance of the weapon after it was fired .
“ Somebody was able to transport this gun and its ammunition from Creggan to Ballymagroarty and hide them in a field , within 250 yards of local housing .
This placed other members of the public at further considerable risk , ” said Det Supt Murphy .

The pistol found in Derry, which was used in the killing of Lyra McKee
The handgun recovered by police in Derry last weekend was the weapon used to kill journalist and writer Lyra McKee, the PSNI confirmed on Thursday.
Ms McKee was shot dead in April last year as she was observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry.
Last weekend police recovered a Hammerli X-Esse pistol following searches in the Ballymagroarty area of Derry. Bullets also were recovered with the gun.
Bullets found with the gun in Derry. Photograph: PSNI
Journalist and author Lyra McKee in Belfast in 2017. File photograph: Jess Lowe/ AFP via Getty Images
On Thursday evening detectives from the PSNI’s major investigation team confirmed this was the weapon used to kill the 29-year-old journalist.
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Det Supt Jason Murphy, the officer leading the investigation, said since April 18th last year the PSNI had been "collectively focused on seeking to bring to justice those who were involved" in Ms McKee's killing.
Journalist and author Lyra McKee in Belfast in 2017. File photograph: Jess Lowe/ AFP via Getty Images
“That collective effort has never been simply directed towards the person who pulled the trigger. I am as clear today as I have ever been that the bringing of that gun onto the streets involved a number of senior figures in the New IRA,” he added.
“Today’s confirmation is a significant step forward and opens up a new avenue of investigation for my team. We will be relentless in pursuing opportunities to bring to justice every person who was involved in the chain of events that led to the gunman indiscriminately firing four shots,” said Det Supt Murphy.
One man was charged with her murder earlier this year. A second man was charged with offences relating to the rioting that preceded it.
Det Supt Murphy said that on Wednesday night he had the “unenviable task” of telling Ms McKee’s family and her partner Sara Canning about the weapon used to kill her.
“Understandably they are relieved that no other family will ever have to face the devastation arising from the use of that gun, that they have been forced to face for the past 15 months,” he said.
“They have appealed for the local community to continue to help my investigation,” he added.
Bullets found with the gun in Derry. Photograph: PSNI
Det Supt Murphy said very detailed forensic examination of the gun, ammunition and the plastic bags in which they were wrapped was continuing.
“The gun jammed as the gunman fired and I know from the video footage that the gunman tried several times to eject the jammed rounds,” he explained.
He added, “For that reason, I have asked scientists to extend their forensic examination beyond the outside of the gun and forensically examine the inside mechanisms of it, to establish whether the gunman, in his haste to clear the blockage, may have left forensic traces inside the gun.
He said the forensic work would take “some considerable time”.
Det Supt Murphy said the shots fired at police lines during the rioting, one of which killed Ms McKee, placed many officers at significant risk of death or serious injury.
“The presence of bystanders like Lyra, who were watching the unfolding events, was an inconvenience to the terrorists but the gunman clearly placed no importance on that. Any reasonable assessment must be that for the New IRA, the community were, and continue to be, expendable collateral damage,” he said.
“The disregard shown by the New IRA is staggering but completely unsurprising. They continue to put their own agenda above the rights of local communities to live in peace,” he said.
The officer added that the investigation also extends to the disappearance of the weapon after it was fired. “Somebody was able to transport this gun and its ammunition from Creggan to Ballymagroarty and hide them in a field, within 250 yards of local housing. This placed other members of the public at further considerable risk,” said Det Supt Murphy.


theirishtimes--2020-06-11--Teenager settles action against Rotunda for €6.5m over circumstances of birth

A 19-year-old man with cerebral palsy who sued over the circumstances of his birth at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin has settled his High Court action for €6.5 million .
The settlement for Ross McNally was achieved after a mediation .
Siun Leonowicz BL , instructed by solicitor Tim O ’ Hanrahan , for the plaintiff , told the court this week Ross suffered a hypoxic ischaemic injury at the time of his birth .
As part of the settlement , several thousand euro have been allocated so Mr McNally can avail of assisted technology .
The court also heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past care .
Mr Justice Kevin Cross approved the settlement and congratulated the sides on reaching it .
Mr McNally , Sherrard Court , Dublin , through his mother Samantha McNally , sued the Rotunda Hospital over the circumstances of his birth at the hospital on March 8th , 2001 .
Ms McNally was admitted to the hospital on March 7th , 2001 following the onset of labour .
CTG tracing ( a process which includes foetal heart monitoring ) was started but , over the course of the morning of March 8th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the foetal heart rate pattern on the CTG was deteriorating .
It was claimed , despite the worsening appearance of foetal heart rate on the CTG tracing , administration of syntocinon was begun at 5.30am and steadily increased .
It was further claimed , despite the pathological appearance of the CTG and a clear indication to deliver the baby at 8.15am , the labour was allowed to progress .
At 9.20am , a decision was made to deliver the baby and he was born at 9.50am after an emergency caesarean section but was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed , resulting from the treatment proffered to the mother and baby on March 7th and March 8th and delay in performing the caesarean , the baby suffered hypoxia .
It was claimed there was failure to manage or appropriately manage the second stage of labour and the baby ’ s delivery was delayed by 65 minutes .
Liability was conceded in the case before mediation .
In an affidavit , Ms McNally said she was satisfied with the settlement and was anxious to put structures in place to adequately support her son @ @ @ @

A 19-year-old man with cerebral palsy who sued over the circumstances of his birth at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin has settled his High Court action for €6.5 million.
The settlement for Ross McNally was achieved after a mediation.
Siun Leonowicz BL, instructed by solicitor Tim O’Hanrahan, for the plaintiff, told the court this week Ross suffered a hypoxic ischaemic injury at the time of his birth.
As part of the settlement, several thousand euro have been allocated so Mr McNally can avail of assisted technology. The court also heard that €500,000 of the sum was for past care.
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Mr Justice Kevin Cross approved the settlement and congratulated the sides on reaching it.
Mr McNally, Sherrard Court, Dublin, through his mother Samantha McNally, sued the Rotunda Hospital over the circumstances of his birth at the hospital on March 8th, 2001.
Ms McNally was admitted to the hospital on March 7th, 2001 following the onset of labour. CTG tracing (a process which includes foetal heart monitoring) was started but, over the course of the morning of March 8th, it was claimed the appearance of the foetal heart rate pattern on the CTG was deteriorating.
It was claimed, despite the worsening appearance of foetal heart rate on the CTG tracing, administration of syntocinon was begun at 5.30am and steadily increased.
It was further claimed, despite the pathological appearance of the CTG and a clear indication to deliver the baby at 8.15am, the labour was allowed to progress.
At 9.20am, a decision was made to deliver the baby and he was born at 9.50am after an emergency caesarean section but was in a cyanosed condition. It was claimed, resulting from the treatment proffered to the mother and baby on March 7th and March 8th and delay in performing the caesarean, the baby suffered hypoxia.
It was claimed there was failure to manage or appropriately manage the second stage of labour and the baby’s delivery was delayed by 65 minutes.
Liability was conceded in the case before mediation.
In an affidavit, Ms McNally said she was satisfied with the settlement and was anxious to put structures in place to adequately support her son’s needs.


theirishtimes--2020-06-12--Ah, Penneys: Jocks, socks and fake eyes all round as shops open for first time in three months

“ This is the only place I ’ d queue for .
I wouldn ’ t queue for Dunnes for my dinner , I ’ d rather starve .
But I ’ d queue for Penneys no bother specially cos it has been closed for so long.
” said Chloe Whelan from Ballymun as she stood on Dublin ’ s Mary Street surrounded by large brown bags with familiar blue lettering .
If there was every any doubt that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder , it was forever dispelled over the course of a grey Friday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in search of “ jocks and socks and fake eyes ” as one shopper put it to a friend she was talking to on her mobile at the end of her expedition .
The queue started forming in the darkest hour before dawn and had swelled to a couple of hundred by 8:45am by which time management – after discussions with gardaí - decided to throw open the doors of the flagship branch for the first time in almost three months .
“ We were here by eight , ” said Katie White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have been in and out before Penneys was even due to open .
“ It was closed for so long so this was just so exciting .
It was like a Christmas morning except better , it was like a Christmas morning after a long lockdown .
That was just horrible , it was like torture , I couldn ’ t see any of my friends or anything.
” The levels of excitement and happiness rippled up and down the line .
“ I only went in for underwear and pyjamas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Sarah Adams from Finglas .
She had joined the queue shortly before the unexpected earlier opening but her daughter Sienna had been there longer , a whole lot longer .
“ She was in the queue from 4am , ” the Adams family elder said as her daughter smiled brightly by her side .
“ She he came in with her friends.
” “ I didn ’ t sleep at all last night , I was just so excited , ” Sienna said .
It was impossible not to stare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she spoke .
She was wearing a pair of black furry open toed slippers .
The Irish Times asked if she had bought them in the shop .
Surely she couldn ’ t have stood in line for almost five hours through a cold summer ’ s night and morning wearing only a pair of slippers ?
“ Ah no , it was grand , ” the teenager said .
Penneys shoppers are made of stern stuff and not even impending childbirth could keep them away on the big day .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jasmine Kelly from Crumlin who is just a week shy of her due date .
“ I needed some stuff for the baby and my hospital bag , ” she explained .
“ I ’ m not wrecked , I ’ m alright but my credit card is a bit wrecked.
” “ Tan , lashes and make up , that ’ s all I ’ m here for , ” said Chloe Regan from Firhouse .
She had joined the queue at a comparatively tardy 7am “ I thought the queue would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ I really missed all the cheap stuff.
” When asked about her plans or the rest of the day she simply shrugged .
“ Not sure , probably just wander around town for a bit.
” And away she went .
“ I ’ m just here to get the essentials , the things I couldn ’ t get , ” said Mia Devlin from Donaghmeade .
“ Make up , wipes , a few bits a pieces , you know yourself.
” Nadine O ’ Riley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from her home on Greek Street in Dublin 1 and had joined the queue at 7:30am .
She was thrilled with all her purchases , all €300 worth of them .
“ You can ’ t beat Penneys , ” she insisted .
“ It ’ s just so cheap.
” By 10am the queue which started at the Mary Street entrance was snaking around the corner and all the way up Jervis Street to the Parnell Street junction .
There were about 200 people waiting to get in .
Almost none of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Blackrock was an exception .
“ I had Covid at the very start and was in hospital for 12 days , ” she said .
“ I was in Vincent ’ s and then St Michaels .
But I am okay now I have had the negative swab .
I am wearing the mask more to respect other people and to keep everybody else safe , ” she explained .
And what was she here to buy ?
“ Nothing , I ’ just here to keep my sister company.
” While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was never disorderly and was marshalled with military precision by a team of high-viz jacket wearing security staff who told agreeable people when to move and where to stand .
“ How are you getting on , ” one of them asked another .
“ Grand .
Any sign of the queue ending ?
” “ No , it ’ s going to be like this all day.
” Both men sighed .
Also on hand watching the great re-opening were six garda split into two groups some 100 metres apart .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at how calm everything was despite the crowds , one of the guards hastily interrupted .

"This is the only place I'd queue for. I wouldn't queue for Dunnes for my dinner, I'd rather starve. But I'd queue for Penneys no bother specially cos it has been closed for so long." said Chloe Whelan from Ballymun as she stood on Dublin's Mary Street surrounded by large brown bags with familiar blue lettering.
If there was ever any doubt that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder, it was forever dispelled over the course of a grey Friday morning as hundreds of people streamed into Penneys in search of “jocks and socks and fake eyes” as one shopper put it to a friend she was talking to on her mobile at the end of her expedition.
The queue started forming in the darkest hour before dawn and had swelled to a couple of hundred by 8.45am by which time management – after discussions with gardaí - decided to throw open the doors of the flagship branch for the first time in almost three months.
Jasmine Kelly from Crumlin who is 38 weeks pregnant with her first child joined the queue at 8.30am to pick up a hospital bag and some other “bits”. Photograph: Enda O’Dowd.
"We were here by eight," said Katie White McCann from Finglas. She was delighted to have been in and out before Penneys was even due to open. "It was closed for so long so this was just so exciting. It was like a Christmas morning except better, it was like a Christmas morning after a long lockdown. That was just horrible, it was like torture, I couldn't see any of my friends or anything."
READ MORE
The levels of excitement and happiness rippled up and down the line.
"I only went in for underwear and pyjamas and came out with €170 worth of stuff," said Sarah Adams from Finglas. She had joined the queue shortly before the unexpected earlier opening but her daughter Sienna had been there longer, a whole lot longer.
“She was in the queue from 4am,” the Adams family elder said as her daughter smiled brightly by her side. “She came in with her friends.”
“I didn’t sleep at all last night, I was just so excited,” Sienna said.
It was impossible not to stare at the child’s feet as she spoke. She was wearing a pair of black furry open toed slippers.
The Irish Times asked if she had bought them in the shop. Surely she couldn’t have stood in line for almost five hours through a cold summer’s night and morning wearing only a pair of slippers?
“Ah no, it was grand,” the teenager said.
Penneys shoppers are made of stern stuff and not even impending childbirth could keep them away on the big day. "I came in around 8.30am," said Jasmine Kelly from Crumlin who is just a week shy of her due date. "I needed some stuff for the baby and my hospital bag," she explained. "I'm not wrecked, I'm alright but my credit card is a bit wrecked."
"Tan, lashes and make up, that's all I'm here for," said Chloe Regan from Firhouse. She had joined the queue at a comparatively tardy 7am. "I thought the queue would be really bad but it was grand," she said. "I really missed all the cheap stuff."
When asked about her plans or the rest of the day she simply shrugged. “Not sure, probably just wander around town for a bit.” And away she went.
"I'm just here to get the essentials, the things I couldn't get," said Mia Devlin from Donaghmeade. "Make up, wipes, a few bits a pieces, you know yourself."
Okay.
Nadine O’Riley didn’t have far to come from her home on Greek Street in Dublin 1 and had joined the queue at 7.30am. She was thrilled with all her purchases, all €300 worth of them. “You can’t beat Penneys,” she insisted. “It’s just so cheap.”
By 10am the queue which started at the Mary Street entrance was snaking around the corner and all the way up Jervis Street to the Parnell Street junction. There were about 200 people waiting to get in. Almost none of them were wearing masks.
Emma Biggar from Blackrock was an exception. "I had Covid at the very start and was in hospital for 12 days," she said. "I was in Vincent's and then St Michael's. But I am okay now I have had the negative swab. I am wearing the mask more to respect other people and to keep everybody else safe," she explained. And what was she here to buy? "Nothing, I'm just here to keep my sister company."
While the queue was long and largely mask-free it was never disorderly and was marshalled with military precision by a team of high-viz jacket wearing security staff who told agreeable people when to move and where to stand.
“How are you getting on,” one of them asked another.
“Grand. Any sign of the queue ending?”
“No, it’s going to be like this all day.” Both men sighed.
Also on hand watching the great re-opening were six garda split into two groups some 100 metres apart.
When The Irish Times started to marvel at how calm everything was despite the crowds, one of the guards hastily interrupted.
“Don’t jinx it,” he whispered. “Please.”


theirishtimes--2020-06-12--A new Department of Higher Education risks creating a two-tier education system

We need to foreground educational equality in the public debate as we seek to rebuild Ireland .
More equal societies invariably do better ; now is the time to tackle systemic issues of disadvantage to create a fairer , more inclusive Ireland .
Indeed , as part of the social contract , we are obliged to strive for equality and social justice .
Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic , communities across Ireland came together demonstrating immense solidarity , particularly for those most vulnerable in society who experienced an exacerbation of disadvantage .
Those with lower levels of qualifications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job , have poorer health and have fewer resources to engage in the seismic shift to remote learning .
On the one hand , education has a systemic impact beyond learning .
It promotes social inclusion ; mental health and wellbeing ; civic engagement and equality .
However , impediments are complex and negatively impacted by poverty , poor housing , domestic violence , isolation , mental health , marginalisation and lack of essential supports .
Further education and training not only offers clear routes to education and employment , it is essentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this is community education , which effectively engages people who are most socially excluded in a local , supportive centre that is committed to addressing the multiple forms of disadvantage that learners experience .
Community education must be part of rebuilding an Ireland for all .
However , within the tertiary education landscape , glaring inequalities in funding are undeniable .
The average spend on a community education learner , those most disadvantaged , averages euro181 compared to the euro5,000 in higher education .
It is not a matter of polarising the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for educational equality from primary to adult education , increased solidarity of purpose across the education system and sharing knowledge , expertise and resources .
Mitigating educational disadvantage must take precedence , thereby requiring investment as different people need different supports to reach the same levels of advantage .
If you want to see an example of this in action , Southill Family Resource Centre - based in two adjoining houses in O ’ Malley Park in Limerick - is a good place to start .
It offers a package of supports that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range of accredited and non-accredited courses , with a focus on learning in and for the community .
With less than 5 per cent of the local population having a third level qualification , together with high unemployment and approximately 80 per cent lone parent households , education plays an essential role out of poverty .
During the Covid-19 crisis , co-ordinator Jimmy Prior and his staff team have demonstrated exceptional agility in responding to the diverse range of challenges the community faces .
The centre has been supporting 220 people weekly via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where possible , classes have also migrated online which teach basic IT as well as focusing on mental health and wellbeing .
Jimmy notes that for many learners digital literacy and access to digital technology is a real barrier to engaging in courses .
“ There are still people who do not have a laptop , and who are not aware that you can use your phone fantastically if it ’ s a smart phone , ” he says .
“ We still have people , particularly in this area , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for fundraising diminished for addressing the unanticipated demand for IT , the centre has endeavoured to loan a small number of iPads and laptops to learners but many more still lack personal devices .
Additionally , demand for learner supports has increased , with a 60 percent increase in counselling requests , offered online or via phone .
Building opportunities for people is an ongoing commitment.
“ When the office closes at 5 o ’ clock the phone is switched over to my phone , ” adds Jimmy .
The Southill Family Resource @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoor meet-ups for the women ’ s group where they gather in fours .
Some learners have lost loved ones to Covid-19 .
“ The fact that they can come here , talk and say ‘ I ’ m really struggling ’ has made such a difference , ” he says .
There had been an increase in those expressing an interest in courses , many with a view to upskilling .
“ Because we ’ re local and most people would know us , or know somebody here , they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well actually I ’ m thinking of doing a course and how do you think I can do it ?
” he says .
In addition to supporting access to learning , Jimmy says the value of community education runs deeper .
“ It becomes a lot more than the classes and the courses , if I ’ m honest , and for our learners , it ’ s a lot more ; it ’ s the social contacts , it ’ s the personal contacts .
For some people and families , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says .
This is an opportune time to ask ourselves , what kind of society do we want to build ?
As the new government is forming , we need a clear political commitment to educational equality .
As community education innovatively responded to the Covid-19 crisis , we can not turn our back on the good will , care and support it has shown .
As we face an uncertain future , where do we best spend limited resources ?
In imagining a renewed , inclusive Ireland that enables greater educational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the fringes of society , who have suffered most from Covid-19 and who are most likely to be hit by a recession .
There has been speculation this week about the creation of a new Department of Higher Education - but it is difficult to see how such a stand-alone department will have a systemic impact on supporting educational equality across the system .
In making way for such a department , by way of the abolition of the Minister for Children cabinet position , would most certainly create a two-tier education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the system .
Educational disadvantage is connected across the system .
A new Government must prioritise educational equality from children to adulthood , as all research tells us that inequalities in schooling have a knock-on effect in later life .
We must collaborate across the education system to build a better Ireland after this crisis that leaves no one behind .
It is time to be brave , and work towards creating a more equitable society .
We know more equal societies are better for the economy too , what ’ s there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back better , together .
Niamh O ’ Reilly is chief executive of Aontas , the National Adult Learning Organisation .

Southill Family Resource Centre - based in in O’Malley Park in Limerick - offers a package of supports that enables local people to engage in a range of accredited and non-accredited courses, with a focus on learning in and for the community. Photograph: Press 22
We need to foreground educational equality in the public debate as we seek to rebuild Ireland. More equal societies invariably do better; now is the time to tackle systemic issues of disadvantage to create a fairer, more inclusive Ireland. Indeed, as part of the social contract, we are obliged to strive for equality and social justice.
Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, communities across Ireland came together demonstrating immense solidarity, particularly for those most vulnerable in society who experienced an exacerbation of disadvantage.
Those with lower levels of qualifications are most likely to have lost their job, have poorer health and have fewer resources to engage in the seismic shift to remote learning.
Jimmy Prior of Southhill Family Resource Centre, Limerick City. “We still have people, particularly in this area, that do not have internet,” he says. Photograph: Cathal Noonan
Jim Prior of Southhill Family Resource Centre, Limerick City. “The fact that they can come here, talk and say ‘I’m really struggling’ has made such a difference,” he says. Photograph: Cathal Noonan
On the one hand, education has a systemic impact beyond learning. It promotes social inclusion; mental health and wellbeing; civic engagement and equality. However, impediments are complex and negatively impacted by poverty, poor housing, domestic violence, isolation, mental health, marginalisation and lack of essential supports.
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Accessible
Further education and training not only offers clear routes to education and employment, it is essentially inclusive and accessible. A vital part of this is community education, which effectively engages people who are most socially excluded in a local, supportive centre that is committed to addressing the multiple forms of disadvantage that learners experience.
Community education must be part of rebuilding an Ireland for all. However, within the tertiary education landscape, glaring inequalities in funding are undeniable. The average spend on a community education learner, those most disadvantaged, averages euro181 compared to the euro5,000 in higher education.
It is not a matter of polarising the issue; we need greater cross-governmental support for educational equality from primary to adult education, increased solidarity of purpose across the education system and sharing knowledge, expertise and resources. Mitigating educational disadvantage must take precedence, thereby requiring investment as different people need different supports to reach the same levels of advantage.
Supports
If you want to see an example of this in action, Southill Family Resource Centre - based in two adjoining houses in O'Malley Park in Limerick - is a good place to start.
It offers a package of supports that enable local people to engage in a range of accredited and non-accredited courses, with a focus on learning in and for the community.
With less than 5 per cent of the local population having a third level qualification, together with high unemployment and approximately 80 per cent lone parent households, education plays an essential role out of poverty.
During the Covid-19 crisis, co-ordinator Jimmy Prior and his staff team have demonstrated exceptional agility in responding to the diverse range of challenges the community faces.
The centre has been supporting 220 people weekly via Zoom, WhatsApp, telephone calls and, where possible, classes have also migrated online which teach basic IT as well as focusing on mental health and wellbeing.
Jimmy notes that for many learners digital literacy and access to digital technology is a real barrier to engaging in courses. “There are still people who do not have a laptop, and who are not aware that you can use your phone fantastically if it’s a smart phone,” he says. “We still have people, particularly in this area, that do not have internet.”
With opportunities for fundraising diminished for addressing the unanticipated demand for IT, the centre has endeavoured to loan a small number of iPads and laptops to learners but many more still lack personal devices. Additionally, demand for learner supports has increased, with a 60 percent increase in counselling requests, offered online or via phone. Building opportunities for people is an ongoing commitment.“When the office closes at 5 o’clock the phone is switched over to my phone,” adds Jimmy.
The Southill Family Resource Centre has also facilitated a number of outdoor meet-ups for the women’s group where they gather in fours. Some learners have lost loved ones to Covid-19. “The fact that they can come here, talk and say ‘I’m really struggling’ has made such a difference,” he says.
There had been an increase in those expressing an interest in courses, many with a view to upskilling. “Because we’re local and most people would know us, or know somebody here, they’re able to ring us and say, well actually I’m thinking of doing a course and how do you think I can do it?” he says.
In addition to supporting access to learning, Jimmy says the value of community education runs deeper. “It becomes a lot more than the classes and the courses, if I’m honest, and for our learners, it’s a lot more; it’s the social contacts, it’s the personal contacts. For some people and families, it’s their lifeline,” he says.
Equality
This is an opportune time to ask ourselves, what kind of society do we want to build? As the new government is forming, we need a clear political commitment to educational equality.
As community education innovatively responded to the Covid-19 crisis, we cannot turn our back on the good will, care and support it has shown. As we face an uncertain future, where do we best spend limited resources?
In imagining a renewed, inclusive Ireland that enables greater educational access we must prioritise people who are on the fringes of society, who have suffered most from Covid-19 and who are most likely to be hit by a recession.
There has been speculation this week about the creation of a new Department of Higher Education - but it is difficult to see how such a stand-alone department will have a systemic impact on supporting educational equality across the system.
In making way for such a department, by way of the abolition of the Minister for Children cabinet position, would most certainly create a two-tier education system.
Educational experiences are connected across the system. Educational disadvantage is connected across the system. A new Government must prioritise educational equality from children to adulthood, as all research tells us that inequalities in schooling have a knock-on effect in later life.
We must collaborate across the education system to build a better Ireland after this crisis that leaves no one behind. It is time to be brave, and work towards creating a more equitable society. We know more equal societies are better for the economy too, what’s there to lose? We need to build back better, together.
Niamh O’Reilly is chief executive of Aontas, the National Adult Learning Organisation.


theirishtimes--2020-06-12--Covid-19 will cost health service €1.8 billion by the end of the year

The Health Service Executive has spent an additional €400 million on Covid-19 related costs so far , and is projecting a possible €1.8 billion cost for treating the disease to the end of the year .
The biggest drivers of cost are personal protective equipment ( PPE ) and testing and tracing , according to HSE chief executive Paul Reid .
As a result of the extra spending , the cost base of next year ’ s HSE service plan will be significantly increased , he warned .
Mr Reid said the cost of PPE , which is expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been driven by the massive premium that had to be paid for scarce equipment and the cost of supplying large volumes to the “ HSE family ” and beyond , to the wider healthcare system .
Next year ’ s winter plan would be very different from this year ’ s , he said , and the HSE corporate plan would also have to be redesigned .
Mr Reid said he was concerned about capacity for next winter , especially the need to step this up quickly .
“ We will need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t got last year .
We should be at 80pc ( capacity ) but we ’ re well over that at present.
” Services need to be redesigned , sustainable models of primary care and the provision of elective care has to be addressed , Mr Reid said .
Time-frames for plans would have to be “ recalibrated ” from existing 10-year spans , and capacity will have to be built to cope with the “ new reality ” of post Covid-19 healthcare .
“ We ’ re winning so far but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr Reid said of the performance of the health service , “ but now we have to dev new plans within the HSE to deliver services in a different way ” .
The turnaround time for testing has significantly improved , Mr Reid said .
End to end turnaround from the time a person reports symptoms to a result is now a median of 1.8 days , down from 2 days the previous week .
The tests processed in hospital labs , the turnaround time is 1.5 days ; in the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some 86 per cent of tests are processed end-to-end within three days , just short of the 90 per cent target .
Last week , 1,500 calls were made as part of the contact tracing operation , and 255 close contacts were sent for testing .
Of these , 14 tested positive , and 90 per cent of this group were asymptomatic .
“ Many thousands of lives ” were saved through social distancing , lockdown measures , proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette , intensive care consultant Dr Catherine Motherway said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of critical care beds by international standards , hospitals were able to treat all patients needing care and were at no point overwhelmed .
The crude mortality rate of those who were admitted to intensive care was 20 per cent , which compares quite well internationally , she said .
Ninety-nine per cent had underlying conditions .
However , next winter will be “ difficult ” so it was vital to recruit critical care nurses and create new capacity , she said .
Ultimately , critical care capacity needed to be doubled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 , including 32 in intensive care .
Some 734 beds in hospitals are currently free , including 91 in intensive care , according to HSE chief operations officer Anne O ’ Connor .
The future of the Citywest isolation facility , where currently just 16 patients are being cared for by 21 staff , was being considered in the context of the winter plan , she said .
Emergency department attendances increased by 2.8 per cent last week , and are only slightly below last year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by over 75-year-olds is up on last year .
Three residential care facilities are considered to be at significant risk , and 19 require significant supports , she said .
Last week , 10 million items of PPE were delivered to almost 700 healthcare facilities .

HSE chief executive Paul Reid has said that they are continuing to see very positive trends in relation to the measures taken to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. Video: HSE Live
Last week was the first since the start of March in which Dublin had fewer than 100 weekly cases of Covid-19 diagnosed, the Central Statistics Office has confirmed.
In its fourth bulletin on Covid-19 insights, the CSO said there were 54 new cases in Co Dublin in the week ending June 5th, down from a peak of 1,869 cases in the week ending March 27th.
Elsewhere, positive trends in relation to new case growth continued in several largely rural counties.
The deaths of a further three people diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported in the Republic on Friday.
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This brings the total number of fatalities in the country to 1,705.
The National Public Health Emergency Team also recorded a further 13 confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the country since the pandemic began to 25,250.
One death was denotified by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre. The new totals reflect this.
Cities continue to account for an outsized proportion of total Covid-19 infections, with 44 per cent of all cases occurring in urban areas which account for one-third of the population. Dublin continues to be worst affected in terms of deaths, with 11 in the last week. It is the only county to record more than five new deaths each week for the past four weeks.
Clare, Leitrim, Longford, Tipperary, Wexford and Wicklow have all recorded fewer than 10 new cases for the fourth week in a row, while Donegal, Laois and Kerry recorded fewer than 10 new cases for the fifth week in a row.
Almost 90 per cent of Covid-19 patients who required intensive care had an underlying condition.
The CSO found that the median age of those admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs), 60, was in fact lower than the median age of those admitted to hospitals. The peak of admissions to ICU was in the week ending March 27th, when 94 new cases were admitted, the CSO said.
However, the CSO data supports the wider experience that the virus proves most deadly for elderly people, with the median age of all deaths associated with Covid-19 coming in at 83.
So far, 413 people have required treatment in ICUs. Of all those who were hospitalised, 62 per cent had an underlying condition, but 87 per cent of those in intensive care suffered from one. Men significantly outnumber women in terms of ICU admissions, accounting for 68 per cent of the total.
Paul Reid at the HSE weekly operational update on the response to Covid-19, in the UCD O’Brien Centre for Science in Dublin. Photograph: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Meanwhile, the Health Service Executive has spent an additional €400 million on Covid-19 related costs so far, and is projecting a possible €1.8 billion cost for treating the disease to the end of the year.
The biggest drivers of cost are personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing and tracing, according to HSE chief executive Paul Reid.
As a result of the extra spending, the cost base of next year’s HSE service plan will be significantly increased, he warned.
Mr Reid said the cost of PPE, which is expected to be about €1 billion this year, had been driven by the massive premium that had to be paid for scarce equipment and the cost of supplying large volumes to the “HSE family” and beyond, to the wider healthcare system.
Next year’s winter plan would be very different from this year’s, he said, and the HSE corporate plan would also have to be redesigned.
Mr Reid said he was concerned about capacity for next winter, especially the need to step this up quickly. “We will need extra capacity in a way he hadn’t got last year. We should be at 80 per cent [capacity] but we’re well over that at present.”
Services need to be redesigned, sustainable models of primary care and the provision of elective care has to be addressed, Mr Reid said.
Time-frames for plans would have to be “recalibrated” from existing 10-year spans, and capacity will have to be built to cope with the “new reality” of post Covid-19 healthcare.
“We’re winning so far but it’s a long game,” Mr Reid said of the performance of the health service, “but now we have to develop new plans within the HSE to deliver services in a different way”.
Testing turnaround
The turnaround time for testing has significantly improved, Mr Reid said. End-to-end turnaround from the time a person reports symptoms to a result is now a median of 1.8 days, down from two days the previous week.
For tests processed in hospital labs, the turnaround time is 1.5 days; in the community, the average time is 2.3 days.
Some 86 per cent of tests are processed end-to-end within three days, just short of the 90 per cent target.
Last week, 1,500 calls were made as part of the contact-tracing operation, and 255 close contacts were sent for testing. Of these, 14 tested positive, and 90 per cent of this group were asymptomatic.
“Many thousands of lives” were saved through social distancing, lockdown measures, proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, intensive care consultant Dr Catherine Motherway said.
Despite starting with a low number of critical care beds by international standards, hospitals were able to treat all patients needing care and were at no point overwhelmed.
The crude mortality rate of those who were admitted to intensive care was 20 per cent, which compares quite well internationally, she said. Ninety-nine per cent had underlying conditions.
However, next winter will be “difficult” so it was vital to recruit critical care nurses and create new capacity, she said. Ultimately, critical care capacity needed to be doubled.
There are currently 226 patients in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, including 32 in intensive care.
Some 734 beds in hospitals are free, including 91 in intensive care, according to HSE chief operations officer Anne O’Connor.
The future of the Citywest isolation facility, where just 16 patients are being cared for by 21 staff, was being considered in the context of the winter plan, she said.


theirishtimes--2020-06-12--Coronavirus: North deaths fall for sixth week running

The number of coronavirus-related death in Northern Ireland has fallen for the sixth week in a row , according to the latest figures .
Data published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency ( NISRA ) on Friday showed there were 19 deaths involving Covid-19 in the week ending June 5th .
The total number of coronavirus-related deaths recorded by NISRA now stands at 779 , 45 per cent higher than the figure reported in the daily statistics released by the North ’ s Department of Health ( DoH ) , which was 537 during the same period .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded , the North ’ s Department of Health on Thursday reported one more coronavirus-related death in Northern Ireland , taking the DoH-recorded death toll to 538 .
Northern Ireland releases two sets of data on coronavirus fatalities .
The DoH figures include all deaths recorded by Health and Social Care ( HSC ) Trusts where there has been a positive test for coronavirus .
These are mainly hospital deaths .
The NISRA figures are released weekly and are based on death registration .
They cover deaths in all settings and include all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certificate , whether or not there was a positive test for Covid-19 .
The statistics agency also noted that in the last 10 weeks , 973 “ excess deaths ” – which are defined as deaths above the average for the corresponding period in previous years – have been registered in Northern Ireland .
According to NISRA , 404 care home residents have died with Covid-19 , which represents 51.9 per cent of all coronavirus-related deaths until June 5th .
A total of 334 people ( 82.7 per cent ) died in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatalities occurred in hospital .
However , the NISRA noted “ no assumptions can be made in relation to where or when the deceased contracted the disease ” .
The 342 deaths the NISRA recorded in care homes and hospices involved 78 separate establishments .
People aged 75 and over accounted for almost 80 per cent of Covid-19 related deaths registered in the year until June 5th , according to NISRA .
Just under 30 per cent of these , or 228 people , had addresses in the Belfast area .
All shops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen from today after retailers were given the go-ahead by the North ’ s Executive on Thursday .
With the R number rate of infection now between 0.5 and 0.9 , the North ’ s first and deputy first ministers , Arlene Foster and Michelle O ’ Neill , announced further relaxations of the lockdown in Northern Ireland .
People living alone will be permitted to visit each other ’ s households in Northern Ireland from this Saturday , June 13th , and groups of six to 10 people who do not live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also can train outdoors from Monday .
However , Ms Foster said the decision to relax the regulations had not been fast-tracked in response to the reopening of shops in the Republic of Ireland .
“ I don ’ t think that that ’ s the case at all , ” she told ITV ’ s Good Morning Britain on Friday .
“ We have had our plan , we launched it back on the 12th of May , and in that plan we said we would take a step-by-step process out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it in a way that didn ’ t have a cumulative impact upon the transmission of the virus .
“ We ’ ve been taking steps to come out , we do that in a gradual way , and we think that now is the right time to open all retail , ” she said .
Glyn Roberts , chief executive of Retail NI , said it was a “ very welcome decision which now allows our local retail sector as a whole to reopen and play its role in the economic recovery @ @ @ @ @

Signage is put up to guide shoppers in the Victoria Square shopping centre, Belfast. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
The number of coronavirus-related death in Northern Ireland has fallen for the sixth week in a row, according to the latest figures.
Data published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) on Friday showed there were 19 deaths involving Covid-19 in the week ending June 5th.
The total number of coronavirus-related deaths recorded by NISRA now stands at 779, 45 per cent higher than the figure reported in the daily statistics released by the North's Department of Health (DoH), which was 537 during the same period.
The department recorded one more coronavirus-related death on Friday, bringing the total number of fatalities recorded by the DoH to 539.
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It is the second death involving Covid-19 reported by the department this week, after the North recorded four consecutive days of zero deaths. A further 16 people tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Northern Ireland to 4,838.
Northern Ireland releases two sets of data on coronavirus fatalities. The DoH figures include all deaths recorded by Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts where there has been a positive test for coronavirus. These are mainly hospital deaths.
The NISRA figures are released weekly and are based on death registration. They cover deaths in all settings and include all fatalities that mention coronavirus on the death certificate, whether or not there was a positive test for Covid-19.
The statistics agency also noted that in the last 10 weeks, 973 “excess deaths” – which are defined as deaths above the average for the corresponding period in previous years – have been registered in Northern Ireland.
According to NISRA, 404 care home residents have died with Covid-19, which represents 51.9 per cent of all coronavirus-related deaths until June 5th.
A total of 334 people (82.7 per cent) died in a care home, and the remaining 70 fatalities occurred in hospital.
However, the NISRA noted “no assumptions can be made in relation to where or when the deceased contracted the disease”.
The 342 deaths the NISRA recorded in care homes and hospices involved 78 separate establishments.
People aged 75 and over accounted for almost 80 per cent of Covid-19 related deaths registered in the year until June 5th, according to NISRA. Just under 30 per cent of these, or 228 people, had addresses in the Belfast area.
All shops in Northern Ireland have been permitted to reopen from today after retailers were given the go-ahead by the North’s Executive on Thursday.
With the R number rate of infection now between 0.5 and 0.9, the North's First Minister and Deputy First Minister, Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill, announced further relaxations of the lockdown in Northern Ireland.
People living alone will be permitted to visit each other’s households in Northern Ireland from this Saturday, June 13th, and groups of six to 10 people who do not live together can meet outdoors. Elite athletes also can train outdoors from Monday.
However, Ms Foster said the decision to relax the regulations had not been fast-tracked in response to the reopening of shops in the Republic of Ireland.
“I don’t think that that’s the case at all,” she told ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Friday.
“We have had our plan, we launched it back on the 12th of May, and in that plan we said we would take a step-by-step process out of the lockdown, and we would do it in a way that didn’t have a cumulative impact upon the transmission of the virus.
“We’ve been taking steps to come out, we do that in a gradual way, and we think that now is the right time to open all retail,” she said.
Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, said it was a "very welcome decision which now allows our local retail sector as a whole to reopen and play its role in the economic recovery of Northern Ireland." – Additional reporting: PA


theirishtimes--2020-06-12--UCD scientists receive funding to develop Covid-19 early warning system

Scientists in University College Dublin are to evaluate the extent to which Covid-19 is ending up in sewage with a view to developing an early warning system for new waves of infection .
Their research project has received Government funding along with 10 other projects with a view to enhancing the State ’ s response to the pandemic .
Led by Prof Wim G Meijer the UCD team will examine the extent of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage and bodies of water such as wastewater treatment plants .
“ This will provide insight into the prevalence of the virus in the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system for a new wave of infection , ” he explained .
The project also aims to work out what happens to the virus in nearby rivers , streams and sea , “ including the waters where we swim ” .
“ We know faeces from people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus can contain genetic material ( RNA ) from the virus , and that it is possible to detect that viral RNA in sewage , ” he added .
The research will benefit from the expertise of an existing project at UCD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and origins of faecal contamination in Dublin Bay .
Research projects to enable remote blood-pressure monitoring in pregnancy ; to develop quicker diagnostic tests for Covid-19 and to enhance tests to detect antibodies where people have recovered from Coronavrius are to also to benefit from funding totalling €1.4 million announced by Minister for Business , Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys .
UCC researchers at the INFANT Centre in Cork University Maternity Hospital , led by Prof Frédéric Adam and Dr Fergus McCarthy , will carry out a study using remote , connected technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without the need to attend hospital .
The project will potentially lead to the connected technology being used for maternity units across Ireland to safely monitor blood pressure in pregnancy , while reducing risk of Covid infection .
A project led by Prof Sean Doyle at Maynooth University will develop two new tests for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 .
“ The project will help to identify who has been exposed to the virus and who may have developed immunity to Covid-19 , ” he said .
The tests will also help to find people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donate them to protect others .
The project is in collaboration with the Irish Blood Transfusion Service and National Virus Reference Laboratory in UCD .
A team of scientists from Waterford Institute of Technology ’ s Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre and Eco-Innovation Research Centre have teamed up with University Hospital Waterford and BioEnz Technologies to improve the speed of Covid-19 testing .
“ The most reliable Covid-19 tests use a technique called polymerase chain reaction or PCR , ” explained project lead Dr Lee Coffey .
“ The virus is cracked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is extracted .
This is then copied over and over using PCR until it can be detected .
However the PCR step is slow and can take over two hours.
” They aim to bring test time down to under 30 minutes .
“ We also plan to validate the method on a wider range of equipment , thereby increasing the number of labs capable of testing for Covid-19 , ” he added .
Prof Andrew Parnell will lead a team at Maynooth University ’ s Hamilton Institute to generate computational tools to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of relaxing Covid-19 measures .
Computer models developed in this project will forecast the likelihood of spatial spread of the disease as travel routes re-open .
“ It will forecast the impact of testing for the virus at borders and of relaxing interventions of different types at home and abroad .
It will also forecast economic recovery by mapping financial indicators from multiple countries .
This will support a faster , safer recovery to normality , ” he said .
I-Form , the Science Foundation Ireland ( SFI ) Centre for Advanced Manufacturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding .
Within its Covid-19 rapid response digital manufacturing and innovation hub , it will rapidly design , manufacture and deliver urgently-needed PPE for frontline medical staff in hospitals and other healthcare settings .
Funding is under the rapid response research , development and innovation programme established by SFI ; Enterprise Ireland , IDA Ireland , the Health Research Board and Irish Research Council .
The announcement builds on the previous investment of €3.5million across 26 projects in universities and institutes of technology .
SFI director general Prof Mark Ferguson said the projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and responsive nature of the Irish research community .
“ This programme has been delivered by a high level of interagency and higher education institutional collaboration .
We are stronger when we work together , and we will continue to collaborate with our colleagues to share the latest knowledge , developments and innovations , and to support ideas that will generate solutions to the many challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.
” Other projects in TU Dublin ; NUI Galway , the University of Limerick and Trinity College Dublin have also received funding @

At the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing at University College Dublin, are (from left): Prof Wim Meijer; Heather Humphreys, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation; Prof Orla Feely, UCD vice-president for research, innovation and impact and Prof Mark Ferguson, director general Science Foundation Ireland. Photograph: Vincent Hoban
Scientists in University College Dublin are to evaluate the extent to which Covid-19 is ending up in sewage with a view to developing an early warning system for new waves of infection.
Their research project has received Government funding along with 10 other projects with a view to enhancing the State’s response to the pandemic.
Led by Prof Wim G Meijer the UCD team will examine the extent of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage and bodies of water such as wastewater treatment plants.
“This will provide insight into the prevalence of the virus in the community, and serve as an early warning system for a new wave of infection,” he explained.
READ MORE
The project also aims to work out what happens to the virus in nearby rivers, streams and sea, “including the waters where we swim”.
“We know faeces from people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus can contain genetic material (RNA) from the virus, and that it is possible to detect that viral RNA in sewage,” he added.
Faecal contamination
The research will benefit from the expertise of an existing project at UCD called Acclimatize, which determines the levels and origins of faecal contamination in Dublin Bay.
Research projects to enable remote blood-pressure monitoring in pregnancy; to develop quicker diagnostic tests for Covid-19 and to enhance tests to detect antibodies where people have recovered from Coronavrius are to also to benefit from funding totalling €1.4 million announced by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys.
UCC researchers at the INFANT Centre in Cork University Maternity Hospital, led by Prof Frédéric Adam and Dr Fergus McCarthy, will carry out a study using remote, connected technology to allow women monitor their blood pressure without the need to attend hospital.
The project will potentially lead to the connected technology being used for maternity units across Ireland to safely monitor blood pressure in pregnancy, while reducing risk of Covid infection.
A project led by Prof Sean Doyle at Maynooth University will develop two new tests for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. "The project will help to identify who has been exposed to the virus and who may have developed immunity to Covid-19," he said.
The tests will also help to find people with high levels of antibodies who can donate them to protect others. The project is in collaboration with the Irish Blood Transfusion Service and National Virus Reference Laboratory in UCD.
Testing
A team of scientists from Waterford Institute of Technology's Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre and Eco-Innovation Research Centre have teamed up with University Hospital Waterford and BioEnz Technologies to improve the speed of Covid-19 testing.
“The most reliable Covid-19 tests use a technique called polymerase chain reaction or PCR,” explained project lead Dr Lee Coffey. “The virus is cracked open and the genetic material or RNA is extracted. This is then copied over and over using PCR until it can be detected. However the PCR step is slow and can take over two hours.”
They aim to bring test time down to under 30 minutes. “We also plan to validate the method on a wider range of equipment, thereby increasing the number of labs capable of testing for Covid-19,” he added.
Prof Andrew Parnell will lead a team at Maynooth University's Hamilton Institute to generate computational tools to help Ireland predict health-related and economic consequences of relaxing Covid-19 measures.
Computer models developed in this project will forecast the likelihood of spatial spread of the disease as travel routes re-open. “It will forecast the impact of testing for the virus at borders and of relaxing interventions of different types at home and abroad. It will also forecast economic recovery by mapping financial indicators from multiple countries. This will support a faster, safer recovery to normality,” he said.
PPE
I-Form, the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Centre for Advanced Manufacturing at UCD, has secured €126,000 in funding . Within its Covid-19 rapid response digital manufacturing and innovation hub, it will rapidly design, manufacture and deliver urgently-needed PPE for frontline medical staff in hospitals and other healthcare settings.
Funding is under the rapid response research, development and innovation programme established by SFI; Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, the Health Research Board and Irish Research Council. The announcement builds on the previous investment of €3.5million across 26 projects in universities and institutes of technology.
SFI director general Prof Mark Ferguson said the projects exemplified the high international standards, agility and responsive nature of the Irish research community.
“This programme has been delivered by a high level of interagency and higher education institutional collaboration. We are stronger when we work together, and we will continue to collaborate with our colleagues to share the latest knowledge, developments and innovations, and to support ideas that will generate solutions to the many challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Other projects in TU Dublin; NUI Galway, the University of Limerick and Trinity College Dublin have also received funding.


theirishtimes--2020-06-12--Many students will struggle to find part-time jobs as costs drop only slightly

The projected cost of living for students away from home has dropped for the first time in a decade to just under €12,000 , according to a survey by Technological University Dublin .
The marginal decrease from €12,171 to €11,948.25 is primarily down to lower mobile costs and the curtailment of social activities due to Covid-19 .
The survey of over 1,500 students was completed last month .
Anxiety about infection/social distancing was the most cited concern expressed by students who took the survey , with financial concerns a close second .
The survey shows that while 63 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , only 36 per cent expect to have a job in the coming semester while 12 per cent of part-time students were also concerned about their finances .
Dr Brian Gormley , head of campus life at TU Dublin , said the coming academic year will be “ difficult financially for many families ” .
“ If you are experiencing financial hardship , contact the student assistance fund in your college , and they will do their best to provide advice and support , ” he said .
“ To respond to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TU Dublin is launching a campaign to raise funds to provide additional support for our students.
” Last year , the average national monthly rent for students was €469 while this year , the average figure has increased to €499 .
In Dublin , the average figure is projected to be €596 , compared with €574 last year .
“ There will be increased availability of spaces for students this year due to new student accommodation blocks opening ; a decrease in the numbers of international students ; and short-term lets returning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survey says .
“ According to the Daft.ie rental report 2020 , rents dropped by 2.1 per cent in April .
With a 40 per cent increase in supply in the private rental market for students , rents are expected to fall more this year.
” Other annual expenses for students living away from home include utilities ( €342 ) , food ( €1,530 ) , travel ( €1,114 ) , books ( €666 ) , clothes ( €351 ) , social life ( €338 ) and the student charge ( €3,000 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students staying at home this year is €6,305.25 .
Annual costs include contribution to utilities ( €279 ) , food ( €549 ) , travel ( €1,114 ) , books ( €522 ) , clothes ( €387 ) , social life ( €338 ) and the student charge ( €3,000 ) .

Last year, the average national monthly rent for students was €469 while this year, the average figure has increased to €499
The projected cost of living for students away from home has dropped for the first time in a decade to just under €12,000, according to a survey by Technological University Dublin.
The marginal decrease from €12,171 to €11,948.25 is primarily down to lower mobile costs and the curtailment of social activities due to Covid-19. The survey of over 1,500 students was completed last month.
Anxiety about infection/social distancing was the most cited concern expressed by students who took the survey, with financial concerns a close second.
The survey shows that while 63 per cent of students had part-time work last year, only 36 per cent expect to have a job in the coming semester while 12 per cent of part-time students were also concerned about their finances.
READ MORE
Dr Brian Gormley, head of campus life at TU Dublin, said the coming academic year will be "difficult financially for many families".
“If you are experiencing financial hardship, contact the student assistance fund in your college, and they will do their best to provide advice and support,” he said.
“To respond to the challenges faced by students during Covid-19, TU Dublin is launching a campaign to raise funds to provide additional support for our students.”
Last year, the average national monthly rent for students was €469 while this year, the average figure has increased to €499. In Dublin, the average figure is projected to be €596, compared with €574 last year.
“There will be increased availability of spaces for students this year due to new student accommodation blocks opening; a decrease in the numbers of international students; and short-term lets returning to the long-term rental market,” the survey says.
“According to the Daft.ie rental report 2020, rents dropped by 2.1 per cent in April. With a 40 per cent increase in supply in the private rental market for students, rents are expected to fall more this year.”
Other annual expenses for students living away from home include utilities (€342), food (€1,530), travel (€1,114), books (€666), clothes (€351), social life (€338) and the student charge (€3,000).
The projected cost of living for students staying at home this year is €6,305.25. Annual costs include contribution to utilities (€279), food (€549), travel (€1,114), books (€522), clothes (€387), social life (€338) and the student charge (€3,000).


theirishtimes--2020-06-12--Coronavirus: Nursing home visits ‘may resume next week’

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has said people may be able to visit relatives in nursing homes from next week .
Nursing homes have been given guidance and advice on allowing visitors and should be in a position to implement that advice from next week he told RTÉ radio ’ s Morning Ireland .
The scale of deaths in care home settings in Ireland was at the lower end when compared to the experience of other European countries , he said , adding Ireland was being compared to countries that had not reported Covid-19 deaths as comprehensively .
Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the wearing of face coverings needed to be stepped up .
A campaign was being unveiled to advise the public on the importance of wearing face coverings on public transport , in shops and in places where physical distancing was difficult to maintain .
To date there had been a very high level of compliance by the public , and the virus had been suppressed , but face coverings were just one measure on which there should be more focus , he said .
There had been a decrease in the level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected passing it on to fewer people , he added .
If there was a resurgence of the virus , Dr Holohan said he would not propose restrictions like those introduced in March because comparisons could be made by looking at the experiences of other countries and the population ’ s behaviour .
“ We would know what specific measures to take.
” As other countries had eased restrictions , there had been downward trends of rates of transmission across most European countries , he added .
Earlier on Newstalk Breakfast Dr Holohan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complacent while wearing face masks .
“ One of things we do have concern about is that if people feel if they wear a mask , it ’ s a little bit like a hurling helmet – are you going to put yourself in more danger when you have a helmet on because you feel a little bit more invincible.
” He said it was important people not think like that .
Face masks were an added measure on top of other measures that were important like hand hygiene and physical distancing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his local Dunnes Stores he wore a face mask .
“ I don ’ t particularly like doing it myself , if I ’ m very honest with you.
” On the issue of working from home Dr Holohan urged anyone who can work from home to continue to do so .
“ People shouldn ’ t drift back to work on the basis that they ’ re now coming back to the office because the risk of this has receded .
“ They need to work from home where possible – but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work places that that isn ’ t possible , and that other measures have to be taken to try and provide protection for people in work place settings.
” Ireland has “ almost zero ” new cases of Covid-19 and all indicators of the disease are either stable or declining , three weeks into the easing of restrictions , public-health officials have said .
Vowing to “ go as low as we possibly can ” towards eliminating the disease , chief medical officer Dr Holohan said he did not believe there were hidden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the small number of daily cases now being reported .
The National Public Health Emergency Team will meet next Thursday to finalise advice to Government on the “ rephasing ” of the easing of restrictions .
Its recommendations are expected to provide further clarity on a variety of issues , including a possible easing of the two-metre social-distancing rule , the reopening of hairdressers , rules around weddings and the reopening of the offshore islands .

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he would prefer to rely on the willingness of Irish people to comply with guidelines on masks rather than to go into a situation where people were being ordered to comply. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
The Government is exploring the possibility of making face masks compulsory on public transport.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on Friday that work is being done to see if wearing masks can be “a condition of travel on public transport”.
He said that achieving that was not entirely straightforward as there were public transport bylaws, health laws and other considerations.
He said there were pluses and minuses to making the wearing of masks mandatory. He said they were not suitable for children under 13, or those with breathing difficulties, or for some with disabilities.
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He said the Government had given very strong advice they should be worn in places with restricted space and on public transport. He said he would prefer to rely on the willingness of Irish people to comply with guidelines rather than to go into a situation where people were being ordered to comply.
“I really don’t want to be into a position where we are fining or prosecuting people for not wearing face masks.
“We ask people to follow public health advice.
“What we are saying to people is do not get into that space [where non-compliance leads to laws on face masks].
“If you are on public transport wear a mask for face covering,” he said.
Leo Varadkar has previously raised the prospect of opening up air corridors or air bridges, which would effectively allow Irish people to go on foreign holidays to certain countries. File photograph: Kate Geraghty
The Cabinet is also considering partially lifting the 14-day quarantine period for people arriving into Ireland from countries where the coronavirus is under control on June 29th.
Mr Varadkar has previously raised the prospect of opening up such air corridors or air bridges, which would effectively allow Irish people to go on foreign holidays to certain countries.
It is understood the initial phase would only apply to European Union countries.
While a decision was not expected to be taken by the Cabinet during its meeting on Friday, it is understood a memo to the meeting envisaged the quarantine period for such countries would be dropped when Phase 3 of the Covid-19 restrictions starts on June 29th.
On Thursday, Mr Varadkar said Ireland might be almost fully open by the middle of July, rather than the middle of August. He told the Dáil the positivity rate in tests for coronavirus was less than 1 per cent, down from a peak of 20 per cent.
Progress in fighting the virus, which has claimed more than 1,700 lives in Ireland, has prompted the Government to bring forward the easing of restrictions. A new roadmap for easing restrictions was announced last Friday.
Nursing home visits
Earlier on Friday, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said people might be able to visit relatives in nursing homes from next week.
Nursing homes have been given guidance and advice on allowing visitors and should be in a position to implement that advice from next week he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
The scale of deaths in care home settings in the Republic was at the lower end when compared with the experience of other European countries, he said, adding Ireland was being compared with countries that had not reported Covid-19 deaths as comprehensively.
Dr Holohan also said the clarity of communication on the wearing of face coverings needed to be stepped up. A campaign was being unveiled to advise the public on the importance of wearing face coverings on public transport, in shops and in places where physical distancing was difficult to maintain.
To date, there had been a very high level of compliance by the public, and the virus had been suppressed, but face coverings were just one measure on which there should be more focus, he said.
There had been a decrease in the level of transmission with each person who was infected passing it on to fewer people, he added.
If there was a resurgence of the virus, Dr Holohan said he would not propose restrictions like those introduced in March because comparisons could be made by looking at the experiences of other countries and the population’s behaviour. “We would know what specific measures to take.”
As other countries had eased restrictions, there had been downward trends of rates of transmission across most European countries, he added.
Earlier on Newstalk Breakfast, Dr Holohan had warned that people should not become complacent while wearing face masks.
“One of things we do have concern about is that if people feel if they wear a mask, it’s a little bit like a hurling helmet – are you going to put yourself in more danger when you have a helmet on because you feel a little bit more invincible.”
He said it was important people did not think like that. Face masks were an added measure on top of other measures that were important such as hand hygiene and physical distancing.
Dr Holohan said that when he visited his local Dunnes Stores he wore a face mask. “I don’t particularly like doing it myself, if I’m very honest with you.”
On the issue of working from home, Dr Holohan urged anyone who can work from home to continue to do so. “People shouldn’t drift back to work on the basis that they’re now coming back to the office because the risk of this has receded.
“They need to work from home where possible – but we know that [in] some work places that that isn’t possible, and that other measures have to be taken to try and provide protection for people in work place settings.”
Ireland has “almost zero” new cases of Covid-19 and all indicators of the disease are either stable or declining, three weeks into the easing of restrictions, public-health officials have said.
Vowing to “go as low as we possibly can” towards eliminating the disease, Dr Holohan said he did not believe there were hidden clusters “out there”, separate from the small number of daily cases now being reported.
The National Public Health Emergency Team will meet next Thursday to finalise advice to Government on the “rephasing” of the easing of restrictions.
Its recommendations are expected to provide further clarity on a variety of issues, including a possible easing of the two-metre social-distancing rule, the reopening of hairdressers, rules around weddings and the reopening of the offshore islands.


theirishtimes--2020-06-12--Cork GAA to confiscate Confederate flags from fans attending matches

Confederate flags will be confiscated from any Cork fans attending hurling and football matches in Cork whenever games resume in front of fans , Cork County Board chairwoman Tracey Kennedy confirmed on Friday .
Ms Kennedy told The Irish Times that she believed that an appeal made by her predecessor Ger Lane in 2017 urging Cork fans not to fly the Confederate flag in support of Cork teams amounted to a ban on fans flying it .
The flag has associations with slavery and racism in the Deep South in the US .
“ As far as I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ger ’ s statement in 2017 was very clear when he asked our supporters not to bring the flag to our grounds , not to use the flag , so as far as I ’ m concerned , it is banned .
“ I ’ m happy to make that position explicit and say it ’ s banned from our grounds .
It has no place in our grounds or in supporting Cork teams .
We ’ re a community association and every part of the community is welcome in the GAA.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground of Pairc Uí Chaoimh would be confiscating the Confederate flag from any fans before they enter the ground and , if they did bring it into the ground and fly it , stewards would also confiscate it , she said .
Ms Kennedy said that while she believed the flag was effectively already banned by the Cork County Board , she would be happy , if necessary , to bring a motion to the board when meetings resume seeking a formal ban .
Ms Kennedy was commenting after the National Association for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US decided to ban the Confederate flag from all its races and properties because of its racist associations .
Nascar , which is headquartered at Daytona Beach , Florida , took the decision to ban the flag in the wake of growing protests over racism in the US following the death of African-American George Floyd ( 46 ) who died in on May 25th after a white police officer in Minneapolis held him down by pressing his knee into his neck for almost nine minutes .
The issue was pushed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lone black driver Bubba Wallace called for the banishment of the Confederate flag and said there was “ no place ” for it in the sport and Nascar agreed to ban it .
“ The presence of the Confederate flag at Nascar events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans , our competitors and our industry , ” said Nascar .
“ Bringing people together , around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag will be prohibited from all Nascar events and properties.
” Use has diminished at games Ms Kennedy said she believed instances of Cork fans flying of the Confederate flag at games had diminished hugely since Mr Lane made his appeal in 2017 and she was not personally aware of any instance of it being flown at games .
Cork GAA had no control over what happens to the flag , with its blue saltire and white stars on a red field , when Cork teams play in other stadia but she re-iterated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed in Pairc Uí Chaoimh .
Asked if Cork GAA would consider banning fans , who fly the flag , from going to games as some Premier League soccer clubs in England have done following racist chanting , Ms Kennedy said Cork GAA did not have the power to ban fans .
“ We , as a county board don ’ t have power to ban fans - that ’ s something that would have to be imposed at national level by the GAA - we can confiscate flags but we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ms Kennedy ’ s comments came as Joe Moore of the Cork Anti-Racism Network re-iterated a call he first made in 2004 for the flag to be banned at Cork GAA matches because of its association with slavery and racism in the Deep South .
Mr Moore , speaking then on behalf of the Socialist Workers Party of which he is still a member , urged the Cork County Board to ban the flag but his call was ignored and prompted something of a backlash on social media in 2004 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be banned back in 2004 but it fell on deaf ears at the time and people were dismissive of the call but it is well beyond time now for Cork GAA to come out and ban it , ” he said .
“ The Stars and Bars was the flag of the Confederacy which tried to secede from the United States back in 1861 in order to maintain slavery as the basis of their economy and they fought a civil war over it .
“ And since the late 19th century and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a flag that has been used by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups so there should be no argument here about banning it .
“ I know some Cork fans will say there ’ s a rebel connection but Rebel Cork stems from Cork ’ s role in an anti-imperialist rebellion rather than from a rebellion to protect slavery so that argument doesn ’ t stand up.
” Mr Moore said the issue was all the more important given the number of young black Irish children playing Gaelic games and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than American in origin , it still had racist implications for them .
“ Those kids are coming from an African background rather than an American background but the people who were enslaved in the US by those who pledged their loyalty to the Stars and Bars also came from African backgrounds.
” Mr Moore said the Confederate flag was just as offensive to people of African origin as a Nazi flag , which also has a red background , would be to Jewish people and should simply be banned forthwith by Cork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long tradition of adopting all kinds of red flags including the Stars and Stripes , Turkish flags , Chinese flags , the Rising Sun flag of the Imperial Japanese army from the second World War and flags bearing the image of Che Guevara .

Confederate flags will be confiscated from any Cork fans attending hurling and football matches in Cork whenever games resume in front of fans, Cork County Board chairwoman Tracey Kennedy confirmed on Friday.
Ms Kennedy told The Irish Times that she believed that an appeal made by her predecessor Ger Lane in 2017 urging Cork fans not to fly the Confederate flag in support of Cork teams amounted to a ban on fans flying it. The flag has associations with slavery and racism in the Deep South in the US.
“As far as I’m concerned, the Confederate flag is banned. Ger’s statement in 2017 was very clear when he asked our supporters not to bring the flag to our grounds, not to use the flag, so as far as I’m concerned, it is banned.
“I’m happy to make that position explicit and say it’s banned from our grounds. It has no place in our grounds or in supporting Cork teams. We’re a community association and every part of the community is welcome in the GAA.”
READ MORE
Stewards at Cork’s home ground of Pairc Uí Chaoimh would be confiscating the Confederate flag from any fans before they enter the ground and, if they did bring it into the ground and fly it, stewards would also confiscate it, she said.
Ms Kennedy said that while she believed the flag was effectively already banned by the Cork County Board, she would be happy, if necessary, to bring a motion to the board when meetings resume seeking a formal ban.
Ms Kennedy was commenting after the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (Nascar) in the US decided to ban the Confederate flag from all its races and properties because of its racist associations.
Nascar, which is headquartered at Daytona Beach, Florida, took the decision to ban the flag in the wake of growing protests over racism in the US following the death of African-American George Floyd (46) who died in on May 25th after a white police officer in Minneapolis held him down by pressing his knee into his neck for almost nine minutes.
The issue was pushed to the fore this week as Nascar's lone black driver Bubba Wallace called for the banishment of the Confederate flag and said there was "no place" for it in the sport and Nascar agreed to ban it.
“The presence of the Confederate flag at Nascar events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry,” said Nascar.
“Bringing people together, around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all Nascar events and properties.”
Use has diminished at games
Ms Kennedy said she believed instances of Cork fans flying of the Confederate flag at games had diminished hugely since Mr Lane made his appeal in 2017 and she was not personally aware of any instance of it being flown at games.
Cork GAA had no control over what happens to the flag, with its blue saltire and white stars on a red field, when Cork teams play in other stadia but she re-iterated that flying the flag would not be allowed in Pairc Uí Chaoimh.
Asked if Cork GAA would consider banning fans, who fly the flag, from going to games as some Premier League soccer clubs in England have done following racist chanting, Ms Kennedy said Cork GAA did not have the power to ban fans.
“We, as a county board don’t have power to ban fans - that’s something that would have to be imposed at national level by the GAA - we can confiscate flags but we don’t have the power to sanction people.”
Ms Kennedy's comments came as Joe Moore of the Cork Anti-Racism Network re-iterated a call he first made in 2004 for the flag to be banned at Cork GAA matches because of its association with slavery and racism in the Deep South.
Mr Moore, speaking then on behalf of the Socialist Workers Party of which he is still a member, urged the Cork County Board to ban the flag but his call was ignored and prompted something of a backlash on social media in 2004.
“I called for the Stars and Bars to be banned back in 2004 but it fell on deaf ears at the time and people were dismissive of the call but it is well beyond time now for Cork GAA to come out and ban it,” he said.
"The Stars and Bars was the flag of the Confederacy which tried to secede from the United States back in 1861 in order to maintain slavery as the basis of their economy and they fought a civil war over it.
"And since the late 19th century and early 20th century, it's a flag that has been used by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups so there should be no argument here about banning it.
"I know some Cork fans will say there's a rebel connection but Rebel Cork stems from Cork's role in an anti-imperialist rebellion rather than from a rebellion to protect slavery so that argument doesn't stand up."
Mr Moore said the issue was all the more important given the number of young black Irish children playing Gaelic games and while their families may be African rather than American in origin, it still had racist implications for them.
“Those kids are coming from an African background rather than an American background but the people who were enslaved in the US by those who pledged their loyalty to the Stars and Bars also came from African backgrounds.”
Mr Moore said the Confederate flag was just as offensive to people of African origin as a Nazi flag, which also has a red background, would be to Jewish people and should simply be banned forthwith by Cork County Board.
Cork fans have a long tradition of adopting all kinds of red flags including the Stars and Stripes, Turkish flags, Chinese flags, the Rising Sun flag of the Imperial Japanese army from the second World War and flags bearing the image of Che Guevara.