theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Equipment shortfall brings test results down to 1,500 a day

The number of Covid-19 test results being produced at laboratories around the country is 1,500 per day as a significant shortfall in testing equipment hits Ireland .
The figure is just 10 per cent of the Government ’ s stated goal of 15,000 test results being produced per day .
A Department of Health spokeswoman on Tuesday night said the goal remained and it was hoped it could be achieved by mid-April .
The level of testing was confirmed on Tuesday night by Dr Cillian De Gascun , head of the National Virus Reference Laboratory ( NVRL ) and chair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisory group , who blamed a global shortage in equipment for the fall-off in tests .
“ Over the last week we have seen a significant fall-off in the number of tests provided because of the shortfall in global supplies , so we ’ re probably in or around 1,500 per day , that ’ s across the country , ” he said .
The figure of 1,500 contrasts with that offered by the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) , which as recently as Sunday said that it was working through referrals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per day ” .
The difference between the two figures is because the HSE referenced swabs taken at the sampling points that have been set up around the country , rather than lab results being put out .
Latest figures released by the HSE show that the current rate of swabs being captured is also significantly below 5,000 .
In a statement released to The Irish Times on Tuesday evening , the HSE said testing centres had performed “ in excess of 2,000 tests across the country ” on Tuesday .
The HSE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some test centres were closed and hundreds of appointments were cancelled , “ testing centres have been open today , as needed ” .
After the supply of sampling kits ran low in recent days , the HSE said “ a plentiful supply of swabbing kits and patient volumes being referred for swabbing can easily be processed by existing testing centres ” .
However , the health service echoed Dr De Gascun ’ s views on the availability of lab supplies .
“ We are experiencing challenges in terms of securing supplies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as referenced in the international media , this is a global problem , with major suppliers having to ration supplies across the world.
” Amid reports of long delays of 10 days or more for test results , the HSE said it “ apologise [ S ) ] to all those awaiting test results and we wish to assure the public that we are making every endeavour to improve turnaround times within the current international constraints ” .
It reminded people that regardless of delays , symptomatic people and those awaiting results should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frontline staff working in hospitals have expressed concerns at delays in processing coronavirus tests for healthcare workers .
Claire Kennedy , a psychiatric nurse in a Dublin hospital , has been out of work for a week awaiting the results of a coronavirus test .
She developed symptoms such as a shortness of breath at the start of last week , and was tested on Thursday under a fast-track system for healthcare workers .
“ I was tested last Thursday , so it ’ s five days now ...
I just want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The Irish Times .
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation ( INMO ) has said it was unacceptable frontline workers were waiting for up to a week to get test results back .
“ Priority testing also makes sense for the health service , ensuring that much-needed workers aren ’ t simply waiting for tests , unable to provide care , ” an INMO spokesman said .

A Government spokesperson has said that while not all coronavirus test centres are open the HSE has a sufficient amount of centres open to meet current demand. Video: RTÉ
The number of Covid-19 test results being produced at laboratories around the country is 1,500 per day as a significant shortfall in testing equipment hits Ireland.
The figure is just 10 per cent of the Government's stated goal of 15,000 test results being produced per day. A Department of Health spokeswoman on Tuesday night said the goal remained and it was hoped it could be achieved by mid-April.
The level of testing was confirmed on Tuesday night by Dr Cillian De Gascun, head of the National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL) and chair of the State's Covid-19 expert advisory group, who blamed a global shortage in equipment for the fall-off in tests.
“Over the last week we have seen a significant fall-off in the number of tests provided because of the shortfall in global supplies, so we’re probably in or around 1,500 per day, that’s across the country,” he said.
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The figure of 1,500 contrasts with that offered by the Health Service Executive (HSE), which as recently as Sunday said that it was working through referrals "at a rate of about 5,000 per day". The difference between the two figures is because the HSE referenced swabs taken at the sampling points that have been set up around the country, rather than lab results being put out.
Testing centres
Latest figures released by the HSE show that the current rate of swabs being captured is also significantly below 5,000. In a statement released to The Irish Times on Tuesday evening, the HSE said testing centres had performed “in excess of 2,000 tests across the country” on Tuesday.
The HSE said that after two days during which some test centres were closed and hundreds of appointments were cancelled, “testing centres have been open today, as needed”.
After the supply of sampling kits ran low in recent days, the HSE said “a plentiful supply of swabbing kits and patient volumes being referred for swabbing can easily be processed by existing testing centres”.
However, the health service echoed Dr De Gascun’s views on the availability of lab supplies.
“We are experiencing challenges in terms of securing supplies of reagent for testing laboratories . . . as referenced in the international media, this is a global problem, with major suppliers having to ration supplies across the world.”
Amid reports of long delays of 10 days or more for test results, the HSE said it “apologise[S)] to all those awaiting test results and we wish to assure the public that we are making every endeavour to improve turnaround times within the current international constraints”.
Self-isolate
It reminded people that regardless of delays, symptomatic people and those awaiting results should self-isolate for 14 days.
Meanwhile, frontline staff working in hospitals have expressed concerns at delays in processing coronavirus tests for healthcare workers.
Claire Kennedy, a psychiatric nurse in a Dublin hospital, has been out of work for a week awaiting the results of a coronavirus test.
She developed symptoms such as a shortness of breath at the start of last week, and was tested on Thursday under a fast-track system for healthcare workers.
“I was tested last Thursday, so it’s five days now... I just want to get back to work,” she told The Irish Times.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said it was unacceptable frontline workers were waiting for up to a week to get test results back.
“Priority testing also makes sense for the health service, ensuring that much-needed workers aren’t simply waiting for tests, unable to provide care,” an INMO spokesman said.


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes, hospitals to be tackled in new plans

Public health officials are to ramp up efforts to tackle coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and hospitals in response to a large increase of clusters of the disease in residential settings .
Tuesday saw the highest daily figures yet for deaths and newly confirmed cases of Covid-19 , though the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) said the figures were in line with current trends .
Another 17 patients – 13 men and four women – diagnosed with Covid-19 have died , officials reported on Tuesday evening .
Eight of the deaths occurred in the east of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three in the northwest , and three in the west .
The median age of the deaths reported is 84 , and eight of the patients were reported as having underlying health conditions .
In Northern Ireland , six additional deaths were recorded , bringing the number of fatalities in the North to 28 .
And total cases reached 586 .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the restrictive measures introduced this month had helped halve the daily increase in case numbers , but the NPHET now wanted to interrupt the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as nursing homes and other residential accommodations , and hospitals .
“ The measures that we have recommended today should significantly enhance the preparedness and response to cases and outbreaks in nursing homes and other residential settings , ” Dr Holohan said .
Among the measures expected to be introduced are increased availability of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) and health checks for nursing home staff .
Outbreak teams are to be set up to combat specific clusters of the disease , and the Health Information and Quality Authority and the Mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institutions .
Consideration is also being given to providing separate accommodation for some nursing home and hospital staff in order to minimise the risk of onward transmission of the virus .
Restrictions may be introduced to discourage locum staff from working in too many different locations .
For the first time , a detailed breakdown has been provided of coronavirus-related deaths .
Of the total of 71 deaths , 52 were male and 19 female .
Some 83 per cent were over the age of 70 years , and two-thirds were in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have died , 54 had underlying health conditions .
Some 325 new cases of the disease were also reported on Tuesday , bringing the total number of cases to 3,235 .
This is well under the 15,000 forecast a month ago in an “ unmitigated scenario ” where no restrictive measures were introduced .
To date , 30,213 Covid-19 tests have been carried out on patients , according to NPHET .
Officials acknowledged there had been a “ significant fall-off ” in the number of people tested because of supply problems relating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gascun , director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory , acknowledged some people in the community were having to wait seven to 10 days to be tested .
He said the number of tests being carried out daily had fallen to 1,500 but said the plan remained to ramp up testing to 10,000-15,000 tests a day .
Meanwhile , regulations allowing An Garda Síochána to arrest people who are not complying with the Government ’ s policies on social distancing are expected to be signed shortly , possibly as early as Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital project stopped after it was deemed not to be an essential construction service .
The main contractor , Bam Ireland , said it stopped work immediately after getting confirmation of the non-essential status of the project from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board .
Separately , Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are to agree a memorandum of understanding which will formalise cross-Border collaboration over the response to coronavirus .
It is understood the agreement will be signed by the chief medical officers in the respective jurisdictions in the coming days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK reported their highest daily death tolls from coronavirus on Tuesday as the number of fatalities in the US passed those in China .
Spain registered 849 fatalities related to coronavirus overnight – the highest number in 24 hours since the epidemic started .

Public health officials are to ramp up efforts to tackle coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and hospitals. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Public health officials are to ramp up efforts to tackle coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and hospitals in response to a large increase of clusters of the disease in residential settings.
Tuesday saw the highest daily figures yet for deaths and newly confirmed cases of Covid-19, though the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) said the figures were in line with current trends.
Another 17 patients – 13 men and four women – diagnosed with Covid-19 have died, officials reported on Tuesday evening.
Eight of the deaths occurred in the east of the country, three in the south, three in the northwest, and three in the west.
READ MORE
The median age of the deaths reported is 84, and eight of the patients were reported as having underlying health conditions.
In Northern Ireland, six additional deaths were recorded, bringing the number of fatalities in the North to 28. And total cases reached 586.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the restrictive measures introduced this month had helped halve the daily increase in case numbers, but the NPHET now wanted to interrupt the spread of the virus in institutional settings such as nursing homes and other residential accommodations, and hospitals.
“The measures that we have recommended today should significantly enhance the preparedness and response to cases and outbreaks in nursing homes and other residential settings,” Dr Holohan said.
Among the measures expected to be introduced are increased availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and health checks for nursing home staff. Outbreak teams are to be set up to combat specific clusters of the disease, and the Health Information and Quality Authority and the Mental Health Commission are to risk assess residential institutions.
Separate accommodation
Consideration is also being given to providing separate accommodation for some nursing home and hospital staff in order to minimise the risk of onward transmission of the virus. Restrictions may be introduced to discourage locum staff from working in too many different locations.
For the first time, a detailed breakdown has been provided of coronavirus-related deaths. Of the total of 71 deaths, 52 were male and 19 female. Some 83 per cent were over the age of 70 years, and two-thirds were in the east of the country. Of those who have died, 54 had underlying health conditions.
Some 325 new cases of the disease were also reported on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 3,235. This is well under the 15,000 forecast a month ago in an “unmitigated scenario” where no restrictive measures were introduced.
To date, 30,213 Covid-19 tests have been carried out on patients, according to NPHET.
Officials acknowledged there had been a “significant fall-off” in the number of people tested because of supply problems relating to testing kits.
Dr Cillian de Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, acknowledged some people in the community were having to wait seven to 10 days to be tested.
He said the number of tests being carried out daily had fallen to 1,500 but said the plan remained to ramp up testing to 10,000-15,000 tests a day.
Garda powers
Meanwhile, regulations allowing An Garda Síochána to arrest people who are not complying with the Government's policies on social distancing are expected to be signed shortly, possibly as early as Wednesday.
Construction on the national children’s hospital project stopped after it was deemed not to be an essential construction service.
The main contractor, Bam Ireland, said it stopped work immediately after getting confirmation of the non-essential status of the project from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board.
Separately, Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are to agree a memorandum of understanding which will formalise cross-Border collaboration over the response to coronavirus.
It is understood the agreement will be signed by the chief medical officers in the respective jurisdictions in the coming days.
Internationally, Spain, France and the UK reported their highest daily death tolls from coronavirus on Tuesday as the number of fatalities in the US passed those in China.
Spain registered 849 fatalities related to coronavirus overnight – the highest number in 24 hours since the epidemic started.


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Nearly 1,000 nurses and doctors added to medical registers

Some 800 additional nurses and midwives have registered to practise here in the past two weeks , bringing the active number on the Irish Nursing and Midwifery Register to its highest ever level .
The register has surpassed 78,000 active nurses and midwives for the first time , following a surge of applications from healthcare workers looking to help tackle the coronavirus outbreak in the State .
Some 540 nurses and midwives applied to return to active service following a recent decision to waive the re-registration fee in light of the pandemic .
Some 139 doctors have also applied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past two weeks .
Half of those doctors are re-registering to practise in Ireland after working abroad , while the other half are coming out of retirement or returning to medicine from a different field .
“ The figure only includes those who were not active on the register .
If a doctor still had their registration up to date but were outside the jurisdiction , they do not have to re-register , ” a spokesman for the Medical Council said .
This figure would also not include doctors returning to practise medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in academia , on research , or who were semi- or fully retired , he said .
The Health Service Executive ( HSE ) said 60,000 people responded to a call for healthcare workers to assist in the response to the crisis .
This figure includes healthcare workers who have left the field , retired , are working outside of the public system , or who were working abroad .
The HSE said it had begun a recruitment process including interviews and professional registration checks on March 20th .
A spokeswoman for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were not healthcare professionals , and it was “ seeking people with various skill sets ” in its recruitment campaign .

Preparations are under way for an isolation and step-down facility at the Conference Centre at Citywest Hotel, Dublin. Photograph: Leon Farrell/ PA Wire
Some 800 additional nurses and midwives have registered to practise here in the past two weeks, bringing the active number on the Irish Nursing and Midwifery Register to its highest ever level.
The register has surpassed 78,000 active nurses and midwives for the first time, following a surge of applications from healthcare workers looking to help tackle the coronavirus outbreak in the State.
Some 540 nurses and midwives applied to return to active service following a recent decision to waive the re-registration fee in light of the pandemic.
Some 139 doctors have also applied to re-register with the Medical Council over the past two weeks. Half of those doctors are re-registering to practise in Ireland after working abroad, while the other half are coming out of retirement or returning to medicine from a different field.
READ MORE
“The figure only includes those who were not active on the register. If a doctor still had their registration up to date but were outside the jurisdiction, they do not have to re-register,” a spokesman for the Medical Council said.
This figure would also not include doctors returning to practise medicine who remained on the register while working in academia, on research, or who were semi- or fully retired, he said.
Recruitment process
The Health Service Executive (HSE) said 60,000 people responded to a call for healthcare workers to assist in the response to the crisis.
This figure includes healthcare workers who have left the field, retired, are working outside of the public system, or who were working abroad. The HSE said it had begun a recruitment process including interviews and professional registration checks on March 20th.
A spokeswoman for the HSE confirmed the figure also included people who were not healthcare professionals, and it was “seeking people with various skill sets” in its recruitment campaign.


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Cross-Border workers denied Covid-19 emergency benefit, TDs say

Thousands of cross-Border workers are being refused emergency Covid-19 payments because they live in Northern Ireland , TDs from the region say .
Donegal deputy Thomas Pringle said he had been inundated with distressed people contacting him after being denied the payment .
He said workers laid-off from the tourism , hospitality , retail and food sectors were most affected .
“ These include people who have worked all their lives in the South , worked for 20 or 30 years , paid their taxes , paid everything .
Now they are being excluded from the emergency payment simply because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Up to 30,000 so-called “ frontier workers ” live in one of the island ’ s jurisdictions and work in the other .
Under European Union rules , they were traditionally allowed to generate social insurance contributions in both jurisdictions which could be combined for entitlement to benefits and pensions , and exported to different EU states .
However , the UK left the bloc on January 31st .
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection confirmed the emergency Covid-19 payment is only available to people working and resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to queries about the number of workers being denied the payment because they live in the North .
Under EU rules for frontier workers , the “ competent State for a person living in Northern Ireland and working in Ireland who is laid off is the State of residence ( in this case Northern Ireland ) and they would not be entitled to the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment , ” a department spokeswoman said .
“ Where a person who lives in Ireland and works in Northern Ireland loses their employment the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( in this case Ireland ) and they can apply for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
” Mr Pringle said he had a conference call last Wednesday with department officials who “ didn ’ t know anything about ” the “ great number of people ” being refused the payment .
Officials contacted him on Tuesday and confirmed that those resident in the North do not qualify for the payment .
“ It makes a mockery of the Good Friday Agreement .
.
.
as the Irish State , we should be making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
He said many faced waiting until late April to find out if they will be paid under the UK system .
“ That means they have no choice but to get loans.
” Sinn Féin Donegal TD Pádraig MacLochlainn said “ thousands of workers who have lost their jobs are being left to the dole in the North , and it is an absolute disgrace ” .
Basic unemployment payments in the North range from £57.90 ( €65.40 ) and £73.10 ( €82.57 ) a week .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting €350 a week while another working beside them has to claim maybe £70 , ” said Mr MacLochlainn .
Among those affected is Rosanne Martin ( 37 ) from Belleek , Co Fermanagh .
She has worked as a hairdresser for 21 years in Co Donegal and her employer in Bundoran closed two weeks ago due to the Government ’ s pandemic advice .
She applied for the Covid-19 payment and said she heard a couple of days later “ that the criteria had changed ” and “ you had to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 years I ’ ve worked between Bundoran and Ballyshannon .
I ’ ve paid all my taxes and stamps in the South .
Where has that money gone ?
” she said .
“ I don ’ t know who to turn to or who to ask .
I ’ m just hoping something changes , because I ’ m really stuck.
” Ms Martin said she could apply for support in the North , which she estimates would be around £90 a week given she has two children .
“ My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to work , ” she said .

A border crossing point at Ballynacarry Bridge, Co Monaghan. Thousands of cross-border workers are being refused Covid-19 payments because they live in the North, TDs from the region say. File photograph: Alan Betson
Thousands of cross-Border workers are being refused emergency Covid-19 payments because they live in Northern Ireland, TDs from the region say.
Donegal deputy Thomas Pringle said he had been inundated with distressed people contacting him after being denied the payment. He said workers laid-off from the tourism, hospitality, retail and food sectors were most affected.
“These include people who have worked all their lives in the South, worked for 20 or 30 years, paid their taxes, paid everything. Now they are being excluded from the emergency payment simply because they live in the North,” he said.
Up to 30,000 so-called “frontier workers” live in one of the island’s jurisdictions and work in the other.
READ MORE
Under European Union rules, they were traditionally allowed to generate social insurance contributions in both jurisdictions which could be combined for entitlement to benefits and pensions, and exported to different EU states. However, the UK left the bloc on January 31st.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection confirmed the emergency Covid-19 payment is only available to people working and resident in the State. It did not respond to queries about the number of workers being denied the payment because they live in the North.
Frontier workers
Under EU rules for frontier workers, the “competent State for a person living in Northern Ireland and working in Ireland who is laid off is the State of residence (in this case Northern Ireland) and they would not be entitled to the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment,” a department spokeswoman said.
“Where a person who lives in Ireland and works in Northern Ireland loses their employment the State of residence is the competent State (in this case Ireland) and they can apply for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.”
Mr Pringle said he had a conference call last Wednesday with department officials who “didn’t know anything about” the “great number of people” being refused the payment. Officials contacted him on Tuesday and confirmed that those resident in the North do not qualify for the payment.
“It makes a mockery of the Good Friday Agreement . . . as the Irish State, we should be making these payments available to all workers impacted,” he said.
He said many faced waiting until late April to find out if they will be paid under the UK system. “That means they have no choice but to get loans.”
Sinn Féin Donegal TD Pádraig MacLochlainn said “thousands of workers who have lost their jobs are being left to the dole in the North, and it is an absolute disgrace”. Basic unemployment payments in the North range from £57.90 (€65.40) and £73.10 (€82.57) a week.
“One worker laid off in Donegal is getting €350 a week while another working beside them has to claim maybe £70,” said Mr MacLochlainn.
Criteria changes
Among those affected is Rosanne Martin (37) from Belleek, Co Fermanagh. She has worked as a hairdresser for 21 years in Co Donegal and her employer in Bundoran closed two weeks ago due to the Government’s pandemic advice.
She applied for the Covid-19 payment and said she heard a couple of days later “that the criteria had changed” and “you had to live in southern Ireland”.
“For 21 years I’ve worked between Bundoran and Ballyshannon. I’ve paid all my taxes and stamps in the South. Where has that money gone?” she said.
“I don’t know who to turn to or who to ask. I’m just hoping something changes, because I’m really stuck.”
Ms Martin said she could apply for support in the North, which she estimates would be around £90 a week given she has two children.
“My rent is £110. That’s not going to work,” she said.


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Virtual Masses prove a hit with 2,800 views on Facebook

Inside St Columba ’ s in Burtonport , west Donegal , a solitary priest stands on the altar and looks down on an empty church .
“ It ’ s not the way it ’ s meant to be , ” says Fr Pat Ward .
“ During Lent you would have maybe 50 people in the chapel in front of you for daily Mass , and I ’ m very aware that those are people who are being deprived of that now.
” Instead , Fr Ward has moved online ; for the past two weeks , a live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mass directly into people ’ s homes .
On St Patrick ’ s Day , his use of the voice-recognition technology Alexa to play Daniel O ’ Donnell ’ s Hail Glorious St Patrick over the chapel ’ s speakers won him fans on social media around the world .
“ On St Patrick ’ s Day it just dawned on me that if I plugged it into the sound system , she [ Alexa ] could probably play the music through the speakers.
” O ’ Donnell is a local ; “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked for Daniel ’ s version of it , ” says Fr Ward .
“ He was very pleased with it himself.
” Fr Ward ’ s online Mass has proved a hit ; on Monday , it was viewed 2,800 times on Facebook .
“ I ’ ve never felt alone since this happened , because I get so many people commenting or asking me to pray for such and such a thing or letting me know they are in touch from different parts of the world – and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Australia , Canada , everywhere .
“ So even though there ’ s nobody in front of me , I ’ m very aware that I have a virtual parish .
“ We even changed the time of Mass now [ from 10am ] to 11am to accommodate the Americans , so they wouldn ’ t have to get up at six o ’ clock in the morning.
” The end of physical attendance at Mass is just one of the ways in which daily life has changed as a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the Catholic Church , each diocese issues its own guidance to parishes ; in Down and Connor and in Clogher , bishops have instructed that funeral Masses will no longer take place .
In Fr Ward ’ s parish of Kincasslagh , the last funeral Mass took place on Sunday .
“ I had to make it clear that was the last where the remains will come to the chapel , ” explains Fr Ward .
“ At the weekend the bishop contacted us and said that in light of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt it was proper now at this stage not to have funerals in the chapel.
” He has no doubt as to the impact this will have : “ It ’ s devastating for Donegal .
“ I ’ ve been in this parish for 23 years , and they have a really well worked-out system for wakes and funerals , and I think it ’ s really healthy the way that they do it , where you still go to the house and the coffin ’ s open and we say prayers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It normalises the whole thing for all ages , but that ’ s been removed .
“ There is a tradition here of celebrating the dead and gathering in their presence , and all that ’ s been taken from them and people find that really difficult.
” The thought that “ if somebody dies now they ’ re not supposed to have a gathering at the wake , nobody will come to their house , I find them bereft and I find them grieving the fact that they haven ’ t got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They ’ re frightened if somebody dies they ’ ll be buried without the honour that would be due to them .
“ I find it difficult too , but we ’ re taking steps to try to save lives .
That ’ s what I keep in the back of my mind .
The fewer gatherings , the more lives saved.
” In the community there is “ a sense of fear , of foreboding ” , says Fr Ward ; yet there is also hope .
“ This too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Visits have been replaced with telephone calls .
In this close-knit community , people who are on their own have always had the support of neighbours .
“ They mightn ’ t go into their house now , but they ’ re still getting their messages and looking after them.
” Parishioners , he says , have adapted .
“ People are finding a lot of consolation in faith , and gathering virtually for Mass seems to have taken off .
“ I ’ ll stream it on Facebook , and you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ to each other before Mass .
“ It ’ s lovely , and I ’ ve said , ‘ It ’ s like we were all standing outside the chapel and having a wee natter before we begin.
’ ” This remote , coastal community has had its challenges ; “ We can deal with hard times , ” says Fr Ward .
“ But the fear of losing family members or members of the community is what frightens people and , realistically , you can ’ t say that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That ’ s not something you can say to people at this stage .
”

Inside St Columba's in Burtonport, west Donegal, a solitary priest stands on the altar and looks down on an empty church.
"It's not the way it's meant to be," says Fr Pat Ward. "During Lent you would have maybe 50 people in the chapel in front of you for daily Mass, and I'm very aware that those are people who are being deprived of that now."
Instead, Fr Ward has moved online; for the past two weeks, a live stream inside the chapel has brought daily Mass directly into people’s homes. On St Patrick’s Day, his use of the voice-recognition technology Alexa to play Daniel O’Donnell’s Hail Glorious St Patrick over the chapel’s speakers won him fans on social media around the world.
“On St Patrick’s Day it just dawned on me that if I plugged it into the sound system, she [Alexa] could probably play the music through the speakers.”
READ MORE
O’Donnell is a local; “I think that tickled people that I asked for Daniel’s version of it,” says Fr Ward. “He was very pleased with it himself.”
Fr Ward's online Mass has proved a hit; on Monday, it was viewed 2,800 times on Facebook.
"I've never felt alone since this happened, because I get so many people commenting or asking me to pray for such and such a thing or letting me know they are in touch from different parts of the world – and that's England, Scotland, Wales, America, Australia, Canada, everywhere.
“So even though there’s nobody in front of me, I’m very aware that I have a virtual parish.
“We even changed the time of Mass now [from 10am] to 11am to accommodate the Americans, so they wouldn’t have to get up at six o’clock in the morning.”
Funeral Masses
The end of physical attendance at Mass is just one of the ways in which daily life has changed as a result of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus.
In the Catholic Church, each diocese issues its own guidance to parishes; in Down and Connor and in Clogher, bishops have instructed that funeral Masses will no longer take place.
In Fr Ward's parish of Kincasslagh, the last funeral Mass took place on Sunday. "I had to make it clear that was the last where the remains will come to the chapel," explains Fr Ward.
“At the weekend the bishop contacted us and said that in light of the Taoiseach’s last statement, he felt it was proper now at this stage not to have funerals in the chapel.”
He has no doubt as to the impact this will have: “It’s devastating for Donegal.
“I’ve been in this parish for 23 years, and they have a really well worked-out system for wakes and funerals, and I think it’s really healthy the way that they do it, where you still go to the house and the coffin’s open and we say prayers and you have tea around it. It normalises the whole thing for all ages, but that’s been removed.
“There is a tradition here of celebrating the dead and gathering in their presence, and all that’s been taken from them and people find that really difficult.”
The thought that “if somebody dies now they’re not supposed to have a gathering at the wake, nobody will come to their house, I find them bereft and I find them grieving the fact that they haven’t got that experience,” says Fr Ward.
“They’re frightened if somebody dies they’ll be buried without the honour that would be due to them.
“I find it difficult too, but we’re taking steps to try to save lives. That’s what I keep in the back of my mind. The fewer gatherings, the more lives saved.”
In the community there is “a sense of fear, of foreboding”, says Fr Ward; yet there is also hope. “This too will pass,” he says.
Visits have been replaced with telephone calls. In this close-knit community, people who are on their own have always had the support of neighbours. “They mightn’t go into their house now, but they’re still getting their messages and looking after them.”
Parishioners, he says, have adapted. “People are finding a lot of consolation in faith, and gathering virtually for Mass seems to have taken off.
“I’ll stream it on Facebook, and you’ll see everybody saying ‘good morning’ to each other before Mass.
“It’s lovely, and I’ve said, ‘It’s like we were all standing outside the chapel and having a wee natter before we begin.’”
This remote, coastal community has had its challenges; “We can deal with hard times,” says Fr Ward. “But the fear of losing family members or members of the community is what frightens people and, realistically, you can’t say that’s not going to happen to us.
“That’s not something you can say to people at this stage.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Catholic priests under pressure to perform funeral Masses despite Covid-19

Catholic priests are coming under continuing pressure to hold funeral Masses , particularly in rural Ireland , despite Government restrictions due to coronavirus .
Fr Brendan Hoban , co-founder of the Association of Catholic Priests , called on the Irish bishops “ as a body ” to agree guidelines for the conduct of funerals which would apply in all dioceses .
Some priests , particularly in rural parishes , “ are coming under pressure to hold funeral Masses ” which are “ big occasions for the community ” , he said .
To avoid pressure and variations in the practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bishops were to agree a directive on the matter .
As it is , each diocese is independent , so guidelines are not uniform , ” he said .
In the diocese of Down and Connor and in Clogher , bishops have instructed that funeral Masses will no longer take place .
In Clogher , the body of the deceased is to be brought directly to the burial ground .
Meanwhile , the six west of Ireland Catholic bishops have decided that funeral Masses can continue but in accordance with current Government guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 10 people .
Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran said he and his colleagues , Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary , Bishop of Galway Brendan Kelly , Bishop of Killala John Fleming , Bishop of Clonfert Michael Duignan , and Administrator of Achonry diocese Fr Dermot Meehan , had Zoom conferences most days to take account of updated coronavirus regulations .
On Tuesday , the Government advised that up to 10 members of the immediate family of a deceased person can attend funerals , burials and cremations .
Liz Canavan of the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing protocols should be followed and the numbers might be restricted to less than 10 if any part of the ceremony is taking place in a confined space .
It applies to all funerals , including those for people who have not died with Covid-19 symptoms .
Religious personnel are among those deemed essential under expanded Government regulations to tackle coronavirus .
However , with many Irish Catholic priests aged over 70 , it is believed a significant number are confined to their homes .
Among them , five Catholic bishops are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( who will be 75 and eligible for retirement on April 8th ) , Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary ( 73 ) , Bishop of Ferns Dennis Brennan ( 74 ) , Bishop of Galway Brendan Kelly ( 73 ) , and Bishop of Killala John Fleming ( 72 ) .
None of the Church of Ireland bishops is over 70 .
Dr Martin said : “ Priests over the age of 70 , including myself , are not to leave their homes .
This brings extra work and pressure and stress on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In a comment on the archdiocese ’ s website , he said : “ Some parishes may no longer have a priest available .
Deaneries should become a focal point for co-ordinating services.
” Bishop Doran said in his Elphin diocese 21 priests were cocooned , with other priests designated to assume their duties .
Meanwhile , Holy Week and Easter ceremonies will be conducted in empty churches .
The Good Friday Way of the Cross event in Dublin ’ s Phoenix Park is cancelled as is the annual ecumenical city centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decree has advised that the Holy Thursday “ washing of the feet ” is to be omitted next week and grants special permission for celebration of the Mass “ without the presence of the people ” .
At the Good Friday liturgy “ the adoration of the Cross by kissing it shall be limited solely to the celebrant ” while the Easter Vigil “ is to be celebrated only in cathedral and parish churches ” .
In all instances , there is to be one celebrant and no sign of peace .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , clergy over 70 or with an underlying condition are told they “ should be self-isolating/cocooning at home ” and “ should not be taking funerals at this time ” .
No Church of Ireland public services are to take place until further notice .

Catholic priests are coming under continuing pressure to hold funeral Masses, particularly in rural Ireland, despite Government restrictions due to coronavirus.
Fr Brendan Hoban, co-founder of the Association of Catholic Priests, called on the Irish bishops "as a body" to agree guidelines for the conduct of funerals which would apply in all dioceses.
Some priests, particularly in rural parishes, “are coming under pressure to hold funeral Masses” which are “big occasions for the community”, he said.
To avoid pressure and variations in the practice, “priests would prefer if the bishops were to agree a directive on the matter. As it is, each diocese is independent, so guidelines are not uniform,” he said.
READ MORE
In the diocese of Down and Connor and in Clogher, bishops have instructed that funeral Masses will no longer take place. In Clogher, the body of the deceased is to be brought directly to the burial ground.
Meanwhile, the six west of Ireland Catholic bishops have decided that funeral Masses can continue but in accordance with current Government guidelines – in the presence of no more than 10 people.
Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran said he and his colleagues, Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary, Bishop of Galway Brendan Kelly, Bishop of Killala John Fleming, Bishop of Clonfert Michael Duignan, and Administrator of Achonry diocese Fr Dermot Meehan, had Zoom conferences most days to take account of updated coronavirus regulations.
On Tuesday, the Government advised that up to 10 members of the immediate family of a deceased person can attend funerals, burials and cremations.
Liz Canavan of the Department of an Taoiseach told a briefing that social distancing protocols should be followed and the numbers might be restricted to less than 10 if any part of the ceremony is taking place in a confined space. It applies to all funerals, including those for people who have not died with Covid-19 symptoms.
Cocooning
Religious personnel are among those deemed essential under expanded Government regulations to tackle coronavirus.
However, with many Irish Catholic priests aged over 70, it is believed a significant number are confined to their homes.
Among them, five Catholic bishops are cocooned including Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin (who will be 75 and eligible for retirement on April 8th), Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary (73), Bishop of Ferns Dennis Brennan (74), Bishop of Galway Brendan Kelly (73), and Bishop of Killala John Fleming (72). None of the Church of Ireland bishops is over 70.
Dr Martin said: “Priests over the age of 70, including myself, are not to leave their homes. This brings extra work and pressure and stress on all those who remain in frontline ministry.”
In a comment on the archdiocese’s website, he said: “Some parishes may no longer have a priest available. Deaneries should become a focal point for co-ordinating services.”
Bishop Doran said in his Elphin diocese 21 priests were cocooned, with other priests designated to assume their duties.
Easter ceremonies
Meanwhile, Holy Week and Easter ceremonies will be conducted in empty churches. The Good Friday Way of the Cross event in Dublin's Phoenix Park is cancelled as is the annual ecumenical city centre walk on that day.
A Vatican decree has advised that the Holy Thursday "washing of the feet" is to be omitted next week and grants special permission for celebration of the Mass "without the presence of the people".
At the Good Friday liturgy “the adoration of the Cross by kissing it shall be limited solely to the celebrant” while the Easter Vigil “is to be celebrated only in cathedral and parish churches”. In all instances, there is to be one celebrant and no sign of peace.
In guidelines issued by the Church of Ireland on Tuesday, clergy over 70 or with an underlying condition are told they “should be self-isolating/cocooning at home” and “should not be taking funerals at this time”. No Church of Ireland public services are to take place until further notice.


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Bookshops struggle as delivery costs curb online sales

One morning last week a greeting card was pushed under the bolted door of the Village Bookshop in Terenure , Dublin .
It was from an occasional customer .
“ A very nice , quiet , well-spoken lady .
.
.
I didn ’ t even know her second name , ” says shop owner Alice Walsh .
Inside the card was a cheque for €500 .
Walsh felt her “ knees go to jelly ” as she was so touched by the gesture .
“ The lady wrote in the card that it was to help me with my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come , and to thank me for giving Terenure the luxury of a bookshop , ” she says .
“ The money obviously means an awful lot , but the fact that she would think of that and do that .
.
.
It made me feel part of the community.
” Since being ordered by the Government to close to help halt the spread of coronavirus , Walsh says sales have halved .
“ But I ’ d say the goodwill towards me has doubled.
” Orders and queries have fallen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or online since the measures came in .
Walsh is delivering free of charge , where she can , by foot , bicycle , car or bus .
“ I ’ d go to Wicklow to sell a book at this stage , ” she says .
“ We are very small and I have to hold on to my customers.
” Walsh has been in business for almost eight years and hers is one of about 300 bricks-and-mortar bookshops in the State facing an uncertain future .
Such is the shock from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the industry wheel are grinding to a halt .
“ When this all kicked off , I thought even when every bookshop in Ireland closes , at least I ’ ll have Amazon , ” says Conor Graham , managing director of publisher Merrion Press .
“ But I ’ ve stopped receiving orders from Amazon .
They ’ re still selling books but not re-ordering once stocks run out , because they ’ re so overwhelmed with the amount of online shopping.
” Amazon said last month it was hiring 100,000 extra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand , but it is prioritising orders of food , health products and items needed to work from home .
Graham has not been told when Amazon , his third-largest customer , will re-order .
He says turnover has fallen by a “ catastrophic ” 90 per cent due to the pandemic and online sales have “ gone down rather than up ” .
However , he believes things will improve “ once people get their heads around the situation ” and that some turnover can be clawed back .
“ Inevitably , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase.
” For now , all Graham has to sell are e-books on the Amazon Kindle store , which make up just 5 per cent of his normal turnover .
One title – Coping with Coronavirus – was written in five days by clinical psychiatrist Brendan Kelly and is selling at almost cost price – 99p .
Graham says it is being published “ for the greater good .
.
.
effectively forgoing profits ” .
Merrion has shelved the launch of two books scheduled for this month .
Three other books are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new ways to promote sales beyond the usual bookshop signing sessions .
Ruth Hallinan , manager at Lilliput Press , was supposed to launch Adrian Duncan ’ s A Sabbatical in Leipzig last week .
Instead of an event at Dubray Books on Dublin ’ s Grafton Street , she has arranged “ virtual events ” to coincide with the cancelled appearances .
Authors have been interviewed on social media with viewers then directed to a shop ’ s online store .
It is a new and “ slightly experimental ” time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Booksellers Association of Ireland chairman and general manager of Eason in central Dublin , says chain stores like Eason – which has closed 70 outlets – have been hard hit by the pandemic , but the independents are “ more of a worry ” with cash flow , rates and job security with which to contend .
Keane estimates about 180 smaller Irish bookshops do not have a full online store .
The fear is that the expected surge in book sales through the slicker online operations – run mainly by big chains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller players .
Postal costs are critical for the independents , Keane says , and big companies can absorb these given their scale , while the costs “ absolutely cripple ” smaller traders .
A suggestion circulating in the industry is that An Post could temporarily reduce postage costs for smaller traders , given most believe an upturn is imminent .
Online sales of children ’ s books are rising as parents try to find ways to occupy stuck-at-home youths , and this is expected to widen to adults in time .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day at a time .
“ I feel if I don ’ t keep going , that will be the end of it , ” she says .
“ When this is over , everything is going to look different .
But I sincerely believe that books are really necessary in this time .
”

One morning last week a greeting card was pushed under the bolted door of the Village Bookshop in Terenure, Dublin. It was from an occasional customer.
“A very nice, quiet, well-spoken lady . . . I didn’t even know her second name,” says shop owner Alice Walsh.
Inside the card was a cheque for €500. Walsh felt her “knees go to jelly” as she was so touched by the gesture.
“The lady wrote in the card that it was to help me with my cash flow in these awful times to come, and to thank me for giving Terenure the luxury of a bookshop,” she says.
READ MORE
“The money obviously means an awful lot, but the fact that she would think of that and do that . . . It made me feel part of the community.”
Since being ordered by the Government to close to help halt the spread of coronavirus, Walsh says sales have halved.
“But I’d say the goodwill towards me has doubled.”
Orders and queries have fallen to three or four a day by phone or online since the measures came in. Walsh is delivering free of charge, where she can, by foot, bicycle, car or bus.
“I’d go to Wicklow to sell a book at this stage,” she says. “We are very small and I have to hold on to my customers.”
Walsh has been in business for almost eight years and hers is one of about 300 bricks-and-mortar bookshops in the State facing an uncertain future. Such is the shock from the pandemic that even big cogs in the industry wheel are grinding to a halt.
Publishers
“When this all kicked off, I thought even when every bookshop in Ireland closes, at least I’ll have Amazon,” says Conor Graham, managing director of publisher Merrion Press.
“But I’ve stopped receiving orders from Amazon. They’re still selling books but not re-ordering once stocks run out, because they’re so overwhelmed with the amount of online shopping.”
Amazon said last month it was hiring 100,000 extra staff to cope with the surge in demand, but it is prioritising orders of food, health products and items needed to work from home.
Graham has not been told when Amazon, his third-largest customer, will re-order. He says turnover has fallen by a “catastrophic” 90 per cent due to the pandemic and online sales have “gone down rather than up”. However, he believes things will improve “once people get their heads around the situation” and that some turnover can be clawed back.
“Inevitably, boredom will kick in and sales will increase.”
For now, all Graham has to sell are e-books on the Amazon Kindle store, which make up just 5 per cent of his normal turnover.
One title – Coping with Coronavirus – was written in five days by clinical psychiatrist Brendan Kelly and is selling at almost cost price – 99p. Graham says it is being published "for the greater good . . . effectively forgoing profits".
Book launches
Merrion has shelved the launch of two books scheduled for this month. Three other books are on hold. Publishers are looking for new ways to promote sales beyond the usual bookshop signing sessions.
Ruth Hallinan, manager at Lilliput Press, was supposed to launch Adrian Duncan’s A Sabbatical in Leipzig last week.
Instead of an event at Dubray Books on Dublin’s Grafton Street, she has arranged “virtual events” to coincide with the cancelled appearances. Authors have been interviewed on social media with viewers then directed to a shop’s online store. It is a new and “slightly experimental” time, she says.
John Keane, the Booksellers Association of Ireland chairman and general manager of Eason in central Dublin, says chain stores like Eason – which has closed 70 outlets – have been hard hit by the pandemic, but the independents are “more of a worry” with cash flow, rates and job security with which to contend.
Keane estimates about 180 smaller Irish bookshops do not have a full online store. The fear is that the expected surge in book sales through the slicker online operations – run mainly by big chains offering free delivery – will decimate the smaller players.
Postal costs are critical for the independents, Keane says, and big companies can absorb these given their scale, while the costs “absolutely cripple” smaller traders.
A suggestion circulating in the industry is that An Post could temporarily reduce postage costs for smaller traders, given most believe an upturn is imminent. Online sales of children’s books are rising as parents try to find ways to occupy stuck-at-home youths, and this is expected to widen to adults in time.
In Terenure, Walsh is taking it one day at a time.
“I feel if I don’t keep going, that will be the end of it,” she says. “When this is over, everything is going to look different. But I sincerely believe that books are really necessary in this time.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Covid-19: Critically ill Irish patients to take part in global clinical trial

Critically ill Irish patients with Covid-19 in intensive care units ( ICU ) are to take part in a global clinical trial evaluating potential treatments for the virus .
The trial will start enrolling patients in coming days .
It is the first international , multi-centre trial involving ICU patients with the virus .
It is designed to ensure findings are shared quickly with others working on possible treatments .
Patients in ICUs are the most severely impacted by the virus and may have to stay in such settings for up to two weeks , while there is no known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICU beds in hospitals is causing most difficulty for frontline health services .
Prof Alistair Nichol of St Vincent ’ s University Hospital and University College Dublin , who is leading the trial in Ireland , said ethical clearance was expected to be granted this week .
The trial is expected to be scaled up over the next fortnight .
“ Patients will be treated with lopinavir and ritonavir drugs , hydroxychloroquine ( used to treat malaria ) or a combination of these medications , ” he said .
They will also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
“ In the 2009 H1N1 pandemic , many groups tried to conduct trials in a timely manner , however , our groups and others couldn ’ t establish a clinical trial in time to respond to the pandemic .
So , we designed a new trial called ‘ Remap Cap ’ to recruit in ‘ peacetime ’ but to be able to convert rapidly in the event of a pandemic , ” he explained .
He said this meant there was no standing start on the Covid-19 trial .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ decisions on the best treatment for critically ill patients , ” Prof Nichol said .
Facilitated by the Health Research Board ( HRB ) , researchers will work with clinical research facilities , and partners across academia and hospitals .
The trial will start in St Vincent ’ s University Hospital and University Hospital Galway .
Beaumont Hospital has signed contracts and other hospitals are preparing to participate , notably Cork University Hospital , University Hospital Limerick and Royal Victoria Hospital , Belfast .
Covid-19 trials are being prioritised by experts brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February , with a view to interventions being rolled out as quickly as possible .
The network includes teams in the UK , Netherlands , Germany , Belgium , Singapore , New Zealand , Australia and Canada .
Prof Nichol attributed Ireland ’ s “ rapid response ” to investment by the HRB in the Irish Critical Care Clinical Trials Network based at UCD Clinical Research Centre over the past five years .
It will invest a further €400,000 to convert to the Covid-19 trial .

Prof Alistair Nichol, who is leading the trial in Ireland, said ethical clearance was expected to be granted this week. Photograph: Chris Bellew /Fennell Photography
Critically ill Irish patients with Covid-19 in intensive care units (ICU) are to take part in a global clinical trial evaluating potential treatments for the virus.
The trial will start enrolling patients in coming days. It is the first international, multi-centre trial involving ICU patients with the virus. It is designed to ensure findings are shared quickly with others working on possible treatments.
Patients in ICUs are the most severely impacted by the virus and may have to stay in such settings for up to two weeks, while there is no known treatment for Covid-19. And pressure on ICU beds in hospitals is causing most difficulty for frontline health services.
Prof Alistair Nichol of St Vincent's University Hospital and University College Dublin, who is leading the trial in Ireland, said ethical clearance was expected to be granted this week. The trial is expected to be scaled up over the next fortnight.
READ MORE
“Patients will be treated with lopinavir and ritonavir drugs, hydroxychloroquine (used to treat malaria) or a combination of these medications,” he said. They will also be given medication to help regulate their immune system.
“In the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, many groups tried to conduct trials in a timely manner, however, our groups and others couldn’t establish a clinical trial in time to respond to the pandemic. So, we designed a new trial called ‘Remap Cap’ to recruit in ‘peacetime’ but to be able to convert rapidly in the event of a pandemic,” he explained.
He said this meant there was no standing start on the Covid-19 trial.
“We can rapidly generate evidence to guide doctors’ decisions on the best treatment for critically ill patients,” Prof Nichol said.
Academia and hospital partners
Facilitated by the Health Research Board (HRB), researchers will work with clinical research facilities, and partners across academia and hospitals.
The trial will start in St Vincent's University Hospital and University Hospital Galway. Beaumont Hospital has signed contracts and other hospitals are preparing to participate, notably Cork University Hospital, University Hospital Limerick and Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.
Covid-19 trials are being prioritised by experts brought together by the World Health Organisation in February, with a view to interventions being rolled out as quickly as possible. The network includes teams in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
Prof Nichol attributed Ireland’s “rapid response” to investment by the HRB in the Irish Critical Care Clinical Trials Network based at UCD Clinical Research Centre over the past five years. It will invest a further €400,000 to convert to the Covid-19 trial.


theirishtimes--2020-03-31--Woman in her 50s found dead in house near Killiney Golf Club

Gardaí are investigating the death of a woman in unexplained circumstances at a house in south Dublin on Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ following the discovery of the body of the female in her 50s in a house @ @ @ @ @ is located on Balure Lane - a small road of large family homes off Church @ @ @ @ @ .
The scene of the discovery was being preserved on Tuesday night to allow for @ @ @ @ @ gardaí were alerted earlier in the evening .
A Garda spokesman said the course of @ @ @ @ @ by a post-mortem on the victim which is scheduled to be carried out on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ death are being investigated by gardaí from Dún Laoghaire .

The body of the woman was found in the house in Killiney, Co Dublin. Photograph: Michael Chester
Gardaí are investigating the death of a woman in unexplained circumstances at a house in south Dublin on Tuesday.
An investigation has been opened following the discovery of the body of the female in her 50s in a house in Killiney.
The house is located on Balure Lane - a small road of large family homes off Church Road near Killiney Golf Club.
The scene of the discovery was being preserved on Tuesday night to allow for a full forensic examination after gardaí were alerted earlier in the evening.
READ MORE
A Garda spokesman said the course of the investigation would be determined by a post-mortem on the victim which is scheduled to be carried out on Wednesday.
The circumstances of the death are being investigated by gardaí from Dún Laoghaire.


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--PSNI and North’s Police Ombudsman urged to ‘work hard together’

The PSNI and the North ’ s Police Ombudsman have been urged to develop effective working relationships after a police failure to disclose important information about the UDA murder of five Catholics at a bookmakers in Belfast in 1992 led to the postponement of an ombudsman ’ s report into the killings .
The North ’ s chief inspector of criminal justice , Jacqui Durkin , in a report published on Thursday acknowledged that this failure was due to “ human error and not a deliberate act or omission ” .
Ms Durkin was commissioned to carry out her investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an independent review to be conducted into how “ significant , sensitive information ” about Troubles killings that he had requested was not supplied to him by the PSNI .
This related to the UDA murders of five Catholics at Sean Graham ’ s bookmakers on the Ormeau Road in Belfast in 1992 and to the murder the following year , also by the UDA , of 17-year-old Catholic Damian Walsh at a coal depot near Twinbrook on the outskirts of west Belfast .
It further related to the activities of loyalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1994 .
Dr Maguire had been preparing to publish reports into the killings but they had to be postponed to allow further inquiries by the ombudsman based on the new information that has been elicited , but of which he was unaware .
The PSNI “ deeply and sincerely ” apologised at the time and said the non-disclosure was not deliberate .
Ms Durkin reviewed how the police disclose sensitive information to the Police Ombudsman ’ s office in Troubles-related cases .
She referred to how it was clear from the outset that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hamilton and Dr Maguire believed the failure to disclose the information “ was as a result of human error and not a deliberate act or omission ” .
But she added that understandably this was “ small comfort ” to the bereaved and “ evoked a strong reaction from the families and their legal and political representatives ” .
“ It also brought the PSNI , the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the OPONI [ Office of Police Ombudsman ] into a controversy over issues that they were neither designed nor resourced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The PSNI former chief constable fully accepted the criticality of the situation and had already commissioned an internal review and initiated a programme including investment in IT systems to deliver improvements.
” Ms Durkin called on the PSNI and the ombudsman ’ s office to “ work hard together to strengthen trust and repair damage to public confidence ” .
She said her “ inspectors found substantial work was already under way within the PSNI to address ” the problem issues , some of which related to IT systems , but “ further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ establish more effective systems and better processes ” .
PSNI deputy chief constable Mark Hamilton welcoming the report said , “ From the outset , PSNI recognised the impact of the failure to disclose information to the ombudsman on both the families and the wider public ’ s confidence in policing .
“ This failure was not due to the actions of any individual but was an organisational and systems failure , and I unreservedly apologise again to the families for this .
As soon as the issue came to police attention , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and over the course of the last year we have worked closely with OPONI and fully co-operated with the Criminal Justice Inspectorate to do so.
” Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice said “ the ombudsman must have direct and unfettered access to all documents held by the PSNI as a matter of routine when investigating such serious incidents ” .

The PSNI and the North's Police Ombudsman have been urged to develop effective working relationships after a police failure to disclose important information about the UDA murder of five Catholics at a bookmakers in Belfast in 1992 led to the postponement of an ombudsman's report into the killings.
The North's chief inspector of criminal justice, Jacqui Durkin, in a report published on Thursday acknowledged that this failure was due to "human error and not a deliberate act or omission".
Ms Durkin was commissioned to carry out her investigation after former police ombudsman Michael Maguire called for an independent review to be conducted into how “significant, sensitive information” about Troubles killings that he had requested was not supplied to him by the PSNI.
This related to the UDA murders of five Catholics at Sean Graham's bookmakers on the Ormeau Road in Belfast in 1992 and to the murder the following year, also by the UDA, of 17-year-old Catholic Damian Walsh at a coal depot near Twinbrook on the outskirts of west Belfast.
READ MORE
It further related to the activities of loyalist paramilitaries in the northwest between 1988 and 1994.
Dr Maguire had been preparing to publish reports into the killings but they had to be postponed to allow further inquiries by the ombudsman based on the new information that has been elicited, but of which he was unaware.
Human error
The PSNI “deeply and sincerely” apologised at the time and said the non-disclosure was not deliberate.
Ms Durkin reviewed how the police disclose sensitive information to the Police Ombudsman’s office in Troubles-related cases.
She referred to how it was clear from the outset that both the former PSNI chief constable George Hamilton and Dr Maguire believed the failure to disclose the information "was as a result of human error and not a deliberate act or omission".
But she added that understandably this was “small comfort” to the bereaved and “evoked a strong reaction from the families and their legal and political representatives”.
"It also brought the PSNI, the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the OPONI [Office of Police Ombudsman] into a controversy over issues that they were neither designed nor resourced to manage," she said.
“The PSNI former chief constable fully accepted the criticality of the situation and had already commissioned an internal review and initiated a programme including investment in IT systems to deliver improvements.”
Ms Durkin called on the PSNI and the ombudsman’s office to “work hard together to strengthen trust and repair damage to public confidence”.
She said her “inspectors found substantial work was already under way within the PSNI to address” the problem issues, some of which related to IT systems, but “further work is needed by both organisations to establish more effective systems and better processes”.
PSNI deputy chief constable Mark Hamilton welcoming the report said, "From the outset, PSNI recognised the impact of the failure to disclose information to the ombudsman on both the families and the wider public's confidence in policing.
“This failure was not due to the actions of any individual but was an organisational and systems failure, and I unreservedly apologise again to the families for this. As soon as the issue came to police attention, we commissioned urgent work to address it, and over the course of the last year we have worked closely with OPONI and fully co-operated with the Criminal Justice Inspectorate to do so.”
Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice said "the ombudsman must have direct and unfettered access to all documents held by the PSNI as a matter of routine when investigating such serious incidents".


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--William Reville: There are no shortcuts to high achievement

Critical thinking is the ability to objectively analyse and evaluate issues to form a judgement and our educational system is often criticised by business leaders for failing to turn out graduates proficient in critical thinking .
Unfortunately it is not possible to successfully teach such generic critical thinking , as powerfully explained by Carl Hendrick , head of learning and research at Wellington College , Berkshire in an article in aeon .
Critical thinking , in the ordinary everyday meaning of the term , means little more than using the elementary rules of logic , demanding to see the evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with causation , and so on .
Such critical thinking is , of course , essential to intelligently approaching any issue .
But critical thinking in the specific sense I am using the term here refers to a general thinking technique capable of critically and powerfully analysing any issue that might arise .
Alas , such a general technique does not exist and therefore can not be taught .
We can only think critically in this specific sense in an area in which we have already acquired considerable knowledge and expertise .
Hendrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on air-traffic controllers .
These workers have a very high cognitive ability called situational awareness that involves “ the continuous extraction of environmental information and integration of this information with prior knowledge to form a coherent picture ” .
They must hold huge amounts of information in mind and must often make very difficult decisions quickly and under great pressure .
Psychologists tested air-traffic controllers outside of their work using memory-based tasks with shapes and colours .
Surprisingly and remarkably , the air-traffic controllers performed no better than anyone else – their extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not extend beyond their professional area .
To be good in any professional field you must know a lot about the area but it is very difficult to transfer your skills to another area .
This non-translatibility of cognitive skills is very familiar to psychologists , eg the ability to memorise long strings of digits does not transfer to the ability to remember long strings of letters .
All that being said , we know that critical thinking is an essential part of a student ’ s mental ability , but we must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be divorced from context – it is not a general tool-kit that can be universally applied .
Hendrick quotes American educationalist Daniel Willingham : “ If you remind a student to look at an issue from multiple perspectives , he will learn that he ought to do so , but if he doesn ’ t know much about the issue he can ’ t think about it from multiple perspectives ...
There is not a set of critical thinking skills that can be acquired and deployed regardless of context ” .
Although generic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is important to encourage subject-specific critical thinking skills that broaden a student ’ s subject knowledge and sharpen and finesse his/her analytical skills .
For example a science student , in addition to knowing the basic elements of his/her specific subject ( eg chemistry ) should also be familiar with the history and philosophy of science and the ethics of the scientific enterprise , know how to design scientific studies to ensure they have sufficient statistical power , know how to frame scientific hypotheses , and so on .
Critical thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suite of “ 21st century learning skills ” that claim to equip students with general problem solving approaches that can be applied to any given area .
However Hendrick is scathing in his criticism of any such techniques that detach cognitive ideals from contextual knowledge , eg brain-training games .
It is claimed that these games help children to become smarter and offer them a general set of problem-solving skills .
Hendrick cites impressive research demonstrating that brain-training games are ineffective in these respects and are really only effective at making you good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are no shortcuts to high achievement .
You can only become a critical thinker in areas where you have deep knowledge .
Hendrick advises educationalists who enthuse over courses that purport to teach generic critical thinking skills to themselves apply some critical thinking to the question of whether such skills can be taught at all .
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC

Critical thinking is the ability to objectively analyse and evaluate issues to form a judgement and our educational system is often criticised by business leaders for failing to turn out graduates proficient in critical thinking.
Unfortunately it is not possible to successfully teach such generic critical thinking, as powerfully explained by Carl Hendrick, head of learning and research at Wellington College, Berkshire in an article in aeon.
Critical thinking, in the ordinary everyday meaning of the term, means little more than using the elementary rules of logic, demanding to see the evidence underpinning large claims, not confusing correlation with causation, and so on. Such critical thinking is, of course, essential to intelligently approaching any issue.
But critical thinking in the specific sense I am using the term here refers to a general thinking technique capable of critically and powerfully analysing any issue that might arise. Alas, such a general technique does not exist and therefore cannot be taught. We can only think critically in this specific sense in an area in which we have already acquired considerable knowledge and expertise.
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Experiments
Hendrick describes experiments carried out in the 1960s on air-traffic controllers. These workers have a very high cognitive ability called situational awareness that involves “the continuous extraction of environmental information and integration of this information with prior knowledge to form a coherent picture”.
They must hold huge amounts of information in mind and must often make very difficult decisions quickly and under great pressure. Psychologists tested air-traffic controllers outside of their work using memory-based tasks with shapes and colours.
Surprisingly and remarkably, the air-traffic controllers performed no better than anyone else – their extraordinary cognitive abilities in their own field do not extend beyond their professional area.
To be good in any professional field you must know a lot about the area but it is very difficult to transfer your skills to another area. This non-translatibility of cognitive skills is very familiar to psychologists, eg the ability to memorise long strings of digits does not transfer to the ability to remember long strings of letters.
All that being said, we know that critical thinking is an essential part of a student’s mental ability, but we must acknowledge that this critical thinking cannot be divorced from context – it is not a general tool-kit that can be universally applied.
Hendrick quotes American educationalist Daniel Willingham : "If you remind a student to look at an issue from multiple perspectives, he will learn that he ought to do so, but if he doesn't know much about the issue he can't think about it from multiple perspectives...There is not a set of critical thinking skills that can be acquired and deployed regardless of context".
Although generic critical thinking skills cannot be taught, it is important to encourage subject-specific critical thinking skills that broaden a student’s subject knowledge and sharpen and finesse his/her analytical skills.
For example a science student, in addition to knowing the basic elements of his/her specific subject (eg chemistry) should also be familiar with the history and philosophy of science and the ethics of the scientific enterprise, know how to design scientific studies to ensure they have sufficient statistical power, know how to frame scientific hypotheses, and so on.
Scathing
Critical thinking is the most prominent example of a suite of “21st century learning skills” that claim to equip students with general problem solving approaches that can be applied to any given area. However Hendrick is scathing in his criticism of any such techniques that detach cognitive ideals from contextual knowledge, eg brain-training games.
It is claimed that these games help children to become smarter and offer them a general set of problem-solving skills. Hendrick cites impressive research demonstrating that brain-training games are ineffective in these respects and are really only effective at making you good at brain-training games.
In summary, there are no shortcuts to high achievement. You can only become a critical thinker in areas where you have deep knowledge. Hendrick advises educationalists who enthuse over courses that purport to teach generic critical thinking skills to themselves apply some critical thinking to the question of whether such skills can be taught at all.
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--UN climate summit in Glasgow postponed until 2021

A UN climate summit that had been due to take place in Glasgow in November has been postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus outbreak , officials said on Wednesday .
With the world currently on track for catastrophic temperature increases , the two-week summit had been supposed to galvanise renewed international commitment to an accord brokered in Paris in 2015 aimed at stabilising Earth ’ s climate .
But with the British hosts and other countries struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic , which has brought swathes of the global economy to a standstill , officials decided to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to prepare .
Ending widespread speculation that the summit would be postponed , Finnish environment minister Krista Mikkonen said the climate summit and a separate summit on preserving threatened species , which had been due to take place in Kunming , China , in October , were both being pushed back to next year .
“ Glasgow ’ s COP26 climate conference will move from November to next year due to the global coronavirus situation , ” Ms Mikkonen said in a statement , quoting UN climate officials .
With financial markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would prove a pivotal year for climate diplomacy and action to reverse accelerating extinctions of plant , animal and insect species have rapidly faded .
Nevertheless , some investors , diplomats and campaigners welcomed the postponement , saying it could buy governments time to prepare a more successful outcome than might be possible in the face of a global pandemic and turmoil in financial markets .
– Reuters

British prime minister Boris Johnson and Sir David Attenborough at February’s launch of the next COP26 UN Climate Summit at the Science Museum, London. Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe/PA Wire
A UN climate summit that had been due to take place in Glasgow in November has been postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus outbreak, officials said on Wednesday.
With the world currently on track for catastrophic temperature increases, the two-week summit had been supposed to galvanise renewed international commitment to an accord brokered in Paris in 2015 aimed at stabilising Earth’s climate.
But with the British hosts and other countries struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought swathes of the global economy to a standstill, officials decided to push the summit back to give governments more time to prepare.
Ending widespread speculation that the summit would be postponed, Finnish environment minister Krista Mikkonen said the climate summit and a separate summit on preserving threatened species, which had been due to take place in Kunming, China, in October, were both being pushed back to next year.
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“Glasgow’s COP26 climate conference will move from November to next year due to the global coronavirus situation,” Ms Mikkonen said in a statement, quoting UN climate officials.
With financial markets also in turmoil, hopes that 2020 would prove a pivotal year for climate diplomacy and action to reverse accelerating extinctions of plant, animal and insect species have rapidly faded.
Nevertheless, some investors, diplomats and campaigners welcomed the postponement, saying it could buy governments time to prepare a more successful outcome than might be possible in the face of a global pandemic and turmoil in financial markets. – Reuters


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Family endures ‘surreal’ funeral for father as mother also fights coronavirus

A family whose elderly father died in recent days from the coronavirus has described his funeral as “ heartbreaking ” , particularly so as their mother is currently suffering from Covid-19 in a nursing home .
John McGroddy ( 82 ) died late on Saturday night in a nursing home in Swords , north Co Dublin .
His wife Nell ( 79 ) , who moved into the nursing home to be near to her husband , has also been diagnosed with the virus and was unable to attend the funeral .
The couple has been together for 50 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other in the nursing home , which is dealing with a cluster of cases .
One of their sons , Jake McGroddy ( 50 ) , said their father became very sick after contracting the virus and had not been conscious in his last days .
One of five adult children , Jake said the family was only able to watch through a window when their mother Nell was brought in by nursing staff to say goodbye to her husband after he died .
John Mr Groddy , a retired Garda , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swords village , his son said .
But , in line with recently announced restrictions , only 10 people were allowed to attend the funeral service on Wednesday , and they had to sit apart and socially distance .
“ It was a surreal experience , sitting apart , not able to comfort each other , watching your own siblings cry and not being able to console them , ” Jake McGroddy told The Irish Times .
“ We stood outside apart in the car park afterwards , ” he said , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process had been “ paused ” during the pandemic .
“ It was surreal , everybody back in their own homes , trying to have a funeral afters by yourself , ” he said .
The family had lived in Swords their entire lives , and their father was a “ cornerstone ” of the local area , he added .
“ Under normal circumstances there would have been people out the [ church ] door and down the road , ” he said .
The service was broadcast online via videolink for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus restrictions .
Nell McGroddy remains in a serious condition in the nursing home with the virus , Jake McGroddy says .
“ She kept getting temperature spikes , so her consciousness isn ’ t great …There was a difficulty in her acknowledging Dad ’ s passing , ” he said .
However , he said the staff in the nursing home had been “ fantastic ” and were keeping the family informed of her condition every day .
Dominic McGroddy ( 56 ) , the eldest son , said the restricted funeral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given their mother was still fighting the virus .
“ Over the years I would be sitting with Dad having a pint and we talked about how this day would go , ” he said .
His father had wanted a “ big celebration , that we would sing songs and celebrate his life , ” he said .
After he died their mother was taken in to see her husband before he was taken away from the nursing home .
The siblings were not able to accompany her , and could only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McGroddy explained .
Their mother had a mask on and struggled to comprehend what was happening .
“ That was an awful scene that will always stay with us , ” he said .
As the nursing home is in lockdown , the family were not able to be by their father ’ s bedside when he died .
“ There was a nurse holding his hand when he went , ” Dominic McGroddy said .

A family whose elderly father died in recent days from the coronavirus has described his funeral as “heartbreaking”, particularly so as their mother is currently suffering from Covid-19 in a nursing home.
John McGroddy (82) died late on Saturday night in a nursing home in Swords, north Co Dublin. His wife Nell (79), who moved into the nursing home to be near to her husband, has also been diagnosed with the virus and was unable to attend the funeral.
The couple has been together for 50 years and caught the virus within days of each other in the nursing home, which is dealing with a cluster of cases.
One of their sons, Jake McGroddy (50), said their father became very sick after contracting the virus and had not been conscious in his last days.
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One of five adult children, Jake said the family was only able to watch through a window when their mother Nell was brought in by nursing staff to say goodbye to her husband after he died.
John Mr Groddy, a retired Garda, had been “extraordinarily popular” around Swords village, his son said. But, in line with recently announced restrictions, only 10 people were allowed to attend the funeral service on Wednesday, and they had to sit apart and socially distance.
“It was a surreal experience, sitting apart, not able to comfort each other, watching your own siblings cry and not being able to console them,” Jake McGroddy told The Irish Times.
“We stood outside apart in the car park afterwards,” he said, and it was as if the normal grieving process had been “paused” during the pandemic.
“It was surreal, everybody back in their own homes, trying to have a funeral afters by yourself,” he said.
The family had lived in Swords their entire lives, and their father was a “cornerstone” of the local area, he added.
“Under normal circumstances there would have been people out the [church] door and down the road,” he said. The service was broadcast online via videolink for those unable to attend due to the coronavirus restrictions.
Nell McGroddy remains in a serious condition in the nursing home with the virus, Jake McGroddy says. “She kept getting temperature spikes, so her consciousness isn’t great …There was a difficulty in her acknowledging Dad’s passing,” he said.
However, he said the staff in the nursing home had been “fantastic” and were keeping the family informed of her condition every day.
Dominic McGroddy (56), the eldest son, said the restricted funeral was a “heartbreaking” day, given their mother was still fighting the virus.
“Over the years I would be sitting with Dad having a pint and we talked about how this day would go,” he said. His father had wanted a “big celebration, that we would sing songs and celebrate his life,” he said.
After he died their mother was taken in to see her husband before he was taken away from the nursing home. The siblings were not able to accompany her, and could only watch on through the window, Dominic McGroddy explained.
Their mother had a mask on and struggled to comprehend what was happening. “That was an awful scene that will always stay with us,” he said.
As the nursing home is in lockdown, the family were not able to be by their father’s bedside when he died. “There was a nurse holding his hand when he went,” Dominic McGroddy said.


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Dublin Bus tells union it has 582 surplus drivers due to Covid-19 service cuts

Dublin Bus has told trade unions that it now has nearly 600 surplus drivers after it moved to a Saturday schedule on foot of the current Covid-19 crisis .
The National Bus and Rail Union ( NBRU ) said in a note to members that management at the State-owned transport company had expressed concern about its future viability .
The union said the company wanted drivers to take up to five days ’ leave up to early May , and that the situation would be reviewed at that point .
In a bulletin to members on Wednesday , the NBRU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result of the Government/National Transport Authority ( NTA ) decision to implement Saturday services , Dublin Bus now has approximately 582 Surplus drivers .
Management also informed us of the wider industrial environment , 400,000 job losses , pay cuts in a lot of sectors and expressed concerns about the future viability of the company , stating that all proposals/suggestions are designed to enable Dublin Bus to have the ability to return to normal when this crisis abates.
” The union said it had been told by management that “ despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transport , Dublin Bus is not immune to the current crisis , and constraints over funding may materialise post-crisis ” .
The union said the company had argued that the annual leave proposal was in line with that applying in Irish Rail and in the DAA .
Dublin Bus has been asked for comment about the NBRU document .

The NBRU says Dublin Bus wants drivers to take up to five days’ leave up to early May. Photograph: Getty Images
Dublin Bus has told trade unions that it now has nearly 600 surplus drivers after it moved to a Saturday schedule on foot of the current Covid-19 crisis.
The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) said in a note to members that management at the State-owned transport company had expressed concern about its future viability.
The union said the company wanted drivers to take up to five days’ leave up to early May, and that the situation would be reviewed at that point.
In a bulletin to members on Wednesday, the NBRU said: "Company stated that, as a result of the Government/National Transport Authority (NTA) decision to implement Saturday services, Dublin Bus now has approximately 582 Surplus drivers. Management also informed us of the wider industrial environment, 400,000 job losses, pay cuts in a lot of sectors and expressed concerns about the future viability of the company, stating that all proposals/suggestions are designed to enable Dublin Bus to have the ability to return to normal when this crisis abates."
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The union said it had been told by management that “despite being an essential service and supplying public transport, Dublin Bus is not immune to the current crisis, and constraints over funding may materialise post-crisis”.
The union said the company had argued that the annual leave proposal was in line with that applying in Irish Rail and in the DAA.
Dublin Bus has been asked for comment about the NBRU document.


theirishtimes--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Pensioner serenades wife through nursing room window on 50th wedding anniversary

A golden wedding anniversary is a special event and not even Covid-19 was going to stop Denis McCarthy from marking the occasion in style .
Because of the Coronavirus restrictions , Mr McCarthy was unable to give his wife of 50 years Ann , who is in a nursing home , an anniversary hug or kiss .
So instead he stood outside the window of her room at the Fairfield care facility in Drimoleague , Co Cork and serenaded her with his own version of Van Morrison ’ s Brown Eyed Girl .
Morrison ’ s Moondance album was released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have both loved the Belfast-born musician ever since .
Their daughter , Annette Manning , contacted Cork ’ s RedFM to pay tribute to her parents , who she said were exceptionally good to her and her seven siblings .
Annette told the Neil Prendeville show that it was a “ tough time ” for all Irish families .
She said it was heartbreaking to see her parents physically separated on their milestone wedding anniversary .
“ Mum has been in a nursing home for the last 12 months and they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lockdown Dad has not been able to see Mum .
“ Because of their golden wedding anniversary we got on to the chef at the Fairfield nursing home — Niamh Condon — an amazing woman and she produced this chocolate cake that left us speechless it was so gorgeous.
” Annette ’ s brother Donal drove their father up to the nursing home , leading to a “ very emotional ” encounter between her parents .
“ They hadn ’ t been able to see each other for a while .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ windows were closed which was probably a good thing that she couldn ’ t hear him , ” she laughed “ But he wanted to make the day as special as possible for her despite what is going on in Ireland and the world.
” “ The memories they have are so special .
Mum got sick two years ago and she has not been able to come home so Dad is living by himself.
” “ The family are around him all the time but yesterday was all about our two little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Denis McCarthy sings to his wife of 50 years, Ann, through the window of her nursing home in Drimoleague, Co Cork. Photograph: RedFM
A golden wedding anniversary is a special event and not even Covid-19 was going to stop Denis McCarthy from marking the occasion in style.
Because of the Coronavirus restrictions, Mr McCarthy was unable to give his wife of 50 years Ann, who is in a nursing home, an anniversary hug or kiss.
So instead he stood outside the window of her room at the Fairfield care facility in Drimoleague, Co Cork and serenaded her with his own version of Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl.
Morrison’s Moondance album was released the year the couple got married and they have both loved the Belfast-born musician ever since.
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Their daughter, Annette Manning, contacted Cork’s RedFM to pay tribute to her parents, who she said were exceptionally good to her and her seven siblings.
Annette told the Neil Prendeville show that it was a “tough time” for all Irish families.
She said it was heartbreaking to see her parents physically separated on their milestone wedding anniversary.
“Mum has been in a nursing home for the last 12 months and they are amazing to her. But because of the lockdown Dad has not been able to see Mum.
“Because of their golden wedding anniversary we got on to the chef at the Fairfield nursing home — Niamh Condon — an amazing woman and she produced this chocolate cake that left us speechless it was so gorgeous.”
Annette’s brother Donal drove their father up to the nursing home, leading to a “very emotional” encounter between her parents .
“They hadn’t been able to see each other for a while. He was trying to serenade her but the windows were closed which was probably a good thing that she couldn’t hear him,” she laughed
“But he wanted to make the day as special as possible for her despite what is going on in Ireland and the world.”
“The memories they have are so special. Mum got sick two years ago and she has not been able to come home so Dad is living by himself.”
“The family are around him all the time but yesterday was all about our two little love birds and their heart-warming day.”