theirishtimes--2020-01-26--Cameron Blair remembered as ‘loyal friend, protective brother, beautiful boy’ at funeral

The family of 20-year-old Cork Institute of Technology student Cameron Blair , who was fatally stabbed earlier this month , remembered him at his funeral service as a kind and loving son and brother who can never be replaced but will always be sadly missed .
Hundreds of mourners , many visibly upset , packed St Peter ’ s Church in Bandon and the church grounds to show their support for Cameron ’ s grieving parents , Noel and Kathy , and his younger brother , Alan ( 17 ) .
In a poignant tribute to his son , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party on the Bandon Road in Cork city on January 16th , Noel Blair told mourners of how proud he and his wife were of Cameron .
“ Cameron , my darling son - when you were a small boy I used to call you ‘ My buddy ’ .
You grew up to be a fine young man and I was so proud to be your father , ” said Mr Blair , his voice quaking with emotion .
“ You lived life to the full .
Positivity and kindness came naturally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend , a protective brother , our beautiful boy .
You were unique and nothing can replace you .
Rest in peace , Cameron , until we meet again.
” Cameron Blair had attended Bandon Grammar School and school chaplain , Rev Anne Skuse , who led the funeral service , recalled the popular young man and how his “ senseless death in an act of violence ” had affected so many .
“ We are all struggling with feelings of sadness , hurt and at times at anger and there are many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could happen , but Cameron ’ s parents are adamant today is not a day for questions or looking for answers .
“ They want this day to a day of celebration of Cameron ’ s life and all that he was to so many people , ” said Rev Skuse .
She asked people to also remember Cameron ’ s grandmother , Phyllis , and the wider Blair and Donnelly families .
Cameron had travelled widely , including to China , and in the Blair home they had a photo of him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu : “ The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
” “ It may seem to us gathered here today that Cameron has only just begun his life ’ s journey , that he had taken only a few steps but his family do not wish to dwell on the shortness of his life but rather what he packed into that life , ” Rev Skuse said .
“ Cameron lived his life to the full , he took it with both hands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , confident and brave - he had a sharp wit and a cheeky , cheerful smile that got him into , and out of , trouble .
“ And he had within his soul a deep kindness and care for others ; a generosity of spirit that shone so bright this week as so many people , both young and old , recalled small acts of loving kindness that he had shown to them .
“ These acts of kindness were done quietly , without wishing to draw any attention to himself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a reflection on those who loved and nurtured him and brought him to be the person he was .
Cameron ’ s mother Kathy paid tribute to her son with a paraphrased excerpt from WH Auden ’ s poem , ‘ Stop all the clocks , cut off the telephone ’ .
“ Cameron , you were my North , my South , my East , my West , My working week and my Sunday rest , My noon , my midnight , my talk , my song ; I thought our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong .
Sleep peacefully my sweet child.
” And then his brother , Alan , paid tribute to Cameron with a poem he wrote in which he told of his brother ’ s kind actions , generous heart and active mind .
“ I adored you since I was small and the day you left us was the saddest day of all .
My keeper of secrets , you were loyal to the end and I always thought of you as my best friend , ” Alan said .
“ I never thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not there to show me the way , but it wouldn ’ t be your wish for me to be forever sad .
So I try to remind myself of the happy times we had .
Sleep tight Cam.
” At the close of the Service , Bishop Paul Colton of Cork , Cloyne and Ross , who confirmed Cameron in St Peter ’ s Church in 2013 , said the Church of Ireland in Cork had received messages of sympathy from all over Ireland .
“ Just over six-and-a-half years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Cameron stood on the step there and I confirmed him .
Never in our wildest imagination would we have thought we would be here today in such tragic circumstances .
“ And so from our many backgrounds , so many people here , so many people not here but thinking of us from around this island of ours and beyond , I want to say to Kathy and Noel and Alan how our hearts are broken with yours.
” As Cameron ’ s remains were shouldered from St Peter ’ s Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bandon Rugby Football Club and Bandon Athletics Club formed a guard of honour on the journey to his final resting place in Kilbeg Cemetery .
Among the many people to pay their respects at St Peter ’ s were Tánaiste Simon Coveney ; Mayor of Co Cork Christopher O ’ Sullivan ; Cork Institute of Technology President Dr Barry O ’ Connor and Senator Tim Lombard .

The family of 20-year-old Cork Institute of Technology student Cameron Blair, who was fatally stabbed earlier this month, remembered him at his funeral service as a kind and loving son and brother who can never be replaced but will always be sadly missed.
Hundreds of mourners, many visibly upset, packed St Peter's Church in Bandon and the church grounds to show their support for Cameron's grieving parents, Noel and Kathy, and his younger brother, Alan (17).
In a poignant tribute to his son, who died after being stabbed at a house party on the Bandon Road in Cork city on January 16th, Noel Blair told mourners of how proud he and his wife were of Cameron.
“Cameron, my darling son - when you were a small boy I used to call you ‘My buddy’. You grew up to be a fine young man and I was so proud to be your father,” said Mr Blair, his voice quaking with emotion.
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“You lived life to the full. Positivity and kindness came naturally to you. You were a loyal friend, a protective brother, our beautiful boy. You were unique and nothing can replace you. Rest in peace, Cameron, until we meet again.”
Cameron Blair had attended Bandon Grammar School and school chaplain, Rev Anne Skuse, who led the funeral service, recalled the popular young man and how his "senseless death in an act of violence" had affected so many.
“We are all struggling with feelings of sadness, hurt and at times at anger and there are many questions as to how such a thing could happen, but Cameron’s parents are adamant today is not a day for questions or looking for answers.
“They want this day to a day of celebration of Cameron’s life and all that he was to so many people,” said Rev Skuse. She asked people to also remember Cameron’s grandmother, Phyllis, and the wider Blair and Donnelly families.
Cameron had travelled widely, including to China, and in the Blair home they had a photo of him at the Great Wall with the words of the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
“It may seem to us gathered here today that Cameron has only just begun his life’s journey, that he had taken only a few steps but his family do not wish to dwell on the shortness of his life but rather what he packed into that life,” Rev Skuse said.
“Cameron lived his life to the full, he took it with both hands and enjoyed every moment - he was strong, confident and brave - he had a sharp wit and a cheeky, cheerful smile that got him into, and out of, trouble.
“And he had within his soul a deep kindness and care for others; a generosity of spirit that shone so bright this week as so many people, both young and old, recalled small acts of loving kindness that he had shown to them.
“These acts of kindness were done quietly, without wishing to draw any attention to himself,” she said, adding such kindness was a reflection on those who loved and nurtured him and brought him to be the person he was.
Cameron’s mother Kathy paid tribute to her son with a paraphrased excerpt from WH Auden’s poem, ‘Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone’.
“Cameron, you were my North, my South, my East, my West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought our world would last forever: I was wrong. Sleep peacefully my sweet child.”
Cameron Blair (20), a native of Ballinascarthy in west Cork, was a second-year chemical engineering student at CIT. Photograph: Gerard McCarthy
And then his brother, Alan, paid tribute to Cameron with a poem he wrote in which he told of his brother’s kind actions, generous heart and active mind.
“I adored you since I was small and the day you left us was the saddest day of all. My keeper of secrets, you were loyal to the end and I always thought of you as my best friend,” Alan said.
“I never thought I would see the day when you were not there to show me the way, but it wouldn’t be your wish for me to be forever sad. So I try to remind myself of the happy times we had. Sleep tight Cam.”
At the close of the Service, Bishop Paul Colton of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, who confirmed Cameron in St Peter's Church in 2013, said the Church of Ireland in Cork had received messages of sympathy from all over Ireland.
“Just over six-and-a-half years ago, I stood on this very spot and Cameron stood on the step there and I confirmed him. Never in our wildest imagination would we have thought we would be here today in such tragic circumstances.
“And so from our many backgrounds, so many people here, so many people not here but thinking of us from around this island of ours and beyond, I want to say to Kathy and Noel and Alan how our hearts are broken with yours.”
As Cameron's remains were shouldered from St Peter's Church by his family, his teammates from Bandon Rugby Football Club and Bandon Athletics Club formed a guard of honour on the journey to his final resting place in Kilbeg Cemetery.
Among the many people to pay their respects at St Peter's were Tánaiste Simon Coveney; Mayor of Co Cork Christopher O'Sullivan; Cork Institute of Technology President Dr Barry O'Connor and Senator Tim Lombard.


theirishtimes--2020-01-26--‘It’s survival of the fittest’: Dublin Cycling Campaign urges safety measures

More than 250 cyclists took to the banks of the river Liffey on Sunday morning calling for the implementation of the proposed cycle plan along one of the busiest stretches of road in Dublin ’ s city centre .
Cyclists of all ages took part in the protest , organised by the Dublin Cycling Campaign , moving from Grand Canal Square down the Liffey quays as far as the Dublin City Council offices before turning back along the north side of the river .
In April 2019 it was announced that a 5km cycle path from the Phoenix Park to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selected by the National Transport Authority ( NTA ) after seven years of planning for the project .
However , it emerged late last year that the estimated completion date was 2024 .
Dublin Cycling Campaign says Dublin City Council and the NTA must introduce temporary measures along the Liffey route in the interim to protect cyclists .
“ We ’ ve seen the city council put in temporary measures in other places ; they have bollards in front of the Custom House already , ” says Kieran Ryan from the cycling campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures will create some semblance of a safe cycle route until we get around to building the proper infrastructure.
” At present , most of the Liffey quays area is dedicated to motorists , placing cyclists commuting along the river at real risk , said Mr Ryan .
“ For someone cycling , they ’ re sharing a lane with buses and taxis and then outside the bus lane you ’ re dealing with more traffic .
It ’ s a lot of people constrained into a small space , all vying for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re on a bike you ’ re the most vulnerable .
“ I don ’ t want to scare people but it really is survival of the fittest when you ’ re cycling along the quays.
” The new government must ensure 10 per cent of the transport budget is dedicated to cycling infrastructure , said Mr Ryan .
“ We don ’ t have to always talk about Denmark or the Netherlands , we can look at Manchester , London and Paris .
These are examples of cities that have gone from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ networks in the space of months .
We ’ re talking about months as opposed to years and decades.
” Campaign chairperson Kevin Baker believes the entire cycle route can be implemented within two years and that , in the meantime , trial sections should be introduced .
“ The Liffey route will be great for cycling , but there will also be huge bus improvements and improvements for people walking .
It will reimagine the city and show a different way for pushing forward towards a more liveable city for the future.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Williams , says infrastructure is not only necessary for cyclists already on the roads , but also for the countless people who want to cycle but fear doing so could put their lives at risk .
“ It ’ s such an obvious point – the more people who cycle , the better it is for everybody .
There ’ s less congestion , less pollution , we can all get around more easily , we can predict our journeys much better , it ’ s better for our physical and our mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our brain health , and our feeling of independence and autonomy , for kids to grow up cycling.
” The recent decision by Dropbox to join Dublin Cycling Campaign as a corporate member indicates the growing support for a more cycling-friendly city , said Ms Williams .
“ Suddenly we ’ ve got a major player in the industry here in Dublin saying this is an important issue and we want it to be prioritised .
We feel the Government may be more likely to listen now that we have Dropbox , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will join now .
”

More than 250 cyclists took to the banks of the river Liffey on Sunday morning calling for the implementation of the proposed cycle plan along one of the busiest stretches of road in Dublin’s city centre. Footage: Sorcha Pollak
More than 250 cyclists took to the banks of the river Liffey on Sunday morning calling for the implementation of the proposed cycle plan along one of the busiest stretches of road in Dublin’s city centre.
Cyclists of all ages took part in the protest, organised by the Dublin Cycling Campaign, moving from Grand Canal Square down the Liffey quays as far as the Dublin City Council offices before turning back along the north side of the river.
In April 2019 it was announced that a 5km cycle path from the Phoenix Park to the Tom Clarke Bridge had finally been selected by the National Transport Authority (NTA) after seven years of planning for the project. However, it emerged late last year that the estimated completion date was 2024.
Hundreds of cyclists set off from Grand Canal Square calling for the Liffey Cycle Route to be implemented as soon as possible along with immediate temporary measures along the quays to protect the safety of all vulnerable road users @dublincycling pic.twitter.com/LpIzyj2AyV — Sorcha Pollak (@SorchaPollak) January 26, 2020
About 250 members of Dublin Cycling Campaign conduct a rolling protest along Dublin’s Liffey quays to highlight ongoing delays in developing the proposed Liffey Cycle Route. Photograph: Alan Betson
Dublin Cycling Campaign says Dublin City Council and the NTA must introduce temporary measures along the Liffey route in the interim to protect cyclists.
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Custom House bollards
“We’ve seen the city council put in temporary measures in other places; they have bollards in front of the Custom House already,” says Kieran Ryan from the cycling campaign. “That same approach of temporary measures will create some semblance of a safe cycle route until we get around to building the proper infrastructure.”
Youngsters join in the Dublin Cycling Campaign protest in Dublin city on Sunday morning. Campaign vice-chairperson Louise Williams said: “How good it is for our brain health, and our feeling of independence and autonomy, for kids to grow up cycling.” Photograph: Alan Betson
At present, most of the Liffey quays area is dedicated to motorists, placing cyclists commuting along the river at real risk, said Mr Ryan. “For someone cycling, they’re sharing a lane with buses and taxis and then outside the bus lane you’re dealing with more traffic. It’s a lot of people constrained into a small space, all vying for a position, and when you’re on a bike you’re the most vulnerable.
“I don’t want to scare people but it really is survival of the fittest when you’re cycling along the quays.”
Protesters cycle across the Samuel Beckett Bridge over the Liffey on Sunday morning. Photograph: Alan Betson
The new government must ensure 10 per cent of the transport budget is dedicated to cycling infrastructure, said Mr Ryan. "We don't have to always talk about Denmark or the Netherlands, we can look at Manchester, London and Paris. These are examples of cities that have gone from where we are now to functioning cycle networks in the space of months. We're talking about months as opposed to years and decades."
Reimagine the city
Campaign chairperson Kevin Baker believes the entire cycle route can be implemented within two years and that, in the meantime, trial sections should be introduced. “The Liffey route will be great for cycling, but there will also be huge bus improvements and improvements for people walking. It will reimagine the city and show a different way for pushing forward towards a more liveable city for the future.”
Vice-chairperson of the campaign, Louise Williams, says infrastructure is not only necessary for cyclists already on the roads, but also for the countless people who want to cycle but fear doing so could put their lives at risk.
Dublin Cycling Campaign protesters move down Wellington Quay on Sunday morning. Photograph: Alan Betson
“It’s such an obvious point – the more people who cycle, the better it is for everybody. There’s less congestion, less pollution, we can all get around more easily, we can predict our journeys much better, it’s better for our physical and our mental health... How good it is for our brain health, and our feeling of independence and autonomy, for kids to grow up cycling.”
The recent decision by Dropbox to join Dublin Cycling Campaign as a corporate member indicates the growing support for a more cycling-friendly city, said Ms Williams. “Suddenly we’ve got a major player in the industry here in Dublin saying this is an important issue and we want it to be prioritised. We feel the Government may be more likely to listen now that we have Dropbox, and it’s quite likely other organisations will join now.”


theirishtimes--2020-01-26--Snow and ice warning for Connacht and Cavan and Donegal

A snow and ice warning for Connacht and Cavan and Donegal comes into force at 6pm on Sunday .
Met @ @ @ @ @ warning , the lowest of the three warning categories , see hail , sleet and @ @ @ @ @ snow on high ground .
The warning will remain in place until 11am on Monday @ @ @ @ @ Coleman said temperatures would fall sharply on Sunday evening to below freezing .
“ On @ @ @ @ @ be a more organised band of showers coming in across country , and with that @ @ @ @ @ wintry precipitation , ” she said .
“ In terms of blankets of snow - @ @ @ @ @ Coleman .
“ We don ’ t expect that .
Showers might fall as sleet @ @ @ @ @ ” The pattern is set to continue into Monday and Tuesday - with scattered showers @ @ @ @ @ before a band of rain coming from the south west on Wednesday is expected to @ @ @

Hail, sleet and snow showers with accumulations of snow on high ground are forecast.
A snow and ice warning for Connacht and Cavan and Donegal comes into force at 6pm on Sunday.
Met Éireann said the status yellow warning, the lowest of the three warning categories, see hail, sleet and snow showers with accumulations of snow on high ground.
The warning will remain in place until 11am on Monday.
Met Éireann meteorologist Liz Coleman said temperatures would fall sharply on Sunday evening to below freezing.
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“On Sunday night, there will be a more organised band of showers coming in across country, and with that a higher risk of some wintry precipitation,” she said.
“In terms of blankets of snow - no,” said Ms Coleman.
“We don’t expect that. Showers might fall as sleet or snow on higher ground.”
The pattern is set to continue into Monday and Tuesday - with scattered showers, some wintry forecast - before a band of rain coming from the south west on Wednesday is expected to increase temperatures.


theirishtimes--2020-01-26--Gardaí awaiting further toxicology test results on McGinley children

A woman in her forties remains in Tallaght hospital on Sunday where she is being treated after she was found in a distressed state outside a property where the bodies of three young children were discovered on Friday .
The discovery was just after 7pm at a house at Parson ’ s Court , Newcastle , Co Dublin .
The children were named by gardaí as Conor ( 9 ) , Darragh ( 7 ) and Carla McGinley ( 3 ) .
The deaths of the children are being treated by gardaí as “ sudden ” and “ unexplained ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal in nature .
One strong line of investigation was the children met with foul play , though early indications are they had no obvious injuries to their bodies .
It was expected that toxicology tests would be needed as part of the postmortem process to confirm how the children died .
In a statement on Sunday gardaí said an interim postmortem had been carried out but that the results were not being published for operational reasons .
Further toxicology results are still awaited .
Gardaí hope to speak to the woman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happened at the house .
The woman is understood to be the children ’ s mother .
The emergency services were alerted by a taxi driver who found the woman on the street on Friday evening and took her home to Parson ’ s Court .
When the driver arrived at the house he saw a note with instructions not to go upstairs but to call to call 999 instead .
It is understood the children ’ s father , Andrew McGinley , arrived at the house from work at around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived at the scene just after 7pm on Friday the children were pronounced dead inside the house .
It was unclear how long they had been dead .
The deaths of the children are being treated by gardaí as “ sudden ” and “ unexplained ” and the inquiry into their deaths is criminal in nature .
One strong line of investigation was that the children met with foul play , though early indications are they had no obvious injuries to their bodies .
As the children had no visible signs of injury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be needed as part of the postmortem process to confirm how the children died .
Parson ’ s Court is a private estate of houses and apartments .
It is understood two of the children were attending Scoil Chrónáin in Rathcoole .
The scene remains sealed off by gardaí and the bodies of the children were removed from the property after 10am on Saturday and brought to the city morgue .
The scene has been examined by members of the Garda Technical Bureau , while Assistant State Pathologist Margot Bolster also attended .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ homicide investigation had been committed to the case .
Gardaí said a family liaison officer has been appointed and is in contact with Mr McGinley and the extended family .
Flowers were placed at the scene on Saturday .
A special Mass was held at St Finian ’ s Church and a book of condolences has been opened .
Co-parish priest Fr Kevin Doherty told The Irish Times on Saturday that those attending the Mass “ have no words to speak but our presence ” .
“ We pray especially for parents and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the darkness has come but the light is present among us and that each one of us will be a light to another.
” A father-of-four whose children played with the McGinley children in a local playground said “ they were just normal little kids ... they were out there playing and they were happy ” .
The man , who lives close to Parson ’ s Court with his family , said the community has been left “ shocked ” .
“ It ’ s something you don ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in other places , you don ’ t think it ’ s going to happen on your doorstep , ” he said .
Local councillor Emer Higgins said the community of Newcastle and surrounding areas are “ heartbroken ” .
“ This is just an unthinkable tragedy , we ’ ve really tight knit communities right across Newcastle , Rathcoole and Saggart .
We ’ re all just heartbroken , ” the Fine Gael councillor said .
“ The community came together this morning to pray for the family and my own thoughts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grieving with them .
I think in times like this it ’ s really good for a community to come together.
” Tusla said on Saturday it would put in place necessary supports as part of a critical incident protocol developed by the South Dublin Children and Young People ’ s Service Committee .
The protocol is activated following serious incidents likely to impact a community , it said .
If you or someone you know needs someone to talk to , contact the Samaritans on 116 123 .

Conor (9), Carla (3) and Darragh McGinley (7) with their father Andrew McGinley. The children were found dead in a house in Co Dublin on Friday night. Handout photograph: Andrew McGinley/An Garda
A woman in her forties remains in Tallaght hospital on Sunday where she is being treated after she was found in a distressed state outside a property where the bodies of three young children were discovered on Friday.
The discovery was just after 7pm at a house at Parson’s Court, Newcastle, Co Dublin. The children were named by gardaí as Conor (9), Darragh (7) and Carla McGinley (3).
The deaths of the children are being treated by gardaí as “sudden” and “unexplained” and the inquiry into their deaths is criminal in nature.
One strong line of investigation was the children met with foul play, though early indications are they had no obvious injuries to their bodies.
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It was expected that toxicology tests would be needed as part of the postmortem process to confirm how the children died. In a statement on Sunday gardaí said an interim postmortem had been carried out but that the results were not being published for operational reasons. Further toxicology results are still awaited.
Gardaí hope to speak to the woman, who is in her 40s, about what happened at the house. The woman is understood to be the children’s mother.
The emergency services were alerted by a taxi driver who found the woman on the street on Friday evening and took her home to Parson’s Court.
When the driver arrived at the house he saw a note with instructions not to go upstairs but to call to call 999 instead.
It is understood the children’s father, Andrew McGinley, arrived at the house from work at around the same time.
When gardaí and paramedics arrived at the scene just after 7pm on Friday the children were pronounced dead inside the house.
It was unclear how long they had been dead.
A woman leaves flowers outside the house in Parson’s Court in Newcastle in which the bodies of three children were found. Photograph: Collins
Sudden
The deaths of the children are being treated by gardaí as “sudden” and “unexplained” and the inquiry into their deaths is criminal in nature.
One strong line of investigation was that the children met with foul play, though early indications are they had no obvious injuries to their bodies.
As the children had no visible signs of injury it was expected that toxicology tests would be needed as part of the postmortem process to confirm how the children died.
Parson’s Court is a private estate of houses and apartments. It is understood two of the children were attending Scoil Chrónáin in Rathcoole.
The scene remains sealed off by gardaí and the bodies of the children were removed from the property after 10am on Saturday and brought to the city morgue.
The scene has been examined by members of the Garda Technical Bureau, while Assistant State Pathologist Margot Bolster also attended.
Sources said all the resources of a homicide investigation had been committed to the case.
Flowers are seen outside the house where the bodies of three children were found in a house in Newcastle. Photograph: Collins
Gardaí said a family liaison officer has been appointed and is in contact with Mr McGinley and the extended family.
Flowers were placed at the scene on Saturday.
Mass
A special Mass was held at St Finian’s Church and a book of condolences has been opened.
Co-parish priest Fr Kevin Doherty told The Irish Times on Saturday that those attending the Mass “have no words to speak but our presence”.
“We pray especially for parents and children, and we just spoke about the darkness has come but the light is present among us and that each one of us will be a light to another.”
A father-of-four whose children played with the McGinley children in a local playground said “they were just normal little kids...they were out there playing and they were happy”.
Flowers are seen outside the house at Parson’s Court. Photograph: Collins
The man, who lives close to Parson’s Court with his family, said the community has been left “shocked”.
“It’s something you don’t want to hear. You always think it happens in other places, you don’t think it’s going to happen on your doorstep,” he said.
Local councillor Emer Higgins said the community of Newcastle and surrounding areas are “heartbroken”.
“This is just an unthinkable tragedy, we’ve really tight knit communities right across Newcastle, Rathcoole and Saggart. We’re all just heartbroken,” the Fine Gael councillor said.
“The community came together this morning to pray for the family and my own thoughts and prayers are with everyone who is grieving with them. I think in times like this it’s really good for a community to come together.”
Tusla said on Saturday it would put in place necessary supports as part of a critical incident protocol developed by the South Dublin Children and Young People’s Service Committee.
The protocol is activated following serious incidents likely to impact a community, it said.
If you or someone you know needs someone to talk to, contact the Samaritans on 116 123.


theirishtimes--2020-01-26--Man (33) killed in suspected stabbing in Co Wexford is named

A woman is being questioned in relation to the death of a father-of-three in Co Wexford in the early hours of Sunday .
Gardaí in Gorey are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Bray native Philip Doyle following a stabbing in a house in Gorey .
Shortly before 2am gardaí received reports from neighbours of an incident at a house in Ramsgate Village , the largest housing estate in the north Wexford town , located a short walk from Gorey ’ s main street .
The dead man had been living in Ramsgate Village , Gorey , with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stab wounds and was discovered in the front garden of the house .
A Garda spokesperson said the injured man was treated by gardaí and emergency services personnel “ but was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.
” It is understood Mr Doyle and his wife had been socialising in Gorey on Saturday and a row occurred at the house in Ramsgate Village .
The body remained at the scene throughout Sunday morning and the services of the State Pathologist were requested .
The scene was preserved by gardaí and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday afternoon .
The woman was removed to Wexford General Hospital for treatment prior to being taken to Gorey Garda sation where she was being questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act , 1984 .
The body was removed to hospital for a postmortem on Monday .
Neighbours reported a lot of noise coming from the house in the early hours of Sunday .
Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne , who lives in an estate at Ramsgate Village , said he was shocked and surprised to learn of Mr Doyle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large estate of around 400 houses with a number of different parts to it .
A lot of the houses are rented by families or young couples , many of whom are commuting to work .
“ The [ dead ] man doesn ’ t seem to be that well known in the estate .
Our thoughts would be with his family at this time .
“ From chatting with neighbours of the man everyone is quite shocked .
Gorey is a rapidly growing town and it ’ s not the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
“ It has a reputation of being a good and quiet town but unfortunately incidents like this happen and it ’ s very sad.
” An incident room has been established at Gorey Garda station and investigators have held two case conferences .
Investigating gardaí are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact them at Gorey Garda station 053-9430690 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 .

Gardaí are investigating circumstances surrounding the death of Bray native Philip Doyle following a stabbing in a house in Gorey. File photograph: Handout/David Looby
A woman is being questioned in relation to the death of a father-of-three in Co Wexford in the early hours of Sunday.
Gardaí in Gorey are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Bray native Philip Doyle following a stabbing in a house in Gorey.
Shortly before 2am gardaí received reports from neighbours of an incident at a house in Ramsgate Village, the largest housing estate in the north Wexford town, located a short walk from Gorey's main street.
The dead man had been living in Ramsgate Village, Gorey, with his wife and young children.
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Gardaí at the scene in Gorey on Sunday. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
He suffered stab wounds and was discovered in the front garden of the house.
A Garda spokesperson said the injured man was treated by gardaí and emergency services personnel “but was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.”
It is understood Mr Doyle and his wife had been socialising in Gorey on Saturday and a row occurred at the house in Ramsgate Village.
A woman was later arrested.
The body remained at the scene throughout Sunday morning and the services of the State Pathologist were requested.
The scene was preserved by gardaí and members of the Garda Technical Bureau attended on Sunday afternoon.
The woman was removed to Wexford General Hospital for treatment prior to being taken to Gorey Garda sation where she was being questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
A lot of noise
The body was removed to hospital for a postmortem on Monday. Neighbours reported a lot of noise coming from the house in the early hours of Sunday.
Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne, who lives in an estate at Ramsgate Village, said he was shocked and surprised to learn of Mr Doyle’s death.
The scene at Ramsgate Village, Gorey, Co Wexford on Sunday. Photograph Nick Bradshaw
“It is a large estate of around 400 houses with a number of different parts to it.
A lot of the houses are rented by families or young couples, many of whom are commuting to work.
“The [dead] man doesn’t seem to be that well known in the estate. Our thoughts would be with his family at this time.
“From chatting with neighbours of the man everyone is quite shocked. Gorey is a rapidly growing town and it’s not the first (violent) incident here over the years.
“It has a reputation of being a good and quiet town but unfortunately incidents like this happen and it’s very sad.”
An incident room has been established at Gorey Garda station and investigators have held two case conferences.
Investigating gardaí are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact them at Gorey Garda station 053-9430690 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.


theirishtimes--2020-01-27--Parents jailed over female genital mutilation of daughter

A married couple convicted of the female genital mutilation ( FGM ) of their daughter in the first case of its kind in Ireland ’ s history have been jailed .
The couple both pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of carrying out an act of FGM on a then one-year-old girl at an address in Dublin on September 16th , 2016 .
The 37-year-old man and 27-year-old woman also pleaded not guilty to one count of child cruelty on the same day .
They are both originally from an African nation but can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the child .
On the eighth day of the trial , the jury returned unanimous verdicts of guilty on all counts after almost three hours of deliberations .
Passing sentence , Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced the male accused to five and a half years imprisonment .
Judge Shehan sentenced the female accused to four years and nine months imprisonment .
At an earlier sentencing hearing , Detective Inspector Danny Kelly told Shane Costelloe SC , prosecuting , that on the date in question , the accused man attended at a hospital with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region .
Det Insp Kelly said the accused man gave an explanation that the child had sustained the injury by falling backwards onto a toy .
Medical professionals were of the view that this explanation was not credible and that the injuries were not accidental , counsel said .
Gardaí were notified and carried out a search of the accused ’ s family home .
They seized the toy claimed to be responsible for inflicting the injury and no blood was found on the item following a forensic analysis .
Dr Sinead Harty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her professional opinion , the injury sustained was not consistent with falling on a toy .
She said the head and glans of the victim ’ s clitoris had been completely removed .
In interview with gardaí , both accused denied that FGM had been carried out on their daughter .
The victim ’ s father said he did not agree with the practice .
His wife said she had been a victim of a different form of FGM herself .
The court heard that the victim and her two siblings are currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s eldest sister .
The court heard expert evidence that FGM is a cultural phenomenon that goes back many thousands of years and arising predominantly from East Africa .
Dr Deborah Hodes said it has no nothing to do with religious beliefs and is absolutely not a principal of the Muslim faith .
Dr Deborah Hodes , who helped set up a clinic in the UK which specifically tries to assist young women who have had FGM done to them , prepared a report for the court outlining the long term effect on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act .
In the report , Dr Hodes sets out that FGM had nothing to do with religious beliefs or any form of religion .
She said it was absolutely not a principal of the Muslim faith and nothing about being Muslim required FGM to be carried out .
Dr Hodes said FGM is a cultural phenomenon that goes back many thousands of years .
She said it is not exclusively but predominantly arising from East Africa around the horn of Africa .
She confirmed that because of the nature of the type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will in the future be no physical effect on the victim ’ s urinary system , no obstruction to her vagina , no menstrual problems and there will be no effect on her ability to have sexual intercourse in the future .
The two accused came to Ireland in 2008 .
The woman is a naturalised Irish citizen , while the man faces a deportation order which is currently under review pending the completion of these court proceedings .
Both accused have no previous convictions .
They have been remanded in custody since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury .
Colman Fitzgerald SC , defending the father , said there are standard international classifications of FGM and that there are different categories of greater severity than the type in this case .
He submitted this offence can be placed as not being the most serious kind of FGM .
Mr Fitzgerald said that in all respects , save for this act for which he has been convicted , his client had been a good , loving and caring father .
He said there is no reason to believe his client is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future .
He said when his client ’ s daughter was clearly in trouble , he brought her to hospital and made no attempt to try and wait it out .
He said his client ’ s reaction , the fact that he went for help , is something that should go towards mitigation .
Patrick Gageby SC , defending the mother , said that his client is a married woman with three young children .
He said that in all respects save this previous breach , his client appears to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjusted and healthy children .
Mr Gageby said there may be some irony in his client pleading that she is the mother of three small children in mitigation .
He offered that courts have on occasion offered leniency to people in a position similar to his client .
He said this appears to be the first conviction under this statute .
He asked the court to temper its public obligations with the requirement to visit a proportionate sentence on his client .
Speaking after the sentencing , Chief Superintendent Declan Daly of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ sends a strong and important message that Female Genital Mutilation , the mutilation of children and young girls , is not and will not be tolerated .
“ It is a heinous and barbaric practice which is a criminal offence in Ireland , ” he said .
“ Ireland has a long and proud history of embracing traditions and customs from abroad , however there can be no ‘ welcome ’ for any activity which brings harm to children.
” He asked for anyone who suspects or believes a child is at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

A married couple convicted of the female genital mutilation (FGM) of their daughter in the first case of its kind in Ireland’s history have been jailed.
The couple both pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of carrying out an act of FGM on a then one-year-old girl at an address in Dublin on September 16th, 2016.
The 37-year-old man and 27-year-old woman also pleaded not guilty to one count of child cruelty on the same day. They are both originally from an African nation but cannot be named to protect the identity of the child.
On the eighth day of the trial, the jury returned unanimous verdicts of guilty on all counts after almost three hours of deliberations.
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Passing sentence, Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced the male accused to five and a half years imprisonment.
Judge Shehan sentenced the female accused to four years and nine months imprisonment.
At an earlier sentencing hearing, Detective Inspector Danny Kelly told Shane Costelloe SC, prosecuting, that on the date in question, the accused man attended at a hospital with his daughter who was bleeding from her perineal region.
Det Insp Kelly said the accused man gave an explanation that the child had sustained the injury by falling backwards onto a toy. Medical professionals were of the view that this explanation was not credible and that the injuries were not accidental, counsel said.
Forensic analysis
Gardaí were notified and carried out a search of the accused’s family home. They seized the toy claimed to be responsible for inflicting the injury and no blood was found on the item following a forensic analysis.
Dr Sinead Harty gave evidence during the trial that in her professional opinion, the injury sustained was not consistent with falling on a toy. She said the head and glans of the victim's clitoris had been completely removed.
In interview with gardaí, both accused denied that FGM had been carried out on their daughter. The victim’s father said he did not agree with the practice. His wife said she had been a victim of a different form of FGM herself.
The court heard that the victim and her two siblings are currently in the care of their mother’s eldest sister.
The court heard expert evidence that FGM is a cultural phenomenon that goes back many thousands of years and arising predominantly from East Africa. Dr Deborah Hodes said it has no nothing to do with religious beliefs and is absolutely not a principal of the Muslim faith.
Dr Deborah Hodes, who helped set up a clinic in the UK which specifically tries to assist young women who have had FGM done to them, prepared a report for the court outlining the long term effect on the victim as a result of this act.
In the report, Dr Hodes sets out that FGM had nothing to do with religious beliefs or any form of religion. She said it was absolutely not a principal of the Muslim faith and nothing about being Muslim required FGM to be carried out.
Dr Hodes said FGM is a cultural phenomenon that goes back many thousands of years. She said it is not exclusively but predominantly arising from East Africa around the horn of Africa.
She confirmed that because of the nature of the type of FGM in this case, there will in the future be no physical effect on the victim’s urinary system, no obstruction to her vagina, no menstrual problems and there will be no effect on her ability to have sexual intercourse in the future.
Deportation order
The two accused came to Ireland in 2008. The woman is a naturalised Irish citizen, while the man faces a deportation order which is currently under review pending the completion of these court proceedings.
Both accused have no previous convictions. They have been remanded in custody since the date of their conviction by a jury.
Colman Fitzgerald SC, defending the father, said there are standard international classifications of FGM and that there are different categories of greater severity than the type in this case. He submitted this offence can be placed as not being the most serious kind of FGM.
Mr Fitzgerald said that in all respects, save for this act for which he has been convicted, his client had been a good, loving and caring father. He said there is no reason to believe his client is likely to be involved in criminality in the future.
He said when his client’s daughter was clearly in trouble, he brought her to hospital and made no attempt to try and wait it out. He said his client’s reaction, the fact that he went for help, is something that should go towards mitigation.
Patrick Gageby SC, defending the mother, said that his client is a married woman with three young children. He said that in all respects save this previous breach, his client appears to have been a very caring mother with well adjusted and healthy children.
Mr Gageby said there may be some irony in his client pleading that she is the mother of three small children in mitigation. He offered that courts have on occasion offered leniency to people in a position similar to his client.
He said this appears to be the first conviction under this statute. He asked the court to temper its public obligations with the requirement to visit a proportionate sentence on his client.
‘Barbaric practice’
Speaking after the sentencing, Chief Superintendent Declan Daly of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau said it “ sends a strong and important message that Female Genital Mutilation, the mutilation of children and young girls, is not and will not be tolerated.
“It is a heinous and barbaric practice which is a criminal offence in Ireland,” he said.
“Ireland has a long and proud history of embracing traditions and customs from abroad, however there can be no ‘welcome’ for any activity which brings harm to children.”
He asked for anyone who suspects or believes a child is at risk of FGM to contact the Garda.


theirishtimes--2020-01-27--Aontú leader seeks High Court injunction to halt RTÉ debate

The leader of the Aontú party Peadar Tóibín is to seek a High Court injunction preventing Monday night ’ s planned leaders debate on RTÉ ’ s Claire Byrne Live going ahead .
The matter was briefly mentioned before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds at the High Court on Monday morning .
Louis Masterson Bl , instructed by solicitor Cormac Ó Ceallaigh , told the court that he hoped to be in a position to formally apply for the injunction against RTÉ later today .
Counsel said that the legal documents required to bring an injunction application are currently being prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been brought arising out of Mr Tóibín ’ s “ exclusion from the debate.
” by the national broadcaster .
When asked by the judge about the exact nature of the application , Mr Masterson replied that his client intends to seek an order preventing the planned debate , which the leaders of seven political parties are expected to participate , from being broadcast .
Mr Masterson also said that RTÉ had not been formally put on notice of the intended application to seek an injunction .
The judge expressed her surprise at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been “ well touted ” in the media over the last number of days .
The judge said that at this stage there was no effective application before the court but the matter could be mentioned before her during the course of the day .

Aontú party Peadar Tóibín has withdrawn his application for a High Court injunction preventing tonight's planned political leaders debate due to broadcast on RTÉ from going ahead.
Lawyers acting for the Meath West TD told Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds on Monday afternoon that after some consideration the application was no longer going ahead.
The court was told that the time constraints involved in bringing such an application were among the reasons why the former Sinn Féin TD was not proceeding with his action.
Speaking outside the court, Mr Tóibín said he was "disappointed" with RTÉ's decision to exclude a representative of his party from participating in the debate on its Claire Byrne Live programme.
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He said that with the level of preparation of documents involved, there was not enough time to have the action heard in advance of the planed debate.
It was “unfair” that Aontú cannot take part when other political groups with smaller or similar support were, he added.
Mr Tóibín said theree had been discussions about the debate between Aontú and RTÉ up until Tuesday of last week, adding that he had hoped those talks would have ended “amicably”.
He said he “radically disagreed” with RTÉ’s criteria for inclusion on the show, and add that other options were being considered, including referring the issue to Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI).
Earlier, Louis Masterson Bl, instructed by solicitor Cormac O’Ceallaigh for Mr Tóibín, told Ms Justice Reynolds that it was hoped to formally apply for the injunction against RTÉ during the course of the day.
Counsel said the proposed action was being brought arising out ofthe TD’s “exclusion from the debate” by the national broadcaster. The court heard he was going to look for an order preventing the planned debate, which the leaders of seven political parties are expected to participate in, from being broadcast.


theirishtimes--2020-01-27--New bishop appointed to Catholic diocese of Achonry

The new Catholic Bishop of Achonry diocese in the west of Ireland is to be Fr Paul Dempsey ( 49 ) , current parish priest of Newbridge Co Kildare .
Born in Carlow town on April 20th , 1971 , the family moved to Athy in Co Kildare in 1978 and he lived there until he was 18 .
The youngest in his family , he has one brother and two sisters .
Both his parents died in 1994 .
His mother Berry died from cancer in February that year and his father Tony died suddenly 12 days later .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Milltown Institute in Dublin , St Patrick ’ s College , Carlow and All Hallows College , Dublin .
He was ordained at the Cathedral of the Assumption , Carlow , in July 1997 .
He has served as curate in Clane & Rathcoffey parish in Co Kildare and , seven years later , in Kildare town when he was also appointed youth director and vocations director for the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin .
While in Kildare town he began writing weekly articles for the Leinster Leader newspaper .
He also began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programme on Kildare FM radio every Sunday morning .
In 2008 Fr Dempsey secured an honours MA in theology at the Milltown Institute for his thesis on “ The Contemporary Irish Catholic Church – A Church in Crisis or in Question ?
” In 2009 he moved to the parish cluster of Naas , Sallins and Two-Mile-House and was there until August 2014 when he was moved to Newbridge parish and was also appointed Vicar Forane for the diocese ’ s north deanery , consisting of 17 parishes .
In September 2015 he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Administrator of Caragh and Prosperous parishes , serving approximately 32,000 parishioners .
His new diocese , Achonry – taking in 23 parishes in Mayo , Sligo , and Roscommon – has a Catholic population of 34,826 announced of his appointment to Achonry was made at 11 am Mass in St Nathy ’ s Cathedral , Ballaghderreen , Co Roscommon .
It was concelebrated by the papal nuncio Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo , Fr Dempsey , Fr Dermot Meehan , current administrator of the diocese .

The new Catholic Bishop of Achonry diocese in the west of Ireland is to be Fr Paul Dempsey (48), current parish priest of Newbridge Co Kildare. He will be installed in April.
Born in Carlow town on April 20th, 1971, the family moved to Athy in Co Kildare in 1978 and he lived there until he was 18.
The youngest in his family, he has one brother and two sisters. Both his parents died in 1994. His mother Berry died from cancer in February that year and his father Tony died suddenly 12 days later.
He studied for the priesthood at the Milltown Institute in Dublin, St Patrick's College, Carlow and All Hallows College, Dublin. He was ordained at the Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow, in July 1997.
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He has served as curate in Clane & Rathcoffey parish in Co Kildare and, seven years later, in Kildare town when he was also appointed youth director and vocations director for the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.
While in Kildare town he began writing weekly articles for the Leinster Leader newspaper. He also began presenting a weekly religious and social affairs programme on Kildare FM radio every Sunday morning.
In 2008 Fr Dempsey secured an honours MA in theology at the Milltown Institute for his thesis on "The Contemporary Irish Catholic Church – A Church in Crisis or in Question?"
In 2009 he moved to the parish cluster of Naas, Sallins and Two-Mile-House and was there until August 2014 when he was moved to Newbridge parish and was also appointed Vicar Forane for the diocese's north deanery, consisting of 17 parishes.
In September 2015 he was appointed parish priest of Newbridge and Administrator of Caragh and Prosperous parishes, serving approximately 32,000 parishioners. His new diocese, Achonry – taking in 23 parishes in Mayo, Sligo, and Roscommon – has a Catholic population of 34,826.
The announcement of his appointment to Achonry was made at 11 am Mass on Monday in St Nathy's Cathedral, Ballaghderreen, Co Roscommon. It was concelebrated by the papal nuncio Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, Fr Dempsey, Fr Dermot Meehan, current administrator of the diocese.
'Deep reflection'
In a December 2010 article for the Furrow magazine, on ‘Being a Priest in Ireland Today’, Fr Dempsey wrote that “the Church community needs to enter into a period of deep reflection.” It would be “refreshing to see some leadership around this ‘reflection’ culminating in some form of national Church gathering,” he said.
He was acutely aware of major issues “where people are not being heard such as women and their role within the Church, also those who find themselves in a strained relationship with the Church because of a second relationship or their sexual orientation”.
Many “faithful people and priests feel they are not being listened to in the Church. This is leading to a great deal of frustration. Many are seriously disillusioned, finding themselves in a ‘wilderness’,” he said.
As an example he pointed to the appointment of bishops, where there was so little consultation. “There seems to be a distinct lack of renewal in this very significant area of Church life,” he said. “Could those with influence in this area perhaps listen to what so many priests and people are saying?” he asked.
More broadly the reality was “that the number of priests is now plummeting in Ireland” and “we seem to be stumbling in a haphazard way into the future.Where is the debate within the Irish Catholic Church around the direction we are going? In particular where is the voice of the younger generation of clergy? ”
There was “much talk of change and renewal in the Irish Church, but what do we really mean by this?” he asked. So much was happening in society “but where is the voice of the Church?” he asked.
“We are met by a deafening silence from the Church on so many issues. Surely this is not good enough!” He asked “should we not be sending others (clerical and lay) to be trained in communications so as to have a pool of commentators able to deal with the media” and “voice the message of the Gospel in the public square on issues concerning so many in our society?”


theirishtimes--2020-01-27--Varadkar blames British ignorance of Ireland for Brexit impasse

British ignorance about Ireland was “ very badly exposed ” during the Brexit negotiations , according to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar .
Mr Varadkar told the BBC ’ s political editor Laura Kuenssberg that Irish people understand a lot about Britain , but the opposite is not the case .
He criticised the political classes in Britain for their ignorance of Ireland though Britain has a “ very colonial history ” .
He suggested that the British had underestimated the extent to which France and Germany would stand by Ireland in the Brexit negotiations .
“ There were people in Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would get together at a big summit and tell the smaller countries what ’ s what .
That is not how the 21st century works .
It is certainly not how the European Union works.
” Mr Varadkar also revealed details of the secret summit he had in October outside Liverpool with British prime minister Boris Johnson .
It broke the deadlock in relation to Brexit .
There the pair agreed a deal which would mean no hard border in Ireland and instead the border would be down the Irish Sea .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men .
“ I think it is a simple story really .
It was two guys in a room in Wirral talking on our own for more than an hour , ” he said .
“ We got down to business and we talked turkey .
Sometimes when you do these things without officials present , it is easier .
It was one of those strange conversations where the prime minister said , ‘ my staff will kill me for saying this , but if I said this , what would you say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , would you move on that ?
’ “ We found out very quickly that we had shared objectives and that we could work together .
That was a crucial moment in Wirral .
Eventhough it was not all sorted that day , I knew leaving Liverpool Airport that things were looking promising again.
” The Taoiseach stated that that the EU will have the stronger hand in the forthcoming trade negotiations and that a trade deal can not be agreed in a piecemeal fashion .
“ We have a population and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK it ’ s about 60 , so if these were two teams up against each other playing football , who do you think has the stronger team ?
” he asked .
“ The final deal and the new relationship will have to be comprehensive .
That is always the way with these types of relationships .
When I hear people talking about piecemeal , it sound a bit like have cake and eat it .
You can have a trade deal for the areas where you have an advantage and none @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not fair and it ’ s not something that will fly in Europe .
” He suggested that Mr Johnson ’ s view that a trade deal can be done by the end of December is too optimistic and that there may be an extension beyond that to get a deal done .
Britain is due to the leave the European Union at 11pm on Friday night .

British ignorance about Ireland was "very badly exposed" during the Brexit negotiations, according to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Mr Varadkar told the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg that Irish people understand a lot about Britain, but the opposite is not the case.
He criticised the political classes in Britain for their ignorance of Ireland though Britain has a “very colonial history”.
He added: "And that's one thing that we actually find hard to understand because, you know if you grow up in Ireland, you know, we speak English as our first language, most of us do anyway. We watch the BBC, you know, we watch Graham Norton, we watch your television, your news.
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“We really understand a lot about Britain, but I think a lot of British people don’t understand a lot about Ireland, including your politicians ... and politicians in Westminster had to learn more about Ireland.
"And I think as they learned they started to understand these issues, how sensitive the political situation is in Northern Ireland, and how we could never countenance a return to a hard border and how that was more important to us than economic issues."
He suggested the British believed France and Germany would side with them in the Brexit negotiation because of the volume of trade between the countries.
Underestimated
“And the fact, I think, that a lot of people in Britain underestimated the fact that European partners will stay by us,” he said.
"There were people in Britain who thought France, Germany and Britain would get together at a big summit and tell the smaller countries what's what. That is not how the 21st century works. It is certainly not how the European Union works."
British prime minister Boris Johnson has set the end of this year as the deadline for agreeing a trade deal between the EU and the UK, declaring that there was "bags of times" to get it right.
Mr Varadkar warned that any failure to get a trade deal by the end of this year posed an “existential threat if anything to our economy in 2021 so we want that deal”.
He suggested that it will not be so easy to get a deal because the EU is suspicious that the UK is trying to “undercut us in terms of environmental standards, labour standards, product standards, food standards, all of those things.
"When I meet prime minister Johnson he says, 'no absolutely not that's not the kind of United Kingdom that I want as prime minister'.
“But we want that written down in law, we want that in a treaty so that we know that the UK will not be undercutting the EU with lower standards.”
He suggested to that the trade deal will have to be agreed by each of the EU's 27 parliaments. "And that's where it gets messy. That's where one country can hold things up, or two countries can, and potentially that might be the reason as to why we may need an extension for another year in order to allow parliaments around Europe, maybe where there are elections happening, who knows, to have a bit more time to consider it."
Mr Varadkar suggested that there should be minimum standards agreed between the EU and the UK, but there needed to be a court of arbitration between them.
He also revealed details of the secret summit he had in October outside Liverpool with Mr Johnson which broke the deadlock in relation to Brexit. The pair agreed a deal which would mean no hard border in Ireland and instead the border would be down the Irish Sea.
Rapport
Mr Varadkar described the rapport between the two men.
“I think it is a simple story really. It was two guys in a room in Wirral talking on our own for more than an hour,” he said.
“We got down to business and we talked turkey. Sometimes when you do these things without officials present, it is easier. It was one of those strange conversations where the prime minister said, ‘my staff will kill me for saying this, but if I said this, what would you say back? If I move on this, would you move on that?’
“We found out very quickly that we had shared objectives and that we could work together. That was a crucial moment in Wirral. Eventhough it was not all sorted that day, I knew leaving Liverpool Airport that things were looking promising again.”
The Taoiseach said the EU will have the stronger hand in the forthcoming trade negotiations and that a trade deal cannot be agreed in a piecemeal fashion.
“We have a population and a market of 450 million people, the UK it’s about 60 [million], so if these were two teams up against each other playing football, who do you think has the stronger team?” he asked.
“The final deal and the new relationship will have to be comprehensive. That is always the way with these types of relationships. When I hear people talking about piecemeal, it sound a bit like have cake and eat it. You can have a trade deal for the areas where you have an advantage and none where you haven’t. That’s not fair and it’s not something that will fly in Europe.”
Mr Varadkar was asked if he thought Brexit would hasten the day there is a united Ireland. He repeated there is no majority for Irish unity in the north at present with unionists and nationalists commanding about 40 per cent of the electorate each while 20 per cent of people in Northern Ireland voted for cross-party parties who “just want to get on with the day to day things like the health service and education and so on.
“So, there isn’t yet a majority for unity in Northern Ireland. And that can’t happen until there is.
“In the meantime, we should all commit ourselves to the Good Friday Agreement, power-sharing in Northern Ireland, ever closer cooperation between North and South, and then increasing close cooperation between Britain and Ireland.”
Britain is due to the leave the European Union at 11pm on Friday night.


theirishtimes--2020-01-27--Snow and hail makes driving conditions dangerous in west

Several car crashes have occurred in Galway as drivers deal with treacherous road conditions because of snow and hail .
Crashes have happened on the M17 , M6 and M18 east of Galway city which are likely to cause long tailbacks during the morning rush .
The M6 is closed westbound at J16 Loughrea due to several collisions between there and J17 Athenry .
There are two crashes on the M18 northbound between Kilternan and Rathmorrissey .
The M17 has reopened between J20 and J19 Annagh Hill after a crash there .
Road conditions were slippery in parts of Donegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hail showers .
It was also frosty around Tullamore in Offaly .
A status yellow snow and ice warning is in place for Connacht , Cavan and Donegal until 11am on Monday .
Met Éireann forecaster Joanna Donnelly said it is “ extremely cold ” along the western seaboard with the prospect of showers of sleet , snow and hail mixed .
There will also be rumbles of thunder and accumulations of snow over high ground which might also settle in low-lying areas .
“ The snow will fall down to lower levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Monday night temperatures will fall to minus 1 degrees and it will be cold on Tuesday with highs of just 7 degrees .
The forecast is for milder conditions to return during the middle of the week .

Several car crashes have occurred in Galway as drivers deal with treacherous road conditions because of snow and hail.
Crashes have happened on the M17, M6 and M18 east of Galway city which are likely to cause long tailbacks during the morning rush.
The M6 is closed westbound at J16 Loughrea due to several collisions between there and J17 Athenry.
There are two crashes on the M18 northbound between Kilternan and Rathmorrissey. The M17 has reopened between J20 and J19 Annagh Hill after a crash there.
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Road conditions were slippery in parts of Donegal, Sligo and Roscommon after snow and hail showers. It was also frosty around Tullamore in Offaly.
A status yellow snow and ice warning is in place for Connacht, Cavan and Donegal until 11am on Monday.
Met Éireann forecaster Joanna Donnelly said it is "extremely cold" along the western seaboard with the prospect of showers of sleet, snow and hail mixed.
There will also be rumbles of thunder and accumulations of snow over high ground which might also settle in low-lying areas.
“The snow will fall down to lower levels as well,” she said.
On Monday night temperatures will fall to minus 1 degrees and it will be cold on Tuesday with highs of just 7 degrees. The forecast is for milder conditions to return during the middle of the week.


theirishtimes--2020-01-27--New study shows difference between boys and girls in certain skills

A new study shows a notable difference between boys and girls in certain skills with boys displaying a greater proficiency in ball skills such as throwing and catching .
Girls scored higher than boys in skills requiring control of the body such as balance and skipping .
The findings are published in the Journal of Sports Sciences and have emerged from data gathered as part of a wider research project involving DCU and the GAA to examine the physical literacy of more than 2,000 children , aged five to 12 in primary schools nationwide .
The findings reflect the type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the former often taking up gymnastics , dance and the latter taking part in rugby and soccer .
Both boys and girls have a huge involvement in Gaelic Games overall .
The “ moving well-being well ” project is assessing the state of children ’ s fitness and physical movement and is seeking to develop interventions to improve it .
Researchers say fundamental move skills are a crucial building block in developing more complex movements required to participate in sport and physical activity .
The benefits of increased physical activity are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease , obesity and conditions such as diabetes .
A 2018 study found that just 17 per cent of Irish primary children engage in the recommended one hour per day of moderate to vigorous activity .
Dr Johann Issartel of DCU said the findings highlight core issues that teachers , parents and coaches need to address .
“ If the current generation of children can ’ t throw and catch in basic situations , why would they choose to play if they aren ’ t good at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not fun ’ , that ’ s what they say , and if it is not fun they won ’ t play .
Develop confidence and competence for our children then they won ’ t stop playing and that ’ s what you want : children at play for as long as possible every day of the year.
” Researchers say longitudinal surveys show a decline in physical activity participation rates of children to the point where only one in every five children is active enough to sustain health .
In the survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary children took part .
The average age was nine years .
Participants were recruited from 44 schools across 12 counties .
Previous research has shown that children can master all fundamental movement skills by age eight .
However , this most recent research finding shows that a large proportion of Irish children have not mastered them by 10 years .
Researchers say that at this stage , children can become self-conscious in the company of their peers when participating in physical activities/sports that require these skills , and in turn are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in physical activity .

Girls scored higher than boys in skills requiring control of the body such as balance and skipping, a new study found. Photograph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision
A new study shows a notable difference between boys and girls in certain skills with boys displaying a greater proficiency in ball skills such as throwing and catching.
Girls scored higher than boys in skills requiring control of the body such as balance and skipping.
The findings are published in the Journal of Sports Sciences and have emerged from data gathered as part of a wider research project involving DCU and the GAA to examine the physical literacy of more than 2,000 children, aged five to 12 in primary schools nationwide.
The findings reflect the type of activities pursued by girls and boys, with the former often taking up gymnastics, dance and the latter taking part in rugby and soccer. Both boys and girls have a huge involvement in Gaelic Games overall.
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The “moving well-being well” project is assessing the state of children’s fitness and physical movement and is seeking to develop interventions to improve it.
Researchers say fundamental move skills are a crucial building block in developing more complex movements required to participate in sport and physical activity.
Diabetes
The benefits of increased physical activity are well established, with substantial evidence linking it with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity and conditions such as diabetes.
A 2018 study found that just 17 per cent of Irish primary children engage in the recommended one hour per day of moderate to vigorous activity.
Dr Johann Issartel of DCU said the findings highlight core issues that teachers, parents and coaches need to address.
“If the current generation of children can’t throw and catch in basic situations, why would they choose to play if they aren’t good at it?
“‘It’s not fun’, that’s what they say, and if it is not fun they won’t play. Develop confidence and competence for our children then they won’t stop playing and that’s what you want: children at play for as long as possible every day of the year.”
Researchers say longitudinal surveys show a decline in physical activity participation rates of children to the point where only one in every five children is active enough to sustain health. In the survey, a total of just over 2,000 primary children took part. The average age was nine years. Participants were recruited from 44 schools across 12 counties.
Previous research has shown that children can master all fundamental movement skills by age eight.
However, this most recent research finding shows that a large proportion of Irish children have not mastered them by 10 years.
Researchers say that at this stage, children can become self-conscious in the company of their peers when participating in physical activities/sports that require these skills, and in turn are likely to disengage, leading to a decrease in physical activity.


theirishtimes--2020-01-27--One in four primary school children cannot run properly, study says

One in four primary school children can not run properly and lack basic movement skills , according to a new study .
In addition , one in two children can not kick a ball properly , and less than one in every five can throw a ball .
The research found “ fundamental movement skills ” – running , jumping , catching and kicking – plateau and stop progressing when children reach the age of 10 .
The findings are contained in a study by researchers at Dublin City University ( DCU ) , who have carried out an all-Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr Stephen Behan of DCU said the study was the most comprehensive of its kind ever produced in Ireland , and highlighted the poor levels of basic skills in Irish children .
“ If children don ’ t have a solid foundation of basic movement skills how can we expect them to do more complex skills as part of organised sport ?
” he said .
“ This solid foundation is what allows children to take part in a multitude of physical activities , and to feel confident in trying new things.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these basic skills is achievable by eight years of age .
This milestone is considered significant as children who do not reach it risk exhibiting an aversion to engaging in sports and physical activity , particularly in their teenage years .

“If children don’t have a solid foundation of basic movement skills how can we expect them to do more complex skills as part of organised sport?” Photograph: Getty Images
One in four primary school children cannot run properly and lack basic movement skills, according to a new study.
In addition, one in two children cannot kick a ball properly, and less than one in every five can throw a ball.
The research found “fundamental movement skills” – running, jumping, catching and kicking – plateau and stop progressing when children reach the age of 10.
The findings are contained in a study by researchers at Dublin City University (DCU), who have carried out an all-Ireland study of over 2,000 primary school children.
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Dr Stephen Behan of DCU said the study was the most comprehensive of its kind ever produced in Ireland, and highlighted the poor levels of basic skills in Irish children.
“If children don’t have a solid foundation of basic movement skills how can we expect them to do more complex skills as part of organised sport?” he said.
“This solid foundation is what allows children to take part in a multitude of physical activities, and to feel confident in trying new things.”
Existing research shows that mastery of these basic skills is achievable by eight years of age.
This milestone is considered significant as children who do not reach it risk exhibiting an aversion to engaging in sports and physical activity, particularly in their teenage years.