theirishtimes--2020-05-20--NUI Galway student does the maths to win Mary Mulvihill Award

NUI Galway maths student James Hayes ( 17 ) is the 2020 winner of the Mary Mulvihill Award , the science media competition for third-level students .
The winning entry , “ Cabra ’ s Scientific Banksy : The Story of William Rowan Hamilton and Quaternions ” is a biographical essay about mathematician William Rowan Hamilton ’ s discovery of quaternions .
Hayes , who is from Knockcroghery , Co Roscommon , “ deftly weaves in references to graffiti artist Banksy , Alice in Wonderland , the Angolan basketball team , an 1813 mental arithmetic contest of eight-year-old prodigies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space exploration programme , ” according to the judges .
He receives a prize of €2,000 .
He is the youngest winner of the award that commemorates the legacy of science journalist and author Mary Mulvihill ; he is also the first male winner and the first winner to come from a college outside of Dublin .
Now in its fourth year , this year ’ s competition invited entries on “ Our scientific heritage ” , notably explored places , artefacts , personalities , and issues such as public awareness or conservation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of genius ” Hamilton experienced in October 1843 when he carved the equation that had just come to his mind into the stones of Broombridge on the Royal Canal near Cabra , in Dublin – designated as “ the birthplace of modern algebra ” .
Hamilton had been struggling with complex numbers in three dimensions , which could not be multiplied or divided .
He realised he had to use four dimensions ; hence the name , quaternions .
Hayes writes : “ Hamilton ’ s carvings represent the basic rules of multiplication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovery that sent reverberations throughout the mathematical world and whose implications and application survive to this day.
” “ Mary ’ s family is delighted with the announcement .
James Hayes ’ s winning essay echoes Mary ’ s passion for communicating Ireland ’ s scientific heritage and it is wonderful to see this fine tradition continuing , ” said Mary ’ s sister Nóirín Mulvihill , co-chair of the Mary Mulvihill Association .
TCD student Aoife Kearins , who is also studying maths , was the highly commended entry and recipient of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gabriel Stokes , who was Lucasian professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge for over 50 years and made towering contributions to fluid mechanics , viscosity and optics .
Kearins argues a sense of place is as important for the development of scientists as it is for artists .
She traces Stokes ’ s lifelong obsession with waves and fluid movement back to his childhood in Skreen , Co Sligo , close to the Atlantic Ocean , where she is from .
Judges for the 2020 award were : Ellen Byrne , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Karlin Lillington , Irish Times technology columnist , Nigel Monaghan , keeper of National Museum of Ireland – Natural History and Mary ’ s sister Anne Mulvihill .
Students from seven third-level institutions submitted entries ranging from a history of Dunsink Observatory , a campaign to preserve Bantry Bay ’ s kelp forests , and biographical essays on computing pioneer Kathleen McNulty and microscopist Mary Ward .
The usual awards presentation can not take place due to Covid-19 restrictions .

William Rowan Hamilton: In his winning essay, Hayes focuses on the ‘flash of genius’ Hamilton experienced in October 1843 when he carved the equation that had just come to his mind into the stones of Broombridge on the Royal Canal near Cabra, in Dublin
NUI Galway maths student James Hayes (17) is the 2020 winner of the Mary Mulvihill Award, the science media competition for third-level students.
The winning entry, "Cabra's Scientific Banksy: The Story of William Rowan Hamilton and Quaternions" is a biographical essay about mathematician William Rowan Hamilton's discovery of quaternions.
Hayes, who is from Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon, "deftly weaves in references to graffiti artist Banksy, Alice in Wonderland, the Angolan basketball team, an 1813 mental arithmetic contest of eight-year-old prodigies and the early days of Nasa's space exploration programme," according to the judges. He receives a prize of €2,000.
He is the youngest winner of the award that commemorates the legacy of science journalist and author Mary Mulvihill; he is also the first male winner and the first winner to come from a college outside of Dublin.
READ MORE
Now in its fourth year, this year’s competition invited entries on “Our scientific heritage”, notably explored places, artefacts, personalities, and issues such as public awareness or conservation.
Hayes focuses on the "flash of genius" Hamilton experienced in October 1843 when he carved the equation that had just come to his mind into the stones of Broombridge on the Royal Canal near Cabra, in Dublin – designated as "the birthplace of modern algebra".
Complex numbers
Hamilton had been struggling with complex numbers in three dimensions, which could not be multiplied or divided. He realised he had to use four dimensions; hence the name, quaternions. Hayes writes: “Hamilton’s carvings represent the basic rules of multiplication for these quadruples. It was a discovery that sent reverberations throughout the mathematical world and whose implications and application survive to this day.”
The late science journalist and entrepreneur Mary Mulvihill, for whom the awards were named. Photograph: Brian Dolan
"Mary's family is delighted with the announcement. James Hayes's winning essay echoes Mary's passion for communicating Ireland's scientific heritage and it is wonderful to see this fine tradition continuing," said Mary's sister Nóirín Mulvihill, co-chair of the Mary Mulvihill Association.
TCD student Aoife Kearins, who is also studying maths, was the highly commended entry and recipient of €500 for her illustrated biographical essay on Gabriel Stokes, who was Lucasian professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge for over 50 years and made towering contributions to fluid mechanics, viscosity and optics.
Sense of place
Kearins argues a sense of place is as important for the development of scientists as it is for artists. She traces Stokes's lifelong obsession with waves and fluid movement back to his childhood in Skreen, Co Sligo, close to the Atlantic Ocean, where she is from.
Judges for the 2020 award were: Ellen Byrne, creative director and founder Festival of Curiosity; Karlin Lillington, Irish Times technology columnist, Nigel Monaghan, keeper of National Museum of Ireland – Natural History and Mary's sister Anne Mulvihill.
Students from seven third-level institutions submitted entries ranging from a history of Dunsink Observatory, a campaign to preserve Bantry Bay's kelp forests, and biographical essays on computing pioneer Kathleen McNulty and microscopist Mary Ward. The usual awards presentation cannot take place due to Covid-19 restrictions.


theirishtimes--2020-05-20--Cork city set to pedestrianise streets and increase cycle paths

Cork city is set to pedestrianise many of its streets and provide additional cycling facilities as part of a city council ’ s strategy aimed at facilitating social distancing to allow the city reopen during the coronavirus crisis .
According to Cork City Council , the first phase of re-opening of the city involved the pedestrianisation of the Marina near Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the re-introduction of pedestrianisation on Oliver Plunkett Street in the city centre .
As part of the second phase of re-opening the city , Cork City Council is proposing the pedestrianisation of Emmet Place , Father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberty Street , Cross Street , Castle Street and Daunts Square .
The council is also looking at expediting snagging work on Harley Street between Patrick ’ s Quay and MacCurtain Street to facilitate pedestrians using the street once again following the construction of the Mary Elmes Bridge .
Cork City Council is also looking at making a number of existing pedestrianised streets one way with Tobin Street , French Church Street and Carey ’ s Lane all currently being examined as possible one-way movement streets .
The option of encouraging pedestrians to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being considered for several pedestrianised bridges including Mary Elmes Bridge , Shandon Bridge , St Vincent ’ s Bridge , Trinity Bridge and Nano Nagle Bridge .
“ There will be no impediment on pedestrian movement ( on these bridges ) but like the London Underground , pedestrians will be encouraged to walk on the right , ” said a Cork City Council spokeswoman .
Meanwhile new bike stands are to be located at 43 new locations around the city including several in the city centre as well as in Blackpool and Douglas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The city council is also examining the possibility of introducing new bike stands in surrounding towns and villages such as Ballincollig , Tower , Glanmire and Blarney which were incorporated into an expanded city in May 2019 .
Key cycling routes into the city are under review to identify any improvements to cycling infrastructure that could be implemented while opportunities to convert sites to ‘ Park & Walk ’ facilities are being investigated .
Cork City Council Assistant Chief Executive Brian Geaney said the plan has been prepared in conjunction with the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country as a whole over the next few weeks .
Cork City Council also utilised the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy ( CMATS ) and Cork City Centre Movement Strategy ( CCMS ) as part of the overriding framework to help revitalise the city .
“ First and foremost , we want residents , workers and visitors to the city to feel that they can safely practice social distancing in our city and that it is an attractive place to visit during these unusual times .
“ We started with the city centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new city .
Our approach protects health and wellbeing but all proposed interventions will need to be fully considered by all stakeholder interest groups in the city.
” Mr Geaney said the Covid 19 pandemic had provided Cork City Council with an opportunity to review its management of the city and rethink the future of the city in a way that boosts quality of life , sustainability and opportunity .
“ While we are informed by other Irish and international cities , Cork is unique in the way that its homes , workplaces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so we need a unique response , ” he said .
“ A street-by-street approach will be adopted in relation to particular on-street proposals .
Cork City Council will seek unanimity of purpose as specific mobility measures are proposed for various streets , ” he added .

Cork city is set to pedestrianise many of its streets as it reopens during the coronavirus crisis. File photograph: Bryan O’Brien /The Irish Times.
Cork city is set to pedestrianise many of its streets and provide additional cycling facilities as part of a city council's strategy aimed at facilitating social distancing to allow the city reopen during the coronavirus crisis.
According to Cork City Council, the first phase of re-opening of the city involved the pedestrianisation of the Marina near Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the re-introduction of pedestrianisation on Oliver Plunkett Street in the city centre.
As part of the second phase of re-opening the city, Cork City Council is proposing the pedestrianisation of Emmet Place, Father Matthew Street, Fitton Street East, Liberty Street, Cross Street, Castle Street and Daunts Square.
The council is also looking at expediting snagging work on Harley Street between Patrick's Quay and MacCurtain Street to facilitate pedestrians using the street once again following the construction of the Mary Elmes Bridge.
READ MORE
Cork City Council is also looking at making a number of existing pedestrianised streets one way with Tobin Street, French Church Street and Carey’s Lane all currently being examined as possible one-way movement streets.
The option of encouraging pedestrians to move on the right side is also being considered for several pedestrianised bridges including Mary Elmes Bridge, Shandon Bridge, St Vincent's Bridge, Trinity Bridge and Nano Nagle Bridge.
“There will be no impediment on pedestrian movement (on these bridges) but like the London Underground, pedestrians will be encouraged to walk on the right,” said a Cork City Council spokeswoman.
Cycling
Meanwhile new bike stands are to be located at 43 new locations around the city including several in the city centre as well as in Blackpool and Douglas to encourage people to consider cycling.
The city council is also examining the possibility of introducing new bike stands in surrounding towns and villages such as Ballincollig, Tower, Glanmire and Blarney which were incorporated into an expanded city in May 2019.
Key cycling routes into the city are under review to identify any improvements to cycling infrastructure that could be implemented while opportunities to convert sites to 'Park & Walk' facilities are being investigated.
Cork City Council Assistant Chief Executive Brian Geaney said the plan has been prepared in conjunction with the government's re-opening road map for the country as a whole over the next few weeks.
Cork City Council also utilised the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) and Cork City Centre Movement Strategy (CCMS) as part of the overriding framework to help revitalise the city.
“First and foremost, we want residents, workers and visitors to the city to feel that they can safely practice social distancing in our city and that it is an attractive place to visit during these unusual times.
“We started with the city centre but are looking out to the wider new city. Our approach protects health and wellbeing but all proposed interventions will need to be fully considered by all stakeholder interest groups in the city.”
Mr Geaney said the Covid 19 pandemic had provided Cork City Council with an opportunity to review its management of the city and rethink the future of the city in a way that boosts quality of life, sustainability and opportunity.
“While we are informed by other Irish and international cities, Cork is unique in the way that its homes, workplaces, retail and hospitality are configured and so we need a unique response,” he said.
“A street-by-street approach will be adopted in relation to particular on-street proposals. Cork City Council will seek unanimity of purpose as specific mobility measures are proposed for various streets,” he added.


theirishtimes--2020-05-20--Inaugural Covid-19 Dáil committee hearing a hurried affair

TDs ’ first attempt to scrutinise Ireland ’ s response to Covid-19 by questioning the main officials involved was a rushed , uneven affair , even given the exigencies of social distancing during a pandemic .
Although many questions went unanswered due to strict time limits on speakers imposed by a scrupulously fair chairman Michael McNamara , there was a collective sense that at last some political accountability was finally being injected into this emergency .
For the most part , politicians were on their best behaviour .
Although Fianna Fáil ’ s John McGuinness , who has something of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , managed to accuse Department of Health boss Jim Breslin of being “ flippant ” concerning one of his answers .
Nursing homes , private hospitals , transparency and direct provision centres were among the issues that arose repeatedly as chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan and HSE chief executive Paul Reid gave evidence in separate two-hour sessions .
Both men , well used to fielding media questions at various briefings over the past two months , coped comfortably with the scrutiny and managed to answer questions at the special committee without giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TD Fergus O ’ Dowd best summed up the wider concern over the way Covid-19 has ripped through nursing homes by listing shortcomings of the sector even before the pandemic started .
Last year only 128 out of 581 homes were fully compliant with regulations , and one in five was non-compliant on infection control , he said .
His question about whether all homes are now compliant on infection control was not answered , but his assertion of a “ huge lacuna ” in our knowledge of what happened in the sector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lack of information available to TDs .
The Social Democrats ’ Róisín Shortall wanted “ open source information ” about the modelling done to underpin decisions .
Denmark , she pointed out , published the risk assessment around opening of its schools .
Could we not do the same for big decisions such as allowing construction to begin again ?
Richard Boyd Barrett said he has been looking for the minutes of the expert advisory groups “ for two months ” without success .
Dr Holohan said they would be published soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) meetings materialised online while the Dáil committee was meeting .
Mr McNamara wanted officials to publish the criteria on which they base decisions for moving from one phase to another , while other TDs sought the background assumptions on which our modelling data are based .
Answering questions on outbreaks in long-term residential settings , Mr Breslin insisted Ireland ’ s figures on cases and death were “ much more accurate and representative ” than those of other countries to which we are often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the second session , though , Fine Gael ’ s Jennifer Carroll McNeill said the data from Ireland in the latest European Centre for Disease Control bulletin , on these settings , goes back to mid-April , when other countries ’ figures were up to date .
Both Dr Holohan and Mr Breslin were chary about international comparisons , though Mr Breslin did assert that Ireland is “ toward the top of the testing league ” .
They were specially sniffy about comparisons with New Zealand , widely feted as best in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sweden , beloved of libertarians for its relatively lax approach to the crisis .
New Zealand is “ on the other side of the world ” and not in an economic and social union as Ireland is , Dr Holohan told the room .
“ We were much closer to the epicentre ” of the outbreak in Europe – China , the original epicentre and nearer to New Zealand , went unmentioned .
Sweden , meanwhile , has four times the number of patients in intensive care , he added .
All the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Zealand later when he asserted that Ireland had been the “ quickest country in the world ” to impose visitor restrictions in care homes following a first case of the disease .
NPHET ’ s scheduled meeting for Tuesday had to be cancelled because of the committee hearing ; it may not be the last to suffer this fate as TDs find their stride in future hearings .

The National Public Health Emergency Team’s scheduled meeting for Tuesday had to be cancelled because of the committee hearing. File photograph: The Irish Times
TDs’ first attempt to scrutinise Ireland’s response to Covid-19 by questioning the main officials involved was a rushed, uneven affair, even given the exigencies of social distancing during a pandemic.
Although many questions went unanswered due to strict time limits on speakers imposed by a scrupulously fair chairman Michael McNamara, there was a collective sense that at last some political accountability was finally being injected into this emergency.
For the most part, politicians were on their best behaviour. Although Fianna Fáil's John McGuinness, who has something of a record for abrasiveness at Oireachtas committees, managed to accuse Department of Health boss Jim Breslin of being "flippant" concerning one of his answers.
Nursing homes, private hospitals, transparency and direct provision centres were among the issues that arose repeatedly as chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan and HSE chief executive Paul Reid gave evidence in separate two-hour sessions.
READ MORE
Both men, well used to fielding media questions at various briefings over the past two months, coped comfortably with the scrutiny and managed to answer questions at the special committee without giving any hostages to fortune.
Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd best summed up the wider concern over the way Covid-19 has ripped through nursing homes by listing shortcomings of the sector even before the pandemic started.
Last year only 128 out of 581 homes were fully compliant with regulations, and one in five was non-compliant on infection control, he said. His question about whether all homes are now compliant on infection control was not answered, but his assertion of a “huge lacuna” in our knowledge of what happened in the sector rang true.
A running theme was the lack of information available to TDs. The Social Democrats' Róisín Shortall wanted "open source information" about the modelling done to underpin decisions. Denmark, she pointed out, published the risk assessment around opening of its schools. Could we not do the same for big decisions such as allowing construction to begin again?
Richard Boyd Barrett said he has been looking for the minutes of the expert advisory groups "for two months" without success.
Dr Holohan said they would be published soon. Separately, the latest minutes from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) meetings materialised online while the Dáil committee was meeting.
Mr McNamara wanted officials to publish the criteria on which they base decisions for moving from one phase to another, while other TDs sought the background assumptions on which our modelling data are based.
Answering questions on outbreaks in long-term residential settings, Mr Breslin insisted Ireland’s figures on cases and death were “much more accurate and representative” than those of other countries to which we are often (unfavourably) compared.
Much later in the second session, though, Fine Gael's Jennifer Carroll McNeill said the data from Ireland in the latest European Centre for Disease Control bulletin, on these settings, goes back to mid-April, when other countries' figures were up to date.
Both Dr Holohan and Mr Breslin were chary about international comparisons, though Mr Breslin did assert that Ireland is “toward the top of the testing league”.
‘Closer to the epicentre’
They were specially sniffy about comparisons with New Zealand, widely feted as best in class for combatting the virus, or Sweden, beloved of libertarians for its relatively lax approach to the crisis.
New Zealand is “on the other side of the world” and not in an economic and social union as Ireland is, Dr Holohan told the room.
"We were much closer to the epicentre" of the outbreak in Europe – China, the original epicentre and nearer to New Zealand, went unmentioned.
Sweden, meanwhile, has four times the number of patients in intensive care, he added.
All the same, he did refer again to New Zealand later when he asserted that Ireland had been the “quickest country in the world” to impose visitor restrictions in care homes following a first case of the disease.
NPHET’s scheduled meeting for Tuesday had to be cancelled because of the committee hearing; it may not be the last to suffer this fate as TDs find their stride in future hearings.


theirishtimes--2020-05-20--Women in jobs have healthier babies than homemakers - study

Women in paid employment have better outcomes in pregnancy and improved lifestyle behaviours during it compared to homemakers , major new Irish research has found .
Women who were unemployed or homemakers had higher incidences of low birth weight and size , and their babies were more likely to be admitted to the neonatal unit , than women in paid employment , according to the study of over 62,000 Irish women .
In addition , women who were homemakers had an increased incidence of neonatal death , while among unemployed women the rate of stillbirth was higher , compared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and homemaker cohorts were less likely to plan their pregnancy and to take folic acid before conception , and more likely to continue smoking and use illicit drugs during pregnancy , the researchers from UCD and the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital found .
Even after adjusting for continued adverse lifestyle behaviours during pregnancy , the association with adverse outcomes persisted .
The observational study was based on the outcomes for more than 62,000 women who gave birth at the Coombe between 2010 and 2017 .
One of the largest maternity hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diverse mix of patients in terms of socio-economic background .
The authors say their study challenges previous results and assumptions that homemakers provide the best scenario for desired foetal development .
“ In some cases , such as those working in factories , mining and construction this may be true , however we found that when comparing women in paid employment as a whole to homemakers , these women had not only improved pregnancy outcomes but also improved lifestyle and pregnancy-related behaviours.
” While the link between unemployment and poorer pregnancy outcomes is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light on outcomes for homemaker women .
“ It does suggest that , depending on the type , work can be good for you , in terms of pregnancy outcomes , ” says Prof Michael Turner of UCD ’ s Centre for Human Reproduction .
“ It brings in income to provide for you and your family ; you eat better , exercise more and may be able to employ carers for other children.
” “ Society may need to see what it can do to increase maternal employment , ” Prof Turner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly relevant during the Covid-19 pandemic , as unemployment , including female unemployment , increases again .
However , he acknowledges the homemaker group is a diverse one that includes women who were on social welfare benefits before their pregnancy and women who are well-supported financially and who consciously chose to stop working before having children .
A possible weakness of the study is that information on employment status from women is self-reported , the authors acknowledge .

The Coombe: The unemployed and homemakers are less likely to plan pregnancy and take folic acid, researchers from UCD and the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital find. Photograph: Alan Betson
Women in paid employment have better outcomes in pregnancy and improved lifestyle behaviours during it compared to homemakers, major new Irish research has found.
Women who were unemployed or homemakers had higher incidences of low birth weight and size, and their babies were more likely to be admitted to the neonatal unit, than women in paid employment, according to the study of over 62,000 Irish women.
In addition, women who were homemakers had an increased incidence of neonatal death, while among unemployed women the rate of stillbirth was higher, compared to women in paid work.
The unemployed and homemaker cohorts were less likely to plan their pregnancy and to take folic acid before conception, and more likely to continue smoking and use illicit drugs during pregnancy, the researchers from UCD and the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital found.
READ MORE
Observational study
Even after adjusting for continued adverse lifestyle behaviours during pregnancy, the association with adverse outcomes persisted.
The observational study was based on the outcomes for more than 62,000 women who gave birth at the Coombe between 2010 and 2017. One of the largest maternity hospitals in Europe, the Coombe sees a diverse mix of patients in terms of socio-economic background.
The authors say their study challenges previous results and assumptions that homemakers provide the best scenario for desired foetal development.
“In some cases, such as those working in factories, mining and construction this may be true, however we found that when comparing women in paid employment as a whole to homemakers, these women had not only improved pregnancy outcomes but also improved lifestyle and pregnancy-related behaviours.”
Maternal employment
While the link between unemployment and poorer pregnancy outcomes is well-established, the Irish research sheds new light on outcomes for homemaker women.
"It does suggest that, depending on the type, work can be good for you, in terms of pregnancy outcomes," says Prof Michael Turner of UCD's Centre for Human Reproduction. "It brings in income to provide for you and your family; you eat better, exercise more and may be able to employ carers for other children."
“Society may need to see what it can do to increase maternal employment,” Prof Turner says, adding that this question is particularly relevant during the Covid-19 pandemic, as unemployment, including female unemployment, increases again.
However, he acknowledges the homemaker group is a diverse one that includes women who were on social welfare benefits before their pregnancy and women who are well-supported financially and who consciously chose to stop working before having children.
A possible weakness of the study is that information on employment status from women is self-reported, the authors acknowledge.


theirishtimes--2020-05-20--Ryan may face challenge for leadership of Greens

A move to challenge Eamon Ryan as Green leader is under way among a cohort within the party , with deputy leader Catherine Martin being urged to stand against him .
Party rules say a leadership election must be held within six months of a general election .
A potential candidate only needs the support of 50 members to enter the race .
The Greens have 2,700 members , up from 700 two years ago .
Sources say that nominations will open in the coming days and that more than 100 members have already contacted party officials suggesting that Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet known if Ms Martin , who did not reply to requests for comment , wants to stand , but some suggested she would do so if enough members backed her .
“ She is under increasing pressure as days go by and I ’ d say she has it under active review , ” said one councillor .
Another councillor said : “ I ’ m sure if there ’ s enough people asking her to , she ’ d do her duty.
” Mr Ryan ’ s standing in rural Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party was cited by those pushing for a contest , with his comments urging people to grow salads on their window boxes mentioned .
“ The ‘ lettuce on the beaches ’ speech was a disaster , ” one source said in reference to a famous Winston Churchill speech .
It was stressed that Ms Martin ’ s sole focus now is on leading the Greens in government formation talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael .
Both Ms Martin and Mr Ryan attended negotiations on climate policy on Tuesday , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greens ’ goal of reducing carbon emissions by 7 per cent per year .
However , it is understood discussions on what such a target means in policy terms will not begin until later this week .
Those suggesting she should stand said Ms Martin is not “ anti-Government ” but claimed she would be better at standing up to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael than Mr Ryan .
“ Who would be best to pull the plug if needed ?
” asked one source .
The Dublin Rathdown TD was against entering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A party officer who knows Ms Martin said she would be reluctant to disrupt the government formation process but may have to consider standing if a “ couple of hundred ” members back her .

Green Party TD Catherine Martin: Some claim she would be better at standing up to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael than Eamon Ryan. Photograph: Gareth Chaney
A move to challenge Eamon Ryan as Green leader is under way among a cohort within the party, with deputy leader Catherine Martin being urged to stand against him.
Party rules say a leadership election must be held within six months of a general election. A potential candidate only needs the support of 50 members to enter the race. The Greens have 2,700 members, up from 700 two years ago.
Sources say that nominations will open in the coming days and that more than 100 members have already contacted party officials suggesting that Ms Martin should stand.
It is not yet known if Ms Martin, who did not reply to requests for comment, wants to stand, but some suggested she would do so if enough members backed her.
READ MORE
‘Do her duty’
“She is under increasing pressure as days go by and I’d say she has it under active review,” said one councillor. Another councillor said: “I’m sure if there’s enough people asking her to, she’d do her duty.”
Mr Ryan's standing in rural Ireland and ability to broaden the appeal of the party was cited by those pushing for a contest, with his comments urging people to grow salads on their window boxes mentioned. "The 'lettuce on the beaches' speech was a disaster," one source said in reference to a famous Winston Churchill speech.
It was stressed that Ms Martin's sole focus now is on leading the Greens in government formation talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
‘Anti-Government’
Both Ms Martin and Mr Ryan attended negotiations on climate policy on Tuesday, where all parties reaffirmed their commitment to the Greens’ goal of reducing carbon emissions by 7 per cent per year. However, it is understood discussions on what such a target means in policy terms will not begin until later this week.
Those suggesting she should stand said Ms Martin is not “anti-Government” but claimed she would be better at standing up to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael than Mr Ryan. “Who would be best to pull the plug if needed?” asked one source.
The Dublin Rathdown TD was against entering coalition talks with the two parties.
A party officer who knows Ms Martin said she would be reluctant to disrupt the government formation process but may have to consider standing if a “couple of hundred” members back her.


theirishtimes--2020-05-20--Granddaughter of resident fielded 2,500 calls when helping at Covid-19 hit-nursing home

One of the worst-hit nursing homes in the coronavirus pandemic lost 60 per cent of staff to illness or isolation at the peak of its outbreak and had to rely on a volunteer , the grand-daughter of a resident , to manage its phonelines .
Dealgan House Nursing Home in Dundalk , Co Louth – where 22 residents have died with coronavirus , also known as Covid-19 , since April 1st – revealed details of the impact of its outbreak on the home in a letter , sent in recent days to the relatives of residents who died at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Dealgan House , told relatives that at the height of the nursing home ’ s virus outbreak only seven of the home ’ s 24-strong nursing staff were available .
The private nursing home has 84 beds .
Mr Farrelly revealed how the staff was severely depleted as he explained why relatives often had difficulty communicating with staff at the elderly care facility .
The RCSI Hospitals Group temporarily took over the management of the nursing home on April 17th due to the staffing shortages , in an effort to contain the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dealgan House had 22 nurses on our payroll , in addition to a director and deputy director of nursing , that is 24 nurses in all , ” he wrote .
But he said at the height of the outbreak only seven members of the nursing team were available .
“ Overall , 60 per cent of our staff were unavailable for work , some of them ill or in isolation , others fearful for themselves or for a family member with underlying conditions.
” Some managers were also unavailable .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the office was “ manned alone , by a wonderful volunteer , the granddaughter of a resident ” .
The volunteer had to try to manage 2,500 calls in one week where , prior to the pandemic , Dealgan House would only receive about 300 phone calls per week .
“ Due to infection control procedures , the volunteer answering the calls could not move around the nursing home and the nurses , prioritising the care of residents and dressed in full PPE [ personal protective equipment ] , could not take phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know it was very distressing not to be able to speak to a nurse about your loved one at that critical time and I sincerely apologise for this.
” Despite several appeals for PPE gear throughout March , the home did not receive any shipments from the HSE until after their first confirmed case on April 4th .
A week later , three residents had tested positive for the virus , with several others showing symptoms .
On Tuesday , a spokesman for Dealgan House said it had not recorded a transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 days .
The nursing homes regulator , the Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) , has said that it will carry out an inspection of Dealgan House to determine the standards of care and support provided to residents and that it will review the nursing records of residents and those who had died .
Mr Farrelly said the nursing home had promised full co-operation and support to the inspection by Hiqa .
He said that he was confident “ the inspection will identify any shortcomings in preparing for and dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House or elsewhere , and that lessons will be learned to ensure it does not happen again ” .
He said he and his staff “ can not understand ” how the virus took such a toll on the residents of what he described as a “ well-run nursing home with excellent qualified and caring staff ” .
“ We want answers to that and other questions as much as you do , ” he said .

Dealgan House Nursing Home: 22 residents have died with coronavirus since April 1st at the nursing home in Dundalk, Co Louth. Photograph: Padraig O’Reilly
One of the worst-hit nursing homes in the coronavirus pandemic lost 60 per cent of staff to illness or isolation at the peak of its outbreak and had to rely on a volunteer, the grand-daughter of a resident, to manage its phonelines.
Dealgan House Nursing Home in Dundalk, Co Louth – where 22 residents have died with coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, since April 1st – revealed details of the impact of its outbreak on the home in a letter, sent in recent days to the relatives of residents who died at the home.
Eoin Farrelly, managing director of Dealgan House, told relatives that at the height of the nursing home's virus outbreak only seven of the home's 24-strong nursing staff were available . The private nursing home has 84 beds.
Mr Farrelly revealed how the staff was severely depleted as he explained why relatives often had difficulty communicating with staff at the elderly care facility.
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Staffing shortages
The RCSI Hospitals Group temporarily took over the management of the nursing home on April 17th due to the staffing shortages, in an effort to contain the outbreak.
“Prior to the outbreak, Dealgan House had 22 nurses on our payroll, in addition to a director and deputy director of nursing, that is 24 nurses in all,” he wrote. But he said at the height of the outbreak only seven members of the nursing team were available.
“Overall, 60 per cent of our staff were unavailable for work, some of them ill or in isolation, others fearful for themselves or for a family member with underlying conditions.” Some managers were also unavailable.
Mr Farrelly said that the crisis had meant the office was “manned alone, by a wonderful volunteer, the granddaughter of a resident”.
The volunteer had to try to manage 2,500 calls in one week where, prior to the pandemic, Dealgan House would only receive about 300 phone calls per week.
“Due to infection control procedures, the volunteer answering the calls could not move around the nursing home and the nurses, prioritising the care of residents and dressed in full PPE [personal protective equipment], could not take phone calls,” he wrote.
“I know it was very distressing not to be able to speak to a nurse about your loved one at that critical time and I sincerely apologise for this.”
Despite several appeals for PPE gear throughout March, the home did not receive any shipments from the HSE until after their first confirmed case on April 4th. A week later, three residents had tested positive for the virus, with several others showing symptoms.
Inspection
On Tuesday, a spokesman for Dealgan House said it had not recorded a transmission or new case of the disease in 25 days.
The nursing homes regulator, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), has said that it will carry out an inspection of Dealgan House to determine the standards of care and support provided to residents and that it will review the nursing records of residents and those who had died.
Mr Farrelly said the nursing home had promised full co-operation and support to the inspection by Hiqa.
He said that he was confident “the inspection will identify any shortcomings in preparing for and dealing with the outbreak, whether in Dealgan House or elsewhere, and that lessons will be learned to ensure it does not happen again”.
He said he and his staff “cannot understand” how the virus took such a toll on the residents of what he described as a “well-run nursing home with excellent qualified and caring staff”.
“We want answers to that and other questions as much as you do,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-05-21--Urgent action required to curb infection risk in hospitals, Hiqa warns

A report by the Health Information and Quality Authority has warned “ immediate ” action is necessary to tackle potentially significant infection-control risks in several hospitals around the country in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic .
The report , which was submitted last month to the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) , is particularly critical of the University of Limerick Hospital Group ( ULHG ) and the South Southwest Hospital Group ( SSHG ) .
It warns that within the SSHG , recent issues identified at Cork University Hospital ( CUH ) , University Hospital Waterford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the potential for underlying weaknesses in each of these infection and control programmes which could be re-exposed in a pandemic situation ” .
It raises concerns around the demands that significant extra critical-care capacity might place on the group given staffing issues .
This is especially the case in Cork University Hospital , at the Mercy Hospital in Cork and at South Tipperary given “ a background of comparatively poor [ availability of ] speciality medical staffing ” in infection control .
At CUH , the report flagged concerns about “ a level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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which may likewise contribute to possible difficulties as the pandemic progresses ” .
The watchdog “ note [ s ] the relatively large number of critical care beds intended for the group in total relative to the overall level of infection-control resourcing which will result in challenges in the event of a surge ” and recommends that further targeted supports should be explored .
Regarding ULHG , it warns that there was already a “ potential for overcrowding pre-pandemic ” on wards , while a self-assessment from the hospital “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of aspects of environmental or equipment cleaning ” .
The report is based on a self-assessment tool distributed in April to hospitals around the State to gauge infection-control preparedness , which posed questions relating to best practice .
“ [ ULHG ] were unable to provide an assurance relating to many of these questions , ” it notes .
“ Similarly , the South Southwest group were unable to assure that they universally had mechanisms around cleaning specifications in place ” .
“ In the context of a pandemic situation , these findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern and require action in the short term to bridge these gaps.
” Many of these issues , the Hiqa report states , have been previously flagged through its inspection of these hospital groups .
The report notes that while all other adult hospital groups reported receiving extra infection-control staff , ULHG said it had not .
While the risks are currently rated as moderate , the report finds that if there was a further surge in acute hospital activity , or if overcrowding increases , the issues in both ULHG and SSHG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate mitigation is required .
The Hiqa report also raises a number of other issues , including concerns around pressures that several hospitals have on their microbiology and infectious-disease capacities , arising from an increase in critical care , with this “ likely to be most acutely felt in the hospitals at Tullamore , Mullingar , Letterkenny , Naas , Ballinasloe , Wexford and Kerry.
” Concerns around the availability of alcohol hand gel were reported by most hospitals .
While it notes that this has received less attention than issues around personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ may equally require attention akin to that of PPE in terms of national co-ordination in a challenging global supply market ” .
“ A smaller number of groups also expressed concerns around ongoing supplies of soap , paper towels , cleaning and disinfectant products and foot-operated bins for infectious waste.
” Many hospitals raised concerns about the availability of testing over a given four-week period due to limited availability of testing kits or reagent .
“ Were this ability to be disrupted , this would have significant implications on the ability and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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outbreaks of Covid-19.
” The Dublin Midlands and Ireland East hospital groups “ reported a lack of assurance around access to testing ” .
Both groups clarified that access is available and capacity is increasing , but said they “ would have preferred better levels of testing capacity ” .
Notwithstanding the issues identified , the report found the majority of hospitals have appropriate and well-tested arrangements in place for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infection .

A report by the Health Information and Quality Authority has warned “immediate” action is necessary to tackle potentially significant infection-control risks in several hospitals around the country in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report, which was submitted last month to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), is particularly critical of the University of Limerick Hospital Group (ULHG) and the South Southwest Hospital Group (SSHG).
It warns that within the SSHG, recent issues identified at Cork University Hospital (CUH), University Hospital Waterford and "previously in Kerry point to the potential for underlying weaknesses in each of these infection and control programmes which could be re-exposed in a pandemic situation".
It raises concerns around the demands that significant extra critical-care capacity might place on the group given staffing issues. This is especially the case in Cork University Hospital, at the Mercy Hospital in Cork and at South Tipperary given "a background of comparatively poor [availability of] speciality medical staffing" in infection control. At CUH, the report flagged concerns about "a level of inexperience within the infection-control nursing complement . . . which may likewise contribute to possible difficulties as the pandemic progresses".
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The watchdog “note[s] the relatively large number of critical care beds intended for the group in total relative to the overall level of infection-control resourcing which will result in challenges in the event of a surge” and recommends that further targeted supports should be explored.
Regarding ULHG, it warns that there was already a “potential for overcrowding pre-pandemic” on wards, while a self-assessment from the hospital “did not assure relating to a number of aspects of environmental or equipment cleaning”.
The report is based on a self-assessment tool distributed in April to hospitals around the State to gauge infection-control preparedness, which posed questions relating to best practice.
“[ULHG] were unable to provide an assurance relating to many of these questions,” it notes. “Similarly, the South Southwest group were unable to assure that they universally had mechanisms around cleaning specifications in place”.
“In the context of a pandemic situation, these findings in these groups in particular are of concern and require action in the short term to bridge these gaps.”
Many of these issues, the Hiqa report states, have been previously flagged through its inspection of these hospital groups. The report notes that while all other adult hospital groups reported receiving extra infection-control staff, ULHG said it had not.
While the risks are currently rated as moderate, the report finds that if there was a further surge in acute hospital activity, or if overcrowding increases, the issues in both ULHG and SSHG would become “significant” and therefore immediate mitigation is required.
The Hiqa report also raises a number of other issues, including concerns around pressures that several hospitals have on their microbiology and infectious-disease capacities, arising from an increase in critical care, with this "likely to be most acutely felt in the hospitals at Tullamore, Mullingar, Letterkenny, Naas, Ballinasloe, Wexford and Kerry."
Protective equipment
Concerns around the availability of alcohol hand gel were reported by most hospitals. While it notes that this has received less attention than issues around personal protective equipment (PPE), it “may equally require attention akin to that of PPE in terms of national co-ordination in a challenging global supply market”.
“A smaller number of groups also expressed concerns around ongoing supplies of soap, paper towels, cleaning and disinfectant products and foot-operated bins for infectious waste.”
Many hospitals raised concerns about the availability of testing over a given four-week period due to limited availability of testing kits or reagent. “Were this ability to be disrupted, this would have significant implications on the ability and efficiency of hospitals to prevent or manage . . . outbreaks of Covid-19.” The Dublin Midlands and Ireland East hospital groups “reported a lack of assurance around access to testing”. Both groups clarified that access is available and capacity is increasing, but said they “would have preferred better levels of testing capacity”.
Notwithstanding the issues identified, the report found the majority of hospitals have appropriate and well-tested arrangements in place for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infection.


theirishtimes--2020-05-21--Routine cancer screening among last to return to non-Covid healthcare

Routine cancer screenings will be among the last of normal non-Covid-19 healthcare services to resume , senior Government sources have cautioned .
The HSE is working on a new plan setting out when it will be safe to resume routine screening appointments amid concerns about a growing backlog following a temporary pausing of Breastcheck , CervicalCheck and BowelScreen due to the coronavirus .
While a timeline is being worked on by the national screening service and by HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry , senior sources say it will not be safe to resume normal screening for “ quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerged that those who need a clinical exam may be asked to isolate for 14 days beforehand under new plans being developed by the health service as part of plans to resume non-Covid related healthcare .
According to a document given to opposition parties about the roadmap to reintroducing non Covid-related healthcare , a “ key enabler ” of such healthcare returning “ is the development of testing and screening criteria for non-Covid services ” .
“ Some lower risk patient interactions like clinical exams might in future be safely managed with 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the appointment and additional temperature checks on the day of presentation , ” the document states .
It also says that a plan for the management of contact tracing in the event of an outbreak within a service will need to be developed .
The document also states that the reintroduction of non-Covid services should be “ phased , clinically aligned and guided by clinical prioritisation ” .
It states that “ we have now reached a point where , as a result of public compliance with the mitigation measures , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened and capacity within the health system is becoming available for non-Covid services ” .
There is a need to “ recommence the delivery of non- Covid services in a planned , appropriate and considered manner which addresses ongoing clinical demands while maintaining capacity for a future response to Covid-19.
” It also warns that the National Cancer Control Programme has reported a substantive decrease in the number of new referrals to all rapid access cancer and symptomatic disease clinics .
“ This has led to an unmet need which may lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and treatment , poorer outcomes and increased mortality.
” A spokesman for the HSE said the four National Screening Service programmes , BreastCheck , BowelScreen , CervicalCheck and Diabetic RetinaScreen , are “ preparing comprehensive plans for restarting their services in a safe and planned way , which will ensure that all who have missed out on screening can avail of a test in a phased basis over a period of months ” .
“ When restart dates are finalised , screening will be re-introduced on a phased basis , with invitations for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking the screening and treatment pathways into account .
“ As the reintroduction of services across the HSE is currently being rolled out , no start date for screening services is as yet available .
However , please be assured that the restoration of important services is a priority for the HSE ’ s Screening Service .
”

A timeline is being worked on by the national screening service for the return of Breastcheck and other screening programmes. Photograph: Getty
Routine cancer screenings will be among the last of normal non-Covid-19 healthcare services to resume, senior Government sources have cautioned.
The HSE is working on a new plan setting out when it will be safe to resume routine screening appointments amid concerns about a growing backlog following a temporary pausing of Breastcheck, CervicalCheck and BowelScreen due to the coronavirus.
While a timeline is being worked on by the national screening service and by HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry, senior sources say it will not be safe to resume normal screening for “quite some time”.
It has also emerged that those who need a clinical exam may be asked to isolate for 14 days beforehand under new plans being developed by the health service as part of plans to resume non-Covid related healthcare.
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According to a document given to opposition parties about the roadmap to reintroducing non Covid-related healthcare, a “key enabler” of such healthcare returning “is the development of testing and screening criteria for non-Covid services”.
“Some lower risk patient interactions like clinical exams might in future be safely managed with 14 days isolation, screening/risk assessment for symptoms before the appointment and additional temperature checks on the day of presentation,” the document states.
It also says that a plan for the management of contact tracing in the event of an outbreak within a service will need to be developed.
The document also states that the reintroduction of non-Covid services should be “phased, clinically aligned and guided by clinical prioritisation”.
It states that “we have now reached a point where, as a result of public compliance with the mitigation measures, the anticipated surge in Covid patients has not happened and capacity within the health system is becoming available for non-Covid services”.
There is a need to “recommence the delivery of non- Covid services in a planned, appropriate and considered manner which addresses ongoing clinical demands while maintaining capacity for a future response to Covid-19.”
It also warns that the National Cancer Control Programme has reported a substantive decrease in the number of new referrals to all rapid access cancer and symptomatic disease clinics.
“This has led to an unmet need which may lead to delayed presentations, delayed access to diagnosis and treatment, poorer outcomes and increased mortality.”
A spokesman for the HSE said the four National Screening Service programmes, BreastCheck, BowelScreen, CervicalCheck and Diabetic RetinaScreen, are “preparing comprehensive plans for restarting their services in a safe and planned way, which will ensure that all who have missed out on screening can avail of a test in a phased basis over a period of months”.
“When restart dates are finalised, screening will be re-introduced on a phased basis, with invitations for screening issued according to clinical prioritisation and taking the screening and treatment pathways into account.
“As the reintroduction of services across the HSE is currently being rolled out, no start date for screening services is as yet available. However, please be assured that the restoration of important services is a priority for the HSE’s Screening Service.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-21--Explainer: Why are there so many coronavirus infections at meat plants?

What is the scale of infection in meat processing plants ?
There are 16 coronavirus clusters – each defined as two or more cases – in meat plants involving 828 infected workers , as of last Saturday .
This is an increase from 500 a week earlier when there were 12 clusters .
Some 16 meat factory workers have been hospitalised during the pandemic .
HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry put the number of infected workers at 860 on Wednesday .
Why are meat plants susceptible to outbreaks ?
Employees at meat plants work in prolonged close proximity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of transmitting the virus .
The rigid production lines , often involving for example in a conveyor belt of pig carcasses on hooks passing along a factory ’ s “ kill line ” , means that the nature of the work is at close quarters involving repeated activity by hundreds of staff standing shoulder to shoulder .
As an essential industry producing food , meat plants were not closed during the pandemic .
How busy can it be in a meat plant ?
Butchering , when not automated , is a fast and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the processing of as many as 450 pigs per hour – or seven pigs processed along the line every minute – means that each worker often only has a few seconds to complete their task of cutting on each animal .
Can the process contribute to the spread of the virus ?
Possibly .
The gruelling nature and pace of the meat processing , cutting up so many animals in a short space of time , means butchering can involve strenuous physical exertion and heavy breathing by employees .
The boning hall of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of workers congregating around a common table in another physically demanding part of the process .
What other conditions might lead to the spread of the virus ?
Conditions in plants can be hot with workers butchering warm carcasses with knives that must be repeatedly sterilised at high temperatures .
This can create a steamy atmosphere .
Some plants can be poorly ventilated , contributing to the spread , while physically distancing may not have been observed in worker common areas such as at sinks or in canteens and changing rooms .
Could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meat plants ?
Yes .
Many meat plants employ lower-paid foreign workers who share accommodation outside of work , where they could have acquired the virus and can spread it further .
Public health officials has been offering alternative accommodation to workers at risk of passing the virus on .
What precautions have plants taken to prevent the spread of the virus ?
Plants have reduced production by processing fewer animals , staggered working shifts and staff departures and arrivals , and reconfigured production lines including installing partitions , where possible , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @

What is the scale of infection in meat processing plants?
There are 16 coronavirus clusters – each defined as two or more cases – in meat plants involving 828 infected workers, as of last Saturday. This is an increase from 500 a week earlier when there were 12 clusters. Some 16 meat factory workers have been hospitalised during the pandemic. HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry put the number of infected workers at 860 on Wednesday.
Why are meat plants susceptible to outbreaks?
Employees at meat plants work in prolonged close proximity to other workers, increasing the risk of transmitting the virus. The rigid production lines, often involving for example in a conveyor belt of pig carcasses on hooks passing along a factory’s “kill line”, means that the nature of the work is at close quarters involving repeated activity by hundreds of staff standing shoulder to shoulder. As an essential industry producing food, meat plants were not closed during the pandemic.
How busy can it be in a meat plant?
Butchering, when not automated, is a fast and heavily labour-intensive process. For example, the processing of as many as 450 pigs per hour – or seven pigs processed along the line every minute – means that each worker often only has a few seconds to complete their task of cutting on each animal.
Can the process contribute to the spread of the virus?
Possibly. The gruelling nature and pace of the meat processing, cutting up so many animals in a short space of time, means butchering can involve strenuous physical exertion and heavy breathing by employees. The boning hall of a plant can also involve large numbers of workers congregating around a common table in another physically demanding part of the process.
READ MORE
What other conditions might lead to the spread of the virus?
Conditions in plants can be hot with workers butchering warm carcasses with knives that must be repeatedly sterilised at high temperatures. This can create a steamy atmosphere. Some plants can be poorly ventilated, contributing to the spread, while physically distancing may not have been observed in worker common areas such as at sinks or in canteens and changing rooms.
Could other factors contribute to the spread at meat plants?
Yes. Many meat plants employ lower-paid foreign workers who share accommodation outside of work, where they could have acquired the virus and can spread it further. Public health officials has been offering alternative accommodation to workers at risk of passing the virus on.
What precautions have plants taken to prevent the spread of the virus?
Plants have reduced production by processing fewer animals, staggered working shifts and staff departures and arrivals, and reconfigured production lines including installing partitions, where possible, to ensure workers maintain two-metre physical distancing.


theirishtimes--2020-05-21--Coronavirus: ‘Immediate’ action needed over infection control in several hospitals

“ Immediate ” action is needed to mitigate the risk of infection spreading in several hospitals around the country in the context of Covid-19 , the State ’ s health watchdog has said .
The finding is contained in a report on infection-control preparedness in the public hospital system , delivered last month by the Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) to the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) .
The report says both the University of Limerick Hospital Group and the South Southwest Hospital Group face “ significant ” infection control risks if there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the current risk is moderate , due to the potential for a further surge it finds “ immediate mitigation is therefore required ” .
The report states : “ In the context of a pandemic situation , these findings in these groups in particular are of concern and require action in the short term to bridge these gaps.
” Immediate action is also recommended to increase microbiology resources at several hospitals , most pressingly at Tullamore , Mullingar , Letterkenny , Naas , Ballinasloe , Wexford and Kerry .
Separately , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned down a “ priority ” request from the chief inspector of nursing homes last month for all nursing homes and congregated disability centres to be supplied with three days ’ worth of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
Mary Dunnion , chief inspector at Hiqa , wrote to HSE chief executive Paul Reid on April 8th with concerns around inconsistent supplies of PPE to the facilities as they battled mounting Covid-19 outbreaks .
She asked the PPE be supplied to the facilities centres “ as a priority ” .
She copied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the HSE , the Department of Health and Hiqa .
The HSE replied six days later saying it could not provide the three-day supplies due to challenges in sourcing PPE and that it was directing supplies to the highest-risk areas , but that it would keep Ms Dunnion ’ s request under review as supplies increased .
The deaths of another 11 patients with Covid-19 were reported by NPHET on Wednesday .
There have now been a total of 1,571 Covid-19-related deaths in the Republic .
A total of 64 new laboratory-confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing the total number of cases to 24,315 .
This is the fifth day in a row in which the daily case number has remained below 100 .
However , the fall in newly-confirmed cases comes amid fresh concerns over the impact of the crisis on screening programmes .
While the HSE is working on a plan to resume screening across BreastCheck , CervicalCheck and BowelScreen , senior government sources cautioned it would be “ quite some time ” before routine screening programmes return .
A document given to Opposition parties warns that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decreased referrals to all rapid-access cancer and symptomatic disease clinics .
“ This has led to an unmet need which may lead to delayed presentations , delayed access to diagnosis and treatment , poorer outcomes and increased mortality.
” A spokesman for the HSE said the screening programmes were “ preparing comprehensive plans for restarting their services in a safe and planned way ” .

University of Limerick Hospital Group and the South Southwest Hospital Group face 'significant' infection control risks if there is a further surge. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
“Immediate” action is needed to mitigate the risk of infection spreading in several hospitals around the country in the context of Covid-19, the State’s health watchdog has said.
The finding is contained in a report on infection-control preparedness in the public hospital system, delivered last month by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
The report says both the University of Limerick Hospital Group and the South Southwest Hospital Group face "significant" infection control risks if there is a further surge in hospital activity. While the current risk is moderate, due to the potential for a further surge it finds "immediate mitigation is therefore required".
The report states: “In the context of a pandemic situation, these findings in these groups in particular are of concern and require action in the short term to bridge these gaps.”
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Immediate action is also recommended to increase microbiology resources at several hospitals, most pressingly at Tullamore, Mullingar, Letterkenny, Naas, Ballinasloe, Wexford and Kerry.
PPE request
Separately, it has emerged that the Health Service Executive turned down a “priority” request from the chief inspector of nursing homes last month for all nursing homes and congregated disability centres to be supplied with three days’ worth of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Mary Dunnion, chief inspector at Hiqa, wrote to HSE chief executive Paul Reid on April 8th with concerns around inconsistent supplies of PPE to the facilities as they battled mounting Covid-19 outbreaks. She asked the PPE be supplied to the facilities centres "as a priority". She copied her correspondence to five other high-ranking officials at the HSE, the Department of Health and Hiqa.
The HSE replied six days later saying it could not provide the three-day supplies due to challenges in sourcing PPE and that it was directing supplies to the highest-risk areas, but that it would keep Ms Dunnion’s request under review as supplies increased.
The deaths of another 11 patients with Covid-19 were reported by NPHET on Wednesday. There have now been a total of 1,571 Covid-19-related deaths in the Republic.
A total of 64 new laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease were reported, bringing the total number of cases to 24,315. This is the fifth day in a row in which the daily case number has remained below 100.
Screening programmes
However, the fall in newly-confirmed cases comes amid fresh concerns over the impact of the crisis on screening programmes. While the HSE is working on a plan to resume screening across BreastCheck, CervicalCheck and BowelScreen, senior government sources cautioned it would be “quite some time” before routine screening programmes return.
A document given to Opposition parties warns that the National Cancer Control Programme has reported decreased referrals to all rapid-access cancer and symptomatic disease clinics.
“This has led to an unmet need which may lead to delayed presentations, delayed access to diagnosis and treatment, poorer outcomes and increased mortality.”
A spokesman for the HSE said the screening programmes were “preparing comprehensive plans for restarting their services in a safe and planned way”.


theirishtimes--2020-05-21--What if preserving ecosystems could prevent future pandemics?

Healthy ecosystems – as ecologists and economists have been telling us for decades – provide humanity with essential “ services ’ ” , like breathable air , fertile soil , drinkable water and nutrient cycling .
So when we degrade ecosystems by , for example , extracting more resources than the system can regenerate , we damage our own interests .
Of course , the natural world is also the source of what we might call ecosystem disservices : catastrophic floods , wildfires , earthquakes , volcanic eruptions , hurricanes – and plagues – have been with us throughout history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequency and intensity of many such extreme events is increasing .
Copious peer-reviewed reports tell us that it is our own activities that are making our home planet increasingly inhospitable to us .
There is an inherent paradox here : in converting vast landscapes from nature to culture , we are cutting off the branch on which our civilisation sits .
This is a familiar message from climate and biodiversity science .
But , despite its urgency , public policy responses have been utterly inadequate to the interlinked and accelerating crises that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat from the Covid-19 pandemic has provoked radical global and national policy shifts , on a scale whose only precedents are the 20th century ’ s world wars .
True , the menace from this virus is more immediate , or at least more apparent , than the climate and biodiversity emergency .
But what if we learn that the increased frequency of catastrophic zoonotic pandemics ( those caused by a disease leaping the species barrier from another animal to humans , or vice versa ) is also a consequence of environmental degradation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally undertake equally radical policy responses to the climate and biodiversity crises .
What is the evidence for linking increased frequency of pandemics to environmental degradation ?
Studies over more than a decade have shown that the increase in our conversion of natural ecosystems to intensive agriculture and urbanisation , coupled with rapidly expanding population , and accelerated global travel , have created the perfect trifecta of conditions for emerging infectious diseases ( EIDs ) to spill over from wild animals to humans .
This happens either directly , or via infected domesticated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the globe .
A paper in Nature published by Kate Jones in 2008 found EIDs had “ risen significantly ” over previous decades , and 60 per cent of them were zoonotic , with 70 per cent of these originating in wild species .
“ Our results confirm , ” she wrote , “ that EID origins are significantly correlated with socio-economic , environmental and ecological factors.
” And she added a new argument for nature conservation that would gain weight in future studies : “ Efforts to conserve areas rich in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have added value in reducing the likelihood of future zoonotic disease emergence.
” Another Nature paper by Felicia Kessing , only two years later , made a similar point : “ Current evidence indicates that preserving intact ecosystems and their endemic biodiversity should generally reduce the prevalence of infectious diseases.
” A pattern emerges from these studies .
Human penetration into , and degradation of , remote ecosystems brings us into contact with species we rarely encountered in the past .
Moreover , the destruction of their habitats stresses these species , making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and shed their viruses through defecation .
Meanwhile , the extreme poverty of many people moving into degraded ecosystems often leads them to inadvertently speed up the transmission process by eating unfamiliar species – or attempt to make a living by selling them in urban markets .
Closing such markets is an important , but often insufficient step to take , and would require significant cultural shifts and cheap alternative food sources for the poor .
Moreover , some wild animals , displaced from their natural habitats , move to cities where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This brings them into intimate contact with vast numbers of humans and domestic animals .
This is particularly true of bat species , some of which can be particularly prone to carry viruses that can infect us .
In 2015 , Raina Plowright led a detailed study of the transmission of the potentially lethal Hendra virus from one group of bats – flying foxes – to horses ( and very occasionally to humans ) in Australia .
Writing in the Royal Society B journal , she set out a clear “ hierarchy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a zoonotic disease from bats ( or other species ) : “ Bats must be present .
Bats must be infected and in most cases shedding pathogen .
Virus must survive outside of its reservoir host ( if transmitted indirectly ) , with access to the recipient host .
Recipient hosts must be exposed to the source of the virus in sufficient quantity for an infection to establish .
Recipient hosts must be susceptible to the virus….Often the recipient is an intermediate host species frequently in contact with humans ; the recipient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any one of these enabling conditions should prevent spill-over of the virus to humans , but this is not straightforward .
Plowright writes that culling or dispersing bat populations had little or no effect in reducing viral transmission .
Indeed , by stressing the bats further , it might even increase it .
She too argues that intact ecosystems may be part of the answer : “ Conservation and restoration of critical bat feeding habitat should reduce the risk of nutritional stress and reduce urban colonisation by bats.
” She concludes : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cell to the landscape will be necessary to assess the weight of evidence for potential causes and to elucidate how human activities affect one or more of the enabling conditions.
” Very recent publications confirm these earlier papers .
Recent research led by Laura Bloomfield at Stanford , published in Landscape Ecology , identifies “ deforestation and landscape fragmentation .
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as processes enabling direct transmission of zoonotic infections ” .
This study , looking at zoonotic transmission from primates in Africa , also finds that the problem is worst not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ape populations are densest ( in healthy habitats ) , but in the most degraded areas , where stressed apes and humans often overlap .
One of Bloomfield ’ s co-authors , Eric Lambin , told The New York Times that this kind of problem was not limited to the developing world , but was just as true of the spread of Lyme disease in the expanding interface between American suburbia and semi-natural landscapes .
“ We see the animals as infecting us , but the picture that ’ s coming from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] we really go to the animals , ” said Lambin .
“ We intrude on their habitats.
” Meanwhile , Christine Johnson , in a blog on her article published weeks ago in Royal Society B , wrote that : “ The emergence of the novel coronavirus causing this epidemic is an unfortunate convergence of many ecological and epidemiological drivers of disease spill-over .
“ However , these circumstances are not unique to this event .
These drivers are occurring all over the world as wildlife shift their distributions to accommodate anthropogenic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we interact with animals , we are playing a dangerous probability game.
” An Irish specialist in this field , Peter Stuart of the Department of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences at IT Tralee , is starting a BiodivERsA-funded project exploring links between biodiversity and disease with Celia Holland in Trinity College Dublin ; Annetta Zintl in University College Dublin and colleagues throughout Europe .
Stuart says he is convinced the research quoted above is well founded .
“ It is the human creation of escalating opportunities for spill-over that is leading to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live in world dominated by humans and their livestock .
“ There is a saying in disease ecology , ‘ A successful system attracts parasites ’ , and with the biomass of humans and their domestic animals exceeding 2,000 billion kg , we present as an ideal host opportunity for pathogens .
“ This , along with increased expansion into wilderness areas , travel and translocation of animals is causing increased EIDS , leading to increased risk of pandemics.
” On a more positive note , Stuart continues , “ I am a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offers solutions to these problems .
One Health recognises that the health of people , wild and domestic animals and our shared environment are closely linked .
“ Clearly , an integrated approach , involving not only human and veterinary medicine and ecology , but also radical new thinking from economists and politicians , plus the kind of massive social buy-in we have seen in the coronavirus crisis , is going to be required if we are to cope with all the other environment-related crises coming down the tracks .

Healthy ecosystems – as ecologists and economists have been telling us for decades – provide humanity with essential “services’”, like breathable air, fertile soil, drinkable water and nutrient cycling.
So when we degrade ecosystems by, for example, extracting more resources than the system can regenerate, we damage our own interests.
Of course, the natural world is also the source of what we might call ecosystem disservices: catastrophic floods, wildfires, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes – and plagues – have been with us throughout history.
The Covid-19 pandemic has provoked radical global and national policy shifts, on a scale whose only precedents are the 20th century's world wars
The difference today is that the frequency and intensity of many such extreme events is increasing. Copious peer-reviewed reports tell us that it is our own activities that are making our home planet increasingly inhospitable to us.
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There is an inherent paradox here: in converting vast landscapes from nature to culture, we are cutting off the branch on which our civilisation sits. This is a familiar message from climate and biodiversity science. But, despite its urgency, public policy responses have been utterly inadequate to the interlinked and accelerating crises that are already upon us.
Now, the threat from the Covid-19 pandemic has provoked radical global and national policy shifts, on a scale whose only precedents are the 20th century’s world wars. True, the menace from this virus is more immediate, or at least more apparent, than the climate and biodiversity emergency.
But what if we learn that the increased frequency of catastrophic zoonotic pandemics (those caused by a disease leaping the species barrier from another animal to humans, or vice versa) is also a consequence of environmental degradation? Then, perhaps, we might finally undertake equally radical policy responses to the climate and biodiversity crises.
What is the evidence for linking increased frequency of pandemics to environmental degradation?
Studies over more than a decade have shown that the increase in our conversion of natural ecosystems to intensive agriculture and urbanisation, coupled with rapidly expanding population, and accelerated global travel, have created the perfect trifecta of conditions for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) to spill over from wild animals to humans. This happens either directly, or via infected domesticated animals. We then spread them rapidly around the globe.
A paper in Nature published by Kate Jones in 2008 found EIDs had "risen significantly" over previous decades, and 60 per cent of them were zoonotic, with 70 per cent of these originating in wild species.
“Our results confirm,” she wrote, “that EID origins are significantly correlated with socio-economic, environmental and ecological factors.” And she added a new argument for nature conservation that would gain weight in future studies: “Efforts to conserve areas rich in wildlife diversity by reducing anthropogenic activity may have added value in reducing the likelihood of future zoonotic disease emergence.”
Another Nature paper by Felicia Kessing, only two years later, made a similar point: "Current evidence indicates that preserving intact ecosystems and their endemic biodiversity should generally reduce the prevalence of infectious diseases."
A pattern emerges from these studies. Human penetration into, and degradation of, remote ecosystems brings us into contact with species we rarely encountered in the past. Moreover, the destruction of their habitats stresses these species, making it more likely they will become ill, and shed their viruses through defecation.
Meanwhile, the extreme poverty of many people moving into degraded ecosystems often leads them to inadvertently speed up the transmission process by eating unfamiliar species – or attempt to make a living by selling them in urban markets. Closing such markets is an important, but often insufficient step to take, and would require significant cultural shifts and cheap alternative food sources for the poor.
Moreover, some wild animals, displaced from their natural habitats, move to cities where they establish ballooning but often sickly populations. This brings them into intimate contact with vast numbers of humans and domestic animals. This is particularly true of bat species, some of which can be particularly prone to carry viruses that can infect us.
In 2015, Raina Plowright led a detailed study of the transmission of the potentially lethal Hendra virus from one group of bats – flying foxes – to horses (and very occasionally to humans) in Australia. Writing in the Royal Society B journal, she set out a clear "hierarchy of enabling conditions" for the emergence of a zoonotic disease from bats (or other species): "Bats must be present. Bats must be infected and in most cases shedding pathogen. Virus must survive outside of its reservoir host (if transmitted indirectly), with access to the recipient host. Recipient hosts must be exposed to the source of the virus in sufficient quantity for an infection to establish. Recipient hosts must be susceptible to the virus….Often the recipient is an intermediate host species frequently in contact with humans; the recipient then may infect humans."
Removal of any one of these enabling conditions should prevent spill-over of the virus to humans, but this is not straightforward. Plowright writes that culling or dispersing bat populations had little or no effect in reducing viral transmission. Indeed, by stressing the bats further, it might even increase it. She too argues that intact ecosystems may be part of the answer: “Conservation and restoration of critical bat feeding habitat should reduce the risk of nutritional stress and reduce urban colonisation by bats.”
She concludes: “Tracking the dynamics of emerging diseases from the cell to the landscape will be necessary to assess the weight of evidence for potential causes and to elucidate how human activities affect one or more of the enabling conditions.”
Very recent publications confirm these earlier papers. Recent research led by Laura Bloomfield at Stanford, published in Landscape Ecology, identifies "deforestation and landscape fragmentation . . . as processes enabling direct transmission of zoonotic infections".
This study, looking at zoonotic transmission from primates in Africa, also finds that the problem is worst not, as you might expect, where ape populations are densest (in healthy habitats), but in the most degraded areas, where stressed apes and humans often overlap.
One of Bloomfield's co-authors, Eric Lambin, told The New York Times that this kind of problem was not limited to the developing world, but was just as true of the spread of Lyme disease in the expanding interface between American suburbia and semi-natural landscapes.
“We see the animals as infecting us, but the picture that’s coming from the study and other studies is [that] we really go to the animals,” said Lambin. “We intrude on their habitats.”
Meanwhile, Christine Johnson, in a blog on her article published weeks ago in Royal Society B , wrote that: "The emergence of the novel coronavirus causing this epidemic is an unfortunate convergence of many ecological and epidemiological drivers of disease spill-over.
“However, these circumstances are not unique to this event. These drivers are occurring all over the world as wildlife shift their distributions to accommodate anthropogenic activities and environmental change. . . when we interact with animals, we are playing a dangerous probability game.”
An Irish specialist in this field, Peter Stuart of the Department of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences at IT Tralee, is starting a BiodivERsA-funded project exploring links between biodiversity and disease with Celia Holland in Trinity College Dublin; Annetta Zintl in University College Dublin and colleagues throughout Europe.
Stuart says he is convinced the research quoted above is well founded.
“It is the human creation of escalating opportunities for spill-over that is leading to increased emerging infectious diseases. We now live in world dominated by humans and their livestock.
“There is a saying in disease ecology, ‘A successful system attracts parasites’, and with the biomass of humans and their domestic animals exceeding 2,000 billion kg, we present as an ideal host opportunity for pathogens.
“This, along with increased expansion into wilderness areas, travel and translocation of animals is causing increased EIDS, leading to increased risk of pandemics.”
On a more positive note, Stuart continues, “I am a strong believer that the One Health approach offers solutions to these problems. One Health recognises that the health of people, wild and domestic animals and our shared environment are closely linked. “
Clearly, an integrated approach, involving not only human and veterinary medicine and ecology, but also radical new thinking from economists and politicians, plus the kind of massive social buy-in we have seen in the coronavirus crisis, is going to be required if we are to cope with all the other environment-related crises coming down the tracks.


theirishtimes--2020-05-21--Sketches and spirals: When maths and art collide

Albrecht Dürer was born in Nuremberg in 1471 , third of a family of 18 children .
Were he still living , he would be celebrating his 549th birthday on Thursday .
Dürer ’ s artistic genius was clear from an early age , as evidenced by a self-portrait he painted when just 13 .
In 1494 , Dürer visited Italy , where he travelled for a year .
A novel connection between art and mathematics was emerging around that time .
By using rules of perspective , artists could represent objects in three-dimensional space on a plane canvas with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new art must be based upon science ; in particular , upon mathematics , as the most exact , logical , and graphically constructive of the sciences ” .
Dürer was anxious to learn about innovations in art , but also about new developments in mathematics , where Italy was in the vanguard .
While there , he made many sketches , visited galleries and churches and met with several artists .
Among them was Giovanni Bellini , who had a powerful influence on him .
He also became familiar with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mathematics of proportions , in particular his treatise Della Pictura .
Upon his return to Germany , Dürer began intensive work in mathematics .
He studied Euclid ’ s Elements and also the classical treatise De Achitectura by the Roman architect and engineer Vitruvius .
On a second trip to Italy in 1505 , Dürer visited Bologna to meet Luca Pacioli , a close associate of Leonardo da Vinci , and became familiar with his mathematical work .
Pacioli had a deep appreciation of mathematics in art .
Dürer returned to Nuremberg feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the study of mathematics .
He began to collect material for a major work on mathematics and its applications to the arts .
His mathematical writings included exact and approximate methods of constructing regular polygons , approximate methods of squaring the circle and a method to obtain a good approximation to the trisector of an angle .
Platonic solids as well as the semi-regular Archimedean solids are also discussed .
Although his mathematical treatise was completed in 1523 , Dürer realised that it was at a level beyond most readers , so he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Investigation of the Measurement with Circles and Straight Lines of Plane and Solid Figures , which he published in four books in 1525 .
This is considered to be the first mathematics book published in German .
Dürer ’ s final masterpiece , his treatise on proportion , which was in proof stage at the time of his death , was published shortly afterwards .
In applying mathematics to art , Dürer developed new and important ideas within mathematics itself .
He studied several curves , such as epicycles , spirals and conchoids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mathematical tools necessary for their analysis .
While engaged in his mathematical studies , Dürer continued to produce art of outstanding quality .
His understanding of the principles of perspective is clear from his engraving , Saint Jerome in his Study , made in 1514 .
In the same year he made Melencolia , one of the most brilliant engravings of all time , and among the most intensively debated works of art .
There is much of mathematical interest in this work : a magic square , several mathematical instruments , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of perspective in the hands of Dürer and other Renaissance masters has changed the way that we look at the world .
Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at UCD School of Mathematics & Statistics – he blogs thatsmaths.com

Albrecht Dürer was born in Nuremberg in 1471, third of a family of 18 children. Were he still living, he would be celebrating his 549th birthday on Thursday. Dürer’s artistic genius was clear from an early age, as evidenced by a self-portrait he painted when just 13.
In 1494, Dürer visited Italy, where he travelled for a year. A novel connection between art and mathematics was emerging around that time. By using rules of perspective, artists could represent objects in three-dimensional space on a plane canvas with striking realism. He was convinced "the new art must be based upon science; in particular, upon mathematics, as the most exact, logical, and graphically constructive of the sciences".
Innovations in art and mathematics
Dürer was anxious to learn about innovations in art, but also about new developments in mathematics, where Italy was in the vanguard. While there, he made many sketches, visited galleries and churches and met with several artists. Among them was Giovanni Bellini, who had a powerful influence on him. He also became familiar with the work of Leon Battista Alberti on the mathematics of proportions, in particular his treatise Della Pictura.
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Upon his return to Germany, Dürer began intensive work in mathematics. He studied Euclid's Elements and also the classical treatise De Achitectura by the Roman architect and engineer Vitruvius. On a second trip to Italy in 1505, Dürer visited Bologna to meet Luca Pacioli, a close associate of Leonardo da Vinci, and became familiar with his mathematical work. Pacioli had a deep appreciation of mathematics in art.
Mathematical writing
Dürer returned to Nuremberg feeling he must delve yet more deeply into the study of mathematics. He began to collect material for a major work on mathematics and its applications to the arts. His mathematical writings included exact and approximate methods of constructing regular polygons, approximate methods of squaring the circle and a method to obtain a good approximation to the trisector of an angle. Platonic solids as well as the semi-regular Archimedean solids are also discussed.
Detail from Saint Jerome in his Study, made in 1514 by Albrecht Dürer
Although his mathematical treatise was completed in 1523, Dürer realised that it was at a level beyond most readers, so he started on a more elementary work, Investigation of the Measurement with Circles and Straight Lines of Plane and Solid Figures, which he published in four books in 1525. This is considered to be the first mathematics book published in German.
Dürer’s final masterpiece, his treatise on proportion, which was in proof stage at the time of his death, was published shortly afterwards. In applying mathematics to art, Dürer developed new and important ideas within mathematics itself. He studied several curves, such as epicycles, spirals and conchoids, although he did not possess the mathematical tools necessary for their analysis.
While engaged in his mathematical studies, Dürer continued to produce art of outstanding quality. His understanding of the principles of perspective is clear from his engraving, Saint Jerome in his Study, made in 1514. In the same year he made Melencolia, one of the most brilliant engravings of all time, and among the most intensively debated works of art. There is much of mathematical interest in this work: a magic square, several mathematical instruments, a sphere and a large polyhedron.
The use of perspective in the hands of Dürer and other Renaissance masters has changed the way that we look at the world.
Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at UCD School of Mathematics & Statistics – he blogs thatsmaths.com