theirishtimes--2020-06-22--Covid-19 survivor: ‘I couldn't believe I couldn't go to my husband's funeral’

Maura Byrne had to watch from her carer ’ s mobile phone as a funeral service for her husband of almost 70 years took place .
“ It knocked the bottom out of my world , ” she says of not being able to attend .
Stephen Byrne ( 93 ) died of Covid-19 at St James ’ s Hospital in Dublin on April 19th .
Mrs Byrne ( 94 ) was recovering from the disease at St Luke ’ s Hospital in Rathgar at the time .
“ I couldn ’ t see much , ” she says of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agnes ’ s Church in Crumlin , on the phone .
“ There was a young nurse , she was lovely , holding my hand , but I felt I should be with my people .
I just didn ’ t understand it.
” Mrs Byrne entered St James ’ s Hospital with shingles on February 14th and was transferred to St Luke ’ s for respite two weeks later .
She tested positive for Covid-19 on April 11th and returned to St James ’ s , where she remained until June 8th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total of 16 weeks , ” she says .
“ I didn ’ t know what to do with myself .
I must have read about 20 books .
.
.
All I wanted to do was come home.
” Mrs Byrne , originally from Ballsbridge , met her husband , a plumber at the Guinness brewery from Arbour Hill , at a Dublin cycling club and they married on September 5th , 1950 .
They bought the family home on Dowland Road in Walkinstown and had six children – Máire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Dermot .
There are now 17 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren .
Mr Byrne suffered from dementia later in his life and was cared for by his wife until last year , when he moved to the Croft nursing home in Inchicore .
He was brought into St James ’ s Hospital on April 16th after being diagnosed with Covid-19 and died there three days later .
“ I ’ d ring every night and one of the girls would say he ’ s fine , as always .
Then Máire rang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not well and he ’ s in James ’ s ’ , ” Mrs Bryne recalls .
“ I said ‘ I ’ ll go over and see him ’ .
She [ Máire ] said ‘ Mam you can ’ t , you ’ re in lockdown you can ’ t go over to see him.
’ So Deirdre and Bernadette were allowed to go in .
.
.
He died the next morning .
“ I couldn ’ t believe it , that I wouldn ’ t be allowed go [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve had no closure .
A funeral is a closure .
“ Yesterday evening Máire and I were looking at photographs and there was a photograph of the coffin in the church and a photograph of the coffin in the crematorium and I felt good after it .
I sort of felt weepy but that ’ s all the finish I ’ m ever going to get.
” Mrs Byrne says not being able to go to the funeral was very difficult as all she wanted to do was “ hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to arrange a Mass later in the year to remember Stephen that can be attended by all his family and friends .
“ He was the kindest and most loving man , ” she says .
“ You always had that feeling that you could depend on him .
He never ever let you down .
.
.
Deirdre ’ s girls were asking me one day ‘ how did you know he was the right person ?
’ I said ‘ you just know ’ .
” As his dementia progressed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognise relatives but Mrs Byrne says “ now and again he would say ‘ I like you , you ’ re a nice lady ’ ” .
Since being released from hospital , Mrs Byrne has been cared for at home by Máire and is feeling better with each passing day .
“ My health is wonderful .
I ’ m doing a little bit more every day .
I can now dress myself .
I can put on my shoes , which I couldn ’ t do , ” she says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ night Stephen ’ and I say a Hail Mary , because that ’ s the only prayer he knew , .I say ‘ Good night , Stephen ’ and then I go to sleep .
”

Maura Byrne’s husband died Covid-19 while she was recovering in hospital with the same disease. Video: Enda O'Dowd
Maura Byrne had to watch from her carer's mobile phone as a funeral service for her husband of almost 70 years took place.
“It knocked the bottom out of my world,” she says of not being able to attend.
Stephen Byrne (93) died of Covid-19 at St James's Hospital in Dublin on April 19th. Mrs Byrne (94) was recovering from the disease at St Luke's Hospital in Rathgar at the time.
"I couldn't see much," she says of watching the funeral, held at St Agnes's Church in Crumlin, on the phone. "There was a young nurse, she was lovely, holding my hand, but I felt I should be with my people. I just didn't understand it."
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Mrs Byrne entered St James’s Hospital with shingles on February 14th and was transferred to St Luke’s for respite two weeks later. She tested positive for Covid-19 on April 11th and returned to St James’s, where she remained until June 8th.
“I was in hospital for a total of 16 weeks,” she says. “I didn’t know what to do with myself. I must have read about 20 books . . . All I wanted to do was come home.”
1950 wedding
Mrs Byrne, originally from Ballsbridge, met her husband, a plumber at the Guinness brewery from Arbour Hill, at a Dublin cycling club and they married on September 5th, 1950. They bought the family home on Dowland Road in Walkinstown and had six children – Máire, Stephen, Bernadette, Deirdre, Paul and Dermot. There are now 17 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.
Mr Byrne suffered from dementia later in his life and was cared for by his wife until last year, when he moved to the Croft nursing home in Inchicore. He was brought into St James's Hospital on April 16th after being diagnosed with Covid-19 and died there three days later.
“I’d ring every night and one of the girls would say he’s fine, as always. Then Máire rang me and said ‘Dad’s not well and he’s in James’s’,” Mrs Bryne recalls.
“I said ‘I’ll go over and see him’. She [Máire] said ‘Mam you can’t, you’re in lockdown you can’t go over to see him.’ So Deirdre and Bernadette were allowed to go in . . . He died the next morning.
“I couldn’t believe it, that I wouldn’t be allowed go [to the funeral]. I maintain I’ve had no closure. A funeral is a closure.
“Yesterday evening Máire and I were looking at photographs and there was a photograph of the coffin in the church and a photograph of the coffin in the crematorium and I felt good after it. I sort of felt weepy but that’s all the finish I’m ever going to get.”
‘Hold his hand’
Mrs Byrne says not being able to go to the funeral was very difficult as all she wanted to do was “hold his hand”. The Byrnes plan to arrange a Mass later in the year to remember Stephen that can be attended by all his family and friends.
“He was the kindest and most loving man,” she says. “You always had that feeling that you could depend on him. He never ever let you down . . . Deirdre’s girls were asking me one day ‘how did you know he was the right person?’ I said ‘you just know’.”
As his dementia progressed, Mr Bryne would fail to remember or recognise relatives but Mrs Byrne says “now and again he would say ‘I like you, you’re a nice lady’”.
Since being released from hospital, Mrs Byrne has been cared for at home by Máire and is feeling better with each passing day.
“My health is wonderful. I’m doing a little bit more every day. I can now dress myself. I can put on my shoes, which I couldn’t do,” she says.
“At night I say ‘good night Stephen’ and I say a Hail Mary, because that’s the only prayer he knew,.I say ‘Good night, Stephen’ and then I go to sleep.”


theirishtimes--2020-06-21--Coronavirus: Private hospitals takeover agreed without ‘luxury’ of due diligence

The €100 million a month deal that saw the State take over nearly 20 private hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic was entered into without having “ the luxury of time ” needed to carry out regular due diligence , the HSE has said .
In an email to the Department of Health , HSE chief executive Paul Reid said he anticipated that implementing the arrangement , in line with policies set out by the Government , would have “ unforeseen consequences ” .
“ I am keenly aware that this arrangement has been expedited by our respective teams to meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that luxury of time that would normally be taken to undertake due diligence is not afforded to us in this instance , ” Mr Reid told department secretary general Jim Breslin in April .
“ There may be , and most likely will be , unforeseen consequences as a result of our implementing these policies , and I know you will support the HSE in dealing with such possible outcomes.
” At the end of March the HSE effectively took over the operation of nearly 20 private hospitals for an initial three-month period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be overwhelmed by large numbers of people falling seriously ill with Covid-19 .
The agreement has since been criticised over its forecast cost of €340 million , the extent to which the private hospital beds have been used and the knock-on impact the deal had on private patients .
The Government decided last month not to trigger a two-month extension of the arrangement , and the State ’ s control of the private hospitals will come to an end early next week .
The latest figures show no new Covid-19 deaths were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases of the disease were confirmed .
Documents published by the Department of Public Expenditure show that in deciding to end the private hospital arrangement the Cabinet went against the HSE board ’ s recommendation to retain the extra capacity .
The documents also show that the Government will have to decide by Friday if it will end a lease on the Citywest Hotel complex , which has capacity for some 1,700 beds and has been available for self-isolation and as a step-down facility for Covid-19 patients .
The lease is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and questions have been raised about the amount the facility has been used given the costs involved .

The HSE effectively took over the operation of nearly 20 private hospitals amid concerns the public system would be overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
The €100 million a month deal that saw the State take over nearly 20 private hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic was entered into without having "the luxury of time" needed to carry out regular due diligence, the HSE has said.
In an email to the Department of Health, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said he anticipated that implementing the arrangement, in line with policies set out by the Government, would have "unforeseen consequences".
"I am keenly aware that this arrangement has been expedited by our respective teams to meet the urgent requirements for care, and that luxury of time that would normally be taken to undertake due diligence is not afforded to us in this instance," Mr Reid told department secretary general Jim Breslin in April.
“There may be, and most likely will be, unforeseen consequences as a result of our implementing these policies , and I know you will support the HSE in dealing with such possible outcomes.”
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At the end of March the HSE effectively took over the operation of nearly 20 private hospitals for an initial three-month period amid concerns that the public health system could be overwhelmed by large numbers of people falling seriously ill with Covid-19.
The agreement has since been criticised over its forecast cost of €340 million, the extent to which the private hospital beds have been used and the knock-on impact the deal had on private patients.
The Government decided last month not to trigger a two-month extension of the arrangement, and the State’s control of the private hospitals will come to an end early next week. The latest figures show no new Covid-19 deaths were reported on Sunday, and just six new cases of the disease were confirmed.
Extra capacity
Documents published by the Department of Public Expenditure show that in deciding to end the private hospital arrangement the Cabinet went against the HSE board’s recommendation to retain the extra capacity.
The documents also show that the Government will have to decide by Friday if it will end a lease on the Citywest Hotel complex, which has capacity for some 1,700 beds and has been available for self-isolation and as a step-down facility for Covid-19 patients.
The lease is expected to cost more than €20 million, and questions have been raised about the amount the facility has been used given the costs involved.


theirishtimes--2020-06-21--Samurai sword among weapons found in Dublin house where woman murdered

A samurai sword and a meat cleaver are among a number of weapons being examined by gardaí investigating the murder of a woman in her home in Dublin yesterday morning .
Jean Eagers ( 57 ) died in a house at Willow Wood Grove in Hartstown .
One of the people who was there at the time went to a nearby property to raise the alarm .
Gardaí investigating the death of Ms Eagers , who worked for Marks & Spencer in Blanchardstown and had two adult children , believe she and the suspect were known to each other for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scene , in a suburban housing estate , at about 11.30am , the chief suspect ( 60 ) had locked himself inside the house .
A large number of Garda personnel and vehicles as well as a fire tender and ambulance were visible outside the house and the scene was cordoned off while the suspect was inside and armed gardaí shouted warnings at him .
Because the situation was judged to be dangerous , stun grenades were deployed to disorientate the suspect before gardaí forced their way into the house after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is from Dublin , was then overpowered and arrested before being taken away for questioning .
He was injured during the incident and was taken for medical treatment to James Connolly Hospital , with his questioning at Blanchardstown Garda station suspended while he was being treated .
“ The injured woman was treated at the scene by emergency services personnel but was pronounced dead a short time later , ” a Garda spokesman said .
“ A 60-year-old man was arrested at the scene and detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ station.
” He added that the scene had been sealed off and was undergoing an examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau .
Ms Eagers ’ body was left at the scene for several hours on Sunday and was examined in situ before being removed to the city morgue in Marino , where a postmortem was due to be carried out on Monday morning .
An incident room had been established at Blanchardstown Garda station and a senior investigating officer had been appointed to the case .
A Garda family liaison officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dead woman , who were said to be distraught and in shock .
Garda sources said Ms Eagers met a very violent death , apparently by stabbing , and they were investigating if the killer had armed himself with any of the weapons taken from inside the house by gardaí .
They have been taken away as evidence and for analysis .
The person who left the house to raise the alarm was a young male .
Gardaí believe he may have witnessed the fatal attack and could have vital evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following a definite line of inquiry and believe they know who killed Ms Eagers , but the force has appealed for any members of the public who were in the area at the time or who may have seen or heard anything unusual around the house to come forward .

A samurai sword and a meat cleaver are among a number of weapons being examined by gardaí investigating the murder of a woman in her home in Dublin yesterday morning.
Jean Eagers (57) died in a house at Willow Wood Grove in Hartstown. One of the people who was there at the time went to a nearby property to raise the alarm.
Gardaí investigating the death of Ms Eagers, who worked for Marks & Spencer in Blanchardstown and had two adult children, believe she and the suspect were known to each other for many years.
When gardaí arrived at the scene, in a suburban housing estate, at about 11.30am, the chief suspect (60) had locked himself inside the house.
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A large number of Garda personnel and vehicles as well as a fire tender and ambulance were visible outside the house and the scene was cordoned off while the suspect was inside and armed gardaí shouted warnings at him.
Because the situation was judged to be dangerous, stun grenades were deployed to disorientate the suspect before gardaí forced their way into the house after a standoff.
Gardaí at the scene of the fatal assault on Jean Eagers in her home at Willow Wood Grove, Hartstown, Dublin, on Sunday morning. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos
Overpowered
The chief suspect, who is from Dublin, was then overpowered and arrested before being taken away for questioning. He was injured during the incident and was taken for medical treatment to James Connolly Hospital, with his questioning at Blanchardstown Garda station suspended while he was being treated.
“The injured woman was treated at the scene by emergency services personnel but was pronounced dead a short time later,” a Garda spokesman said.
“A 60-year-old man was arrested at the scene and detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at Blanchardstown Garda station.”
He added that the scene had been sealed off and was undergoing an examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. Ms Eagers’ body was left at the scene for several hours on Sunday and was examined in situ before being removed to the city morgue in Marino, where a postmortem was due to be carried out on Monday morning.
An incident room had been established at Blanchardstown Garda station and a senior investigating officer had been appointed to the case. A Garda family liaison officer was in contact with the family of the dead woman, who were said to be distraught and in shock.
Violent death
Garda sources said Ms Eagers met a very violent death, apparently by stabbing, and they were investigating if the killer had armed himself with any of the weapons taken from inside the house by gardaí. They have been taken away as evidence and for analysis.
The person who left the house to raise the alarm was a young male. Gardaí believe he may have witnessed the fatal attack and could have vital evidence that will aid the investigation.
Gardaí are following a definite line of inquiry and believe they know who killed Ms Eagers, but the force has appealed for any members of the public who were in the area at the time or who may have seen or heard anything unusual around the house to come forward.


theirishtimes--2020-06-21--Why shopping in our local communities benefits us all

There was no sign of much change in consumer behaviour as folk lined up in their hundreds to buy cheap clothes from Penneys when its flagship shop on Dublin ’ s Mary Street reopened 10 days ago after three months in mothballs .
Government pleas to “ stay local and shop local ” also appeared to go unheeded in the line outside Zara in the Dundrum Town Centre when its doors opened again last Monday while those standing in line outside Ikea a week before that seemed more concerned about what another country could do for them than what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major reopenings aside , there are still unmistakable signs that the habits Irish shoppers picked up over more than 10 weeks of confinement and curtailment might endure .
While it is probably too much for Irish retailers to hope that Amazon will be Amazgone or Asos will go Awol , there is a definite sense that more people will choose to continue shopping in their local communities in the weeks and months ahead .
And if that happens we will all benefit .
Yes , Dan ’ s Dodgy Deals which is operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,000km away might be able to sell you stuff cheap but at what cost ultimately ?
If we all shop online all the time then our local retailers will disappear and we will all be the poorer .
More than two-thirds of the more than €5 billion Irish consumers spend online each year disappears overseas .
If we are buying more and more online then we are losing the local multiplier effect which means that every €100 spent in the local economy is actually worth €500 .
Local spending can increase by that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local economy .
It is spent on locally-sourced goods and services and wages , which are also spent locally .
But when the spending is online and outside the country , then all of the money is just vacuumed up and leaves the country .
According to the EY Future Consumer Index published earlier this month , the global consumer is changing rapidly , with 45 per cent of people saying that how they shop will change permanently as a result of the pandemic , with 38 per cent saying it will permanently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this page last month about how the consumer mindset might shift , Yvonne Keily of that consultancy firm said an “ interesting shift is how we will view time , talent and natural resources ” .
She said we would most likely regard such things as “ increasingly precious , with traditional notions of status receding , replaced by purpose and social good .
We are likely to see an increase in people buying local and , even more interest in transparency around the farm-to-fork and maker-to-model journey of our goods .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the validity of brands and the ease of accessing , assessing and buying goods and services will also be under scrutiny.
” Jean McCabe , a retailer with boutiques in both Ennis and Galway and acting head of umbrella group Retail Excellence Ireland , told Pricewatch recently that after opening her shops in early June she had detected “ a real appetite out there to support local businesses and get back to what is the biggest hobby in the world .
I think that desire to shop local is something that will endure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are shopping now.
” Glenna Lynch , meanwhile , owns a sofa shop in Dublin and said the pandemic may give retailers the “ impetus to offer something distinctly better than click-and-buy across all types of product .
Maybe this is the arrival of unique offerings that will put the human and personal contact back into buying , the pushback against Amazon.
” Kasha Connolly is the Willy Wonka of the west and the brains and creative heart of Hazel Mountain Chocolate , a small chocolate factory located in Co Clare .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic has recalibrated people ’ s awareness of local businesses and it is almost like they rediscovered the absolute necessity of small shops , ” she says .
“ It helped people to reconnect with their local communities and even after crisis lifts , even after people might take a little step back , I believe that connection with local retailers will endure .
I think the pandemic made people realise that maybe that less is more , that maybe they don ’ t need 10 pairs of socks from Penneys and maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind better.
” She says that as she has started to get back to the business of chocolate and coffee , it has been “ really nice to see loads of people coming in .
I think people like to see the connection between the producer and the product and to understand all the hard work that goes into making something .
As a society we are re-evaluating so many things in our lives and shopping is just one of those elements .
I think there is a much greater understanding today that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money stays local , all that money stays in Ireland.
” She says the economic crisis the country is now confronting will impact on how people spend .
“ We are definitely going to mind our money because we ’ re going to have to mind but I think people might become better shoppers and spend more sometimes but buy less and keep the things they bought for longer.
” Certainly we could do with being better shoppers .
We live in a world where too many people treat clothes almost like they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling stuff so cheaply that there is little incentive to take care of it .
Collectively Ireland throws away more than a million tonnes of food every year and about a third of what the typical shopper buys ends up in the bin – the cost to individual consumers is more than €1,000 .
The cost to the environment is almost incalculable .
Local shopping has helped to reduce the waste , however , as it is easier to buy only what you need when you are not bombarded with special offers on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t need at every turn in the supermarket .
“ A big problem for Irish people is accessibility .
They really want to shop locally and support the people in their communities – that is almost in our DNA – but there have been issues when it comes to the ease of doing that online and what our platform wanted to do was make that as comfortable and as pleasurable an experience as possible , ” says Tara Prendergast .
Her platform is thebiscuitmarketplace.com , an online platform which allows Irish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products online in a comparatively simple fashion .
But in recent weeks Prendergast has been thinking about more than just the biscuit .
“ During the pandemic , people have had time to think about their lives and have had time to experience all the amazing local businesses , ” she says .
“ And may of those business have started providing services in a completely different way.
” She suggests that a key focus in the weeks ahead should be “ about keeping the money in the community , I think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is obviously on trend now but it would be so simple to sleepwalk back into way we were I think it ’ s the responsibility of the media and the Government and influencers and retailers and people like me to campaign for local shopping to become an ongoing thing.
” She says people need to be reminded of the difference small acts can have .
“ I think it is important to keep telling people that if they spend even €5 more in their local community each week it makes a difference to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money with .
When you spend within your community almost half of what you spend gets recirculated in the local economy , it ’ s not much more than 10 per cent if you spend with a big multinational retailer and how much goes back into your local community it if you spend with a big online retailer based overseas ?
” She concludes with a simple message for everyone .
“ I think what we could all do is look at three things we could in terms of spending that could make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
Just keep it simple and if just 1,000 people were to do those things , whatever then might be , then it could make an enormous difference to people across the country.
” Just three things ?
How hard can that be ?
Keeping it local – what difference does it make ?
1 .
Help your neighbours .
If you shop at locally-owned businesses , more of your money stays in your local community because locally-owned businesses tend to buy goods and serves from other locally-owned businesses .
2 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit hard by the crisis .
While big companies – or at least some of them – contribute to charitable causes on a local level , local companies are likely to do that more frequently and in a more granular way .
3 .
The country character .
While big retailers and online giants undoubtedly have a role to play , do we really want to strip the heart and soul out of our towns and villages by spending all our money with them ?
The US main street has been decimated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be no point mourning the passing of the shops and businesses that make Ireland unique if we do not support them while they are still here .
4 .
Think of the environment .
Local shops buying local produce from local farms and selling it to local people leave a much smaller carbon footprint than giant retailers flying products in from all over the world to central distribution centres and then driving them all over the country to us .
The locally-bought produce tastes better too .
5 .
Gizza job .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the months ahead as the aftershocks of the pandemic reverberate .
If you shop locally you will support local jobs and everyone wins .
6 .
Better customer service .
One of the things people have discovered in recent weeks is the pleasure of doing business with people who know their names .
Many people were starved of human contact during the lockdown and the small interactions with local retailers became a lifeline and those local retailers deserve to be rewarded for that as things get back to normal .
Not only that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are is more likely to entertain your complaints and care about looking after you when if there is a problem .
Do you really think some AI bot working out of some server farm in Mongolia really cares if you are having a problem with that T-shirt you bought online ?
Have a butcher ’ s : how it should be done McLoughlin ’ s Craft Butchers is a third generation family business which has been operating in Dublin since 1965 .
It is run by a father and daughter team , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business has long been the supply of beef , lamb , pork and cooked meats to some of Dublin ’ s finest restaurants and hotels , including Guilbaud ’ s and Coppinger Row but , with the closure of the entire restaurant sector last March , that revenue stream all but completely dried up .
It has been a different story entirely when it comes to the butcher shop and delicatessen in Ballyfermot and new avenues have opened up in recent weeks including a delivery service and a move into farmer ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rediscovered the joys of keeping it local .
“ For the past decade the shop has been in decline as we were surrounded by Aldis and Lidls and Tescos but the last few weeks have seen a reversal and we have really reconnected with people who maybe only would have come in at Christmas.
” Kate is realist and knows that many people will most likely return to their old ways of shopping with the big multiples once the country restarts and routines return .
“ But I think real connections have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep coming back to us , ” she says .
She is not , however just hoping and nor is she willing to passively wait for customers to come through the doors .
“ Retailers like us have a job to do and we have to be inventive and creative and we have to diversify .
Wholesale made up around 80 per cent of our business and it will be a long time before that comes back to the level it was so we have to continue to reach new customers and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sales and markets .
“ The job of a small business is to make it easy for people to shop with us .
We can ’ t just sit back and wait for customers to walk into their local shops , we have to work hard at continuing to provide an excellent service , maybe by delivering to their doors or being where they are .
We have to make it easier for people to support us ” .
She says that as more people have shopped with local butchers and greengrocers they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the value to be found there .
“ People are going to be more careful with their money , of course they are , but I think shopping locally allows for better meal planning which will reduce food waste and ultimately save people money.
” Last week on Twitter we asked if people had been shopping locally more in recent months than they might have done in pre-pandemic times and if they had any tips on how to do it better .
This is just small selection of what came back .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been developing click and collect and I now shop online for all my fresh and seasonal food midweek .
What I can ’ t get I add to my supermarket list knowing that my veg and fish orders are at Naomh Olaf GAA club food market on a Friday .
Aidan ’ s fish stall initially had a WhatsApp group for customers and offered a delivery service to cocooners but as the roads were so clear , he delivered to all .
He now operates click and collect and still delivers to cocooners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outofthebluemarket .
Also the farmers market is IG @ naomholaffood.
” – Melissa O ’ Callaghan “ I will be supporting local shops much more than large supermarkets from now on .
Was pleasantly surprised at what a large range of items Behan ’ s in Kill have .
Great staff , efficient and pleasant .
Think we will all reassess our shopping habits.
” – Mary MacRory “ Buying most of my books online from independent bookstores now and trying to support more Irish clothing companies/boutiques & pharmacies.
” – Claire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Talk to your butcher .
You wouldn ’ t ask a farrier to size your shoes or a dentist to treat your gout .
Buy from merchants who know their product and customers .
Buy local and try and buy Irish , if not buy European.
” – Justin Leonard “ I ’ ve tried to [ shop local ] .
But today a small specialist food shop in Dublin refused to take contactless payment as my purchase was under €5 .
I had no cash so walked off .
Sometimes retailers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – Deryck Fay “ Small local shops all the way .
Haven ’ t gone in a major supermarket since beginning of lockdown.
” – JP McMahon “ I bought a new helmet at the local bike store ( would usually shop Amazon ) , going to local fruit and veg shop and I ’ m only buying what I need – less waste .
I cycle to the local butcher every Saturday with my kids , they love it.
” – Mischa McInerney “ Noticed I could order from my local bookstore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – they even dropped to my door for free .
Also ordered the @ BellLaneCoffee they use for the full experience !
” – Róis Ní Fhloinn “ If you can ’ t buy it in Ventry post office , you don ’ t really need it !
Local butcher is amazing , keeps me special stuff and my dog is spoilt with bones .
Also using @ NeighbourFoodIE from @ Pantridingle for delicious treats.
” – Deanna O ’ Connor “ Our local butcher and veggie shop played a stormer .
Being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then pick up later was a revelation .
Joints properly sized for 4 rather than buying larger joints at cut price and creating lots of waste .
My change .
Buy right sized.
” – Denise Edwards “ Yes @ EnglishMarket & started shopping in @ dunnesstores – I try to keep going before my vouchers expire .
.
.
the stress !
Have given up Amazon .
Trying to avoid spending anywhere that isn ’ t Irish owned.
” – Ruth Fuller “ Local butchers ( Smyths , Raheny ) a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( the amazing Bread Naturally ) .
The rest from SuperValu and Nolan ’ s ( local-ish ) .
” – Anne-Louise Foley “ It ’ s often a simple case of looking for what you need locally .
We don ’ t always know what ’ s available to us by our neighbours .
Support a hard-working family whose kids go to the same school as yours .
They give your kids birthday cards , lifts to matches.
” – Juliet O ’ Connell

There was no sign of much change in consumer behaviour as folk lined up in their hundreds to buy cheap clothes from Penneys when its flagship shop on Dublin's Mary Street reopened 10 days ago after three months in mothballs.
Government pleas to "stay local and shop local" also appeared to go unheeded in the line outside Zara in the Dundrum Town Centre when its doors opened again last Monday while those standing in line outside Ikea a week before that seemed more concerned about what another country could do for them than what they could do for their country.
But major reopenings aside, there are still unmistakable signs that the habits Irish shoppers picked up over more than 10 weeks of confinement and curtailment might endure. While it is probably too much for Irish retailers to hope that Amazon will be Amazgone or Asos will go Awol, there is a definite sense that more people will choose to continue shopping in their local communities in the weeks and months ahead.
And if that happens we will all benefit. Yes, Dan’s Dodgy Deals which is operating out of a warehouse in a country 5,000km away might be able to sell you stuff cheap but at what cost ultimately? If we all shop online all the time then our local retailers will disappear and we will all be the poorer.
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How much poorer? Loads.
More than two-thirds of the more than €5 billion Irish consumers spend online each year disappears overseas. If we are buying more and more online then we are losing the local multiplier effect which means that every €100 spent in the local economy is actually worth €500.
Local spending can increase by that much because the money circulates in the local economy. It is spent on locally-sourced goods and services and wages, which are also spent locally. But when the spending is online and outside the country, then all of the money is just vacuumed up and leaves the country.
Permanent change
According to the EY Future Consumer Index published earlier this month, the global consumer is changing rapidly, with 45 per cent of people saying that how they shop will change permanently as a result of the pandemic, with 38 per cent saying it will permanently change what they buy.
Speaking to this page last month about how the consumer mindset might shift, Yvonne Keily of that consultancy firm said an "interesting shift is how we will view time, talent and natural resources".
She said we would most likely regard such things as “increasingly precious, with traditional notions of status receding, replaced by purpose and social good. We are likely to see an increase in people buying local and, even more interest in transparency around the farm-to-fork and maker-to-model journey of our goods. The whole value ecosystem around packaging efficiency, the validity of brands and the ease of accessing, assessing and buying goods and services will also be under scrutiny.”
Jean McCabe, a retailer with boutiques in both Ennis and Galway and acting head of umbrella group Retail Excellence Ireland, told Pricewatch recently that after opening her shops in early June she had detected "a real appetite out there to support local businesses and get back to what is the biggest hobby in the world. I think that desire to shop local is something that will endure. People are really conscious about where they are shopping now."
Glenna Lynch, meanwhile, owns a sofa shop in Dublin and said the pandemic may give retailers the "impetus to offer something distinctly better than click-and-buy across all types of product. Maybe this is the arrival of unique offerings that will put the human and personal contact back into buying, the pushback against Amazon."
Kasha Connolly of Hazel Mountain Chocolate says the lockdown has “helped people to reconnect with their local communities”.
Kasha Connolly is the Willy Wonka of the west and the brains and creative heart of Hazel Mountain Chocolate, a small chocolate factory located in Co Clare. "I think the lockdown and the pandemic has recalibrated people's awareness of local businesses and it is almost like they rediscovered the absolute necessity of small shops," she says.
“It helped people to reconnect with their local communities and even after crisis lifts, even after people might take a little step back, I believe that connection with local retailers will endure. I think the pandemic made people realise that maybe that less is more, that maybe they don’t need 10 pairs of socks from Penneys and maybe I can have three pairs that I mind better.”
She says that as she has started to get back to the business of chocolate and coffee, it has been “really nice to see loads of people coming in. I think people like to see the connection between the producer and the product and to understand all the hard work that goes into making something. As a society we are re-evaluating so many things in our lives and shopping is just one of those elements. I think there is a much greater understanding today that if you buy local, then the money stays local, all that money stays in Ireland.”
She says the economic crisis the country is now confronting will impact on how people spend. “We are definitely going to mind our money because we’re going to have to mind but I think people might become better shoppers and spend more sometimes but buy less and keep the things they bought for longer.”
Certainly we could do with being better shoppers. We live in a world where too many people treat clothes almost like they are disposable items, with some shops selling stuff so cheaply that there is little incentive to take care of it.
Collectively Ireland throws away more than a million tonnes of food every year and about a third of what the typical shopper buys ends up in the bin – the cost to individual consumers is more than €1,000. The cost to the environment is almost incalculable. Local shopping has helped to reduce the waste, however, as it is easier to buy only what you need when you are not bombarded with special offers on stock you don’t want and don’t need at every turn in the supermarket.
Accessibility
"A big problem for Irish people is accessibility. They really want to shop locally and support the people in their communities – that is almost in our DNA – but there have been issues when it comes to the ease of doing that online and what our platform wanted to do was make that as comfortable and as pleasurable an experience as possible," says Tara Prendergast.
Her platform is thebiscuitmarketplace.com, an online platform which allows Irish artists, designers and producers get their products online in a comparatively simple fashion.
But in recent weeks Prendergast has been thinking about more than just the biscuit. “During the pandemic, people have had time to think about their lives and have had time to experience all the amazing local businesses,” she says. “And may of those business have started providing services in a completely different way.”
She suggests that a key focus in the weeks ahead should be “about keeping the money in the community, I think that’s incredibly important. Shopping local is obviously on trend now but it would be so simple to sleepwalk back into way we were I think it’s the responsibility of the media and the Government and influencers and retailers and people like me to campaign for local shopping to become an ongoing thing.”
She says people need to be reminded of the difference small acts can have. “I think it is important to keep telling people that if they spend even €5 more in their local community each week it makes a difference to the people you’re spending your money with. When you spend within your community almost half of what you spend gets recirculated in the local economy, it’s not much more than 10 per cent if you spend with a big multinational retailer and how much goes back into your local community it if you spend with a big online retailer based overseas?”
She concludes with a simple message for everyone. “I think what we could all do is look at three things we could in terms of spending that could make an impact on our local communities this week. Just keep it simple and if just 1,000 people were to do those things, whatever then might be, then it could make an enormous difference to people across the country.”
Just three things? How hard can that be?
Keeping it local – what difference does it make?
1. Help your neighbours. If you shop at locally-owned businesses, more of your money stays in your local community because locally-owned businesses tend to buy goods and serves from other locally-owned businesses.
2. A charity bounce. Charities have been hit hard by the crisis. While big companies – or at least some of them – contribute to charitable causes on a local level, local companies are likely to do that more frequently and in a more granular way.
3. The country character. While big retailers and online giants undoubtedly have a role to play, do we really want to strip the heart and soul out of our towns and villages by spending all our money with them? The US main street has been decimated by the Walmarts of the world. There will be no point mourning the passing of the shops and businesses that make Ireland unique if we do not support them while they are still here.
4. Think of the environment. Local shops buying local produce from local farms and selling it to local people leave a much smaller carbon footprint than giant retailers flying products in from all over the world to central distribution centres and then driving them all over the country to us. The locally-bought produce tastes better too.
5. Gizza job. The economy is facing enormous challenges in the months ahead as the aftershocks of the pandemic reverberate. If you shop locally you will support local jobs and everyone wins.
6. Better customer service. One of the things people have discovered in recent weeks is the pleasure of doing business with people who know their names. Many people were starved of human contact during the lockdown and the small interactions with local retailers became a lifeline and those local retailers deserve to be rewarded for that as things get back to normal. Not only that, a local retailer who knows who you are is more likely to entertain your complaints and care about looking after you when if there is a problem. Do you really think some AI bot working out of some server farm in Mongolia really cares if you are having a problem with that T-shirt you bought online?
Have a butcher’s: how it should be done
McLoughlin’s Craft Butchers is a third generation family business which has been operating in Dublin since 1965. It is run by a father and daughter team, Pat and Kate McLoughlin.
Their main business has long been the supply of beef, lamb, pork and cooked meats to some of Dublin’s finest restaurants and hotels, including Guilbaud’s and Coppinger Row but, with the closure of the entire restaurant sector last March, that revenue stream all but completely dried up.
It has been a different story entirely when it comes to the butcher shop and delicatessen in Ballyfermot and new avenues have opened up in recent weeks including a delivery service and a move into farmer’s markets while customers in the area have rediscovered the joys of keeping it local.
Kate and Pat McLoughlin of McLoughlin’s Craft Butchers. ‘The job of a small business is to make it easy for people to shop with us,’ says Kate.
“For the past decade the shop has been in decline as we were surrounded by Aldis and Lidls and Tescos but the last few weeks have seen a reversal and we have really reconnected with people who maybe only would have come in at Christmas.”
Kate is realist and knows that many people will most likely return to their old ways of shopping with the big multiples once the country restarts and routines return. “But I think real connections have been made and I hope many customers will keep coming back to us,” she says.
She is not, however just hoping and nor is she willing to passively wait for customers to come through the doors. “Retailers like us have a job to do and we have to be inventive and creative and we have to diversify. Wholesale made up around 80 per cent of our business and it will be a long time before that comes back to the level it was so we have to continue to reach new customers and we have to explore new channels with online sales and markets.
“The job of a small business is to make it easy for people to shop with us. We can’t just sit back and wait for customers to walk into their local shops, we have to work hard at continuing to provide an excellent service, maybe by delivering to their doors or being where they are. We have to make it easier for people to support us”.
She says that as more people have shopped with local butchers and greengrocers they have come to appreciate the quality and the value to be found there. “People are going to be more careful with their money, of course they are, but I think shopping locally allows for better meal planning which will reduce food waste and ultimately save people money.”
What readers say
Last week on Twitter we asked if people had been shopping locally more in recent months than they might have done in pre-pandemic times and if they had any tips on how to do it better. This is just small selection of what came back.
"My farmer's market stalls have been developing click and collect and I now shop online for all my fresh and seasonal food midweek. What I can't get I add to my supermarket list knowing that my veg and fish orders are at Naomh Olaf GAA club food market on a Friday. Aidan's fish stall initially had a WhatsApp group for customers and offered a delivery service to cocooners but as the roads were so clear, he delivered to all. He now operates click and collect and still delivers to cocooners. The site is eastcoastfish.ie and IG @outofthebluemarket. Also the farmers market is IG @naomholaffood." – Melissa O'Callaghan
"I will be supporting local shops much more than large supermarkets from now on. Was pleasantly surprised at what a large range of items Behan's in Kill have. Great staff, efficient and pleasant. Think we will all reassess our shopping habits." – Mary MacRory
“Buying most of my books online from independent bookstores now and trying to support more Irish clothing companies/boutiques & pharmacies.” – Claire McGing
“Buy from horses for courses. Talk to your butcher. You wouldn’t ask a farrier to size your shoes or a dentist to treat your gout. Buy from merchants who know their product and customers. Buy local and try and buy Irish, if not buy European.”– Justin Leonard
“I’ve tried to [shop local]. But today a small specialist food shop in Dublin refused to take contactless payment as my purchase was under €5. I had no cash so walked off. Sometimes retailers do their best to discourage custom.” – Deryck Fay
“Small local shops all the way. Haven’t gone in a major supermarket since beginning of lockdown.” – JP McMahon
“I bought a new helmet at the local bike store (would usually shop Amazon), going to local fruit and veg shop and I’m only buying what I need – less waste. I cycle to the local butcher every Saturday with my kids, they love it.” – Mischa McInerney
"Noticed I could order from my local bookstore @WoodbineBooks so chose them over Amazon – they even dropped to my door for free. Also ordered the @BellLaneCoffee they use for the full experience!" – Róis Ní Fhloinn
“The seed potato company is another fabulous local service I discovered. Fabulous fresh fruit & veg!” – Elizabeth O’Leary
"If you can't buy it in Ventry post office, you don't really need it! Local butcher is amazing, keeps me special stuff and my dog is spoilt with bones. Also using @NeighbourFoodIE from @Pantridingle for delicious treats." – Deanna O'Connor
“Our local butcher and veggie shop played a stormer. Being able to leave a list in and then pick up later was a revelation. Joints properly sized for 4 rather than buying larger joints at cut price and creating lots of waste. My change. Buy right sized.” – Denise Edwards
"Yes @EnglishMarket & started shopping in @dunnesstores – I try to keep going before my vouchers expire. . . the stress! Have given up Amazon. Trying to avoid spending anywhere that isn't Irish owned." – Ruth Fuller
"Local butchers (Smyths, Raheny) a few times a week. Bread from bakery (the amazing Bread Naturally). The rest from SuperValu and Nolan's (local-ish)." – Anne-Louise Foley
“It’s often a simple case of looking for what you need locally. We don’t always know what’s available to us by our neighbours. Support a hard-working family whose kids go to the same school as yours. They give your kids birthday cards, lifts to matches.” – Juliet O’Connell


theirishtimes--2020-06-21--Miriam Lord: Blinking back tears as a popular garda and community stalwart is laid to rest

Det Garda Colm Horkan was at home watching The Late Late Show when Hozier came on and performed a stunning version of The Parting Glass .
“ I want that song played at my funeral , ” he told his friends .
Ten weeks later , on an achingly sad Sunday in Mayo , a fellow officer sings it at his graveside .
And Colm ’ s father holds the flag which draped his son ’ s coffin minutes earlier in the little church beside it .
People in Charlestown still can ’ t believe it .
Can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mass , they stand silently around Market Square and across the bridge and up Chapel Street to the Church of St James .
The funeral will be at midday in the place where he was baptised and where he received his First Communion and made his Confirmation .
For a time , he was a Minister of the Word .
“ Now he is here for the final farewell , ” said parish priest Tommy Johnson , welcoming him in for the last time .
Their Garda Colm was killed at midnight last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nearby town of Castlerea .
He was 49 .
Nobody in Charlestown could quite believe it .
They spoke in hushed tones as they waited for the cortege to arrive , standing at the edge of the footpaths .
Between them , on both sides of the road , were Colm Horkan ’ s divisional colleagues .
They held out their arms to space themselves and then stood in line for over an hour , hands by their sides , as rain poured and sun shone in fitful bursts .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Blackwater , as the locals call it – the Casey family had taken up position .
Grandmother Angela , her daughter Sinéad and children .
They point across the road to The Dew Drop Inn , the pub once owned by Colm ’ s parents and where he was born .
Further up , if you take a right at the chemist , is Colm ’ s house .
“ We ’ re all absolutely in bits .
We were the closest all our lives , ” says Angela of the Casey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a single rose from her garden .
“ My brother Declan is his best friend .
We all grew up together , across the road from each other.
” “ He led the escort on his motorbike when Colm was brought home on Friday night , ” she says .
“ The Caseys and Horkans – we were joined at the hip.
” Caimin ( 8 ) says he was like an uncle to them .
And the presents he used to bring – they were great .
A few yards away , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sarsfields GAA club are out in force .
It ’ s the lads from the under-21s .
Colm used to coach them .
An older woman , who doesn ’ t want to give her name , tells of her son in Boston .
“ He ’ s gone there now 20 , maybe 25 years .
And he was on the phone the other night telling me that Colm was the special one in the town .
He was the one that he always remembers.
” It ’ s nearly time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and snap to attention .
So too do the eight representatives from the Mayo branch of the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen , rows of medals on their green blazers .
This is going to be a State funeral like no other .
A virtual State funeral , as one senior garda puts it .
It must be conducted with due observance of Covid-19 social distancing restrictions .
Close marching ranks of uniformed gardaí from all over the country will not fill the streets this time .
The Garda Band will not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Slowly , slowly , the procession makes its way up Chapel Street flanked by officers from the Divisional Ceremonial Unit in slow march .
Their stoic colleagues blink back tears , standing with heads high and arms tightly by their sides , fists clenched .
Colm ’ s father Marty , his brothers Brendan , Aidan , Padraig and Dermot and sister Deirdre follow .
There is silence , save for the sound of clicking cameras .
The cortege stops at the church railings and the officers remove the coffin from the hearse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , boots crunching loudly on the tarmac .
Colm Horkan ’ s colleagues from Sarsfields , wearing black trousers , white shirts and club ties , march too .
Behind them , Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris .
The Casey family watch from outside the gates .
As the small funeral party goes inside , nearly a thousand people continue walking up the road towards the GAA club as Panis Angelicus rings out over the town on the public address system .
They watch the Mass on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fr O ’ Hara Park .
“ Scene of some of his greatest performances , ” said his brother Brendan during his eulogy .
“ He never let the jersey down.
” It ’ s the strangest thing inside the church – a big funeral , no , the State funeral , of a highly respected and hugely popular garda and a community stalwart .
But the casket is borne to the altar past row after row of unoccupied pews .
The sound of footsteps echoes loudly in the empty space .
Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s silence is observed for the fallen officer by his colleagues – serving and retired – at stations around the country .
In the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin , President Michael D Higgins and his wife stand by the Peace Bell .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is with Garda officers outside headquarters in the Phoenix Park .
The television pictures cut from venue to venue .
It ’ s a moving scene , with members of all the emergency services in every corner of the country paying their respects .
When this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Colm Horkan ’ s funeral was , in fact , the biggest of all .
It was no more than he deserved .
“ A man cut down in his prime doing the job he loved , ” said his brother Brendan .
For 21 years of his 26 years of service , Det Garda Horkan worked for the people he loved , with the people he loved .
“ Long may we be blessed by men and women of true dedication and service , true guardians of the peace .
Men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The hundred of officers listening in the rain-soaked church grounds bowed their heads as the Garda Commissioner spoke of their comrade .
“ He epitomises what all of us as members should strive to be.
” In the church , Padraig Horkan read familiar words from the Book of Ecclesiastes .
“ There is a season for everything , a time for every occupation under the heaven .
And further in that verse is the line : “ A time for embracing , a time to refrain from embracing.
” Unusually for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , this was a time to refrain from embracing .
Or at least , it was supposed to be .
In truth , in the streets and around the side of the church and up at the GAA grounds , all notion of social distancing went out the window .
People couldn ’ t help but hug and embrace at this awful tragedy .
“ The gunshots that rang out in the early hours of Wednesday morning echoed not just in the town of Castlerea but right across the country , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People will wonder why Colm had to die in such a random , horrific way .
“ I can not answer those questions , but it seems when God takes the young he takes only the best , ” said the priest .
But the manner of his death should not eclipse Colm ’ s life , he added .
He was good man , a decent man , doing his duty .
And he was loved .
The Last Post is sounded and for many officers , it is too much .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in Ballyfermot , sings him his song as swifts darted in the afternoon air and sunlight pierced the stained glass windows of the old church where his club jersey lay on the altar beside a cherished family photograph .
But since it fell into my lot That I should rise and you should not Good night and joy be to you all .
.
.

Det Garda Colm Horkan was at home watching The Late Late Show when Hozier came on and performed a stunning version of The Parting Glass.
“I want that song played at my funeral,” he told his friends.
Ten weeks later, on an achingly sad Sunday in Mayo, a fellow officer sings it at his graveside. And Colm’s father holds the flag which draped his son’s coffin minutes earlier in the little church beside it.
People in Charlestown still can’t believe it. Can’t believe he’s gone. Before Mass, they stand silently around Market Square and across the bridge and up Chapel Street to the Church of St James.
READ MORE
The funeral will be at midday in the place where he was baptised and where he received his First Communion and made his Confirmation. For a time, he was a Minister of the Word.
“Now he is here for the final farewell,” said parish priest Tommy Johnson, welcoming him in for the last time.
Their Garda Colm was killed at midnight last Wednesday while going about his duty in the nearby town of Castlerea. He was 49.
Nobody in Charlestown could quite believe it.
They spoke in hushed tones as they waited for the cortege to arrive, standing at the edge of the footpaths. Between them, on both sides of the road, were Colm Horkan’s divisional colleagues.
They held out their arms to space themselves and then stood in line for over an hour, hands by their sides, as rain poured and sun shone in fitful bursts.
On the bridge over the river Mullaghanoe – or the Blackwater, as the locals call it – the Casey family had taken up position. Grandmother Angela, her daughter Sinéad and children.
They point across the road to The Dew Drop Inn, the pub once owned by Colm’s parents and where he was born. Further up, if you take a right at the chemist, is Colm’s house.
A single rose
“We’re all absolutely in bits. We were the closest all our lives,” says Angela of the Casey and Horkan families.
Sineád is holding a single rose from her garden.
“My brother Declan is his best friend. We all grew up together, across the road from each other.”
Declan is also a garda.
“He led the escort on his motorbike when Colm was brought home on Friday night,” she says. “The Caseys and Horkans – we were joined at the hip.”
She shakes her head.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (centre) marks the minute’s silence for late Garda Colm Horkan at Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park. Photograph: Tom Honan
“Poor ladeen.”
Caimin (8) says he was like an uncle to them. And the presents he used to bring – they were great.
A few yards away, the green and white jerseys of Charlestown Sarsfields GAA club are out in force. It’s the lads from the under-21s. Colm used to coach them.
An older woman, who doesn’t want to give her name, tells of her son in Boston. “He’s gone there now 20, maybe 25 years. And he was on the phone the other night telling me that Colm was the special one in the town. He was the one that he always remembers.”
It’s nearly time. “Fall-in!” The gardaí straighten up and snap to attention. So too do the eight representatives from the Mayo branch of the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen, rows of medals on their green blazers.
This is going to be a State funeral like no other. A virtual State funeral, as one senior garda puts it. It must be conducted with due observance of Covid-19 social distancing restrictions. Close marching ranks of uniformed gardaí from all over the country will not fill the streets this time. The Garda Band will not be at the head of the cortege.
Slowly, slowly, the procession makes its way up Chapel Street flanked by officers from the Divisional Ceremonial Unit in slow march. Their stoic colleagues blink back tears, standing with heads high and arms tightly by their sides, fists clenched.
Colm’s father Marty, his brothers Brendan, Aidan, Padraig and Dermot and sister Deirdre follow.
Tarmac crunch
There is silence, save for the sound of clicking cameras. The cortege stops at the church railings and the officers remove the coffin from the hearse and shoulder it the rest of the way, boots crunching loudly on the tarmac.
Colm Horkan’s colleagues from Sarsfields, wearing black trousers, white shirts and club ties, march too. Behind them, Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
The Casey family watch from outside the gates.
As the small funeral party goes inside, nearly a thousand people continue walking up the road towards the GAA club as Panis Angelicus rings out over the town on the public address system. They watch the Mass on a big screen from the stand in Fr O’Hara Park.
“Scene of some of his greatest performances,” said his brother Brendan during his eulogy.
“He never let the jersey down.”
It’s the strangest thing inside the church – a big funeral, no, the State funeral, of a highly respected and hugely popular garda and a community stalwart. But the casket is borne to the altar past row after row of unoccupied pews. The sound of footsteps echoes loudly in the empty space.
A State ceremony and minute’s silence is held to mark the funeral of Detective Garda Colm Horkan outside the Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan
Before the obsequies begin, a minute’s silence is observed for the fallen officer by his colleagues – serving and retired – at stations around the country. In the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin, President Michael D Higgins and his wife stand by the Peace Bell. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is with Garda officers outside headquarters in the Phoenix Park.
The television pictures cut from venue to venue. It’s a moving scene, with members of all the emergency services in every corner of the country paying their respects. When this is counted up, perhaps we will find that Colm Horkan’s funeral was, in fact, the biggest of all.
It was no more than he deserved. “A man cut down in his prime doing the job he loved,” said his brother Brendan.
Guardian of the peace
For 21 years of his 26 years of service, Det Garda Horkan worked for the people he loved, with the people he loved. “Long may we be blessed by men and women of true dedication and service, true guardians of the peace. Men like Colm Horkan” said Msgr Tommy.
The hundred of officers listening in the rain-soaked church grounds bowed their heads as the Garda Commissioner spoke of their comrade. “He epitomises what all of us as members should strive to be.”
In the church, Padraig Horkan read familiar words from the Book of Ecclesiastes. “There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under the heaven.
A time for giving birth, a time for dying . . .”
And further in that verse is the line: “A time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing.”
Unusually for an Irish funeral, because of the pandemic, this was a time to refrain from embracing. Or at least, it was supposed to be. In truth, in the streets and around the side of the church and up at the GAA grounds, all notion of social distancing went out the window.
People couldn’t help but hug and embrace at this awful tragedy. “The gunshots that rang out in the early hours of Wednesday morning echoed not just in the town of Castlerea but right across the country,” Msgr Johnson told his scattered congregation.
People will wonder why Colm had to die in such a random, horrific way.
“I cannot answer those questions, but it seems when God takes the young he takes only the best,” said the priest.
But the manner of his death should not eclipse Colm’s life, he added. He was good man, a decent man, doing his duty. And he was loved.
The Last Post is sounded and for many officers, it is too much.
Then Garda Alan McGinty, a Mayoman based in Ballyfermot, sings him his song as swifts darted in the afternoon air and sunlight pierced the stained glass windows of the old church where his club jersey lay on the altar beside a cherished family photograph.
But since it fell into my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I’ll gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all . . .


theirishtimes--2020-06-21--Lockdown parties: Residents near UCC pledge complaint to PRTB

Residents living near University College Cork have pledged to bring their grievances over students in rented houses holding parties in breach of Covid-19 regulations to the Private Residential Tenancies Board .
Catherine Clancy of the Magazine Road and Surrounding Areas Residents Association said they will be making a complaint over the failure of landlords in the area to tackle the issue of such house parties .
“ We just can ’ t take this any more and our patience has run out , ” she said , claiming many landlords in the area are taking no responsibility for the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause .
“ There are families , elderly residents , children living in the area , and the people having house parties don ’ t care and neither do many of the landlords , ” said Ms Clancy , a former lord mayor of Cork .
Ms Clancy confirmed that on Friday , residents had picketed the home of one landlord after they attempted to contact him to get him to stop students having parties in a number of properties he owns around UCC .
“ Nothing has changed .
A joint letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Council and the gardaí to landlords has made no difference as the Covid-19 lockdown house parties have continued , ” she said .
“ The issues in our area over the last few weeks during the Covid-19 lockdown have highlighted the lack of legalisation regarding the management of rented property and standards in relation to this.
” Last week , An Garda Síochána , the HSE and Cork City Council wrote to some 40 landlords who own 200 properties around UCC , pointing out their responsibilities during the Covid-19 pandemic .
Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicine at HSE South , Garda Chief Supt Barry McPolin and Cork City Council chief executive Ann Doherty stressed to landlords how important it was that their tenants complied with all guidelines .
“ As you may be aware from extensive media reporting , the residents in the greater College Road , Magazine Road and Glasheen Road area have raised legitimate concerns over the ongoing house parties by tenants of some of the rented properties within this area , ” they wrote .
“ Over the last two weeks or so , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in rented accommodation , apparently occupied by students and young people , well into the early hours of the morning.
” The Garda , HSE and Cork City Council pointed out in the letter that gardaí have visited many of the rented properties concerned and witnessed up to 30 people congregating in houses , in breach of the Covid-19 guidelines .
While the 2km limit and later 5km limit on travel have been lifted , there were still limits on the numbers attending such gatherings , with outdoor groupings limited to 15 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The residents are rightly concerned that these parties may aid the spread of the Covid-19 disease with obvious consequences for the elderly/vulnerable residents of the area , ” wrote Dr Sheehan , Chief Supt McPolin and Ms Doherty .
“ You will appreciate the impact of non-compliance of the guidelines by your tenants , which may include contributing to and/or increasing the spread of the disease , a disease which the country has succeeded in suppressing thus far .
“ It must be stressed to the tenants that these activities can directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the community or in their own or their friends ’ immediate families .
“ None of us wants to be responsible for contributing in any way to the spread of the virus leading to serious illness or death , ” wrote the three before appealing to landlords to co-operate with the statutory agencies .

“Nothing has changed. A joint letter last week from the HSE, Cork City Council and the gardaí to landlords has made no difference as the Covid-19 lockdown house parties have continued.” Stock photograph: Getty
Residents living near University College Cork have pledged to bring their grievances over students in rented houses holding parties in breach of Covid-19 regulations to the Private Residential Tenancies Board.
Catherine Clancy of the Magazine Road and Surrounding Areas Residents Association said they will be making a complaint over the failure of landlords in the area to tackle the issue of such house parties.
“We just can’t take this any more and our patience has run out,” she said, claiming many landlords in the area are taking no responsibility for the “hurt and damage” student tenants can cause.
“There are families, elderly residents, children living in the area, and the people having house parties don’t care and neither do many of the landlords,” said Ms Clancy, a former lord mayor of Cork.
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Ms Clancy confirmed that on Friday, residents had picketed the home of one landlord after they attempted to contact him to get him to stop students having parties in a number of properties he owns around UCC.
"Nothing has changed. A joint letter last week from the HSE, Cork City Council and the gardaí to landlords has made no difference as the Covid-19 lockdown house parties have continued," she said.
“The issues in our area over the last few weeks during the Covid-19 lockdown have highlighted the lack of legalisation regarding the management of rented property and standards in relation to this.”
Pointing out responsibilities
Last week, An Garda Síochána, the HSE and Cork City Council wrote to some 40 landlords who own 200 properties around UCC, pointing out their responsibilities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Anne Sheehan, specialist in Public Health Medicine at HSE South, Garda Chief Supt Barry McPolin and Cork City Council chief executive Ann Doherty stressed to landlords how important it was that their tenants complied with all guidelines.
"As you may be aware from extensive media reporting, the residents in the greater College Road, Magazine Road and Glasheen Road area have raised legitimate concerns over the ongoing house parties by tenants of some of the rented properties within this area," they wrote.
“Over the last two weeks or so, the residents have endured ongoing parties, primarily in rented accommodation, apparently occupied by students and young people, well into the early hours of the morning.”
The Garda, HSE and Cork City Council pointed out in the letter that gardaí have visited many of the rented properties concerned and witnessed up to 30 people congregating in houses, in breach of the Covid-19 guidelines.
While the 2km limit and later 5km limit on travel have been lifted, there were still limits on the numbers attending such gatherings, with outdoor groupings limited to 15 people and indoor meetings limited to six.
‘Obvious consequences’
“The residents are rightly concerned that these parties may aid the spread of the Covid-19 disease with obvious consequences for the elderly/vulnerable residents of the area,” wrote Dr Sheehan, Chief Supt McPolin and Ms Doherty.
“You will appreciate the impact of non-compliance of the guidelines by your tenants, which may include contributing to and/or increasing the spread of the disease, a disease which the country has succeeded in suppressing thus far.
“It must be stressed to the tenants that these activities can directly endanger the health of vulnerable persons either in the community or in their own or their friends’ immediate families.
“None of us wants to be responsible for contributing in any way to the spread of the virus leading to serious illness or death,” wrote the three before appealing to landlords to co-operate with the statutory agencies.


theirishtimes--2020-06-21--Man arrested for defacing Garda Horkan book of condolences

A man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after allegedly defacing a book of condolences laid out in Dublin following the death of Det Garda Colm Horkan .
The incident occurred at Blanchardstown Garda station in Dublin on Friday night when the man allegedly wrote a derogatory comment in a book which had been placed in the public area of the station for members of the public to express their condolences regarding the Garda ’ s death .
The suspect , aged 23 , is believed to have later shared an image of the defaced book on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Books of condolence have been opened in Garda stations and public buildings nationwide following the death of Det Garda Horkan on Wednesday night in Castlerea , Co Roscommon .
He was shot dead with his own weapon after responding to an incident on the main street of the town .
His funeral took place in his hometown of Charlestown on Sunday .
The suspect , who is from Blanchardstown in Dublin 15 , was arrested after a person noticed the book had been defaced and alerted gardaí .
CCTV footage showed he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night and images of the defacement were later found on his social media .
There is nothing to indicate the suspect knew or had any connection to Det Garda Horkan .
He was arrested on Saturday at his home .
A specialist firearms unit was employed to carry out the arrest due to the man ’ s history of violence and his connection to serious criminals .
He was brought to Blanchardstown Garda station for interview .
The offence carries a 12-month maximum sentence and a €1,000 fine on conviction in the district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convictions , including one relating to a violent assault in the city centre in which two young men were attacked .
He is also currently before the courts on several other serious charges .

The remains of Det Garda Colm Horkan are carried into St James’ Church, Charlestown, Co Mayo, on Sunday. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
A man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after allegedly defacing a book of condolences laid out in Dublin following the death of Det Garda Colm Horkan.
The incident occurred at Blanchardstown Garda station in Dublin on Friday night when the man allegedly wrote a derogatory comment in a book which had been placed in the public area of the station for members of the public to express their condolences regarding the Garda's death.
The suspect, aged 23, is believed to have later shared an image of the defaced book on social media, along with a laughing emoji.
Books of condolence have been opened in Garda stations and public buildings nationwide following the death of Det Garda Horkan on Wednesday night in Castlerea, Co Roscommon. He was shot dead with his own weapon after responding to an incident on the main street of the town. His funeral took place in his hometown of Charlestown on Sunday.
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The suspect, who is from Blanchardstown in Dublin 15, was arrested after a person noticed the book had been defaced and alerted gardaí. CCTV footage showed he had written in the book on Friday night and images of the defacement were later found on his social media.
There is nothing to indicate the suspect knew or had any connection to Det Garda Horkan.
He was arrested on Saturday at his home. A specialist firearms unit was employed to carry out the arrest due to the man’s history of violence and his connection to serious criminals. He was brought to Blanchardstown Garda station for interview. The offence carries a 12-month maximum sentence and a €1,000 fine on conviction in the district court.
The man has several previous convictions, including one relating to a violent assault in the city centre in which two young men were attacked. He is also currently before the courts on several other serious charges.


theirishtimes--2020-06-21--Former IRA prisoner and Sinn Féin official Bobby Storey dies

Belfast republican Bobby Storey , who was one of the leaders of the Maze prison escape of 1983 and later became Sinn Féin ’ s Northern chairman , has died .
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald paid tribute to him as a “ great republican ” and said news of his death would be “ received with great sadness by republicans throughout Ireland ” .
The party ’ s Northern leader and Northern Ireland ’ s deputy first minister , Michelle O ’ Neill , described Mr Storey was a “ lifelong republican activist , former IRA prisoner and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who played a vital role in developing the peace and political process over the past two decades ” .
He was , she said , a “ committed , selfless comrade whose contribution to the struggle for national liberation earned him the full respect of his generation .
He was an enduring tower of strength and will be deeply missed by us all.
” Mr Storey , who was in his mid-60s , had been receiving treatment for an illness and died in hospital on Sunday .
From the New Lodge area of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Provisional IRA at the age of 16 , and was interned the following year , serving two years in Long Kesh .
In 1979 he was arrested in London following an attempt using a helicopter to free the late IRA leader Brian Keenan from Brixton prison .
He was acquitted but in 1981 he was sentenced to 18 years following a gun attack on two British soldiers .
Along with the Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly he was one of the leaders of the IRA breakout from the Maze in 1983 , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total of 20 years in prison , serving long sentences and several periods on remand .
He was finally released in 1998 and became involved in politics , becoming the chairman of Belfast Sinn Féin and then its Six County chairman .
UUP MP David Simpson used parliamentary privilege to name him as the IRA ’ s head of intelligence in 2005 and to link him to the £26 million Northern Bank robbery the previous year .
He was arrested and questioned in 2014 as part of the inquiry into the murder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and one of the “ Disappeared ” who was abducted by the IRA in Belfast in 1972 .
The following year he was arrested in connection with the murder of Belfast republican Kieran McGuigan , but was later released unconditionally .
His solicitor said he intended to sue for wrongful arrest .
Speaking after his release , Mr Storey said the IRA had metamorphosed from a caterpillar into a “ butterfly ” that had flown away .
“ It ’ s gone , it ’ s disappeared , ” he said .
Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifelong and very deeply committed Irish Republican ” and a “ champion of the peace process ” .
“ Bobby was extremely committed to the pursuit of a United Ireland with equality and social justice for all ... .His loss will be felt by all who had the privilege to call him their friend .
”

Belfast republican Bobby Storey, who was one of the leaders of the Maze prison escape of 1983 and later became Sinn Féin's Northern chairman, has died.
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald paid tribute to him as a “great republican” and said news of his death would be “received with great sadness by republicans throughout Ireland”.
The party’s Northern leader and Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, Michelle O’Neill, described Mr Storey was a “lifelong republican activist, former IRA prisoner and escapee and longstanding member of Sinn Féin who played a vital role in developing the peace and political process over the past two decades”.
He was, she said, a “committed, selfless comrade whose contribution to the struggle for national liberation earned him the full respect of his generation. He was an enduring tower of strength and will be deeply missed by us all.”
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Mr Storey, who was in his mid-60s, had been receiving treatment for an illness and died in hospital on Sunday. From the New Lodge area of north Belfast, Mr Storey joined the Provisional IRA at the age of 16, and was interned the following year, serving two years in Long Kesh.
In 1979 he was arrested in London following an attempt using a helicopter to free the late IRA leader Brian Keenan from Brixton prison. He was acquitted but in 1981 he was sentenced to 18 years following a gun attack on two British soldiers.
Along with the Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly he was one of the leaders of the IRA breakout from the Maze in 1983, in which 38 prisoners escaped. He spent a total of 20 years in prison, serving long sentences and several periods on remand. He was finally released in 1998 and became involved in politics, becoming the chairman of Belfast Sinn Féin and then its Six County chairman.
UUP MP David Simpson used parliamentary privilege to name him as the IRA's head of intelligence in 2005 and to link him to the £26 million Northern Bank robbery the previous year.
He was arrested and questioned in 2014 as part of the inquiry into the murder of Jean McConville, a widowed mother-of-10 and one of the “Disappeared” who was abducted by the IRA in Belfast in 1972.
The following year he was arrested in connection with the murder of Belfast republican Kieran McGuigan, but was later released unconditionally. His solicitor said he intended to sue for wrongful arrest.
Speaking after his release, Mr Storey said the IRA had metamorphosed from a caterpillar into a “butterfly” that had flown away.
“It’s gone, it’s disappeared,” he said.
Ms McDonald said Mr Storey was a “lifelong and very deeply committed Irish Republican” and a “champion of the peace process”.
"Bobby was extremely committed to the pursuit of a United Ireland with equality and social justice for all....His loss will be felt by all who had the privilege to call him their friend."


theirishtimes--2020-06-21--Coronavirus: No new deaths and 6 more cases confirmed in Republic

The Department of Health has reported no new Covid-19 deaths and just six new confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease .
The total number of deaths remains at 1,715 while the increase in new infections brings to 25,379 the total number of known cases of the disease in the State .
This is the lowest daily total of new confirmed cases reported by the department since March 9th and the third time that no new deaths from the disease have been reported on a daily basis since May 25th .
The first case of the disease was confirmed on February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11th .
The HSE said that it was working to identify any contacts that the six newly infected cases may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread of the disease .
New Government figures on Covid-19 showed that there were 16 people in hospital intensive care units with confirmed cases of the disease on Sunday – down from 27 a week ago – and 41 confirmed cases in hospital , a reduction from 79 cases a week ago .
There was just one new admission of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 24 hours .
The median age of Covid-19 cases is 48 .
Data from the State ’ s Health Protection Surveillance Centre shows that the number of clusters of cases in private houses has risen to 323 from 241 – an increase of 34 per cent in a week .
A cluster is defined as two cases or more .
Private houses now account for the highest number of outbreaks of Covid-19 , surpassing nursing homes over the past week .
Houses in the east and northeast of the country account for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks , rising from five and 76 respectively on June 11th to 33 and 118 on June 18th .
Meanwhile , the Government has said it will ask the National Public Health Emergency Team to consider changing guidelines to permit more than 50 people to attend religious services from the end of the month .
This follows criticism from the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin who described the limit of 50 people attending churches from June 29th as “ strange ” and “ disturbing ” .
A spokesman for the Government said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managing the response to the Covid-19 pandemic “ to give further consideration ” to the maximum number .
Church buildings and religious places of worship are among the places that are allowed to reopen in the third phase of relaxation measures being introduced at the end of the month but the guidelines limit indoor gatherings to 50 people from June 29th before rising to 100 on July 20th .
On Saturday Dr Martin expressed disappointment at the blanket restriction on attendance to 50 people .
He said that churches could accommodate more people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church-goers .
The Government expressed support for the cleric ’ s view on Sunday saying that “ many more ” people could be accommodated in churches and the amount of time people spent in churches was limited , reducing the risk of infections spreading .
“ The virus is known to spread when people are at close quarters in an enclosed space for a prolonged period of time , ” said the spokesman for the Government .
“ Large churches , however , can accommodate many more than 50 or 100 people even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than 90 minutes.
” The archbishop said that it “ seems strange that in a church with a capacity of 1,500 people which has been scrupulously fitted out for conformity with social distancing and with clear indications about movement and interaction of people within church , that only 50 people might be present , while we all see a situation in which large retail outlets brimming with people.
” Dr Martin said that hoped it would be possible to come to “ a more reasonable and responsible situation in which numbers permitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the size of each church.
” Elsewhere Northern Ireland reported no new coronavirus-related deaths and four new cases on Sunday , according to Northern Ireland ’ s Department of Health ( DoH ) .
The total number of deaths , according to the DoH , remains at 545 .
A total of 4,870 people in Northern Ireland have tested positive for the virus .
On Saturday , the North reported no new positive cases for the first time since the outbreak began .
Northern Ireland releases two sets of data on coronavirus fatalities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded by Health and Social Care ( HSC ) Trusts where there has been a positive test for coronavirus .
These are mainly hospital deaths .
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency ( NISRA ) figures , based on death registration , are released weekly .
These cover deaths in all settings and include all fatalities which mention coronavirus on the death certificate , whether or not there was a positive test for Covid-19 .
The most recent available data from NISRA , which covers the period until June 12th , puts the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 802 , 48.5 per cent higher than the figure of 540 reported by the DoH in the same period .

The Department of Health has reported no new Covid-19 deaths and just six new confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease.
The total number of deaths remains at 1,715 while the increase in new infections brings to 25,379 the total number of known cases of the disease in the State.
This is the lowest daily total of new confirmed cases reported by the department since March 9th and the third time that no new deaths from the disease have been reported on a daily basis since May 25th.
The first case of the disease was confirmed on February 29th and the first death on March 11th.
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The HSE said that it was working to identify any contacts that the six newly infected cases may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread of the disease.
New Government figures on Covid-19 showed that there were 16 people in hospital intensive care units with confirmed cases of the disease on Sunday – down from 27 a week ago – and 41 confirmed cases in hospital, a reduction from 79 cases a week ago.
There was just one new admission of a person with Covid-19 to hospital in the last 24 hours. The median age of Covid-19 cases is 48.
Clusters of cases
Data from the State’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre shows that the number of clusters of cases in private houses has risen to 323 from 241 – an increase of 34 per cent in a week. A cluster is defined as two cases or more.
Private houses now account for the highest number of outbreaks of Covid-19, surpassing nursing homes over the past week.
Houses in the east and northeast of the country account for the largest increase in the number of outbreaks, rising from five and 76 respectively on June 11th to 33 and 118 on June 18th.
Meanwhile, the Government has said it will ask the National Public Health Emergency Team to consider changing guidelines to permit more than 50 people to attend religious services from the end of the month.
This follows criticism from the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin who described the limit of 50 people attending churches from June 29th as “strange” and “disturbing”.
Care workers queue outside a store in Belfast as some non-essential shops in Northern Ireland open their doors to customers during the past week. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
A spokesman for the Government said that it would ask State health officials managing the response to the Covid-19 pandemic “to give further consideration” to the maximum number.
Church buildings and religious places of worship are among the places that are allowed to reopen in the third phase of relaxation measures being introduced at the end of the month but the guidelines limit indoor gatherings to 50 people from June 29th before rising to 100 on July 20th.
On Saturday Dr Martin expressed disappointment at the blanket restriction on attendance to 50 people. He said that churches could accommodate more people while managing to maintain social distancing between church-goers.
The Government expressed support for the cleric’s view on Sunday saying that “many more” people could be accommodated in churches and the amount of time people spent in churches was limited, reducing the risk of infections spreading.
Close quarters
“The virus is known to spread when people are at close quarters in an enclosed space for a prolonged period of time,” said the spokesman for the Government.
“Large churches, however, can accommodate many more than 50 or 100 people even with strict social distancing. Services last less than 90 minutes.”
The archbishop said that it “seems strange that in a church with a capacity of 1,500 people which has been scrupulously fitted out for conformity with social distancing and with clear indications about movement and interaction of people within church, that only 50 people might be present, while we all see a situation in which large retail outlets brimming with people.”
Dr Martin said that hoped it would be possible to come to “a more reasonable and responsible situation in which numbers permitted to attend Mass could be proportionate to the size of each church.”
Elsewhere Northern Ireland reported no new coronavirus-related deaths and four new cases on Sunday, according to Northern Ireland's Department of Health (DoH).
The total number of deaths, according to the DoH, remains at 545. A total of 4,870 people in Northern Ireland have tested positive for the virus.
On Saturday, the North reported no new positive cases for the first time since the outbreak began.
Northern Ireland releases two sets of data on coronavirus fatalities. The DoH figures include all deaths recorded by Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts where there has been a positive test for coronavirus. These are mainly hospital deaths.
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) figures, based on death registration, are released weekly. These cover deaths in all settings and include all fatalities which mention coronavirus on the death certificate, whether or not there was a positive test for Covid-19.
The most recent available data from NISRA, which covers the period until June 12th, puts the total number of deaths involving Covid-19 at 802, 48.5 per cent higher than the figure of 540 reported by the DoH in the same period.


theirishtimes--2020-06-21--State marks a minute’s silence for late Garda Colm Horkan

A minute ’ s silence was observed at Garda stations around the country on Sunday in memory of Det Garda Colm Horkan as his funeral took place in Co Mayo .
The funeral for the 49-year-old , who was shot dead in Castlerea , Co Roscommon on Wednesday night , took place in Charlestown , Co Mayo on Sunday at noon .
Gardaí lined the streets as the coffin of their colleague was carried through his home town .
Six gardaí carried the coffin into the church for his funeral .
Outside each Garda station , members of An Garda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attention at noon to observe a minute ’ s silence .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Simon Coveney joined hundreds of others at Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park to pay their respects .
Proceedings in Dublin began just after midday when hundreds of gardaí as well as representatives from the Department of Justice , the Defence Forces and the Navy as well as members of the Policing Authority turned to face a tricolor flying at half mast in the shadow of a granite memorial to members of the Garda who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After the impeccably observed silence , the socially distanced gathering watched the State funeral which was broadcast live on a large screen outside the headquarters .
After the personal tribute paid to Mr Horkan ’ s by his brother Brendan the assembly broke into sustained applause after which Mr Varadkar signed the book of condolences before leaving .
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan represented the Government at the funeral .
President Michael D Higgins led a memorial ceremony for Det Garda Horkan at Áras an Uachtaráin .
Sgt Sinead Riley , the Sergeant-in-Charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peace Bell at the start and the end of the memorial ceremony , while the President observed one minute ’ s silence .
Firefighters , paramedics and coast guards also paid tribute to Det Garda Horkan by marking the minute ’ s silence , as did staff at the Midlands prison .
Prison chaplain Fr Larry Kelly spoke a few words in memory of the late garda following the moment of silence .
Several GAA clubs around the country flew their club colours in his honour , to commemorate the garda ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
As a mark of respect , the national flag was flown at half-mast at several Government and State buildings on Sunday , including Áras an Uachtaráin and the Department of Housing , Planning and Local Government .

A State ceremony and minute’s silence is held to mark the funeral of Detective Garda Colm Horkan outside the Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan
A minute's silence was observed at Garda stations around the country on Sunday in memory of Det Garda Colm Horkan as his funeral took place in Co Mayo.
The funeral for the 49-year-old, who was shot dead in Castlerea, Co Roscommon on Wednesday night, took place in Charlestown, Co Mayo on Sunday at noon.
Gardaí lined the streets as the coffin of their colleague was carried through his home town. Six gardaí carried the coffin into the church for his funeral.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 3 The coffin of Detective Garda Colm Horkan is carried from St James’ church to the cemetery in Charlestown, Co Mayo at his funeral on Sunday afternoon. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Outside each Garda station, members of An Garda Síochána paraded in front and were brought to attention at noon to observe a minute's silence.
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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Simon Coveney joined hundreds of others at Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park to pay their respects .
Proceedings in Dublin began just after midday when hundreds of gardaí as well as representatives from the Department of Justice, the Defence Forces and the Navy as well as members of the Policing Authority turned to face a tricolor flying at half mast in the shadow of a granite memorial to members of the Garda who had lost their lives while on duty.
After the impeccably observed silence, the socially distanced gathering watched the State funeral which was broadcast live on a large screen outside the headquarters.
After the personal tribute paid to Mr Horkan’s by his brother Brendan the assembly broke into sustained applause after which Mr Varadkar signed the book of condolences before leaving.
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan represented the Government at the funeral. President Michael D Higgins led a memorial ceremony for Det Garda Horkan at Áras an Uachtaráin.
Sgt Sinead Riley, the Sergeant-in-Charge at Áras an Uachtaráin, rang the Peace Bell at the start and the end of the memorial ceremony, while the President observed one minute's silence.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (centre) marks the minute’s silence for late Garda Colm Horkan at Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park. Photograph: Tom Honan
Firefighters, paramedics and coast guards also paid tribute to Det Garda Horkan by marking the minute's silence, as did staff at the Midlands prison. Prison chaplain Fr Larry Kelly spoke a few words in memory of the late garda following the moment of silence.
Several GAA clubs around the country flew their club colours in his honour, to commemorate the garda’s heavy involvement with Gaelic football over the years.
As a mark of respect, the national flag was flown at half-mast at several Government and State buildings on Sunday, including Áras an Uachtaráin and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.