 Here, Greg, the moment's passed. Is it? Yeah. It's all done. Did I spot it? You don't have the fleet of foot that I have, unfortunately. But you sounded like you were in the shooter. You should have went like, yes, folks. We're broadcasting live. But we have very, very good quality outside broadcast equipment now, so. But anyway, listen, I'm here. I know, I know, I know, I know. Can we have a band and see? I found that out earlier. The Notions. Hi. The Notions. What is it? And some of them are off school to come in, which is great. How good is that? I know, fantastic. But they have to go back. No homework night. I don't know. Junior search right today. Best luck to everybody. Best luck to everybody. You're it. You're scratching with yourself. What are you doing? It's the junior search funny or any exams are funny, because it seems so important. And it is really important. But at the end of the day, the older you get, the less important it becomes. Yeah. But it's the biggest thing in your life when you're doing it, isn't it? At the time. Isn't it? Do you meant intermediate? Do you, was that what you did? Yeah. That was the last exam I did. Was it? Did you do the, you didn't do the leave, sir? Did you not? Look at you now. Look, exactly. Kids, do the leaving, sir. Yes, please. Yeah, sure, I failed maths and everything and repeated twice. I was a bit lazy too, but I'm not saying be lazy. I wasn't lazy. I just wasn't conditioned to that way of learning. Yeah, but sure, everybody learns different now. Do you know what I mean? Exactly. We don't, do you know yourself? But you're here, we are now. There's you and there's me. The weeks go slow, but the years go fast. Oh, that's very deep. Go on, save the day. Donal, will you read the news? Will you? Come on, I'm away. All right, take care of yourself, Lee. It is the 9 till noon show, a minute past nine. Let's get a news update. Good morning, Mr. Donal Kavanaugh. Thank you, Greg, and as you've been hearing from the Toulouse record number of junior cycle students are collecting their results today, 71,494 students at the exam this year. They'll get their results in schools this morning or online from 4 p.m. It's the first time the number of candidates sitting the junior cycle or any of its predecessors, the junior cert or inter cert has exceeded 70,000. 2,571 sat the exams in Donegal. Joseph Amadegun, Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion is encouraging students not to stress over the results. They will be able to get their results online, which is a new facility compared to years ago when you'd have to physically go in. But look, either way, it's not the leading cert, it's the junior cert, and it's a good way to see how they cope with the state exam and deliver it. Another run at it when they have their leading cert in a couple of years of time. The Junior Disabilities Minister has acknowledged there's a pinch point with regards to recruitment in children's disability network teams in Donegal, and that requires a specific response. At present, 56% of positions in the service remain unfelt. In the doll last night, WMQ brief members on a meeting with the HSE held with public representatives and parents in Donegal this week. WMQ told Minister Ann Rabbit the parents presented the meeting with four proposals, which they said would improve the situation in the short term. Minister Rabbit pledged to assess and move on those recommendations as quickly as possible. She also confirmed she's in close contact with clinicians in the county. I'm concerned about the CDNT team in Donegal for the simple reason it's a HSE team. And if we fail to recruit onto a HSE team, my options are very limited. So we have to make it incredibly attractive. The clinicians were incredibly helpful to me during the summer when I was down there. They are the ones that have told me what I need to do and what I am trying to do to ensure that we have a proper functioning team, not just in Donegal but right across my 91s. But at the moment, there is a real clear pinch point in Donegal. Rural TDs are calling on the government to urgently address what they say are alarmingly long waiting times for driving tests in many parts of the country. They say delays of up to 51 weeks in some areas are causing significant distress for thousands of learners. And they're urging the government to allow learners who have committed the mandatory 12 lessons to drive unaccompanied under L-plates. Leader of the Rural Independent, Group of TDs Matty McGrath says the long wait times are having a serious impact on young people. Like in 2018, there's a 45-week waiting period. It's a 28-week, 19-28-week, seven months. And many of these young people want to go to college. They may have got apprenticeships in different places, different towns and cities and they want to be able to get under at the road to travel. Jobs and them will be able to be filled because of this situation. Mostly cloudy today with outbreaks of rain turning heavy and persistent in the afternoon and evening, a chance of some flooding in top temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees Celsius, fresh and gusty east to southeast winds. Further spells of rain tonight with heavy falls bringing more flooding potentially. Lowest overnight temperatures, 8 to 11 in moderate southeast breezes. That's Highland Radio News. We're back with news again at 10 o'clock. It's the great autumn of savings at Supervalue with over 1,000 price cuts on all the big brands you love. Like, kind spaghetti hoops was 210, now 189. Selected Lenore fabric conditioner, 33 wash was 365, now 3 euro. And money off vouchers every week on the app too. So pop in for great savings in store, online, this autumn at Supervalue. The county's number one talk show, The Ninetal Noon Show on Highland Radio. And now it's time for the talk of the Northwest, The Ninetal Noon Show with Greg Hughes on Highland Radio. Oh, good morning. Just approaching five minutes past nine on this Wednesday, the 18th of October, 2023. You're very welcome along to another edition of The Ninetal Noon Show. How you all keeping? Hopefully you're all doing well this morning. One of the roads like, I'm going to have to ask. I know people are waiting to hear what people are saying about one of the biggest changes I suppose to traffic. Not wish to overstate it. Across the county in quite some time, that is the switching on of the Polestar lights, the lights on the Polestar roundabout. Again, I'm fully conscious that if you're in North, and it's shown West Donegal in Donegal town, it's not going to interest you, but thousands upon thousands upon thousands of you will have already gone through those lights going to. Those places, it has to be said, and it's early days. There's a bedding in process. There's a calibration process, but I know from reaction I got to a post on social media that a lot of people have things to say. So if you have something to say, not just criticism, if there's anything constructive to say as well, has your life improved as a result? As I say, it's morning one. So we have to give everything a chance to bed in, don't we? But what I will say my observation was, or is, for me coming to work this morning, it didn't really make much difference. But I did notice extra traffic. It's like it helped me-ish. But I did notice extra traffic on other approaches that I don't normally see there. But anyway, what are your views? If you want to talk about it that and so much more besides coming up, how do you get involved? 086625000, your WhatsApp's and texts to that number. 086625000, or give us a call and 0749125000, comments at HighlandRadio.com. And there's a ton of content on the show for you today, as always. So no excuse to go anywhere between now and noon, or for the rest of the day, for that matter here, on Highland Radio. Let's have a look at the newspapers this morning. The Finn Valley Voice. There's a massive gender pay gap in Donegal. It's official. Donegal women, many of whom are the breadwinners of the family, are paid less than women anywhere else in Ireland. They're also paid less than their menfolk, a lot less. Figures from the CSO indicate that the average Donegal woman takes home less than €500 per week, just under €200 less than her counterparts in Dublin. It's also some €100 less than the menfolk here in Cante Donegal. What do you think about that? On to the English Times this morning, Minister to Visit Hospital after consultants hit out. I'll wait with interest to see when this visit actually takes place. But we read on here from Declan McGee. The HSC has said it's aware of the challenges facing Letterkenny University Hospital after hospital. Consultants warned of a collapse in services unless action is taken. In a letter to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, 11 consultants called for an external review of services due to a crisis that is rapidly approaching a tipping point. The letter echoes concerns expressed by 78 GPs in Donegal who also wrote to the Minister outlining grave concerns for patients at the emergency department. The Minister is now expected to visit the hospital as soon as possible. Donegal TD and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConnelog said he has had discussions with the Health Minister, adding that Mr Donnelly has pledged to meet with the GPs and consultants. It would be really great if government reps such as Minister Stephen Donnelly would speak to the public as well through mediums like this, which is the People Show. I would hope it's seen as that way. I think it's a good opportunity for people to speak directly to those that listen. We have an ongoing almost daily request for Stephen Donnelly to come on the show and just explain what the situation is, what he hopes to do, what he hopes to achieve. And he's a very busy man, of course, and we'll see when he is able to accept that offer. The Irish Times hundreds killed after strike on hospital in Gaza City. This is just the most horrendous of stories. The catastrophic loss of life. Again, and I'm getting to the point whereby certainly Twitter's Stroke X, I'm thinking of coming off it because I was just scrolling through Twitter and was met by the most horrendous of videos. Now, I said before, you know, people might say, ah, but you need to see that to understand what's going on. I understand what's going on and all what's going on. But there is a thing I happen to see as I was just scrolling through a social media platform that I never ever want to see and haven't been right since. And I can't even describe it to you because it is so shocking. But that is nothing. My feelings is nothing compared to the actual reality of the situation and what people are facing over there. Hamas and Israel blamed each other for an explosion at a Gaza City hospital last night that health authorities said killed at least 500 people. Eyewitnesses described horrific scenes as terrified residents fled to the hospital with a huge fire burning in the compound. Hundreds of people were feared trapped under the rubble. The Gaza authorities immediately said Israel was responsible for the attack. But in a statement, the Israeli army said intelligence analysis had determined conclusively that the blast had been caused by an Islamic Jihad projectile aimed at Israel that fell short hitting the Al-Hali Baptist Hospital. Islamic Jihad denied the Israeli claims and it's a bit of confusion because there was a video that accompanied that statement from the Israeli authorities. But when the timelines didn't add up, they deleted the video from the tweet. Thousands of Gaza residents had reportedly fed to the hospital over the last few days believing they would be relatively safe there from incessant Israeli airstrikes launched in the wake of the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7th that killed 1400 people in Israel. Most of them civilians, the worst terrorist attack in Israeli history. Health authorities in Gaza say that prior to the hospital strike at least 3,000 people in the strip had been killed in the Israeli bombardment while some 600,000 people have fled to the south of the coastal enclave after Israeli military warnings. On to the Irish independent Mark Wachary who is a South Donegal rep, mostly Slogan leach and of course South Donegal added on to that constituency. He is a former funeral follower of course then became a bit of a maverick. He's a regular guest on this show from time to time, which is a oxymoron, but he comes on from time to time. Well, the former fee and a full TD Mark Wachary is revealed he will not contest the next general election. The long-serving Slogan politicians decision will bring to an end a more than two decades in national politics. In a statement Mr. Wachary said it had been an extraordinary privilege to serve the Iraqis since 2002. I'm eternally grateful to all the opportunity for all the opportunity to serve as a TD and Senator over more than 21 years. I'd like to thank everyone for the support and assistance he said. I'm sure we'll get a chat with him before his tenure is complete. On to the Irish Daily Mail now and the man's accused of stabbing teacher Ashlyn Murphy to death told Guardi, I did it. I am the murderer, his trial has heard. On the opening day of the court case, the central criminal court heard that Yosef Puska 33 admitted the crime to Guardi on January 14th, 2022. Two days after Ms. Murphy was killed while jogging in Tullamore, Cante Offline. The jury also heard details of her death including that she had been stabbed multiple times. At one point Ms. Murphy's mother, Kathleen, broke down in tears while her father Raymond clasped his head in his hands. Her sister Amy and brother, Kathleen were also present in court yesterday, incredibly, incredibly difficult for that family. To be going through that, having already endured and continuing to endure that loss. On to the Irish Daily Mirror now and it doesn't send a really great road safety message out this. A driver, a Lamborghini driver no less caught speeding at 217 kilometres per hour, 217 kilometres per hour and who overtook a dozen cars during a 10 kilometre pursuit by Guardi avoided jail yesterday at Castle Bar District Court. Jason Wall admitted dangerous driving was handed a two year ban. The court heard how he took full responsibility for his actions on a stretch of the N17 in County Mio on September 16th. The head of the hearing, Wall said the Lamborghini will sold it and also took a driving course. But Judge Fiona Leiden branded his actions unacceptable and I said he had no regard for the safety of others. So it's really quite interesting. In this country you can drive at 270 kilometres per hour. You can overtake dozens of cars. You can be pursued by Guardi for 10 kilometres and get a two year driving ban. That's really quite impressive, isn't it? It's almost like a green light for such behaviour. No jail time and effectively what comes across as a slap on the wrist. Were you travelling through Monaghan at all? It's possible. I know lots of people who like to buy lotto tickets when they're outside the area. Maybe one of you did. A lotto player has just a month left to claim a prize worth one million euro, five hundred, one million euro, five one million euro and five hundred euro. Well, however you would describe that it's a million euro plus five hundred. Ponters in Monaghan are being urged to check their old tickets from Saturday August 19th. Saturday August 19th. The massive amount was won in the lotto plus raffle which usually sees between 60 and 120 winners of five hundred euro. But in a one-off event each of the tickets with the winning lotto plus raffle number was put into a draw where one ticket was selected to win an additional one million. The winning raffle number was three, two, four, nine. The quick pick ticket was bought at Centra on was bought at Centra on Main Street in Emmi Vale, County Monaghan on August the 17th. So was that you? Could have been you. You may have been travelling. I want to cut by the way if I if you find that ticket now and it was you 10% I think 10% is fair. And lastly are you a glider a clomper or a cross-devoider is the question. This is to do with buttering your bread. A psychologist has revealed what your spreading on toast technique says about your personality. Human behavioural expert Darren Stanton reveals that gliders who glide the knife over the bread for an even spread which is me. Something 50% of the 2000 adults polled claim to do tend to be easygoing and calm in nature which is literally not me. They are well it's all a load of nonsense because I'm a glider and I'm not calm. They are unfazed by hurdles or moments of stress literally not me. But anyway that's that. So if you're a glider apparently you're really chilled and cool. Clumpers are those who don't spread evenly and leave clumps on the bread. They are sporadic thinking outside the box in life and on it goes I notice young ones find it difficult to butter toast at least the ones I've come in contact with. Maybe it's a learned process or maybe they're just not as relaxed and calm as I am clearly. All right good morning to you Anita. You're listening in from the Cayman Islands have a great day yourself. What's the weather like over there Anita? Tracy's with us as well. She's in our drawer. How are you doing get Tracy? Great to have you on board from a most beautiful part of the world and Michael's there as well with us. They're all watching the show live. We have loads of guests for you to see over the next two and three quarter hours. You can go on to YouTube and watch on your smart TV or your fire stick. Just type in Highland Radio Ireland. Give us a like and subscribe as well if you don't mind. And you can cross us watch us across all of your devices your laptop tablet phone you know yourself on YouTube Highland Radio Ireland on Facebook which is Highland Hope or Highland Radio News and Sport and get involved with us that way and say good morning and tell us where you're watching from. All right. We'll be back as Lee actually mentioned earlier on. We've got a great young band in playing some live music for us. That's coming up about half 10 so you can watch that and so much more besides. We'll be right back. You're watching the show on The Irish Theatre in Dublin. Join Highland Radio as we make way to this unforgettable show on Friday 23rd of February 2024. Your trip includes luxury transfers bed and breakfast at the four-star city north hotel in Dublin. Your ticket to the show and a shopping trip to Dublin City Centre. For more information call Highland Radio on 074 9125000 or visit HighlandRadio.com. Get ready for a spooky season at Century Complex. This Halloween we have a great selection of movies at Century Cinemas, delicious food and cocktails at Backstage Bar and Grill and Century plays Halloween Family Fun Day taking place on the 28th of October from 12pm to 2pm. Get in touch on 074 91 21976 or visit CenturyCinemas.re for more information. At AXA we know running a home can run up your costs too. That's why you can save up to 30% on our home insurance. Get a quote today. Together we've got this. AXA, no you can. Policy terms and conditions apply. Minimum premium is 160 euro. A 30% discount is available after three consecutive years. Claims free 15% after two consecutive years and 10% after one year claims free. AXA insurance stock is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Homeowners, it's time to unlock incredible savings on your energy bills. Efficient renewables is here to reduce your energy consumption. Say goodbye to Skyrock in the cost and hello to renewable energy solutions. With no vac on solar panels and the generous grants for both solar panels and heat pumps see these innovative systems in action in our state of the art showroom in Newton Cunningham today. Contact Efficient Renewables on 074 9708 320. Highland radio time checks with Expressway. Travel Route 32 from Letty Kennedy Dublin when you book online and travel for less. Expressway, bringing you the time, Art. The time is 20 minutes past nine and we're joined on the programme now by Anthea Landalan, mom of Kean. You might remember Kean. He went missing in September 2022. Now a new special appeal has been shared by missing persons helpline Ireland following what may well be the emergence of new information. Anthea, thanks for joining us today. I do appreciate it. You're very welcome. How are you holding up, Anthea? How are your days? Well, three years on. I'm known to this with this ambiguous loss. It's, you know, not knowing what's happened that is the most challenging really, but those days I just get on with life. Life has to be lived, and I have to make the most of it. Are you on the mobile, Anthea? You know mobile, can you move slowly? It's just the line's not fantastic just in case it improves. Can you hear me? Yeah, it's just not fantastic. But look, talk to me. I'll get closer to the router, maybe. That might help. Yeah, okay. That's actually already a little bit better, I think. If it fails again, we'll reconnect because I want people to be able to hear your words clearly. Okay, that's fine. All right. Can you hear me now? Yeah, okay, we'll continue and then I'll make a judgment call on that. So what new information has come to light and when did it come to light, Anthea? Well, the new information I have is that somebody has signed his key in getting on a bus to Galway on the 29th of September 2020, which is two days after he went missing. It came to light because I have a signed key in site on Facebook, which is, you know, I keep posting on that and every time there's an anniversary of his disappearance, I put something on. And I got a response from this person who claimed she saw key in saying, oh, I'll never forget that day when he jumped on that bus. All right. And I got much in touch with her. She explained that she had witnessed him in the square room and so there he am. Anthea, Anthea, I'm just going to have to Anthea, I'm just going to have to break away because as I say, this is really critical. It's really critical information and I want to give the listeners the best opportunity to hear you. So if you just disengage the call there, I will come back to you in just a couple of moments. Okay, so I'll quickly nip to Kevin and then we'll come back to, and then we'll come back to Anthea because as I say, it's a really important issue that on the phone line just is very, very poor. Akola says these delays as a result of the new lights will have huge consequences for Boston lorry drivers whose driving hours are regulated by tachograph regulations. The inevitable result will be catch up at speeding. But I presume professional drivers do encounter traffic delays regularly, reasonably regularly, would they not? Forgive me, Greg, if this seems a little cynical this morning, just 48 people were brought to call for drug driving offences. Perhaps we should check the boot of the patrol cars to see if any checks are actually ongoing. All right, Kevin Fury, of course, works here at Highland Radio, regular commuter. Kevin, how are you getting on? Good, Greg. Currently, I'm just going to pull in here at the moment. The traffic is built up basically from Lurgy Brack School currently at the minute. Traffic is really, really heavy. So it is. Now, I set out my journey just for half past eight this morning. So it's currently 23 minutes past nine. But I'm just going to get out here and just give you a quick indication of what we're seeing. Obviously, there is a lot of traffic. You'll still be fit to hear me. Yeah, be careful. We just switched off the hands free there. OK, so you there are on the four lanes. Currently on the four lanes here at the moment. I'm just outside a Robert Key power equipment here. So the traffic is basically. Give us a look. Give us a look. There's a whole way back. Yeah, give us a look so we can see the traffic there. Let us see the traffic. Give us a look there. So there is the traffic currently at the minute. As you can see, I'm just walking in the direction here of the dry arch. But the traffic is built the whole way up to Lurgy Brack School at the minute. So just to turn the camera around for you quickly here, just to give you an indication, that's what's currently up ahead of me at the minute. So traffic very, very heavy. Now, when I come in here yesterday afternoon, obviously the traffic just switched on at that point. Someone giving you two to go on ahead, yeah. Basically, when I was sitting in at that point, I basically was heading obviously up to Highland Radio. Was in the right hand lane. But the traffic lights went red. Someone had just shot across. And then someone coming from the other direction had just moved out at that point. So basically when the lights went green for me, I basically had nowhere to go. So obviously it's a very dangerous situation. And even at a bus man pulled down, I can't see what he said on the live radio, but he was on the frustrated side. But as you can see just there at the moment, I'll just show you again that currently traffic is just coming in. And I'm not sure if you can hear me, or if you can put me on speaker so I can communicate with you. Is that normal at the time that you'd travel in, that the traffic would be out the four lanes on the approach that I had at Kenny so far? Not usually. Usually from possibly from the Clannery Hotel, maybe the hallway in, you would often find you'd have traffic, but never, you know, upload your bag. Maybe once in a blooming, maybe after a bank holiday or something like that, you may experience stuff, but you kind of know that, you kind of would leave extra time in the morning. But I obviously left extra time this morning because I was unsure of what I was actually going to face coming in this morning. But likewise, I've seen people comment on your social media post last night. And even people, before I set out my journey as well, this morning people stuff up on Facebook about the traffic. And I know people that were behind me. Can I look at the traffic? It's great to see you, Kevin, but I see you every day. I just want to look at the look at the traffic whilst you talk and go ahead. Yeah. So I'm just currently here. If you're just wondering where I am, just currently there here at Robert Key. So this is obviously we're getting a few, a few hunks from a few people. Good to see the Highland radio listeners are out in force. Go ahead. I'm just going to say the plan to go plenty of listeners here this morning. But yeah, that is, I know you might not see it on my phone. But obviously as I walk towards... You're pointing at the fence, you see. Pardon? You're pointing your phone at the fence. Oh, sorry. That's better. Yes. It's okay. I have a gimbal and everything, my bag coming in time to get it ready. But there you can see obviously the Clannery Hotel. And there you can see the traffic. And the right hand lane, the right hand lane coming into letter Kenny seemed to move a bit more smoothly than the left hand lane, of course. Well, Kevin, listen, maybe you might hop in the car and pick one of the other routes into letter Kenny and jump out with your gimbal. And some way you can hear me correctly and we'll get an update as to the access from other roads. As I say, it's early days yet. The lights are on for the first morning. They have to be calibrated and all that kind of stuff. But of course, there are thousands of people affected by this. It would be silly for us not to talk about it. But listen, maybe you might go to another of the roads accessing onto that pole star and we'll chat to you again in a wee bit, if that's all right. Yep, that's perfect. All right, thanks very much, Kevin. Really do appreciate it. That's Kevin Fury, who is looking at the traffic for us at the moment. Do I have Anthea back? Are you there? No, we don't have. Well, she's excellent. Because as I say, Caroline and Anthea, and to listeners, it's just really important. It's so important to her and those around her that we can hear exactly what she's saying. Just at Kresge over Lek, traffic back the whole way going into Old Town into disaster. Is that normal though? I need comparisons as to the way it would be for you. And also, maybe you got to work, school or Kresge a little bit quicker this morning than you ordinarily would at the same time. Let us know. Another caller says, it's a wee bit built up on the Mount Eregal, but it flew through. The problem yesterday seemed to me all at Remelton Road and not by the sorting office. OK, good news. Greg, traffic to the top of Largy Brack. Get the council on now. Coming down from a drop-off at Largy Brack, absolute mayhem. Traffic backed up at Tinney's Roundabout. Another traffic madness this morning. Stuck at Lek Graveyard the last 10 minutes and haven't moved traffic nearly back as far as Tinney's Toys was to be at work at nine, still in the traffic. OK, keep them coming. Those updates as to... And it's really interesting if you sort of give us a comparison. Give us a comparison as to what you normally experience as to what you're experiencing now. All right, back with more shortly. Watch the show live now on YouTube, Facebook and at HighlandRadio.com. At ESB Networks, we're connecting Arland to a clean electric future. And as part of the national smart metering program, we're now installing smart electricity meters in your area. Your new smart meter will reduce the need for estimated bills, help you to manage your electricity usage more efficiently and enable you to access smart electricity products and services. We'll contact you before your meter is installed. Find out more at ESBnetworks.ie slash smart meter. Have you heard about the McElhenney's M-Card? Now available exclusively in-store. Sign up today to start earning and redeem once you hit 500 points. Register in-store at our M-Card station on the first floor or at any tell point. The M-Card, the new way to save at McElhenney's. Easy Living Furnitures, Octoberfest sale ends this Sunday. Absolutely everything reduced with up to 60% off SOFA's dining bedroom and mattresses that are in stock and ready for delivery. With 0% interest refinance available for up to two years and with no deposit, the decision is easy. Octoberfest sale ends Sunday at Easy Living Furniture, Terryland Goalway, Sligo Retail Park, Sligo and Briefy Road Castle Bar. Hi, Paddy here at Shea and Connally Cars in Donegal Town. Are you looking to upgrade your car? With Shea and Connally Cars, you'll find mix and models for every budget. Great finance options and they also accept trade-ins. Check out sheaandconnallycars.com or call on to us at Shea and Connally Cars from London Road, Donegal Town. All right, a call that says stuck in this now 15 minutes. It's backed up to Letterkenny ready mix and other. Greg Asherlorn is being used as a shortcut now for traffic going to the college so far. We've counted 47 cars in the last 18 minutes. Some have been told to slow down. Greg was in Letterkenny yesterday evening, a total disaster. They have the town destroyed with traffic lights and so hard to see now. Trying to get into the dry art shop coming in from the carriageway with the lights there and that big block of concrete in the middle of the road. Old Town, Lisbon and Lek is backed up now to another traffic also at Pashtunis on the Lek Road. Crazy, says another listener. Keep them coming into us. Okay, now there are calls for early intervention services for non-resident fathers. Damien Pilo, who's CEO of Truroir and he joins us now. Good morning to you. Thanks for your time today. I appreciate it. Thank you very much for having us. We just heard the issue raised, was it this week or the end of last week as it relates, and it's a separate issue, but I'm just wondering is there a connection to it as it relates to the legislation to have the right of fathers to have their name included on birth search. Is that something your organisation welcomes that the government has committed to correct the errors in the legislation to allow that to become law in most cases? Absolutely. This is one of Truroir's areas that we have really advocated for over the last number of years, that children have a right to their identity and part of that is who they come from and whether they or not they have a relationship with that parent and usually it's the dad, they have a right to know who that person is and their extended family. And so we know that now from issues around adoption. We know how important identity is for children who are adopted and it's equally as important for children to know who their father is. And so the Civil Registration Act that came out of the Children and Family Relations Act, it was recommended in Children and Family Relations Act that the father's name would be mandatory on the birth search. That has taken a long time to get to be put in place and part of the difficulty was we were told initially it was training for the registrars to be able to ask that question in an appropriate way that wouldn't traumatise the mother and rightly so. But now we've been told that the legislation itself was clumsily written and has to go back to the Iraqis, but we've been told that over two years ago that that was going to be put into the next window of opportunity for legislative reform and we're still waiting. So it's something that we're keeping our eye on. We've been told as a recently that it's still a priority for the government, but we're waiting because we think it's a really important one for all families and children. And look, I know these situations can be distressing and there can be lots of different extenuating circumstances, but anyone that goes to the GP in their 30s, 40s or 50s, one of the first questions you're asked is what's your medical history? So for that reason alone, I think it's really important if we care for children to make sure they have that information as they mature and get older. And I know there's all the stuff that goes on, but it's so critical to treatment and care and everything else. And that's just one element of why it's important. The focus, though, of our interview is the report commissioned by Churor. It focuses on the experience of non-resident fathers. So are these fathers with no interaction with their children, that are struggling to get interaction with the children that have court-mandated access to their children? Who was surveyed? Well, it was primarily a cohort of those fathers. It was really aimed at fathers who wish to have a meaningful relationship with their child. And we talked about it from a child's perspective, and that's why the title is from children who wish to have meaningful relations with their non-resident father, because we wanted to be a child focused. And Churor always says, I believe, that where possible to do so, children should have and develop meaningful relationships with both of their parents. And so some separated parents get on really well, and they arrange that no problem. But a lot of the callers to Churor's National Information Service would be from both mothers and fathers, whereby there's a lot of conflict between the parents in relation to their children. And we wanted to have a deeper dive and look into what are some of the issues that are preventing children from developing and maintaining relations with their non-resident fathers. So these are fathers who may have had court access, who may have had an arrangement with the mother, or who may know that they are father, but don't know quite, well, how do I go about beginning to develop a relationship with that, with my child? Right. So what are the main findings from your perspective or recommendations coming from those findings, perhaps? Yeah, well, what was really interesting was the collaborative piece of work that a number of us, Churor invited a number of organizations together that we knew that we respected each other's work, but may not have always been on the same page when it came to some issues in relation to the legal status of the non-marital family. And so we looked at how we wanted to dive into this piece of research and look at it in relation to what impacts children's development of a relationship with their father. And so what some of the big recommendations that came out of it were things that we kind of knew already, but really good to get the data behind it, that parents often had a very negative experience of the court service. That's not unexpected, but it was such a level that from both sets of parents and particularly fathers felt that the court services came from a perspective that they were always treated as secondary parents, that they weren't given equal status in their parental. And do you know what that means as well? Sorry for interrupting Damien. What that means is that it could create an environment or a situation where a father might actually have to speak negatively of the mother in order to gain access, even if they don't want to necessarily, because if it is so heavily weighed to mothers and one can understand what that might be, you might find yourself instantly having to actually chop them down somewhat to try and level the playing field. And a system that's set up that might encourage that is a poorer system. Yeah. Well, courts are by their very nature adversarial. And that's not to say that everybody hasn't got a right to access to courts for justice and equality, but court by their nature adversarial. And you're absolutely right on both sides of that. Moms talk down dads, dads talk down mothers, and it gets very, very messy. And often what the research also showed, even though we have legislation since the referendum our children, the voice of the child is seldom heard in the court. And that's something that really has to change. And so one of the big findings was that there needs to be early intervention support for families where parents don't live together. And the promotion of what we call shared parenting or co-parenting. And one of the contributors to the research at the launch was a father from a rural area who basically said he had no notion, no concept of co-parenting. All he was ever told was you have to go to court, you have to get your rights, you have to get this, you have to get that, and it just led to constant conflict with the other parent. And what he would have loved was somebody to come at their very early stage and say, co-parenting works, share parenting works. Here's what you need to do. Here are the sports that you need to do. Here's how you de-escalate conflict. Pardon my ignorance, right? Say in the absence of domestic abuse or addiction or what have you, all right? So you just have two people. Is there not a sort of a framework that has been established that you see if it fits a situation? In other words, do you know what I mean? People fall out, people move on, there's all those insecurities, all that kind of stuff, right? Would it not be good if we had a point, and maybe it's there, again, pardon my ignorance, statement whereby when there aren't any circumstances, challenging behaviours, that there is a framework that is accepted that is best for the partners and the children, or the formal partners and children, and then that's the starting point. You're absolutely right. I'm so glad to put the caveat in, because in so many cases there isn't that issue of domestic violence, and you have just two people who either never were together or were together and fell out, and they don't trust each other or they're not sure about each other, and they have gone down a route of conflict. Even though they may try not to, and they both say they want each other in their child's life, while there are some great examples of a framework of some good supports in place, they're not national, they're not available all over the country, and they're not well funded, so they're not well resourced, and the notion, and even with that concept of shared parenting, isn't promoted, and so you don't have, what people, if you Google it and you go online, you look at separated father or father looking for access to child, or even using father wants to have relations with the children, you get drawn to sites that either bring you into a thing about father's rights or, you know, mother's rights, and there can be very antagonistic language used and very inflammatory language, or it brings you down to the legal route, which is about you need to get this, people do need to have their rights enshrined. I think we also have to factor in and look at this in the wider picture as well, in terms of people's mental health, and the impacts that these have, because you can't say, for instance, in a court order situation, you can't take that in isolation. It also has to be factored in as to what the impact is on the individual. Of course, it's all about the child, but surely, and it can be for a man or a woman, that the court system has to look has a wider responsibility and say, okay, you know, and also we need a system that does as best as possible to remove any biases that a person making a decision might have an ingrained bias. We don't know the background. We don't know their relationship status. We don't know if they've been through a breakup. I'm not questioning the judiciary, don't get me wrong, but we need a system that removes any as much as is possible removes any of those potential biases. Absolutely. And what what does happen now in many, many places is that as soon as you go into the courts, you're actually redirected towards mediation, which is a better system, which is a better way of working. But what often happens with mediation is that you are you get a number of sessions and you're quickly trying to reach a deal and negotiate a deal. What's wonderful about that is that parents in theory, maintain the decision making, they don't ask a third party like a judge to decide on their behalf, how it goes on. That never works really. And it only works for people who just cannot communicate with each other. Where the mediation works well is that people come to the agreement. The problem is implementation of that agreement. That doesn't show up on the time he's supposed to mum gets annoyed, dad's maintenance mightn't be coming in mum gets annoyed, they're with all the child. And what we're really talking about is, if you come from the notion that in the best it is in the best interest of the child to have both parents actively involved in the meaningful way in their child's life, and you keep that at the centre of everything you do, parents aren't, we think we're great at this, we think that we do that instinctively. But actually, we talk about the court's not listening to the child, we need to hear the child's voice, we need to understand that. And we need to be equipped to learn how to do that more effectively and better, so that we put the child's voice to the centre. And when you do that, some of the issues and arguments don't seem as big a deal anymore. And some of the things that you're holding up over don't seem to be a big deal. And what you really need is a flexible working relationship, so that dad can actually be a helping hand in the care and raising of the child, that dad is really proud, even if he has no relationship with the mother, the relationship is that they have a child together, and that they need to find a way to communicate. And how did he get on today? What was it like? How was he upset? He was upset before in school today. So you might want to watch out for that when he's coming to you tonight, you know, so they're talking about this though is emotion, you know, emotion. But again, the framework has to be in place to mitigate that as much as is possible. It can't be beyond us. What are you going to do with this report? Who is this furnished to now? You know, what ministry has any responsibility? Is there any appetite for reform? All there is. I mean, we're in the process of, so there's two major departments, Department of Justice and the Department of, that long-named Department of Children, Children, Equality, Youth, and Integration and all of those. That's probably the primary department. But there's law reform at the moment. There's continuous efforts to try and change the law. So there's new ways of working in the courts. There's new investment in mediation. And what we're saying, that mediation needs to go beyond the current structured mediation into some new pilots and collaboration with the community sector, pre-mediation and post-mediation and implementation. So we need to be pushing for a promotion of shared parenting. That framework you talk about is actually in people's mind that when they have a child and they're not with the mother, they're not immediately thinking, go to court. They're immediately thinking, how shared parenting, that sounds like a great option. How do I become a better parent or shared parent? How do I become a better parent? How do I become a better parent that's sharing the parenting of the child when I'm not living with the mother? And then there's a whole set of other structures that need to be put in place to allow that to happen. And so for dads at the moment, if you're a single dad and you're co-parenting your child and the mother has more to 50% of care of that child as the primary care, your ability to get accommodation that meets the needs of your family is much more difficult because you're seen to be a single dad. And while you can go and look for an application for higher subsidies to go for a two bedroom apartment instead of a one, very often what we're finding is young dads, if they have a place at all, it's not appropriate to bring children. It's usually in a shared home and a shared room with lots of other people. And moms are rightly saying, look, I don't know what's safe to bring the child on an overnight over there or even over there. So dads don't have safe places to engage with their children in meaningful ways. So it's often that you know that they have a couple of hours access and over the course of the week or the weekends. And they're either out in the parks or walking around shopping centers if it's not if it's too, the weather's not good. And they don't have homes that they can bring that child into that child. And then of course, too, that doesn't work because when the children have a great time and they go home to the home and the confines of that and the parent that has them around the park and the shopping centers seems like the best parent in the world. And so in a way it's no harm sort of. And I think that's why there is this proposal for child contact centers across the country, which make a lot of sense. Okay, Damien, thanks for your time this morning. Interesting stuff. We'll see how things progress from here. That's Damien Pilo, CEO of Chirur. We're going back out on to the streets of Letter Kenny with Kevin after these. Dear John, it's me, Edward, from Jedward. I'm writing you this letter to break up with you because you thought it was okay to use an unregistered gas installer to fix the gas boiler. The one I got you for our birthday. Does gas save to mean nothing to you? You could have just found a registered gas installer at orgie.ie, but you decided to risk everything. I never want to see your face again. Goodbye forever, your brother, Jed. I mean, Edward. Do you need a little extra help staying in your home? At Bluebird Care, we offer a wide variety of Qmark-approved, personalized home care services across Donegal. And our fully trained and committed staff will always meet your care needs with kindness, compassion and dignity. To get your personal home care assessment plan, visit BluebirdCare.ie or call our care team today on 07491 29562 and bring care home. It's the home of the vegan butchers, the artisan bakers, the freestyle lyricists and the trouser suit striders. It's the urban jungle where the every day meets the latest wave. And you could see it all from your Seat SUV, from the sharp lines and smart style of the Arona, to the bold and beautiful Ateka. And if size is your thing, the Turacco comes as a seven-seater. See what's in store at Seat.ie for our latest offers and visit DMG Motors, Clairode, Donegal Town, because your new Seat is just waiting to see what's next. We have Gary Gamble, Sandy Kelly and David James. Come join us for a wonderful weekend, you can pay at the door. We look forward to seeing you there. Highland Radio Weather Updates with Ireland West Airport, where you can now fly daily to London Heathrow with Air Lingus and connect via Heathrow to over 80 destinations worldwide, including Boston, New York and more. Mostly cloudy today with outbreaks of rain moving, interning heavy and persistence in the afternoon and evening with a chance of flooding. Temperatures 12 or 14 degrees. Okay, what's it like out on the streets of Letrakenny? Kevin, what's the weather like? It's cold. There's lots of rain and everything here in the camera, so if I do look a bit swatched, that's what it is to start rain here at the minute. But what I've done, obviously, I've come through the roundabout. I'm currently here at Rossview Business Park, but I'll just share my experience just coming through the traffic lights. So just as I approached the roundabout, the lights actually turned green, so it wasn't so bad. But obviously, when I got halfway around then, they did go red. And then when they went green again, the problem was the traffic coming from the roundabout heading up towards, as we called the pennies roundabout then, that traffic was then built up. So basically, when the lights turned green for us to come up this way, obviously, we couldn't go, we basically couldn't go. So you were, so you were green, but blocked by traffic? We were green, but blocked by traffic. So this is the road now coming past the IT or the ATU towards the roundabout that you're on here now, isn't it? Yeah. You're opposite. I'll turn the camera around here so you can see that's there, is the roundabout there. I'm just here at Rossview Business Park, just opposite Ladle. Now, I did look across. There's not much traffic behind you there, so it's... No, there's actually not. You can see there at the minute, there's actually nothing. There's only literally two vehicles. That's all we have at the minute. And a couple of passengers waving to us there. And there's no traffic. Also, you're coming from the direction of the Mount Derrigal. I mean, I think I only counted about seven or eight cars. At one point now, there did a few more did come, but there's no build up. Right, walk down towards the roundabout there and give us a look at the road with the Mount Derrigal there. Oh, but how far away? Are you miles away? You're seeing at the minute. Now, I don't know if you can see up ahead, you can see a bin lorry there, but the traffic is built up the whole road. Now, if you look in the direction, obviously, that I've just come there from the dry arch roundabout, traffic seems to be moving pretty okay in that direction. We can see vehicles at the done stores coming from the direction of the new done stores. We can see buildable traffic there now. I said I didn't actually look over in that direction, so I'm not a hundred percent sure what the traffic is. So we must remember also to that we are now outside rush hour, it's 10 to 10, eight minutes to 10. So we're not in rush hour any longer. Yeah, well, that was one of the things I did bear in mind this morning that considering I was going to be that little bit earlier, you know, was it a case this morning that maybe I was just a bit earlier and it's, you know, the traffic is usually this bad, but obviously I'd have been in numerous times, you know, been early, whatever, whatever, but it would have been definitely would not have been as bad as that. So you can see this is currently the roundabout here. So traffic currently stopped there at the minute of these lights. And that's letting traffic out. Yeah. Okay. I see still to be quite a bit of traffic on the four lanes there. And then at that rock, I don't know what those roads are called. I'm useless. I should be doing a different job. But the approach past the manterrigal to the roundabout seems to be moving all right there. Is it? Yeah, it's it's flowing quite normal. So it is actually at the moment. And as I said, when I bear in mind, this is about 15, 20 minutes ago, it was flowing, it was flowing quite normal as well. And obviously, you know, there's vehicles there in the way at the moment, but just when these will pass, just give you quick glimpse. Yeah. Okay. You know, traffic seems to be too bad coming from the direction of the new guns, obviously. So clearly the problems, I don't know, maybe earlier on, maybe there's listeners out there, maybe I could put the text in and tell us what it was like a little bit earlier on coming from that direction. Maybe it was pretty bad, but it looks like we love actually currently. Yeah, things are moving quite well. There's no traffic on it. But as I say, there still seems to be quite a bit of traffic out the four lanes. So anyone on the four lanes when it's safe to do so, let us know, let us know if things are moving and then inward fashion. All right, Kevin, listen, thanks to that. Thanks for the insight. I appreciate it. We all appreciate it. No bother. No. All right, take care of yourself. Jeanette's with us as well. Jeanette, what's your experience? Good morning to you. Hello there. I left Volcana at 10 to 10 and I am up here for an appointment now at 10 to 11. The traffic coming in from Canary to the Polestar roundabout was literally four minutes. And there's no traffic heading towards the New Link Road at all. It's moving very, very well. Brilliant. So in other words, you allowed yourself lots of time. You're ahead of schedule. I'm ahead of schedule. I normally took 45 minutes from Volcana doing it. And today I was literally only five minutes over, which was perfect. And I am plenty of time. So now the traffic's going well. It reminds me of heading in to the New Link Road and in Belfast. If you're in time or you're taking your time, everything's moving great. It's so true. And if you're up against the clock, everything goes against you. But as I say, you know, we're not here to sort of say that this is a disaster. And I really appreciate, Jeanette, you sharing your positive experience, because it's really important that we get that balance struck. And things look like they're moving really quite well now. Although, as I say, we are past rush hour. Okay, Jeanette, listen, thank you very much for that. You're happy with how things moved and you're happy with how you're joining from Volcana into Electric. Anyone? And definitely went very, you know what? I would actually go as far as to say it was maybe better today than it was some other days coming to this Polestar. Brilliant. Roundabout from the Don Store site. So now I've done very well. Brilliant. Okay, that's great stuff. Jeanette, thank you. All right, take care of yourself. All right, bye-bye. So that's Jeanette's experience, which is a positive one. And they're very much welcomed as well, by the way. We're just trying to get a full sense of what's going on. Let's get to some more of your comments here. I live on the Lek Road in Letterkenny and I left it late to go to work in the hope that the traffic will be clear. Normally, it's clear by 9.15. This morning, I'm still sitting in the street trying to get out. How are these lights making traffic easier? Or is it the car drivers, as usual, jumping them, adding to the traffic jam? You wouldn't want to be jumping the traffic lights on the Polestar. Dave, good morning to you. What's your experience? How are you, Greg? Yeah, my wife was on it there. Not too bad at this time of the day, but I suppose you've got to give it a chance to start there again. But in my own opinion there, like while the access is blocked off, there's no exits free from the roundabout at the busy times, at the best of times. So while the exits are blocked getting off, I can't see how the roundabout would work. Go ahead, Dave, sorry. It's all right. People compare it to the round and dairy there by the bridge. But that's what a bridge is. The thing about that roundabout is that every exit is free when your green light comes on. You can get away, you know, whereas the dairy is different there, you know? Yeah, we heard from Kevin there that he was stopped on the roundabout on red, but the lights turned green and because people were still stuck on the roundabout, not able to get off the exits, there was no advancement even on green. That's really talked to what you're highlighting there. Yeah, also I thought there, like, I mean, maybe I missed opportunity now, but the new road, which is a good road and all, but maybe three lanes coming in would have been a better idea for the people to get down the Neil T. Blaney road in a way where it's not blocked, you know, I guess you're sitting halfway up the halfway up the port road and you can't get to the Blaney road together. Yeah, I understand. I understand exactly what you're saying. All right, Dave, listen, thanks very much for your insight. Let us know when you're on it. No dead peak times. Cheers, Dave. Thanks very much indeed. Right. Let's take a break for the news and obituary notices, loads to come on the show. Keep your texts, calls and comments coming in. This is Peter Power from UNICEF with an emergency appeal for children affected by the crisis in Gaza. Right now, hundreds of thousands of children are in extreme danger. Innocent children have been killed, injured and left homeless. Terrified children desperately need medical supplies, shelter and clean water. UNICEF is on the ground in Gaza, but we urgently need your help. Please donate now at unicef.ie to support our work. Thank you. I'm Lorraine Keane and I hate feeling tired and hormonal, yet that's exactly how I felt when my perimenopause started in my late 30s. For nutritional support, I chose Irish supplement Clean Marine Menemen. Why? Because menemen contains Amiga 3, Vitamin D and also Vitamin B6, which contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity and helps reduce tiredness. All in just two capsules a day. Ask for menemen at health stores and pharmacies or learn more at cleanmarine.ie. I'm glad I did. Pedial thread lifts and skin boosters, which rejuvenate the skin by improving facial contours lifting and tightening the jaws, neck, cheeks and eyebrows are available at Janus' Aesthetics and Skincare Clinic, Ghidor to choose the right aesthetic treatment for you contact Mary Ferry, your aesthetic practitioner, also offering fat dissolving treatments, dermal fillers and laser treatments for all skin conditions. Her and make-up packages also available. Janus' Aesthetics and Skincare Clinic, Ghidor 0749532575. Some cars pass by unnoticed and others, others catch your eye. There's something about them, something different, something that just speaks for itself. The Opel Astra, a new generation Astra, a car that just has to be experienced on every level. Named Continental Tires Iris Compact Car of the Year 2023, the Opel Astra speaks for itself. Test drive the Opel Astra at Mannermotors Opel, see Mannermotors.ie for details. Donegol Denture Clinic, Letter Kenny. Denture problems, we can help. At Donegol Denture Clinic, we customize, personalize and tailor your dentures to suit you. Call us for a free consultation on 9-1-25-25-3. Find us at Balli Rain, Letter Kenny, beside Rossum College. Medical cards, welcome. For all your denture needs, call Donegol Denture Clinic on 9-1-25-25-3, online at DonegolDentureClinic.ie. Live on air, online and on the Highland Radio app, this is Highland Radio News. Good morning, it's 10 o'clock, Donald Kavanaugh at the news desk. A cross border repeal has been issued in relation to a man who's been missing from Inichon for seven weeks. Gardie have renewed an appeal and seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 14-year-old Stephen Boyle, who was reported missing from Burnfoot on the 22nd of August this year. He's described as being approximately five feet six inches in height of medium build with light brown hair and blue eyes. It's unknown what Stephen was wearing when he went missing. Gardie are concerned for Stephen's welfare and at their request, the PSNI has also issued an appeal for information about Stephen Boyle's whereabouts this morning. A record number of junior cycle students will collect their results today, 71,494 students sat the exam this year. They can get their results in schools this morning or online from 4 p.m. It's the first time the number of candidates sitting the junior cycle exam or its predecessor, the Intercert, has exceeded 70,000. 2,571 students sat the exam in Donegal. Josepha Manigan, Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion is encouraging students not to stress over the results. They will be able to get their results online, which is a new facility compared to years ago when you'd have to physically go in, but either way it's not the leading third, it's the junior third and it's a good way to see how they cope with the state exam and deliver it. Another run at it when they have their leading third in a couple of years of time. The junior disability minister has acknowledged there is a pinch point with regards to recruitment in children's disability network teams in Donegal and that requires a specific response. At present 56% of positions in the service remain unfilled. In the DAW last night, WMQ briefed members on a meeting which the HSE held with public representatives and parents in Donegal this week. WMQ told Minister Ann Rabbit the parents presented the meeting with four proposals which they said would improve the situation in the short term. Minister Rabbit pledged to assess and move on those recommendations as quickly as possible. She said she's also in close contact with clinicians in the county. I'm concerned about the CDNT team in Donegal for the simple reason it's a HSE team and if we fail to recruit onto a HSE team my options are very limited so we have to make it incredibly attractive. The clinicians were incredibly helpful to me during the summer when I was down there. They are the ones that have told me what I need to do and what I am trying to do to ensure that we have a proper functioning team not just in Donegal but right across my 91s but at the moment there is a real clear pinch point in Donegal. The Thalyshna and Foreign Affairs Minister says the International Criminal Court must investigate last night's explosion at a hospital in Gaza that killed at least 500 people. Hamas says it was an Israeli airstrike but Israel's military insists it has evidence to show it was another group. Islam iqshihad that group denies responsibility. The U.S. President has just arrived in Tel Aviv where he'll meet with the Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. A planned meeting with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that was to have taken place in Jordan has been cancelled following the Gaza explosion. Thalyshna B. Hall-Martin says the images emerging from Gaza are horrific. The appalling images and the commentary and the claim and counterclaim and I contend non-reservably to check on this hospital and I do believe that the International Criminal Court which has jurisdiction over Israel and in occupied territories should investigate this. Rural T.D.s are calling on the government to urgently address what they say are alarmingly long waiting times for driving tests in various parts of the country. They say delays of up to 51 weeks in some areas are causing significant distress for thousands of learners. They're urging the government to allow learners who have completed the mandatory 12 lessons to drive unaccompanied under L-plates. The leader of the rural independent group, Matty McGrath says the long wait times are having a serious impact on young people. Like in Turkey it does a 45-week waiting period, while in Tlanemel does a 28-week, maximum 28-week seven months and you know many of these young people want to go to college, they may have got apprenticeships in different places, different towns and cities and they want to be able to get under at the road travel. Jobs and them will be able to be filled because of this situation. What the forecast mostly cloudy today with outbreaks of rain turning heavy and persistent in the afternoon and evening, a chance of flooding in top temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees celsius, fresh and gusty east to southeast winds. Tonight further spells of rain with heavy falls bring in a chance of more flooding, lowest overnight temperatures 8 to 11, again moderate southeast breezes. Tomorrow Thursday a mix of dry spells and showers in top temperatures of 14 to 16 degrees celsius. That's Highland radio news, we're back with news headlines again at 11 o'clock regular updates of course on our website highlandradio.com but for now from the news team, good morning. The Abage notices for this Wednesday morning the 18th of October. The death has occurred of John McGowan, Aaron Moore Island. His remains are traveling today on the half-past two ferry to Aaron Moore to repose at his sister's residence. Rosary nightly at 9 o'clock with house private police after the rosary. Funeral mass on Friday morning at 11 in St. Cronus Church, Aaron Moore, followed by interment in the adjoining cemetery. The death has taken place of Eileen Foster, Ne Akin, Moyle Hill, Milford, formerly of Drumhurruv, Remelton. Requiem mass on Friday morning at 11 o'clock in St. Peter's Church, Milford, followed by burial in Milford's cemetery. The mass can be viewed at churchservices.tv. House strictly private police at the request of the deceased. Family flowers only please the nations in Louis-de-Zard to the Donegal Hospice care of any family member. The death has taken place of Mary Kavanaugh, 74 Gleneagles Derry. Funeral from her home on Friday morning at 20 past nine, going to our Lady of Lourdes Church Steelstown for Requiem mass at 10 o'clock interment afterwards in the city cemetery. Family flowers only please the nations in Louis-de-Zard to the Foyle Hospice. Family time please from 8 p.m. until 12 noon. The death has occurred of Sheila Freel, Ne Herity, Koshia, Birch Grove, Delag, Milford. Sheila's remains are reposing at her home. Funeral from there tomorrow morning to St. Mary's Church, Fanavalte for Requiem mass at 12 noon with burial afterwards in the adjoining graveyard. Rosary tonight at 9 p.m. with family time please from 10 o'clock tonight and before the funeral tomorrow. The nations in Louis-de-Zard to Fanaugh care of the aged, care of Amon Scott funeral directors or any family member. The death has taken place of Barbara Ann Stewart, Ne Dunbar, 16 Rockley Road, Castle Durg. Service of thanksgiving for the life of Barbara will be held in 2nd Castle Durg Presbyterian Church tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock followed by interment in Castle Durg New Cemetery. Family flowers only please. Donations in Louis-de-Zard to Macmillan nurses and chest heart and stroke made payable to Robert Armstrong and son funeral directors. And the death has occurred of Dorothy Alcorn to Bluestack Drive Dremerone Letcher Barrow. Removal from Gallagher's funeral home Station Road Mount Charles this afternoon going to Holy Trinity Church Dunfanny for service at 2 o'clock with burial afterwards in Clondor Hockey Cemetery. For family information and more details regarding wakes and funerals please go to HighlandVideo.com. Aldi's been voted the best family-friendly supermarket by parents in Ireland. Ireland's most sustainable supermarket and the most reputable supermarket by Irish shoppers. Aldi has also just bagged another 46 Bloss Awards, been crowned during retailer of the year, awarded 63 Star Awards at the Great Taste Awards and picked up Ireland's first ever Diamond Award at the International Taste Institute Awards for some of our Irish specially selected states. So many awards for one supermarket. Aldi, every day amazing. The county's number one talk show, the 9 till noon show on Highland Radio. And you're very welcome back to the program. Good morning. If you're just tuning in with a busy couple of hours for you with your live music coming up in this hour with a great young band and also thanks Neve Grace sorry I beg your pardon. And also we have, what else do we have? We are going to be celebrating 50 years of Leatherkenny Rugby Club. That's coming up shortly. Let's see, hi can someone explain how emergency vehicles can get from the dry arch to the Polestar roundabout when traffic is at its highest with nowhere for cars to pull in? That's a question that's concerned me if it was someone I love in the back of the ambulance. Is there anyone involved in the ambulance service listening and all you do that might give us an insight? Is there any concerns in that regard or is there an action plan for access to the hospital via the Derry Road particularly during peak times? Not one Councillor from Leatherkenny come on this morning to explain this traffic mess? Funny that. Well we didn't invite anyone on in fairness if any Councillors are listening and they have concerns. I think in fairness it is a case of wait and see. They're brand new. First time they've dealt with morning traffic. The teams are out in the ground calibrating them, making adjustments where they need to be. It's not going to be perfect from day one, so I don't suppose there's any advantage in any knee jerk reactions. Perhaps if a Councillor came on, they would be accused of trying to be populist when the Councillor themselves has said it's going to take a week or two before they're refined. And I suppose really we have to reserve judgement there, but that being said with thousands and thousands and thousands of cars going through the Polestar roundabout it's not something we could ignore in the programme either but trying to strike a balance but at the same time getting the views of people out there. I went through the traffic lights yesterday. I drive that way out in the morning and back in the evening. Yesterday it took me an hour to get from the post office at the mountain top to the dry arch. It's crazy says that listener. 8.55 this morning we hit traffic back up at Tara Court Junction heading towards the Polestar roundabout. Reminded me of a busy bank holiday weekend with traffic. Some cars made a U-turn, made alternative routes. However, traffic moved nicely. Maximum 12 minutes from Tara Court to get through traffic lights at the Polestar. Good experience. I don't think it would have been moving as smoothly without the traffic lights. Keep it moving. Another school bus driver here doing the same route at the same time five days a week to St Bernadette's and Little Angels through Old Town on way in and through Polestar on way out and then back in the house five minutes later than normal. Traffic was heavy where it's normally heavy. It just seems to me a great shame to spend all that money on lights for what looks like no gain for you, of course, but you see maybe there are others and we're hearing from them that had a similar experience. My experience was five, six minutes later than five or six minutes later than normal. Another only one way to see if the lights or people are the problem. Put a council worker at every light to make sure people aren't stopping at the box junction. If it's the fault of people, they'll never work. Took me 15 minutes from the dry arch to the Polestar seems to be delayed if you're coming into the station round about another. Of course, the traffic is okay. Now it's 10 o'clock and that's something that we recognise through the course of that conversation. Rush hour is over. Another listener pointed out yes, indeed, but also okay, we were establishing what it was like when it was busy and then as it eases off how things are moving. It's an early 10 o'clock people are at work and at school at this stage. Of course, yes, I get that. And as I say, we recognise that at that time. Just left letter Kenny via a mountain road. No delays on the way out. If you're texting these in a bit of the time might be useful. Right, okay. The dual carriageway down to one lane just as the traffic lights are switched on. Surely this was not the week to do this work. Who makes these decisions? You think traffic is bad today? Wait till tomorrow morning. Just at the crash over leg traffic. Now these are texts that have come in over the course of the morning. When they say just a crash, this was when it was busier traffic back to the whole way going into old Tanner disaster. It's never like this at this time of the morning. You may meet some traffic as you approach the old town bridge at Don's, but never to this extent. It's a real disaster. I live in Lergy Brack took me 45 minutes to go to the dry art shop to get milk. One and a half kilometres totally discussed. Hi Greg, business owner and multinational business owners and multinational companies and residents in letter Kenny need to get together and pull all the councillors in their area across the calls. It's their lack of real work and self ishness has the town the way it is. People will go elsewhere for shopping. God bless the personal child in the back of an ambulance fighting for the lives trying to get through that mess. Now in fairness to the councillors, they raise these issues regularly. They've called for boxes on certain roundabouts, plans of action here, there and everywhere. The councillors powers in this regard are limited. They can make representations, but they don't have to be accepted. If a councillor proposes a motion and it is seconded, it's still an executive decision whether or not that motion is passed on. Certainly too, there is a situation whereby some of this is council controlled. Some of it is TII. So as I say, I'm not here to sort of advocate on behalf of councillors, but I do understand what they can and what they can't do. They can make representations. Are they responsible for the traffic gridlock around letter Kenny? No, really, because these are executive decisions, roads department decisions, TII decisions and they're all really above county council or as control. Yes, they have some important some things, but at the end of the day, these are executive decisions which may well work out as well. We are being fair as we can to say, let's see how things go over the next wee while. It's time for NCBI Bingo on Highland Radio. It's Wednesday, the 18th of October. You're playing on the blue sheet. The reference number is S8. It's game number 42. The numbers are 30, 68, 5, 54, 14, 81, 67, 58, 18 and finally, 6. Phone your claim tonight, 104833 before 8 tonight. Leave in your name, contact number and the name of the shop where you purchased your book and we'll call you back the next working day. Get all your NCBI Bingo information at highlandradio.com. Keep out the cold, cold, cold and ring Fleming for their full range of garage doors, agri doors, insulated doors, milking parlour doors, Fleming, 91, 48, 234. Do you need a UK address? Save hundreds of euros on custom charges shopping online with Space Hub Dairy. We provide a full virtual office address mailbox service for all your business and personal use. Save your business hundreds possibly thousands on custom charges with Space Hub Dairy. Call 048-7187-8077 for more details. All you need to make your house a home at Patterson's The Hall Lifford Christmas Layaway Club now open with lots of Christmas gift ideas in store like Hollywood mirrors, dressing tables, bean bags and much more. Need a new mattress? Visit our sleep centre on the first floor with quality beds and mattresses at discount prices in stock and ready for a media collection or delivery. Open Monday to Saturday 9am till 5.30pm with hot lunches served daily in our coffee shop, Patterson's kitchens and interiors The Hall Lifford. Good morning, Anthea. Good morning, Greg. Oh, that's much better. As I say, it's so important I wanted to make sure everyone could hear you. Thank you very much. Now, people will know that your son, Keane, went missing in September 2020. You are very active in social media trying to trigger people's memories and off the back of a post that you made, you received contact from someone with some further information. So, if you could pick it up from there, Anthea. Yes, that's right. Somebody contacted me on the site, find Keane, and said that they had, they remembered him jumping on a bus that day. Now, it was two days after he went, he was reported missing. Now, I met this lady in Falkara a few days ago because I was over in Donegal and back in the UK now and I'm convinced that she believed that she did see Keane at that time. Obviously, I'm keeping an open mind because it's three years ago and it could well have been another occasion when he jumped on a bus from Dunfana. I'm not holding out too much hope, but after having met her, I do believe that she was convinced it was two days after he went missing. Yeah, and there's enough there for you to give it some credence, as you say, but also keeping in mind timelines and what have you. So, is it possible that Keane just wanted to hop on a bus and get away? Yes, quite possible, quite possible. That's characteristic. He had difficulty with authority, difficulty fitting into society. He was on disability benefit one time, he didn't want to be on it. He wanted to try and find work and then he couldn't keep up with being on the dole. He was missing appointments and he just found it overwhelming. At one point, he was offered a flat in Falkara and I think he stayed actually under the stairs in the apartment block, didn't sleep in the apartment and went back to the derelict house that he was living in. He did not want to be part of society. So, it is plausible that he just wanted to go off-grid? Exactly, yes. And he was familiar with Galway because he came with me one time, not so long before, and he liked Galway. But yes, I mean, it's quite possible. As I say, I'm keeping an open mind. I'm not getting too agitated about it. No, and I think you can't allow yourself to, can you? No, no. In reality. And really, I mean, he's a fully grown adult. At this point really, you would accept just contact to say, this is the way I'm living my life. And we can't rule out the fact that the searches were targeted searches for a particular reason. That can't be ruled out either. But at this point, Anthea, particularly given Kean's nature, then, if that's the way he wants to live his life, okay, but let mum know so that you can at least have some peace of mind. Exactly. Yes, I don't want to interfere with his life. I've always been there to try and support him in the life that he wanted. But unfortunately, mental health got in the way. And, you know, it is what it is. But yes, absolutely. I mean, this piece of news, if I choose to believe it, which I want to believe it, it means that he didn't walk up to the top of Hornhead and finish his end his life there. You know, that means that he did get on a bus and he he's living rough or he's found a community somewhere as I mean, if you think about it, we've got an awful lot of homeless people living on the streets of the cities. And they survive, you know, with that with relative anonymity as well, sadly, in case with relative anonymity as well, sadly, in many cases. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. And and it's there. They're right, I suppose it's, you know, it's not up to us to decide. Did Keane have a passport? I mean, presumably he also, if he didn't perish as you outlined, he could be in Britain. Could he be beyond Britain? I don't think so. I think his passport, I haven't actually got the passport. I think the guard the guards did find the passport. Okay. Yeah, because previously he had actually taken off and was ended up in Amsterdam, you know, he was found wandering around the airport with with no money and and no ticket. So that was a few years before. But yeah, so it's quite, it's quite possibly went somewhere, but he won't have a he won't have a passport to go abroad. And would he have a means of contacting you, Anthea? You know, if I mean, his mobile phone is not there any longer, would it be active on social media? So in other words, even if he took a notion today to say, right, I want to let my mom know I'm okay, but I want to be left alone for an example, it would be very difficult for him to to to make that contact, I imagine at this point. Not really, because I'll be honest with you, Greg, I'm not really a great fan of Facebook. Okay. But I've I've kept the Facebook site open. purely for kids benefit because he always said that he that's the way he wanted to communicate with me wasn't going to pick up the phone. He would always, you know, let me know via Facebook. So that's why I keep the I keep my page open. And also, of course, I put the find key in it. I mean, social media is great for getting the word out. So I I've kept that. All right. Well, Anthea, I hope that there's some developments from this, and that you get some some some piece of mind. But thank you. Hopefully, if anyone has any further information, they can contact us and we'll pass it on or contact you via that find key. Pass it on to the the Milford, the Garden she can, of course, in the first instance. All right. Thank you for going to a new phone. I appreciate it. Have a lovely day as best as you can with everything that's going on. Okay. Take care of yourself. All right. Bye. Bye. Right. Okay. That's Anthea there. Moving on now. And letter Kenny Rob Big Club is its 50th year anniversary established in 1973. And now it's 2023, unbelievably. We're joined by two guests in studio, Roy Robinson, who's the organizer of the 50th anniversary celebrations. Good morning to you, Roy. Thank you very much for your time. Yeah, it's just Boyd. Boyd, sorry. Is B beside R in the keyboard? No, no explanation for that. All right, Boyd, makes more sense to be honest with you. I was just going to go with it. And the captain of the rugby club, Christopher Digimus. Thanks, lads. Christopher Digimus, can we have reflections on Ireland out of the World Cup? Got it. Don't mention the war. Well, we have to, don't we? I mean, it was such a good game. A team had to lose. Worthy of a final, like. Yeah. I was over in Paris, Greg. And I have to say, you know, we really had expectations were very high in Irish rugby at the weekend. And we kind of got a wee bit English on it, though, didn't we? I don't know if you know what I mean. But every right to be is at the same. Okay. You know, we had a fantastic team. But like after the game on Saturday in Paris, it was like a Irish wake. I know. I know. I know. But the tournament really came to light in that game. It was absolutely unbelievable. But on the wrong end of it. Anyway, moving forward, because we are looking forward now. Tell us a bit about the club, Christopher. It's a rugby club. It's a rugby club. We're trying to celebrate 50 years here. Is it a big club? How many members do you have? Where do your teams compete? Well, like, I'll put it in this way. We're kind of doing up for the catering for Saturday. Like, we have 100 or about 100 minis, about 150 odd youths. And there's three senior teams. And there's about 100 girls as well. So it's just growing all the time. That's huge. And after, you know, events like the World Cup, you're going to get more contact from. Yeah, even the Facebook page, people messaging. I've never played rugby, but I'd like to try it out. And there's different ways of playing for younger people. Contact non-control, that kind of stuff, isn't it? You have to sort of develop and bring people through. When did you start playing? I was over 13, so only 20 years. It could be my anniversary too. But not quite 50 years. So, Boyd, how are you marking the 50-year celebrations? So, this weekend, we're having just a day of rugby, really, where it's going to be starting off with our minis. We're going to be playing at Blitz. And then, straight after that, we're going to have our three youth teams, 18, 16s and 14s, all playing against Korean and League matches. And then our girls' teams are playing after that. So we have our 14, 16s and 18s girls all playing matches. And then in the afternoon, we have our three senior teams, their first, second and third all playing matches. Afterward, we'll be having a few speeches and then we'll be a bit of catering. And we also will have the Six Nations trophy and the Triple Crown. We'll both be there all day for people. Fantastic. How did you pull that one off? Just a phone call from a few contacts. Brilliant. Excellent. So, people have the opportunity to go along and get the picture taken with those trophies as well. That's right. Yeah, so it's like it's open to everybody. We'd like to see as many as possible down at the club. And if you want to get that opportunity to get the picture of the trophy. Yeah, so, I mean, obviously, there's going to be a huge, with all the people that are members of the club and people that are playing with it, it's going to be a huge turnout. It's an open invitation, especially with a bit of buzz about moment or be we're somewhat disappointed for an opportunity to go and see it live and see the trophies as well. I mean, so it's open to everyone, as you say. Yeah, it's very much open. The letter Kenny's always been an open club anyway. And that's part of the celebrations that we show everyone that everybody's welcome. Christopher, you play at the Dave Gallagher Park. It's at the Glee, the Thorn Road. How often do you, the seniors play and, you know, if people want to go and watch, for an example? Well, if we're good, any upcoming games is usually well advertised on our Facebook page, but we're training Tuesday, Thursday at 7.30 to 9. And then matches are always on a Saturday. Like we're sort of, what are we, five games into our league. So there's 10 teams in our league. And so we're halfway through the first. How's that going? What's your kill death ratio was the same gaming terms? We came first twice and second three times. That's not too bad. It's early doors. Yeah, but now, like, I suppose this is our first time being promoted into this league. Yeah. So it was never, I didn't think we're going to, well. You're establishing yourself at this level really, isn't it? Yeah. Go for it. Like, yeah, okay. Is it a sport you'd recommend for younger people to get involved in? You started at 13. Even like, from just developing their off skill, like at the, like the referee respect in rugby is different. It's unbelievable to watch. Isn't it so dignified? You just see, like, I suppose I'm getting to the older cohort of the team. Like, but you see young lads come in, 18, and you know what I mean? You think they're about a tip on their shoulder. Like, but just a year or two, they're just... Yeah. It's just, it installs a discipline and respect, doesn't it? It's just built into the game. And do you see it growing? Because there are pockets of where it's massive and areas then where it just doesn't have the same traction. Do you see the forward momentum of rugby growing even more so? 100%. Like, it is, like, you think of the population even, that we have a geographical sense. It's an untapped market, like... Yeah. And boy, it's, sometimes I don't think... I mean, it's hugely supported, all right? Everyone watched and jumped on the bandwagon for the World Cup. But what we achieve as a nation, the size of our nation in a, you know, arguably a global sport, it's remarkable that we produce this quality of player from the population that we have, the pool. It's unbelievable. Yeah. And it hasn't happened by accident, Greg. You know, the IRF, you have gone out and they're picking players out. Even in our own club, there's now pathways for young people that weren't there before. They're bringing them into elite squads. So, they're using, they're putting the arms out there and they're picking players even out from our own club in Lederkinny and they're bringing them into academies and stuff. And, you know, there's just a massive, massive effort being put in at IRFU level and at Ulster Branch level to promote the game and give every child the proper opportunity to make their way through. Before years ago, you had to go to a public school. They really have a chance. Yeah. And that's changed completely now. Much more inclusive, isn't it? Much more inclusive. For sure. And it's great because, you know, use that phrase again, if you can see, you can be it. But now there's pathways and if you have the ambition and the skill and the drive, you're going to be supported, aren't you? So, the events started with Mini Rugby at 9 on Saturday, run through to 2.30. Then the club itself is celebrating, obviously, that evening. Yeah, so that evening, there'll be speeches and there'll be food and then we've got the World Cup semi-final on as well. So, we're expecting a big crowd for that. Brilliant. And where's that? That's obviously for club members, presumably at that point. That's for everyone. Is it still in the evening? You talked about catering, Christopher. I wouldn't like to be picking up the tab. Well, we have two people, well, a family. Would I give them a plug here? Joel and Maria Gibson. And they do the food every week and week out. Absolutely exceptional. No, it doesn't phase like I started adding up, you know, you might need 500 hot dogs. Oh, no, but we'll get 600 just in case she said like... That's what you want, isn't it? You take that, we'll take out a bit, fair play to them. All right, so where is the more information on when stuff is on? We've mentioned it a couple of times now, but Boyd, I suppose you can go to the Let A Kenny Rubber Club Facebook page, can you? Let A Kenny Rubber Club Facebook has all information. And it's nice that it's tied into the semi as well. The semi-final as well. It fits in lovely, doesn't it? I know, I know, but you're lucky we are where we are. All right, well, congratulations on to another 50 years. Do you see, Christopher, do you see a positive progression? In other words, 50 years in the bag onwards and upwards? I think even the last 10 years has been exceptional. The Moor Ireland do well as well, it'll all drip down. But even since COVID where we've, like I think we got that break for COVID and then there was a bit of a hunger after it. And before COVID we were struggling maybe with one senior team where as now we're able to push, well, this will be our first time pushing out three. Fantastic, isn't it? It's amazing. And that's obviously requires work because there are other things that after that break didn't really come back at all. So you've tapped into that desire and appetite. Anything you want to add, Boyd, before we wrap up? No, just hope we see as many as possible down there and just a shout out to anybody that's played the game. I've played myself for 22 years and I don't think there's a hall that our Kenny would fill every player that I've played with. So just a shout out to all the guys that I've played with over the years and over the 50 years that have been involved. Brilliant opportunity to catch up and share memories. Any sponsors to like with people by advertising hordens and stuff like that? Yeah, exactly. Call them. Everyone's welcome. It's going to be a great day celebration. 50 years is a fabulous milestone. You're all invited to come and join a full day of celebrations, live music and entertainment throughout the day as well too. It's a full family day as well. And then celebrations continuing long into the night. So get along to the Dave Gulliver Park, the Gleeb Thorn Road. Early start from 9 a.m. Good if people get out and support the Mini Rugby teams as well, obviously. So they have a bit of cheering on the sidelines. All right, listen, brilliant. Have a fantastic, have a fantastic Saturday. And we'll chat. She's about 8 a.m. Sunday morning. Thank you very much indeed. Christopher and Boyd back with live music after these. Watch the show live now on YouTube, Facebook and at HighlandRadio.com. Dunny Gull Denture Clinic. Letter Kenny. Denture problems. We can help. At Dunny Gull Denture Clinic, we customize, personalize and tailor your dentures to suit you. Call us for a free consultation on 9-1-25-25-3. Find us at Balli Rain, Letter Kenny, beside Rossin College. Medical cards, welcome. For all your denture needs, call Dunny Gull Denture Clinic on 9-1-25-25-3. Online at dunnygulldentureclinic.ie. I will to rail hike through a special time. I will to raid on Heavrim law clear. I have a lot of friends in the family. They are very curious about what I'm doing. Long a bail, I want to stay in my home. And it is very hard to find a job that makes me happy. I am very happy to work in Heavrim. The plan will be published in visitdublin.com. Winter in Dublin, Top 3 Echt Down. We will meet again at Faulty Ireland. Creative landscaping works are done by all distributors of millboard cladding and decking. Thanks to its unique polymer resin construction, this decking and cladding doesn't deteriorate like natural wood and won't be beaten for durability. It also has superb slip resistance, even when wet and every board is produced using recycled materials. Live life outside with Millboard at Creative Landscaping Works, listen in and letter Kenny. See creativelandscapingworks.com. Hello, boncranor. Carrick Don is coming to town. New Megastore opening Friday at 11 a.m. VIP guests, discounts, giveaways and more. Join the opening party at Carrick Don this weekend. More info at CarrickDon.com. 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Plus selected Cadbury Treat Size Sharing Bags were €3.55, now €2. Lower the cost of your shop with your Tesco Club Card or app. The power to lower prices. Tesco, every little helps. Products subject to availability prices may vary in express stores. Easy Living Furnitures Octoberfest sale ends this Sunday. Absolutely everything reduced with up to 60% off Sofa's dining bedroom and mattresses that are in stock and ready for delivery. With 0% interest refinance available for up to two years and with no deposit, the decision is easy. Octoberfest sale ends Sunday at Easy Living Furniture. Terryland, Galway, Sligo Retail Park, Sligo and Briefy Road Castle Bar. More and more people are moving to rural Ireland but we're not here in Donegal for a slower pace of life. We're here because rural Ireland is alive. Brimming with ideas and energy. The only thing holding us back is slow broadband. It's cut. Pure glacial. So why wait? 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All right, mostly cloudy today with outbreaks of rain moving in and turning heavy and persistent in the afternoon and evening with a chance of flooding. Highs temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees in fresh and gusty east to southeast winds. Now we have some live guests in studio with us and we're gonna hear some live music from them. They are the notions. Mason, good morning to you. Mason Gillan, guitar and vocals. Thanks for calling in. It's good to have you on the show. Also Finley Thompson's with us on the bass guitar. Hi. How are you doing, Greg? Good, good, good to have you on. Mark Larry Connelly's on the drums, literally on the drums. He's sitting on the drums. Good morning, Mark. How are you getting on? I'm getting good, yourself. Good to have you with us. All right, now the notions. Not unfamiliar to Highland radio listeners. We don't have Bobby with us. He's doing something else. So we've got traffic control. Traffic control, is that it? All right, so we're a four piece down to a three piece. And we're talking about a night of music in the cottage bar this coming Saturday night at 8 p.m. It's a cracking venue. I'll start with you, Mark. Talk to us about what you're doing Saturday night. Well, we are playing a gig. We have Kierzo starting for us. And then along comes the e-fades. And then towards the end of the night, we come on and we steal the show. Yeah, that's how the e-fades and the other band will have something to say about that. Oh, well, they'll have to show us another. I have to be careful because I bump into mums and dads. Oh, yeah. You know what I mean? So I have to play it level. They're a great band to be fair to. No, they're all a good. And this is something new, is it, Finley, that, you know, a night of music, free local bands? Well, basically, I suppose, since after we're a young band ourselves, but, you know, we had COVID for two years and that. And we weren't playing and there was no live music anywhere. And we're just kind of trying to highlight the importance of live music in that, especially for us. Like, where do we start in the cottage at the open mic night? And that's my piece. So we're always very grateful for that. And so we're just highlighting importance. These kind of these events for young musicians getting us starting, get going and I suppose, what? No better way than a club between the Fades and that or the best local young bands that are Kenny and then ourselves and Kierzo as well, like, you know, and it makes and there's nothing beats performing live either, is it? I mean, you can do all the practice, the rehearsing, the writing, the recording, whatever way you want to do, but you can't be being out there in front of a live, appreciative audience. Mass class, you had a good rush. I'm playing live, like, yeah. And now we've written a few originals and some people have started to learn the lyrics and we get there here to be and shout it back to us and there's no better feeling like. And things are going well for years, aren't they? I mean, you've supported the last is a performed to at party in the park. I mean, you know, things are moving in the right direction. You were flat out, you know, when we're keep going. Marry from the lowest. Well, he's right of that, too. Well, that was a good idea. That was right there. Yeah, it's more of a barricade. I said, well, the best ones of the summer and, like, you know, as I say, we've kind of started out and we're just hopefully on the up anyway. But you see, the thing is, is the mark, when you get a taste of it, you know, you want more, don't you? Oh, yeah. No, we drive you on, doesn't it? We started off with the open mic night, as Finlay said. And then every every now and then we go back to it because, like, it is our home, which is why we're so happy to be playing in college on Saturday. And then we've done gigs throughout the summer. Marry from Dundlo and then we've done a few of our own like gigs, which we've labeled Shed's. But like that was just kind of more our own thing. But the gigs that we do, you really just you get the hype from it and you get like an adrenaline rush. Yeah. And I called it not called, but mentioned it on the show before when speaking to some of the young bands about getting the opportunity, you know, there's lots of stage time at big events and I use headlined it, but I'm on about there's lots of stage time at big events where there's just music coming out of speakers, you know, that young bands would love the opportunity to get up on stage and perform and build from that and fair play to the crew from Marry from Dundlo to they have spotlighted loads of great talents and give you guys the spotlight that you deserve as well. And hopefully we see more of that the bands like use and others and up and commerce are are backed. Right. So basically you talk about doing a bit of writing there as well, getting a catalog together. I suppose that's what's expected when you do in a gig, you know, you need, you know, there's going to be covers in there, your own version of stuff, but you need your own stuff there too. Yeah, I actually think that our originals are sound better than the covers because we can kind of do all the things. Exactly. So we just, I would kind of start off right up the house, show the band put together and sometimes it will take like five minutes and we'll just work straight away. Well, that's a good sign of how he's collaborate with each other. Yeah, we'll get along great. All right, well, let's hear something we're going to hear to because I left enough time to make sure we do and to get you all back to wherever you need to go afterwards. And we'll talk more about the band and the event that's upcoming. So Mason, do you want to introduce the first track? Yes, one's called Uneniable. It's a bit of a fast piece one. That's right. This is one of your own, is it? Okay. And how, when did you stop performing this or when was this finished? I think we first formed this one, a party in the park back in July. Excellent. Okay. All right, whenever you're ready, the notions was the notions. It's hard to phrase this with that. I mean, this used to get great support from local venues and what have you, right? But do you think there's a scene that needs to be established? If you get where I'm coming from? No, I definitely, I definitely mean like there is the music scene later Kenny, but an expansion of that, like you can't underestimate Mike Knights between the cottage and that and the cottage are great for supporting things like mouthpiece and letting local musicians have an opportunity to play in that. You know, on the other hand of that, in my kind of country, down in Dunedin, though you have Club Beow and that run by Moia Brennan, which is another great open Mike Knight. And even five minutes, one or two songs, takes me to young musicians, gives them the confidence and they need that because you can't just start off with big two-hour sets. That's too much. So there's a real, there's an importance for a bit of a scene to be established, especially after COVID. That was knocked down huge amount, you know, I suppose and pubs were, you know, hard for them to reopen on that. And you know, if things are slow starting, but I'm hopeful that, you know, certain things are on the up, you know. Yeah, exactly. And pubs sometimes now have to decide whether they pay for a band or TNT in Skysports. It's a tough old business for them to be trading in. And Mark, we need a constant stream of young talent as well, don't we? You know, use arguably this generation you need and there's ones ahead of you and you need ones coming behind you as well. And I suppose now it's like this encouraged that. Yeah, it's a great chance for young artists. Like, I know for myself, one of ours in first year, we started off, I watched Sheer Bulls. I like, they were my inspiration for the band anyway. And we had more and more artists and then there's ones coming behind us, airbears, there's bunch of young talent out there that can come through through. And the thing is, is to the way it is, it's kind of is, is great in a way because say from a media perspective, you know, if the guys on Monday night sessions will get behind you. Yeah. If you get yourself together and you're good enough. And there are venues that will give you a chance of the open nights as well. So like, it's, it's can be done. You know, those people get together and they put their mind to it. There are ways of getting your stuff out there. And of course, then you can use the likes of Instagram. It's the note, it's the, the notions. It's the notions. Time you have to explain that you've given it the wrong name, nominee message. And on Facebook, it's the notions as well. Yeah. So it's, it's the notion of Instagram and the notions on Facebook. Okay. And then you can read it, reach a broader audience through that. Mason, do you want to introduce the song we're going to play out with? Yes, one's called Fall Angel. It's one of our more popular one among our people who come to our gigs and say we love the chorus. So this is the one that when they're on the way for a wee deter and bash and come back. All right. Okay. The notions. Take it away again, guys. I can see why it's a popular one. It's excellent. Right. Who's going to remind us of the gig in Saturday Night, then? Well, I suppose we'll just say it. We'll say it's basically 8 p.m. Saturday on the couch. Good man, Fili. Free entry. You took one for the team there. You're going to say it's going to cost you enough on the company. You just say three entry lads high. It's a catch phrase. That's a catch phrase. The English teacher wouldn't be happy with that. We're currently missing school, actually. We're all leaving to her as well. Hello. I don't really mind if she's caught, I've really missed out. If I may say thank you to your school for letting you out. Rosie's your... Ah, yeah, she is. Rosie last night. Getting you out of school. We have to get you back on time as well. Yeah, that might be it. As you're all in, are you in school still, mate? Yeah, I was at the same school as Mark. You're all in sixth then? Sectarian. How's it going? Ah, well, it's going, that's for sure. It's not long now. It seems like it's all good, but it's going. I get you. All right, listen. Anyway, it's been brilliant having yous on. Have a fantastic night, Saturday Night. There's three cracking bands. It's live. It's free height. And it's 8pm. This Saturday at the Cottage Bar Electric Henney Main Street. And that's just a sample. And these guys come in and did that acoustically as well. So you can imagine what you're going to get on the night. Plenty of noise from the notions. Continued success. I hope yous have a brilliant winter and particularly heading into the summer. We'd have to focus exams and all that kind of stuff. But anyway, that's a young person's problem. Enjoy it because you don't have those problems when you get older. All right, that's just a little bit of life advice for yous. He's got the coat on. He's got the coat on. He hasn't even... We haven't even said goodbye. All right, lads. And Bobby wasn't with us. But he'll be there Saturday night, I presume. So Mason, Finley, Mark Larry. Mark Larry Conley, thanks all of you. Thank you very much. We'll be back with more after the new... Sorry. We'll be back with the news after the break. Vision Zero means no road deaths or serious injuries on Irish roads by 2050. The development of an inclusive trauma system will mean that people will get the right care in the right place at the right time. Increasing chances of surviving. And the National Speed Limit Review has recommended the lowering of speed limits in some areas to ensure safer roads for everyone. 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It's all the stories that matter across the Northwest. It's Greg Hughes on the 90 noon show on Highland Radio. And it is 11 o'clock. Let's get a news update now and it's good morning to Donald Kavanaugh. Thank you Greg, good morning. A cross border appeal has been issued in relation to a 14 year old boy who's been missing from initially on for 7 weeks, Gardia renewing their appeal and seeking people's assistance in tracing Stephen Bowel. He's been missing from Burnfoot since the 22nd of August. At the request of Gardia, the PSNI have also issued an appeal this morning. A record number of junior cycle students are collecting their results today. 71,494 students sat the exam this year. 2,571 of them in Donegal. They're being collected in schools across the country this morning. They'll be available online from 4 this afternoon. The junior Disabilities Minister has acknowledged there is a pinch point with regards to recruitment in children's disability network teams in Donegal and that requires a specific response and rabbit acknowledged that at present 56% of positions in the service remain unfilled. Two leading rural bodies have announced a new collaboration which they say will offer opportunity for cross border learning and development. Rural Action in the North and Irish Rural Link in the Republic have come together under the Synergy Rural Collaboration Project which is being supported by the government's Shared Island initiative. Rural TDs are calling on the government to urgently address what they say are alarmingly long waiting times for driving tests in various parts of the country. They say delays of up to 51 weeks in some areas are causing significant distress for thousands of learners. They're urging the government to allow learners who've completed the mandatory 12 lessons to drive unaccompanied. It can take over 7 months to get a test in Moncran and Donegal Town and over 4 months in Letter Kenning. A US President Joe Biden is in Tel Aviv for talks with the Israeli Prime Minister as part of a diplomatic mission to ensure the conflict in the Middle East doesn't grow. Joe Biden's visit comes just hours after an explosion at a hospital in Gaza which Palestinian officials say has killed at least 500 people. Israel's military held a news conference earlier to show evidence that they claim proves they didn't cause the blast but a Palestinian group did. Islamic she had have strongly denied that one of their misfire rockets was responsible. Hamas agrees with them insisting it was the Israelis. And we're back with news headlines again at 12 noon. Thank you very much Donal. My perfect escape would be a city break somewhere with loads to do. Nothing. Just relax and go out. Dinner and drinks in the hotel before heading to bed. Nice and early for an amazing night's sleep. At Maldren Hotels we provide you with everything you need to escape your way across Ireland and the UK. Save on every room every night when you book direct with click on Maldren at Maldrenhotels.com. You're very welcome back to the programme and we're joined on it now by Councillor Reena Donahue. Good morning Reena. Thanks so much for your time today. Good morning Greg. We're talking about serious concerns you have following an incident at the Mill Bridge in Bonkran. It's a shocking one. Reena what happened that has sort of exacerbated these concerns? Yeah a couple spoke to me about an incident recently whereby they were crossing the Mill Bridge with a with a grandchild on the buggy. They were on the footpath and while they were crossing a car made contact with the buggy. This bridge there was a design done for a new design done away back about 15 years. I asked for a new bridge. I asked for the bridge to be replaced at that stage and it's really the bridge is very close to the Ontario office, the garden station, Lidl and now they source a very very busy part of town and the bridge is absolutely inadequate for the traffic that's coming through it. Now locals are aware of the bridge and take care but visitors wouldn't be as familiar with it that and would be going faster. So something needs to be done fairly soon on the bridge. The design that was done before needs to be re-looked at and implemented a new bridge. We're really ideally we need a new bridge but the footpath which is is necessary on the bridge needs to be that's picking up three foot or whatever of the roadway there so two cars can't really pass. As I said the locals know when they're waiting for the other to pass but no it is dangerous. It's absolutely as dangerous and there we have this incident now of where a car actually touched a buggy going past and the couple came to me about it. Yeah a scary reminder of how bad it is. So what do you think could be done sort of in the short term? Well there it may be possible to take the footpath away and put it on the it's a wall bridge there's a wall on each side of it so it may be possible to put a footpath on the other side of of one of the walls or ideally a new bridge because the size of Bunkrana. Bunkrana is the second biggest town in the county. Yeah a lot of traffic going into Bunkrana and further up into north on its own and to be able to cater for the need really and truly we would need that bridge to be replaced that would be the ideal. And is that sort of something that would require a central government funding or is that in the gift to the council Reena or what would progress those more long-term plans? Yeah it would in the long term it would take quite a bit of money to replace the bridge but if we had a temporary measure a safe temporary measure where the footpath could be on the other side each either side that it would give a three more foot for traffic there it would be much safer. Yeah and the infrastructure has to the infrastructure has to match the ambition of the town doesn't it we know there's a major significant investment as you mentioned it's it's the county's second largest town it's you know something has to be done as I say the infrastructure has to match the the the the town's ambitions. Yeah absolutely Bunkrana is a very very busy town there's a lot of traffic in Bunkrana and and that's great that's fantastic but anybody will will tell you there's locals loving close to the bridge that have mentioned us to me as well that the bridge is totally inadequate it is totally inadequate and it really no in fairness the engineer did say yes that they they will get a traffic management team to look at it very soon so at least that's going in the right direction. Okay but listen we when we get these little warnings these near misses we have to heed them don't we? Oh absolutely absolutely I mean something more serious could have happened there there was potential for for a different scenario and thank god it wasn't and the couple that had the buggy were very much in charge of the buggy you know but it did happen the car in the contact with the buggy in that series. Yeah okay all right listen thanks for that hopefully the calls are heeded appreciate it have a lovely day Rina thank you that's Chancellor Rina Donahue there do you use the mill bridge in Bunkrana I was just looking as I was listening intently to Rina there I was just looking at it on google maps there and you can see where the concerns lie where the danger comes from 08 660 25000 if as I say you use that route and have concerns or otherwise a lot of talk about traffic today as you can imagine so let's get through some of your comments Balaba phase like this every morning not a word about it the town is being totally run down we talk about the situation in Balaba phase from all are really quite regularly maybe you don't listen in at those times but I do understand exactly where you're coming from anyone who sort of maybe has to travel from or through letter Kenny on to Dongol town for an example would know exactly what we're talking about was stopped at the Tara quarter 837 through the pole star by nine which sounds good is it Greg we need a ring road 20 years ago now we need something like the M50 that shambles of a road out to the dry art should have been a dedicated emergency lane from day one but as usual Irish planning art will be grand messed up again they say after seeing those images from Gaza we really shouldn't be given out about traffic lights those poor children the world has gone mad and I know that and and you could have said it's a difficult one because you could say you know should we even be talking about the condition of letter Kenny University Hospital after we've seen what happened to a hospital in Gaza and it's a difficult one and it's as humans it's hard to navigate but at the same time too it's to a person at the moment who's going through a very difficult time or is struggling or is caught up in that traffic it can be very important to them as well but listen I understand what you're saying but we do also still have to make sure to keep an eye on local issues as well it doesn't mean that we can't have great sympathy and shock with what's going on elsewhere lights ridiculous took me an hour and 10 minutes to get from Watson's in Ballad Buffet yesterday evening at 5 p.m. Greg could you please ask your listeners using back roads now to avoid lights please slow down and think of other road users it is an accident waiting to happen and that's it and people might not be used to those roads and might drive uh excessively hi Greg at excessive speed hi Greg traffic lights working okay I have no problems give them time to settle in can you please tell drivers that left lane approaching from Klannery's left turn only not forgoing straight to town that comes in from Kevin Kevin I'm not sure you're correct on that one I think the I think I'm not sure I think the left lane is also for going straight I'll double check that anyway right okay today is world men and pause day and on Wednesday wellness Wednesday we talked to Senator Pauline O'Reilly of the Green Party who's bringing forth a motion calling on the government to support women going through the menopause by making hormone replacement therapy free for all women who needed Pauline good morning to you Pauline O'Reilly thank you so much for your time today good morning I suppose we are whilst you know there's still some very important issues to talk about and and and advances that need to be made I think at least we're able or we're having a more nuanced conversation about this now and maybe bringing it out of the well you don't talk about that or that's just a woman's problem or you're just grin and bear it do you know what I mean that it is something that's far more acceptable to talk about now absolutely I think the last couple of years have seen a huge shift and and you know I remember getting up two years ago to speak in the shanard about menopause and I think I was possibly the only person the first person who had mentioned the word but that was off the back of so many women stories and not just women you know men as well because I think it impacts everybody in society when when we're not dealing with issues and so a lot of people had been going to their gps either they felt that they didn't know what symptoms they were going through they didn't know how to identify it but also that they weren't getting huge support so I mean a lot has happened since then we've had surveys we've had what's called radical listening to listen to women's voices and what's come out of that is that 86 percent of women are saying that they it has a big impact on their lives so you know beyond that beyond listening beyond and and we also the the minister to be fair to him has put in place guidelines for all medical practitioners and what to look out for and beyond all of that we also now need to move towards real proper support no but just acknowledging things is there no no exactly so I guess that's where we're coming from in the Green Party we had put into the programme for government free contraception that's moving forward year on year but there's a time in our life as well we have to recognise that we need more support and I think you know once upon a time we didn't live as long as human beings but now when you hit the menopause you've still got nearly half your life left ahead of you and if we don't get it right around that time it can leave a legacy of osteoporosis of diabetes of you know deep depression in many instances and and Paulie this is another one of those situations and so often we hear it in health that actually earlier intervention and and and heeding the measures that we're going to talk about from you now would not only save which is most important people's hardship and ill health or whatever into the future it obviously saves the state money because then people can't be aren't as reliant on the health service for the reasons you've just outlined so we spend a little now and not only the most important thing do people have better lives but then obviously the byproduct is then that effectively the state is saved money but primarily of course this is about people's quality of life and you talk there before we get into your course you talk there about you know the the majority of women it has an impact on them that's in the home that's in the general life that's in the workplace as well too which probably something that isn't talked about that's something that has to be endured that you know can women go to a manager and expect if so there is an issue with them on that particular day or week for it to be accommodated for that reason I'm not sure we're there yet no and most people would say that they don't feel able to go to their um to their manager to you know to somebody in their workplace and yet we're finding that I think it's nearly 45% of women feel that they have to take time out of work for not just the menopause but for you know menstrual health in general and so yes it like it has that kind of a cost on your career and on your I suppose your self-esteem and also a cost then economically but but you're quite right the to the previous point that you made like it is about spending a little now and I think that that's where Ireland has gone wrong a lot in terms of health care it is about prevention obviously you can't prevent the menopause we all know that but you can prevent all of the things that go along with that and that's an impact to your bone health um that you know if you if you don't have that treatment early and particularly those who go through the menopause early say in their late 30s or 40s which does happen then if you don't have that treatment at that stage you've got this really long decades long period of your life where you're more susceptible to breakages um in your bones and think then of the knock-on impact that that has in terms of hospital beds in terms of um waiting lists so it's like the what we've what we factored in is we're already spending as a state about six million on HRT because you can get it through the medical card but it would only cost maybe another four million to do to to roll it out to everyone and then you'd have GP visits on top of that so you're still only talking about between 10 and 20 million it's really sounds like a lot to an individual person but it's not that much in the terms of the health in the terms of the health budget it is it is exactly it is it is pittance and then of course the argument the strong argument is is that look at the it'll what it will save into the future i'm really shocked that the figure is so low and yet we're still making the call for it and you know for some people your information is that standard prescriptions can cost anywhere between 30 and 70 euro per month in this day and age that is beyond an awful lot of people that are just getting by that don't have the reserves for a big problem and i know myself from women in my life often they will cut themselves first and not even announce it so maybe everyone doesn't know but they will say right that's actually an expense that we can save because this money can go elsewhere we should never have a situation where this type of health care people are making those type of calls senator no and that's what the research would back up exactly what your experience is greg that women do scrimp on their own health care in order to make you know more money available for the family overall and that's just not a you know it shouldn't the burden of making those decisions shouldn't be on the individual woman because it's very very difficult in the moment and when you've got children and you're thinking about your own health and so i think that's why the state really needs to to step up and you know like as i said there's the cost element it's not that much but the other point again is quite apart from the health service it does have a deep impact on relationships and many people report marital breakdown during that period and so it really has much broader impact on society and it and maybe an impact that wouldn't have happened many many decades ago because we weren't living as long you know obviously life now yeah and you're making this call as a member of the green party and the elephant in the room sanitaries is that your your party actually currently is in government so i presume you have access to to minister aamon ryan so why are we still making this call why is this not provided for or what assurances have you got from your party leader and his uh and and his fellow government leaders to put this to bed for now once and for all yeah well look i mean the green party are the people responsible for the free contraception that's being i get that yeah which is great yeah so and so what i would say though is we put that into the program for government i still had to bring emotion to the shanad in order to push it forward because of the delays and so you know i mean politics is made up of many steps and i did i minister steven donnelly did contact me this morning to thank me for pushing it so again and he's not my party colleague but i think i think it does it is supportive even of the minister who's trying to get you know budgets for what he would like and and to be fair to him again he's not my party colleague to be fair to him i think he has been good on women's health and we do have menopause clinics now in place so i you know i'm i'm hopeful that we will get this done in the lifetime of this government as you say it's a small amount of money but you need to have you need to apply that political pressure apply that public pressure in order to release money for things that make perfect sense to you and i and i'm not the minister for health no i get that but you do talk about politics having many steps politics of many men too and i just can't help but wonder if at least two of those government partners were women if we'd be having this conversation about this really important healthcare for an awful lot of women with a bill of you know 20 odd million i i i can't imagine we would um you know and that's unprovable and it's what about tary and i get that but it's it's ridiculous really for all the women listening that are affected by this that they're look i'll say that i have 100 my party support including the party leader and on any of these issues around women's health in particular and now the shanad actually is unusual if you look at if you look at our council chambers and particularly across the west of ireland and the northwest you look at it how many women are there very very few and we only have we've less than a quarter of t of tds are women and what we have in the shanad is 40 percent of us are women so i've actually seen quite a lot of progress through the shanad and we have to use whatever's available to us this is what's available to me this is what i'm going to use and and i've also worked cross-party in collaboration on other things around violence against women and we have had successes in that so i'm hopeful that we will get success and that people get behind it because and you know for too long women have been let out of the state and that's why we invited you on to support you in your efforts um thank you very much for your time today pauline thank you greg take time uh take care sorry that is uh senator pauline oriley there the county's number one talk show the nine till noon show on highland radio the lotto jackpot is an estimated 2.5 million euro play responsibly in store in app or at lovry.ie the national lottery it could be you attention graduates it's time to celebrate your incredible achievements at the tastiest place in town backstage bar and grill whether you are celebrating with a small group or hosting a grand party backstage bar and grill has the perfect space for you call now on 07491 21976 to make a reservation tickets get your tickets Arsenal Chelsea Leeds Liverpool Manchester United Spurs and more 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gifts and meet over 40 talented makers behind dunningall's finest crafts register via local enterprise dot ie forward slash dunningall or email info at leo dot dunningall coco dot ie for more information highland radio time checks with expressway travel route 32 from letter kennedy doblin when you book online and travel for less expressway bringing you the time art the time now is 11 23 now as we were discussing on the program um the night before last uh two boss loads or two bosses arrived into boncrana with her at the figure of 66 uh mostly many if not all men uh presumably asylum seekers international protection uh candidates and they moved into accommodation in boncrana which is generally accepted is free to a room and there's different views on this and we're going to hear both sides of it now gareth good morning to you we'll go with you first how are you getting on yeah not too bad great so what's your reaction not it's our pleasure what's your reaction to the reaction to the arrival of these men in boncrana i i tend to question things so there's lots of things that have been said uh by individuals in that protest but i'm not sure where they're getting their information from obviously people came on yesterday and said what is vetted and what is on vetted i guess if these guys are under a an asylum seeker program they are either in the process of being vetted or vetted so the concern that the that the protesters have may be unwarranted um i how much information the general public need to be given on individuals coming into their country is i guess the question that i would have i mean my neighbors i don't know their criminal background i don't know you know i've met i've you know i'll say hello to them i'll get to know them but i don't know their criminal background and i don't know where they come from so i don't think the general public need to know the background of everyone coming into their area but gareth do you think they could have an interest in the fact that these people are from different areas they don't know each other uh necessarily they may do they may not um and that they are all being put into this accommodation and arguably there aren't the services around them to support them activities to entertain them uh capacity in the health service for them if they require it do you not see that maybe even that element of it might cause some concern yeah i appreciate that um and i uh a few months ago there was a firework launched at one of these accommodations uh and a response that i had as a person of the general public i didn't know was to well what can we do to get to know these people to find out who they are you know sit down and listen to their story and and the response that myself my wife did for that was we know that there is what's called an intercultural cafe in boncrana that's an opportunity for locals to uh get to know some of these refugees and the science he was coming into the town it's between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. uh in yes on Thursday um what did you learn from it we learned that these you know we learned some of the stories of some of these people coming in and they come from all parts of the world and not just new korean but africa south america and the middle east and uh they they they have come from traumatic experiences uh i mean these men that came to boncrana monday obviously they're asylum seekers they're they're taking asylum from something um and uh well that has to be evaluated obviously garth with which is what the yeah the process is all about but you know like regardless of where they're from skin color whatever do you not understand or would you understand that maybe people that maybe you know women or women with you know or parents with children or what have you might have a natural inbuilt caution now in walking past accommodation that now has you know 66 odd men uh i don't mean they're odd i mean the number i don't know the number sorry i'll rephrase that strike that 66 men approximately um who you don't know the background of it's it's an unusual situation to have 66 people that you have no knowledge of in one area can you understand how people in that area might be now cautious that there could be a threat it's a perceived threat there's no evidence to suggest and in fact i contacted the guard on this on regular occasions in dunagore whatever about anywhere else the arrival of refugees or international protection candidates has not seen any increase uh or spike so often it is perceived you know there's lots of violence that goes on and it ain't it ain't uh these guys that are involved in it for the most part right that's what the guard he tells us but could you understand how there can be a perception that it's now more dangerous and that the the community has changed and there's fear there oh yeah sure there's uh perception and and fear comes from the unknown and the best way to uh to combat that is to get informed um but sure if if if uh that's a single uh mom walking her kids past that building is you know uneasy well i uh i can understand that but uh you know in this day and age i think as parents and i i have a child in a school in a school in bunkrana and we just need to be aware of everyone around us okay and just to be clear uh gareth because someone might text in if you lived immediately beside this property you would have no extra concerns than you have right now with the arrival of these people okay that's your view gareth thanks i would i would introduce myself get to know them okay and uh and get informed all right gareth thank you very much indeed that's gareth's view uh david you're listening to gareth there what's your opinion well my opinion greg is that um first out everybody's saying that uh there was a man on yesterday day saying that these are lovely people and all that you get to know them and all that the people on that bus the other nights were given slipping us the bird giving us the finger of the bus like they're they weren't being nice and being afraid of coming in they were looking to get asked the bus even though there was a hundred not merely 200 people there telling them not to get asked of us there was apart from that apart from being unverted it's unverted as an issue but 66 men doesn't matter what nationality they are if you stick them into the baldin not giving them work not giving them anything to do they're going to get bored they're going to start falling out with the local community no matter what way you put it there's always if you take 66 men from doblin or from cork or stain or anywhere it's going to be the same David have we seen have we seen that though because you know there's a there's a pathway presumably for them to get I know that Dave listen I'm going to respect David I'm going to respect you and listen to what you have to say but if you just listen to the questions as well and we can get to the bottom of it I mean that with absolute respect David but you know there is a pathway then for them to become integrated in the community is there not maybe there are job vacancies in the area or work that they can do does that not take time it doesn't happen on night one you know them coming in on a bus in the middle of the night yes it looks terrible yes maybe some of them flick the bird because they saw a lot of people saying go home we'll get out of here right so once we get past that do we not have to wait and see if it works or are you convinced that it can't work I can't work because there there isn't work in the local community for the locals never mind we'd like any shown alone is lost over 600 people on the the age of 25 that's since Christmas like young ones going away to Australia America or whatever early as there was work here them young ones would not be going like so why are they bringing 66 men and when there is no work in our area for them they're just isn't like there's no industry there's no factories there's no nothing for them people to go to work on so what are they going to do they're going to sit on it and basically an army barracks or a prison is basically what they're going to say they shouldn't be bored and obviously they're not going to be starting smoking inside so you have 10 or 20 and smoke they're going to be standing outside the whole time smoking David that's going to be on easy for anybody walking up and down like you know I mean we can dispute whether or not they're economic migrants or the fleeing whatever okay but listen we've seen what's happening in Gaza at the moment and other parts of the world okay from a human perspective you know a fellow human beings perspective because they are actual human beings just like you are and like I am do we not have a role to offer them protection to give them a chance at life do we not have a responsibility I think Ireland has done enough to be honest with you at what point in this country do we say the hotels hope like we're ticking and people there's people in Bunkrana at the minute with their houses having to be demolished by Jamaica and they can't get another house to rent to move on to they can't like I was talking to people this morning that cannot get another house to move on to their house is scheduled for demolition and they cannot get another house to move on to they asked me did I know of anybody with a field that would rent them a field so they could put a mobile home into the field that's how desperate the people of Bunkrana have become all right stay there the owners of this building what's the top the owners of this building converting it into six nice big apartments and renting it out to people that had made it now it's all about money that's that's pure and utter greed is what this is about stay there David um Sinead Stewart is a member of Bunkrana for all Sinead can I start with do you at least understand or respect people's concerns with this development and how it was done Sinead thank you Greg good morning thanks for asking me on um yeah um look I just firstly want to say I absolutely take on board people's concerns when it comes to resources and things like that um this is something that I think everybody can agree on is that the resources that Donnie Gull gets and and he's shown is the it's the precaution of Donnie Gull never mind and Donnie Gull's the forgotten county so everybody everybody can can agree on that that is absolutely not in question um what I suppose and what I don't agree with and I suppose the group doesn't agree with is that there is there's a judgment being passed on people coming to the town before they have even arrived into the town and it only unfortunately seems to be one or two sort of sections of of um people who are presumed guilty of some of the you know when you hear some of the the rhetoric and stuff like that and to be clear I am not saying that everybody who's without that protest or everybody you know um that was you know has concerns about this is employing that rhetoric or agree with that and I said it yesterday if we park the project fear stuff that in other words people people are going to come and drag you out of the house and do this that and then right because uh like there is an awful lot of uh crime against children in this country and has been historically we have uh almost 200 000 children living in poverty our child protection record in this country is crap uh we are screaming out for foster carers we're screaming out for families to adopt children that have been abandoned abused and misused our figures in terms of the abuse of women the rape of women and what have you they're terrible they're already there and I think we should also focus our anger on actually sorting that out rather than a perceived threat from people coming in that being said Sinead that being said people are concerned at the potential for it we have no idea of their background we have no idea where they're where they've come from what they have done in their past they maybe they've done nothing but no one's given this information we had it yesterday from Dez some of them don't have passports so you can't really you can't give them an interview but you can't really check what their background is and what have you so that is going to cause fear and people are going to be afraid of I kind of knew my community I knew who to avoid I know where I live people with a bit of a reputation right and that you avoid or there's some bad in them right but this is a whole group new group of people that people don't know the background from can you criticize people for thinking is that a potential this or is that a potential that Sinead really can you I can't I can't criticize people first for wondering is it a potential and thinking in terms of safety but as we can see and I mean it was very much highlighted on the program there Greg about the with with we Karen Harkin no we we don't always know exactly what's going on we absolutely do not always know what's going on this is happening and we don't always know who to avoid in the in the time um you know this is this is something that happened across the world if we are doing a national approach Sinead we need to surely review how we're doing this in terms of listening to the public addressing their concerns we can still meet our international obligations but do do this correctly not move people around in the cover of darkness because it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission and that's precisely what the policy is and that's terrible and I absolutely agree with you on that that is an absolutely horrible horrible way to be doing it the only thing I would say to you right is that so I'm sure you remember whenever we we formed the the welcome committee for people who were coming to my vote right and there was a meeting there and you know there was public there was public meetings and things like that a few days later what happened the place was burned to the ground so I don't know you know and that was the first time that anywhere was burned to you know any potential asylum seekers or people seeking refuge any accommodation like that that's not reflective that's not reflective of that that action of an individual we can't say he's reflective of the the wider community the concerns and I spoke to him where the fact that some people couldn't get their children into school they couldn't get boss places they couldn't get a booking at a GP that was really what I heard from people not the extreme views whereby it would drive someone but listen we're gonna have to come back to this because it is is so important Shade I really appreciate your time great do you want to say yeah very very finally what I want to say is look um I think we all need to be talking I think we everybody needs to be talking together as a community right but I also want to make sure that anybody who has come to the town anybody who has been in the town um you know anybody who especially the residents and the likes of the sailors rest or anybody who's come from Ukraine or anywhere like that please please know that the you know the vast majority of people in Moncran are not outstanding at a protest stopping you from coming in and saying that you're not wanted we absolutely want you to hear you're more than welcome and I just want to make sure that everybody who has come to the town knows that okay Shade and I get what you're saying but also I have to acknowledge that just because people didn't stand on the street it doesn't mean they're not sitting in the front rooms having conversations as well and everybody everybody needs to be heard okay thank you very much indeed within reason obviously you understand what I'm saying Shade thank you very much indeed uh David um listen you've been heard I think you know the only way we're going to get anywhere David is we all as a community come not we as a community come together and discuss this in the in the way we're doing now uh one thing briefly David go ahead yes Lik Shinai's making out there that like we're a racist or whatever I'm not accepting that I'm not accepting that at the at the at the protest we had Polish we had Slovakians we had Romanian there was Germans I guess it's not just the I guess that's not been said on this yeah that has not been said on this program and Shade never said that I understand but I'm just saying but I don't want to get into that I don't want to get into the right wing left wing racist not racist stuff I'm not doing it because we're not because what happens then is we can't have the convolt and we need to have the conversation David you need to be able to come on and Shade and Kim yesterday and Des and we need to be able to speak together and we don't have to call each other's names and I know the majority of people were not motivated by by race and and that's been very well reflected over the last couple of days and that's the way I want to keep it Dave and I appreciate your time today are you happy enough okay take care David bye bye bye bye okay back with more after these watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at highlandradio.com at AXA we know running a home can run up your costs too that's why you can save up to 30% on our home insurance get a quote today together we've got this AXA know you can policy terms and conditions apply minimum premium is 160 euro a 30% discount is available after three consecutive years claims free 15% after two consecutive years and 10% after one year claims free AXA insurance stack is regulated by the central bank of Ireland enhance your skills with CFTECH's part funded training programs at CFTECH we provide courses including first aid roadworks people moving and handling confined spaces electrophusion and machinery training for Ireland and UK sites also online programs such as water hygiene construction supervisors safety reps and much more if you have a group for training CFTECH will go to you 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down join highland radios outside broadcast team this thursday afternoon from 240 in the letter candy credit union for their final card draw of the year two lucky letter candy credit union members will each win a brand new Toyota Yaris cross a number of cash prizes will also be given away so tune in this thursday from 240 to hear if you're a winner with letter candy credit union Hickey clark and langan insurance brokers in letter candy are recruiting for an insurance advisor to join the team candidates can have a leaving certificate or relevant third level qualification or be qualified to approved product advisor or certified insurance practitioner standard apply with an up-to-date cv for a media consideration by emailing chevon at hcl.ie Hickey clark and langan general insurance brokers trading as Hickey clark and langan are regulated by the central bank of ireland business matters in association with the faculty of business at atu dunnegall for a career in financial governance consider the level nine ma in governance and it in financial services starting in january contact the exact ed coordinator on 91 86 206 or email donald.hanigan at atu.ie today okay carol donnell good morning to you good morning great good to have you on the program we're looking forward to the business matters podcast which is live right now on our website but let's catch up on some news first because we are tight for time leo support clinic tell us about this the big all local enterprise office will hold this next business support clinic in boncran on friday week as october 27 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. those who attend the event will find out more about the enterprise reports that exist and how they may help to develop a business all right the sustainable conference system sustainability conference could turn out yeah sustainability for business stroke green skill is for success it was a conference held by the larkinny chamber of commerce and association with tech northwest skillnet and was held at the tcs campus down below us here last thursday morning greg approved a big success over 40 businesses and attendants so the event was organized to stimulate interest in the sustainability issues which obviously are big issues at the moment and how they are impacting business locally business owners heard contributions from a number of industry experts who talked about their experiences and the various stages of progress they're making on their sustainable journeys really interesting and it's an issue that's going to be a bigger player for businesses as we go forward all right talk to me about the larentic forum yeah just caught this yesterday the this year's larentic forum which will have the overarching theme of sustainable coastal communities will take place at the atc campus in kelly bags next month the three-day hybrid conference will be held from tuesday november the 7th to thursday november the 9th the first day we'll look at sustainable tourism and the creative economy with the second and third days focusing on the blue economy within the partner regions and for more and for that greg log on to larentic forum dot com larentics about isn't it yep i think the cannons up in one of the cannons is up in downings is that it is the larentics i think so yeah yeah um the enterprise awards for the seard yeah they'll be on coming around greg applications are now open for local enterprise office donnie gall enterprise awards for 2023 so with 11 categories and a prize fund of 14 000 euro this is a good opportunity for local businesses to get recognition for their achievements over the year the closing date for entries greg is monday october 23rd at 12 noon and to enter and find out more about the awards check out donnie gall local enterprise office his social media platforms and if you want to own a garden station yeah uh for former garden station gurur will be sold at a live stream property auction on friday november the 3rd the station at bumbeg has a reserve price of 30 000 euro and the sale has been attracting plenty of attention over the last week the building which comes with its own holding cell is being auctioned by estate agents oh donlan anguish let's say it could tell some stories are we just thinking that yeah indeed all right let's talk exactly right you guessed on this week's podcast gear my guest this week greg is the owner of the station house and letter kenny brian galler brian began to explore the possibility of building a hotel on the family site along old town road in 2002 construction began in september 2005 and the 81 bedroom hotel opened its doors on august the first 2006 built by local contractors by the construction the station house hotel employs a team of 50 people in this clip greg brian talks about coming up with the idea to build a hotel on the well-owned site at the bottom of the town back in the early 2000s we thought on various things maybe some retail apartments and we figured then though there were enough apartments in the lower main street that maybe maybe a hotel there was an urban renewal scheme on shortly before that or around that time and i remember being at a meeting and there was some talk about tax reliefs for hotels that there were a hundred percent tax relief on hotels so i went away i'd done a bit of homework i approached my accountant pat keaton uh steward mclaughlin uh i thought i said i was thinking i'm building a hotel pat says right i don't know what i thought but i says that's in my head anyway pat uh he always says well you need to get a business plan done so there were a young man at that stage he was lecturing in business and market and billy bennett and he said if you go to billy billy might do a business plan that's the fourth thing you'll need so i approached billy and uh i said billy we're thinking on bolton hotel we need a business plan i do feel it would work all right brian gallagher there now the full interview with brian is available for right now for you right now to stream or download from our website hallandradio.com wherever you get your podcasts providing its Spotify right tunes and business matters is broadcast this sunday evening after the six o'clock news kiran but it is the last one with you at the helm first greg well what give me a mind here uh move it on greg after three and a half very good years and that listen has been a great experience how many podcasts 167 wow apart from one what i wasn't in great form uh over christmas 2020 when i had the the covid well that's because he had covid ten times john brison uh stood on but look at was uh look i always had a passion understand business greg but i learned so much uh about an area that i didn't really know a whole lot about um the people that i went that were very welcoming and uh i would like to think that when when the when the podcast started it as well somebody asked me what that i wanted to be and i said i would like it to be a friend to businesses and i would like to think that i hope that that that might be the case yeah for sure no doubt about it and there's a fantastic archive of stuff that you can always reflect on and best of luck with your future endeavours which includes a marathon yeah which is not why you stopped so thanks for that opportunity greg um there are 20 members from that academy athletic club um taken part in two marathons uh on the last sunday in october there are 16 of us going to dublin and there are four going to frankfurt and collectively we are raising money for the irish moral neuron disease association uh there's a member of our of our own club uh that is living with moral neurons at the moment uh we'll be thinking about him and uh anybody that they have any donation big or small there's a go for me page there we'd appreciate any donation all right karen thank you very much indeed and thank you for uh the production of a brilliant podcast and as i say uh we're gonna miss you coming in on a wednesday but thank you well not for the same i'll still be program ready to get into the carousel come up here for a week well don't right thanks karen thanks greg um now business uh matters takes a short siesta and uh we'll return in the not too distant future but again thank you so much to karen on donal for uh all of his endeavors over the last 167 episodes okay we are all right karen it's goodbye now i've got more important guests he doesn't want to go right okay we have uh for young people in studio with us uh we have students and the principal of st saffins national school uh castle fin all in situ and we'll just move this slightly that way so i can hear you um tracer mcbride do you want to introduce our guests uh to us greg uh here beside you today you have james mcgranahan and ethan shovelin all pupils of st saffins national school thank you so much guys uh ethan where are you which one are you ethan well you're gonna have to speak up a bit ethan okay uh how are you getting on okay now why are you in here ethan tell you about the tractor okay and what's happening um tractors there'll be tractors lorries and trucks and vintage cars just you move back slightly go on so i can hear you that's it good lad and there'll be like rally cars and motorbikes and stuff and there'll be a craft fair with 25 stalls and there'll be celling jewellery candles you can sit down and try celling cars and clothes okay are you looking forward to it all right okay do you like tractors yeah classic cars really okay that's fine i won't give you my one then uh ethan where are you no that was ethan that was ethan sorry i beg your pardon owen yeah come on owen now you uh look the part here i love your caps tell us about your cap well i've got this cap for christmas last year and just you haven't took it off since now we can't see on the camera or hear on the radio but you've got a fine pair of boots and you talked to me about them not normal school where i would say no you got to wear them especially for today right tell us what are you looking forward to about the tractor run and craft fair on sunday well i'm mostly looking forward to just the tractor run yeah getting around and well do you have a favorite tractor yeah what is it new holands new holands all right what who and what colors that blue oh i know the ones now they're big that's that your dreams have one of them yeah and what about any old vintage tractors have you any interest in them now one three five now uh flow your hat off wouldn't it without the cap on well forward forwards okay i have to be careful what i say you've been just now because i can end up getting in trouble i have to be really careful okay uh james my gran han are you excited for sunday yes what do you like about what are you looking forward to most i'm looking forward to most the run itself and the music by kenny crawford and the best dressed dog and pumpkin caravan pumpkin caravan that's a mess i have a pumpkin at home and i don't even know where to start probably take the top off it but i'm looking forward to it maybe bring it with me uh so we're talking about this weekend it's a tractor running craft fair taking place on sunday tractor registration from 11 a.m with the run commencing at 12 30 p.m there's going to be tractors trucks lary's bikes vintage and modified cars and all welcome to join in the run with proceeds going to the donagall hospice and saint saffron's uh national school and as you said they're uh james live music on the day as well yeah all right okay and you're looking forward to the tractor to you in one or are you just going to be watching i'm going to be in one oh do you know which one it is yes i'm going to be in a saloon with my grounded oh fantastic brilliant okay and he's going to have to wash it all day south of each other since there's no point landing with it filthy all right and are you interested in the classic cars or the tractor or the lary's or not really these are all tractor boys aren't you it's okay uh tracy it's going to be a great day isn't it and uh raising funds for the school which is fantastic tell us a little bit about the school and don't go hospice we'll talk about the school first yeah so um we're situated just outside um castle fun gregg we're in a quite rural area so i suppose um this is our second tractor on and we've had our first one was a huge success with over 300 tractors and um i suppose we were looking to raise money this year to put an outdoor classroom to onto the school grounds and uh we said why not run a tractor run again but this year we decided to share our profits with the donagall hospice so um we've had unbelievable support um not just from our parents we've had amazing support from community volunteers from the cpa center where it's been held and people who aren't even associated with the school you know there's a great sense of community spirit and castle fun um garth porter has and his brother andrew have given us their yard as well because we need more space um so between steve and kennedy and the cpa and garth um and his brother andrew with their their own ground their own farm and grounds they've been very supportive of us and i suppose it's just a testament to the community as well you know and it's a real community day out so whether people have tractors or trucks or bikes or whatnot or they don't and they're just coming you know this there will be a great um i suppose interest there for for families in general for them i love tractor runs i love them especially when you've got lorries and trucks and everything else involved yeah um and owens owens coming in are really amazing it's it's we didn't even tell you about this but owens coming in and not a tractor right what is it owen well it's a bread van with the black took an off of it and the cattle body put on it oh wow remodeled bread vans right well this is one of the modified yolks right uh lads anyone anyone do you want to say hello to anything you want to say ethan um i want to say hello to our teacher must have fallen okay right and you're asking him no homework is that it is that what you said no i'm gonna hurt that all right owen um i'd like to say hello to my mom and my granny excellent i'm not only the listener i'm sure they're watching you too very very proud of you uh owen what about you james i would like to say hello to my mother and father and my granny and who did you hear yourself because it is perfect there's not an error at a place my my father did it well i think he deserves an award okay listen have a fantastic day on sunday will yous yeah all right and enjoyed and tracy thank you very much yeah they have a wee present for you here right too actually okay is it a hat give it to me over here quickly so stick it on we have to go what does it say say this is now it'll keep you warm for the winter that's it you see the thing about me is when you give me a present i actually use it i've got a cop that was given to me about six years ago and i still use it uh every single day this hat now is part of my wardrobe thank you so very much have a great day sunday thank you all right thank you so much indeed to eth and owen james and last but not least uh tracy uh students and principal of st saffins national school in castelfin they're looking to raise money to develop the school it's a weekend tractor and tractor on a craft fair it's taking place on sunday october 22nd register your vehicles from 11 a.m it starts at 12 30 p.m if you're not in it get out and enjoy it uh it's going to be a fantastic day as i say and also supporting donogall hospice there's going to be live music fancy dress a pumpkin carving competition what a way to spend your sunday free refreshments also for all drivers and free entry for the general uh public okay uh on sunday to drive a tractor no problem i've got it on my license i got my license that long ago i'll see what time it is and if i can squeeze it in and get plan information all right listen thank you all very much uh we're going to be going a little bit late to the news but you know what it's for a good cause see you tomorrow