 See, I'm going to hand you over to us, Tony, Greg Hughes this morning. Greg, well done on the weekend in London. Thanks, Lee. We had a great time over there. God, it's massive over there, isn't it? Huge. You know, you painted a great picture, you know, on the radio, but when you see the social feeds, you know, the videos and stuff, you go, wow, this is massive. Yeah, the weather was absolutely amazing, though, so they can organise everything as brilliant as they do. You still had no sun cream or nothing? Yeah, well, why would you even talk about that? No, because you said that on the radio. That proves that I was listening. You said, we come over here, we don't even have sun cream. Yes, but I didn't really check the weather forecast, but it was amazing. So, well done to Brendan Tiny-Bohen and Maureen and all the other crew for putting on a fantastic show. It really was absolutely... You were a wee bit tired coming in that door, you're going over three times this morning. Ah, fine. Yeah, yeah. You need to get yourself a wee filter going. I know why. Yeah, a big filter, maybe. No, no. You need a big stick and just prod me if I go any direction I shouldn't be going. Don't... It's a long journey home. All right. All right, all right, all right, all right. Thanks, Lee. That's Lee Goode's back with you tomorrow morning, bright and early, of course, as always, from 6.30. It's 9 o'clock. Let's get a news update. And it's over to Donald Kavanaugh. Thank you, Greg. Good morning. It's understood the Centre for Ukrainian Refugees is to be opened in South Donegal. The former Ringford Inn building has been offered for use. A planning application for innovations is now with Donegal County Council. With details, here's Michaela Clark. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has confirmed that the former Ringford Inn property in Brockless has been offered to the Department for the accommodation of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine. A spokesperson says it has been passed on to the Department of Housing as the accommodation is in need of refurbishment. No further details as to when the centre will be open or how many people will be housed there is currently available. A planning application is with Donegal County Council for a 16-on-suite bedroom extension of the building, along with the extension of the hotel entrance lobby, the dining room entrance lobby and kitchen stores as well as the development of a detached general store building. Sleeve League Hotel Limited has also applied to upgrade the access road, install boundary fencing, leisure decks, access paths, landscape gardens and plantation, signage and external lighting. Two men have been injured in a shooting in Belfast. It happened in the Romania Rise area in the west of the city at around half past 10 last night. Both men suffered one gunshot wound each in the leg. They've been taken to hospital. The SNI is investigating. A quarter of primary-aged children and 40% of secondary-aged pupils in Ireland have experienced cyberbullying. The latest report from CyberSafe Kids shows girls are more likely than boys to be victimised online with the posting of pictures without permission, creation of fake social media profiles and exclusion from chat groups the most commonly experienced forms of online abuse. 93% of 8-12-year-olds have access to a smart device with 31% saying they're allowed to go online whenever they like. The CEO of CyberSafe Kids, Alex Cooney, says children must be encouraged to speak out if they're being attacked online. This is really concerning, especially as it relates to more serious and more persistent cases. We'd really urge parents, teachers to encourage children to come forward, to be upstanders for other children so that if they see something that's not right, that they do report it to a trusted adult so that we can really try and reduce the level... These numbers of children who are experiencing harm online. And more garthier to be deployed to the Rhodes Policing Unit in a bid to tackle the increased number of deaths on Irish roads. Justice Minister Helen McInty was speaking as the latest National Slowdown Day campaign came to an end at 7 this morning. By 9 last night, 310 drivers had been caught speeding, including one person, doing 161 kilometres per hour in a 100km zone in County Louth. A number of detections were also made in Donegal. Minister McInty says garthier are being given the resources to ensure they can protect all road users. I have said consistently I want more garthier full stop out on the beat doing their job. Obviously where they go to then is a matter for the Guard of Commissioner, but it's my ambition to make sure in the coming months we have as many members from Guard of Shiaqana that then we'll allow the Guard of Commissioner to deploy them to units like the Rhodes Policing Unit. Dry today with long spells of hazy sunshine top temperatures 22 to 26 degrees Celsius in moderate-easterly breezes. And that's Highland Radio News. Back with more at 10 until then from the news team. Good morning. Apply online for learner permit and driving license services, including renewals, updates, exchanges and replacements. It's easy and hassle-free. Visit NDLS online today at ndls.rsa.ie. Verified myGov ID required. A message from the Road Safety Authority. The County's number one talk show, The Nine Till Noon Show on Highland Radio. And now it's time for the talk of the Northwest, The Nine Till Noon Show with Greg Hughes on Highland Radio. Hello, good morning. It's just turned four minutes past nine on this Tuesday, the 5th of September, 2023. You're very welcome along to another edition of The Nine Till Noon Show. Thanks so much to Donald Kavana for sending in for me yesterday, but it's great to be back and we are open for business. The WhatsApp text line open for you right now. 086 6025,000. 086 6025,000. If you're outside the Republic, 0035 386 6025,000. And for your telephone calls, 07 491 25,000. And you can email us as well. Comments at highlandradio.com. And if you wanna watch the show, you can do so on your smart TV or your Firestick, your phone, laptop, tablets on YouTube, Highland Radio, Ireland, and we're across the Facebook pages here as well. So no excuses not to be involved. You can send messages to us there as well. All right, let's have a look at what's making the front and inside some of today's newspapers. We'll start with the Donegal Democrat. Glenn Cullum Killman has appeared in court charge with 21 burglaries across Donegal. Timmy Ogara was brought before Letterkenny District Court on Thursday morning in connection with the burglaries, which occurred over a three month period between May and July of this year. Ogara, a 20 year old from Drumrow. Glenn Cullum Kill did not speak during the brief hearing before Judge Kieran Liddy. Ogara was arrested on August 4th and subsequently charged following a planned operation by officers in the Bally Shannon Garter District. On to the nationals now, and you heard this mentioned on the news with Donegal. The use of speed detection cameras operating on Irish roads is to rise by 20% following agreement between Minister for Justice, Helen Macinty and Garter Commissioner Drew Harris to increase funding for the GoSafe service by 1.2 million euro. Do you believe that this is an effective plan to deal with the issues that we have on our roads? Do you believe the GoSafe fans are the solution to this? The government clearly do as does Garter Commissioner Drew Harris as they're investing quite heavily in it. The announcement came as Gardy conducted a national slowdown day yesterday to reinforce the message that speed kills the first 10 hours of the initiative, saw GoSafe cameras check the speed of 103 odd thousand vehicles, detecting 250 which were traveling in excess of the applicable speed limit. So it is a tiny proportion of people that are being detected by GoSafe fans. As I say, they clocked over 100, well almost 104,000 vehicles and of those 250 were traveling in excess of the speed. In terms of percentages, what is that? And does that mean that all the other drivers, are really safe drivers and only 250 are not? Or is it the fact that 250 didn't know the speed van was there? Do you get where I'm coming from? Like, I just, we have to do something. I just wonder if this looks good but would it be effective? Examples of high speed include a motorist doing 161 in 100 zone in County Loud. Another person was detected doing 155 in a 120 kilometer zone that was in County West Mead. There were a few detections here in Donegal as well. Now, another story referenced in the news but jumped out at me from the Irish Independent. The shocking levels of cyber bullying contact from strangers and exposure to sexual or violent content that Ireland's eight to 16 year olds face online is detailed in a new report. So these are children aged from eight to 16. One in four, 25% of children aged eight to 12 experienced online bullying in the past year. And it was even worse for 12 to 16 year olds with two in five, 40% victimized. Like these are some of the great challenges that are facing our young people. And I do know there's an awful lot of focus on protecting children and what might be harmful to them and it's an ongoing debate across the country seemingly but the real big threat I think is right here, right in their hand. Girls suffered most 43% of eight to 16 year olds reported that they were targets compared to 30% of boys again to remind you eight to 16 year olds. Posting pictures without permission, creation of fake profiles and being excluded from chat groups were among the most commonly reported forms of cyber bullying. Other risks highlighted in the report include the extent to which eight to 12 year olds are vulnerable to contact from people they do not know and potential grooming. These are eight to 12 year olds. As many as 42% of young boys and 27% of girls have gained with a stranger online according to the annual trends and usage report from the online safety charity Cyber Safe Kids. So that is huge numbers of young people potentially being exposed to very unpleasant situations. On the internet, much coverage across all the papers today of a huge turnout for the wolf tones. Veteran folk act the wolf tones of astonished music lovers by attracting one of the largest crowds in the 14 year history of electric picnics, electric arena. More than 20,000 festival goers attended the arena tent on Sunday to hear the well-known rebel songs as the festival drew to a close in Stroud Valley, County Leash. Crowds of all ages began arriving to see them almost an hour before the band who formed in 1963 took to the stage. Hundreds could not gain access to the tent so sang along from outside. Prior to belting out Celtic symphony which it's with its controversial up the rail reframe frontman Brian Warfield said to the crowd, never tell an Irish person they can't sing a song because you know that they'll do it, they'll go out and they'll sing it over and over again just despite you. The Irish women's soccer team of course had to apologise for singing the song after they qualified for the World Cup last year on Twitter formally known as currently known as X. The band said, electric picnic festival thank you for having us tonight. Thank you to the massive crowds who thronged the electric arena tent. We are truly humbled, our sincerest thanks. But of course, you know young people are gonna go and have a bit of fun and sing. I don't think they're, when they sing those refrains I don't think they're making a statement as such. They're just having fun but people look on and go, now I'm not saying it's right or wrong it's not for me to do so but you know then people go, oh you can't do that and they look on and they give out but they don't really understand. I don't think they really understand. Right, let's go now to the Irish Daily Star and the pressure has finally made Simon Byrne Buckle. He's resigned as a chief constable of the PSNI following a string of controversies stating that it's time for someone new to lead policing in the North. The news that the embattled police chief has left with immediate effect was announced at a press conference yesterday by policing board chair Deirdre Toner who said Mr Byrne had tendered his resignation with immediate effect. News of the resignation has been welcomed by DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson who said it was the first step in rebuilding confidence in the force. SDLP leader Colomistwood said confidence in Mr Byrne had been irreparably shattered. Mr Byrne faced a number of recent challenges including the fallout from a PSNI data breach in which details of all officers were released online. It's complicated though to replace him because I think that has to be OK. They're signed off by the executive but we know there is no executive functioning in that Northern Ireland so presumably I have to come up with some other plan to sign someone up to replace him. Luke McFlanagan, his ex-assistant has gone on trial accused of hacking the MEP's Twitter account. This is in the sun, there's a few people commented about this at the time and they could find themselves in trouble too. Jermid Hayes allegedly posted an offensive tweet about former Green Party candidate Saoirse McHugh. The post which appeared in the early hours of September 28th, 2020, read Saoirse McHugh photo skinny dipping and however it was phrased I think it was designed to give the impression that Luke McFlanagan, who hadn't by the way that Luke McFlanagan was searching online and accidentally put it into Twitter. Well it led some people to believe that the person operating the account was searching for photos as I mentioned of the ex-Green politician. The post was quickly deleted and the independent Midlands Northwest MEP immediately claimed he was hacked. He contacted police in Belgium who launched an investigation and his ex-assistant Hayes who had worked with Ming between 2018 and 2019. Yesterday appeared in court accused of posting the damaging tweet. But as I say, everything you say online potentially has consequences and a lot of people jumped on that and they could be getting little letters through the post themselves too. Finally, Irish people are generally happy with their own bodies and are in the top 10 of nationalities content with their own physics, a global study has revealed and this is in the Irish Mirror. A survey of 57,000 studied in 65 nations saw the Irish come eighth behind Egypt but before Poland. The Maltese were happiest with how their bodies looked with Taiwan in second place and Bangladesh in third. At the other end of the scale, the US, France and Brazil were all at the bottom of the 10 with the UK second from last. The research from Anglia Ruskin University in England found that a positive body image is strongly associated with better psychology, well-being and life satisfaction. So we as a nation are happy with our physics according to that study, much happier than some other nations anyway. Okay, that was a run through what is making the papers this morning. If you wanna comment on any of that, please feel free to do so. Oh wait, 60, 25,000, that's the WhatsApp and text or give us a call on 0749125,000. Now as we head into the break talking about our physics, maybe you're one of those that's not 100% happy with your physique and you want to do something about it. Well, we've linked up with Fit20 for a great giveaway on the Ninetool Noon Show all of this week. Here are the details. Actually, I'll start that again. The volume is incredibly low. Here are the details of the competition. On this week's show with thanks to Fit20 we're giving you the chance to win a three month membership. Get stronger in just 20 minutes with Fit20. Train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate control gym. To win this prize, simply answer a question each day. An overall winner will then be selected on Friday. Today's question is, who is the Donegal GAA manager? Is it A, Jim McGinnis? Or B, Declan Bonner? Text or WhatsApp your answer, name and address to 086-60-25,000. The Ninetool Noon Show and association with Fit20, Letter Kenny. Get fitter and stronger in just 20 minutes. Train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate control gym. Increase strength at any age. Visit fit20.ie to book your free session. In the next 15 seconds you're going to find out where is the best place in the Northwest to buy a bed or mattress. It's rest text beds and furniture, mountaintop, Letter Kenny. Wear comfort meat style. Optimus here and so are the new arrivals at Green Shoes. Shop in store or online now from top brands like Doc Martens, Kate Appleby, Tommy Bow and Riker. Also new balance, wonders, echo and many more. Shop LK and one for all gift cards accepted in store. Visit Green Shoes and discover the perfect footwear to compliment your style. Green Shoes at Market Square, Letter Kenny Shopping Centre, Phil Cara and online at greenshoes.com. The Rent a Room Relief Scheme is now open and you could earn up to 14,000 euro a year tax-free by renting a room in your home to a student. This scheme is open to everyone and won't affect your payments if you're in receipt of social welfare support. Find out more at gov.ie forward slash room for a student. An initiative of the Government of Ireland. Highland Radio, time checks with Expressway. Travel Route 32 from Letter Kenny to Dublin when you book online and travel for less. Expressway, bringing you the time, Matt. OK, the time is just approaching 17 minutes past 9. We got contact last week and it read as follows. Could you address why a day hospital in Carindon no longer exists? There was a day centre in Carindon Community Hospital pre-COVID, but it never reopened after COVID. People of age and disability attended five days a week. A dinner was provided, paid for by the clients and nurse, and access to a doctor was also available. The clients also played bingo and had a sing-song, so giving entertainment to all who attended. Since COVID, everyone was left to their own devices. Loneliness and a lack of everyday medical observation is leaving these citizens isolated and alone. Can you please address with the appropriate people? So, following on from that, there was already a meeting scheduled. The hospital group met on September 1, I believe, and we're joined by a couple of guests said to discuss this. We'll say good morning to Tony Daherty, chair of the restoration of the Carindonna Day Care Services and Councillor Albert Daherty as well. Both of you, thank you very much for joining us. Thank you. I'll start with you, Tony, if that's OK. I mean, as far as the contact we've had there from that listener, that's about right, isn't it? That's where we were and this is where we're at. Yeah, I think that's a very, very good summary of where we're at. I mean, COVID was obviously a very difficult period for everybody. The Carindonna Day Care Services closed because of COVID in March 2020 and rightly so. But then, as things moved on in the summer of 2021, the services were being opened across the country. In fact, Mary Butler, who's the Minister for Older People, tweeted in May 2021 that services would start to be open in the summer of 2021. And she also said that any services that needed any remediation would be in place by the end of 2021. And the situation is that we, the people of, I would say, all of any shown, and I think Tony Gull as well, but particularly North any shown, have been left without a service from that time. And you've introduced the whole subject very well there in relation to COVID and loneliness. And we're talking about our most senior people in society. These are the people that filled the potholes. These are the people that educated us. These are the people that made us who we are. And this daycare service is like a last dance for these people. And, you know, we owe it to them. And it's an absolute shame at this stage that two years on, over two years on, from the reopening of daycare services across the island, that we still don't have daycare services in North any shown. And what we're doing is we're saying enough's enough because I've been in contact with the HSE, with the minister for the last two years. And what we're saying is enough is enough. And what we're calling upon is to have a meeting and we're calling on people from all across any shown to come to the Colgan Hall on Friday, October the 6th, at 7.30 p.m. and to show the support for this issue because we're really getting over with the authorities on this. And the impact it's had on people is impossible to quantify because it's specific to each person, but obviously in terms of proper care and activity and a quality of life, the individuals that would have been able to, in the past, access these services. But then other than that, it's the impact it has on their family and the people around them and, you know, missed opportunities, feeling like time has been taken away. Do you know what I mean? Is it hard to quantify the real impact it's having on people? Absolutely. And I mean, you know, when you get to that age, right, you know, time is of the essence, you know, it's not as if, you know, by not, you know, they would get these services up and running next year and two years time and everything would be okay. It has to be now. These older people don't have that time. I mean, I'll share with you my own personal experience with it where my father, Henry, prior to COVID, used to avail of the services three days per week. And I should say the people who run the service, the nurses and the rest of the staff, absolutely fantastic people. It's a real vocation and these people have been fantastic. But in my father's situation, three days per week, he attended the service and carried on a prior to COVID. And after COVID, he was receiving no care as a 15-hour line there, right? So what I had to do was to get in contact with Sage Advocacy, who are a national organization. And they were able to secure one day for my father in the North Pole Center between Cairndon and Bunkrana. In actual fact, my father would have needed five days' care at that stage. So there's an actual story for you, if you like, as to, you know, the level of service. And it was only because I was buying in a drum and got the national, that national organization involved that my dad, in effect, got 20% of what he would have needed at that time. And there are many people I know that were getting zero, zero help in care. I know also too that since your father has passed away, some of my condolences to you, Tony. What do you think if he had received the five-day care service, what difference might it have made to him or the family? Well, I mean, you can imagine, you know, an old man sitting at home for 16 hours, you know, 16 hours a day looking at a television screen, you know, it breaks my heart that that was the case, right? Because, as you know, with family, life goes on and we all have work to do and we've other responsibilities. But, you know, it was great that dad had that one day in the North Pole Center. But the reality is, you know, dad fell into sort of ill health, very ill health, you know, February of this year. And the decision was made by me that dad went into full-time care in April. Now, if daycare services had been available for dad five days per week, he may not have gone into that full-term, full-term, you know, into a nursing home. Obviously, it wasn't just daycare services because you look at, you know, his safety and stuff like that. But it was a big contributing factor into dad going into full-term, residential care at the start of April, which, by the way, he absolutely hated it. And that's the reality of what happened there. But we're kind of here, I think, this morning, talking about the people who don't have a voice, the people who are old people who are nestled in the side of Hills, across any show and across Donegal. And as we know, we've a big immigration thing in Donegal. And these people don't have maybe family members who can advocate for them. But even if they are advocating for them, as I've just outlined, it's still only getting 20% in my situation of the care that is needed. And I think in many cases, people are just getting no care at all. And, you know, this is the time whenever we have, we have the money in this country. We're able to find the money for other things, which are important. But for our old people, our most important group of people in our society, I mean, a measure of who we are as people and who we are as a society is how we treat our old people. And I think we're falling way, way short now. And that's why we're kind of saying enough's enough. I mean, it doesn't, I don't want to be on the radio this morning talking about this, right? But I feel it's necessary that we have to say enough's enough, like the time for talking is over. Councillor Albert Daherty is with us too, has been listening to Tony. Councillor Daherty, what, I mean, I know in front of and behind the scenes, an awful lot of effort has been put in to see these day services restored. I don't think this is a political issue. I can't imagine there's anyone listening to this right now of any political party of none that would not like to see these services restored. But what's happening here? Why have you been able to determine why are we not seeing at least some level of restoration of these services? Yeah, thank you, Greg. Greg, Tony has articulated a very personal story. And when he talked about the lifting of the COVID restrictions, many families had contacted me and said, you know, mum, dad, they would love again to have the access to the daycare centre in Cardona. And from 2021, I, as a member of the Regional Health Forum, have brought this to the attention of all members. And you're correct. I have had full cross-party support from the five Donegal members and from the Regional Health Forum members at these meetings. But we need community care and we need the HSE to step up to the plate in this. They know the message that's coming from North and Isown. They say that now, in response to my number of emotions and questions that HSE estates and the infection prevention control team are undertaking a review of the premises to determine its suitability as a potential daycare centre in the future. Well, I can tell them it has served the community well, as been highlighted by Tony there. Do you believe that's a stalling tactic? I do. I do believe it's a stalling. And the item that when potential funding becomes available, the funding is surplus to requirement in many, many aspects as they bring in their tax nets, et cetera, et cetera. And we want the dignity of our older people to be recognised. But I want to say one other item as well. I've had a lengthy conversation with some of the GPs in the area. And the GPs have told me that the lack of availability of access in this facility is also taking its toll. And when we look at the integrated care pathway for older people and all the aspirations this HSE has, the fact that our people are being isolated, that they're alone, we aren't stepping up to the blitz. I brought this up through motion and question, and I'd be bringing it up again until there's a resolution that sees the facility available for and at Cardona. If there was a will, do you believe there is a way? Or do you think there's a recruitment issue here, a staffing issue, really, that's the chord of this problem? If there's a will, I believe there is a way. And at the last meeting in July, I got a lengthy, lengthy report back in relation to why HSE Infection Control Team advised that it was unsuitable in the COVID-19 time. The bullet points that they give, I believe all can be responded to if the will is there to deliver. And with the community, with the committee, and with the GP staff, I will be hoping that we all can ensure that that day comes sooner rather than later. But it has to do, Tony, as you pointed out, this is something that is needed right now. There's hundreds of families, or dozens of them at least, across the peninsula that are, you know, maybe even seeing their loved ones deteriorate. As you rightly pointed out, you know, we're all standing on their shoulders effectively, and we are really judged as to how we treat the most vulnerable or elderly people. This is something that needs immediate action. Well, particularly, as we sort of said there, right? You know, these are old people, all right? And, you know, time is of the essence, getting us sorted out. You know, there's been nothing but smoke and mirrors that I have got from Mary Butler's office, from the HSE, from the OPW. I kind of want to resist the urge to give you examples of it here, right, because I don't want to go down that track, right? Because, you know, I want to try and keep this up a level, right? And I want people to come to the Colgan Hall from all across the nation, because it's a knock-on effect. If you're living in Bornfoot or living in Fawn, this affects you as well, because people are, because the amount of services has a knock-on effect. It's a domino effect across the whole of an issue. And, by the way, there's a shortage in Bunkrana as well. It's not just a kind on it. This is Movil, this is Malinhead, Caldaf, Climani, Moff, all the way right across an issue. I mean, there's 22 or 23 different daycare centres in the whole of Donegal, all right? Kind on is the fifth biggest by population, and there's nothing here, right? And there's nothing north of Cairndonna. There's nothing in Malin or anywhere else, all right? So it needs to be reinstated, and it needs to be reinstated now. And we, as a community, are not putting up with it any longer. Someone said to me at the meeting that we as a community have been asleep on this issue. And what I'm kind of saying to the listeners out there today is, you know, yes, we probably have been asleep, right? But let's wake it up and let's get to the Colgan Hall and let's show the HSE that we are not taking this anymore and show the government that we're not taking this anymore. It's not acceptable. It's not acceptable. As I said at the start, a measure of any society is how we treat our old people. We all have old people and we all know that people are living longer, thankfully. So we really need more of the service, not less of the service. Okay, and of course too, I'm sure the likes of the University Hospital would be very keen to see these services up and running as well as the local GPs, as you mentioned. So there's a public meeting on Friday evening in the Colgan Hall, you say, Tony. Everybody invited? That's right, Greg. On October the 6th at 7.30 p.m. Oh, it's a month out from now. Okay, so there's plenty of notice. My apologies. Okay, so October 6th, the Colgan Hall at 7.30 p.m. 7.30 p.m. Okay, sure. You'll remind us closer to the time, won't you? We will, Greg. And thanks very much for taking up this very important issue. And I'd just like to say, I'd like to thank Albert as well. Albert's been fantastic in keeping this issue through Alive, through his work. Yeah, okay. Thank you very much indeed, Tony. And Albert, thank you very much indeed for your time as well. Yeah, thank you very much, Greg. What I would just like to say there is that the response and answer received on July from the HSE, Greg, read that the infection prevention control team have been requested to review the current location for potentially developing an area to meet the infection prevention control recommendations. And that this will be dependent on available funding. There must not be a price put on what we hope to deliver in our community for the elderly. And the location has medical assistance nearby, as had been a community hospital. So I too want to be associated with what Tony said. Thank you for raising the matter today. And we will keep you brief because we are just at the end of the beginning of this campaign. Yeah, it's vital you do. Okay, thank you very much indeed, Councillor Albert Darty there, people texting in in support. This service must be resumed immediately, causing many negative issues for the elderly of our area. Daycare Services and St. Joseph's Stranawler closed this last few years. They don't have a hope of it opening again, right? 08, 660, 25,000, keep your calls and comments coming in on that. Just before we take a break, I want to mention the Donegal Down Syndrome Association. We talked about this on the programme previously, but it's just to give you a reminder that the Donegal Down Syndrome Association with support from Down Syndrome Ireland are exploring possibilities for providing employment opportunities for adults with Down Syndrome. They're holding an information session in the station has letter Kenny this coming Thursday from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Employment specialists from Down Syndrome Ireland will be in attendance. We'd greatly appreciate if you or a member of your team could attend if you're unable to attend on the day, but are interested in learning more. We can arrange a follow-up discussion with you, and we did have a really quite detailed conversation on this issue last week. So for further information, you can contact the Donegal Down Syndrome Office High Road Letter Kenny 0749103527. So that's that event in the station House Hotel Letter Kenny on Thursday from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Watch the show live now on YouTube, Facebook, and at highlandradio.com. The 9 till noon show in association with Fit20 Letter Kenny. Get fitter and stronger in just 20 minutes. Train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate-controlled gym. Increase strength at any age. Visit fit20.ie to book your free session. The sounds of laughter. The words of a friend. Your favorite song. Sounds mean so much to us, and our world grows smaller if we experience hearing loss. At Hidden Hearing, you can trust our expert audiologist to help with a no quibble 90-day money-back guarantee to ensure peace of mind. Visit www.hiddenhearing.ie or call 1850 21 44 88. Hidden Hearing. Life is worth hearing. Mr. Blue Sky, tell us why. The EuroMillions Jackpot is a guaranteed 17 million Euro. Clear responsibly, in-store, in-app or at lottery.ie. The National Lottery. It could be you. OK, you're very welcome back. A caller says, Tony, you are totally right. I think it's diabolical the way our older people have been treated since COVID. We can find money for other things, but not for our health system. The health system is in crisis. The government's failure is evident in all our health system. Our politicians have turned a blind eye to everything and not standing up for the people. Government have serious questions to answer as they're putting us all at risk. A caller says the day centre in Remalton is not open since COVID either. And another caller says the day centre in St. Connells is not open and it is badly needed. Once to know why this is all since COVID is long over now, I don't know what is going on across then. The services, let's not forget last week we were talking about services for children. Speech therapy and what have you. It starts off with letters received in one part of the county and then you realise that parents right across the county are receiving the same. And now, of course, we start talking about day care services in Carandona and it turns out that so many people right across the county are being similarly affected. Why are these services not open? What changed since COVID? 08, 6, 60, 25,000. The caller says they've no bother finding places for Ukrainian people. This is what COVID was all about, to close these places and other places. Also, the whole thing is a complete set up. Look at the state of this country at the moment since we called COVID. It's plain to see COVID was a way to destroy this country and every other country also just take a step back and wait all up, OK? That's your view. In terms of supporting or accommodating Ukrainian people, it's very different because you take the top floor of a hotel and in terms of support staff, I think providing proper, safe daycare services for older people would require a multidisciplinary team and so on and so forth. A couple of warnings from listeners. Greg warned people about buying tickets online, which is not an official site. I know people who bought them for electric picnic and when they got to the gate, they discovered they were fake and left out of pocket and out of the festival. Oh, my word, that would have been a heartbreak to make your way all the way down there and get yourself in as far as the gate. Were you caught out by fake electric picnic tickets? Let us know. 08 660 25000. Another, is this a new telephone scam? I got a phone call saying they were from the three loyalty team. They knew my name and address, but it sounded suspicious. So I hung up and an online search for the number said it is a scam, but where three phone provider hacked? How else would they know my name and address? Well, unfortunately, most of our names and addresses are out there. They've been hacked from one company or another. You obviously are a three customer. So maybe that's the random element of it. If they called me, I'd go, well, I'm not with three and that would be the end of it. So I'm not sure if it's a scam. The number is 061 203061. Sounds like a kind of a catchy number, but they can clone any number now. So if you've any advice or experience of that for that listener, please let us know. A caller says more camera fans are not needed. More guards on the street are what's needed. Our population has increased significantly and we have less guards than ever, they say. And other, honestly, Greg, we need to start thinking about immigration again because if you're Irish, you get nothing for your taxes and have no rights. And a lot of people seemingly starting to feel a little bit like that. Okay, next on the programme is Sinead. Sinead, thanks for holding. Good morning to you. Thank you. Good morning to you, Sinead. Right, now, difficult experience for you and your family. It all started around about eight weeks ago. Can you tell us what happened? About eight weeks ago, my young daughter was experienced in headaches for a couple of days. She went on to work on the Thursday and she says the only way she could describe it was somebody punched her in the side of the head, which collapsed. She was taken to hospital to discover she had a stroke. She was kept on for a couple of days. They don't have MRIs and whatever other tests. We went back for the MRI results to discover not alone that you have a stroke, she had several many strokes. A couple of days later, she was discharged again from hospital, she was taken in again. And when I was with her, she, I looked over and she didn't look for her and she just seemed to pass out. I discovered she was having another episode, when she has this episode, she can't talk. She's lost the power of her fist on her left hand side. She's lost the power of her arm, her leg. She turns to the left, she can't see. She can't talk when she's on this episode and you just have to sit with her till she comes around if she doesn't come around after a certain period of time. You have to phone an ambulance and the last time the one she had with me was really bad. She was taken under recess. They've done more tests, they discharged her again and she's just left in limbo. She's home now and she's got three small children and the two boys, one of them only 13, has to learn to administrate the medication which takes an episode and if she doesn't come out of it to phone an ambulance. And she's not getting any better. All these, she had an episode on Friday and all these Saturdays, she couldn't even sit up to drink a cup of tea. That's just horrific. She can't be left on her own. She can't have a shower if there's no one there. That's a horrendous condition to be left of. And at the moment she said to me, yes, your mum, I'm not getting any better and I can't see anywhere out and it's just shock. Yeah, and this, of course, is going to weigh incredibly heavily on you as a mum as well. Have I pleaded you, migraine, she has an official diagnosis of that. Have they given her any preventative medicine? Because there is some available, if my memory serves me correctly from speaking about this before. Well, she's on stroke medication and she gets an injection once a month to deal with the pain. But unfortunately, she doesn't live in this country. Oh, OK. And when I was up at Latter-Kinney about two weeks ago, I happened to mention it to one of the staff and they said that this past while they have seen three patients come in on their thirties with the same problem and they don't know what's causing it. Mm-hmm. And it is, she has strokes and then over a period of time she does somewhat recover from them. She recovers, the numbness in her face and the tonsillitis down her arm and the blindness on the left eye doesn't go away. When it gets worse, it goes down her leg and you just help us. There's nothing you can do. 50% of her arteries on the left hand side of her body are blocked and 50% of the arteries on her brain are blocked. They don't know what's causing it. So I just wonder, is there anybody out there who has an answer to the long term of this? We're just seeing two picnic straws at the moment. And presumed they've got her on blood thinners and things like that? No, she's not on blood thinner. OK. And it's kind of, she's feeling a bit hopeless now and I'm sure you're feeling that too. She's a young woman. She's only in her early 40s. You say she's got young children at home and she's being sent home. Really say that, yeah, you're going to keep having these, but if the symptoms last a certain amount of time, get yourself into hospital or call an ambulance and then as you say the last time, she had to be taken to the resuscitation room. So it's really, she must feel like a ticking time bomb for all of you until such times you get better answers or some pathway to see her improving. Yes, well, they phoned her yesterday. They asked her to come on. They think there's a possibility she would have, she has a hole in the heart. So they're going to do tests tomorrow to see if that's what's causing it. You're just picking on straws, you know. It's just horrendous to watch because she thought she was getting better and then she had a seizure on Friday and she had a really bad one on Saturday. She just can't seem to function because there's things she wants to say to you, but she's not able to tell you what she's thinking because of her condition, which is very distressful for the whole house. That's very hard on her husband. His husband left early, but I looked after her for a month and unfortunately, now he has to go back to work and I will have to go back and stay with her. So this is a problem that's resolved one way or the other, if ever. Yeah, and it's just... It's just, this is also, I mean, obviously your primary worry is for your daughter and for her children and all, but this is a big pressure on you too, Sinead, something that you're having to deal with now, you know, when you probably want to be relaxing a little bit more. Well, you see, I normally would text her in the morning if she doesn't reply. I know she's having a bad day. Oh, wow. And then I leave her for a while and then she texts me back and she says, sorry, Mum, not well. Don't want to, just don't want to talk to them. So, you're helpless. I mean, it's terrible. You have to learn a 13-year-old child to administer medication to their mother who's having an eviscerate. And stop the phone, hold her hand and not let her sleep. To help comes, it's just, it's just, it's just awful, it's just indescribable and it's very traumatising for children. Yeah. So if anyone out there has any knowledge or understanding of hemiplegic migraine, you've heard the story there of Sinead's daughter and it is completely debilitating at this point. Requires 24-hour care or monitoring and you've heard of the responsibility now on the 13-year-old and the other half has to go back to work and that means our listener here, Sinead, has to go. She's in a different country, you say. Sinead, she's not living in Donegal so you have to uproot yourself. Okay. I'll have to go back now, so I don't mind doing nothing. No, I know, I know. It's still a very, very difficult situation and I think you just want a pathway or some understanding. And listen, we'll also get in contact with the medical professional as well to talk to them about it. But it was just Sinead, wanted to get you on today, just in case there's anyone out there can offer you some pathway or some hope or light or whatever it might be because it's very difficult. And pass on all good wishes and leave it with us and we'll see what comes from it. All right, thank you Craig for having me. No, no, it's a tough situation for you. It's clear for you and your family. I'm really sorry for what you're going through. Any assistance? So wait 660-25000. The Nine Till Noon Show in association with Fit20 Letter Kenny get fitter and stronger in just 20 minutes. Train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate-controlled gym. Increase strength at any age. Visit fit20.ie to book your free session. To help with the cost of heating your home during the winter months, the fuel allowance scheme will be paid from the week beginning September 25th. This allowance is paid at a rate of 33 euro a week for 28 weeks. To find out more and check your eligibility, visit gov.ie forward slash fuel allowance. The quickest and easiest way to apply is online at mywelfare.ie. One payment per household. A government of Ireland initiative brought to you by the Department of Social Protection. The new Smokes and Grills restaurant is now open in Etter County and to celebrate all pasta dishes and all steak burgers with fries are just 9.95. Yes, 9.95 for your choice of pasta dish or steak burger from the packed menu. With everything put to order and great service every Wednesday to Sunday from 12 to 8, that's Smokes and Grills. Now open at Riverside Retail Park, Etter County. Call 9-1-1-3333 or see Smokes and Grills on Facebook. Transform your home with a visit to McGilley's Furniture, Etter County located at the Port Link Business Park just off the Port Road. You'll find a huge selection of top quality suites, beds and mattresses, also slide robes and custom-made dining and occasional furniture with prices to suit every budget. See the great choice for yourself at our showroom, McGilley's Furniture Port Link Business Park Port Road, Etter County. Click McGilley's Furniture.com. OK, just to get through some other correspondence that has been coming in to us. So caller says, Hi Greg, I wonder if you can help. I'm currently waiting on X-rays. I'm currently on week seven waiting for an appointment, rang the unit and was told the waiting list was 10 to 12 weeks. This is not acceptable in this day and age. I heard the radiographer retired and no replacements since July. Hopefully you can help. Well, unfortunately all we could do is make inquiries and this is the response which we received. The HSC is unable to comment on individual circumstances surrounding particular cases in order to protect patient client confidentiality and we understand that. But from yesterday, Monday the 4th, the X-ray service in Cardona Community Hospital will be running five days a week. Previous to the service starting, patients would travel to Etter County University Hospital to avail of an X-ray. The service has seen a large increase in GP referrals since the COVID-19 pandemic. All referrals are prioritized according to the clinical information supplied by the referring GP. Where GP has stated a recent injury or trauma, these referrals are fast tracked as are all chest referrals. While urgent referrals continue to be seen within two to seven days, the routine waiting list has increased. Increasing the service from three to five days a week will reduce the routine waiting times and still accommodate all urgent referrals. A senior radiographer position has also been advertised as of August 24th. The closing date is September 12th and interviews will take place shortly afterwards. So there you have it, that's the situation. Hopefully it may improve. But obviously there are people that are being seen as more urgent than you and that's why you're being pushed back to the, well, you're not seemingly moving up the queue, it might feel. Greg, we need more GPs in the communities, more doctors and nurses in our hospitals and more guards on our street to deal with the increasing population. We do not need more TDs and spending more money on politicians, says a caller. My boyfriend and I got a site from his father and are going to build on it this morning. We got a price to build a three bedroom on suite house, bathroom, kitchen and hall. That's just the building, never mind everything else. There is no way we could get a mortgage to pay this type of money. So how much do you think their quote was? For a three bedroom on suite bathroom, kitchen and hall, 350,000 euro. How a family is doing it, we have to rethink our plans which were pretty basic in the beginning they say. So they have the site, hopefully they have the planning but it's 350,000 euro to build what is a relatively modest house and presumably that's not going to include everything. And I don't see those prices going in the downward direction either. A caller says most schools have canteens now. We got notified yesterday that the school will be operating the canteen payment system via a card which can be topped up on a regular basis so children cannot pay with cash. Surely this is just encouraging a cashless society, is it fair? How has this system being allowed to be introduced with no consultation with parents on it? As a parent, do I have any rights to insist that my child has a right to use the canteen with cash? It's an interesting question. And I'll tell you too, there are times where the money's not there to top up a card. You know what I mean if people are struggling a little bit and you can always, hopefully always get a few euro cash together for lunch. But there is a reality that sometimes for whatever reasons you can't transfer from a card or your bank account to one of these cards in the canteens. It was introduced during COVID in schools that I'd be familiar with and it's back again now. What do you think out there? 08, 6, 60, 25,000. Another listener says I'm a tenant in a house with a back boiler and an oil fired boiler. Only use the back boiler because the oil is so expensive. A estate agent came out to do a check and the boiler wouldn't come on and is now being told that she's responsible for the boiler not working since she never turned it on. Is this the case? How can she have it broken? How can she have it broken if she's never used it? Right, this is a, I didn't, last year, I think it was last year or perhaps the year before, didn't use the oil burner at all, fired it up and it didn't fire up. Ended up having to change it. But changing it was the best thing ever did because the new burner is so much more efficient than the old one that had been in there for a couple of decades. But anyway, be that as it may. Who is responsible to fix this boiler? The listener, the tenant in the house is being told that it's her fault because she didn't use it. But surely it's the person who owns the properties responsible for that, is it? 08, 6, 6, 60, 25,000. Let us know what you think. All right, more reaction now to the Electoral Commission's review of Donagall. They said they couldn't justify returning it to a two, three-seater setup and instead it's going to retain five and there's a line south of Pettigo, Lahi, Balantra to the sea, effectively that's still with Sligo and Leetrim. Mary T. Sweeney's going to be standing in the next general election for Aintu here in Donagall. What's your reaction to the decision we learned of last week, Mary T.? Well, I think it's disgraceful that there's not more hurrah about it from all the politicians of Donagall. Dublin-Centric, as again, further emphasised it's another disenfranchised marginalisation of the west coast of Ireland, never mind just Donagall and to add insult to injury, to include the seats and the representation for Dublin. It's just a Dublin autocracy, they're in control. It's a form of gerrymandering, really, I believe. How does this...? This is why the rural voice has been... This is why the rural voice has been smothered and I just posted Patrick Murphy, the CEO with a fisherman and cork at a very moving video of another two boats in Catalan Bear being caught up because of the fishing quota being handed away. Like, where are our politicians to stand up for Donagall and for the west coast? It shouldn't be represent Dublin and rural Ireland. It should be represent rural Ireland and Dublin and it's not happening. So, Merity, are you saying that if there were extra TDs to go around, then one should have come to Donagall for more representation of the issues facing Donagall? Is that your main gripe with it or...? I have queries and concerns about the overall electoral composition the way it's made up at the moment. But yes, if that were to be the case, but there is definitely a total review needed of the whole procedure and placement and representation that we have at this time. And we need to look at why that Dublin is in control of the rural economies that we have people elected as a minister, Pascal Donoghue is elected as a minister had control of finance and public expenditure and he was voted with less votes than Patrick Hope Gallow or John O'Donnell who doesn't even get elected in Donagall. It's really difficult to understand but without looking at the facts and figures on it. But the simplicity of it is Pascal Donoghue has voted in on 4,738 votes. The constituencies in Dublin are much, much smaller for their polls, their voting poll, their electorate area. We have like 120,000 people in the Donagall constituency here. The electorate's 125,000 and the turnout for the valid polls are 77,000. And when you compare ministers actually making financial decisions elected on a tree of 4,738 votes where their quotas are much less, their electorate is much smaller. And finally, Mary T. That's like putting a senior hurling player in the pitch for the juniors, the 115th, the 116th. Yeah, it favours the bigger parties too, presumably in Donagall. Totally favours the bigger. That's why I'm saying this is a Dublin autocracy as well designed, again, the usual to control the governance, to control the view and to control the people. They have used their marketing skills and how much was spent on many houses and many make-a-homes in Donagall could have been rebuilt by what has been spent to circumnavigate to get to the outcome that they wanted here. OK, Mary T. This is the big parties doing this. And I'm very, very angry about it. Yeah, and it's something we'll return to. Thank you very much indeed. That's Mary T. Sweeney, who is going to contest the next general election as an aim to rep. OK, it is the Ninetown Noon Show. That's our one of this Tuesday over, pretty much. We'll be back with community garden information after the news and a bit of tray notices. The Ninetown Noon Show, an association with Fit20 Letter Kenny. Get fitter and stronger in just 20 minutes. Train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate-controlled gym. Increase strength at any age. Visit fit20.ie to book your free session. At ESB Networks, we're connecting Ireland to a clean electric future. And as part of the National Smart Metering Programme, 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. Log in here, for all the times. Summer may be over, but the need for storage is just beginning. Dale's Sight Garden Furniture brings you the perfect solution with full range of sizes and garden sheds, outdoor canopies and much more. Safely store your barbecue, patio furniture and outdoor toys. Dale's Sight Garden Furniture, Lifford, made to measure and one-off designs are our specialty. Find us on social media. For all your training needs, Northwest Forestry Services Training Department, Bally Buffet, offer a wide range of courses from training bodies such as NPTC City and Gills, QQI, LANDRA and ABA International. Courses include all land-based services such as chainsaw, tree climbing and rescue, pesticides, working in heights and ATV training. Other courses offered include First Aid Responder, manual handling and building safety, to name but a few. For a full list of training courses and availability, contact Northwest Forestry Services Bally Buffet on 0749132033. 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. It's understood a centre for Ukrainian refugees is to be opened in South Donegal. The former Ringford Inn building has been offered for use. A planning application for renovations is now with Donegal County Council with more. Here's McKellar Clark. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has confirmed that the former Ringford Inn property in Brockless has been offered to the department for the accommodation of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine. A spokesperson says it has been passed on to the Department of Housing as the accommodation is in need of refurbishment. No further details as to when the centre will be open or how many people will be housed there is currently available. A planning application is with Donegal County Council for a 16-on-suite bedroom extension of the building, along with the extension of the hotel entrance lobby, dining room entrance lobby and kitchen stores as well as the development of a detached general store building. Sleeve League Hotel Limited has also applied to upgrade the access road, install boundary fencing, leisure decks, access paths, landscape gardens and plantation, signage and external lighting. It's emerged that more than 5% of adults are actively living with symptoms of long COVID in Ireland. According to data contained in recent survey commissioned by independent TD Dennis Nocten, 76% of those with symptoms report their ability to perform daily activities has been reduced. A similar study commissioned in November found 6% of adults were reporting symptoms. W Nocten says close to 200,000 people are affected by the condition. He says people in the West and Northwest are being denied the care and expertise that they need. The HSE back in 2021 gave a commitment to establish eight regional centres with cardiologists, respiratory consultants, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and so forth, including establishing one in Lether Kenny. And that is not functional today and that leaves people in the Northwest of the country at an extreme disadvantage in terms of getting access to the proper care and treatment that they need. The HSE says an x-ray service is now running at Carandana Community Hospital on a five-day-a-week basis rather than the three days on which it had previously been operating. The HSE says the service has seen a large increase in GP referrals since the COVID pandemic and they're being prioritised according to the situation. Urgent referrals continue to be seen within two to seven days but the routine waiting list has increased and the HSE says moving from a three to a five-day service will bring those waiting times down. Meanwhile, they say a senior radiographer position has been advertised with a closing date of this day. Week interviews should take place shortly afterwards. Material deprivation is on the up and income equality has decreased for the first time since 2017. A new study from the Economic Social Research Institute found after tax disposable income fell in 2021 for the poorest fifth of the workforce. It's stagnated for those earning less than 46,000 a year. It's also recommended pay rises of 14% would be needed by the end of the year to keep salaries in line with inflation. Assistant Professor of Economics at Trinity, Dr Barrow Runtry, has been looking at the definition of material deprivation. That's being unable to afford two of a list of 10 essentials. That went up from about 13% to almost 17%. That kind of goes against what we've seen for the past almost decade where we've seen very strong growth in household incomes which matters more to people probably than the GDP or GNI figures that we hear often reported. More gar thee are to be deployed to road policing units in a bid to tackle the increased number of deaths on Irish roads. The pledge has come from Justice Minister Helen McInty as the latest national slowdown day campaign came to an end this morning. By nine last night, 310 drivers had been caught speeding. One of them doing 161 kilometers an hour in a 100 km zone in County Lath. A number of detections were also made in Donegal. And a quarter of primary-aged children and 40% of secondary-aged pupils in Ireland have experienced cyberbullying. The latest report from CyberSafe Kids shows girls are more likely than boys to be victimised online with the posting of pictures without permission, creation of fake social media profiles and exclusion from chat groups the most commonly experienced form of online abuse. 93% of 8 to 12-year-olds have access to a smart device. 31% said they're allowed to go online whenever they like. Will the CEO of CyberSafe Kids, Alex Cooney, says children must be encouraged to speak out if they're attacked online? This is really concerning, especially as it relates to more serious and more persistent cases. We'd really urge parents, teachers, to encourage children to come forward, to be upstanders for other children so that if they see something that's not right, that they do report it to a trusted adult so that we can really try and reduce the level. These numbers of children who are experiencing harm online. Will the forecast material be dry today with long spells of hazy sunshine top temperatures 22 to 26 degrees Celsius in moderate-easterly breezes? And that's Highland Radio News. We're back with news headlines again at 11. Until then, from the news team, have a very good morning. The obituary notices this Tuesday morning, September 5th. The death has taken place of Patrick McLaughlin, 26th Farnhill, Letter Kenny and Skelpe Castle Finn. His remains are opposing at his mother-in-law, Tulip McCrory's residence, Skelpe Castle Finn. Funeral from their tomorrow morning at 11.30, going to St. Columbus Church Donnie Loop for 12 noon rakeway and mass with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. Family flowers only, donations if desired to St. Vincent de Paul Castle Finn, care of Kennedy's funeral director's Castle Finn. Family time please from 11 p.m. and on the morning of the funeral. The death has taken place of Liam Duffy, 14-mourn-av. Straban, reposing at his home. Funeral leaving his home tomorrow morning at 9.25 a.m. for rakeway and mass in St. Mary's Church Melmont at 10 a.m., interment afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. Family time please from 11 p.m. tonight. The rakeway and mass can be viewed live via the parish webcam. The death has taken place of Huey Gelbrath, Port Hall Lyford. His remains are reposing at the home of his sister, Maureen Coll Hewn, 314 Connyborough Road Lyford. Funeral service at his sister's home this afternoon at 2 p.m., followed by burial in the family plot in Balli Lenin Presbyterian Churchyard. Family flowers only please, donations in lieu if desired to Balli Lenin Presbyterian Church, care of any family member or Terence McClintock funeral director. The death has taken place of Sarah Theresa Anthony, Glee Balliara Melton, Nephreel Doamore Fanad, remains are posing at her home in Balli Ar. Removal from there this evening at 6 p.m., going to St. Mary's Church Fanavolte, arriving at 7 p.m. to repose overnight. Funeral mass tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., burial afterwards in Fanavolte Cemetery, housed private to family and friends. Funeral mass can be viewed on Patrick Sweeney Funeral Director's Facebook page. The death has occurred of Kathleen McNicholas, Nick Gallower, to Ashley Parker Melton Road Letter Kenny, funeral from her home today, going to the church of the Irish martyrs, Balli Rain Letter Kenny, for 1 p.m. rakeway and mass, which can be viewed live on YouTube, followed by burial in the family plot in Conwall Cemetery. Family time please before the funeral. Family flowers only please, donations if wished, to the Donegal Hospice, care of Pasco Blake Funeral Director. The death has taken place of David Campbell Rankin Tour Mough, funeral service in Greenbank Presbyterian Church this afternoon at half past one, interment afterwards in the adjoining burying ground. Family flowers only please, donations in lieu of flowers if wished, to Greenbank Presbyterian Church, care of Mrs Sylvia McConn Windy Hill. For more details, including any family health guidelines for wakes and funerals, please go to highlandradio.com. If you want to grow up to be a champion, you have to eat like a champion and the Aldi Super 6 fresh fruit and veg offers are a super choice with up to 62% off. Gallow apples were 159, and mini bananas were 179, now both 99 cent. Baby potatoes were 109, and mushrooms were 115, now both 79 cent. Carrot and parsnip tray was 129, and mini easy pealers were 99 cent, now both 49 cent. Aldi, official fresh food partner of the Irish rugby team, come on Ireland, we're rooting for you. The county's number one talk show, the 9 till noon show on Highland Radio. You're very welcome back to the second hour of today's program as we approach 10 minutes past 10. I hope you're all feeling very well this morning. And thanks so much for being with us today. Right, lots of people coming in and coming in with comments and what have you. Not surprising I suppose as school returns that there's a few issues popping up there. A caller says, hi Greg, and all this comes up on your show, but why do some schools still insist on girls not being allowed to take off the jumper in this heat it's totally wrong and unfair? I had two girls come home yesterday totally drained and sweating. And is that, what is the logic behind that? I do understand that the reasons as to why in normal circumstances, but when it's so warm, why would people be forced to continue wearing really heavy winter sweaters? If that's an issue for you or you have a comment on that, you know, the numbers. Another caller says, I don't agree with the cashless card system that they're introducing in the schools. I was in touch with the catering company and was advised that the banks have put a huge pressure on them, but was also advised that the canteen workers will still accept cash and put it into the child's card. I feel that this is not fair and kids should be allowed to use cash and not cards when the kids have cash. They know what they have and know what they have to spend. Cash should be used, says this listener. I wonder what the young ones think of it though. I mean, is this what we want? Or do the young ones go, you know, I prefer to use cash? I say that Aaron's still in school. He loves cash. And I don't mean like we all love cash. Don't get me wrong. But he always tries to have a bit of cash with him. Yes, that's the price for building now. Tell that couple to go down the route of a wooden frame house. It will cost them 50 or 60 grand. That's what my friend is doing. We have a young couple. I believe that we're young anyway. Judging by how the text was phrased, they got a quote for a property to be built on land that they were given or it's from the father whether they paid for it or not. I don't know. But €350,000 for a relatively modest three-bedroomed house. But this callers say, have a look at wooden frame. And you know what? There's a strong argument for many reasons to look at wooden frames, isn't there? That lady was on talking about her daughter. Bless her. I hope she recovers soon. But that's the third person I've heard of who's in the similar circumstances in recent months. Where did we stand before the COVID injection? It's really scary to think. It's hard to know. I mean, because the thing as well, what people say the COVID jobs can do to some people, COVID can do to some people as well. How it affects your blood. I mean, we can have that debate. I'm not sure at this point where we'd go with it. But that being said, I do know some people that received advice who were in similar circumstances that received advice to avoid any further COVID injections. So there's different views out there on that. Greg, can you tell that couple that got the big price for their house to get a local man to build the house and supply the materials themselves? Most local builders would advise them what to get. Reed the boiler. I think it's 100% the tenant's responsibility. Okay, but now keep in mind that he didn't. They haven't used it. So I mean, is it in the contract that use it or lose it? It won't work. I don't know. It's a tough one. Ask this lady, had her door to the COVID injection. Another caller says the psychiatric day centre in Karn SUV, that's the old Convunt, hasn't reopened after COVID. I think that this is a disgrace. It was where its clients could meet up, partaking activities and beyond to the eye of mental health professionals. Most of all, it alleviated loneliness and isolation for these people. Please look into this. Another here, our national school, that is a desk school, has requested 25 euro for photocopying and art materials. The principal sent out a gentle reminder, no mention of it being optional. Child's name must be written on the envelopes, so they are obviously keeping a record. Right, okay. As I say, desk schools particularly are in areas where there is more deprivation, I think the word is. So a 25 euro bill for photocopying and art materials. I don't know. Right, okay. Let us see. I want another couple of comments here just before we go to the break. Caller says, I'm quite tech savvy, but nearly caught out on a WhatsApp scam pretending to be my son who changed phone numbers and providers. Then needed money, sent message on Facebook to son, asked for his date of birth and location of birth, complained to WhatsApp and blocked scammer. Guardie advised to call local station, who could probably not have time or a clue to catch scammers. Why don't Guardie have a central anti-cyber scam and maybe include cyberbullying, et cetera, sectional lined with the phone and social media providers is beyond me. Another closure of day hospital by COVID stealth. Other people, especially living alone, need this service. Totally agree with Tony. Same problem in St. Joseph's, St. Draunaler. This is shortening people's lives and reducing their quality of life and health. And another one here on speed vans. Get rid of the speed vans. It's only a sideline for Guardie. There's no advantage in it for Guardie. As such, these are an independent company that are employed. Not your rank and file Guardie. They've got no benefit for them at all. They certainly don't see any of the money. That's why so many of them are leaving. That unfortunately is the story all over Donegal. Government are living in another world than the people of every day. But there's got to come a point here when all of this stuff adds up that we are enduring. It's a beautiful place. And on a day like today, where else would you be? And there's so much positive to talk about in Donegal, but that doesn't mean at times we don't have to highlight where things are going wrong. And especially when it seems to affect particular groups of people. And that's where we're at right now. We have to also be able to talk about that and shine a spotlight on that. But there's going to come a point where people are going to go right. Enough is enough. What's going on here? OK, let's take a break. Stay tuned. Community Guardia information is coming up just around the corner. It's time for NCBI Bingo on Highland Radio. It's Tuesday the 5th of September. You're playing on the brown sheet. The reference number is S17. It's game number 36. The numbers are 41, 14, 81, 24, 35, 22, 80, 60, 26, and finally 90. Phone your claim to 9104833 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 HighlandRidio.com. It's the right price tiles and wood flooring 70% off sale. Get up to 70% off on all your purchases. Up to 70% off all tiles. All wood flooring. All bathware. Everything's reduced in store. The 70% off sale at right price tiles and wood flooring. Stores nationwide. Sale extended until Sunday. Take a step towards a new career at the Zeus Recruitment Event in Latter County this Saturday. Available positions include maintenance, electrical and machine shop technicians, process engineers, production operators and quality inspectors. Meet hiring managers and speak directly to the company to find out what's on offer. Call at the Zeus Recruitment Event this Saturday the 16th from 10 to 4 in the Clenery Hotel Latter County. The 9 till noon show in association with Fit20 Latter County. Get fitter and stronger in just 20 minutes. Train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate controlled gym. Increase strength at any age. Visit fit20.ie to book your free session. The Community Garda Information Slot is brought to you by Sheridan Security Systems. Protecting what you value most. Call today and get your zero-wire alarm system from 299 Euro. Sheridan Security, 911 26025. OK, 18 minutes past 10 on this Tuesday, the 5th of September 2023 and we're joined in studio by Garda Clare Rafferty attached to the Milford Garda Station. Thank you for joining us this morning. It's really appreciated. OK, quite a bit to get through. So we'll get straight into it and seeking the public's assistance in relation to a fatal road traffic collision at Bridge End. Yeah, unfortunately now we've to start off with a sad one book. Garda and Bunkran are investigating a fatal road traffic collision that occurred at Cowrie Bridge End on Tuesday last, the 29th of August 2023. The single vehicle collision involving the car occurred between 8.30am and 9am and sadly the male driver of the car was pronounced deceased at the scene. So Garda are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them. Any road users who may have camera footage including dash cam or anything at all or anyone who is travelling in the Bridge End to Calais area between 8am and 9.30am last Tuesday we're asking you to make this footage available to us. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Bunkran at Garda Station on 0749320540 and the Garda Confidential Line is there as well on 1-800-6111 or indeed any Garda Station can be contacted at all. OK, and let the Garda D judge if the information is relevant in contact and because there's an extensive investigation is carried out after such a tragedy. Moving to Letter Kenny now and investigations on going into an assault. Yeah, so there was an assault at Lower Main Street Letter Kenny on Sunday the 27th of August and this was at approximately 305am. So the male, the injured party in question received a punch to the face and he ended up having facial injuries that required treatment in hospital. So we appealed to anyone that may have witnessed this incident to contact the Guardian Letter Kenny on 0749167100. And also an assault a little later the 2nd of September also in Letter Kenny. Yeah, so another one. This one happened at Gort Nugrenia on Saturday the 2nd. So it was Saturday evening at 8.30pm a male living in the area was assaulted by another male and he received injuries to his eye. So we ask anyone with any information you know this was evening time there would have been people around I'm sure so if you've seen anything or know anything in relation to this assault contact Guardian Letter Kenny please. Okay, our next focus is on burglaries starting at Hazelbrook Crescent or Hazelwood Crescent. Yeah, it is, yeah. Letter Kenny are appealing for this one. Again, to burglary incident that occurred on Saturday the 2nd of September between 1am and 1.30am so essentially Friday night into Saturday a house was entered via an unlocked door and a PlayStation 5 was stolen from the property. So if anyone has any relevant information to offer we ask them to contact Letter Kenny on 0749167100. And again, this is not to attribute any blame and we all make mistakes and what have you but we do have to remind ourselves don't we just to make sure that we lock up and keep our valuables secure as much as possible. Yeah, take that extra time when you're leaving the house just double check and make sure all doors are locked and all windows are closed and if possible locked as well because we don't want to make things easy for people this is someone who's seen an opportunity check the door it was open and it's locked away with the PlayStation and often we think we nip out but we can get caught up doing other things as well then It doesn't take them long Yeah, really quickly, okay and now a second burglary this time at Fair Green Park Yes, so we have another PlayStation stolen here So this one was at Fair Green Park on Friday the 1st of September between 8.30am and 3.30pm so the owner arrived home and he reported that entry was a property and a number of items taken this time including a PlayStation 4 So we ask if anyone's seen anyone acting suspicious and around the area during those times to please contact letter Kenny Gardie or also if anyone has offered you an item as such for sale it would be very important for us to check that out it may be genuine but let us work at that and figure that out Yeah, for sure. Alright, two instances now of criminal damage the 1st in Lifford Yeah, so this was by fire at Toyota highest van was burnt out on Port New York Lifford at approximately 11.30pm on Saturday night the 2nd of September so the owner of the vehicle just returned home to find that the van had been burnt out So we appealed anyone who may have any relevant information relation to this incident to make contact with Gardie and letter Kenny again on 07 4 9167 100 And this time criminal damage in Balbuffet? Yeah, this one is a mean glass rolled Balbuffet between 5.30am and 6.00am on Sunday morning the 3rd of September window on a car was broken so if anyone was in that area and has any information to offer us we'd ask you to please contact letter Kenny Gardie And with all of these cases and the reason it's mentioned we'll have doorbell cameras external cameras, dash cam footage this could all be really critical in bringing a lot of these resolution to a lot of these cases as well it's not mentioned for the crack it's a really important tool now If you have anything at all even if you think it might not have caught anything let us worry about it when we'll have a look into it because we appreciate any information going at all No, um Hedge cutting? Yeah, so it's that time of year again the seasons and fall swing and we would like to remind all road users to be mindful of this when they're travelling particularly on country roads so the hedges can be caught between the 1st of September and the 1st of March so there will be a visible increase in this type of large machinery and operation along roadsides over the coming weeks so just bear it in mind and please drive with due care and be alert at all times A little bit of patience goes a long way too You do see it sometimes the horns go in, the lights are being flashed and what are the advantages Yeah, like these hedges are being caught to increase visibility for road users as well so they are doing us a favor too so we need to bear that in mind Right, now we had our latest national slow down day yesterday Yeah, so from 7am yesterday till 7am this morning Garedy were out across the country and across the Donegal division conducting speed checks so we just said we'd mentioned some notable speeds detected in Donegal One of which was in a 60km zone a driver was caught doing 90km in Bundoran and then somebody was doing 114km per hour in an 80km zone in Glentohar and then a large one here 160km per hour in a 100km zone in the Lederkenny area so that driver in particular was arrested and he has been charged and will appear in court so we continue to appeal to drivers to comply with the speed limit in order to reduce the number of speed related injuries and collisions save lives, reduce injuries on the road, we've seen how many people have been injured on the roads and it's alarming so if anyone can do anything to reduce it we'd ask you, please slow down The headline figure obviously is the amount of fatalities awful tragedy visited on so many communities but then the families of the deceased and the impact it has on them and then the multiple of people with often life changing injuries that you don't necessarily hear about as well it's not just that awful number of people that sadly pass away it ripples far beyond that doesn't it and also to some interesting videos on the likes of Tiktok or YouTube right that shows how cars reacted at different speeds and the difference between 60 and 114 or 60 and 90 or 80 and 100 you know what I mean it's shocking there's lots of different factors the speed as you say those videos and there's other ones as well with the tyre thread on your car and the difference that can make as well and then road factors of the roads wet you have to bear that in mind too you know all these things brought in together makes for dangerous outcomes you know okay Claire thank you so much for all of your time and getting this together as well we really do appreciate it that's got a Claire Rafferty from the Milford Garda Station that was Community Garda Information for this Tuesday the 5th of September it will be available for you to watch back later on ours and on Goddess Yukana's Facebook page and it's back live for you after 10 next Tuesday watch the show live now on YouTube, Facebook and at highlandradio.com keep up with your little ones busy schedules pick up a 3 pack of play-proof polos from just 5 euro and sweatshirts from just 3 euro 75 then head to our foothold to pack their pencil case for less with half price on selected supplies from big and pilot and essentials from Milan from just 2 euro then save again with your shop and save grocery vouchers back to school it's done stores shop in store and online now terms and conditions apply voucher can be used on next grocery shop of 50 euro or more or next in store grocery shop of 25 euro or more at Allstate we provide flexible working options that make work work for you you can choose condensed working or a flexible start or finish time choose to work from home or the office whenever you want don't miss out on the moments that matter to you make work work for you search Allstate NI Careers today if the medical experts get it wrong everything changes from misdiagnosis or delay diagnosis to surgical injury or even poor treatment all have physical emotional and financial consequences we're here to help so if your treatment didn't go according to plan speak to our experienced medical negligence team at Mackleheny & Associates find us online or call 0749175989 Mackleheny & Associates solicitors Stranorle in contentious business a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement have you heard about Charlie's chips they're made from potatoes that are carefully selected then peeled cut and like everything else at Charlie's in letter Kenny cooked to water that's why they taste so good from 12 right through to 8 in the evening Charlie's at Pierce Road letter Kenny offer an extensive menu that includes a great selection of gluten free options all available to sit in or take away the next time the hunger hits Charlie's okay you're very welcome back to the 9th of noon show we're joined on it now by Patrick Patrick how are you getting on good morning Greg how are you lovely fine morning isn't it just beautiful Patrick come here what's your views on on what we're seeing on our roads the awful I've been listening to the last two days and I love the show and to be honest my opinion is first of all yesterday on the radio every time the news was on they were advertising it was a slow down day so first of all for me the people that were caught speeding weren't tuned in to hide on the radio because they were slowed down because they got the heads up that it was on I don't think it's something that should be advertised first of all because they would catch more people because they'd catch more people that are speeding without letting them know that that's an actual day that the I can fall for that that's my first comment and before you go before you go on to your second Patrick I I initially agreed would agree with you because I remember the head of traffic at the time when go safe was being brought in I was I was like well what's the logic here they're very high visible everyone knows where they'll be there's a list of the locations on the internet and then and they said they said that is the strategy that it they're located where it's particularly dangerous and if people slow down that's what they want it's not about shooting fish in a barrel this was the argument put to me now I know people have a different view but they're located where we've seen serious crashes before and the guards say it doesn't matter why they slow down if they know it's there in advance at least they're slowing down in these bad areas well I totally I'm glad we're on the same wavelength but that I just don't see the logic behind it I can't see I think that that number maybe you'd have maybe had maybe a and the whole of Ireland you may have another you made a double back yesterday for adios once again I think 100% if it wasn't on the internet it wasn't that people know you know what I mean I just think the number of bell off high in terms of the people of their catch and speeding but it leads on though to the poor families with them and the tragedies that we've had in this country this year has been unreal and from known people that have lost people family members to crashes I think it's also very sad to always have this association to speed and young ones off their mad in the road their own harbors so I think that the Green Party and the council should be held accountable for some of the road death that's happened and I'll give you a bit of depth with the Green Party the circumstances are not allowed to cut in road but are hedges and cleaning ditches alongside the roads so you've got hedges now that are coming across and meeting almost of you know it's really bad they're round corners and such and then you've got drains that years ago oh my god the wee bullets I used to live in there were wee old men and they would be there with their bull hooks and their hand hooks and you could have drunk the wapper out of the drains they had the drains immaculate and on bad country roads that were so well kept this has come back like years and they were part of the council scheme and I remember it was all hand tools and the place this was immaculate the place was beautiful the roads were you know what I mean and all of a sudden now the Green Party is not allowing us to do this the water's not getting away so it's lying on the road and with the amount of rain that we've been getting and the amount of flooding is diabolical the burns and the streams are choked with branches and overgrown trees and then we get ones that aren't you know they're just so unusual for this time of year because the trees are so heavy they're hanging over the burns they're breaking they're falling on the thing we're not allowed to clean them so they're blocking up it all has a knock on effect. Yeah and listen I've said it before there are a number of factors in a road traffic collision there's the driver behaviour there's the condition of the vehicle and there's the condition of the roads as well but let it pump me to you like this that the problem is there's never a good time to talk about road safety unfortunately it's not to blame or to say why a crash happened but we can't not talk about what's going on in the roads with the incredible loss of life and serious injury and you know the guards do really extensive investigations into these instances Patrick as you can imagine and they're obviously concerned of the factor of speeding in the crashes that they're investigating and going on to the scene so whilst you're correct in what you're saying yes we have to make sure the roads are as safe as possible the guards must have some particular evidence that points to speed being a factor in some of the awful situations that we're seeing yeah I totally agree yeah there is no doubt about their speed involved that's a factor but if you take a corner that a young person has been driving on right he knows the road will just stand out for the talk for argument's sake and he's driving will say from Remelton to Latter-Kinney he knows that road like the back of his hand and he's up and down that road all the time and yes he's probably flying because he's used to that road but if all of a sudden like there's been situations where there's downpours of water the water's not getting away it's on the road that young fella's coming around that corner yes there's speed involved he's not taken into consideration the rain on the road but even worse he's not taken into consideration there's a puddle maybe crossing over into the second lane and therefore that's now a new thing for him that he's never came across that you're not going to you know what I mean 100% there's speed involved but if there's conditions on the road I'll give you another perfect example at the back of the area and the counts the Northern Irish crowd that repaired the road they were in you always know the difference because of the well two reasons one the surface finish is incredible and you always know the Northern Irish registration so you know that a company is taking on to do the job then you'll go then to where our council has repaired the road and the two surfaces are just unbelievably different it's just like one is like you'd need a four before to drive on when the council finished and the other one you could have slacks on the road that beautifully I think the proper there are factors in terms of you know yourself these roads get changed resurface completely at different times and then there's maintenance I know what you're saying Patrick I think though our guys are doing the best with the tools and the equipment I'm not here to I'll get you so again I don't disagree with you I think we do need to definitely have more of a conversation about the surfaces and the conditions of our roads as well but alongside the conversation about speeding Patrick would we agree on that then that we have to make sure we don't say well it's not speeding it's this it's not this it's speeding all without a doubt education is a big important factor there's no doubt about it and I think to be honest as part of the driving test I think it would be phenomenal I know that's going to sound really harsh but I think it would be phenomenal for a part of your driving test you know when you're going to do your what I call exam I think we should have a 15 minute at the end of your exam where you have to sit and watch this video and it has to be a password and it should be video evidence and it should be photographic images of cars and the destruction and the situation but also on that video now the Gardie going to the doors and knocking on these family's doors because you almost don't think when they're jumping out of the car and they're going flying they're not thinking the consequences was left behind and I think that would be a brilliant thing to have in a video it's proven because we have these road safety road shows that take place in Latter-Kinney every year and it's clear to the young ones after they've been shown the reality of it that it does stay with them but Patrick my concern is if we were really serious about road safety it would be part firstly of at least transition year that road safety would form part of our of the education system if it's not happening already also let's say as it is the driving test thing is a joke right because say for instance you do your test in Donegal town you just have to get 20 minutes right no motorway no frost, no darkness no roundabouts no traffic lights and then you get through your 18-20 minutes and that's it you can jump in your car and pretty much go anywhere so again it's not really preparing us and of course maybe people might say well you got the 12 lessons in advance again though if you do them in certain areas of the county or country you don't come across any of the problems that we're talking about now so like I would just love to see road safety intertwined a wee bit more with the education and maybe elements of the whole driving test system we need to look at because it feels like it's a lot of money but what are you getting out of it I'm going to 100% agree with you I think every point you made that is so unbelievable and you never mentioned about that or can it happen roundabouts for their test and the majority of them are marked wrongly what's the poll star going to be like I mean that is it might be perfect but my word that is a strange roundabout to begin with because you can have effectively three or four cars trying to go in one lane you're going to have people sitting on that roundabout with red lights it's going to be very interesting I saw my test in the UK in Scotland and I totally agree with you it's so unfair to see somebody that grew up in a city having a city and somebody in a rural place it's a different lesson, it's a different but the education sector of it I think that the age should be first year and secondary school I'll tell you the reason why I would go that low you can go up there now for example there's an event on this weekend and you can go out there and there's kids and cars drifting and I think that's phenomenal you can go there and do and I think it's a fantastic idea because it's getting them off roads and getting them off and I love that but in terms of the education for the speed it needs to go right down to the very beginning of first year because Patrick why did we all end up wearing seatbelts because the young ones come out of school and said dad mum put your seatbelt on because they were told in school how important seatbelts were and I don't have a great memory of where you didn't really have to wear a seatbelt but I really think it was the young ones being taught in national school and secondary school that told mum and dad to put the seatbelts on so I agree with you maybe even earlier but I'm saying let's start something let's try something because we and also we need to speak to young people Patrick and me and you seem to be a similar mind whereby you understand those different things are controlled and safe and people can have fun in a safe environment but we talk about young people we talk about them but we don't talk to them enough to say well what would you like to see done what should be done what might change your mind or your peers minds and we do it with older people as well for some reason we talk at them and about them but not to them well I had this conversation the other day with the young guys in the car I had had three boys about 17, 16, 17 and they were talking about the drift and so on and stuff like this and I was saying stuff exactly like that and I think when they get out of the car I think they were a bit shocked because I was saying to them about the speech situation I go right we'll think out of the equation and say you're gone right you wreck the car and you've not only had you've done yourself but you've done your passengers and I said we'll forget about you because you're gone but I said think of your mum and dad now they're going to get a knock to the door and they're going to get into the car and make sure that news coming into them and that's what's me in the car to them and I think they were like oh my god I go it's something you need to get into consideration when you get into the car not only for you but for the people that you're putting into your car you're destroying their lives too if this goes wrong and I was like you know trying to drum that until I say listen it's fantastic speech fantastic it's all good crack we all love rallies hold claims you know everybody loves about a speech there's no doubt about it there's places to go there's things to do but for younger younger people coming through they have to be educated and told the consequences are serious when it goes wrong you're out of the equation but it's what you're leaving behind and worse if you survive as a driver and your passengers have passed away carry that burden knowing that you were speeding oh my god that must be hell in there all right that must be hell in there Ann Marie and Facebook totally agree with Patrick and the hedge is at the side the roadside so many road signs warning signs are hidden behind trees now which is a little bit of a hobby horse of mine too that doesn't know me all right Patrick thanks for your time today I really appreciate it sorry Greg before it goes back I've been on to my local TD about it over here in Ghidor I used the back of Erica I was on to your assistant there and it's to try and drum and the people need to get behind us the back of Erica we have to get signage for deer it's only a matter of time before a family is destroyed or you know they're always talking about column I don't think we need to call them but we need to signpost that there's deer on that road there's no signs at all from letter Kenny to Ghidor down the back of Erica there's not one sign for deer on that road not one and when you're going back the other way coming from Ghidor heading to letter Kenny when you turn off at the after the encurch there's one sign there one sign on that junction and that's the only deer sign on that whole road I just think we need to push the people of the area need to keep getting on to our councils get on to our TDs we need to get signage for people tourism and as the main road I don't care I wouldn't go around the other road when I'm coming to Ghidor it's too long of a run and I would still class that as my main road but at night time after 10 o'clock 9 o'clock this last few nights with deer and I just want people to be aware of it but the council need to be saying post it all right good stuff Patrick thank you very much indeed thank you for your time lots of you messaging in on that issue let's get to some of those now Greg I drive 30,000 miles every I drive 30,000 miles every year and haven't seen a checkpoint in years including Covid no God a presence on the roads another caller says good morning instead of sex education being taught in our schools it would fit the government better to introduce safe driving courses and lessons for our young people I'd like to make a comment about road collisions the vehicles driven in Ireland too powerful for the roads that we have road conditions are atrocious compared to other European countries our government is responsible well Greg I was travelling from Bundelor into letter Kenny there was a jeep ahead of me doing 80 kilometers per hour I pulled out to pass it and as it was next to him the speed van there I was done for speed because I was doing 130 kilometers per hour to get past this other jeep and I slowed down after passing the speed limit but I got 160 euro fine in three penalty points is this fair it's a toughie I know what you're saying you momentarily breach the speed limit to in your view safely get around that jeep but I suppose they will probably say 100 kilometers per hour is it's the upper limit it's not a target I'm not sure you'll be certainly but I wouldn't go to the bother repealing it because you'll get your fine doubled in your penalty points doubled too probably the guards want to start looking at people texting and using mobile phones while driving on the roads it's unbelievable good morning Highland Radio the number of people using mobile phones while driving is out of hand get as a hgv driver I see people looking at their phones that's why so many car collisions happen I suppose they're in an elevated position so they do see the guard perhaps in a regular vehicle the rest of us don't see what's going on the 9 till noon show in association with fit 20 letter Kenny get fitter and stronger in just 20 minutes train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate control gym increase strength at any age visit fit20.ie to book your free session Jack's beam of Vodafone broadband for three years and Eva joined yesterday but now they can get the same price with Vodafone broadband you can pay just 40 euro a month your bill won't double at the end of your contract available for both new and existing customers after all it's only fair find out more Vodafone.ie forward slash broadband Vodafone together we can subject to signing up to Vodafone home 500 megabit fiber broadband 12 month minimum contract price subject annual price adjustment of CPI plus 3% each April for terms Vodafone.ie forward slash terms due to popular demand I motors have extended their sale on the 30th of September with over 150,000 euro of reductions across all stock this is not to be missed at iMotors test drive any car and enter our draw to win 1000 euro cash yes 1000 euro to take a test drive ends the 30th of September when you buy choose one of the following offers 12 months tax free ceramic coating 24 months warranty or your first finance payment covered by us low finance rates available check our website for all T's and C's you will not want to miss out visit iMotors.ie for more details 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 Sheridan security now introducing zero wire smart alarm systems zero wire zero mess and a real peace of mind with a simple press of a button your alarm can be set or on set or download the free app and control it from your phone call us today on 074 912 6025 and get your alarm from 299 euro stay local stay safe and protect what you value most with Sheridan security systems okay we are joined on the program now by Cecily Gilligan author of a new publication called the cures of Ireland a treasury of Irish folk remedies good morning to you Cecily thanks for your time good morning Greg thanks for having me that's great to have you on the show I mean there's still a great interest in cures people have the cures so we know people would have reputations for having the cures for certain ailments but then there are other things that people take as a cure is there a difference between these two areas or are they all the one well they're probably all interconnected basically I've done a lot of research for this book and I found that there are primarily two types of cures there's faith cures which are very common and we also have herbal cures but the difference in my research would be about 80% of faith prayer cures people believe generally that the cure comes from God and then the herbal cures exist but they're less strong than they were in the past we've lost a lot of the herbal cures and then people would also use things like holy wells for healing and healing clays particularly strong in Donegal healing stones so yes and how how big of not I was going to say an industry but I can't find the word how big of a sort of a movement or activity is it now still in other words do we have any sense of across the north west how many people are seeking out cures how many people are offering them well it's hard to quantify but it definitely exists and it's definitely quite strong particularly in the north west particularly in Donegal I would enter quite a lot of people from there and people are still using the cures and there's a there's a belief out there now obviously it has diminished them say 50 years ago 100 years ago definitely and modern medicine is is the dominant model obviously and people get great help there but people are also interested in alternatives types of medicines or therapies and I think the traditional cures kind of come on to that category also because traditional medicine are full cures you know they they address the needs of the person physically and psychologically and spiritually because there's a usually like say for example if you go for a cure to somebody and often you know you go to their house you might have a cup of tea with them you have a chat with them they listen to your problems apart from maybe you've got shingles but you know you tell them what's going on in your life it's kind of a support of psychological element to cure there which is important and yes and people Michael well why do people not talk about cures as much as they might have in the past but there's actually as far as I'm aware really quite tight regulations on the discussion or sharing of this information on you know in radio stations and on newspapers as well so they have been policyed out of general conversation certainly in the media anyway yeah well that possibly may be the case but also the tradition would be very much that the cures are passed by word of mouth so you're looking for a cure for your asthma and then you ask your neighbors your friends your work colleagues and someone will tell you of a cure or a name or a number so the cures have always been passed the word of mouth is very strong that tradition and then also I found people were very people were very private about their cures and in my book I described the cures and I described what the people do but I don't give individual names or pinpoint exactly where they live I generalize that because most people wanted to be private about their cure and they want to just kept like that and also some people would have said to me that they actually are looking for the cure and making the effort to find a cure and maybe driving down a few country roads and knocking on a few doors and making inquiries that that's actually part of the cure because you're actually going out there and you're empowering yourself and you're saying I'm going to find this cure and it's going to help me and it's a very good start basically to the healing process and this was a real deep dive 93 men and women of all ages who currently dispense cures right now how did you manage to reach all of those people and I suppose also you know persuade them to take part yeah well just like you're saying it wasn't simple it took a lot of time I was five years and more researching this book part-time I'm also a teacher a primary teacher but so I just would literally get a name a few names and then I would follow up a lead it's like any kind of investigative work and I would find people and then I always ask people do you know somebody else who has a cure and they might give me a name or two and then I would look and sometimes you get false leads and sometimes occasionally someone wouldn't want to talk to me in general I found people who are willing to talk and again I said I respect their privacy I wouldn't reveal their identity and that's what I've done in my book and yeah so I hope I answered the question yes of course it does indeed now you yourself coming from a position where you have a belief in cures yes because you've availed of them yourself yes I have yeah well I basically I grew up in and I still live in rural county Staligo and the cures are very strong I was growing up so they were just part and parcel of our life we took it for granted and I suppose it was when I was older I started to realise that this is something special something different and maybe doesn't exist in all countries so when I was it was in the late 1980s I was in university in Cork and I did a project on the old cures a thesis for my final year thesis for my degree and that was a good piece of research I went out and interviewed people and then I subsequently that would ultimately have led to this book was sort of the foundation for this book but yeah I do believe in the cures and what I say in my book you know I don't think they work for everybody every time but I think they work you know maybe quite a lot of the time and for many people everybody's different everyone's an individual that's what people who have cures would say to me as well they say my cure might not work every time but it works maybe a good bit of the time and I suppose the thing just one point there I think is that because the cures have managed to survive for hundreds if not thousands of years and they're currently surviving in 21st century Ireland which is kind of amazing considering your society has changed so much medically and technologically and so I think because they have survived it does say that they are effective that they work and that's what people would have said to me my cure wouldn't survive if it never worked they wouldn't come back to me and it's in the case that for the majority of the time it's not for notoriety or financial gain I seem to recall chatting to someone some time ago they didn't describe it as a curse but they wanted to pass it on I think it was one of those ones where it could be passed forward or something that you know that they recognised that they had it but they didn't want to have to keep going through the process so like what is there is there a personality trait that was common through many of the people that you were looking into yeah well I would say the personality trait is generosity generosity of spirit people like give a lot of their time and energy to the cure some cures are quite complex quite difficult involving a number of visits other cures are quite simple maybe say a prayer like the bleeding prayer is you just call the man for example one of the people that have it and they make the cure so it's relatively straightforward there's a big investment of time and energy so I would say generosity is very important and yeah for some people I don't believe from my research I don't people have financially gained from cures at occasions some people especially to have a cure might have a set fee but generally it's fairly small some people will accept money many many people will not accept money or if they do accept money they'll give it straight to charity or they give part of it to charity not in my book but I definitely don't think people use it I think they use it because it's something that they've inherited often as part of their family their family's tradition inheritance and they want to keep the cures alive and that point you made cures can be tricky they can be difficult you know someone said to me you have to be a people's person a man with a Bell's palsy cure from our mass said that to me said you have to be a people's person because you have to be willing people to come to your house to engage with them to chat to them on the phone and often for no obvious reward so yeah it's complex well it's out now published by Mariam Press it's cures of ardent a treasury of Irish folk remedies and so this is not so the public know it's not a list of way you can get various cures this is about really just examining the whole you know how it's part of you know our history and our present history as well it's that so where do people where can people get the book Cecilia as they say it's okay great thank you the book is widely available in all good book shops as they say I know it's available in nature Kenny in the shops there and everywhere and you can get online from Mariam Press but yeah no my book looks at I don't individualize it I talk about individual people but what I try to do is look at the bigger picture to try and link all these disparate people who don't seem to have an obvious connection and I link them together to the bigger picture which is the ancient very old tradition of healing in Ireland and the cures are very old and I hope it's part of people I try to make it as comprehensive and analytical as well to try and understand it to go into it in depth for this to be noted for a record of this because we are changing all the while and then this is really really important but very quickly from one generation to annex this information and you know of who we are can be lost Cecilia thank you so much for your time I really appreciate it okay good mark bye bye slant that's Cecilia Gilligan author of the cures of Ireland the 9 till noon show in association with fit 20 letter Kenny get fitter and stronger in just 20 minutes once a week with a personal trainer in a climate control gym increased strength at any age visit fit20.ie to book your free session do you need a little extra help staying in your home at bluebird care we offer a wide variety of Q mark approved personalised home care services across Dunnegall 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 15999 each way as part of a return trip sale and September 18 season seas apply travel October 1st 2023 to March 13th 2024 do you suffer from high cholesterol men of all symptoms digestive issues anxiety aches and pains or a lack of energy the highly trained team at the natural way letter Kenny can provide advice on natural remedies for a number of individual health issues the natural way also has its own brand of herbal treatments to help fight fatigue relieve digestive discomfort maintain a healthy immune system and alleviate common menopause symptoms the natural way letter Kenny shopping centre your one stop health shop with all the stories that matter across the northwest it's Greg Hughes on the 9 to noon show on Highland Radio okay it's just turned a minute past 11 for news update and it's over to Donal thank you Greg good morning retained firefighters have voted to accept proposals from the Workplace Relations Commission to resolve their industrial dispute it follows intensive consultations last week and a secret ballot SIPTO has welcomed the news but warned that while today's vote ends the current strike it doesn't end the battle it comes after a protracted row over what the union described as poor terms and conditions for retained firefighters Garner your seeking information following a fatal traffic collision at Caraway Bridge near Bridgend on Tuesday last the single vehicle collision involving a car happened between 8 30 and 9 a.m. the male driver was pronounced deceased at the scene Gardi in Bunkrana are investigating it was a busy day for the Bondouran or the lie yesterday they rescued four people in two separate incidents off Main Beach three teenagers were taken from rocks after being caught in a rip current after they were brought back to shore the crew responded again to a separate call and a rip current all were brought safely to shore Gardi and letter Kenya are seeking information on two assaults in the first on Lower Main Street a man was punched in the face just after at 3 in the morning of Sunday August 27th he required hospital treatment in the second a man received eye injuries when he was attacked by another man in the Gorten Aquania area just after half past 8 on Saturday last more than 5% of adults are actively living with symptoms of long Covid in Ireland data in a survey commissioned by Dennis Nocten TD 76% of those with symptoms report their ability to perform daily activities has been reduced 8 centres for long Covid one of them in letter Kenny were promised by the HSC 2 years ago Debra Nocten says they still haven't been delivered the HSC says the X-ray service at Cardinal Community Hospital is to move from a 3 to a 5 day a week basis it says it's seen a large increase in GP referrals urgent referrals continue to be seen within 2 to 7 days they say but moving from a 3 to a 5 day service will bring waiting times down further and the managing director of Donegal Airport says there's a possibility of further route development to other UK cities Ailish Doherty was speaking after it was confirmed yesterday that the Donegal Glasgow service will be further extended by Loganair in 2024 it was also confirmed yesterday that the airport has seen a record number of passengers travelling to Dublin last month and we're back with news headlines again at 12 noon thanks very much indeed Donal we'll be back with more on the programme after we take a break but just to let you know that Tommy Rosney is going to be joining me for an extended chat he is a legend of the Irish country music scene and I'm really looking forward to talking to Tommy and if you want to ask him a question have anything to say get in touch with us now 08 6 60 25,000 WhatsApps and texts or give us a call on 07 4 9 1 25,000 only murders in the building is back on Disney plus you know what this means murder? yeah murder the stage is set for the wildest season yet we're onto something here featuring Steve Martin, Martin Short Selena Gomez look at this cast they're all killers as well as Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep this is so exciting I'm honoured to work with you just don't upstage me only murders in the building literally literally on Disney plus 18 plus subscription required season sees apply now let's get to some of your comments hi Greg have strong belief in curers and they definitely work in the last few months I've got the cure for chicken pox for my children and the cure for 2018 thrush they all worked call it as I drive up and down from Donegal to Dublin through the night every 2 months and I've never seen a car they must be in the office when the night shift for 40 years. I come to be beside cars and vans at roundabouts and they are all on their phones on the motorway. It's worse because they think they are on a straight and no chance of anything driving into them. These extra speed vans will achieve nothing but money despite it being illegal. Everyone flashes each other to signal to a checkpoint or speed van. We need these checkpoints late at night, not just during the day. Sure, if you see a checkpoint ahead of you, you can put your phone down. We need better deterrence. Vans are not it, believes that listener. Another, I totally agree about speed and hedges on the road. Side roads are so dangerous in Donegal, you cannot see out because of the overgrown hedges. Often you're in the middle of the road before you can see. The Green Party have a lot to answer for about road safety. Another here, a speed restriction device should be fitted by insurance companies for drivers with less than five years experience would be an idea. Well, some do and you get reduced premiums because they monitor your driving behavior. It's not widespread, but there certainly are a couple. I think Revolutor entering the market now and they will give you discounts if you if you have a yoke on the car. Greg, will you let the Sinead, whose daughter has hemiplegic migraines to contact the Apex Head Clinic in Belfast where they might be of help to her? Yeah, indeed. And we have got a number of calls from people who certainly are also suffering these types of migraines. Can you give a shout out to Thomas and Dorothy Piper, who are 56 years married today from daughter Sandra, husband Marcel and grandson Emmett. Please play a request for Emma Chudley, Clune Ard, happy birthday from all the family and Cordelia. Happy birthday to our wonderful neighbour, Theresa Neely from Corky Maniconingham. Have a wonderful day, Theresa. Love Nicola, Gary, Zara, Shannon and also Orla. And I want to say hello to Audrey, Rosemary, Ray, Michael and Cathy, who are watching the programme on our website or Facebook or YouTube. We're on YouTube, Highland Radio Ireland, if you want to watch our next guest, Tommy Rosney, and a special hello to you, Cathy Sleven, who said, Hi Greg, thanks for the lovely day on Sunday. You really made my day. Well, Cathy, it was really, really lovely meeting you and having a chat to you. So thank you very much for that. OK, we're going to take a break to clear the decks for our chat with Tommy. Stay right where you are. The county's number one talk show, The Ninetal Noon Show on Highland Radio. The Ninetal Noon Show in association with Fit20 Letter Kenny. Get fitter and stronger in just 20 minutes. Train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate controlled gym. Increase strength at any age. Visit fit20.ie to book your free session. If you know the beauty and skincare product that suits you best, you'll find them at McGee's Chemist Letter Kenny from moisturizers, cleansers and toners to day creams and night creams. McGee's have the top brands you know and love, like Longcombe, Clarence and La Roche-Posay. Also, Elizabeth Arton, Vishi, Nukes and many more, all at McGee's Chemist Main Street Letter Kenny and online at McGee's.ie for the best cost less. At the Central Statistics Office, we're trusted to gather all sorts of information. So, we count exports, imports, airports and seaports. We count schools, pools and how many are tools? We count emissions, permissions and social conditions. We count beds, sheds and newlyweds. We count families, growing trees and diversity. Because this data informs important decisions on everything from economic activity to housing policy to what to call a new baby. And we can't do it without you. CSO. Count on us. We count on you. Well, Grace, how are you today? I'm good. I've just been down to the Made to Measure Fireplaces showroom in Chrysler. They have an incredible selection of over 40 colours for kitchen worktops. And guess what? For a limited time, they're offering a 40% discount on any electric fire when you purchase a worktop there. 40%? That's an amazing deal, Grace. Absolutely. And trust me, if the discount alone doesn't sway you, they're a huge selection of fireplaces, stoves, wood pellet burners, beams and stone cladding certainly will. Contact Made to Measure Fireplaces Chrysler on 074 91 38 365 on Facebook, Instagram and on MTM fireplaces.ie. Highland Radio time checks with Expressway. Travel Route 32 from Leta Kennedy Dublin when you book online and travel for less. Expressway, bringing you the time out. Well, the time now is nine minutes past 11. Hi guys, this is Derek Ryan here. Stay tuned for the country boy. He's going to be playing a tune for my new album. He is not. He's going to be talking to me, Greg Hughes. That is of course, Derek Ryan, who put on a fantastic show for the thousands upon thousands of people that descended on to Gekarnal Gales, GEA Grounds for the London Irish Vintage Clubs Vintage Day. Unbelievable. He did well and he'd just come in Tommy from a gig in Wicklow. I think it was Wicksford, one of the W's and straight into it on to another gig. They work hard those boys, don't they? Yeah, they work very hard. It's amazing how many has come on the scene over the last couple of years. And it's great to get a lot of young people into radio. I remember back in the early days, you know, you weren't cool if you were playing country. But it's mental all together at the moment. Yeah, it's fantastic. I love it. Tommy, we wanted to chat to you. Tommy Ross and the country boy, a presenter here at Highland Radio. And you've got the longest running country show in radio in Donegal now. And I would say you would give them nationally a run for the money. How long have you been in broadcasting radio of one soldier another now, Tommy? Started late 1980. Greg, I was working down in the old best stores or the old done stores as it was at the time. And Jerome Keaney and Richard Crowley, Richard went on to RTFM after that. The two boys arrived down to me one day and they said, Would you be interested, we're starting up a local radio session, would you be interested? And I said, God, I would. What do you have to do? So he do a demo for us. And at that stage, I didn't even know what's a demo. So he is just to make a little recording of yourself, introducing records. And at the time, I had one of those old, remember those radios with the two cassette tapes. And I had them and all I was all I had at home that time was tapes. So I went over and I put on a tape and I play a bit of a song and I cut it off and I come into the microphone and say, that was Loretta Lynn and Rose Garden here. So and I made a wee 10 minute video for it. And I gave it to the lads. And never heard anything for about three months. And about three months later, the boys arrived down in the shop to me and said, We were doing a bit of test broadcasting now, but we're going to go live in the next month or two. Would you be interested in doing a show? And I said, Yeah, I would. So they said, come up to Jerome's house. We're broadcasting in a back room in Jerome's house. And all you had there at the time, you had your little mix and cancel. And all we were using was tapes, not even CDs, but just tapes, four track tapes. And they said, There's your microphone. There's your top deck. And there's your bottom deck. And I was just left alone. The first week I was broadcasting, we were only test broadcasting. So that said, if you make a mistake, don't worry about it. You get the hang of it. And then when you got the hang of it, you were flying and it just started from then. And it was country. Oh, I stuck to country. Everybody else was everybody else was playing the kind of pop or easy listening music. And that's how the old tag got on me in the early days is the country boy. And it's amazing, you know, people would call you sometimes now people who know I do country on the show here, they'd call you the country boy before they'd call you Tommy Rosney. And I think an old tag, you know, it was an identity that stuck with me down through the years, although I wouldn't be a country boy. Now I've been nearly a country granddad. Oh, I was a country boy. I was a country boy. And did you have you played music live at all? Do you have any music in you? No, I tried. I could sing an old song back back in my school days, myself and a few of my friends had formed a little band just after we left college in the early 70s, two brothers and another lad in slago and we formed a little band. And I would sing. I tried learning the guitar at one stage, but my fingers are that soft. Just wasn't the blood was coming out. I could almost play a piano one hand, but I couldn't get the bass band. But that particular band that I played was after school. When I came up to letter Kenny to work in 75, Sandy Kelly had come home from Wales and Sandy had took over that band. And she was with them for three or four years before she went and joined the duskies. But I always say, Sandy, you stole my band from me back in and was I mean, obviously, then you wanted to perform. So, you know, was DJ in sort of a way of, you know, reaching people and a sort of a type of performance for you when maybe singing or guitar or piano was not necessarily going to be a career for you. Yeah, yeah, I almost like I almost like being involved in music. When we had that little band back home, we were doing all 60s and 70s music. I only got into the country when I came up to Dunleagol. And I always, I always liked it. Like I would say to certain artists now if I seen it in character at Grine or them, they you see them out in stage and the buzz day get from it. My buzz is sitting here at nighttime on my own and front of that thing and playing the music you love. Yeah. And like it's not a job. It's a pass and you come up here, I could sit the whole night. Do you feel the connection with the audience? Because people and I don't really get it, but some people sort of say they have to pinch themselves that they're not just sitting and talking to themselves. But do you get you get that sense of connection with your audience? Yeah, it's great. You know, you'd have your own your own little called following. And you know, like, compared to the early days when I started off in the late 80s and right up through. See, I was with I was with Jerome and the boys up until around 1980. What was that station actually called? It was just called Radio Dunleagol. Right, simple as. And then when it kind of. That was a pirate, wasn't it? It was a pirate. Yeah. And then what we used to do, what we used to do, I used to be on five nights a week from half six to eight o'clock. And then what I used to do and be summer holidays, we used to do what they called festival radio. We used to go down to I used to take me summer holidays and the first week I would take it, we would go down to do Radio Burton Port. Right. There was a guy called Miller. I forget his name. He used to put up the area. We'd have only had a radius of about maybe five or six miles. But we used to set up an all mobile caravan at the cope and Dunleau are in Burton Port. And for the first week, it would be Radio Burton Port. Then on the Sunday night, we would take it, get a heavy tractor, bring it up to the Austin, Austin Park, and we'd be radio Dunleau the second week. It's funny when Greg, when David was doing his radio live broadcast from Dunleau there the other week, I was just saying here in the Wednesday night, God, I said, that brings back memories all the summers I used to do radio Dunleau before David was even taught in his mother and father's eyes. Yeah. Well, you were doing outside broadcasts before they were a thing, really, just for a full week. Sure. I remember, I remember, you know, you were down judging at the Mary Dunleau festival. We used to do a live broadcast from the Mary of Dunleau festival in the priorities. And you know, we did it. It was a man that Dunleau had a CB transmitter and one of the lads used to go into the back of the hall at the Mary Dunleau and he would be broadcasting from CB. I mean, they connected up to one of the lines in the deck and I'd be sitting out in the caravan just out in the car park. And I said, what's the latest? Who's the who's one or we used to do it like that? No, but it was done. It's the same as kind of stuff that's done now. It's just you were using the technology that was available to you at that time. So DCR then DCR was a great radio station. Where was that based and how did you get involved with it? That was based after radio Dunleau closed down. I worked with two brothers from Toronto called the O'Neill's and it was with them for a while. And you could you could do a show back those days. You could have done a show for four or five hours, no problem. Might have been only four DJs, but we just split it up between us. But then one that had stopped for a couple of months Bobby McDade who owned Funland in the Main Street, Bobby arrived out to my house one day and he said Tommy, I was thinking of starting a radio station. Would you be interested? And I said, oh, Bobby, I'd love it. So we started up DCR and it went from 1986 right up to 1989. I actually did the last show on the pirate station in DCR because in 1989, you know, they were going to make the stations legal in 1990. So the last show on all pirate stations had to stop in December 1989. And that time I used to do five shows a week. I used to do eight to have 12 night time and I did a Sunday from 12 to two. What did you feel like doing the last show? Did you got a gig with the next crew yet or did as far as you were concerned, was that maybe going to be your last show on radio? No, well, we had a funny feeling that when Highlander come in or all the legal stations are coming that they would go for DJs who worked on the pirate. Established voices? Established voices because, see, there was another good station up in Bunkran at the time, NWCR. And like some of the lads were up there, like kind of next store used to be with them. And there was Mickey Bradley and the lads used to be them. I remember the day at Finstin Kelly was with us in DCR, Gene Kern was in DCR. And there was a few others who came on. Did you have much interaction with the likes of Glencoe Radio or KTOK or any of those South Donegal based sort of pirates? Not really, not really, not really. But DCR had a great listenership and NWCR would have been the two main pirate station. I know there was another one up in the show on Radio Nort and it was gone as well, but it was great. Like if it hadn't been for, if it hadn't been for the likes of us, the country's singers you hear today, they were getting the airplane RTE. Pascal Mooney as far as you know was the only country show on RTE. Well how many stations were there? There was hundreds of them around the country. Yeah, but how many legal inadvertent common stations? How many? How many legal stations? There wasn't that many of them. Do you know what I mean before? No, RTE. The monotony. It was RTE. It was only because of the pirates that the government decided then to get issue license out to give it to local radio. Because they've seen how popular it was. Yeah, exactly. And the artists of the day recognise that though. You know what I mean? They recognise how important it was. And even to this day, even to this day you will struggle as a country music artist to get your music played on national radio. That's right. It's still to this day really the local community regional stations that are supporting them. Definitely, definitely. There's no doubt about that. I remember when we used to do the pirate stations down and unload. There was a young fella who used to come in to us and at that time he had a vinyl record and I'm not sure where he went since but he signed, he had a song called My Doneg All Shore and Daniel, something, what's this a second name? Is that a no Donald? No, it's not. He could have been a no Donald. He used to come in and I remember Dominic Irwin used to come to us with his first vinyl record. I forget the name of it off the top of my head but there was a lot of those artists, like a lot of the newer lads I'd have had them but the Mick Flavins, the Declanair and he's known them. We would have played all them before more more than the national stations. What was the sense though of when the pirates were closing down? Now a lot of the pirates were ran as good as any radio station were run. I think sometimes, I mean we talked about the early days with CBs and stuff but you know like I think there was two, I think KTOK and RT Radio 2 with only two FM stations in the whole country and one of them being a pirate which was really quite remarkable so they were well resourced and but it's fun. I remember correctly the only reason KTOK was called KTOK was because they got jingles from a station in America called KTOK and they just went with that name because they had all the beds and the jingles ready to go. But anyway what was the feeling and I think the closest I might have to it was when Northwest Radio lost the license and it went to Ocean FM. There was this awful sense of change and people going it'll never be the same again and you can't take away our radio station and we know one love all of these old voices and all that kind of stuff. Was that what it was like as the switch from pirate to sort of legal radio was that people thought it's never going to be the same again we're going to lose something that will never be replaced. Yeah some people would have thought that you were mentioning that station down in Slago because I'm originally from Slago and I remember my brother and my family all used to think when that lost the license and they said who's this Ocean FM. They're not local you know but no I always found Donegal had a great connection with the local radio stations and you know you hate to say it but I had been a kind of a household name back in the 80s. It's amazing those men got rang me there just before Christmas and he said my mother is celebrating her 92nd birthday and I'd love you to come over and present her with a bouquet of flowers but when you come over I don't want you to say who you are. So her name was Mary. She lived over in Nakhon Bally buffet and I went over on Christmas Eve and Michael brought me over and he said now when we go into the house say nothing until I tell you to say something. So I went into the house and the two ladies were there I was supposed to go over two years ago but the COVID stopped at that. So I went over into the house and Mary said their son who's this man Michael and he said I was just a man he brought over to see her and Michael said to me say something and I said I know Mary God I touch it and he said oh it's the country boy from Ireland ready. Fantastic. And you know the boys you get out of that alone you know the enjoyment you get out of that. Were you we were talking about your career with Highland and beyond that but were you doing any pubs or clubs DJing at the same time as well or? Not really I used to do an odd DJ in the Lime Light and Lenties back but. Wasn't your thing? Not really I would always have kind of done myself as more as a radio presenter. Yeah because you know yourself there's often a cross over there then so then you get the call to come into Highland is that how it went? Well I had gone for an interview first. Right. I had gone for an interview first and then you were eventually called it. You always had this thing maybe they won't take you to all maybe they don't want to get somebody totally new. You know there was always that thing at the beginning. You simply don't know do you? You don't know will they take me on or not you know. But it is and what was your show to begin with? It was just all country. Yeah but was it weekend was it? No I was doing four shows. Yeah I remember one time I was asked to go over and do an interview with Slim Whitman was over in Ireland on the tour and he was over in Frankie's in the refo and I was asked what I go over and do an interview with him and I said I would so I'm over three o'clock in the day. He was doing a sound check in the world. Said he'd be doing the sound check from three to four and then I'd get him for an interview. And when he finished his interview he decided he wanted to go for a rest in the hotel and he was staying in the central hotel in Raffaun. I went over after him and I sat in the central from four o'clock until seven before he came down. I was just about to go home I rang up Margot and I said Margot will you come get me the hell with him. I'm not waiting anymore you know if he wants an interview he should be here. But I eventually got him and I got a nice 15 or 20 minutes out of him but sometimes it's great you know when you get the interviews and sometimes doing interviews is like trying to take blood out of a stone and then you get other interviews and it's you don't have to say a word. Yeah they just and and did did you do a lot of I mean you talked about obviously your early interactions with household dames now Daniel O'Donnell etc but was it in Highland where you started doing the interviews because you've interviewed the who's who of country but did that really start with the Highland platform? Yeah well the international ones the American ones mainly from Highland but before that I had done a lot of interviews with the Irish artists. I remember one time I was asked to do an interview with Brian Hall and I knew Brian was a new Brian was a country artist but to be honest which I'd been playing his music but I didn't know a lot about him. So one of the lads at the station brought me out a basic 10 or 15 questions to ask Brian and I started off the interview and I said it delighted to be joined by country legend Brian called her. Brian how you doing? And after that anybody who knows Brian Brian just talks and after that I just threw away the questions and Brian said to me later said we were like two old friends out in the street. It's a lovely compliment to you. It was a lovely compliment you know like I didn't have to ask him a question after that because anytime I was going to ask him we nearly mentioned and we just chatted like we were just chatting on the street you know which is great because as you know yourself the perfect interview is when the interviewee does the talking. Yeah indeed and so some of the names that you've interviewed tell me I mean who's your favourite? So it's an obvious question but who did you go wow I've just done that interview and I've got that one in the bag. Yeah well over the years you know my kind of country would be my kind of country I wouldn't be I'm not into the new American country stuff I'm into more the traditional stuff and the last time I was out in Nashville I got to meet Finn Skill now he was he was a dream and it's such a humble guy I'd been out there the Eagles had been over in Ireland in 2018 in the summer and I was out in Nashville that November and I got to meet him he played with a group out there every month and I called the time jumpers they're all session players and I had arranged to get an interview with him and I got to meet him and the first thing I said to him I said God Vince I was actually doubling there earlier in the year you were great and he was so humble but he was a big name to get the last time he was out I interviewed his wife not him Randy Travis Randy Travis had a stroke about five years ago and he hasn't got his full speech yet but he was launching his book down at the Ernest Hub record shop and himself and his wife Mary was there so I got to interview her but he was there and he was fully aware who I was and that and it was lovely just to meet him and is there someone you talked about not really necessarily being into the new American country but you've interviewed Luke Colmes haven't you I interviewed him I think he's kind of the poster boy of me he's the poster boy he was actually over at country to country a couple of years ago in Dublin and I met him and I had a short interview with him I didn't actually play it on the station no I haven't called called storage well now's the time to dig it out because he's talking about tickets are like eyed teeth talking about his teeth sorry I understand talking of interviews Greg I have one out this Wednesday night on the show he's the guy I met in Nashville two years ago and before I went I never heard of him his name is Verlin Thompson and a friend of mine out in Nashville Irish Bernadette she's from Convoy Bernadette Tinney when I was out I know Bernadette and Bernadette said there's a guy I've lined up for you now to do an interview and his name is Verlin Thompson and I said who Verlin who Verlin Thompson and she said he was Guy Clark's right hand man so she brought me out to a studio and I did the interview with him in the studio just him and me he was sitting with his guitar and I was chatting to him and I just I knew a few of the songs he had wrote but I didn't know him so I started doing the interview with Verlin and I'll tell you that year I had interviewed a few other artists out here as well but that was one of the most best ones I ever did and I'm putting it out now on Wednesday night and he sings three songs in the interview and he that's not a bad one to have in the can is he had been telling me he was narrowing plenty of times with Guy Clark but he'd be the guy who does the picking yes and writes the songs with him class act all right I'd love to get him up to Paul and Jimmy yeah indeed a caller says I was traveling from Sligo to Balaba Faye back in the 70s I picked up a hitchhiker outside Sligo who was carrying a guitar and said he was working in Dunstalls in Letterkenny I often wondered if it was the country boy well I could have been carrying a guitar but I wouldn't have been playing it any time I used to tum down to Sligo at the weekends when I'd be finished work and it was great the amount of people you might get a lift from Letterkenny to Balaba Faye or you might get one from Letterkenny to Dunny Galtown and I always found if you were stuck in one door and you could be there a long time because people wouldn't know you there because people would know you in this side of the country yeah yeah that was my god that was going I met my wife through the radio you know right tell us how that happened back in the old pirate days you know I used to you know how you'd be we used to answer the phone herself at night time and Margo used to ring in Margo and her mother used to ring in requests and you know you hear a voice and you kind of strike up a friendship with them and they said hello how are you where do you live and she said oh I'm going care and we're always looking for Charlie Pride so I arranged to meet her one time and I just met her and they were just you know we're just friends but she used to listen to the radio all the time and just friends and now I'm married to her 36 years best thing came out of working in the radio yeah yeah I have to say I have to say so great to hear Tommy the best show on Highland for Music spent many a night taping Tommy and editing tapes before music because so readily available keep up the good work Tommy so you were their um they were taping taping the stuff you were playing please say hello to Tommy a true country boy and a lovely person from the Flavin fans in Glencar Tommy loved by all his fans is so easy to listen to think it's his lively accent best which is Tommy always another here the country boy some boy for one boy that's coming in from Sergeant Jack Beaty I was over visiting him yesterday I was going to say you and Sergeant Jack taking the internet by storm oh with a stop I met him down at the tractor run on uh Saturday and we had a wee chat and he's he's a great guy and his mum and dad are great people as well and I'm telling you you know he would have had a tough time of it at times you know I know he'd been in and out of hospital but I've never seen a young fella with an attitude like him he's great and he's a big fan of the tumbling paddies as well you know but we won't all that against him he's very good but they're good too you know they're good they're I think they're to be honest with the tumbling paddies and who's the other group I always mix the two of them up I think the scene needed that a little bit would mean Whistlin' Donkeys the Whistlin' Donkeys and do you know I think the likes of it even helps the likes of Nathan and Derek and others yeah that there's just a bit of it's like a bit of adrenaline pushed back into the industry that band that band and that lifts everybody not the listen established artists established art but I think that they needed some fresh faces on the scene yeah does that make sense or does because I I always found Greg and I'm not talking I always found in the Irish country circuit there was a kind of a closed shop there was a certain mount would have got all the airplanes there's some young ones coming on through now like Olivia Douglas and the tumbling paddies now I was talking to the tumbling paddies manager the other day Andrew Cox and he was telling me they sold out over a thousand tickets for cork within half an hour and it's great and it's good to see new actors a lot of you know compared to the early days there was an artist here in letter Kenny and if he had been around today he'd have been a megastar Hugh McLean when he was out there in the early days he was getting the where pickers it was only RTE whereas and at the present time but all the local radio stations he'd been a megastar because Hugh was a fine singer good morning Greg great interview with Tommy I never knew that he drove a tractor but I've got great memories of seeing our way through Death Valley a true gentleman regards Michael Michael Diver I never drove a tractor Michael Michael shared with me we were out in a trip we were out in a trip through Vegas and that and Michael is on the trip and it's down there on Guidore and there's some crack big into Michael, Martin, Murphy Tommy I love your choice of music keep up the great work great to hear Tommy himself and Brendan Maxwell were the only people interviewing young on the country music scene and gave us all a great start in the industry that's from Terry McCafferty and Straban oh Terry is good Terry is good but it's amazing you know the amount of women said the amount of women said to bring me to bed with them every night you're the radio husband honest to god it's funny down through the years though Greg you know you get you know nowadays it's all texts and social media I love the social media like I'm always willing to learn I'm mad I'm mad at a long time but I love social media and like since the locked in hair for newland that bought into social media and it's great I'm always open for new tricks as I said I started off at tapes then it was vinyl then it was CD now it's mp3 and you can do you know the way it is with me you know radio is radio and you have lots of listeners out there who never ring in a request at night because they can't text but they'll be listening and especially older people living out in the country they'd love you and I was blessed the only thing a kind of a voice comes across I didn't have the Donegal accent and it was a different accent maybe that's what worked for me I don't know but I think from people listening to the radio if you just sour yourself rather than trying to put on a voice people see through you if you're what's it like getting over to someone so you know with such a love of the the country music and with a name like the country boy is Nashville the Mecca is that where you feel like you're when I die if when I die if I don't go to heaven I want to go to Nashville I would go back to Nashville I loved it and I've been out a few times now and each time I go out I would go to the reel you know if anybody who's been out in Broadway it's all rock nearly all rock music now but there's certain venues you can go to if you like the reel trad stuff you know because the last time I was out the last two times I was out I was at the CMA awards and I might as well have been at the MTV awards and I call it spade of spade but what's you know I know the music evolves and it goes around but like some of the stuff they're playing now it's not a country it's pop it's pop yeah you you want it to stick to its roots then yeah like there's there's so many different kind of genres in the country have bluegrass americana is very popular and now you have the tradition in music and then now this guy I think I in the CMA awards doing a rap and then they're bringing in these pop stars to do duets with them and like you know I know everybody and maybe it's bringing in see out in national it's the record companies that are controlling the artists a lot of the artists are good country singers but they're not allowed to do it because it's all to bring in the kids but they're probably all looking for the next Taylor Swift or something as well that's it because she this is no one has crossed over more successfully in this world than Taylor Swift if I could set up an interview a half hour interview for you if someone either you have interviewed and you'd love to go back to again or that you never got a chance to interview a live or dead who would you like to sit down with for a half an hour or an hour and talk about their career three names I have on my bucket list yeah Alan Jackson George Tritt or Willie Nelson yeah you know there's a lot of other artists out there as well I have a few I had you know in the coming weeks I'll have a few different ones who people won't know but to me they were really traditional music when I was out in Nashville the last time I met a guy called Larry Cardell he's a singer-songwriter he wrote Highway of Farley Blues for Ricky Skaggs and he wrote numerous songs that were hits for other people and I love talking to people like that they have some stories to tell about their you talk about you know things being modern now I found myself on TikTok I watched a couple of videos I liked a couple of videos where it is songwriters at the piano and they've either written melodies of the written songs like you would probably know who they were but I don't and they sort of go for over a couple of minutes of how they come to write this song never knew they existed but they're responsible for these songs that are just you know ever present but what's great about it too at the moment Greg for young people not just talking into country genre but my daughter now Anita you know Anita she's into she hadn't heard Grace for a lifetime and when she heard Grace and she's been told this stuff no like Irish artist songwriters are all ballads that she wouldn't have heard and she said Daddy what do you think of this? Can I just say I've been playing him for years Hello to Tommy Love is music Molly Russell Hello Tommy Best DJ from Mary McKelvie and Paddy enjoying your interview with Greg Hi again Greg Hello Tommy Tommy the country boy is there any way you could use your magic powers to get the super talented Alan Jackson to come to Ireland to me he's just the best I'm in my fifties now and I've been an adamant country fan since I started high school my pals friends etc all thought I was mad in the head but I don't care it's great to see all the Irish country talent young and old doing so well Keeper Lit there's no show like a Highland Country show Safe Home from Mary Catherine and Andrea I was an electric picnic at the weekend heard a local band someone's son's band absolutely amazing don't know who that is good man Tommy from the Dancing Donkeys he wanders around Killy Bay he never leaves a name it's just the dancing the Dancing Donkeys don't know who he is oh I'm going to stop but you know you're talking about people who are saying there you know country shows them everybody has their favorite country show this thing about you're the best DJ here you're the best DJ it's nice to get a compliment like that but I wouldn't go out and see it on the air like people have their favorites and with me really Greg it's all about the music playing requests and it's all about the music and you know my preference really would be American traditional but I play the Irish country as well because if people are ringing in me at night if to take the time to text in and ask for a song why shouldn't I play it yeah okay you know that's what it's all about you know hi Greg great interview say hello to Tommy from Kathleen McKay Aileen Martin and Grace in Straban you talked about Grace there lovely interview with Tommy I always listening I always listen to him from Marie O'Donnell from Beautiful Caridards it's a great opportunity it's a great gift to be on radio Tommy yeah it's brilliant I believe it is anyway because you get to reach people and it opens the door I would have been a I am particularly believe it or not quite a shy person but we're doing this type of work you sort of get to meet people and people can't say hello to you same as you Greg same as you I'd have been very shy when I used to go to dances when I was younger I would never come on and head on and ask a girl I'd have to come in from behind and mingle I'd be too shy but you know like it's strange to an odd time Linda might put me on an odd time Jordan the day and I find it while strange doing a show Jordan the day because I'd be so used to the night and I'd be coming on and say if he's just joined us tonight or you know you're just a night time boy and as I say I get the buzz in there where you are and it's strange actually sitting over here and you were asking me the questions I know I listen I sat in that seat for Lee Gooch on Friday morning and it's just a strange thing so you don't have all these buttons to great boy for the country boy from Ayman McCann fans Tommy knows who we are hi to Tommy from all the O'Leary's ask Tommy what he thinks of the music of today when no musical instruments nor human voices were harmed in the making there are just a computed generated cacophony listen there's always going to be developments in terms of how music is put together blah blah but good music will always firstly good music will always find its way exactly and it will always take human interaction so the facts may come and go but basically if you're listening to a classic station you know the songs that are going to be on it and you know the songs that drop off after a month like even though I'm all country I listen to all sorts of music the only music I don't like is the synthesized boom boom boom boom that stuff but like anything I could listen to anything from opera to rock to rock and roll any type of music traditional music I love as well and it's just that but I'm just 100% country on it right so you're back on our Wednesday with a special interview as you mentioned Berlin Thompson really looking forward to he was it was the only when I was listening back to what I had recorded when I listened back I realized how how what a nice guy he is you know and what an artist what a guitar pickery is and he actually sang he sings a song I don't think you can learn that Tommy no I think that has to be it's like someone who can make a 147 break at Snooker or throw a nine dart or I think you have to be born with some kind of a gift to be able to be a real picker yeah or being like doing what you and I do it's kind of a it's kind of a gift because down through the years I would never been a script man I'm all off the top of my head and like yourself you know you can just I don't use scripts yeah no but you can carry a show off just like that you know and it's a kind of a gift people say to you but you know usually people say you're embarrassed when they pay a compliment but I don't think we take enough compliments I don't like compliments I know I know usually people would pay compliments when you're dead when you can't get them but somebody said you should tell them when they're alive I says I don't like compliments and I genuinely don't Caroline Orr in my ear I made a little slip on something called a Caroline O'Connor who's a lovely ex-colleague here oh yes Caroline I'm not going to be allowed to forget misnaming my radio wife Caroline Caroline Orr but no you know I'm not I don't like compliments Caroline you know that because you never give me any all right tell me listen it doesn't matter about me it's about you it just wanted to have a chat so you just don't recognise it and we don't sometimes it's amazing we don't recognise people it's amazing sometimes the night time jocks and the day time jocks the only time we need it be at the Christmas parties and it's great you know it's great to have an own chat when you put your own music all right brilliant stuff anything we miss Tommy that you want to mention I think it's I think it's it's it's like anything in life too you have to have good people around you to keep doing what yeah we have a good team up here you know we have a good team up here and okay the boss upstairs Linda you know she's the she's the main woman here you know yeah all right without Linda it would not be possible no all right Tommy listen thanks very much looking forward to you back on there on Wednesday evening that's the country boy the one and only Tommy Rosney and as I say he's back with you on Wednesday and Tommy thanks again for coming in for a quick chat watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at highlandradio.com the 9 till noon show in association with fit 20 letter Kenny get fitter and stronger in just 20 minutes train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate controlled gym increase strength at any age visit fit20.ie to book your free session on the smart meter the olive grove pizzeria is now open at the new smokes and grills restaurant in letter Kenny serving freshly made Mouthwatering pizzas, every Wednesday to Sunday from 12. To celebrate the opening, during September, a 12-inch pepperoni pizza is just $7.50. This great deal is available to sit in or take away. The Olive Grove Pizzeria at Smokes and Grills in Riverside Retail Park, Latter County, call 9-1-1-3-3-3 or see Smokes and Grills on Facebook. 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 Genesis Aesthetics and Skin Care 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, hair and makeup packages also available. Genesis Aesthetics and Skin Care Clinic, Ghidor, 07495-32575. Contact your local guard the station if you need to report it. Brought to you by the Government of Ireland. The 9 till noon show in association with Fit20, Latter County. Get fitter and stronger in just 20 minutes. Train once a week with a personal trainer in a climate-controlled gym. Increase strength at any age. Visit fit20.ie to book your free session. Here at House to Home Interiors, Bridgend, we are celebrated becoming a sister company of Bridgend's Furniture Mobile. So for the month of September, we will be marking this occasion with in-house offers and we will be having weekly and monthly giveaways. Call in to House to Home Interiors, Bridgend, only 20 minutes drive from Latter County for all your home furnishing and floor covering needs. Every day of your life, you have lots of places to go. Whether you're off to the local shop or visiting friends, how you choose to get there counts. By choosing to take public transport or walking or cycling whenever you can, you're doing your bit to help reduce Ireland's transport emissions. It's why one million euro a day is being invested in walking and cycling infrastructure all across the country. Because wherever you're going, your journey counts. Visit gulp.ie forward slash your journey counts. Brought to you by the Government of Ireland. At Hickey Clark and Langan Insurance Brokers, they compare quotes from all the leading insurers so you get a great price. Home, motor and van, farm, holiday home, travel and liability insurance, they quote them all. So if the worst happens, you're covered. For a competitive insurance quote today, call Hickey Clark and Langan on 912688 or pop into their office at Bally McCool Letter Kenny. Hickey Clark and Langan General Insurance is limited, trading as Hickey Clark and Langan is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. At Cherrymore Kitchens and Bedrooms, we are now operating out of one new state of the art showroom in Donegal Town and we invite you to visit our new 5000 square foot Donegal Town showroom to discover the latest eye-catching designs. Remember, at Cherrymore, you're dealing directly with a manufacturer, which means high quality kitchens at factory prices. Start planning your dream kitchen or bedroom by calling Cherrymore on 074 9725 822 Cherrymore 25 years delivering value, quality and service all over Ireland. Now there's no doubt the defective concrete block crisis is an awful blight for us here in the Northwest. It's a global issue. There are hundreds of homes around Troy's Riviers, a town between Montreal and Quebec City. They're damaged after they were built with low quality concrete that contained a mineral which expands when it comes into contact with water and air. Experts from that area came over to Donegal as part of the International Conference on Defective Blocks that was held in Letter Kenny last November. And now we are going back in the other direction. Dr Eileen Doherty is a lecturer at University Ulster and Professor Paul Donlop of the School of Geography and Environmental Science at Ulster University. Both of you, thank you very much. I know you're at the airport. I appreciate your time. Good morning. Good morning. Good evening. Good, good, good. Eileen, I might start with you. If that's okay. This is important, isn't it, in terms of evidence gathering, evidence sharing, but also recognizing what's working and what's not working in different parts of the world affected by similar issues? Absolutely, Greg. Yeah, I mean, obviously, Ms Yassin-Paul earned her way to Canada. As we speak, we've been funded by the Catholic team with an Ulster University to travel to Canada to meet with some of the experts that actually attended and came over for the International Conference last year. The research trip is really kind of too pronged. Paul will talk to you about it in a minute, but basically we're looking at the geological science from Paul's point of view, and I'm looking at the societal impact. So we're trying to learn from what happened in Canada, their post-Canadian government took what worked, what didn't work, and really take a lot of the learnings back to see what we can learn from and how we can inform ideally policy from a government perspective. We want to come back and see what can we do to help. I mean, particularly from my point of view, I'm particularly interested in the impact it's had on the commercial properties, for example, for business. And I was meeting with key stakeholders and other researchers who've looked at that in Canada. Paul, how similar is the environment that you're travelling to now that created this crisis as to what we see here? Was it ignorance? Was it bad science? Was it poor oversight? It's probably a mixture of all that, to be honest. I know that one of the reasons why I want to go across is to try and understand how did the Canadian quarry industry approach science when they found out they had an issue, because it seemed to be very different from what's happened here. Because we know that the quarry collaborates quite strongly with Laval University. So they've reached out to the scientific community to try and understand what the problem is. And as a consequence of that, Laval University has been at the forefront of developing fairly high-tech testing in their laboratories to understand the reactivity of aggregates that are used in concrete. So quite interesting going across the spine out to how that process worked. I know that a different continent, different standards, didn't follow the European standard for total software, for example, the one that we've talked about before, EN12620. But they have developed their own regulations. And Professor Ben Waffbornier, you've met before when he came across the conference, sits on the standards committee to develop new standards in Canada. They try and protect citizens who this doesn't happen again. So quite interesting trying to find out how that process worked in terms of oversight and regulatory processes, but also how the operators have reached into the science community to try and help understand what's going on, to try and avoid it happening again. So very interesting parallels in terms of how things have happened between Ireland and international in Canada. And that's why this research is important. Yeah, and it's really I haven't really heard that angle before. I suppose here, if we are to ensure something like this never happens again, how can you do it without the involvement of Grand Zero in terms of, you know, the materials, the practices, things like that? Yeah, yeah, I mean, for example, I mean, when Massachusetts and Connecticut had their problem, obviously they went through the same sort of lobbying process that's happened here in Ireland, but the Senate in America basically asked the United States Geological Survey, they try and do a baseline survey of where piratite is happening in the contiguous states across the United States of America. And they've produced the first map of where piratite is present. The idea there is they try and that can be used by the aggregates industry in the states to try and avoid a nuller scenario happening. You know, what's happened in Connecticut massages where 30,000 homes have been absolutely destroyed by piratite and basement concrete. You know, so there's there's a lot to be learned internationally in terms of best practice. So that's that's that's one of the angles that I'm going to cross. I mean, the other thing is that the Vile University or a research partner in our Geological Survey of Ireland funded research project, and they are now doing tests on concrete blocks, foundation concrete, but also their main role is the testing aggregates that we set across to them. I think we said about a half a tonne aggregates across some different sources in Bonneville, BTS. So I want to go into the laboratory, see how that analysis is going. How were home owners treated? What have we learned so far in that regard? Eileen affected home owners. Were they treated as victims? What kind of supports were they given? Did they have to battle for justice or what do we know? They had to go down the legal risk, and I understand. And again, that's kind of one of the things that we will try to learn and greater detail. Yeah, I mean, but ultimately, when it comes to research, we have to look at how different and how divergent the Canadian government has been to the Irish government in terms of they have absolutely provided funding for research in this area, not just from a scientific point of view, but from across the whole spectrum of society. So that's something that we want to bring back. And again, hopefully influence the approach that the Irish government will take about taking this seriously. I mean, the fact that we have such a knowledge based on this in the Northwest and that we're still struggling to get any research funding outside of the research funding that Paul has been and his team have got. But in terms of society, there's very little research from the government's point of view. And I think it's really we're trying to highlight that the absolute need for doing that as well, as we'll really have to see an impact upon positive change. Yeah, and Paul, finally, it's just I just don't know of the pace of this and the science and the learning that's happening. It can't be ignored any longer. This bizarre situation where we have a super highway of what's going on with the type of stuff you're doing, and then a congested slow lane as to how we are reacting to it as a state. I just don't know how long it can be treated like this. Do you get where I'm coming from? Yeah, I mean, I absolutely do. I just think there's been the whole entire approach to this has been sort of, governments have been sort of dragged along kicking and screaming and really trying to understand what's going on. I think a good start has been made by the Geological Survey of Ireland in terms of that research project that's been funded. Because ultimately, once you have sort of research project as large as the one that we're doing, I mean, it's a half a million euro project, things then can start feeding off from that. Because once you have actual solid data on what actually the cause of this is happening, then you can start asking the other questions about, well, what do we need to do now to start avoiding this? So I would sort of be hopeful that the government funded agencies like the Science Foundation of Ireland would be lobbying and to try and understand what's happening, how we can sort of use the research project that we're doing and all our stuff that we're doing internationally with these things in the biohook. And we use that as a launchpad to try and address all our key questions on the ground in terms of the geology. But as Ellie was saying, there's all our shortfalls in terms of all our knowledge that we need. We're doing joint supervised PhD with the psychology department and Ulster University as well, too, again. Ulster University is leading the way, trying to understand the psychological impact of that. And Dr. Karen Kirby is leading on that research. You're trying to understand the mental health impact. I mean, that's another massive research area. There's another massive research area around what's happening with the business community here. We all know the businesses and public buildings are impacted by this, but there is no research done on that. There's been no research on the impact on this crisis on the housing market. I mean, don't have a housing market that's collapsed because of this. No research again. So all we can sort of hope for a professional researcher is that the stuff that we're doing now can sort of launch new research programme into the future. That's all we can do. Interesting stuff, as always. Hopefully, we might be able to catch up with you after you return. Professor Paul Dunlop of the School of Geography and Environmental Sciences at Ulster University and Dr. Eileen Daharty Lecture at Ulster University will also both of you safe journeys onwards to Canada. And thank you so much for your time today at the airport. You might be interested in this, listeners, that there's a programme, our prime time of focusing on this. Every little bit helps. It's called the Defective Concrete Crisis. It's prime time tonight, the 5th of September at 9.35 and RTE 1. So it'll be interesting to see how they advance the story there. Now, our competition winner today, Jim McGinnis, was the correct answer, of course. Julia McFadden from Brena. You are in the draw for that three-month membership. That's going to be announced for you. That's going to be drawn on Friday. Thank you to Neve Shields and Caroline Orr, researcher and producer on The 9th of the Noon Show. John Bredson's around the North West after the news at 12. For me, Greg Hughes, enjoy the rest of your choose.