 Well, uh, do you, I would, I, uh... Is that a full name, Lee, is it? Lee Patrick Valentine Gooch. Valentine's night? Cos it was born on Valentine's Day, so. Ah, I like that, that's cute. Thank God you weren't born on Pancake Tuesday. Why, Lee Patrick Pancake Gooch? I've been called worse. Who do you think was so funny this morning? So, I... Gregory. Gregory, do you like being called, you don't like? Do you want to know my second name? Go on ahead. Augustine. Oh, Genie Mac. How do you spell that? Can you spell it? A-U-G, August, I-S-T-I-N-E. Something like that? Uh, Peter. God, that's... Gregory, Guston, Peter. That was like, that was like all we names put into... All popes? Listen to, all right. Oh, well. Be careful now, you don't want to offend the Catholics. Can I say no? He wasn't long pulling the horns in there. I was going to say, right? Mr, I don't want to offend anyone. Yeah, I'm going to sit on the fence, Gucci boy, right? I was going to say that the probably, the whole, the mom and dad, right, probably put we names into a wee piece of paper, threw them into a big hat and pulled out names. Now, Pope Gregory, very influential, your calendar is down to that boy, right? Right, okay. That's the Gregorian calendar. Now, you're teaching me stuff now, going? Yeah. Pope, Augustine. Yes, tell me. Lovely man. Know nothing about him other than that. Right, good. I think it was a Pope Peter as well, wasn't there? Ah, they're bound to be a Peter. Yeah. Ah, there was, yeah. That's very good then. Augustine. That was really good fun when they found out at school that my second name was Augustine. Why? I think it was the Gregory Gronyoke a bit of a break for a while, didn't it? You are something else. Just give the bullies a little bit more artillery. Yeah, my God, mighty. What if you had then? I shall tell you on that, what would it be then? G. G-A-P. G-A-P. G-A-P. Gap, is it? G-A-P. Mind the gap. Mind the gap. And you're Lee, Augustine. Lee, what am I? Lee Patrick. Lee, P-E-V. Good. Got local property tax. L-P-T. Lee? Lee, P-V. Lee, P-V. Lee, P-V. L-P-V. No, L-P-V. I thought it was L-P-T for a second. You want to dodge that? That's funny. Don't take holes from me, Mike. Good luck to you. All right. It's just after a minute past nine. Let's get a news update and it's over to Makayla Clark. Thanks, Greg. Good morning. What effect of block camping groups believe to be the proper definition of 100% redress is to be unveiled tonight. A public meeting is being held at Ingrin and Hotel in Burt at 7pm as part of a joint initiative being led by the Micah Action Group, redress focus groups and 100% redress no less. The groups have set out four principles of redress. They are property, process, people and support and prevention. Campaigner Michael Doherty says a further meeting will be held in the coming weeks to hear from elected public representatives. That people's document will then go out onto the nose of every politician and party in the land. And on the 26th of March, they'll come back. That's the politicians' response night. We'll be there. The politicians will be there that want to come and talk to you. There's no good talking about this next year. This is the one time that we have these guys' attention because they need our votes simple as that. More than 300,000 people are to be offered a measles catch-up vaccine over concerns about an egg break off the virus. The campaign will be aimed at those under 24 healthcare workers and marginalised groups. So far, only one case has been confirmed in Ireland, but cases have risen across the UK and Europe. Donegal County Council is being urged to carry out an audit of coastal erosion at beaches in Ineshaun. Councillor Albert Doherty says measures need to be put in place to ensure safe access to beaches in the peninsula. He also backed a proposal by Councillor Marshall McDermott that a meeting be held with the OPW and National Parks and Wildlife to explore the issue. Councillor Doherty says all departments of the council must work together. We the council need to be active and proactive in relation to confronting as best we can coastal erosion. Of course as well I'd be talking as we go towards the tourism season that signage and access is ensured and indeed recent day at Kodaf we saw where access, safe access couldn't be assured. So I want council to ensure that there's an audit done over at beaches. Three hospital emergency care on Armour Island is getting a huge boost today. A new replacement ambulance vehicle is being delivered while an emergency care information sheet is being distributed to every home on the island and 10 volunteer islanders will receive emergency first responder certificates from the National Ambulance Service. John Joe McGuying, general manager operations for the National Ambulance Service says the additional resources will ensure the delivery of a high standard of care for islanders. We've always had a presence on the island in terms of a vehicle. This puts a more governance structure in terms of what is already there. The clinical level of training, the driver training and the new vehicle all make brings it up to a state of the art system for the island in terms of pre-hospital emergency care. Whether I largely drive this morning and through much of the afternoon apart from the odd shy or highest temperatures of 7 to 9 degrees that's all from Highland Radio News for now. We'll be back with news again at 10 o'clock. Until then, good morning. And now, it's time for the talk of the North West, the 9 to noon show with Greg Hughes on Highland Radio. Hello and a very good morning to you. It's five minutes past nine on this Monday, the 4th of March, 2024. How are you all keeping? I do hope you're very well as well as can be on this Monday morning. How was your weekend? I hope it went well for you. It was good actually, wasn't it? Whether Saturday was beautiful day. I was able to spend much of the day outside, thankfully yesterday, not too bad either. And apparently towards the end of this week, the weather is going to be reasonably pleasant again. So a little bit of windy, rainy stuff in between and hopefully next weekend, nice and dry. 08, 660, 25,000. That's the WhatsApp and text number for you to get involved in the conversation. Start your own pass on information however you want to use that number within the boundaries of the law. You can also send your voice notes to WhatsApp and 08, 660, 25,000. If you want to give us a call, 07491 25,000. We've the ever present Caroline or of course, producing the show assistably by Shannon as well. And if you want to email its comments at Highland Radio dot com and just an early reminder for you if you want to watch the show, if it suits you at home on your large screen smart TV or your fire stick, we're on the YouTube app Highland Radio Ireland. We're live there right now. And across your mobile devices on that up on on Facebook, Highland Hub, Highland News and Sport and on X. Let's have a look at the newspapers and troubling scenes emerged on social media in County Roscommon at the weekend. We're going to be talking about this a little later on to someone who was actually present at this event. Young boxers and their families from Donegal were left shocked after witnessing a brutal attack at a contest in County Roscommon at the weekend, which resulted in one man being hospitalized, having been assaulted with a machete, Raphos Peter O'Donnell, who's been involved in the boxing community for decades, found himself at the center of the terrifying ordeal while serving as emcee at the under 14 tournament in Castlery on Friday night. At least three masked men abruptly stormed the boxing arena and as I say, horrible scenes unfolded. It resulted in the contest, which was for young people having to be suspended. I think it was two more days of competition, but we'll be speaking to someone who was at that event. And if you were yourself, please feel free to contact us. 08 660 25000. The Derry News clarifications being sought regarding the future management of Craig and reservoir following recent press statements on the matter. Speaking at February's plenary meeting on Wednesday afternoon, STLP Councillor John Boyle said he was referring to an online press statement from foil Sinn Féin, MLA Padraig Dalargy in relation to Craig and Country Park. Councillor Boyle said, I've got it in front of me here. And MLA Dalargy is quoted as having said, and this is for the benefit of officers after several years of intensive engagement between Sinn Féin and council, I would extend or contend that this year of engagement between all of us, he's delighted that the two parties have now agreed the new lease arrangements. And on the story goes there. On to the nationals now, and maybe the world is finally 30,000 women and children later waking up to the atrocities in Gaza. US Vice President Kamala Harris last night called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and pressed Israel to increase the flow of aid to ease inhumane conditions and a humanitarian catastrophe among the Palestinian people. Ms Harris comments were among the sharpest yet by a senior leader of the US government calling for Israel to alleviate the conditions in Gaza. The Vice President who was speaking at an event in Selma, Alabama urged Hamas to accept a deal to release hostages that would kick start a six week ceasefire and allow more aid in people in Gaza starving. The conditions are inhumane and our common humanity compels us to act, Harris said. The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. Now the Israelis currently aren't allowing aid through via road, certainly in the amount that is required and obviously continuing to bomb and kill innocent civilians in the process. At the moment, they're having to airdrop in the US and others airdrop aid in some of its landing in the sea and some of its potentially landing on people that need that aid as well. So they want to get it in through the roads and as I say, this is the strongest language yet from a senior US rep. But still, it seems it still feels a little bit too little too late. But anyway, onto the Irish independent now a name in Ryan once guarded put the brakes on dangerous cyclists terrorizing walkers. But the Green Party leader isn't talking about the hooded scooter riders flying around city centre streets. Instead, the Transport Minister is taking on middle class suburban cyclists running walkers off car free greenways. The Minister says cyclists need to create a culture of being respectful towards pedestrians and the law Mr Ryan has been challenged about the conflict between cyclists and pedestrians. The issue arose at a meeting on his pet pod direct the Dodder Greenway, a cycle and walking lane running through leafy suburbs in Dublin's south side. So I'm in Ryan to some extent, turning his anger towards the cyclist, which he is one and his pictured cycling on a bike with no helmet, which I think is quite interesting, you're not compelled to wear one, but it perhaps would be nice to have one on to sort of show leadership. Right on to there's not a great deal of news in the papers today, believe it or not, the nationals. So some of these now from here on in are a little bit frivolous, needless to say, we're not this one actually. Because there was another poll out over the weekend. This one's slightly more serious support for Sinn Fein has dropped again. And it's now at its lowest level in three years, according to the latest opinion poll, this is in the Irish Daily Star. There's also been a rise in the public's backing for the coalition parties and the social democrats. The latest Ireland thinks poll for the Sunday Independent puts Mary Lou McDonald's party on 27% a two point drop since February. That amounts to an eight point fall compared to last September and the lowest level of support since April 2021. I think the issue here perhaps is. And I say this through conversations with people off air, and to some extent on air, is that it's not exactly like, you know, Sinn Fein losing eight points and the government parties are gaining them. I think it is perhaps maybe people who aren't 100% happy with some of the government's policies and they still remain really quite popular the government parties. And they want to seek an alternative but aren't seeing or hearing whether it's there or not. The alternative voice from Sinn Fein and are going elsewhere into the various choices people have to vote in the upcoming elections. Well, the latest poll shows a plunge in support for Sinn Fein in the last six months when it was polling at 35% many analysts have put the loss of support down to the party stance on immigration. And then of course there is the the referendum that's coming up and Sinn Fein has said they put that back to the people again and people still remember rejecting referendum in the past if that were to be the case and having to vote on them again and again until they passed and people don't like that. Certainly people of a generation don't. But anyway, it'll probably become a little bit more clearer as the year wears on. This doesn't surprise me actually. What does surprise me 26% of you with a phone don't check it before you get out of bed. I actually almost thought this was the norm at this stage. But anyway, the Irish mainly Daily Mail tells us that we've begun some addicted to our smartphones that almost three quarters of us use them the moment we wake up a new survey reveals what I see what time it is. But anyway, nearly the entire adult population 96% of us now owns a smartphone up from 94% last year as they're now the preferred device for browsing, shopping websites, general searches and banking. However, the research by Deloitte found about two thirds of adults wish they spent less time on their phones up significantly from 51% in 2023. Would you like to use your phone less? Or is it a choice? And it's part of your social fabric. Now, a total of 98% of 18 to 75 year olds use their smartphone every day with over a third doing so at meal times and 74% saying they do so as soon as they wake up compared with 59% a year ago. But I just I mean, I think that's just the way it is now. I think phones are just integral. I can't see anything replacing them. I can see them being adapted to you look at them in different ways. But I just think they're like a third arm now at this stage, aren't they? But checking your phone. Whilst you're eating, what's going on there? Put your phone down have a conversation he tells himself. Are you concerned with your mobile phone usage and any commentary on some of those figures? Let us know 086 60 25,000. Our politicians, this is in the sun, the politicians of this country are no longer fit for office, but it's not what you think you see. This is judging by attendance figures at the doll gym. TDs and senators made just 111 visits in total to the taxpayer funded facility in 2023. That's the fewest since 2020 and 2021 when pandemic pandemic restrictions were in place. So 111 visits in total to the gym in 2023. Elected reps made close to 400 visits annually in a pre covid year, according to the new data, a total of 1746 visits were made to the free to use fitness room in 2023. However, the vast majority of those sessions were made by staff at Lentster House. Only three sessions for elected reps were recorded between the start of July and the end of August. And just six visits were made in January, April and May that all gym costs 52,000 euro a year to run. It's mostly for staff because the TDs and senators were told are not using it and staying on the health vibe in the Irish mirror. Just two cans of fizzy drinks a week is enough to undo the benefits of any exercise on cardiovascular disease. A study warns now there's going to be kind of people that disagree with this contested but researchers claim even the recommended 150 minutes of weekly activity fails to give protection. The Canadian study followed two sets of adults over 30 years. Those who had fizzy drinks more than twice a week at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of physical activity levels. Okay, I'm not sure what to make of that 08 660 25,000. That's the WhatsApp and text number or give us a call on 074 9125,000 back with more in the 90 noon show in just a couple of moments. The newspapers are courtesy of Kelly centra mountaintop letter Kenny, the C store national large four court of the year for 2022. The 90 noon show is brought to you by letter Kenny credit union with monster loans available up to 60,000 euro for all occasions. Visit letter Kenny, see you.ie At ESB, we're investing over one billion euro a year to drive Ireland towards a net zero future. Our ambition is to generate five times more renewable energy by 2030 enough to power around 3 million homes and businesses. This means investing in onshore and offshore wind farms, new solar farms and innovative solutions like green hydrogen. Because we are and always have been invested in Ireland. Find out more at ESB. Are you a male age 40 plus? Are you looking after your health? Letter Kenny medics are now offering a full medical check that includes blood pressure, BMI, cardio, respiratory, prostate and testicular checks blood tests that will check your sugar levels, cholesterol, lipid and bone profiles with a full after care provided, including prescriptions or referrals if required. Your health is your wealth book an appointment today at letter Kenny medics.ie or call 074 92029 double five letter Kenny medics. We listen if you want to talk on March 8. We'll be asked to vote in two referendums. The first referendum is about how our constitution recognizes families. And the second proposes to replace existing wording with new text to provide recognition for care within families. Find out more in the booklet delivered to your home or see electoral commission.ie forward slash referendums. Your vote is your voice. So be a voter on Friday, March 8 from on commission.com Ireland's independent electoral commission. Okay, welcome back to the show. We're joined on the program night by two guests. We're talking about concerns to relocate the nurse from Fawn Health Centre. That's been seen as effectively closing the service from public use. Councillor Jack Murray is on the program with me. Good morning, Jack. Morning, Greg. Right. So currently at the moment, what services provided out of the Fawn Health Centre? Yeah, the minute there's a public health nurse in Fawn, she's there seven days a week. As part of that, there's three days a week with child development clinics, which are extremely important. That's those checks that I think is at three months or 20 weeks for the newborn children are checked to see if there's any health problems and actually vital service. Now, I'm aware that it's quite difficult to ensure that all parents attend those, what's going to be even more difficult should this plan go ahead to relocate the nurse to Bunkrana. Unfortunately, they've already taken away the GP service that was there one day a week prior to the pandemic. So it'd be an extremely retrograde step to take the nurse away as well. You're talking about a huge area that's serviced by Fawn Health Centre, the whole way from Bridgend, Bourg-Foot in Geyland, Mahirabeg, Tuban, Fawnless Fannan are all serviced there. So in my view, this cannot go ahead. This decision needs to be reversed. I've been in contact with obviously Potter McLaughlin, TD, who's going to be raising with Minister Stephen Donnelly. Jeremy Chronigals will be raising it through the Regional Health Forum and have written to various levels of the HSE management to appeal to them to see the sense of this and reverse this decision because there is huge, huge concern in the local community should this go ahead. And is one of people being told are these services going to be provided elsewhere? It seems that the nurse is going to be relocated to Mokrana, and I'm not even sure if there's space for her in Mokrana. Mokrana is already extremely busy. We know too that the population has increased quite significantly in recent time, so it's going to stretch services further. And we talk quite often about tragic care and the new plans for top-class health service to be delivered. But the entire ethos of that is to deliver health services where they're needed in the community, where they're most needed. This would fly in the face of that. To further scale back and reduce services in the local community is just, it's just unacceptable. We should be enhancing the services in Fawn Health Centre rather than scaling it back. So I'm grateful that I'm on the show today, Greg, to create more awareness on this. And I know the people will rally. The people who are in the strong community know they will rally and they'll resist this at every possible way. And I hope that it doesn't go ahead. It's planned that this would take effect from the end of this month, the end of March. Hopefully we can get this in the boat and we can maintain the services should the community stands strong. If you were given assurances that the services currently provided at Fawn Health Centre were to be provided in Bunkrana with, you know, an assured of capacity and what have you, would that satisfy your concerns? No, no, it has to be maintained in Fawn. We're talking to so many elderly people that use that service. We can't make it further away and harder to access. Again, the child development clinics, if you young mothers who might actually have access to a car, we shouldn't be making them travel further to get vital checks for their newborn children. It just wouldn't be example. As well, the home support services would regularly collect medical supplies from the Fawn Health Centre. If that's relocated to Bunkrana, that further increases their journey time, reduces them at the time that they're providing care in people's homes. So it would just be a retrograde step to relocate this at all. I think it has to be maintained in Fawn. I'm sorry if I missed it, if you mentioned it, councillor, but has a reason been given for this? No, I've written as I said to the various... OK, I did ask that question. ...management. Yeah, and I'm waiting that response. But now I haven't. And I say, pardon me, Lachlan's raising it now with Minister Stephen Donnelly. So we will get that response. But I can't see any logic to it. I know that the Health Centre does need a bit of investment and needs a bit of a facelift and be spruced up. That should happen. We should be investing in it rather than just taking services away from it completely. All right, let's see what Carmel Lynch joins us. Carmel, good morning to you. Let's see what Carmel thinks as we join. Good morning, Greg. Just to join us about your pardon. Right, talk to me, from your perspective, Carmel, the importance of this facility, this Health Centre. I just, Greg, I just feel at the moment we have to fight for everything we need, and Fawn and the surrounding areas. We slept on the programme with two recently about the Irish water. And we got that done. The community came together and we had the new pipes from Incheon. We have to do the same with the doctor's surgery. We need to bring the doctor's surgery back and not take it away. And to be told in the beginning of March, this closing on the end of March is ridiculous. We have to come together, which we are. As I speak to you, this petition done up myself in Chariboy has been online again to do this again as we do to the water. We have to say we have to bring back the doctor. The doctor is there on a Monday. The doctor's all one years ago. And then when the doctor solved the matter, we had Dr Raj, Dr Burr, sorry, he left and then we had Dr Raj on Thursday. You might go to the doctor's surgery at 10 o'clock in the morning. You can wait for an hour to see a doctor. But people did that because they knew they would see a doctor. I personally couldn't be a doctor's appointment for myself recently. So the point where when I rang the doctor's surgery, he said, we need to keep this local service. We used to have all my children's sex blown up. That's where he went to your doctor. No matter what, we knew that was there on Monday morning or Thursday morning. Should you wait for 40 months, 50 months for to get a doctor? We didn't care. We queued. The older people queued. The older people walked, walked, they didn't have cars in the past. So we cannot miss this service because we have to go to school. We have to fight as a community to keep this service. Even for the carers, like the carers do amazing work. I recently was caring for an old man. I needed something for him. I didn't have it. So I rang the nurse and I met her at the road. She gave me the stuff. I was back in the house for 10 minutes. If I had gone to Boncran, I couldn't have done that. I had to tell someone to go to Boncran, collect from, and then bring it back to me. If the carers do so much work in the community, the nurse will not come out of hospital. He had to get some dressing done. They came here every second day. We wouldn't get that. We have to get in the car and drag the Boncran. Get parked. It's ridiculous. So we have to, as a community, and we are going to do this. We are going to do this like we do with Irish water. We're going to win this, Greg. I haven't jacked behind us and support us will help us. Because we need this. We need this. We need this. We can't get out of the apartment in Boncran. If you ring this morning, Boncran, they'll answer phones. We have to have this. We cannot lose this. Even people, as far as most users, you don't care where you come from. It's fair to wasn't just for Bon and Chambord, or wherever it may be. It was for anybody. People travel from Boncran up to it. So we cannot lose this service. And I know with Jack's support and Paulie's lack of support and whoever else is going to support us on this journey. We will win this case. Because we cannot lose it. Can't somebody look at the building? I'll go ahead, Carmel. One of the local posts, when the local GP has said it needs only pre-vamped, well, let's do it. Recently they've had a new security system into it. So when you drive up at night, it's a little bit all green because new security systems are on. We have a local man, Patrick Lynch, God rest of us look after the centre, cut the grass and everything else. So we cannot, like, if it needs upgraded, then upgrade it. Let's put the money back into a we need for a change and start putting it everywhere else. Yeah, Councillor Murray, just Carmel referenced it there, looking at the building. It seems to be, I mean, it's a small sort of traditional kind of a building. I just get the impression that next they're going to talk about that the building's not fit for purpose. Yeah, but that can be fixed. And I wouldn't dispute that, that the building needs investment and we should be fighting for that. But just scaling back services should not completely, that's not the solution. The solution is to invest in it and continue to provide health services in the area. Carmel's articulated exactly why it needs to be maintained. She's articulated the emotion that's felt in the community at these plans. Like, so hopefully the HSC will see sense and reverse this decision. And Carmel's right to highlight how the community rallied with the substandard water services that were there for years. The community bombarded the Irish water with emails, they lobbied Carmel's self-organised petition and we've got the upgrade of that water supply that is needed. So just like that, I think we need to take this fight now to the HSC and get this decision reversed because look, it's not acceptable, I think, to anybody in the community. Nobody, nobody that I've spoken to wants to see this or think this in any way would be, would be positive. It just, it has to be reversed and these, the nurse has to be maintained in the area. And the services would be what, six or seven, eight kilometres, well it depends on where you're traveling to, but certainly from the health centre to Bunkran, it'd be another six or seven kilometres, is that about right? Yeah, and look, we're going the whole way from Bridgend here. That's, that's a significant distance for anybody. If you don't have access to a car, Bridgend, Bunkran is a long trek and particularly for an elderly person or somebody who's sick. No, for sure. Okay, well we'll make our inquiries as well as to the reason behind these decisions. Carmel, you talked of a petition, of a petition, is it up and running at the moment? It will be up and running within the next hour, Greg, but what I have, what we have to say, the most important point to me across, if you ring Bunkran surges this morning, you will not get an appointment. They will say to you, ring back at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. You ring back tomorrow morning. I couldn't, I couldn't personally get an appointment but three weeks, Greg. So we cannot close the service. We have to keep the service open because even people from Bunkran, as you said, we have to, so we have to, as a whole, keep as a community, no matter where you live, have to keep the step open because we have Muff, which we, some people travel to, so we have to keep phone open for the carers. So I mean, we need our doctor back. He's only there from ten to one, one day a week. So the petition has gone out. How long since the doctor visited the health centre, Carmel, roughly like, how long? That's all word COVID. Okay, right, I'll get you. COVID. That was the end of that, okay. You understand? So we can't, we have to stop that. We have to, we have to think of the people. You had a, before we, I come on, you come on there, there was a, you hadn't had your health as your wealth. Mm-hmm. Was one of the kind of medics, or your health as your wealth. And to, and to have us to keep our health is most important. We have to have that centre open. And even to be told, we have four weeks now to do this. That's ridiculous. We need to do this. I mean, you get the support of everybody, the carers, the doctors, the nurses. No matter who there's needs to support us to keep that centre open. And Jack will, I know Jack will do his best with us as well. And yourself, Greg, and I thank you for bringing us on the show. I'll let you get back to organising that petition. Carmel, we'll chat again, I'm sure. Councillor Murray, you might stay where you are, if that's all right. Sarah, good morning to you. Morning. I'm good, Sarah. What's your view? Good. Do you know what? I just think that as of recent, a lot of the smaller communities and villages, their facilities have been taken away from them, and they don't seem to be reinstated to the level of care that is initially in place. For example, like my 93-year-old great-aunt, she would have used the dispensary, as we call it, up at Marrabeg that they're talking about closing. And that service was invaluable to her. You know, she was comfortable going there. It wasn't far from her home. There was no pre-booking or anything. You had your appointment and you just arrived and you used the service. And they built that relationship with the doctors and the nurses that were there as well, and they were comfortable going. And the history was there. You know, there was no cooing and froing between doctors. And I think they're doing it across all their facilities, like, you know, in Bonkrana, they took away the anti-natal care within the clinic in Bonkrana. And they diverted all the mommy, you know, to letter Kenny. And that was a massive service, as well, that they pulled, and they didn't reinstate it even with the primary care centre, you know, in Bonkrana. So I feel like they're doing it across the board. And, yeah, it's a loss. It's a smaller community. I mean, sometimes, Sarah, you feel like you don't feel like you can almost see it. It's centralising services, removing services from rural communities. And putting massive pressure on the ones that, you know, are available in inverted commas. They're not available, you know, because, as the letter before stated, you have to make appointments nearly weeks in advance to try and get to see someone. And for older people who have ongoing care issues, and younger people as well, you know, it's a strain on them. It's a worry on them that that facility isn't there for them. I wasn't aware that the mom still had to go to letter Kenny for the antenatal checks. That's shocking. Yeah, there's no antenatal. Well, you know, yeah, so they used to, with my first two children, they would have, you know, found their ultrasound scans within the smaller clinic there, just across the road from the credit union in Bonkrana. And then with my third child, that service wasn't there, you know, you had to go to letter Kenny for all your scans. And that, like, you know, takes you out of work and puts you off your day. And then you're up there for not very long, you know, you're only there for maybe an hour and you're back down the road again. But like that, your whole day is disrupted. You have to go up the road. And if you're not, if you're not the person that owns the car, that's also a problem because you have to organize the left, you have to get the bus. And if you've all the children, you have to organize to get them minded. Well, given the size of, given the size and geographical spread of Inner Shown and the amount of people on it, those services, I think any reasonable minded person would say that's the service that should be available to, you know, in one location to cover the peninsula. All right, so, Sarah, what inquired again? Don't get me wrong, the meds were great. No, no, I get that. They were able to, you know, I get that. But I know we covered the movement of those. We covered the moving, the removal of that service from Bonkrana at the time. It might actually chase it up again to see if there's any intention to return it. For now, Sarah, thanks very much. You're welcome to the Mallon as well. Yeah, of course. Mallon would have to travel up there. That's not the only service that has been withdrawn now from Enchi. Mallon to Leather County is a run. There's no doubt about that. All right, thanks very much, Sarah. Take care of yourself. Canceling worry, I mean, again, you know, there is a sense that perhaps, you know, there's almost a rural living tax and that tax is that you don't get the services or the services are going to be lost. We can see the way that, the way that, nationally, they would like the county development plan to go in terms of rural development versus urban development. And then we're seeing sort of what many see as essential services being lost to rural Ireland. So in other words, if you want access, and people would say even if you're in Bunker, you can't get access. But if you want access, you need to sort of live around centres of population if you want access to basic services. Yeah, absolutely. And as I was saying there too, the financial care that we hear, like promoted with such grandeur that the whole ethos of it is that care is delivered at the point where it's needed. So this place in the face of it was drawn these services from where they're needed. It's just the opposite of everything that we're hearing on the national media. It's just such a retrograde step. The only nursing services left available in South Nation now will be Newton, Cunningham, Muff and Bunkranna. So that's huge ways of geographical area and large population in the middle will have to travel a long distance to get the services that they need. And look at the services, they're like a 93-year-old woman. That might not seem like a lot for some people, but for somebody of an age like that, like increasing the journey, increasing their waiting time, that is difficult for people. So I would hope when you get hear the people that are raising up on this, they will resist it. Well, what happens is with some people is they choose not to access services, which to the detriment of their health and well-being because they go, I'm not doing that or I don't fancy that. You know, people can be not all people. I don't want to sort of judge everyone the same. But you know, when things like that, it's sometimes people opt out of treatment if they have to travel too far. That's happening all the time and it's really the untold story, really, that people are saying, I'm not doing that. And it has negative impacts on their life expectancy and their general health. Absolutely. If you make it more difficult for people to increase the likelihood that they don't go and get that care and that could have severe consequences. And I am mindful of the Child Development Clinic Reviews, a young mother who could be under a lot of pressure for different reasons, making it more difficult to get her newborn child checked. And that we can miss for their hearing aid or any kind of health problems that that child may have, that would have serious lifelong consequences should that be missed. So we should be making it as easy and as available as possible for these people. All right. Okay. Take care of yourself. Thank you very much, cancer. Jack Maury, thank you to Carmel Lynch and also to Sarah. Akola says, they're closing nurse services in Fawn, but they keep a gym open in the Dull. Am I alone in thinking there's something wrong with this? Watch the show live now on YouTube, Facebook and at HighlandRadio.com. Are your small appliances due in upgrade or when expert electrical, your ultimate destination for all things electrical from stylish toasters and kettles to innovative coffee machines and air fires or elevate your tech game with a selection of smart watches iPads laptops and phones and TVs from all your top brands stay connected with Erwinx for electrical there Kenny and Bunkrana. Look no further than iMotors for your next car with a vast selection of top quality used vehicles to choose from we have something for every budget and lifestyle. Whether you're searching for a reliable starter car a spacious SUV or a sleek sports car our friendly team is here to help you find the perfect match. Visit iMotors.ie and discover why we are a go-to destination for used cars in the northwest. Are you building rebuilding or renovating? What heat pumps or solar panels would suit your build? Come along and speak to the experts efficient renewables on heat pumps and solar panels. Get advice on installation and grants available. Visit the efficient renewable showroom in Newton Cunningham and see these products in operation for yourself. Okay next guest on the show is Charlie Boyle. Charlie how are you getting on? Good to have you on the program. Thank you Greg. Thank you very much. Right Charlie you decided to I suppose was it scratchin' itch and get off to Australia? No, no, no. I've not been to Australia yet. Because I just read I read the first line I always felt like I wanted to go to Australia but you chose not to because of the journey time. So talk to me about your experience that you had recently travelling. I'll look at it it's the experience of 49 others and it's very simple and you know it's amazing that it's got the attention it's got but it's just very simple I went up to Dublin during the week as I would often do but at work you know always promoting the fact that we can leave Western Eagle and be in Dublin in 38 minutes and another 20 minutes in the centre of town and then on the way back you know a group of us on the plane it was full of 49 people can't remember what they have lost track of days it was some dates last week but the plane flew down no problem to carry fun but then it started circling and look at the communication from the pilot it was absolutely outstanding he explained that there was bad weather down below that there had been hail showers and explained the effect that hailstones have on a landing and that the guys down below were doing the best to clear the runway but then there was a lightning strike as well and you could pick this up in social media because when the plane comes down below a certain site or the certain sites sorry you can hear the social media traffic and people were saying oh there was lightning there was thunder and there was a lightning strike at the airport which affected the lights so there was absolutely no complaint there was nobody mown and you know it circled eight times and decided to go back to Dublin and how could you argue with that it was a 1000% correct decision back to Dublin and it was again very well handled there we were told that there wasn't the option of another flight there wasn't the option of a bus because it's now 11 o'clock at night but that they would put us up in a hotel nearby a plastic hotel shuttle buses were there back to the hotel and again everything is going the way that it should go and it's you know there's attention there's care there's there's detail there's all of that happening and people are starting to bond at the stage as well like there's like 49 people I've had a bit of an experience there was there any concern on the plane circling because the plane it's a it's a it's a prop plane isn't it your old propeller plane you know it wouldn't be necessarily you'd be well used to it with that short trip up and down but a lot of people perhaps have never used that plane they'd be used to jets and what have you was there any concern circling you know with talk of lightning strikes I don't know if there was much disruption on the plane from turbulence perspective was everyone pretty calm no absolutely yeah there was no turbulence whatsoever and you know people people you could hear people down below on the ground sort of talking to each other oh they must be traumatized we weren't having a ball to be honest you know we were and and you were you were probably concerned that others were concerned but the thing is suppose I think this is very very relevant to the whole story I was I was aware as others would have been there were probably four or five cancer patients on that plane as for all was out because you know people need to understand the big part of the service to Weston or Donegal is that we should have the right to have people from our area properly treated in the best hospitals and that happens now because of the great work of the airport of the cancer flights through the in-depth quite a big door and everybody else this helps with charge so I would have been really concerned about that probably element of it like at sea there was neighbours my friends and mine that were were there I knew they were coming from from cancer I used to thinking they're going to have to go back up tonight again but they were loving it they were nearly praying the plane would go back up but it was a good a night in Dublin hotel so way back up we went we stayed in the hotel overnight you know look at the information again about the next day was good Donegal airport working like children we had the scenes because you must remember airline gets coming at some play they're the agents on the ground at Dublin but Donegal airport are remote at that state they're done Donegal but you could feel you could feel their sense of that local sort of caring coming through and we were getting the information so we land down for what was to be the morning flight but that was delayed but there was delays all over Dublin airport so this is not there's no blame attached I don't think there's any blame attached to anywhere in my story it's one of those stories it's just a blameless story and again the weather took up with Dublin airport there were flights being delayed there was talk of cross ones but you know we got on the I don't know if you know what Greg but you get on a bus to go out to the small airplane for Kerk van and we got on the bus there and you know again the 49 people your first name terms at this stage you knew what everybody done you knew where they were coming from and we went out we got on the plane and the plane went to take off and then it pulled on you know the throttle back pulled on and again the pilot brilliant you know explained that there was a cross one and it was above the threshold that he could safely take off again you just can't complain of that can you you know and a lot of people frustrated to get home but you can't say actually you know we should have taken a chance but but he pulls on and then he circles in the taxi position again and he says look at I don't know what he said technically but as he was doing all the terms you know we'll have another go with us or we'll have another crack at this and it'd be five or ten minutes time and he did try it the second time and it wasn't frightening like he he revved up let's say he gets up to 100-100 miles the 150 miles an hour which isn't fast for a plane and then you kind of realized right he's not going to do this the plane in was shaken but it wasn't shaken very likely and I think everybody would have been just looking at each other saying nah it's not going to happen and again they would have been smiling they would have been seeing I wonder will we get vouchers for another night there was you know a bit of banter going on about will there be tickets for coppers thrown on here as well and back we came now at times okay it might have been it might have been a 10 out of 10 in terms of the service at times and on one occasion what happened was there I can guess and they're a big concern you know I wouldn't be as praiseworthy or as defensive defensive of them as I would of the other players and what they do which would very often happens with larger companies is they sent out a 22 year old to explain to the 49 people what was next and they had mentioned that there would be a bus provided to take us home and people were happy enough with that it's look at it it's all with the plan B it's not safe out there it's a real wild patient I must say Charlie ah yeah yeah the patients at this point surely must be starting to wear a little thin it's hard it was hard to say so Greg see see if it was see if you were being lied to or you weren't getting the information or there wasn't a weather component and that I think the patient would have been a lot worse but the fact that fair enough okay because it's weather related do we want to you know do we want to land in the airport to encourage fun on the plane to land over and run a fast with fatalities you know or would we rather be sitting here you know drinking double frapp double shot frappuccinos and having a crack you know so there was that part of it you could see there's no doubt you could see frustration in people's that had to get on with something you know it was the young solicitor who said me she needed to get back down to get papers to get back up there was that element of it but the young lad anyway was rolled out and clumsily in hindsight clumsily he said right we can't get a boss you guys are going to have to all sort yourselves out oh my god right and that was that cupping that was that cupping point where you could see okay the fun's over now you know we've had our hotel and at the poor lad I swear to god and and I must say I was nearly one of the first to rush in and go what are you talking about because you're thinking about yourself you're thinking about the others you're looking behind you're there's four or five weeded chairs there's people called and you know he he got it wrong the poor lad and and he I think he knew it right away and then he went to get cover somebody more senior that that was the part that could have been better but I suppose in my head somebody mentioned to me right away just out of the year shots book McGinley's you know go online and book McGinley's and not even itself and I this is this was the lesson for me here was a coach company in West Donegal that we're watching their bosses pass every day occasionally I would jump in the McGinley bus and go to Dublin occasionally not enough but I would be aware of them you know I would maybe maybe do work down the hall you might see three McGinley coaches outside a hotel and you're thinking what's what's happening there so as old fashioned and as mouthy as I am in West Donegal I'm seeing this gem under my feet them not knowing what really they do so I go online they think right I'm going to pick my battles not arguing with that period for that because I don't want to stay in Dublin another night and if there's a bus home there's a bus home it's not a bus home there's other options so a few of us booked online and I would say within about two months you had your ticket in front of you with a barcode you need what time the bus was there I knew what time the bus was going to land in Managra a lot of other people have done that we helped others who weren't maybe as good at booking online and by the time by the time we got to the bus there was about 30 of the 49 there as well and it was it was very funny now I wrote a bit of a thing on Facebook about it I just love observing people and you know it's nearly like the 70 30 were the 70 percent it was true you threw one of the other 30 as a bit of a crack there would be people who would challenge that and say it's the other way and that's neither here nor there so we got on the bus it was nearly as if we sat all together on the bus you know we looked after those who with the wheelchairs got them up but we didn't have to because the bus company to go over John we're getting these two to go over and I'm sure but I hope they have the names right here I think John Anthony was the driver and Emer was the crew member you know looking after the payment I think it's after everybody was all right she was jumping between two buses but you know one man one man was you know was made to look after 40 people who were returning but he was doing it there was a collaboration involved here so Donegal airport had informed them McGinley's went all out to help to step in to help their fellow West Donegal that they might see them as competitors at times but this was just this was Donegal matching like it was just rolled out in front of you and just kind of sort of almost going back to the beginning to some extent the reason you haven't or one of the reasons yet you haven't made that trip to Australia is because you you the length of the journey puts you off now I'm not sure if that falls into the 70 or 30 percent of your storytelling Charlie but be that as it may how long was the round trip in the end? 27 hours yeah yeah 27 hours so and I had another deadline I had set out I had set out to do a swim a day for mental health and the 4th of March was that day so I was just waiting for this all one there and fair play there were others that swam in the group but as they were down they would they'd done the swim at 6 o'clock so was there doing the swim at 6 o'clock we're pulling out a Dublin on a bus and I'm thinking will I make this before midnight night then I made it the quarter to 12 and again there was another group down down the way they go into the water but and I'm delighted I'm delighted that the benefactor of this has beaten McGinley's and also the airport because that's that's not leave the airport out in us there would have been as there always is and you have to allow it to happen there would have been criticism like there would have been an odd post coming and said joke in the airport what's the airport doing in there it also it also gives an opportunity to tell the story of the airports because you know every negative comment every critical comment always has an opportunity to okay that's your opinion you're entitled to that what the information that you have however you know if you take somebody in Dublin now I've when he found this out in the last few days and please stop me if I'm going on too long here Greg but so somebody in Dublin lives off what we all do in Ireland there's a there's a national subsidy for every citizen in Ireland for public transport so in Dublin it's it's a very very high number let's call it 200 euros and please do not take this as given but somebody in Dublin has as high as 200 euros a year as a public service subsidy which means if somebody's traveling from Tallah into town on the Lewis or on the bus their transport is subsidised to the tune of 200 euros per year somebody living in Dunnegal and again I don't know the figure so let me work on my 70-30 rule here that's not a lie I'm just giving an example the figure is as low as maybe 60 euro per person living in Dunnegal so the subsidy of that airport yes it's subsidised it's subsidised with the European Union so the peripheral regions of Europe are not disconnected the other thing is we have cancer patients we have patients going through you know it could be mental health issues oh yeah they need specialist treatment and they have to get to the specialist hospital it's a vital and that's why it was so that's why it was so where there was an awful lot of cancellations because of technical issues and what have we why it was such a big story Charlie people can read your post as well on your social media it's well worth the read we've only been able to scratch the surface of it you're a bit like me you're a bit of a people watcher as well but we do appreciate you sharing the story with us this morning Charlie Boyle there and you can check out his Facebook page to read more on his 27-odd hour adventure from Dunnegal to Dublin and back The 9 till noon show with Letter Kenny Credit Union Simplify your debts with a debt consolidation loan from Letter Kenny Credit Union Call us on 0749102126 or apply online via our app or in office today hold that door where are you going with all that gear I'm applying for a community heritage grant maps a scanner night vision goggles for the nocturnal animals but you don't need all that stuff dear not at all all you need is a worthy project but the grant covers so many heritage projects you can never be too prepared well good thing we're going up so give your project a lift apply for a community heritage grant at heritagecancel.ie forward slash funding applications close March 25th supported by the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage 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 McElhenney and Associates find us online or call 0749175989 McElhenney and Associates solicitors strain order in contentious business a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement don't miss the BAFTA award-winning comedian Michael McIntyre's brand new show Magnificent at the SSC Arena Belfast on Friday the 31st of May 2024 as always Highland Radio make it easy for you as we look after all your needs we will provide luxury transfers overnight stay at the Clinton Hotel Belfast on a B&B basis your ticket to the show shopping time in Belfast city centre for more information go to the outlet at highlandradio.com or give us a call on 07491-25000 Michael McIntyre in Belfast Highland Radio weather updates with Ireland West Airport you don't visit Liverpool for the weather but it does rain goals at Anfield fly to Liverpool daily with Ryanair Ireland West Airport don't just take off take it easy OK let us have a look at the weather forecast now and I can tell you that for the rest of this Monday largely dry this morning and through much of the afternoon apart from the odd shower however it will be mostly cloudy and increasingly breezy outbreaks of rain will spread from the south later in the afternoon and during the evening highest temperatures of seven to nine degrees with fresh to strong and gusty south east winds and as I said I've already gone on the programme that's probably going to be the pattern for the next couple of days but hopefully our weather then will improve somewhat right just to mention that Highland Radio is delighted to have teamed up with Vodafone to promote their high digital initiative the question is do you want to know how you can learn online skills for everyday life will Vodafone Foundation in partnership with alone have created online skills training for older people the training is available online at highdigital.ie that's hidigital.ie or via in-person classes in convoy with the right support you don't have to be scared of technology and can embrace it have a listen to this morning's tip here's an online safety tip brought to you by Hidigital free online skills for everyday life supported by Vodafone Foundation in partnership with alone when using the internet you should be mindful of scams and frauds scams are when someone tries to trick you a fraud is when someone tries to steal from you these dangers come in many 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May 25th and May 26th we celebrate our survivors remember our loved ones and together let's fight back against cancer gather your team and make a difference register now at DonegalRelayforLife.com Harkins have been providing customers with quality fireplaces stoves and electric fires for over 30 years and now you can experience the elegance of luxuries worked up from Harkins their experienced craftsmen can fabricate marble, quartz or granite work tops cure specification so if you're planning a new kitchen or bathroom or upgrading your existing walk Harkin Fireplaces can provide a quote for your quartz, marble or granite worktop visit their showroom in Ballywogan-Lifford or call 911109 or visit them online at harkinfireplaces.ie your smartphone is a wonderful tool opening amazing ways to connect with friends, family and even businesses all over Ireland and across the world whether it's chatting to your family and friends on WhatsApp grabbing a bargain by safely online shopping or even doing all your daily banking needs through an app your phone or tablet can help you do it all if you wanted to learn how to use all these features on your device now you can with High Digital a free online skills course designed with older people in mind available in person and online so if you're ready to unlock your smartphone's potential or know someone who's always wanted to learn more online skills go to highdigital.ie or call 1800 20 30 30 for more information brought to you by Vodafone Foundation and alone Do you know someone who is a real life superhero in your community? Highland Radio's community hero campaign is on the lookout for those extraordinary individuals who go that extra mile for others nominate your local hero today and they could win 1000 euros nominate someone who you believe is a superhero within your community by emailing their name address the reason why and your contact details to hero at highlandradio.com closing date for entries is the 18th of March 2024 visit highlandradio.com for more information Good morning I'm Akilah Clark with the news at 10 o'clock What effective block campaign groups believe to be the proper definition of 100% redress is to be unveiled tonight A public meeting is being held at Angrenan Hotel in Burt at 7 o'clock as part of a joint initiative being led by the Micah Action Group redress focus groups and 100% redress no less The groups have set out four principles of redress they are property, process, people and support and prevention Campaigner Michael Johhry says a further meeting will be held in the coming weeks to hear from elected public representatives That people's document will then go out under the nose of every politician and party in the land and on the 26th of March they'll come back that's the politicians response night we'll be there the politicians will be there that want to come and talk to you there's no good talking of this next year this is the one time that we have these guys attention because they need our votes simple as that A petition has been set up in a bid to prevent the closure of Fawn Healthcare Centre It emerged over the weekend that plans are in place to relocate the nurse working at the centre which leaves those in the area having to travel to Pancrana to avail of health care services Local resident Carmel told today's night on Nuncho that people in the area have to continually fight for services She says it's vital that health care services are retained We need to bring the doctor surgery back and not take it away and to be told in the beginning of March the closure and the end of March is ridiculous we have to come together which we are as I speak to you this petition done up myself in Chariboy to do this again as we do to the water we have to say we have to bring back the doctor Pre-hospital emergency care on Arnmore Island is getting a huge boost today A new replacement ambulance vehicle is being delivered while an emergency care information sheet is being distributed to every home on the island and 10 volunteer islanders will receive emergency first responder certificates from the National Ambulance Service John Jo McGuyan General Manager Operations for the National Ambulance Service says the additional resources will ensure the delivery of a high standard of care for islanders We've always had a presence on the island in terms of a vehicle this puts a more governance structure in terms of what is already there the clinical level of training the driver training and the new vehicle all make brings it up to a state of the art system for the island in terms of pre-hospital emergency care The tearing down of posters urging a no-no vote in Friday's referendum is on democratic that's according to letter Kenny into representative Mary T. Sweeney whose posters have been removed in a number of areas she says the actions of those responsible is totally unacceptable Miss Sweeney says people deserve to express their views Well I think it's important for the sake of democracy that everybody's voices are allowed to be heard and I think that people that have a no-no in this referendum should be allowed to say that and why we have concerns and I would urge anybody to come along tonight to hear pattern speaking and you know and the aim to party on why we feel it is a pig in a poke More than 300,000 people are to be offered a measles catch-up vaccine over concerns about an outbreak of the virus The campaign will be aimed at those under 24 healthcare workers and marginalised groups so far only one case has been confirmed in Ireland but cases have risen across the UK and Europe Donegal County Council is being urged to carry out an audit of coastal erosion at beaches in Ineshawn Councillor Albert Doherty says measures need to be put in place to ensure safe access to beaches in the peninsula He also backed a proposal by Councillor Martyn McDermott that a meeting be held with the OPW and National Parks and Wildlife to explore the issue Councillor Doherty says all departments of the council must work together We the council need to be active and proactive in relation to confronting as best we can coastal erosion Of course as well I'd be talking as we go towards tourism season that signage and access is ensured and indeed recent day at Kodak we saw where access safe access couldn't be assured so I want council to ensure that there's an audit done over beaches Weather now largely dry this morning and through much of the afternoon apart from the odd shy or highest temperatures off seven to nine degrees That's all from Highland Radio News for now We'll be back with an update again at 11 o'clock until then you can keep up to date with the latest local news on our website highlandradio.com Good morning The obituary notice says for this Monday morning March the 4th The death has taken place of Johnny Kelly Bally Brack Moville Johnny's remains will leave Liam Collins funeral home station Lord Carndona this evening at four o'clock going to his home where you're welcome to pay your respects funeral mass will take place on Wednesday morning at 11 o'clock in St. Mary's Church at Bally Brack followed by burial in the adjoining graveyard The death has taken place of Terence McCafferty 51 on-ray drive Strabane reposing at his home this evening from five o'clock funeral leaving his home on Wednesday morning at 20 past nine for recreation mass in St. Mary's Church Melmint at 10 o'clock interment afterwards in the adjoining cemetery family time please from 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock the recreation mass can be viewed live by the parish webcam The death has taken place of Iman Paul O'Connor Maymore St. Johnston and formerly of Derry reposing at his home today from 12 noon funeral leaving his home to Moor morning at 20 past 10 for recreation mass in St. Bethan's Church St. Johnston at 11 o'clock interment afterwards in the adjoining cemetery The death has occurred of Lucy McGeehan aged 11 years three Elmwood Green Castle Derg reposing at the family home funeral from there to Moor morning at 20 past 11 for mass of the angels at 12 noon in St. Patrick's Church Castle Derg followed by interment in Castle Derg new cemetery the mass can be viewed by the parish webcam family time please from 10 o'clock to 12 noon and on the morning of the funeral The death has taken place of Katie Catherine Porter Naye Gibbons Bali Ratan Red Castle and Formleaf Crehanahan Quigley's Point and Art Colgan Cardona Katie's remains are reposing at her home in Sean Havelin Bali Ratan Red Castle funeral mass for Katie will take place to Moor morning at 11 o'clock in St. Columbus Church Drone Quigley's Point followed by burial in the Church of the Sacred Heart Cardona graveyard Katie's funeral mass can be viewed live on stclumbasdrone.net The death has occurred of Mary Heron Bali Buffay remains reposing at her late residence today from 11 o'clock to 9 o'clock Fiona leaving her home to Moor morning at half past 10 for Requiem Mass in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Soccer Glenn Finn at 11 o'clock followed by interment in Kilworth Cemetery Requiem mass can be viewed live on mcnmedia.tv Family time on the morning of the funeral please Donations if desired to the Donegal Hospice directly or via any family member And the death has taken place of Constance McCann Ney Patton 6 Deansport Crescent Derry and formerly of Eden Terrace Straban Reposing at her home today from 5 o'clock to 9 o'clock Fiona leaving her home to Moor morning at 20 past 10 for Requiem Mass in some British Church Carnhill at 11 o'clock interment afterwards in this city cemetery Donations in Louis of Fliers Police to the Foyle Hospice Kev Quigley Funal Directors The Requiem Mass can be viewed live on ChurchServices.tv For family information and more details regarding Wigs and Funals please go to hynandridio.com And now Imros 2023 best local original news program The Voice of the North West The Nine Till Noon Show with Greg Hughes And you're very welcome back to the program Good morning if you are just after joining us so we've a busy two hours for you lots of stuff to bring you so hopefully you'll stick around plenty of interesting items on the agenda but just a chance to catch up on you some of your comments and queries coming in so far this morning we received this message just wondering if you could highlight this for me please I'm slightly in shock I just nearly ran over a young lad college age that was on an electric scooter I was pulling out of my driveway and I didn't even see him he just came out in front of me when I came home another one coming at a quick speed luckily I seen this one one of the rules with these on the road now I want to point out my son got a small one for Christmas he can use it at the park or around the drive at home but not on the road I know we always have to be careful of motorbikes as they can be hard to see sometimes but they do the test and pay road tax like the car drivers do but I just can't believe the way these young people are motoring around letter Kenny I can imagine I'm not on my own with this hopefully someone can shed some light on this for me well I'm not sure are the rules in place in relation to them yet I'll have a look in relation to that with the on the footpath when the on the road I really don't know the full circumstances of this but this caller had a really lucky escape quite a college age person just missed them really effectively pulling out of their driveway and they say this is happening a lot in and around letter Kenny but perhaps not exclusively any comment in relation to that 086625000 just like to highlight the planting of the trees along the port road and I do appreciate there is more important things than trees why and when are these trees going to be stalked or staked sorry as at this stage they'll soon be in the swilly or is it just another case what odds about them it's just taxpayers money a good show as usual thank you very much indeed for that well we'll check that out maybe someone has some insight new trees planted there and letter Kenny but not staked so obviously they are more prone to the elements if you're in Ardraven clinic you will get an appointment today and if not tomorrow you can't paint all health services with the same brush they do tremendous work there and I can't praise them enough says a listener morning greg steel people out walking around letter Kenny with no high vis vests women especially with long coats they still have to cross the roads even if they think it's okay when they walk on the footpaths no consideration for car drivers at all so car drivers not happy this morning between scooters and people not wearing high vis I don't understand why people don't wear high vis there's some really nice quite fashionable jackets that aren't terribly expensive that light up like light up like the moon as soon as there's lights on them I would have thought logically if you want to keep yourself safe you'd try something along those lines I have a hospital appointment in Dublin hospital and I'm taking the boss Aaron Buster does anyone know where can park for free and safely in letter Kenny this is an interesting one Lee mentioned a similar story of not this story to me our fair just before the program started someone and it was I had no answer to the question if you are getting a bus for hospital treatment or for whatever reason and you have a car you drive to the bus depot as it is you can't park there in that's a private car park isn't it and you're limited to three hours parking there and we can understand it's not up to a private company to provide public parking but where are the any tips as to where you can park your car safely and reasonably close to the pickup point for bus Aaron in letter Kenny this caller has no idea where to park safely and for free in letter Kenny let us know someone out there has the answer to that anagri tidy towns are having an open night tonight in the hall in anagri at 7pm they're looking for new volunteers to help maintain standards in the village they'd love to hear suggestions as well everyone's welcome that is a public meeting anagri tidy towns at 7pm in the hall in anagri can I do a couple of requests as well too just before we head towards the bingo numbers Anne McDermott in Mahirah Beggin Burnfoot happy birthday to you Anne from Liam and Bridget McLaughlin in Grandshire, Bonkranagh and Sandra Spear in Remelton celebrating her birthday today happy birthday to you Sandra best wishes coming into you from Dennis could you read out birthday request please for me it's for my sister Julie Jordan in Remelton a very happy birthday today to Julie from Remelton with love from her sister Jacqueline and niece Tabitha sending you our love and hope you have a lovely day that comes in of course as you can imagine from Jacqueline and one other comment tongue-in-cheek here I had imagined hi Greg I'm happy to hear President Michael D Higgins is making a good recovery I think he might be out today could you please tell me how long he was waiting on a trolley before he got admitted into hospital well I think we all know the answer to that one I don't think you would have had a very long wait tall down on Facebook good morning Greg you said it was not permitted for you to talk about the stabbing instant in Dublin yet you've no problem talking about bringing you've no problem talking about the incident at the boxing event in Ross Common well firstly we can talk about the stabbing it's the alleged perpetrator the person charged with the crime once someone's arrested and charged you can no longer talk about anything that might and this is actually to the benefit of the general population I'm sure no one wants to say anything that could be used in someone's defence if they are in fact guilty of a crime secondly the other instant is talking about the what happened at that incident not about the perpetrators who's responsible their names that would not be allowed either so you're mixing a couple of things up there I appreciate your texting on the next but it is really quite simple when someone's charged with a crime you can no longer talk about their involvement or alleged involvement in that crime but of course you're free to talk about the instant generally speaking as I just have actually fun enough okay back with more after these it's time for Vision Ireland Bingo on Highland Radio it's Monday the 4th of March you're playing on the green sheet the reference number is s6 it's game number 10 the numbers are 23 11 89 8 69 85 44 53 77 and finally 78 phone your claim tonight 104833 before eight tonight leaving your name contact number and the name of the shop where you purchased your 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lineup of events and speakers and to book visit localenterprise.ie forward slash Donny Gall or call 91 60735 the 9 till noon show with letter Kenny Credit Union now offering mortgages from 40,000 to 600,000 euro with no hidden fees or transaction charges letter Kenny Credit Union 9102127 Okie doke Declan meeting joins us on the programme now Declan also now an independent candidate in the upcoming local elections Declan good morning to you good morning Greg thanks for joining us now when I saw this initially I didn't really know how to approach it and you'll help me here and I hope I can explain it as well in that what's happening to the people in Gars is so so horrendous and so catastrophic that a singing competition almost speaking about a singing competition in the context of what's happening feels almost like it's trivialising it but then obviously to consider it further I thought well we as people or we as individuals what else what what can we do you know we can't physically go over and help people so we just can't stand back and say nothing if something apparently doesn't make sense and it would seem that Israel's involvement for some in the Eurovision Song Contest is a validation it's almost you know song washing or something along those lines so that's why I thought important for us to talk about and I presume that's why you thought important to raise this issue yourself Yeah that's exactly it Greg I think that it does seem somewhat trivial to talk about this but I suppose you know recently we've had a discussion on the airwaves if you like around boycotting Israel and trying to exclude Israel from international sporting competitions and I suppose it's in the same vein as that sort of movement and idea is you know they shouldn't be allowed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest there's two things on it that I think are important number one is rightly so when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 there was very little hesitation pretty much immediate action from the European Broadcasting Union over this where they immediately expelled Russia from the singing competition and they said that they would not provide cultural cover for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and yet the European Broadcasting Union has so far resisted any attempts to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest and is in fact itself complicit in providing cultural cover for ethnic cleansing and genocidal actions in Palestine most notably in Gaza so it is very important I think to raise these issues again it'll seem to some people like it's such a trivial thing but I think we need to highlight the importance and the effectiveness that international sanctions and boycotts of countries in sporting arenas economically as well but also cultural arenas like this can have great effect and are important to pursue I can't remember the exact circumstances now perhaps should have I should have had a look before I spoke to you but the last time there was a cause for Israel to be excluded from this they went on and won it now I can't remember exactly what was happening but between Israel and Gaza at that time but I do recall there were calls they weren't as strong as this and Israel went on and won it then for whatever reason I'm not sure if politically across Europe things have changed but you know in a way if they were successful it would be seen as an endorsement I suppose of their actions yeah and I think that's kind of the concern I think that providing the platform in this arena is I guess it's such a joyful event Eurovision it's such a bit of crack and it brings a lot of Europeans together and it creates that kind of idea of of unity even if it's for one night and alone a country that is engaged in illegal military activities genocidal activities just seems completely contrary to that it's not meant to be a political event obviously but it has shown previously where it will draw line and exclude countries form participating when it is perceived that that country is where its participation is incompatible with the values of the song contest yeah so again but I guess that as well too but you know like again this is not comparing what's happening in Gaza to a singing competition but you know we are watching Israel effectively collectively punish at the moment you know the awful events of early October obviously there was going to be a reaction but now what's happening is is that this is sort of the entire population is being punished for that in a way does the competition not need to rise above collective punishment and sort of maybe give a voice to the many Israelis perhaps who aren't in favour of this IE would we like to be would we like to be excluded off the back of the actions of a current government for something that we aren't really necessarily or provably complicit in yeah I mean look let's look at Israel and the government that's in place there at the minute which is voted for by you know the Israeli people it's a right when government that props up an apartheid regime within territorial Israel but also with an occupied Palestine whether that's in Gaza or in the West Bank so it's not an idea of collective punishment the kind of principles of boycotts divest and sanction the BDS movement learns from the experience of the exact same principles being applied to apartheid South Africa so South Africa previously was excluded from sporting events cultural events etc obviously with sanctions and economic sanctions thrown there in there as well and you obviously get very famous stone store strike in solidarity with that movement and this is a continuation and a learning from that to try and I suppose apply the same principles and to try and put pressure to in some ways try to create a situation where the government of Israel in this case becomes a pariah on the international stage in the same way that Russia has become that since the invasion of Ukraine in 2014 so it's about creating those opportunities what we have at the minute is a staggering amount of hypocrisy from Western leaders when it comes to Israel and the treatment of Israel on the international stage and the support for Israel and the lack thereof for the people of Palestine so it's about also using that this as an opportunity to call out the double standards that the browner you are as a people the less rights you have the less support you have from many Western governments so it is again drawing that line between when Russia invaded Ukraine there was no question of boycott of S and sanctions from across the international community in the West and now when Israel is doing the same and in some instances worse afflictions or breaches of international law on its attack on Gaza and ongoing attacks in the West Bank we see really complicit silence from most European and Western countries they have changed the words that the original song from Israel seemed to reference the attacks in October the wording is going to be changed but obviously with everything you've been said that's not going to make a pick a difference there are some people pointing out so I'll put it to you that you know lots of people from of all different types of people love the Eurovision but often it can be sort of a celebration and particularly you know maybe reflective or supportive of the LGBT Q community and some are saying well you know you couldn't have that type of a celebration in a pre-war presumably Gaza because they wouldn't recognize the rights of many of those that may enjoy or watch or take part in the Eurovision Yeah absolutely and you know there's a huge difference between recognizing the rights of LGBT people and recognizing the humanity of all people there's over 30,000 people the vast majority of them civilians almost half of them children that have been murdered by Israel in Gaza over the past number of months there's a further 17,000 missing which we can only assume considering the state of Gaza over the past few months that they are also dead so I think there's it's kind of disingenuous to use that I think that a lot of people have kind of used the pink washing of Israel to kind of show that because there are tolerant country in the Middle East that you don't need to delve any deeper into that in terms of treatment of LGBT issues of people or whatever else but at the same time Israel is a genocidal state it is an apartheid regime it is illegally occupying and settling Palestine and has been doing so for over 70 years so I don't think the comparison is helpful I think that the focus needs to remain on basic humanity and respect for international matters in a way I think it is helpful to some extent because it shows that this is so important that it perhaps rises above a person's individual concerns and that's all right okay well maybe that's the case but I'm actually thinking here of the wider situation because we are all people we're all human beings yeah absolutely I think the other thing that's really important to point out in this is that Israel has been taking part in the Eurovision since the 1970s it's a country that is not in Europe and Australia has been admitted in recent years to the Eurovision as well in some ways you can see that if Tunisia or if Palestine or if Morocco or if any other Mediterranean region non-European country applied for membership to the European Broadcasting Union would not be allowed or given the opportunity to do so and that has happened in the past so it is in recognition of this almost kind of white supremacist colonial state that Israel was ever granted admission to the European Broadcasting Union and the Eurovision in the first place so the whole kind of thing is based on hypocrisy and this continues today when you see the double standard why Russia has been treated and Israel is treated and both should be treated as bright states in relation to their illegal invasions and occupations yeah it makes the entire you know I mean obviously it's actually just really really complicated now because Israel probably will continue to take part and it is instantly I know they want to avoid politicize the competition but it's unavoidable I don't know they are actually in a very difficult position because to exclude Israel at this point sets a precedent because then there becomes a bar as to what's going on in a particular country you know do you exclude this competition but the precedent was set with Russia and I suppose with Belarus in the past as well there's great minds here they're going to have to suck it up might want something I think it's important to kind of point out as well Greg that calls for boycotting the Eurovision aren't just in Ireland Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway there's huge movements within those countries for from both the winning artists and their broadcasts public broadcasters to boycott if Israel are allowed to participate and that's what this movement in Ireland is calling our team to just simply say we're not taking part if Israel is taking part it shouldn't be given a platform it shouldn't be given cultural cover which is to use the exact language of the European Broadcasting Union itself all right but at the same time you know RT are asking people not to wear emblems or fly flags in one particular or another for not to take a particular stance so I can't see them taking this leap but listen you have a your job is to to make that call and it's up to them whether they heed it or not not your job but your feelings okay thanks Declan appreciate it take care of yourself all right what do you think 08 660 25,000 should Ireland pull out of the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is a part of it let us know your feelings on 08 660 25,000 we're taking a different tact but staying on the issue of the war in the Middle East James a former Irish soldier in the U.N.s with us on the program now James how are you getting on James are you there I'm good okay sorry I had to can you hear me clearly I just had the wrong button pressed okay James for a lot of people a generation or those of us who to be honest with you are a lot of people their knowledge is just when the media starts talking about something and their opinion often is the way that information is presented to them by certain parts of the media that is just a fact but everyone is becoming aware of what's happening in the Middle East in the Middle East now for a lot of people it all started on October 7th but obviously with your experience and your knowledge you would be well aware that this type of activity from Israel goes back a long way oh absolutely Greg I mean my time I was in the Middle East in the sort of late 70s and done about maybe about four and a half years all together with the year and different periods obviously up finished last time it had been 93 and all during that you know conflict with the Israelis invading Lebanon and at 75 was the start of it and then but the Palestinians were pushed out of course as people know from 1948 was the first big push out from Palestine when Israel was sort of been formed that's what the French and the Americans and the British behind all that type of stuff as you know anybody that's not sure of that hurts because it's easy looked up and easy checked out but Israel have always been a force that and people can understand that as well obviously everything sort of stems back to the Holocaust during the Second World War we always seem to go back to that and people would say well I mean so that's a hundred years ago or whatever but you know that's what it's like as opposed to a lot of countries when there's conflict they always have people will always get a reason as to why things are the way they are and that gives them justification for maybe doing certain things and of course what happened on the 7th of October when these guys invaded Israel and took away houses and killed maybe 14 or 15 other people all that adds to it but there's an old saying Greg and I'm sure people realise it if you poke the bear too much sometimes it is going to fight back and that's really what happens we saw post October 7th James some senior ranking Israelis you know referring to Palestinians as animals from the history of your your being there and what you've seen that probably is not a new sentiment is it they probably don't view them as humans absolutely not and you were talking to the guy Dekton before there's an awful lot of Israelis and no way would want to be doing what's happening at all today but again when you have a right wing government and sadly the western world Britain, France even Germany today and of course America being the big one the only people could really stop a lot of things happening in the Middle East any part of it is probably America because they have the veto when it comes to the UN a lot of people don't realise Greg that there's 192 or 93 countries I think Ireland's now part of the UN and there's only five voices that actually matter do people realise that or wonder and that's Russia China America France and Britain and if any one of those countries says nothing something's going to be vetoed not going through that's it doesn't matter if there are 100 area people say that they agree with whatever the UN says but once one of these countries vetoed that it doesn't happen and that's a massive problem as well of course the some would say that this conversation is anti-semitic but from my perspective anyway I actually really don't care about anyone's background or what have you I'm only observing I couldn't condemn enough what happened at the start of October and I'm sure you join me in that absolutely completely unacceptable it is absolutely horrendous but also one can't ignore that over 30 000 mostly women and children have been slaughtered since then and even though some of the big names that you talk of the likes of the US and what have you that they stood and armed Israel even they now at this point are saying right enough is enough we need an immediate ceasefire we need to get food and medicine into the 2.3 million innocent civilians that are currently displaced or I mean I don't see that as being anti-semitic me personally because I'm only speaking of what I'm seeing and I'm only speaking of the decisions it seems that those in power in Israel are making I don't care if they're Jewish Muslim Catholic Protestant Atheists that doesn't frame my way of thinking I don't know about you James No I mean it doesn't matter if the people are I mean if there's people as the people in control politics Greg politics worldwide can be I don't know I find politics worldwide they want to have a great interest in it and it's very fickle at times but certain people it's all to do again I suppose it's all power and all this type of stuff and the might of the west is a massive thing and again Israel being where it is surrounded by Muslim countries as opposed they're always under the cost that you know people are always against them and all that but they have good relations with Jordan next door to them they have good relations with Egypt Saudi Arabia was in the talk there lately but that's kind of gone a bit haywire since all this other thing started what about James just about the role in Hamas in this in that Hamas's tactics is to embed themselves amongst the population they claim to be defending you know you can argue the toss about whether tunnels are being used or not or whether hospitals are actually being used as command centres or not but the reality is is you know Hamas has held on to these hostages and perhaps if they'd given up those hostages if they committed to disarm or something along those lines that a lot of the death we're talking of and that's being blamed universally on Israel could have been avoided as well you know there's there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of conversation about Hamas's role in this now at this point is that a fair enough argument do you think well that's a fair argument yeah I mean but when you say when people say they're embedded if I've been in Gaza a couple of times and the Gaza is a tiny dot on the face of the earth where there's over two million people in it people having room to turn having room to drive a car in it possibly in places when you do drive in through it I mean you must remember Gaza there's five main ways in and out of Gaza controlled by the Israelis and there's one one controlled by the Egyptians that one of the the one that's mostly talked about these are the rapagets but remember there's no work people just sit around all day and it's actually frightening to drive and walk through it because you feel there's eyes on you all the time but and saying that the people themselves like like anywhere in the world like even Lebanon that people just want to get on with their lives they're not this political it's a bit I often refer to these things because I can think back to our own problems here in the what we call an author we're in the six countries next door to us but you know you have people who just want to get on with things whether they're Protestants or Catholics or anything else but they're not allowed to because there's people out there that want to keep the but basically James the only difference between that metaphor though basically though is is that you know with agreement we can live together that the problem particular problem seems to be is that I'm not sure Israelis content at all now living with their neighbors all vice versa I know Israel is trying to stamp out Hamas but at the same time also perhaps they're breeding you know even a more militant army that they're going to have to fight into the future is even with a two-state solution can those two parties coalesce there ever it'll be it'll be very very hard great because when there's so many people getting killed in both sides well there's so many people getting killed now at the minute in Gaza I mean family members are going to turn against them people who never really had any interest in maybe joining Hamas it's like it's like all these things that the more you put the pressure on the more people are going to turn against it and the future generations are always going to be there thinking back so look I'm just thinking back in Lebanon in 1982 it was there that was the summer of 82 the Israelis invaded and they pushed the PLO at that time they asked the Arafat and these people all back as far as Baruch and eventually they got an agreement to send them across to Libya Morocco and Algeria I'm sure you maybe you remember all that maybe we're not old enough great to remember all that no I read about it but I wasn't old enough at the time yeah but the the Israelis at that time had a force there was a Christian army in southern Lebanon and they controlled about six kilometers from the Israeli border into Lebanon and we as Unifil were the next end between the Christian forces and the PLO but the Unifil mandate was actually to patrol along the Israeli border but America passed resolution after resolution and you stopped all that but when they got to Baruch that time they allowed I'll tell you who was the Minister for Defense that time was Ariel Sharon God rest him he's dead now and Ariel Sharon was the Minister for Defense and they allowed the Christian militia as they were known as to go into two refugee camps in Baruch known as Shabla and Shatila I don't know if you ever even remember or even read these things and they slaughtered whatever PLO people the Palestinians that were left old men women and children different figures at that time came out but a good western journalist who lives in Baruch reckoned that about two to two and a half thousand people were slaughtered just for the sake of it basically and that was all under the control of the Israeli army at that time so you know when those things happen and then you see other things happen and at the 7th of October you know you'd wonder sometimes what it all amounts to or when is it going to stop or how much does it take to make these things stop because it's not nothing new about a lot of these things absolutely nothing new about it at all you know yeah and the problem is and this is for all people because you know those living in Israel are also have been you know lots of rockets and what have you going to Israel as well absolutely yeah it's this it's it's the what the solution is you see that's the problem what is the solution and and this will be the the ripples of this will be felt across the world be it this year next year or the other year because you know there are the the anger of some will be taken out on countries that will seem to be complicit in this if you know what I'm talking about absolutely and and you're talking there about the Americans now calling for a ceasefire but the other thing is we're now getting to election time and an awful lot of Palestinians or Arabs who live I mean America would be very heavily populated with people from the Middle East and they're certainly going to be on the side of of the Palestinians rather than Israelis so big vote catching as well so again as politics and in that sense you know it's I don't know it's it's hard to know Greg where it'll all end in relation Greg when I when I mentioned a few minutes ago about what happened in the north of Ireland or we have a or ceasefire and we have our government and our government is set up like the biggest party gets the force minister you know there's three parties they're now get all ministers in that that SD or not the STLP the alliance party they have a few ministers and then Jeffrey Donaldson's party has a few ministers but that's that's not a new concept Lebanon when it was set up by the French back in the early days even today the Christians always get the president the Sony Muslims are allowed to prime minister and the Shi'ite Muslims are allowed what we've sort of referred to to speak of the house so it's been taken from that type of system that was set up in Lebanon years ago that's how you try to keep all the parties as opposed happy and but like the few follow-ups we had in northern Ireland over the years they've been massive follow-ups in Lebanon as well between them and parliament has been suspended but that's that's where that actually comes from so it's not a new thing or a new concept just because it happened in in northern Ireland all right James let's not I wish I wish we had the solutions to it uh I know we're listening you could talk for of course the next week and the stuff and whatever I appreciate I appreciate your insight thank you very much indeed uh that's James a former Irish soldier in the UN and his take on what's happening there 08, 6, 60, 25,000 this Friday you go to the polls how many of you will I don't know I honestly think the turnout for the referendum will struggle above struggle to get above 40% I really do and it depends who's most motivated to go out and vote if 60% say for instance are going like I don't understand or or it's not making sense to me or I don't know which way to go are they going to be motivated to go out and vote one way or other but there are going to be those that are very motivated to go out and vote and that's going to swing it one way or other I don't know which way it will go I suspect which way may have a sense which way it will go up here anyway but that's on Friday the count starts on Saturday we're going to broadcast live from the count centre for an hour on Saturday just to get a sense of which way this county is voted which way the country is going and also sort of we have a panel a great panel lined up to sort of talk about maybe the apathy toward it or the confusion about it will be more freer to speak about it at that point that's on Saturday so that's going to be an hour along show between one and two I believe it is from the count centre live all being well so you'll be able to listen and watch that on Saturday and we should get a good sense because there's not going to be a lot of votes to count and it's quite simple it's yes or no isn't it so we should actually really get a good sense of which way it's going so tune in for that if you like your politics John's going to be with us and John McIntyre and a few others as well just to go through the campaign how it was you know all the ins and outs but anyway so that's on Saturday live from the count centre we can't speak about it after Wednesday I think we're going to speak to Pat or Toby and Evane to tomorrow and we're going to speak to a yes yes this is where it gets complicated because there are people who are yes no and no yes with their own opinions as well but we've been timing the contributions from various contributors as we have to so we'll have a no no conversation tomorrow yes yes on Tuesday and then after after that Wednesday no more speaking about it so you go to the polls on Friday what will the turnout be I actually could see it being mid 30s I really think it could be very very low from the people I'm talking to a lot of shoulder shrugging as if you know what is it about what what what is you know maybe one half of it one part of it's more easier to articulate and understand another but sure we'll see what do you think what do you think the turnout will be as I say I think it'll be low low low low okay let's take a break If you're into makeup then you'll want to know that Longcom's elite makeup artist Lorraine Byrne will hold a makeup and skincare masterclass at McGee's Camist Thursday 7th of March at 7 p.m. With refreshments giveaways and prizes on the night it promises to be a really enjoyable experience tickets just 25 euro redeemable against any Longcom purchase on the night place is limited booking essential call McGee's Camist on 07491-21409 or call in store to guarantee your VIP place towards upskilling and safety compliance The night all new show is brought to you by Letterkenny Credit Union offering low-rate car loans with fast approval apply online at letterkennycu.ie or in office today Join Food Coast Donegal on a culinary journey during Local Enterprise Week at their producer showcase in the Silver Tassie this Wednesday the 5th of March featuring talks with Dara McCullough from RTE's Ear to the Ground Chef Kangai Chan and Siobhan Yigarvi of St. Toler's Cheese also Wili Kriman of Filigens Eugene Gallon of Bon Appetit and Neve Rouhan from Musgraves will also be a host of Donegal's finest food and drinks producers showcasing their products from 10 through until 2 attendance is free but registration is essential at Local Enterprise Office forward slash Donegal If you're with FBD insurance and your van gets robbed it's not a flippant blooming disaster that's not what FBD stands for FBD stands for Support We support van owners like you by covering your work tools up to the value of 500 euro if they're stolen with your van FBD Insurance Support It's what we do Visit your local branch to talk to your FBD insurance team Requires valid van theft claim excludes electronics and software Ties and Cs and normal underwriting criteria apply underwritten by FBD Insurance PLC FBD Insurance Group Limited trading as FBD Insurance is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland Have you discovered the Donegal Boardwalk Resort restaurant yet? Open every Wednesday to Sunday Take leisurely strolls along the boardwalk and treat yourself to light bites hearty lunches or comforting dinners Complete your stay in your cozy lodges Explore more at DonegalBoardwalkResort.ie Unwind, dine and savor the moment at Donegal Boardwalk Resort Carragart A Highland Radio weather update with Ireland West Air Force Time to book that business trip to London Fly daily to London's Dansted and Luton with Ryanair and London Heathrow with Erlingus Ireland West Airport Don't just take off Take it easy Yeah, largely dry this morning or for what's left of it and through the afternoon apart from the odd shower It'll be mostly cloudy and increasingly breezy though outbreaks of rain will spread from the south later in the afternoon Temperatures 7 or 8 degrees Now the IABI The Boxing Association released a press release saying it is aware of a serious incident during the final stages of the 2024 National Boyford Championship Quarterfinals in Castlery County Roscommon on Friday evening that such an instant could occur at a children's sporting event is abhorrent and is roundly condemned by every member of the Irish Boxing family Guardia investigating of course the final two days or the next two days of Boxing which was scheduled to take place over the weekend was cancelled as a result of you saw the footage very very troubling Peter O'Donnell is president of the Donegal County Boxing Board and it was them seeing at that event on Friday night Good morning to you Peter Morning Greg Thanks for chatting to us The next fight involved a young man from Don Fannahy this incident happened just as he was about to enter So this is a children's competition Can you as you remember outline how it was clear something was something seriously going wrong Well it happened so quickly Greg if nobody realized like we've seen a man running up the hall with the chair seeing himself with the chair and the man behind him with the sword and the mosquito you know it was terrible terrible to see you know there are no words can describe what happened in Tassari in Roscommon on Friday night the championships were championship boxing for 14-year-old years and boys like it was total mayhem to what had happened you know and it could have been a lot worse because there were 30 contests down for the session and Friday night 28th had been boxed and we were going under the 29th contest when this incident happened and by that time about a third of the bumper crowd that was on there earlier had won all out and left like you know so it would give these men clear a run through the stadium like to get the man they were looking for you know I mean there's no place in any part of society an attack like this but for it to happen at a children's boxing event is all the more disgusting that's right that's right Craig you know and you see mass men entering at their championship boxing for 14-year-olds where machetes and slash hooks and swords after a man like he took a very day it was bad bad bad time and they do that you know these these thugs they should never get away with this you know and at this wound they named boxing as well and the bottom line here Craig would be that it made all the headlines there in the Sunday papers and one thing and all you see in the national papers but at the end of the day at us nothing absolutely nothing to do what boxing like this is a family feud between rival well we're not going to that we don't know who's we don't know who's responsible Peter but I understand did it feel that did it feel that that it was going to escalate like I'm trying to picture what it must have like in there when you see these type of weapons which can cause incredible damage to someone did it for a feel for a moment Peter that was going to be a massacre effectively that's what it looked like Greg there was one man following this man up that was running for the chair the the man that was the victim the man they were after and we were on the stage sex officials are on the stage at the championships I was doing the MC we were up on the stage and then the next thing three masked men armed as well ran across the floor up the stage like after this man they meet up on this one you know there were four there could have been five but there were four men in total all together you know no and it was it was really frightening really frightening I mean you know I see a young girl I would say I would say she was no more than four or five years of age wrapped around her mower and the squeeze of her like a wee girl with a pink coat on her could still see her yet you know she had nightmare stuff like you see this here in boxing for anybody you see another definitely do you dummy you know what happens next because obviously you know the professional game and the amateur game are separate but are seen as the same we had obviously it's only very recently that we're starting to see professional boxing events happening in Ireland again at scale because of of security concerns and issues and now we're seeing this at an amateur boxing tournament it's hard to see how it could be scheduled going forward and something like this being guaranteed not to happen again it's and it's the kids actually really here that are missing out it's another bad news story for Irish boxing yes that has nothing to do with boxing not Greg and you can't like you know you definitely you can't you can't look under the future see what's going to happen actually you don't know when these things going to happen like there's no mind can forecast this you know but something hopefully we would never ever see again like you know where any child wouldn't want to see you know and it'll be a lost boxing because there are a lot of parents there that uh you know and they'll not want their children back at boxing or one thing at an hour after seeing this here because they don't know when this is going to escalate again or happen again you know there's no guarantee was it you know and as you talked of the panic in the venue I mean a lot of family would have been watching the stream now it's I think it I think the camera man turning the camera to catch the events was important actually in terms of you know the investigation and what have you but I can only imagine what it must have been like watching at home and the panic to make sure that everybody was okay because if you just watch that footage you wouldn't know what have happened beforehand what had happened afterwards what the motivation would be so I'd say it was an absolute shocker not only for those in attendance but also those watching the stream that's here right there Greg that's just what it was you know because that it was getting streamed live the whole program was getting streamed live it was a three day event Friday night Saturday and Sunday but a funny stop on Sunday evening the finals and you know it was over the three days and it was all streamed live like and that man was working for Ross common some crowd and Ross common the man it was streaming live like I don't know if it was the Casper Reeboksson Club or what but everybody has seen it and most we're terrifying for anybody they think that they're most of the young boys most of the Donegal boxers where we had 14 boxers all the gallery up there 14 recently crowned Allster champions from Donegal eight boys and six girls competing and most of them were on on the semi-finals on Saturday so they were all there on Friday because the way on Saturday morning was from 8 o'clock at night so they'd been there early to get weighed on and all they make their way on Saturday morning they were all there on Friday night and the natural thing that they do would be come to the arena on Friday night to see that it would be boxing who wants a quarter final at their wit who would be boxing the next day what he or she would be like and want thing on an hour you know so there was a lot of Donegal people there you know parents and coaches and want thing on an hour you know yeah and we're getting contacts from a lot of them too I hope it hasn't thankfully no one physically harmed that was down from Donegal but you just wonder of the emotional impacts of this young children should never be subject to anything like this at all Peter listen thanks for your time I appreciate it Peter O'Donnell their president of the Donegal County Boxing Board and as I say we've contacts coming in from parents and guardians of young ones that were taking part in that competition we'll get to those comments and more after the news at 11 The 9-Town News Show with Letter Kenny Credit Union Simplify your debts with a debt consolidation loan from Letter Kenny Credit Union Call us on 074 910 2126 or apply online via our app or in office today Donegal's newest and largest live music and cocktail venue is coming soon to Balabafé this March come and experience Gallon's Bar featuring 18 screens 12 live music acts weekly 4 bars across 2 floors including 2 cocktail bars a wine bar and a rooftop beer garden Gallon's Bar Balabafé something for everyone strictly over 21's venue follow on Instagram Gallon's Bar for more details competitions and the reveal of our official opening date Despite low temperatures and high energy costs it's important everyone stays warm and well through the colder months It's also important to understand that saving energy where possible saves money and helps reduce the impact on our climate Simple steps can make a big difference like turning down the thermostat by one degree limiting the use of high energy appliances like tumble dryers or ensuring we don't eat rooms that aren't in use Government is playing its part too making a range of supports available to help ease the burden on families across the country For support and advice visit gov.ie forward slash reduce your use brought to you by the Government of Ireland For new perspectives and a fresh vision join me Greg Hughes on the Ninetown Noon Show every Thursday at 10.15 for your voice your community With all the stories that matter across the Northwest it's Greg Hughes on the Ninetown Noon Show on Highland Radio Okay Brendan Daveney is going to be one of our guests in the next hour reflecting on the weekend's GEA action that and so much more besides after we get the news headlines now from Michaela Clark Thanks Greg, good morning What defective block campaign groups believe to be the proper definition of 100% redress is to be unveiled tonight A public meeting is being held at England Hotel Burt at 7pm as part of a joint initiative being led by the Micah Action Group redress focus groups and 100% redress no less The groups have set out four principles of redress They are property, process, people and support and prevention Searches are ongoing in Lifford and Sturban today for missing Sturban man Jordan Galleher A major search and rescue operation was initiated on Saturday night involving emergency services from both sides of the border Foiled search and rescue and the community rescue service for the Western District are carrying out searches today A petition has been set up in a bid to prevent the closure of Vaughan Health Care Centre It emerged over the weekend that plans are in place to relocate the nurse working at the centre which leaves those in the area having to travel to Bancrana to avail of health care services A link to the petition is available on our website HighlandRadio.com A fire at a derelict building in Derry last night is being treated as arson The blaze started at the former side of Lesneale College on the drama home road at around nine o'clock There is a call to allow asylum seekers to be able to work after two months of arriving in Ireland Currently they can apply for permission to work if they have not received a decision on their international protection application after five months Minister of State for Enterprise Trade and Employment Neil Richmond would like to see the time frame shortened to help tackle the recruitment crisis in sectors such as construction Pre-hospital emergency care on Armour Island is getting a huge boost today The new replacement ambulance vehicle is being delivered while an emergency care information sheet is being distributed to every home in the island and 10 volunteer islanders will receive emergency first responder certificates from the National Ambulance Service And the tearing down of posters urging a no-no vote in Friday's referendum is undemocratic That's according to letter Kenny into Representative Mary T. Sweeney whose posters have been removed in a number of areas She says actions of those responsible is totally unacceptable Those are the latest headlines We'll be back with an update again at 12 noon Thank you very much, Michaela I've hidden it where we spent months scraping wallpaper refloring, grousing, wiring re-wiring and I'm not sure we'll ever be done It was a shell but we're making it a home That's where you'll find it With the Cadbury Worldwide Tide you can hide an Easter egg online for someone you love You just need to give them a clue of where to look Somewhere only they know Search online for the Cadbury Worldwide Tide Ireland 18 plus T's and C's apply Okay, the DL Debate coming to you live after seven o'clock this evening It's presenter is Brendan Deveney and he joins us on the programme now Brendan, how are you getting on? Getting great yourself Good, good to have you with us Donegall ladies losing out to neighbours to roam yesterday Any concerns with the direction of traffic with that team? No, no, listen to this room I've spoken with Wargrave they're about jamming out they're building a new side there you know talking about potential you know go for promotion wasn't a lot in the game 12-3-11 I mean the goals did the damage and it was close enough encounter but I think for him you know happy enough to do well on the lead but there was a championship and just a bit of experience for a lot of these girls to say because there's been a host of changes there and that's what I don't think he'd be overly bothered about that he just wants to build for championship Interesting chat with you and Jim McGinnis after Donegall's victory yesterday perhaps a little tougher than some were expecting I think Donegall will 1-8 on for those people that were going to bet on it effectively don't back him but for much of that game it was a much closer contest than the odds would suggest it was going to be Yeah, I spoke with Mickey Hart and Devlin had done a good job there Gleuth were an open up and then the jump ship and went to Derry so there was a there was a mikings of a decent side there you know, Jer Brennan came in you know very much highly sought after new coach and they were set up very defensive you know real real counter attack blanket physically very strong so we did find it difficult against them do I get it was a kind of sticky kind of match and Lois Leake was I was going to say as I said to Jim you know I want to be the bad point they lost by 2-0 missing a game they probably should have won and Kevin beat them by a point also so they were two teams that you know we had tough patterns with so many ways I suppose by then the game maybe they scored out flatter us a bit the goal was the crucial one and just when I came home last night I was thinking you know just a bit of small things I mean the two subs combined for the goal and Hugh McFadden he was just back from the previous week from injury his strength inside was the difference it was a high ball and he used his strength held off the man got it across to Jack McKelvie back in it and that game that goal kind of without that game the game was in the melting pot at that point that you know there was a point on it so that kind of gave us a boost we went up to 6-in kind of control the game but just those small small margins can be the difference when having someone with a huge strength to come on there and make that opportunity yeah it's a squad game I mean you want to bring people on that are going to make an impact don't you it's not just about giving people a run out yeah I mean we all like I was saying to Jim there's six or seven players Greg's still to come back and you could make a case for all them have potentially starting in the team so hopefully we get a lot of these entries back because as you said even if they don't start if you have lads that are very very close they can come on and really create something because the games you've seen it yesterday every game it opens up towards the end you know often a lot of these games are very very tight particularly first half but they always do open up and then if you have players of pace and ability to come on that's that's a big thing all the modern teams have it all the big things have it the squad the depth and that's very important Derry Dublin was a hard watch yeah um you know what this was probably Derry's first big challenge you could say again the previous games that they played there um you know to roam around a source missing people Kerry had only half the team from the All Irons on and uh you know the games they won there you could maybe question Galway were missing maybe three four their best players so this was the first real challenge and you know the Dublin kind of showed up that this blanket defence can be opened up there the masters at it and uh many ways I think it was a big game for for Mickey Hart probably to to reset Derry and won all the other games pretty easy and people were talking them up as uh going to one every game this season kind of thing so I think even though you want to Mickey Hart wants to one one that he can beat everybody in it I think in many ways you learn from certain games and last year Derry Dublin could down Derry beat them at Celtic Park but Dublin did beat them quite easily in the league division two final but this time again Dublin just seemed to have up to the last couple of weeks great end game they are the side to beat yeah and Donagall decided to beat Nolster now Donagall we would still win the Celtic Park as underdogs great there's no doubt in that you know as you look at last year I suppose we we kept with Derry for 45 minutes at home and the championship and that was with all the troubles of last year so I think there's probably there's probably maybe 10 11 extra players involved this year that weren't there last year now we are away from home and they are back to back also champions so they are you know they're probably people put them probably number three in Ireland at the minute so uh it's still difficult I would still say we're we're outsiders for that one now Greg and we'll keep talking up the Derrymen in between yeah well you're the biggest Derry cheerleader there's been for the last two years so whatever your motivation is just a quick one on that has the Derry people welcomed Mickey Hart into their hearts? yeah there's there's some deep football there is in Derry there just seems strange seeing with the Derry cap on yeah funny that game we played him in the McKenna Cup final I remember going across the pitch and he was walking crossing I just said load him on that there was some strange to see with the Derry gear on all right because you know in like such 18 years plus with the throne between between all teams and very very strange appointment great but listen he just looks like he's only do a job and that's it yeah a few people are coming over shaking his hands and welcome him and all that and I guess for him Greg it's because GAs came in enrooted in who you are where you're from to how much just looks like this and this is professional I'm doing a job here and that's it but it's not like soccer these things don't happen that often but that's certainly one that has changed the management gave a bit all right can't see that happen too often no and funny like some of the abbey abbey vocational school players Skolmora Bunkrana players might go on to win Ulsters who's to say All Ireland but their highest sport and memory or the best sport and memory could be formed for them in the next couple of weeks because the Abbey Vs and Skolmora they're going in search of All Ireland glory and a big day for both parishes yeah that's an All Ireland finals Greg don't come along too often you think of all the the games and you have to come through and all the preparation and work is done to get to to a final so massive for both schools you know it's as you said the thing about that you only get one crack at it quite often you know depending on what year you're in or how your school goes so it's one of those one off days that you'll never get crabby tennis to repeat so massive day for both schools say Kevin Campbell from Skolmora is a Tanta player manager he's their manager he's coming on involved and I spoke to Kieran Thompson yesterday he's down at Skolmora as well he picked up an Oster Oster on behalf of Neath Connell a club Oster the weekend too so he's up on the side as well so huge day for both schools all right brilliant stuff you can join Brendan live after Seven Park Hill for Tees back in studio alongside Brendan Irish Times Colleen Miss Gordon Manning amongst the guests so to show not to be missed live just after Seven you can listen to the DL Debater indeed watch the DL Debate on our socials in association with Sarah's Kitchen at Sister Sarah's Letter Kenny as always a pleasure to chat to you and we'll see you soon thanks Brent take care of yourself and by the way just in relation to all the weekend sporting action be it the ladies or the men's or the athletics or whatever it might be and perhaps we don't talk about this enough there's a fantastic sports section of our website Highlandradio.com where you can at your leisure because not everyone can listen to the Sunday Sports Show whatever though many of you do you can listen to reaction what's Jim McGinnis's take on the performance obviously with with Brendan or any of the team you know you get a real insight into what's going on there I mentioned the ladies the game the report from the game and some reaction to just as the game is concluded that's all on our website fully interactive for you to listen and read whatever way you want to consume it so go to the website go to the sports section every Monday or whenever you want to and as I say you'll not see coverage of Donagall Sport like it in terms of the audio the visual the text and what have you all right we're going to talk about a new book it's called Sisterhood after these the county's number one talk show The Ninetal Noon Show on Highland Radio The Ninetal Noon Show is brought to you by Letter Kenny Credit Union digital loans now available apply online or via our app today and get your loan transferred directly to your current account dreaming of a getaway this summer make it a reality with Tui choose from beach or city breaks around Europe and beyond secure now with savings for families and adults plus an extra 150 euro worth per booking and low deposits holiday sorted Tui live happy offer tees and see supply is the appearance of your staff important to your business it's the first point of contact for customers when entering your premises at C&M and Brodery and Letter Kenny they have a huge range of clothing covering all areas of the workplace it's widely known the customers warm to and trust employees that present themselves well have your company name embroidered or printed on all your work uniforms contact C&M and Brodery on 07491 28097 and get your staff looking their best it's all kicked off at Brian McCormick Sports with new football boots and FG or SG try the new Adidas Predator in classic black, red, white Puma King boots in many options from only 49.99 in adult sizes match it up with shorts and socks gloves and gum shields click on BMC Sports.ie this Mother's Day treat your mum to a delightful experience at Radisson Blue Letter Kenny come together for a sumptuous lunch from 12.30 to 3 on Sunday the 10th of March for just 34.95 per person the kids menu is also available reserve your table today by calling 9194444 make your mum's day memorable with Radisson Blue Letter Kenny planning your big day book with evolved clothing Letty Kenny retail park private wedding room expert advice and tailored fits for the groom groomsmen and page boy great value awaits visit us today and we're joined on the program now I'm really pleased to say by Kathy Kelly who is of course one of our best authors and author of her latest book Sisterhood Kathy thank you so much for your time Greg it's a pleasure I'm just thinking my sister-in-law is a Hughes because her husband is a Hughes he's a great name it's not as fabulous as Kelly How are you Kathy I don't know I'm doing okay Greg I'm I'm doing okay as you can see the listeners can't see but I have the the short the very short hair of the regrowth cancer person but I've died blonde I'm working on that that looks fantastic actually if you don't mind me saying so and it's getting all fluffy everyone wants to pet it I'm like sort of a fluffy tent now you know how I feel everyone always wants to pet me but it's really weird do you know because bald I mean is beautiful when men do now when I was totally bald I think I looked like did you ever see that film and galaxy quest that had Tim Robbins there was little aliens in it that were that looked really sweet and then they'd bear their teeth and they were scary I felt I looked like one of them so it wasn't a good look on me but the bald you do I want to thank you you're very kind I want to talk of course about your book that's why we we've invited you on but also after the book you started talking about your your breast cancer diagnoses telling your fans about that and I think there's always a bit of you obviously and anything you write okay I just want to frame like how it felt talking about yourself and your personal experience sort of like out in the open whereas I suppose if we read some of your books we'd have picked up an awful lot about you but you were having to talk about yourself was that comfortable for you was it more difficult than than one might imagine you know it was quite weird Greg when I was diagnosed I sort of you know went to grand I'm going okay we have to cope with this and I did my you know I'm the big mommy person I have to mind all the people in my circle very female thing to do but and and then when I was having chemo I was very very sick I have a cancer where you have chemo surgery and then radiotherapy I'm at the waiting to get radiotherapy stage of my voyage I'm trying not to call it journey I know I understand exactly why yeah but talking about it do you know what when I was diagnosed I really wanted to know more about what it was was like and that's going to sound daft because there's so much written about cancer and this so but at the same point talking to people who've gone through chemo or cancer became very important to me so I lapped up every article I read I mean I you know October is we'll say cancer awareness month oh my god I was reading everything yeah and as someone who you know I'm into the concept of public service and very much so I mean I work with UNICEF it's very important to me to to help in the sense that if I have a voice I can help people with that voice so I realized that it would be lovely if I had been just diagnosed with breast cancer and someone like me was coming on talking about it really honestly so it felt like I was reaching out to people in a really nice way and I know I suppose the the issue when you have something very personal that you're sharing you can get a bit of negativity on social media and I so I just kept off social media yes good call yeah because you know it's just too too depressing but you know the people who've got on to me talking about their cancers talking about listening to me speak it's been it's been very powerful so and it was weird that's what it this way 27 years ago when I had my first book published I wouldn't have been able to talk this openly but now as I'm getting on in years I'm much more comfortable talking about stuff because I'm like going okay if the the haters don't like that that's fine but it's it's really helpful to people with cancer to have someone else going you know this was terrifying and this was awful and this helped and this didn't help yeah and the more voices because it's because it's very individual to people and and some some person's experience is completely alien to them so the more people are talking about it in different ways it's always going to resonate or someone needs to hear it that's when we talk about stuff on this show yes I do it because if the one person that needs to hear it hears it then I think the day's works down that's exactly it if one person hears it that is so incredibly powerful and you know when I was going to have chemo I was desperate to to find people who had chemo to know what that was like and because you go on the internet and it says lots of things about chemo but there's not you know you've got to really dig deep and then when you're having chemo you're you're going is this normal am I normal and so it's lovely to have other people say yeah that was dreadful that bit was difficult and then when they took that drug out it was easier and you feel more empowered by you know you're when you know more knowledge is power it really is indeed now onto the book because talk about you know juggling act of course you've completed this book you're talking about this book you're talking about your own situation but this I think all good music film books it kind of you know I think it works best when you can sort of you recognize yourself in it or you recognize something in it that's that feels real okay and it's each person might feel it in a different way but I think that's when you know you've really hit the jackpot that that's how people are consuming it so and tell us the story of sisterhood not all of the story the headlines obviously well yes it's really it's sort of sisterhood on two levels because it's about two sisters but it's also about women and female friendships which you know I couldn't have I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for that and so it's about two sisters and one of them is coming up for a fiftieth birthday Louise Lou and she is one of those beautiful people who does everything for everyone else and never takes time out for herself and you know she cleans her mother's house and she runs around after everyone and she she allows people to treat her like this I think that's that's one of the not one of the messages but one of the themes running through the book is that you know people will treat you the way you allow them to treat you so she's no boundaries and it's coming up for a fiftieth birthday and her mom is a bit of a nightmare the mom is a bit of a a man-killer and is you know she's a sculptor and she's you know she's full of energy but you're not energy to actually clean her own house and it's coming up to lose fiftieth birthday and suddenly everything starts to fall apart meanwhile her sister Tony who's younger is a much tougher cookie and she one of her she's also a broadcaster actually I like writing about broadcasting but she she also mentors women in business to help them with we'll say you know break glass ceilings and you know get to get treated I'm always very bad at explaining this this particular bit but you know to level out the playing field because as we know women and you know are not paid as much as men in many industries so she's trying saying to to women okay how do we how do we get there and we first see her on a radio station where she's talking to a a guy who runs a company who's going on about you know how important women in business are and why we don't really need her organization which helps women in business and she says well how many women in managerial positions do you have and the guy sort of is on the back foot is going well we did have one but you know she left it didn't work out so suddenly she she does humiliate him really because he's he's gone on air full of this blarney and it's all untrue and he's quite out to get her so and something else is happening in her personal life so it all comes down to lose 50th birthday party and their mom gets some bad news and she's been drinking neat gin or vodka I forget which but anyway it all goes horribly wrong a big secret comes out and the two sisters go off on a road trip to so to find themselves and to find out the truth of of this this story yeah it's brilliant okay so it gives you such I mean obviously people have a journey to go on as well but it gives you so much latitude for them to explore themselves and each other and what have you and get to go to lovely beautiful countries they go to see silly actually that's where they go but lovely I mean you've the the reviews have been wonderful there's one I kind of interested in from Marian Keyes I really really loved it I think it's her best book so far so like that's nice but that's like saying I'll up for your eldest child the rest of them like I think it's so well intended but it's like I've got Marian but I thought the second one was so hard to know I know exactly what you're saying so years and years ago somebody in PR in the UK wanted me to write an article about which one of my children I preferred best better I'm not making that up so yeah you know it's a scary world it's lovely it's beautifully intended I just thought it was it was particularly when you know I know I think it's you're always trying to go better with each book so when someone says that you're like so so lovely I know of course I mean yeah you're always evolving and developing aren't you I mean you know as you go on your own life journey that J words getting overused nowadays but you know you'll bring in more more of your experience and understanding and different perspectives into your work as well I know you get older and wiser and I mean I'm 57 now and I started writing when I was oh god 27 is that right that must be right yeah so God that's staggering Greg I can't get over that that makes me feel like 100 inside I'm still like sort of a slightly ditzy 24 year old I'm 24 as well in my head I'm 24 now yeah we stay 24 but you know it's really good when you stay 24 in your head I was reading an article only this morning about long life and a lot of it is enthusiasm for life and there was other stuff and I feel that you know not eating sugar was partly on the list but I'm just gonna ignore that bit and I'm gonna work towards the keeping enthusiasm in my life but yes as you get older you bring so much more into books and you know so now I have lots of information in this head I just have to if I could plug something in you know at night when I'm thinking in bed and get it down on the computer that'll be brilliant I know it's funny the top line in the back of the book it's just when you talked about your cancer and what have you as well Lou never puts herself first and in the numerous conversations I've had primarily with women with cancer and you mentioned it little earlier on whereby you go to tell people that you care about but you become it's actually you telling them but it's gonna be okay I'm gonna get through this you don't need to worry so you actually become the counsellor of everyone that you're breaking the news to rather than and this is this is just it's just a human condition rather than all of us and you tell everyone it's like right everyone let's get around Kathy they are there don't get me wrong but it's so often like Lou that you what can be in your darkest moment you turn to the making sure everyone knows Kathy's gonna be okay don't worry about it I was very much like that actually do you know what I was doing while I was waiting for you I started to read this book this lovely lady sent to me which is when things went tea sorry I'm gonna say the word tits up and it's that's the second time today that phrase has been used not by you no it's quite funny it's fine but it's two people have said it today but go ahead I was actually hilarious but this is a wonderful book and it's it's written for charity it's for purple house cancer support which is quite near me and Marie Keating Foundation but it's lots of poems this marvelous woman Dervilla O'Hare and I have to actually try and get in touch with her because she sent it to me and it's a beautiful book and she talks about telling her mom it's through poetry and she's a poem about trying to tell her mom and trying to take away the pain and that's exactly it you are so when I was diagnosed which was the end of July first I came out and I said it's my partner PJ because I was you know what they were basically saying to me in breast check and women check your breasts as we all know but what they were you know they had they couldn't absolutely say I had breast cancer because only a biopsy can say that but from the they had taken samples and from the I'm losing all my words chemo brain is real from the ultrasound that was it the doctor she said look you're coming back you know this is we can see this is not good so I knew I had cancer so I had to go out and tell my partner then I was thinking okay right I have to tell you know my children and that's so hard and telling my mom and my brother and my sister because I knew they'd all be in bits so I was like it was going to be fine nothing to see here you know it's all good and yeah it's um it's an interesting thing but it's also a lovely thing it comes from a place of huge love and trying to protect the people you love and yeah women are incredibly special if there's no data about it because it is I mean we have to do it to some extent as well but it's just a very very common story okay listen Kathy it's been lovely speaking to you and I'm so pleased that things on your career path not career path your career path as well of course but your your your health path trying to avoid the J word again seems to be going really well for you and you're rocking the blonde oh do you think so? I think so yeah it's just fluffy I have to say you're very lucky because you've got a very nicely shaped head you see thank you this is so exciting this I don't think I'll ever let it grow long again because then I was hiding behind my hair yeah why would you? I just had a long blancher I think I hid behind the Greg so no more hiding all right I'll see you probably next year with hair halfway down your back now it's probably fleeting I know you will know you will be behind you're an angel thank you so much sisterhood from Kathy Kelly he's out there now and it's been incredibly well received by you know people that know what they're talking about Kathy it's lovely number one number one number one in Ireland excellent fair play to you for screaming that from the rooftops as well well done Kathy God bless you thank you so very much indeed it's been lovely speaking to you thank you so much bye bye Kathy Kelly author there of sisterhood 08 660 25000 WhatsApps and texts just for those of you watching that is the front of the book a beautiful tender story a family lies secrets in the power of sisterhood a perfect book to escape with says Sinead Moriarty full of heart and wisdom this is Kathy Kelly at her absolute breast breast that's a Freudian slip there at absolute best unput downable that comes in from Patricia Scanlon and Kathy wonderfully speaking so openly about her and how I inadvertently said the word breast there because I was thinking of her as she goes through her continuing her treatment towards the end and she's rung the bell in her in her battle with breast cancer which is good but still there's a the radiotherapy to come as many of you out there would understand as well watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at highlandradio.com the 90 noon show with letterkenny credit union now offering mortgages from 40 000 to 600 000 euro with no hidden fees or transaction charges letterkenny credit union 9102127 Kia is now making it easier to go green offering 0% finance on the all new Kia Nero with an impressive 460 kilometer range on a single charge the Nero ensures you can go to distance without compromise visit iMotors.ie today and avail of this limited offer experience total relaxation in the spa at orchids at 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to be missed tickets now on sale for more information visit the outlet at highlandradio.com or give us a call on 074 91 25 000 we'll see you at the Highland Radio birthday bash on this week's Monday Focus we look at the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Wild Atlantic Way it's a decade old can you believe which heralded a new era for Irish tourism we discuss its birth success and plans for the years ahead Joan Crawford's manager of Wild Atlantic Way at Fulcher Ireland and has joined us in studio good morning to you Joan good morning Greg hard to believe it's been 10 years I remember the the discussion about this in advance and there were parts that were included and then there were included and it's only really with the passing of time that I fully get you know what it is and how bloody successful it's been yeah I suppose the Wild Atlantic Way was created at a time when we were in global recession Greg and the west coast of Ireland tourism was decimated like people were leaving the west coast in their droves and tourism businesses were only really open about eight weeks in the year so we had to do something that was going to be significant and we knew we had the people the hospitality the product and you know amazing scenery and that's where the concept of the Wild Atlantic Way came around that brand proposition so it's the longest to find coastal tour in the world and it's at 2,500 kilometers and like from from concept probably to reality it took in the region in two years but it was probably one of those things that every government agency got behind including the public and the private sector and like local authorities I suppose gave us the most support in terms of they gave us their engineers to get the infrastructure up on the route like there's 3,850 signs along that route so it was a mammoth task and we've 187 discovery points so there was a lot of infrastructure requirements there and I suppose while we were doing all of that tourism Ireland was outselling the brand concept overseas and we were getting really positive feedback especially from those markets France, Germany, the US and the UK it resonated really well they were really warm to the concept so it just took off from there the rural product was there to say so that helped so you defy anyone to come to any part of the Wild Atlantic Way but obviously I'm going to favour it up here and not go oh my god this is amazing but I think it also appealed to people like me that I do need to be spoon fed a little bit do you know too many if I go to an area I'll go to a local tourism shop or something you pick up a few leaflets and it's like oh you know what's going on and then I end up just going to the pub not literally right but metaphorically speaking so I think for people like me as well it's something that's defined isn't it and even completing it becomes I did the Wild Atlantic Way or I'm going to do it over a number of years like it really works in terms of return business marketing it's easy to market well I would say that but you know what I mean it really helps doesn't it yeah it really has and that fact that we had the discovery points was pushing people along the route and yes we had the Wild Atlantic Way passport and people were following it and what we really want to do though is we don't want people you know on a mission to do the full route in one go we want them to come back and generations of the next family coming back to do the Wild Atlantic Way but probably Greg I went tourism 23 years I was there at the initial inception of Wild Atlantic Way and the one thing we have seen as we've seen small towns and villages really come back to life with the tourism product you can see the season extension we're starting to see the season start earlier in the year they're getting towards the back end of the year now we want to get that 12 month business so we might be 10 years but we've another 10 years a really hard work ahead in terms of you know that investment for big visitor attractions it's going to pull the visitor and the weather isn't a disadvantage so I'll always remember seeing you know a busload of German tourists getting off a bus and don't go to town in their coats and they had their you know their what do you call those jackets you know the waterproof jackets right and us walking through the town in t-shirts freezing with the rain helping off our heads you know what I mean they prepared for the weather and we're just so that's not really a great disadvantage we get great weather but I don't think tourists generally mind from outside the country in particular and in terms of growth as well as you say this started probably at a great time when we were at our lowest ebb financially 2024 is looking like beaten 2023 as well like so it continues to grow in popularity and this year we'll mark the 10th anniversary in Clarny at Mehill and Mehill is where we bring in 250 overseas buyers and we put our trade in front of them to be able to give them the opportunity to sell their product so that's where it all began and we're going back to that now for the 10th anniversary we'll also launch brand new brand assets that'll give industry the opportunity to be able to market the things there is to see and do along the way those little hidden gems but also there'll be a very strong focus on the north of Galway in terms of bringing in those media and press trips that we're working in conjunction with tears marlin don't what I liked as well and I can say this but you have to be careful because you but you know we still have you know there's still a challenge in visitors getting into Dublin whatever and also getting them to the west coast right but I think what has been interesting to see is the midlands and the east coast going hold on a second this wild atlantic way thing is kind of it's doing really quite well we want a piece of that action yeah there's that way of the new hidden heartlands brand and with the IAE brand but wild atlantic way is still marching ahead and it's interesting you say that about getting people from Dublin we know wild atlantic way is still a tale of two halves in south in south wild atlantic way it's all about dispersion of the visitor to get them out from those honeypots whereas north of wild atlantic way we need to get those international visitors who are going to spend a little bit more and stay a little bit longer and I want more people to fly directly into the west into Ireland west airport we often view I think Ireland west airport as a destination sorry as a place to go somewhere but to have the opportunity and with with Donegal airport now people can fly directly the Donegal airport via Dublin of course you know there are ways into now we want people from going into Ireland west to go north not necessarily south right and to avail of the services at Donegal airport but there are ways to get straight into the west now as well too and we're working really strongly with the Cosway coastal route this year in terms of shared islands money that we received seven point six million in terms of that connectivity between the Cosway coast and the wild atlantic way because when an overseas visitor looks at a map they're not looking in that division they're just looking at one coastal route so Belfast is also Belfast and Dairy are also key access points for us for the northwest yeah and of course you know you can do your bit but we also we also need businesses to be able to continue to operate and you know the small pubs the small restaurants and what have you we need them there as well the scenery is beautiful but we need the service providers there we also need accommodation as well you know so these are challenges at the moment much the accommodation is being used for for other purposes particularly here in Donegal when you're trying to get people go to go north they could say to you you know lovely if I could book somewhere do you know what I mean so we have to get that sorted too don't we we really understand that challenge in Falkshire Island like 12% of our registered accommodation nationally has gone over to supporting the Ukrainian crisis 15% of that accommodation in Donegal has gone over we're not as bad as some counties where they have 20 and 30 but we do understand that challenge and like that the activities and attractions that are in those areas that large volumes of accommodation has gone from we have launched a business support grant today to help those businesses that are receiving a downturn in their revenue yeah because of that and it is a challenge we understand cost of doing business at the moment is a real challenge not only for tourism businesses for businesses in general of course and I think if we were able to dig into those figures a little deeper in terms of where those beds are better availability in the wild Atlantic way do we have those figures? we do and we keep a very close eye on everything what's the percentage do you know what the percentage of for us in Donegal that's always the one Greg that I'm watching very closely we're up at 15% of our registered accommodation has gone over but we're actually doing an accommodation workshop tonight or tomorrow night in Fannett in the community centre and it's all about getting people who maybe are looking at the idea of making accommodation available for B&B self-catering or welcome standard all right Folger Island hosting a free information evening for all tourism accommodation providers or prospective accommodation providers across Donegal tomorrow night as you just heard it's in the Fannett community centre between 6 p.m. and 7 30 p.m. Accommodation tourism accommodation vital who hugely important of course sticky headphones online John if you don't mind we have Kevin Doohere who is the wild Atlantic traveller Kevin how are you getting on it's not a bad way to make your name is it touring the wild Atlantic way definitely not somebody might as well join it but nice to see you anyway hey John how are you hey Kevin it's good to have you with us I mean obviously we're going to talk about Donegal first and foremost aren't we I mean I defy anyone listening well I don't defy them I doubt anyone listening has taken everything in that this county has to offer on the wild Atlantic way alone international and national tourism you know it's only recent relatively recently I myself have you know started properly exploring I think the hidden and not so hidden gems that we have Kevin yeah well look there's so much you know even myself like I'm still finding different gems now and again but like Donegal so big and it's amazing how many people just come for a day trip and expect to see the whole entire county do you know like a week's never enough but I do agree with you we do have the best county you know in terms of scenery people hospitality the friendly welcome we do have everything up here you know anything we don't have is the weather but we don't come darling for the weather not at all you know it doesn't matter if you're at kayaking it doesn't matter if it's raining or not I hope you have Donegal yeah also too in a shown and there was a bit of a campaign at the time I remember to have in a shown included I would say it's probably less travelled but not less deserving because in a shown is so much to offer in you talk about exploring you know Donegal you could actually spend a full holiday just exploring in a shown oh yeah 100% do you know people forget you know about in a show and they come straight here to Glen Bay family lighthouse slave league but they skip sometimes in a show and go up to the five finger strand you know that you're as hills to go hiking you've strove lighthouse too as well which is a beautiful spot and they've just got a sauna a wood fired sauna up there too as well so if you like sea swimming it's fantastic and a beautiful place and we've got some great hotels up there too and just to talk about there we'll have a 12 million year investment there in Fort Dunray so we want to create that iconic attraction within in a show that will support those smaller attractions that are there so that when someone looks at a map they're thinking there's enough to do in that area for three to five days for sure we don't need people getting off a liner or whatever you call those cruise ships and being being busted out of in a shown we need a product there that's very consumable and that's definitely what we're focusing on now over the next couple of years um further south you haven't got down as far as caught yet you've gone as far as Kerry you know like it's very I mean obviously it's best here and it's very hard not to be super proud of Donagall and Parochal all right but give us a sense of the wilds Atlantic ways you meander down the west coast Kevin is it nice it's okay it's okay to be fair there's some great spots like you know I've got a few favorites myself you know when I can I go down that way and I go back to a few of the same spots do you know like Kane Bay as people pronounce it but the locals pronounce it Kim such a beautiful place and April May is a good time to see the Baskin Sharks I've been onto the Iron Islands Enishmore beautiful island to get onto to go see the wormhole the Black Fort and again it's a lovely island to stay on and I always recommend people staying on it and Claire luped lighthouse beautiful you've got the ferry bridge down there as well Cliffs and Moher everybody seems to do it by land but forget to do it by sea and I think this is so important too for Donegal for Steve Lee say it by boat I think there's a more dynamic I think there might be a new service up there I meant to mention there yeah Atlantic Coastal because this is just they've just launched haven't they yeah and Paddy Burnham now has three boats in the water over there Paddy Moe like yeah I know Kevin's all about the co-labs but Paddy you know I can go on that boat I've got a camera too I can waffle I think I'll change jobs with Kevin actually I know I know but Kevin you've mixed it up a bit here to four you can't do hotels Airbnbs, campervans this season you're looking to do but a wild camping yeah but a wild camp and get back to nature and stuff in a tent that we kind of ground in a tent Kevin are you going to do it in a tent yeah no no wild camping is you have to forge your own food you have to build your own you know like naked and afraid you know those with McDonald's I'll be fine exactly that's the flavour of wild camping we're going to see from Kevin but no I get you I mean you know sometimes you know say for instance you say you drive drive over lock salt or whatever and you can see some people have stumbled across that parking space there and the views have got the back of the camper van open or they've got a tent and you go wow what must that feel like now you could do it but there's a bed not far away right but you're looking at it and go wow now that is you're talking banking experiences there that's you want a bit of that action Kevin yeah well do you know what I've seen more people converting vans into camper vans do you know this last year and this year too as well a lot of my friends have converted vans to wake up at these different locations but I always say be mindful to when you go to these locations you don't want to leave can I I always like leave no trace yeah exactly you know just for prints and that's kind of like a slow win that I've carried throughout and it's always like you know a lot of places now don't allow camper vans to park up so I always kind of say you know kind of look for them there is but even even I mean the council have taken that on board and there's a public consultation about how we can promote promote that type of holiday but respect the locals Joan you wanted to come in there a sec and probably Kevin you're well able to do the the coffee gate for the Wild Atlantic Way at this stage with all the excellent coffee stops we have now at some of the discovery points along the route like I was down at Mount Charles Peer last Sunday and just the buzz around the Peer and the amount of people that were out wild swimming men but if you don't call it Mount Charles you'll not be walking back Mount Charles yeah it doesn't mean it'll be your last visit Joan but the amount of people that were out wild swimming and we're having their coffee and it's just really macro fishing spot that too as well you know the discovery points is getting and just a wee bit up from there there's a beautiful oh my god I spent so much more childhood there as well during rock it's just up a little bit north of that it's beautiful righty you go snorkeling we don't do enough snorkeling here snorkeling is fantastic but water sports is definitely taking off the kayaking you know all of that to the activity providers they've all grown their business literally a lot of the best those guys we did a kayak into our last not a tour we went out with the guy and it was just unbelievable yeah um right okay Kevin so you're going to keep logging your adventures for our pleasure on your social medias the wild Atlantic traveler look forward to seeing some of this wild camping so no hotels no nothing right I hope you're still joined too yeah for sure definitely you give me a convert to the world right yeah all right no problem no problem at all all right take care Kevin thank you so much very much indeed and keep up the great work thanks so very much indeed Kevin do your wild Atlantic traveler a lot of people now get their suggestions and their advice from you know seeing other people doing it as well it's really valuable um right okay Joan um ten years and it's onwards and upwards as well too it's it that's onwards and upwards it's really it's really important for us now to focus on working with the with businesses along the wild Atlantic way in terms of the supports like you know building resilience around their commercial and financial um business models also to look at the investment in terms of you know the wild Atlantic way the capital investment we're not finished over at Sleeve League we'd like to get my own head over the line we Fort Dunray coming on stream so yeah we we'll continue to work in terms of that capital investment and we have this year as well now we're going back out to really look at all of the um the signage and the maintenance again for the discovery points because it's really important what we're putting in the shop window is what people are getting when they arrive so the unique landscape is really important in terms of that environmental piece for us as well in terms of that environmental monitoring for the wild Atlantic way all right brilliant stuff John it's been lovely having you on thanks great um and it's been interesting to market of course as well we all have hopefully a chance this uh this uh spring into summer to to explore more of our county more of the wild Atlantic way okay John thank you very much indeed that's uh Joan Joan Crawford who's manager of wild Atlantic way at Fulcher Ireland any of your favorite um visiting spots let us know 08 660 25000 the 90 noon show is brought to you by letterkenny credit union with monster loans available up to 60 000 euro for all occasions visit letterkennycu.ie are you worried about trees on your property north west forestry services belly buffet are fully insured and have over 40 years experience in dangerous tree removal tree felling surgery and stump grinding for peace of mind call north west forest services belly buffet for no obligation quotation on 9132033 go full leader with exclusive little plus supersavers like board via proved Irish old chicken was 499 now 399 crisp pink lady apples were 299 now only more 99 and little plus wine of the week deluxe western Cape Sauvignon Blanc was 899 now 749 scan the little plus app and go full leader today get the bikes to drink wherever the drinker wear dot e testing testing do you need to get your hearing tested test your hearing with a free sample hearing aid from hidden hearing or do your free sample hearing aid today call 1-800-370-00 or visit hiddenhearing.ie will be happy to help you make the right choice whatever the occasion or McCulloch rulers making moments magical for generations Highland radio weather updates with Ireland west airport time to book the family summer holiday fly to Barcelona Faro Milan Mallorca and much more for a perfect family getaway Ireland west airport don't just take off take it easy okay staying largely dry as we head into the afternoon though it will be mostly cloudy and increasingly breezy as it wears on breaks of rainbow spread from the south later seven to nine degrees Professor Francis Finook and his consultant endocrinologist at Galway University Hospital he's taken a short time out of his very busy day to speak to us good morning to you Professor thank you for your time good morning Greg thank you for having me on more than a billion people in the world and now living with obesity Ireland has one of the highest rates one in four here are obese are we are we changing slowly but surely changing our attitudes to recognize that this isn't all just sort of lifestyle choice or whatever it might be and that for some you know for most of for some or for all that this is actually a disease and need to be treated by you know the HSC and the government as such yeah I think so like any public health problem really a two-pronged approach needs to be taken and that's what we teach students of obesity at the University of Galway and you know anybody who works in public health will know that on the one hand you have to provide treatment to people who are worst affected by a condition like overweight and obesity and on the other hand you've got to take population level approaches so that the overall number of affected individuals at any point in time decreases now what we are seeing which is particularly concerning and this means we really need to start acting now or continue in the efforts is that there's been a quadrupling of obesity among children and adolescents aged five to 19 which is a critical period of development and presumably if you are carrying too much weight that can harm that process well that's right we know for sure now that childhood of weight and obesity isn't necessarily benign it's not a matter of so-called poppy fat and several studies have confirmed that children who are overweight who have persistent overweight into adulthood do have a higher risk of things like cardiovascular disease for example so the real concern that our young people are exposed to this risk I think what's changing Greg is that the solution is not to encourage young children to be more responsible or to lay the blame on them or their parents rather society needs to take responsibility here we need to make the food environment in particular much healthier for younger people and expose them to much less unhealthy junk food and the complexity of the problem is that often we see the worst diets in families with least resources and we have a serious growing problem of poverty and children in poverty and it's all interlinked so it's not just a health issue then it's a societal broader societal issue as well absolutely obesity is not just a health issue although that's ultimately how it affects the worst affected individuals of course it's probably the most the most pertinent part of the problem for severely affected individuals but it's a societal political legislative moral and ethical problem and we have to grapple with this it's also a challenge for commercial actives and so we need to recognize that if we're going to tackle the obesity crisis it's going to hurt say the producers of ultra-profit foods and we do have to acknowledge that those potential hazards exist and that you know there's going to be an effect on the commercial bottom line for food producers but I think that obesity experts and public health advocates would argue that that's a difficult decision we're going to have to make and that we're going to have to take the profits out of some of these particularly on the healthy foods and we're going to have to be careful about how truthful advertising say of certain breakfast cereals are for young people etc yeah of course and we did have the sugar tax and that sugar tax was to be refenced for education and measures in this area if we're talking of quadrupling of obesity in young people we're not seeing the fruits of that and I think really that needs to be explained to us what's being done with that money yeah so so for example the plastic bag packs that was introduced about 20 years ago was hypothesized or reinforced for environmental initiatives like bubble banks etc and that was that was a virtuous sort of a circle of improvements that then led to further environment so there was a reduction in plastic bag consumption very dramatic something like 97% reduction immediately that was introduced and then there was the fonding of the resort that led to further improvements in the environment that has not happened unfortunately with the the sugar tax and I think that Lee of Racker and some politicians were in favor of ring fencing but others at the time were not we would of course love to see that money ring fenced and not just for preventive measures but also for investment in treatment of obesity and in particular I think bariatric surgery and obesity surgery is something that's particularly effective particularly co-effective especially in people with prediabetes and others and we've got to do more to enhance access and use the expertise we have now in Ireland the multidisciplinary expertise with nurses dietitians physiotherapists exercise specialists like colleges Thurge and Banford vision we can use that we can harness that expertise to deliver this care now we need to ramp up that activity significantly I believe over the coming months Professor Francis Finooken thank you very much I do appreciate your time today he's a consultant endocrinologist at Galway University Hospital have a wonderful Monday everyone and all being well we'll see you tomorrow morning