 McKenna Clark. Thanks, Greg. Good morning. A Dunningall Diabetes says the government can and must intervene to cut energy costs. Sinn Féin will bring forward a motion to the doll tomorrow to urge the government to provide support as people struggle with sky-high bills. Deputy Pierre Storwardy says a sensible measure has been adopted in Europe which the Irish government has fielded to replicate. We on the other hand haven't provided that certainty. Our government hasn't done that but there's still time to do that and I don't think it's acceptable to leave workers and families to the mercy of these astronomical prices over the coming months and that's why there needs to be an intervention from government to reduce electricity prices for our consumers. Guardian Dunningall are urging motorists to continue to adhere to the temporary speed limit in place and one of the main arteries into Latter-Kennie. Due to ongoing roadworks on the Forlian route, the speed limit has been reduced to 50 kilometres per hour. Yesterday while conducting speed checks on the road, the Latter-Kennie roads policing unit detected a number of drivers speeding at double the temporary speed limit. Guardies say fixed charge penalty notices were issued for the offences. They are asking drivers to slow down to protect themselves, other motorists and passengers and to protect those who are carrying out the roadworks. The last chance for people to have their say on the town centre first plan for Milford is this week. The plan will be regeneration and renewal focused with the view to strengthening the role, image, vibrancy, vitality and resilience of Milford town centre. Ellen Butler has more. The town centre first plan for Milford is being developed in line with national policy and will put placemaking at the centre of the value proposition for the town as a means of enabling and attracting investment and regeneration. It will provide for the convergence of community vision, business interests, local knowledge and key stakeholder and local authority expertise in co-designing a roadmap for the regeneration and future development of Milford together with the more detailed design of actions in respect of key sites. The first stage of public consultation which will inform the preparation of the draft town centre first plan will close on Thursday at 4pm. More information is available on the project's website milfordtowncentrefirst.com where anyone interested can leave comments or complete a questionnaire. Whether or not here's a sunny spouse this morning with outbreaks of rain moving in, turning colder and clearer later with highest temperatures of just four or five degrees. A nationwide status yellow ice warning is due to come into effect at six o'clock this evening. That's all from Highland Radio News for now. We'll be back with news again at 10 o'clock. Until then, good morning. Hello. Good morning. It's four minutes past nine. About to turn five minutes past nine. You're very welcome. Long to another week of the 9 till noon show. It's Monday, the 6th of March 2023. How are you keeping? How is your weekend? Let us know. 08 6, 60, 25,000 WhatsApps and texts that number. Give us a call too on 07 491 25,000. If you want to comment on the show or raise an issue with us or just get in contact, you know yourself and your emails to comments at highlandradio.com later on. We have the first of our four finalists as we search for a local musical hero to represent us here in the region at a major national competition. We've got them in live in studio from half 10. You can watch their performance as well, by the way, as the rest of the program by logging on to your smart TV, fire stick, watch us on Facebook, Facebook, watch all YouTube. Just search Highland Radio Ireland or on your tablet or phone or wherever you are. You know what, pop us up on your work computer will not tell anyone. Anyway, a little later on as well, and you'll also want to be watching for this. We have course had our community hero competition. Everything's got hero in the title. It's a bit confusing or community, but you know what I mean? We had our competition whereby thanks to our friends and I motors and association with us here at Highland Radio. We sought your nominations for a hero really to have access to a beautiful Nissan brand new Nissan car for a year. Now we were supposed to announce it a week ago, but because of the person being so incredibly busy, we didn't get the handover done till the weekend. But we have it on video. We have it on audio. So all of you out there in Radio land, of course, you'll be able to hear that just after 10. But if you also wanted to watch it as well and see the reactions and all that kind of stuff, we are also streaming it as a video for those of you who watch the program regularly or those who want to tune in for that. Right. So plenty of ways to take it all in. This is an awful lot. I'll set an awful lot more as well coming up in the program, of course. Right. Let's kick off with a look at the newspapers. The Dairy People, Donegal News Monday edition. The number of people screened for cervical cancer in Donegal last year is down 22% when compared to the previous year. Figures from the National Screening Service have revealed. Figures provided to the paper show that in 2022, there were 7,301 cervical check screenings in Donegal compared to 9,444 in 21. I wonder what this is down to? Were people delayed? Did we have a particularly high figure in 2021? Because people maybe didn't get them in 2020. I don't know the ins and outs of it. We'll certainly taste that and there's more in the paper here. I'll read on, actually, because of course, the paper has sought some clarity on this. Chair of Donegal Action for Cancer Care, Betty Holmes said she's deeply concerned by this dramatic decrease in people being screened in the county. To have a drop of 2,113 people being screened is terrifying. Reading the figures truly knocked the wind out of me, Ms Holmes told the Donegal News. As I say, it'll be interesting to see the pattern over the last few years as to what might have contributed to that. On to the Dairy News this morning, the newly refurbished cinematic art studio at Ulster University's Dairy Campus has been named after former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Labour politician, the late Mo Molen. The studio was officially opened on Friday ahead of the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. I wonder when it became the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. I always thought it was the Good Friday Agreement. Now it's the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. Is that something that was done purposely or is it just language that has been adopted over time? Maybe is it dependent on your political or religious background as to whether you call it the Belfast of the Good Friday Agreement? I probably should know this, but it just seems the norm now. It's on the front page. It's the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. The university launch of the studio in her name and unveiling of a new mural is a celebration of Mo Molen's lasting impact and legacy. On to the nationals now and Catholic primary school managers say their pupils should not be taught what it means to be transgender in a strongly worded letter it's sent to government ministers. Now I suspect the majority of people listening would back the schools in this regard amid controversy over how the gender identity issue should be addressed. The post primary students, they've sent a clear signal about what they deem appropriate for primary pupils. Now whatever we and however we teach children okay it's not up to one person or me to have a particular opinion but something that's fundamental especially as these young people are approaching as anyone who's gone through the teenage years know it's a very tough and confusing time. Whatever we're doing at the moment it's never been tougher to be a teenager seemingly because as we've referenced on this show numerous times and I will continue to do so because I think it's really significant. We have record numbers of young people teenagers presenting with self-harm or presenting with a mental illness right so whatever is happening whatever we're doing at the moment we need to revisit that okay so obviously then I would probably share some of the concerns that I'm not saying by the way people who are transgender are confused right I'm not saying that there's different ways we can approach this is what I'm trying to get out of here but I think we have to be very careful with how we're speaking to children in schools and what we're speaking to them about and what are they capable of comprehending and what is actually positive for them and what is potentially negative and we need to be able to like all other issues have the conversation openly and everyone to have their views it's not about mudsling or name calling or calling people this that and the other it's about what is right for all children all children all young people what is it good for them to know what information is good for them to have in their head what can they actually process because I don't think we regardless of what the topic is I don't think we if you're going by the figures I don't think what we're doing at the moment is working very well because we have more sick children we've got more children who are mentally ill we've got more children who are self-harming so as I say we need to approach all these issues various issues anything I think complicated carefully but the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association has argued there is a lack of scientific consensus on the issue that it would create division in schools and that it might add to a growing psychological contagion among children this is in contrast with those who have a campaign for increased teaching of gender diversity in primary school in a recent interview with the Irish Independent Children's Minister Roderick Gorman said young people including primary pupils should have an understanding of diversity and should be taught more what it means to be transgender but why not again and this is not taught specifically to this issue we need to just teach children to respect other people don't we I mean do we have to get into the nitty gritty of all the various issues you know basically we all have to treat each other equally and fairly is that not if you install instill those morals does that not cover everything but it doesn't really leave them maybe confused or what have you I don't know what do you all think out there 08 660 25000 08 660 25000 I'll give us a call on 07491 25000 emails by the way to comments at highlandradio.com onto the Irish Times now and apparently the coalition is divided over options to cut car private car usage coalition tensions are growing over plans to reduce private car usage with ministers set to discuss a new strategy at cabinet tomorrow green party minister Aiman Reigns expected to bring a memo to cabinet that will include an annex to the government's climate plan setting out how and when climate measures can be achieved one aspect of this will include a commitment to develop a demand management strategy in transport detailing the way in which the country can move to end congestion and change the way road space is used which is gobbledygook really for charging you out of your car effectively the plan would see priority given to public transport cycling and walking as part of government aims to give people viable alternatives to using the car for every journey now at the I mean this is obviously city based but maybe they could look at a town like letter Kenny and use it as an example so you know this is not necessarily just a Dublin thing and modeling work has been completed which details with which details options including congestion charges the pedestrianization of urban centres cheaper public transport fuel price increases and higher car parking charges to achieve their goals well I very rarely visit Dublin and if they start all that I will my biannual visit might become never the Irish Daily Mail now hundreds of refugee property offers are rejected refugees minister Gorman needs to be far less fussy when it comes to accepting accommodation senior colleagues have warned the message was delivered as on ease in the cabinet has grown over the government's chaotic response to the growing refugee housing crisis as options as diverse as tinted cities and cruise ships are considered ministers are especially annoyed over the fussiness from officials in Mr O'Gorman's department and accepting offers of property a series of door questions by Sinn Fein TD David Cullinan revealed hundreds of properties have been rejected Mr Cullinan's questions it's Cullinan isn't questions across all departments were tabled after it was claimed departments had not turned to page four nothing on page four it's page three had not responded to a call by Mr O'Gorman prior to Christmas for properties to house refugees the Irish Daily Mirror now murder probe as body found in burning house this is the shocking story out of Mayo a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body with a suspected gunshot wound was found at a house last night the grim discovery of the male in his 80s was made after emergency services had responded to reports of a fire at a property in Castle Bar County Mayo up on entering they discovered the body of an elderly man his remains were still at the scene last night pending a guard of forensic investigation it's understood that the victim a pensioner in his 80s died from a gunshot wound the property on the westport road has been sealed off and a state pathologist is due to carry out on a post mortem or carry out a post mortem that story is developed uh sort of overnight in terms of the background um some background details in that case we may uh we're trying to bring them to you a little later on uh in this program it is uh going to get colder as you mentioned I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle where we've um we handle different weather all the time quite well don't we but Ireland is bracing uh for a messy week of weather as a freezing arctic blast slaps us with icy cold conditions metteran issued a yellow ice warning lasting from six p.m. tonight until 10 a.m. tomorrow the national forecasters alert said there will be hazardous conditions due to freezing temperatures including icy stretches on roads and paths we are likely to get any wintery showers that are going so sleety stuff so uh and I'm speaking to myself and saying this too we'll all have to allow a little extra time maybe in the morning uh to get to school or to get to work as we uh as we've been warned haven't we finally yeah we uh must all have plenty of money don't we because 104 million has gone unclaimed from the lottery 104 million that should be ours I'll take a 500,000 what's that about 0.304 percent give me 500,000 and you can argue over the 103.5 million the Irish Daily Star tells us that more than 104 million Irish national lottery prize money went unclaimed in the last six years figures show that being said I found two scratch cards added eight scratch cards yesterday with four euro on them um so I mean I'm only one person four euro added up I suppose uh all of the lucrative cash went back to the lottery operator premier lotteries Ireland in accordance with the rules of their license after officials couldn't trace the winners the unclaimed winnings included scratch cards although no precise number of card winners was disclosed because of security difficulties in tracing them individual winners however could be identified to an area because of the shop where the winning lotto ticket was sold and the lottery would initiate a local marketing campaign to try and find them um so 104 million that's not so bad is it the um 17 million went unclaimed last year in 2021 17 million in 2020 8.9 million in 2019 18.9 million in 2018 16.1 million in 2017 16.3 million in 2016 the figures are very similar uh over years aren't they it's quite peculiar that uh right so that's not it do you know funny enough yesterday just looking at the back of the papers there Mo Salah's got his top off I never drink seven up ever this is the truth by the way I'm not it's not having a dig I never ever drink seven up I'd say the last can of seven up I had was maybe three four years ago but I was in Bundoran driving through stopped bought a can of seven up about 12 o'clock in the afternoon I'm like so who's the fellow that gets into the future soccer I don't know who it is anyway but anyway I literally predicted the future seven nil uh Liverpool beat Manchester United and I had had a can of seven up for the first time in years so I pop it's the the evidence is you can't argue with it I obviously uh affected the outcome of that game but anyway there's a few sore heads one way or other this morning I'd imagine right back with our first guess shortly the newspapers are courtesy of Kelly Centra mountaintop letter Kenny the C store national large four court of the year for 2022 the 90 new show is brought to you by letter Kenny credit union offering low-rate car loans with fast approval apply online at letter Kenny cu.ie or in office today are you ready to experience something extraordinary cultural gems in Croatia ancient temples in Asia art in Italy anything and everything is possible with travel department pick a destination and a date and we'll take care of everything flights accommodation excursions expert local guides and all that planning for guided group tours to dream destinations book today at traveldepartment.com I have shown to operate it for over 25 years travel department let's see more hello thanks for waiting could you hold the line yeah no problem now how can I help you hi I'm looking to make some updates to my insurance policy have you tried our online portal I thought it would be easier to call yeah yeah no you're gonna have to log on to amend your policy thanks for 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bank of Ireland are regulated by the central bank of Ireland okay Sinn Féin is planning to bring forward a motion this week calling on the government to reduce electricity prices for households to their pre-ukrain levels of June 2021 the party's finance spokesperson is pierce doherty joins us now pierce good morning to you good morning to you Greg thanks for coming on the program right how do you propose we do this who picks up the tab effectively because you know I mean obviously what the charger now versus what you want to charge is a there's a gap there yeah well first of all we have to probably recognize what's happening across Europe Greg and for well over a year now the European Commission when the energy prices started to increase and they started to increase we know why they're increasing obviously it's because the the war in Ukraine and even before the war in Ukraine Russia was using energy as a geopolitical weapon in advance of this invasion of Ukraine so what the European Commission has said to member states is they brought out this thing which is called a toolbox and they said some of the things that you can do is you can intervene on the energy market so countries across Europe have done that so we've seen it in Poland we've seen it in Austria we've seen it in France and we've seen it over Christmas in Germany and Netherlands now Germany is obviously not a kind of you know a socialist country right now there they're quite conservative they're very fiscally prudent but they have given their citizens certainty so how these countries have done it and they all vary you know and we're suggesting that probably the German model is the best and but what they do is they basically say that the price of electricity is going to be this amount so regardless of what happens because of the war in Ukraine we're giving our citizens certainty because electricity is so important to your life that this is the cost of electricity and this will apply to in Germany for example it's 85% of your your household consumption and so it doesn't it's not about promoting you know leaving the lights on not that anybody would be doing that anyway even with the old prices but so it's that idea and that's what countries right across Europe have done as I said Germany and Netherlands were the last to do it how is it funded Pierce who funds that it's funded by the taxpayers that's what happens it's funded by the state it's an intervention to support families and workers during a time of war just the same way that other measures that were introduced to offset the war in Ukraine whether it's the support for energy for businesses you know so like at the minute there's a support package there for businesses it was supposed to cost 1.2 billion euro didn't really work it's been retweeted the minute all of that comes from taxpayers money the energy credit comes from taxpayers money so this is about like and there is a recognition that because of war in Ukraine because of high inflation governments right across Europe have had to step in but why should we why should we um why should we bail out the the electricity companies i mean why should we pay for it i want to say we i mean us the taxpayer well first of all you're not bailing out the electricity companies because part of this here is also joined by what we've been calling for for the last year is which is a tax a windfall tax on the profits that these energy companies are making again this was one of the things that was in the european commission toolbox some member states moved ahead themselves just to help me out here if we are making sure they can charge us pretty much whatever they want and that's okay we'll hit them with a windfall tax as well where is the encouragement for firstly for things to change in how they buy and sell electricity but to reduce prices like why where would the good will come from them to say all right okay well let's pass on uh so they'll just continue uh charging as they will because they can and it's just a circle of our money uh being given to them we take that money back off them and give it to them and so on and so forth and it's the taxpayer who is paying all of this effectively well actually by by introducing the type of windfall taxes that are either applicable in member states already for example at leap right in the windfall tax which was that if you charge above the rate before the the crisis in Ukraine then we will tax you x amount but what the european commission has done is they've basically allowed for a cap to be placed in relation to the price that can be charged so that idea if you bring in this type of measure alongside your cap and your windfall tax then you don't have that situation and look okay so just because i'm not great with numbers and you can help me understand this and maybe it'll help with listeners so i i'm charging you a euro for something right okay um but you think i should be only charging you 50 cent so you tax me right so you tax me at 60 percent or something and i'm left with 40 cent but i keep charging you the euro so you you is that not the same money that's going around in the circle there effectively no well yeah basically you be it's costing them it's costing the state less money to actually support these families because you're taking the money back off them the whole idea about a windfall yeah but i'm still am i does i still am complete though no well you're you're but you're not getting your profits as you say if you're charging me a euro and you're and i'm taxing you 60 cent then you're only getting the body the whole idea of a windfall tax is it's actually a disincentive and it's a disincentive to that type okay i guess you so before we get through that right and and just yeah just to make this point here because the government can you know throw out kind of lines and saying like this is this would be kind of giving money to energy companies germany wouldn't be doing this france wouldn't be doing this also wouldn't be doing it countries right across europe wouldn't be doing it if that was the case this is about supporting families and households and you have to you know if you listen to what the same instance of paul said just recently the number of families who can't keep their homes last year has doubled and that's the reality like we've been showing bills gregg and the doll to the minister where you know kitty for example i raised it with the minister the tarnish on thursday and kitty had an i had a bill of close to a thousand euro we've all their constituents that come into us with bills of 630 euro this is the third time they've seen their bills increases going up it's nearly it's gone from 150 to 300 to 450 and now it's at 630 and they basically don't know where where where to turn so there is the need for this type of certainty for individuals and there's also a need for the the cap and off the profits that the energy can can use right okay um how does the whole electricity thing work then who i asked this question last week maybe you can answer right obviously electricity companies buy or hedged and bought expensive electricity i won't keep you very much longer because i'm sure there's a few things you need to get to what do you do you know how much they buy for how long in advanced have they began buying the cheaper fuel now uh sorry the cheaper electricity now um is there a crossover could they not charge us a medium or when does the cheaper you know there's no transparency here we don't like do they have two years of this uh expensive electricity is there any penalty for them getting it wrong uh for for for hedging the bets with our money effectively it feels like again sorry if there's ignorance in that question but i mean you know like we're trying to fix a problem but what's the cause the problem's really what i'm trying to get at here yeah so so what we've like at the very start um this time probably last year we were engaging with some energy companies and they were telling us very clearly and the regulator of energy as well that these companies buy in advance um typically what we were told by one of the large companies is they're buying about nine months in advance so at the at the at the invasion of the war in ukraine uh when people were going to see those prices increase was around october uh period and that's really what happened if people remember back now prices were increasing all during the summer and the reason prices were increasing is because there was inflation and Putin was turning off the gas and all the rest and before that and and and lead up to the invasion of ukraine so should the prices be increased decreasing absolutely if you take january of last year um january of last year so that's over a year ago now the wholesale market price that's the price that you buy gas was 20 cheaper than it is now so therefore but people aren't seeing that in their foot bills actually uh the our listeners are are seeing the highest ever electricity bills that they've ever experienced so these bills should be done by now in my view and also you've seen further drop since so since january of this year um you you've you've or since december for example which is just over four months ago you're looking at a 40 decrease in terms of uh wholesale prices so what does that mean for consumers it means that in the next number of months prices should be coming down the thing is is though they should be able to tell us or they should be compelled to tell us they know how much electricity is used and they know how much they paid for it right they should be able to say on the 14th of such and such a month the electricity is going to return to this price because that's the point we were actually be able to buy it cheaper like the surely they can work out i'm just viewing it as expensive electricity that they've bought running out okay just in the most simplest of terms they should be able to to give us some sort of indication or knowledge of that the they absolutely should now there may be prevented from doing so greg in relation to competition of course but an indication we're reviewing our prices on and and just like this time last year i was unable to say that we're likely to see increases in in october september october period because that's where the energy companies were going to lead me to if you follow the wholesale markets then you should see you should have an idea of when prices are being reduced prices aren't being reduced why because there's no there's no incentive for them to do that they keep all of the profits when we were putting forward greg the idea of a windfill profit tax on these energy companies last year the minister for finance argued against it he said it would be counterproductive he actually argued that it would put up prices of of energy on on consumers and it's only after the european commission moved in late last year and said look europe has to do this and come out with our six-point plan that the government are now dealing with this issue we still haven't got any legislation and it's still not clear whether the massive profits that they recorded last year which is when most of this was baked in is actually going to be taxed but until you bring out that kind of stick approach then these companies are going to do what the companies are going to do and that is they're going to maximize profits you can see it from all the large generators right across europe some of them international global footprints the amount of profits and increased profits is actually eye watering what's happened at this point in time and it's happening because we've governments have allowed them to do that so just very very finely then right the surely we have an insight here the state has a quite a decent stake in the usb does it not it does and and esp is like we also have to remember that a lot of companies that people pay their bill to and you know that you'll see your 500 600 euro bills come through they're basically selling on electricity and gas that sits the wholesale market it's the generators who are making huge profits but the suppliers can also be making profits here as well but there is yes there's there's other options in terms of the esp and trying to ensure the esp and that it reduced our cost again when we put this so we can go in and we can go in and open up their books and and you know we'll know everything that's going on yeah when we put it to government and in relation to the government should be sent to esp that they shouldn't be making increased profits during this period they say but this is required for investment in renewables and the transition and so on so forth and that's all really important stuff but we're in the middle of a crisis we're in the middle of a cost of living prices at this point in time and energy prices are at eye watering levels households are really really being crippled and government needs to do everything that it can and what we're doing Greg with this motion is we're pointing out to your listeners but also to members of the doll that right across Europe Europe has taken a different approach to what the Irish government have done they have introduced a certainty for people which is no matter what happens in the markets whether the prices go up or down you are certain over the next period that this is going to be the unit price of your electricity and for for for x amount that you consider your your home that's really important it's really important for people who are trying to juggle all of you any concerns about very fondly if you any concerns about the legality of the windfall tax because it is being challenged in different places and some people seem to be suggesting that it could be a complicated path to go down and no i i don't think it will as long as it's universal and as long as it applies to everybody a member state has the right to tax and has the right to tax profits where it becomes tricky is in relation to retrospective tax and all of the yeah all of that but the government were able to introduce retrospective tax on the US on the pandemic unemployment payments that were paid to people who lost their jobs so you know there i'm not as concerned in in in relation to that it was designed properly and these have applied windfall taxes have applied for years have indeed for decades a different guy across Europe all right listen thanks for so much of your time have a lovely day and we'll follow with interest later in this later in this week as to how things progress there 08 660 25000 whatsapps and texts to that number watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at highland radio dot com 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 at shannon airport we know what makes a dream holiday it's not just a huge choice of destinations 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price tiles and wood flooring up to 70 percent off birthday sale now on bingo monday night at the halfway house bingo burn food doors open 730 with eyes down at 830 2500 euro must go snowball is now 2000 euro 145 numbers are less if you're not in you can't win that's halfway house bingo tonight at 830 okay just to remind you that we have the first of our four finalists coming on the show as we search for a local music hero who will go on to represent us at a national competition looking forward to that tell peers people started to get tired of all his talk never any action says a listener and although there's currently a view that windfall tax is illegal and that the imposition of backdated taxation is an unconstitutional and unlawful the attorney general is currently looking at saying i would like to hear pierce doherty's view on the unlawful imposition of backdated taxes well he did reference that and also you know i'd go for a second opinion if it were me as well as the attorney generals hi greg as a shin fane supporter i find it strange that shin fane anti-russia since the formation of the party russia-soviet union was a very close ally all right okay good morning greg i would go one further and say we shouldn't pay a single bill how much profits should they be allowed to make say a caller hi greg electricity so dear so who's paying for other electricity there okay i get where you're coming from good morning greg with the amount of profits these companies are making surely our government should push for free electricity for public use for a year at least we were people who propped up business bills for years and are being given back a measly 50 euro in credit which is a joke i don't want the credit i want the money i paid how do i go about it i can't pay them in a credit well there's a 200 euro a credit coming in over march and april but i take your point the only thing is is if you do have something that's completely free would it be abused then i don't know 08 6 60 25 000 very quick break then our next guests are with us the nine tone in show with letterkenny credit union simplify your debts with a debt consolidation loan from letterkenny credit union call us on 0749102126 or apply online via our app or in office today if i learned one thing in the last year it's that falling into debt can happen to anyone luckily i heard about the isi the insolvency service of ireland their professional advisors can help you restructure or even write off your debt the first thing they said to me was every debt problem has a solution i can still feel the relief so if you're worried visit their website back on track dot ie or free text get help to 50015 the isi together we'll get you back on track this is an initiative of the government of ireland some sports demand resilience grit power sheltering them demands it all and this is william hill racing at sheltering them get our top price guarantee against selected bookmakers on all championship races it's who you play with william hill top prices from nine a.m. 27 to february 23 until the start of each of the four championship races compared to selected competitors standard win market odds only exclusive competitor offers further terms apply 18 plus for advice and information visit gamblingcare.ie the world awaits you make that dream your next adventure cruise the caribbean sail from crete to corsica soak in san terrini sunsets dine on the shores of the indian ocean stroll through cobbled streets for hidden gems or bring the little ones to a magical wonderland trust the award-winning atlantic travel to guide your next adventure step through our doorway to the world atlantic travel letter kenny this print now offer printed mugs cotton bags rulers and pens they make printing easy and affordable with quality color printing to suit all businesses and budgets called biz print another kenny on 91 double seven nine double five or visit biz print dot iu highland radio weather updates with our land west airport fly dilly to london hater with our lingus and connect to 80 plus destinations worldwide including boston and new york island west airport don't just take off take it easy okay hazy sunny spells with well-scattered showers to start today with outbreaks of rain moving in from the north turning colder and clearer behind the rain with temperatures of just four or five degrees light to moderate north-westly breezes turning very cold in the evening with icy stretches developing now our next guest is innocent oh my hangi joins us now good morning innocent can you hear me okay hello just on mute for me if you don't mind you just muted there for the time being and then i will speak to you aidan is our assistant here can you hear me now innocent yeah i can hear you good morning i'm grateful to be on uh live on highland radio i'm calling in from don't gain nice to meet you and it's good to have you here originally uh from uganda what do you do there what is your trade your business yeah i'm from uganda we do tea we grow tea i'm a producer from sub-saharan africa where we grow tea thank you and what you make the raw product do you the tea leaves which are then given to the tea makers or do you actually produce the tea and sell it yes yes yes first of it all i want to say that i'm innocent homehand the first ambassador from international and a producer and the worker for kionsa growers tea factory from uganda we grow tea in our farms our gardens we have eight thousand farmers who are growing tea on daily basis who plant teas who process this tea and we market our tea here in europe so we are the source of the tea that will ever thank you and um how important is uh this fair trade fortnight do you think uh i want to thank our organizers of fair trade fortnight for this year it has been a pleasure for me to participate in this because it creates a sustainable chain supply chain whereby you bring in a producer you bring in a supplier you bring in a consumer so it is an opportunity for uh to appreciate the role of fair trade island fair trade international to bring up the chain that has not been on for a long time because we are faced with problems like climate change social injustices and uh and inequalities whereby there is a gap in women and youth there is a gap there is an issue okay the line is a future problem but today's problem so this fair trading place is everybody on in this chain work together to see that our world is sustainably uh created yeah yeah hope i mean the organizations that work in the area of fair trade and these fortnights these two weeks to promote it is very important but presumably the what we need to is to get to a point whereby this is the norm this is normal that we do not have to you know specifically encourage people does that make sense of course uh if for this fair trade is not embraced all over the world uh we shall create shortage of uh of products like tea coffee and uh there is a lot of food in security because of poor practices so fair trade comes in to encourage uh social justice climate change mitigation and it is really of good concern that communities uh towns are brought on on board to see to embrace fair trade because you are not only being fair to others but you're being fair to yourself because this is a sustainable business that will bring uh coffee that will bring tea on your table in the next generation and this if not done we want to see scarcity of these products in the supermarkets on your table and we shall be rating so it's a high time it is a good settlement that fair trade is here to embrace the supply chain to create connectivity to appreciate the role of fairness yeah has has this initiative helped farmers and workers to get a decent amount of money for the work that they do i cannot hear you i will say the question one more time it's the last question because the connection's breaking a little is fair trade working in other words is the situation improving for farmers and workers so they feel they are getting a fair payment for their efforts of course fair trade is the way to go of course we understand there are some still gaps because consumers are still very low they go for conventional products and fair trade so the role of uh this fortnight is to encourage communities local leaders government leaders to widen the market of fair trade that when anybody goes to the supermarket when anybody goes to the tea shop the coffee shop buys fair trade products because the 50 cents that you pay above the the normal price the conventional price has an impact to do in developing our use in a getting climate change uh trade is done so you want to do much because you are going to be fair to yourself you want to be fair to others and this is the way to go this is a sustainable production that we must embrace for years and for generation otherwise if we don't do that of course i wanna have no tea one have no coffee on our table and sustainability is something that we must embrace because uh and the determinant of sustainability is the final consumer to demand for sustainable products for fair trade products on the market okay it's uh lovely to have you here in ireland you'll be speaking to people and spreading the word um we apologize for the cold weather i'm not sure what the temperature is in Uganda at the moment but it's getting very cold here uh is in Donegal so stay wrapped up you might have to put another polar neck and jumper and coat and i think uh it's my pleasure to be in ireland in Donegal um okay thank you so very much indeed uh slide apologies for the breaking down of the line there that was uh innocent Awamu uh Omahangi who is uh over uh in Ireland of course uh as a speaker um and it's all to support the Bunkrana efforts uh change makers have invited Ugandan tea farmer innocent there to initially on to speak to the community about how important it is to them that we buy fair trade items where possible i'm going to keep an extra uh look out in in that regard it doesn't seem always obvious to me what is a fair trade product and what isn't but certainly i'll keep that in my consideration uh the first event taking place today is at 1 pm it's in the exchange Bunkrana it's a public event and everyone's invited to come along and listen uh as uh to what innocent has to say and how local people shopping choices make a difference to people in his community in Uganda so in other words he's come over from Uganda so you can see the difference that your shopping choices uh can make right okay we're joined on the program now by Fiona O'Malley CEO of Turn To Me good morning Fiona thanks so much for joining us how are you keeping very good thank you for having me tell us a little bit about uh the Turn To Me charity tell us a little bit more about it so Turn To Me was founded in 2009 and it stemmed from the personal and the project experiences of Ocean Indian with scholars who very sadly lost their brother suicide and they once just set up a charity that offered people free accessible and professional mental health services without the traditional barriers to mental health services in Ireland so they set up Turn To Me in 2009 and since it was set up in a path over a hundred and twenty thousand people in Ireland so we offer free counseling sessions and free support groups on anxiety and depression and grief and relationship issues yes and it's important to let people be aware that uh you know whilst Highland Radio the Irish Times RT whatever uh might try and talk about mental health services in other words that we need to do more we always need to do more okay we have to be really careful in doing so that we don't give the impression to people who might need help that there is no help available that if we talk of one case where someone had to wait six months to see someone from CAMHS that's not the case all the time in other words in a an immediate crisis we there is help there that's what people need to know and understand yeah there is uh the CAMHS situation it's it's also um uh the waiting with are really really long and unacceptably long um but i know some of my you know they're not colleagues but some of my peers who work in those organizations they are just up to their their eyes and they're all doing obviously the best that they can they certainly run into the ground but um you know as you say not every mental health charity has a waiting list and like currently we don't have a waiting list so we offer up to six free counseling sessions to everyone in Ireland and we also offer paid counseling sessions that people can afford to pay for them that's great so people can create an account with us on the currently website and they can see and usually the counseling staff that are available we also offer free unlimited support groups as I alluded to earlier on anxiety depression grief and relationship issues and the thing about the support groups they're great they don't have um waiting with either so you can log on and create great account with us you can um register for the support groups on the same day as attending them so I can log in and say I want to sign up for the support group today and I can attend that support group today at 6 p.m this evening so there's no waiting lists for those um those services either so if someone is in a crisis an immediate crisis is is turned to me a good port of call or would that be more for maybe addressing the the issues through counseling because obviously want to make sure everyone gets the right advice for where they might be at any given time so if someone is feeling that um they they they can no longer go on okay uh that it's a crisis situation would would turn to me be one of the first protocols would you see it as that type of service so we would work with people who have anxiety and who have levels of depression that aren't um at the point of being actively suicidal of people who don't have suicidal ideation um a service that will be more appropriate for those those interventions will be service like the Asia house or probably an in-service um in person service we run all of our counseling sessions and all our support groups on our website through an online portal so it might not be appropriate for people who are actively suicidal that is just wanted to clarify that and and also too this just to remind people now turn to me it's a national mental health charge there's no charity there's no waiting list currently okay and you can get up to six free counseling sessions in Ireland on limited free support groups on anxiety depression grief and relationship issues which a lot of people live with they think it's normal they think a certain level of depression now this is not feeling down on a given day this is your mood being depressed or anxiety or uh I'm never going to get over my grief and I'm just going to live like that for the rest of my life there are people walking around today that function very well that believe that their lives that is the way it is but cancelling can help it can help absolutely can help and it was one of the common themes that that we hear about sometimes but she kind of alluded to there is um sometimes when they sign up for our services they would say oh I didn't I put it off it's so long I didn't think I was bad enough for cancelling I didn't want to take up slots for people who were worse off than me both cancelling sessions and mental health support groups shouldn't be seen as a pie just because someone avails of our services doesn't mean they're not available to another person first of all and secondly early intervention is the best prevention of measure so if you don't address your anxiety level to get help or your depression level to get help or if your grief level sometimes can help they can escalate and they can take longer to address them to help in the long term so we firmly uh you know support the concept of early intervention and we would encourage everyone if they're feeling anxious or they're feeling anxiety don't be fridge to get worse please get that help it's available and we run three mental health services 365 days a year they're there for people please please avail of them yeah and maybe it's said so often that it kind of washes over people but treat your mental health as your physical health now of course some of us neglect our physical health as well don't get me wrong but generally speaking we if something seems like right you know I might I need to get this checked do you know what I mean but we need to also ensure that we do view our mental health the same way as I say it's said often and the message is out there but I think sometimes it's said so much or how it's said it kind of it goes past us a little bit okay Fiona and the website of people wish to make contact with that turn to me and turn their life around potentially as well you know the people that we talk of you know it to get something off your chest to speak to someone who gets it goes yeah you know that happens right and then this can be done and then you might feel like this well I mean what a what an amazing thing someone could do today and feel better in the next while yeah absolutely so if anyone wants to avail of any of our free mental health services that are available on our website turn to me.ie that's turned digit to me.ie all right listen have a lovely Monday take care thank you very much indeed Fiona O'Malley CEO of turn to me there Sue Cartey is on the show hi Sue hi Greg how are you I'm good remind us of Ohana Zero Suicide Greg absolutely happy to so Ohana Zero Suicide it's a free online training and really it supports you in recognizing where somebody might need some support and sometimes you know we might recognize someone maybe seems all form or something but we might know how to approach it or what to say or how to have the conversation so this is a free online training that supports you to have a conversation with somebody you might be concerned about and get them to support this show you care ask the question make the call yeah so that's what this is a compliment this is a compliment to it and not at the service it is simple it's anyone can do this it's common sense stuff but it empowers it reassures people it gives people the confidence to know you know maybe how to react or what to say it's empowering do you know what I mean it confirms what people know maybe it's you might say it's common sense but that being said unless we sort of have a run through of it challenge ourselves to answer questions or to remember things you know maybe we don't spot something when we need to spot something well absolutely and look sometimes speaking to someone who's maybe in bad form or that you're worried about it can be a difficult thing to do and you might not be sure maybe what to say or where to start so this gives you a training to support you with that and you know a lot of the thinking behind this is like it's great to tell people you know you need to talk to someone or make sure you talk to someone but sometimes it might be hard for them to say so for those of us that maybe you know are not strongly in good form or we see that somebody might be that we maybe take some of that pressure off their shoulders and we give them the opening we give them the start and yeah it's a free online training people can just pop on to www.ohana.ie and it takes you through some role plays gives you some clear pointers and takes you through those three steps you know so that you show you care you start by having the conversation you ask the questions that you need to ask and it gives you some confidence and asking those questions and then make the call get the person to the help with the support that that they need and and I must mention Greg that it was a fantastic Donegal woman Angeline Collins driver who founded Ohana Zero Suicide and got a team of fantastic volunteers together and to make the training available and we worked with the Zero Suicide Alliance in the UK and recently we have added an online resource which is more targeted at the younger adult like the third level student so that's there as well which I think will be of interest to people and the feedback the difference it makes for people is really positive and nearly a million people have already accessed the training and we launched it during COVID and I must do a refresher my recollection is that you know if you work with the public as well if you're sort of forward facing I seem to recall taxi drivers I'm correct in that aren't I in other words that people who might come across things more often than I might for example although with my job it would be quite regularly but you know what I mean there's all different types of people that this would be very useful for it gives you a number of different examples of situations that you might find yourself in and gives you the oh these are signs maybe this person is off forum maybe I should say something and you know Greg you might be in a situation with someone where you're wondering should I say something should I not maybe I should leave them alone and you might talk yourself out of it this training supports you to actually say something and start a conversation because you know what it's just a conversation and it could make all the difference in the world for someone okay thank you very much indeed that's Sue Carty director with Ohana Zero Suicide and you can get more information by going onto the website ohana.ie okay the news is going to be slightly late unfortunately I was distracted I didn't look at the clock as closely as I could but I wanted Sue to have as much time as possible to get that information out ohan.ie Ohana.ie back with more after 10 now available apply online or via our app today and get your loan transferred directly to your current account take something old and make it new with the vacant property refurbishment grant get up to 30 000 euro for a vacant property or 50 000 euro for a derelict property to help you create your new home plus the scheme now includes cities towns villages and all rural areas so there are more options than ever breathe new life into an old home head to gov.ie forward slash vacancy for more information on how to apply an initiative of the government of Ireland the perfect Mother's Day gift to see the one and only Tom Jones in Belfast join us as Highland Radio head the road to see the timeless legend at the headlines Belzonic 2023 Friday 16th of June your trip includes luxury transfers bed and breakfast in the four-star Clayton Hotel Belfast and your standing ticket to the outdoor event contact us today on 074 9125 000 to see Tom Jones at Ormo Park Belfast Friday 16th of June live on air online and on the Highland Radio app this is Highland Radio News good morning it's just gone 10 o'clock Donald Kavana at the Highland Radio News Desk at the New Gold Deputy says the government can and must intervene to cost energy costs Sinn Fein will bring forward a motion to the Dáil tomorrow urging the government to provide support as people struggle with sky-high bills W. Pierce Doherty says a sensible measure has been adopted in Europe which he says the Irish government has failed to replicate reason energy prices are being pushed up is because of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine so the European Commission recognised that the circumstances that Member States could move in to provide this type of certainty for customers we on the other hand haven't provided that certainty our government hasn't done that but there's still time to do that and I don't think it's acceptable to leave workers and families to the mercy of these astronomical prices over the coming months and that's why there needs to be an intervention from government to reduce electricity prices Over 180 businesses, organisations and institutions in the North West have signed an open letter in support of the proposed upgrades to the A5 jointly organised by the chambers in letter Kenny and Derry the open letter is signed by businesses across Derry, Donegal, Straban, Oma and the wider North West it's been submitted to the North's Department for Infrastructure as part of its consultation and called for views on the A5 supplementary environmental information which closed on Friday The last chance for people to have their say on the Town Centre First plan for Milford is this week the plan will be regeneration and renewal focused with view towards strengthening the role, image, vibrancy, vitality and resilience of Milford Town Centre with more here's Ellen Butler The Town Centre First plan for Milford is being developed in line with national policy and will put placemaking at the centre of the value proposition for the Town as a means of enabling and attracting investment and regeneration it'll provide for the convergence of community vision, business interests local knowledge and key stakeholder and local authority expertise in co-designing a roadmap for the regeneration and future development of Milford together with the more detailed design of actions in respect of key sites The first stage of public consultation which will inform the preparation of the draft Town Centre First plan will close on Thursday at 4pm More information is available on the project's website milfordtowncentrefirst.com where anyone interested can leave comments or complete a questionnaire Amman's been questioned about the discovery of a body in Mayo he was detained on suspicion of murder following a house fire yesterday in Castle Bar Garthi and Donnie Gowler urging motorists to continue to adhere to the temporary speed limit in place on one of the main arteries into Letterkenny due to ongoing road works on the four-lane route the speed limit's been reduced to 50 kilometres an hour yesterday while conducting speed checks on the road the Letterkenny roads policing unit detected a number of drivers speeding at double the temporary speed limit Garthi's say fixed penalty notices were issued for the offences they're asking drivers to slow down to protect themselves other motorists and passengers and to protect those who are conducting the road works Landlords are leaving the market in their tens of thousands according to an estate agents network it comes as the coalition party leaders met this evening meet this evening to discuss whether to extend or scrap the evictions ban it's due to expire at the end of March it's thought it may be extended with some exceptions including student accommodation and private landlords who want to use their properties to house their families Marianne Finnegan is managing director at Sherry Fitzgerald she believes the government could have handled the situation better the eviction ban why I understand the principle behind it which is to keep homelessness figures at a level isn't actually providing a solution now what would have been a good idea is if they brought in this measure back in October and actually brought in some other measures which would have encouraged landlords to remain in the marketplace what the forecast and Marianne tell us there'll be some hazy spells this morning of sunshine but outbreaks of rain intermittent as well it'll turn colder and cheerer in the afternoon with top temperatures of just four or five degrees celsius becoming very cold in the evening with a warning of some icy stretches developing and that's heiling video news for now we're back with news headlines again at 11 o'clock until then from the news team good morning the obituary notices for this Monday morning March the 6th the death has taken place in Coventry, England of Richard Doherty little formerly Tandra Guy Clamane his remains will arrive at the Bridgend border tomorrow evening at approximately 7 o'clock going to St. Mary's Church Clamane to repose overnight funeral mass on Wednesday morning at 11 o'clock with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery family flowers only please donations only if desired to St. Colm Kill Village care of Combscape Funal Directors funeral mass come of you live on churchservices.tv the death has taken place of Andy McGurk nine on-ray drive Strabane reposing at his home funeral leaving his home two more morning at half past nine for recreation mass in the church of the Immaculate Conception Strabane at 10 o'clock interment afterwards in Strabane Cemetery family time please from 11 p.m. until 11 a.m. the recreation mass come of you live via the parish webcam at mcmedia.tv the death has taken place of Josie McCue Lockton Portnute County Donegal his remains will repose at Chauvelin's funeral home Sandfield today from two o'clock until half past five fall by removal to St. Colm's Church Kill Clamane arriving at six o'clock funeral mass two more morning at 11 o'clock with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery the death has taken place of William Hancock late of Crehanon Quigley's Point County Donegal funeral leaving his late home Crehanon Quigley's Point County Donegal tomorrow afternoon at one o'clock fall by burial in Red Castle Parish Churchyard family flowers only donations in lay of desire to the Donegal Hospice care of Mrs Ruth Hay funeral director and the death has taken place of Pat Porek McCann 39 Rosemount Kill McCranon and formerly Screen County Sligo Pat's remains will be reposing at his daughter Claire and Michael Shaughnessy's home at Valley Heron Kill McCranon from 12 noon until 10 o'clock today rosary tonight at 9 o'clock funeral from there two more morning at half past 11 going to St. Colm's Church Kill McCranon for 12 noon recreation mass which can be viewed on churchservices.tv interment afterwards to the adjoining cemetery house private to family on the morning of the funeral please family flowers only please donations in lay of flowers if desired to the oncology day ward letter Kenny University Hospital care of any family member for more details including any family health guidelines for wakes and funerals please go to hynandradio.com it's not just that Sarah can't rely on the reins to come this year it's not just that the only water left could cost her life it's not just that she has seen all her crops destroyed and she is struggling to feed her little boy like thousands of parents living in regions devastated by drought Sarah is living in fear and it's not just this lends your health can make all the difference visit trokra.org or call 1 800 408 408 trokra together for a just world the county's number one talk show the 9 till noon show on Highland radio okay you're very welcome back to the program and it is a busy hour we want you to hop on too and watch the show if you can obviously lots of you at work where you can't or you're driving or whatever it might be but if it does so you go on to our Facebook or YouTube channels and coming up very shortly we're going to be announcing our the recipient of the beautiful car that we have put together with iMotors for one person a community hero and that was done over the weekend and we've got the video of it and the audio so if you're in the radio world you'll get to hear it all but also if you want to hop on and watch you can do so and then a little later on half past 25 to 11 we have live music our first finalist in studio for our music competition the local music hero competition it's called we have four acts Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday and then the line's open and you will help decide who will go on then to represent this part of the world in a national competition and I think we have a really good chance all four acts I think are superb today's no doubt is also absolutely superb but that'll all be revealed so stay right where you are right okay we'll take the bingo numbers now because that clears the decks to some extent for us Sean will be joining us we'll be going through the events of the weekend it's good it's really nice so I want you to listen and watch that if you can back in a moment it's time for NCBI Bingo on Highland Radio it's Monday the 6th of March your plane on the green sheet the reference number is S6 it's game number 10 the numbers are 18 59 75 4 3 8 85 50 60 and finally 9 phone your claim to 9 104.83 before 8 tonight leaving your name contact number and the name of the shop where you purchased your book and we'll call you back the next working day get all your NCBI Bingo information at HighlandRadio.com go on shop without compromise go full needle today save hundreds of euros on custom charges shopping online with Space Hub Dairy we provide a full virtual office address mailbox service for all your business and personal use save your business hundreds possibly thousands on custom charges with Space Hub Dairy call 048-71-87-8077 for more details Saturday 11th of March from 12 to 3pm enter our fun-filled quiz how well do you know your mum live with Jerry Love's for your chance to win amazing prizes for your mum see Fileside Shopping Centre's Facebook page for details 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 OK you're welcome back to studio and in with me now is Sean Quinn our head of sales hi Sean good morning Greg good to have you in good to have a lovely nice little bit of positivity gained because we recently put a big call out to ask our listeners to nominate a community hero and we had an amazing response and as we've said before but worthwhile saying again in trying to choose a winner we were overwhelmed because there was so many brilliant people and their fellow members of the community saw fit to say look these people need recognition so as I say the whole process I thought was really heartwarming and enlightening big time Greg it was it was a to say it was difficult is an understatement because there were so many nominations that hit us and I know that we spent number of hours actually looking reading and we took things that we took actually some of the the entries away to digest because it was so difficult to to see everybody deserved it every single nomination that came into us deserved to be the winner and so but we were tasked with picking one and and we eventually got there and in fairness we were became unanimous the more you read into what this person had done for the community and I now know having met this person absolutely was the right decision I feel like we're warming up for stars in their eyes and then he's going to walk out and say today I'm that's a little bit like Saturday now to be fair okay well listen we're going to get to that because we have a brilliant video and a bit of audio for all of you out there in Radio Land of course but if you're watching on our social medias as well Karen you nominated Roddy Smith tell us why Hi Greg how are you? I nominated Roddy we approached Roddy last April they set up a community first responder group in Newton well just as a possibility and straight away Roddy agreed now I can't put on the words they're going to work that Roddy has has put on to our group we our first meeting of interest was in April and the group was live in December so in order to get live we had everybody got out of edit we had to have everybody trained to high standard of CPR and Roddy carried out all that training and once at least once a week to get everybody trained he's the most humble man that you ever met he is constantly praising us as responders and always giving us feedback and as a group we just felt like this would be a nice opportunity for us to show our appreciation and just to you know tell him you know how much we appreciate what what he does for the group and what he's doing it's a ripple effect isn't it it's like he is the stone thrown thrown into the middle of the egg and it's the ripples isn't it it's the the people that are helped immediately but then the people that use can go on and help and so on and so forth it's it's it's hard to sort of fully quantify the the extent of the positive impact he's having oh 100% like unfortunately there are people that that we will be directly you know respond on to and life threatening situations but Roddy wasn't just happy with that he put a few of us forward then for instructor training because he wants as many people in the local community to be able to provide good CPR while they may not want to be responders he wants to be confident that you know a lot of people in the village in the surrounding areas can perform that CPR until somebody who is more trained can get to help and we're offering that training free again he's providing a lot of the training to the instructors and to that you know we're way about and trust and grips that want to avail of this training and we have with about 30 people through the training so far now brilliant brilliant stuff thanks so much Karen for heeding the call answering the call and I'm delighted we're delighted you're delighted that Roddy is the winner oh we're just we're just over the moon we were nervous I'll not I'll not lie we were nervous a lot of reaction with baby because these are really one of these guys that flies under the radar and I am so humble but he really does deserve it and I just want to say as I mentioned today his wife Tracy because the fact that Roddy's out so much you know he's given up a lot of his time but she sacrificed a lot of her family time as well for the group so just want to mention that as well all right listen fair play Karen it's a lovely story thanks so much indeed so Sean we're going to talk about what happened at the weekend now we're going to have a chat with Roddy in a bit as well Seamus from iMultus has joined us as well talk to talk to us about how without any spoilers okay I know because we so bad at this we had to defer this a little bit didn't we because Roddy's so busy yeah he's actually he's in the middle of a course down the country so we'd made the call we'd made the decision first and foremost and we made the call then but he wasn't available so we had to delay it and but we also had we wanted to have that little element of surprise well it was a surprise it was as much a surprise for me as it was for him because he had no idea on Saturday morning when we rolled up to the to the house and I knocked the door and he landed and I said good morning right well let's show it should we listen to it yeah all right we'll listen to it you won't get this first piece okay sorry go ahead but it's just he had absolutely no idea and I had to explain why I was standing on his doorstep on a Saturday morning but it's it gets better from there so yeah so I nominated Roddy on behalf of the whole first responder group when Roddy was approached to set up this group in April I think it took about two days to think about it before he had organized a meeting to gauge a level of interest in the community to see if we could gather up a team of volunteers so that first meeting as I say was held in April and we got 16 volunteers came forward and that's how the group was formed by December we were live as a group so just through that time Roddy has done training with us weekly at the very most at the very least bi-weekly he's given up a huge amount of time between going and collecting equipment for us to train to actually you know completing the training with us to setting up scenarios so we just wanted to nominate him to say we really appreciate all the work and the time and the effort that he has put under the group and that we couldn't do it without him I'm joined by Roddy Smith Roddy congratulations on being shortlisted for this year's Highland Radio Community Hero Award how does it feel to be shortlisted? Very taken aback did not expect this at all we kind of surprised you this morning now in fairness very much so yeah but that's always the best way so tell us more about your involvement with the Newton Cunningham first response group so back last April the community focus group approached me and asked me to come down just give them a wee talk on how to set up a group and Newton Cunningham if it was feasible we were background from the working in the Amelon service in Latter Kenny I thought I'll go down and we'll chat it out for the past maybe six years I've been sold or off duty responder within the community whereas and it's through the the Amelon service they would contact me when I'm off duty and I would respond to my neighbours and within a 10 kilometer radius of my house here there were 16 people put their names forward for actually responding and you have to get across to them about the the magnitude of the the thing that's taken on you're going into your house your neighbours house you know them you know and dealing with them at the worst possible time of the life's possible yeah so what was the next part of that process so you had the 16 people in the room yeah and then obviously there is a training element that you have to get to a certain level before you can go and even go to a call it took a lot of kind of preparation you know I put my heart and soul into the the community first responder group so they it took a wee bit of of organisation to get the training started and you know the the response I got from the the volunteers was amazing the commitment they gave me and give their community but in that time as well I was I was looking at you know right so I now have volunteers but what else do we need we need defibs we need equipment we need high vis vis we need to be so with the the the committee we we started fundraising and the response from the community was amazing my right in saying now we're nearly a year on from that first meeting yeah we're coming on it's yeah right in saying about 16 defibs now we have about yeah we have them dotted we have you know the new heated boxes on on Baldens within the community both we're looking after carragans we put a new box over there for their defib and we're looking after that and Calais while we're looking after theirs so it's unquestionable like the journey that you guys have been on in the last almost 12 months has just been amazing what's what's the what is the future what do you see can you evolve this can you what's your yeah that's I'm like Billy Conley I'll go off and a difference don't even try and come back that's a good thing that's a good thing you know so the community engagement officer came in when he goes already great we're getting great feedback your response your groups respond to so many calls and he goes that they're well looked after and well supervised and he says maybe take them up to see if they're level you know and could this potentially would this be something that you could see yourself going to other communities and helping and supporting yes and what you've done here I have been asked to to go and speak to other communities with an area but would it be fair to say that you're a you're a doer and when you do things it happens yeah yeah what would it mean if I asked you a question now if you were to win the car what would it mean to you be amazing yeah it would be amazing it would it would probably be used to respond to to calls right possibly it would help in the community as well it would definitely help in the community because even if I want to start around here and just say congratulations because we're here not to shortlist you today you're actually the winner of Highland Radio's community hero and I couldn't think of a better person to win it thanks to iMotors this year you'll be supplied with a beautiful cash guy you'll see behind us is all your responders who nominated you and it's a privilege to have spent the last 10 minutes with you and this is Sheamus from iMotors to hand you the keys thanks very much cheers you can thank you there you have it so I was lost in that there for a second I nearly never pulled out out of it something else what a winner Sheamus I'll bring you in now you've been sitting there patiently stroke didn't come too late what nice what a thing to be a part of that I don't think even when you guys were putting this together if the truth be told that you thought it would play out like this and then you seen those scenes yesterday I mean it truly is a special thing to be involved in I think yeah there's a sort of under the radar guy we're looking for and he has you know I'm living in Newton for nearly 20 years I don't know the guy you know and he's living in the same town as me but truly truly deserves it like the amount of work he does there you know unbelievable and we've been trying to even to get him organised to to do the video with the weekend or he can't collect the car for two weeks because he's that buzzy like you know so it's did you tell him he's allowed to do 50 miles a week yet no no we didn't I hope he does it yeah I really do he's in Galway all week and I'm thinking he's in Galway this week and then there's no but he's a real real hard worker you know he's really and by the sounds of things he's already got plans and progress things are progressing but it sounds like this is actually even going to be something kick on kick everything are you even a bit further Sean oh it is yeah and it's like I asked him the question about you know what's the future plans he has a plan and he wants to help other communities to I suppose to emulate what he's started in his own home town let's say hello Roddy how are you I'm great Greg thanks very much thanks for that and thanks for being a good sport there we're all sitting watching the videos it played out here and I would you seem such a lovely fella couldn't have gone to a nicer person by the looks of things and we're so delighted that we're so delighted that it means something to you that it means as much to you as it does to us it really does when I say I was I take my back by Saturday morning I had absolutely no idea I had so much on it so it'll be sorry I annoyed him no you didn't annoy me at all but and because I had that and Sean was at the door and I honestly I looked at him and I thought oh what's what is going on here you know and I kind of over the the the faith that the the group have have put in me I can't I can't achieve what I want to achieve without the the group with me and I do have a plan I have I've had a plan for years and years and never thought it would be achievable and it's always to get the the first two links and the chain of survival going you know and see good CPR to start with you know just from a background being down one service and when we respond to calls we know how if there's no CPR I'm going prior to our arrival that the the outcome is not going to be great so I always thought you know if everyone everyone knew how to do CPR I had the confidence to do good CPR and then get defibs there quicker you know how can how can how can you achieve that so I looked at you know once the the focus group approached me that this this this plan and this light started to go off you know and then the the responders the volunteers that arrived that night at the meeting I didn't want to scare them off but I also wanted them to realize the the magnitude of the the situation or the situations that they would be put into you know it's ordinary people to an extra ordinary right and and the ambulance service that's what we always do we're just ordinary people we're highly trained but we do extra ordinary we're putting extra ordinary situations so the the amazing 16 volunteers that have including my own son and daughter and we we put the work in the they committed themselves to the the cause really and this this idea of you know I was trying to sell them this this idea which wasn't it wasn't difficult to sell them they all ticked on everything that all the training to to achieve this so my idea was that you know we get defibs to to the houses quicker you know ideally you know there's a chain of events there isn't it's the CPR initially because that does the work at heart then you want the defib and then you want you to arrive and your colleagues to arrive in the ambulance that's the chain ready we want to exactly so so to to get this whole chain and and to situation I had to train the volunteers obviously get the defibs into the community and get them easy accessible and get you know get as many defibs as we can you know and responders carry defibs as well and and the public access ones that we have available so then I had the opportunity to get four of the volunteers up for instructor you know and then this is the ball really this is the snowball really going we we were lucky enough the four of them got up and and trained as instructors and we got them through the course and then we started teaching the local community the house house save of course and and we're we're 30 through already you know when you're in a big enough new village you know to get them all through it'll take time but if at least one person in every household with an unit going on has a good good CPR that's the first line going on and Leah is and Leah is and Leah is Leah is your daughter is she she is she is she's an ongoing commentary on facebook here to your comments first one no better man for it hard Madas simply the best then she updated us Roddy classic dad never takes the credit for himself good woman Leah thanks very thanks very much for that that's the wonders of modern technology have you on one phone line and I've of Leah on facebook watching you here come here listen and we'll get you in another time actually because for a separate item on the show because we it's only last week we had Harry Walshian and it was Deep Fib Day last week and you know talking to people who would not be alive and well if it wasn't for the quick reactions and people can't do that unless there's people like you in the community training them and all that so listen Roddy we know you're really busy we appreciate you being a good sport and taking the time out to talk to us and happy motoring yeah thank you yeah the the the car will be used go show us we'll see you flying and flying passing and getting down again hopefully it doesn't cringe too much when I'm driving that boat no that's it we don't want you in anything other than that car you just keep and don't worry about the mileage either I want you to stuff in with at least 50 keep it local keep it local all right Roddy take care of yourself complex well done you're just that type of a character you know it's like wrestling you'd be a heel I think they've called you a heel you know the bad guy and I'm only messing them because right from the get go the the concept of this and we talked to you Shameless about it before about you your company being a community company and you know just seeing this as a way of building strengthening those ties recognising that I don't know what was the vision there yeah yeah it was Michael's idea and the community hero thing and it's gone you know it's way way bigger and growing bigger than we thought and I so it couldn't have went to a better hard work in person you know yeah okay yeah yeah I just want to reiterate is it's Michael spoke to me last year about it and you know it's great to have I motors on board it's it's an incredible price to be given to somebody within the community and it has gone from strength to strength there's no two ways about it and the reaction we saw on Saturday was priceless yeah and deserving but also from from his first responders their reaction as well was brilliant they were just so delighted that his daughter says he never takes the credit or claim for anything and you know it's that's that's the type of person we were looking for we found them but we couldn't have done it without I motors because the prize the prize is the prize it's there you know and to have a cash guy a brand newness and cash guy for a year and if we can get him time now to get organized to get the car and get a little bit like you know and fair play for you shown to go out and do that very impressive interviewing skills and I mean that seriously watch out and was it Anya as well who did the camera work yeah just to say thank you to Anya and also and Korean and Korean as well as well yeah we'll get that up on our socials later for anyone who missed it as well because it's a it's a lovely thing and his reaction it really punches you in the fields it's it's real all right anything else you just want to add before we wrap it up no not went very very well so okay yeah all right well done shameless thanks for coming down again and who's to say what might happen in the future along these lines watch this space watch this space is the way we always like to approach things and finally thanks to Roddy thanks to Karen and all the crew who thought so much for him to nominate him and thanks to all everybody who nominated somebody there's some amazing people that were nominated some that people might know some that they won't some that may not have accepted it whatever it doesn't matter you know what I mean but a lot of the people you'd expect to be nominated were nominated and there was on song heroes and it was just an amazing bunch and group of people and we're so lucky here in the Northwest we really really are we'd love to be able to read them all out and show all the names out but obviously we kept it it was just incredible Superb was it Yeah All right, listen thanks very much really appreciate it take care that's Sean Quinn head of sales at Highland Radio and Seamus McLaughlin owner of iMotors back with more shortly Watch the show live now on YouTube, Facebook and at HighlandRadio.com or in office today Don't know 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online at homestoreandmore.ie home store and more a happy home Highland radio weather updates with Ireland West Airport from March 26th Erlingus will operate a daily service to London Heathrow providing onward connections to any plus destinations worldwide Ireland West Airport don't just take off take it easy OK, let's have a look at the weather forecast now and I can tell you that today will be as follows hazy sunny spells and well scattered showers to start today without breaks of rain moving in from the north turning cold during clear behind the rain with highs of four or five degrees light to moderate northwesterlies those are the winds of course turning very cold in the evening with icy stretches and we'll tell you a little bit more about what it's going to be like tomorrow we're going to tell you a little bit more like it's what it's going to be like tomorrow a little later on in the program OK, so we know we are in the middle of Irish Music Month and as part of that it's a collaboration of a number of independent radio stations all of them effectively really we are promoting and pushing Irish music we play lots of Irish music here and we're looking for everyone all around the country to do more to support Irish artists and we are running a competition to select four artists which we have now they are Charles James and the Rise Ashini, Boy M5 and the Midnight Preachers they are going to perform from us all this week and then we're going to select a winner between Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday between you and judges and then they're going to go on to compete in a national competition with other artists selected by other radio stations so let us say good morning now to fingers crossed Charles James and the Rise James good morning to you Good morning Greg it's great to have you with us how are you keeping? good great it's great to have you in get a wee bit of feedback there but your luck will work through that Charles James and the Rise talk to us about this band and its membership so today I have myself on guitar Catherine, my wife on piano and vocals and we're joined by Laura McFadden on cello Laura did the session work for us and has agreed to come and join us today to perform the songs as we created them all right and talk to me about talk to me about this track well we're going to get two tracks from you but talk to me about the track Elephants because it is it sticks in your head it's a it's a real earworm isn't it it's beautiful talk to us about the making of that track yeah that broke that back in October so how do you come about after like a long period of kind of I'd after the loss of my father in 2020 it's kind of a sudden loss and then the grieving process after that and I was kind of trying to put that into express it through the through the song I'd written a few different songs and he just never hit properly and then when I was starting to play this one I realized I was going to express everything I wanted as well as kind of saying there's light at the end of the tunnel for anyone going through something like that beautiful so it was part of a process for you as well too it was yeah absolutely you know when I was just you know it was over two years later before I was able to kind of fully come to terms with it and Elephants is being released this month isn't it it is 24th of March it'll be everywhere that you can consume your music kai chun spotify and then we'll be following that up with a wee video shortly afterwards and your outside of the music world career is fascinating it's fascinating itself I think the last time I spoke to you we talked about maybe we could do a full hour just on what you're doing and all that kind of stuff that's right the way it is the way work works for you is you do get a bit of space at home don't you because you work away but you get a bit of space at home just to you know work on that the creative side of things spend time with your beautiful family of course and all that stuff yeah I know it's great the way I'm working now since middle of last year I work away for a month down in Angola down in West Africa and then I come home for a month and then when I'm off you know I'm fully off and I have time to focus on the music and brilliant okay well the song that we're we've chosen elephants but we're going to hear another track first aren't we yeah you're going to hear the second one and so elephants is going to be the first single and then drinking the ghost away it's going to be the second right so we go drinking the ghost away first yep that's part of your fault you're the one saying second early in the day for that correct all right come here drinking the ghosts away whenever you's already guys okay okay one two three set my sins alive turn in the fire right as the embers rise and this is my last disguise rising blue those black wings aren't for you no no because your teeth are the best disguise and all your teeth are the best disguise lately I've been dreaming I've been drinking the ghosts away lately I've been dreaming no but you can't keep the ghosts away ghosts away there's some of the things I've done right there's an impossible one going to change what's been and gone because lately I've been dreaming I've been drinking the ghosts away lately I've been dreaming no but you can't keep the ghosts away lovely stuff it's a beautiful sound James that you have there thanks very much Greg yeah it really is and I don't know enough about music to attribute a style to it but it's just you know it's just so calming and melodic and yeah it's a kind of I suppose atmospheric folk type of sound it's kind of what we've been just the way the sound's developed really yeah you know it wasn't kind of a targeted approach or anything it's just you've been at this you've been at this a long time of course and it's do you feel it's evolved during your career in terms of how you make music how you release it how you promote it do you see a little bit different now it's yeah I think it's all a learning process you know because of course my career's a way to see it's not something I think if you could go to uni and study it and all the rest you get very good at the market and the promotion and understanding the industry whereas for me it's always been independent you know it's kind of learning and make mistakes and then learn from that the next time you go for a release you know in terms of the promotion as well it's I suppose I told you it's kind of we're just discussing that like you're either good at self-promotion or you're not and I'm not particularly good at self-promotion but you've got a great self-awareness it sounds like maybe the next track James is not you know introspective work better work to do myself ah no you don't listen you're doing fantastic and there's like anyone who knows anything about music across the county would know your work and what you've been doing and as I say this is just about hopefully giving one of our amazing artists here have their own follow followings and their own catalogs just an extra bit of a bit of publicity on a national scale really isn't it I mean you've done it you know you're this is not new to you like you know I don't know but it's still it's a great opportunity exactly yeah it is right okay so we're going to hear elephants now people who've heard the trail have you to say it's a song and it just goes to show what radio play does because the more you keep listening to it listening to an end it's just a it's just a crack in tune all right so this is Charles James and The Rise and this is the track we'll be opening the voting lines for you on on Thursday to vote on and this is their track elephants one two three ever slow gasp for breath there's another they begin dogs barking loud and it's got my chest bent down eyes by nothing that opens that I'm so much harder than it seems gasp for breath it's life sweet imperfections like dogs barking loud got my chest bent so much harder than it seems it's so much harder than it seems like dogs barking loud and it's got my chest bent down so much harder than it seems all right hard to believe that was actually live it sounded so good that's James Charles and The Rise that's finalist number one in our irish music month music competition that is the song we'll be asking you to vote on and we'll have the audio and the video up later in the week Charles James and The Rise elephants Charles absolutely nothing but success this is a great opportunity to get to chat to you to get you back in studio in your current format cello sounds absolutely amazing as well and regardless of whatever happens I think I've said this to you before I don't know why you know we're not trying to harass you to come on because you're in a tour of Germany or Australia America or something so continued success best of luck with the release of the music and best of luck in the competition thanks million Greg thanks for everyone for having us no no it's our pleasure it's our pleasure thank you so much that's James who is James O'Donnell of course and Catherine O'Donnell Laura there on the cello James is on the guitar there Catherine playing the piano and backing vocals as I mentioned didn't I Laura on the cello and they're from Green Castle they're a duo play rambling atmospheric folk I hope you enjoyed that the first track was drinking the Ghosts Away which is a little bit of an exclusive that's soon to be released music but the competition entrance is elephants and that was from Charles Charles James on the rise and the rise sorry and I would not like to be trying to pick a winner we're going to give you details on Thursday as to how you can help pick the winner tomorrow Ashini is live in studio with us on Wednesday we've got the big sound of Boy M5 looking forward to hearing their track live that's going to be really interesting and another amazing act already these are superb acts by the way this is just a case of trying to push them on a bit as well on to a sort of national strong international stage the Midnight Preachers they're the final performers on Thursday but as you can see and as Bill Mullin and Kathleen McCarran and Patrick Kavanaugh are already recognising on social media we have a contender and we're back with Ashini tomorrow at 10 30 so don't miss it here on your number one local radio station this is Highland Radio it's the 90 noon show for all your training needs Northwest Forestry Services Training Department Bali Buffay offer a wide range of courses from training bodies such as NPTC City and Gills QQI Landra and ABA International courses include all land-based services such as Chainsaw Tree Climbing and Rescue Pesticides Working in Heights and ATV Training other courses offered include First Aid Responder Manual Handling and Building Safety to name but a few for a full list of training courses and availability contact Northwest Forestry Services Bali Buffay on 0749132033 the government is planning to make changes to the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme to help more businesses with rising energy costs until these changes take effect in the coming weeks claims can continue to be made under the current scheme if your business has been impacted by significant gas or electricity price increases and you haven't already registered with Revenue.ie now is the time to do so brought to you by the government of Ireland guess what what Larkins of New Mills are offering a four course dinner for Mother's Day which includes starter main course dessert with tea or coffee all for an incredible 23 euro to book call today on 074912697 early booking is advisable let our family look after yours this Mother's Day at Larkins of New Mills at Screw Fix we've got low prices to make you go wow so you can stock up on everything you need to get the job done that's low prices and trade essentials low prices and plumbing and electrical and low prices and decorating and work wear don't miss out shop these wow prices at screwfix.ie or in over 30 stores screwfix the choice of champions choose life choose fun choose not sitting at home getting bored choose something better something really fun choose Fundamenia coming to the Brunswick Movie Bowl from March 3rd choose regular junior or family wristbands and enjoy some of Europe's top thrill rides choose fun for all ages a legendary Fundamenia event 3rd to 19th March for details see fundamenia.co.uk The 9th till noon show is brought to you by Letter Kenny Credit Union with monster loans available up to 60,000 euro for all occasions visit letterkennycu.ie Okay right just before we head towards news at 11 o'clock we've got time for a few of your comments here can someone point me in the right direction please ask this listener and maybe you can help my daughter recently returned from an underage disco in tears at what she witnessed young boys and girls performing sex acts on each other in full view of everyone in the club she told me it has now become such a normal that no one is even looking at them anymore I made several phone calls on the issue guardies say they cannot enter the club unless a report is made security told me they have been directed to look away as young people are sexually more active now and it's their freedom to do so needless to say we call management to where calls were not returned is there anybody out there that will take responsibility to stop this happening is this an area two slur could do something about now this is not going to be popular as to what I'm going to say here the first port of calls moms and dads here really do you know what I mean like rushing to a state agency to sort of go can you resolve this I mean obviously that is that not the sort of the first port of call I don't know what do you think out there what advice have you got for this person 08 660 25000 yes I mean if stuff's going on there has to be a role for the state or the agencies of the state or whatever it might be but first and foremost like I speak to a lot of parents and they their children go to these as mine have in the past as well by the way I'm not I'm not insulated from this they probably weren't on because then they wouldn't have to sort of say no or argue with the young people or that type of stuff I think it's just us as parents and guardians of a wee role and a conversation to have in relation to this as well what do you think as to say I'm just throwing scenarios and stuff out there 08 660 25000 08 660 25000 or call 07 491 25000 what do you have advice in the first instance I suppose for this person as I say I don't purpose I'm not trying to be controversial but as I say you know maybe we as parents need to sort of combine together and say what can we do or what do we need to do if you get where I'm coming from as I say what's absent text to 08 660 25000 the county's number one talk show the 9 till noon show on Highland radio okay I can't believe we're heading into the last hour of the show already but we are and to take us there at 11 o'clock it's over to Makayla Clark with the latest news headlines thanks Greg good morning Donegal County Council has renewed its appeal for properties to house Ukrainian people to date 152 homes in the county have been made available the call is part of a government initiative to make use of unoccupied houses apartments or holiday homes to house those fleeing the war in Ukraine a tax-free recognition payment of 800 euro per month is available Donegal deputy says the government can and must intervene to cut energy costs Sinn Féin will bring forward a motion to the dull tomorrow to urge the government to provide support as people struggle with sky-high bills deftly pier story says a sensible measure has been adopted in Europe which the irish government has failed to replicate over 180 businesses organizations and institutions in the northwest have signed an open letter in support of the proposed upgrades to the a5 jointly organized by the London Dairy and Letter Kenny chamber of commerce the open letter is signed by businesses across dairy Donegal Straban Oma and the wider northwest region it's been submitted to the north's department for infrastructure as part of its consultation and call for views on the a5 supplementary environmental information which closed on Friday landlords are being driven out of the market due to the evictions ban according to an estate agents network this evening government leaders will meet to discuss whether to extend or scrap the ban which is due to expire at the end of the month but it's thought it may be extended with some exceptions including student accommodation and private landlords who want to use their properties to house their relatives or themselves a new curriculum for primary schools is due to be published this week it's something you framework will move a focus away from traditional subjects it's expected foreign languages will be introduced with more time given to art drama and music and the last chance for people to have their say on the town center first plan for milford is this week the plan will be regeneration and renewal focus with the beauty strengthening the role image vibrancy vitality and resilience of milford a town center those are the latest headlines will be back with an update again at 12 noon okay mikaela thank you very much indeed there's a grand stretch in the evening tom says to everyone he meets this time of year including the fire service who this evening responded to an electrical fire at tom's house caused by the charger he forgot to unplug after having a grand stretch in his online yoga class this afternoon not so grand thankfully tom has a phone watch alarm which responds to break ins and smoke in just 15 seconds for only 49 euro life is unpredictable don't be alarmed be phone watched offer ends march 19th visit phone watch dot ie monitoring fees apply okay you're very welcome back to the 90 noon show here on highland radio after the news headlines and it's all go go goats but a busy monday morning hopefully it sounds busy uh and organized rather than me stressing out an absolute chaos which is happening when the microphones are down isn't that right caroline i'm chaotic and it's my fault it's monday morning uh speaking of monday morning a timely reminder that it's monday morning is brendan devaney he's just gone to i don't know is he washing the dishes there he's closing the curtains i don't know i'm watching him on zoom here i'm trying to do an interview and he's yep the blinds are coming down okay i'll wait and you brendan brendan devaney i've you muted as well that's my fault okay brendan devaney joins us now the deal debate is on this evening can you hear me brendan sorry i had myself muted i was talking about you closing your blinds and all that kind of stuff and i'm the eget here sorry yeah yeah um you are yes that's that's great lovely come here um what's coming up in the program you've got the gea reporter with the donagall news ryan ferry uh rmar legend aron kerran also on the show so we'll focus on saturday night i know we're in a period of transition and and all that type of stuff but it's tough it's tough to watch uh at times there was a spell i think in the second half where it was right okay we can kick on from here but then you get the impression that our opponents now feel that if they can weather a short storm we kind of just give in with a quarter to go i'm not saying the players are giving in by the way i'm not in a position to be harshly critical but it just it we it's maintaining a momentum that goes and then it's like we were gone yeah there's a good arma are a good defensive side they shot out the best forward line in ireland last week in their home patch so it was always going to be a very difficult assignment up there you know a raucous athletic ground you know they've they've really galvanized the county massive support and for a forward to suppose look great looking at our league table you know myself and yourself have spoke a few times about defensively you know our defense is is coping okay um outside of that i suppose particularly the monaghan game um poor tarot game of it perhaps in that as you said intercession you're always going to have you're never going to play a brilliant game all over because players are just betting on getting to know each other new management new players and you come up against an arma team that's very much on the up and it's to say defensively they're very hard to break down and so many of our like we have forward hand but they couldn't they couldn't break the defense and then as we've seen so many times going on come shoot McFadden how do you get round blank at the fence you either have to give go break the lines which physically we don't really have an arm rate the minute or you have to give the ball indirect and and when we started to do that then we kept fighting and you'd say i suppose one i suppose glimmer of hope from it gregus we didn't give up and we kept trying and you might have an option inside we've got to have a platform inside to get around tough defenses because we haven't got our players are not be they're they're skillfully very good but they're not able to break a game line agar mahas but that's it gregus to say that our mad defense is really solid really it's probably one of the toughest and again arm chest off here are we shooting more than we did under boner i mean obviously if you can't penetrate that defense you're going to take some shots are we taking more shots now than we did under boner do you think obviously there's going to be more wides but i mean rather than sort of holding on to the ball and trying to work an opportunity inside listen i i think you got to have a go um greg probably our shooting was a bit off and it was as well last week which is a bit of a worry because certainly we have some serious talent inside that maybe that shouldn't be happening but i suppose you're shooting on the pressure and you're shooting from awkward areas and i think again on top of everything else like being around about wides and shot selection and all that that comes from an experienced group who know how they want and you always get the sense it's our evening that no matter what our map we're going to know how to want that match and uh you know even though we got close to them which was admirable they had a couple of chances at the goal chance that they should have fisted over the bar and went four up they missed it and we stayed in the game then because of that but you could just see a team that's further down the road from that so this is difficult times i enjoy the league though do you i mean the crowds of this crowd seem fantastic you're seeing teams on a par against each other battling that you know there's no doesn't feel like there's dead rubbers there or it doesn't feel like you have to go through a whole series of games just to get the inevitable you know provincial winner of the championship i mean it's with a bit of refinement it's a and maybe more emphasis uh in in it's standing like it's a great competition hmm great there's a massive interest in jane we've talked a few times about tactics about games be powering um it doesn't seem the effects that the general jay population how maybe bad the times games are i think they've got used to the park that they love their teams and no matter what great is even we blanket the fence games they'd be interesting at the end i would say to people you can really come in after half time because all the action is going to happen in the second half because it's it can be real shadow boxing but that seems to be enough for people they don't mind um the way that the game has gone they've accepted it now and there still is excitement in there and so many teams just want to do well as you see with it with the balls there at our man i mean it's just pretty awful stuff their times in that first half but people seem to be be happy with it and certainly they know that the end game is to one the match and as i say things tend to open up in the second half that bit more the leagues have fantastic competition and i think the new group stages in the championships trying to capture a bit of that great the whether they do or not will be interesting because the league is the league and people go on there and there's players injured and we try players and there's there's different things happening tends to be a bit more open whereas we're used to championship and championship so when this group stage starts it remains to see the what level it's at because it won't be do your day championship the games so whether that really takes off or not i'm still not that sure but the league is just a special competition on its own and yeah many people many people prefer to the championship point you see that kind of what i was saying but i didn't want to nail my my my i didn't want to nail my colors to cross that strongly derrient your own two uh performances at the weekend as well yeah all our neighbours doing well great to see you isn't it um yeah listen there's something about this to your own team Greg um nobody can figure out but i'll tell you what you can figure out see when they're really up against it i'm they play carry i don't know they just can pull it it's in them you see and i suppose that's what's frustrating so many to own fans that this team is is one the best in Ireland yet they can play like a team out outside of the top 10 but they definitely didn't do that at the weekend and they were under they were under pressure and it's funny that the sound bite come out of me Fergal Logan he's he's a friend of mine saying this and everybody else was panicking me weren't but i would say there was a small bit of panic in there and and again the derri game strange max for me you know in a game looking at the whole game great people just look at the at the end of it in the second half that's what i'm saying they don't look at the way derri looks so ordinary first half and look terrible and Dublin were doing the way Dublin would have did to a blanket defence team years ago and just kind of picked them off but you see the growth in derri and and and some of the new talent coming through and and i suppose their ability to say you know we're going to stay in this game they needed a goal they got the goal once they get that goal i thought that's the launchpad but i mean even after the dubs came back in there but a couple of points went ahead again but there's just something about this derri they will be hard to beat but whether that tactic um Greg as we as we know works at the same level at Crow Park this is the the period with that type of setup what happens at Crow Park now whether Rory Gellar's planning for that anyway i'm sure he is because he looks like a man that has many many plans you know it wouldn't be an easy job staying in division two for any teams that might be in division two uh next year uh that would be very great as we say the bottom two won't be in the All Ireland um that's that's assert as it stands because West Meath won the Talchum Cup which means they're in the All Ireland proper from division three and then the way the Connick Championship was set up uh i think a slag of war literally were going to be in the final which means they're automatically so two places has gone from division one and two so the bottom two sides now you're going to be in the All Ireland and and that's that's going to be tough and i think it's it's Lumnick anyways bottom and i think maybe you could have something like Meath of the Air out of the All Ireland series Greg Silver for us at Dunny Gull it's going to be tough to survive now i mean everybody would say we're going down now if there's some Houdini effect uh at home there to my home maybe get the ball rolling on the way to Ross Common it's still possible Greg so we we live in hope yeah maybe you could talk out again for us come here uh are you in the business of chatting about refs a few people want to know your views uh on the ref uh at the weekend and the Dunny Gull game few soft frees and a couple of decisions here or there enough to change the course of the game at the end of the day whatever the ref does you know there's 15 players out there that that have that can do what they want to do as well yeah it's like in boxing you know knock knock them out and then you don't have to worry about the judges it was brought up in the Sunday game last night Greg no sound to myself this is our main GA coverage uh you know show of the week and are we really talking like this i mean i mean the good saying yeah you could have a free down and cork and it's different and thrown us on it's like what what why is what's the point in this and then we look on a bit defining the tackle i mean Greg it's this stuff is ridiculous this and we know what the tackle is we know what a tackle is there's there's borderline around physically how you approach a player and how you tackle the ball and that's just up then to the judgment of the ref going if a ref does give a free in one part of the country and doesn't another that's down to the ref because he makes a split this season at the time people just have to get on with this and stop kind of a boring old debate isn't it of like 20 years ago yeah it's it's human nature for people to not only kind of view things different but also you remember the ref was making a point blank decision so if he looked back at that that night and video you might say well i should have given it or i shouldn't have but at the end of it we trust refs to do it and if a ref calls a free he calls a free and that's the way it is now if a ref sometimes we've seen the other week particularly doing in Cork Dublin was a couple of farcicals sending the huffs now he was a new ref Greg in the county football he needs to look at that and improve and i suppose that's another thing about the league you know some refs are learning as well but this fact of saying all defining the tackle and and this is a free in one part of the country and another no it isn't that's just the nature of the game get on with it yeah right a to you ladies boss barny corins in with you as well um it's nice to be able to come on to the deal debate with a bit of success behind you so it should be a nice chat they beat st mary's uh last wednesday uh in in kind i never give off the refs by the way great people probably say less of the help you know i'll be honest with you right no but i just i i kind of i think i talked to you on off now and i i knew you probably weren't going to jump on the bandwagon of bashing refs i just think maybe you know like it's excuses i'm not being i'm not being a hypocrite because i used to give off stington but hey everyone's allowed to mature look at the age here i know i had to change like she can see the greatness of my and my channel here i'm matured but no my thing was that say you were going to pull the dragon side i was always maybe overacting at the end that i was getting balled all together so we would keep an eye on it so in the back of my mind it was something to give a help me and the team probably came out and came off uh i love back and i'd seen you know a couple like she's i'm shouting and no one around i think there's a bit of consistency required if you if if there's three or four fellas around someone right uh and and it's like oh that's clearly a foul if it then goes the other way for overcarrying the public that that's when it gets really no because that's like hold on you second it's not just you know that's an interpretation it's frustrating it changes the flow of play it's a turnover you know i think that's when really winds people up it can't be perfect no of course not but that's the when you have a when you have a a ref just judging at the second like and there's players around them and no people don't like that but there's no way of stopping that so my my thing would be listen that forward needs not to get into that space or the person on the ball sorry doesn't have to be forward he doesn't have to be in that space he needs to stay away from the trouble you know right okay that's uh brendan devaney there the podcast it's live tonight by the way just after seven o'clock just after the seven p.m news uh it's broadcast live and of course then you can listen to the podcast on our website highlandradio.com and the dl debates in association with sarah's kitchen at sister sarah's letter kenny come here have a lovely monday we'll chat to you later we look forward to the show already and tune in live or listen on the pod all right take care of yourself brend that's uh brendan devaney there 08 6 60 25 000 whatsapps and texts to that number 08 6 60 25 000 give us a call on 07 he's literally just straight into his breakfast uh i think i've read it when we didn't do video calls maybe all right 08 6 60 25 000 call 07 4 9 1 25 000 uh caller says don't look all the worse on the car than boner pure not a garbage on saturday night we're not in a process of building a changing of the guard i don't know um all right referee wasn't great player on the ball is now being moulded by two three and four players gets punished for overcarrying then don't go still not moving the board forward quick enough and allow the opposition to get their defense up okay that's another person's point of view busy again on the lines this morning monday morning uh greg paul played the songs on saturday and i picked elephants reminds me of lennard coan i can hear every word that comes in from mary mary listen thanks for your text um but wait to hear them all there's the they're all brilliant in the wrong way uh and i'm not just saying that to be honest with you fantastic james and kathryn good luck says another brilliant performance by uh charles james and the rise such a beautiful song and i think actually once he told me of the meaning behind it and i re-listened to it uh that it kind of hit uh hit home a bit more than two as well to be honest with you oh my god i'm an old lady and that singer james is fantastic can you play him again don't usually even notice um an older lady you know what did she talk to you how you describe yourselves but yeah he's got a great voice and a great sound good morning greg best wishes to james and his band james isn't just a great singer he's also a really nice guy that comes in from michael kavner indeed michael he really does come across as such and beautiful sound very easy listening says another and all four songs are in our playlists now by the way so you'll be hearing them uh over uh the course of the month as well and as i say every single one of them uh well worth uh the airplay all right okay uh let us take a break yes it's time for a break the nine till noon show with letter kenny credit union simplify your debts with a debt consolidation loan from letter kenny credit union call us on zero seven four nine one zero two one two six or apply online via our app or in office today are you building rebuilding or simply improving your home come along to donnie gall's premier gathering of home building professionals in the northwest donnie gall new build and rebuilds 2023 it will take place in the mount harrigal hotel letter kenny admission is free to this three-day event from march 10th to march 12th this ad is kindly sponsored by aib letter kenny hey uh oh my god is everything okay you and pa oh jane there's plenty more fishing the ccpc money to breaking up with your bank quick find another match with ccpcs free independent current account money to find your new account now at ccpc.ie forward slash move from the competition and consumer protection commission stop highland radio are going to scotland from monday the first of may to thursday the fourth of may with 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microphone's open aren't you well you have to be it's monday morning okay and also delighted to welcome into studio arnie mcgloughlin who's development officer with the initial development partnership but it's about a celebration of women well i'll ask straight off danielle what is to you what's international women's day it's we'll have this conversation just outside um it's a celebration of women um every year obviously we as an organization we celebrate women all the time but just taking the day to celebrate women but also highlight maybe some of the challenges um that women experience in so we're delighted this year to be partners in with idp to like celebrate women in the show and we were saying how excited some of the women are that we will be celebrating so yes talk to me about how we're going to do that arnie um so i suppose we've got a call out across that he's shown uh to for nominations for inspirational women in the community these could be women that have helped somebody or have taken on a campaign in the community or done something that really should be recognized so we did that call out and we were astonished by the number of women that that were nominated and we've over 13 women that were going to be delighted to be able to present awards to at our event tomorrow night in balai lyfan and just so note that we worked with a social enterprise uh spraegus sport who's well known who has actually sponsored our awards for tomorrow night so as part of that we also did um sold tickets for the event and within a matter of days all 150 tickets were sold so this really tells us i suppose the need for this type of event and the popularity office so we're delighted to be able to bring it um tony shown this year yeah danielle for sure uh danielle in terms of uh things were improving aren't they or are they because it's not really for me to say in terms of us recognizing how the system was set up by the way we're talking more about how women are represented the lack of representation uh we are maybe starting to take more seriously medical issues that primarily affect women uh but it's still like it's it's still like we're talking about it but then sometimes you think well is anything really changing is it just things yeah no things have changed and proved like we're saying this like sometimes we dwell on the the negative but there are positives the things have significantly significantly changed for women but we know there are fundamental issues like you raise the medical medical issue um like sometimes medical things that women experience aren't taken seriously there's a whole there's just a crisis right in in health it it seems to invariably it affects women well exactly if you don't believe you think of all the crisis and the the problems that we've had well covid was a prime example of this we were just talking about this we did research for the last well the last two years of covid and some of the things that highlighted for women is like we were saying this like even in relationships okay there was very often conversations was not had it was an assumption that the woman was going to be the home home schooler or the home carer and both parents were in the house and that caused some hostility between couples um and that was highlighted because it was never discussed before you know I think the UN um and some of the EU institutions have spoken about how covid potentially has pushed back gender equality for women by 25 years that's a lot you know you said to watch some of the challenges like here or nationally globally and locally women's representation is a major issue and in some parts of the world we're going backwards well we're Afghanistan it's a prime example I have picked friends that I know that work there um and locals and like it's devastating what's what's happened there and we're seeing other parts like I always say we can never take gender equality or equality period actually across the board because we've seen it with um minority groups as well um so that's why like we still exist like because you can never take anything for granted for sure and I think over the last couple of years uh for whatever reason uh I don't know if I don't feel progress is being made I think we're at least stagnant or there is actually quite a vocal pushback uh against the me too movement for example uh and others like an actual pushback in other words hold on yet you take a step back here don't don't lose a run in yourself now did you get you get yes oh yes yes it's a pendulum that things swing and equality people seem to think equality means if they're going to get something something's going to be taken away from somebody else threaten that is yeah that is not how equality works but then that goes back to the question of why there isn't inequality it's very much related to power some people are not even real as they have power but they do and actually the fact that they don't have to recognize that they have power is part of the back that you have I think too sometimes some of the some sometimes uh people's views can be misaligned in other words like so if you have an issue if you have an issue with big corporation big farmer uh you know profiting from war profiting from the energy crises and all that type of stuff really you should be aligned to changing how these systems work uh because it's generally old men in gray suits that are behind the scenes but you might find them that people's views are strangely aligned on on on certain issues does that make sense change is not an easy thing and I my background before I was doing stuff in under equality was conflict resolution um and conflict can be a natural state of being but it's how you address that you know and even addressing lake gender equality can also it's almost like a conflict for somebody because you're questioning their belief system you're questioning stuff that they've been raised with all their life you may be questioning having to question your family you know and families are dynamic within themselves you know and then there are various voices within any particular movement as well which kind of can rob those within it well you can sometimes have allies which I have discovered that can sometimes be detrimental and they mean well but it's so it's a difficult one I work with young people and some of them really get it and they they are very progressive I think in terms of changing a lot of people now I don't know if that's actually achievable I believe any change will actually probably come with with future generations yes and no I I don't totally buy that because I hear this but oh well they were raised like in terms of racism that's how it was you can look at where we are you see that's the thing you know but I I'm a positive person correct I spoke to people who I've spoken to people of colour and I've spoken to people from within the gay community and they said in the last couple of years they have been subjected to abuse they never experienced and I can believe that you know like we had a meeting with them no no no well and this is actually discrimination is like a family racism homophobia and gender quite gendered sexism actually can very often be related you know I like I did it years ago did a patriarchy course with the girls in the reticonvent and we were talking about women's experiences and this is just to give you an example here there was one black student in the class and we I'd showed them a video of one of my friends in an experiment in the UK about black women often if they have aphoros have this thing about people touching their hair without and so I showed them this video and the one girl put her hand up she's like that's me all her friends just turned their heads and they were like their mouths open they're like we're so sorry so you have a thing there to do with her race and she's a woman because men black men don't get this board so there is very much into the old men do well Greg no no no I've not actually don't mean it funny and it's no way to take away from that person's experience but it happens all the time well I don't recall ever touching a bald man's head a bald man's head but it is it is and it goes back to me I'm not in any way trying to trivialize that person's experience no but that that position I wanted to make clear is very much about someone thinks they're entitled to do that and where did you get that entitlement from and some it's because maybe that person you think is black and you're then not maybe going to challenge you on that that you have the because I had it I'm mixed race when I was young I had a little afro and my teacher did it all the time and I thought there's something wrong with me and it wasn't until many years later that we had this conversation with my friend because she has a massive afro and I was like I wasn't paranoid like and then all these other you know so it's having these conversations for people you know to talk about some of the issues were you bothered by it at the time yes okay you were yes oh god yes so in other words it wasn't sort of why I didn't have I didn't have power to challenge that because this person was authority for me yeah and the only other thing though was I said I just think people who are of a certain view they feel more vocal now there's and and they feel like you can you can demonstrate it in public and that you know you've got backers well social media is allowed that to happen so um but yeah but we are delighted for tomorrow yeah so come here um on yeah we don't even have to try and flog tickets what am I here for so it's a sellout um but it and you mentioned something just it wasn't in passing it was quite important on you just how this is something that's been hit on here maybe you didn't realize that should we do this and then everyone's nominating people want to be there want to be part of it sort of like it's blown up on you absolutely I mean we didn't know how this would be received we don't know many nominations we would get and we really were blown away so we're delighted to be able to highlight the you know the achievements of these women at tomorrow night's event uh so yeah that's fantastic and can you give us an idea of the title is it going to be revealed on the night I don't want to know spoilers well we have a number of women I mean from all walks of life from people who have overcome personal struggles within their own life who have led campaigns to approve the health service here uh and donnie gall to professional women who have started their own business in the midst of COVID so we have an array but certainly we will keep it under wraps for tomorrow night we know who they are okay but I have a feeling this is going to be very important to the people who've uh because we've been going through something similar here in calling on people to celebrate you know the contribution of other people and it's an easy thing to do but it means so much to recognize the work of the people we were just saying this that sometimes life life isn't easy and sometimes we're so we're busy all the time and it's like from possibly from our point of view is that we need to create spaces where we can just pause pause and just go actually this is what we've done and I'm going to say this you are amazing you know like I know sometimes I think women don't hear that enough and they put themselves down or they don't because I know some of these women I know and one of them I know personally and she is absolutely amazing and I know for a fact that she has inspired she inspired me and she's inspired so many other women and has done stuff for their mental health and just given them confidence and I think that's why international women's day is so important that we recognize those and it's delighted that we can have something big in in in donnie gall in his own to celebrate women sing tonicity is a band is it no it's a lady no a person a one person uh shavon heaney she was at her event last year we did an event in june of last year called empower her in the show and she was her icebreaker so she got everybody up on their feet basically using their vocal expression uh to I suppose improve their inner uh feelings and get the get the all the room I suppose up and get that energy charged equalizer isn't it it's an equalizer uh live music um and your emcee on the evening is diane greer yeah and um as well as entertainment as well panel talks yeah we have three women from our community we have resina toner uh who you'll know and also garda powerful there's a powerful person yes just come to the fore for her own situation yeah achieved uh I would argue um achieved so much in a short space of time in terms of getting to the ears that need to hear what she had to say and stuff really quite remarkable yeah sorry who else and we have another lady as well who has come here from ukraine uh olga and we also have guard olga olga I my ukrainian would be busy so I can't pronounce her surname unfortunately and we also have guard Anna Mcgrannon as well will be chatting about her work in the community that's actually going to be a really interesting conversation now um right okay so what else is happening on international women's day uh used are you involved in this we're involved in this um we are I was saying I'm not here on international women's day I'm actually out of the country but it is international women's it could be a woman somewhere else and actually I guess I'm going somewhere that actually is very relevant to um to this but I know a couple of there are events going across as events going on international I think with the cultural platform um also neve kennedy council neve kennedy she's doing a flip of the county council um having the women obviously they're out of the 37 only four are women so there's going to be four men and the rest are going to be women so I know she's been pulling women um from the community to um have a have a debate but have a session and such so that will be I I would love to have been there for that um but we lovely to see um the pictures and what's what's at and so we're celebrating women aren't you yeah definitely absolutely that is the core for a very I think everyone would prefer if we didn't have to have particular days of it's like we were talking earlier on about the next two weeks is um fair trade promote and fair trade right I mean people go why do you have those two weeks when no one wants them if this if it's if it's a norm that it's fair trade you don't require it's two weeks for it right if it's a situation in life where um you know women are treated equally if equal opportunity equal representation and positions of power if that's the one you don't have international women's days they then do but there is an international men's day you do know that Greg of course I do when is it um I don't know whenever Caroline tells me it's tomorrow 19th of November I know that but what do we use what do we use it for is it not normally to promote men's health and stuff it is but and there's some of the challenges we were just saying this out here that like we work for gender equality and receive work with women but there's everything that we work for benefits men as well we often have the stuff available to us it's just telling us to go and use it right well do you know what I mean that's the question why is it if I'm counter I can we why are you doing this to me you're twisting the table stop well that's what we have to do to get things changed you know that everything benefits everything if we what if we train the system everyone's going to benefit yeah benefit by that on you anything else you want to mention um later on in the week we have a couple other initiatives for women we have two courses for uh introduction to menopause we have one in Green Castle on the 9th of March and also in Climany on the 15th of March so we'd welcome all women we have still the places available for that and there's a massive appetite for information that regardless because finally now people feel they can say the word it's not a swear word and uh right okay so that's another I think that's an advance over the last uh we well anything else at all uh no I mean we always have initiatives uh IDP across all the community uh across all genders and all abilities and intergenerational as well so keep an eye out on our website for upcoming courses and events it's not about them and us we're all the same yeah we are all the same fundamentally aren't we yeah basically okay um do you need to add anything Daniel the same as um on here we've got loads of stuff coming up we've got we're going to have two courses actually um wellness um nature and wellness for women in one in wellness things really important there's a lot of heroes out there men and women that are under huge pressure and they just as I kind of again it was mentioned on the show where you're on they're battered on thinking that's the norm but self-care is so important how can you care for other people if you don't find space for yourself and it's okay to take it's not because we hear the word self being you think you're being selfish if you stop it's not being selfish it's actually the very opposite um for yourself you know like we weren't working me to workers and I know there's many committed workers that you know we just need time out and everyone needs time out even yourself correct I know I think anyone listened to this show and stuff I say really what it's just me talking about myself so this is your wellness session does Highland Radio realise this it's just me venting right but anyway can we it's always a pleasure to have you on Daniel uh Daniel Barnard coordinator of the Donegal Women's Collective and also Anya your first time on the radio yeah okay oh I should say check out our Facebook page WCI Donegal because that's where we post post all our upcoming courses and we've actually been delighted to be funded by ETB by a lot of courses this year so they'll be rolling off the Facebook pages and we have a WhatsApp group if they go on there they can get the details and what I was going to say is Anya you're a natural so obviously it must have been whoever you were with before so nothing to do with me then all right listen thanks so much and um it's Wednesday March 8th day after tomorrow uh Daniel always a pleasure as I say Anya great to have you on this program for the first time and hopefully we'll see you again Daniel boners coordinator of the Donegal Women's Collective on year McLaughlin uh Development Officer with the Inner Show and Development Partnership and check out their socials for a lot of stuff we were talking about and signposts of what's coming up and what have you and enjoy um enjoy the celebrations on what night's that the event tomorrow night tomorrow night okay we're getting in there early we're getting in there before the rest so tomorrow night the bad enough hotel doors open for seven to nine but registration from quarter to seven so coming off okay and it runs from seven to nine yes excellent okay thanks so much indeed we'll be back with more after the break watch the show live now on youtube facebook and at Highland Radio dot com we at Highland Radio love Irish music and we want to show our support throughout Irish Music Month this March in partnership with Hot Press Magazine we're asking you to support the Irish musicians artists and bands who make every party every drive home and every day magic that's right to celebrate Irish Music Month on Highland Radio we're asking you to support Irish artists and musicians by buying Irish albums Irish tickets Irish T-shirts and Irish music merch Irish musicians have shown that they are right up there with the best in the world so let's support them by buying Irish proudly supported by Highland Radio Hot Press IBI and the BAI sound and vision fund 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is back check out our new summer flights to Lanzarote with Ryanair starting March 28th Ireland west airport don't just take off take it easy okay now let's have a look at that weather forecast sunny spells and well-scattered showers to start today outbreaks of rain moving in from the north turning cold during clearage during the rain with highs of just four or five degrees like to moderate north westerly breezes turning very cold in the evening with icy stretches developing so our graders will be out at the cracker dawn don't you know to try and make us so help us get to work as safely and work in school wherever you have to go go caring for someone whatever you might have to do out on the roads so but we'll still have to be careful and cautious it's going to be a chilly one Betty Holmes is chairperson of Donegal Action for Cancer Care and is with me on the program now Betty thanks for joining us I appreciate your time today thank you Greg right okay just so you quoted there in the newspapers about a significant drop in cervical cancer screenings when comparing 2022 to 2021 do we need to sort of maybe compare going back another couple of years to find out was this uh was there a delay through covid that we saw in 2021 and then that wasn't reflected in 2022 or what's your reading of the figures Betty well Greg we we were absolutely horrified and shocked to discover the figures because the figures for 2021 was 9444 women had received their cervical screening in Donegal and in 2022 it was 7331 that's a drop of 2113 women who did not actually have their cervical screening in last year in Donegal and that is very very distressing very worrying and Greg yes I know that we talked about covid and all you know and we've went through covid and the difficulties that people had and businesses had and health had and everything had but if we have 9 over 9000 women availing of their cervical screening in 2021 to have a drop of 2013 or 113 in last year Greg there's questions that have to be answered well a couple of them questions have to be asked questions have to be answered a couple of questions would be how many invites were sent out was the level of invite sent out lower year on year was it was it people that didn't show up did they not receive an invitation I think really for context that would be really important information too would it Betty yeah well we we actually wrote to a cervical check on Thursday afternoon actually just like outlining our concerns and whatever and asking could we get some and you know information back on it but we will actually be following this up today Greg at a higher level because the HSE said that their invites for screening are up to date since 2021 so if their invites are up to date from 2021 how can I figure up 2113 and cervical screening is generally done in your GP practice so you know I can't see that access to your GP having an impact like that there's major major issues here and we go back women I'm doing this from memory again at 25 to 29 have their cervical screening every three years women from 30 to 65 have their screening every five years but Greg a figure of 2113 women according to cervical check not turning up for their cervical screening is really distressing and for us in DCC as I said we will be following it up yeah because the answers have to be got and also we need to call in our yeah before you before you get onto that too we know that a percentage of those screenings that didn't happen would have flagged something something that needed further examination do you know what I mean it's not like these are these are people and something would have been spotted in some of them so there are people listening to this program who may not have turned up or for whatever reason and they're we know how timely it is to catch these things early do you know what I mean so it is really really significant that this is going to affect people who aren't going to potentially get the best outcome for themselves I'm trying to choose my language carefully to not scare anyone but that's the importance of this it is Greg and the reality is it's too high of a figure you know not to have major major worries and concerns about and again you know if you're if you're a woman who felt that you should have had an invite and didn't get one we asked that you contact your I suppose GP practice find out when you had your last one we know GP practices are under pressure but there's nothing wrong with ringing up making the inquiry when did I have my last cervical screening if you didn't have an invite or if you had an invite and didn't go please please you owe it to yourself primarily and to your family to actually get yourself screened and with a figure as high as that for us in DCC we make no apology to the women of Donegal to follow up and to their HSE to the GPs whoever it takes follow it up if somebody tells you know you've had years last year or two years ago or you know within the designated timeframe that's good make note of who told you that by as well but that that's there's questions there Greg there's no way I would honestly believe that 2113 women and Donegal last year didn't turn up for an appointment I just I can't get my head around that at all and answer questions have to be asked answers have to be better you've been around these issues for a good while now do an amazing work by the way just let me let me say that thank you what do you believe is going on here what's your gut telling you my my gut now I'm this is just a total personal gut feeling I believe with all the difficulties that have existed through COVID and carried on and changes of staff and offices and everything else I don't believe in my gut I don't believe that 2113 invites were sent out to Greg and that women didn't attend I believe that there was a large portion of those invites didn't go out and weren't received is it possible that people have a perception that they're not going to get into the GP that it's not worth the hassle that you can't get an appointment because I receive so many messages into the show where people are frustrated with GP services I'm not in any way blaming GPs and I know the pressure they're under and they're dealing with an awful lot of people now the population in this country has grown by five or six thousand in this county alone mostly women so let's not forget that either and now I don't know how that's going to play into figures into the future ether and I think that's something really quite significant there's an awful lot of women in Donegal now that weren't here last year or the year before how are we making sure that they're uh screened if they need to be screened and so on and so forth but my I just I firstly actually maybe it'd be interesting to get your views on that what's being done to reach these women that are in the council now that weren't here last year well I do I I do believe yes that there are difficulties around access to GP there's no two ways about that and that's why I would call on women who are in that age group to make contact with their GP service follow up if you've got it as whatever there is difficulty because when you refer to Greg it just reminded me I've had a lot of contact myself about people having difficulty getting access and you're right that's a figure that we are I hadn't thought on the increase in the number of women who are actually in Donegal at present who may not even be you know um aware that they've got it where's there if they're getting invites are they going to their proper address are they getting them it's a it's a mindset Greg but it's too serious a situation and it's too serious a condition to just be left to be talked about today and let go do you know what I mean and and we don't want to scare anybody just like you said yourself but this is really serious stuff I call her say my doctor's office rang me recently saying that I hadn't made an appointment for my cervical check and wanted to check why not I explained I didn't know it was due I didn't get a letter as a reminder to make an appointment I always had before but not this time maybe others didn't get their invites either I made my appointment immediately when the doctor's office rang me I've since had my check and everything is good every woman needs to attend these checkups it's so important now there's a website that people can go to and it is hsc.ie or just google cervical check you can find out you can find out who should have cervical screening you can check the cervical check register you can get information about what happens at your appointment you can check if your cervical screening test is due or you can find a GP or a clinic for a free cervical screening check and to get all that information it's the first result that comes up is you search cervical check on google and you'll get into that website but listen Betty I know you've a lot of questions that you're going to continue to get answers to and I would love when you get them for you to rejoin us so we can be proactive and I can be proactive with you and I can have a constructive input maybe into getting women who haven't had the check to get that checked on to say to to make sure like that lady that was just on to us all was good everything is good yeah okay thank her for ringing in and the other thing is well great we're talking so much and I mean this respectfully about you know national women's day and all on wednesday women have done it go all make it a priority for yourself to follow up on your cervical check screening I don't believe everybody has had their invite I don't believe they've had the letter I know there's been difficult days and go for your cervical screening make it a priority for yourself this day and this week and remember the life you save could be your own and that is a priority you know that's just a scary stuff and we've we've looked at Dr. Scully has made his recommendations there's 50 recommendations in that Greg we as DCC will be following up to see how many of those 50 recommendations have been implemented but the priority today is the women have done it go all between age 25 and 65 follow up and see if you've had your screening if you're due appointment please yep okay and you can check your register and everything all right listen a caller says here I got my invite for my smear test I had it two weeks ago and I paid 50 euro does no no that's not to my knowledge not that the do the gps by the looks of things no we need to check into that because that person shouldn't have incurred a cost there listen thanks Betty keep up the great work and we'll be back to you for an update all right bye-bye take care Betty Holmes there oh wait six sixty twenty five thousand WhatsApps and texts Alan O'Reilly of Carlo weather is with us Alan good morning good morning Greg I must say I do enjoy your interviews with newspapers because you're always measured in your in your interviews and then this headline this is this massive headline about you know weather forecaster warns of you know 75 foot drifts and then you read in in the article and it's you just being your normal self you know given the information as it is but not being too not being too dramatic and if headline writers then have to make something of your interest in comments Alan it's kind of it's a little it's my guilty pleasure yeah just get a little bit more straight and to be honest with you because I got messages screenshots at the headlines and then like did you actually read what it says yes no of course not okay so we've a status yellow ice warning I think it's coming down from the north we're probably going to see the worst of what is in store for the next wee while Alan and what is in store yes so showers will push south the good news is the sunshine is going to return however the problem with that is much colder air is going to float down from the north so it's going to turn bitterly cold for the next few days there will be some wintry showers feeding into the north later tonight early tomorrow so there could be a few wintry falls generally small showers not not too many showers but still a risk but a very icy starts tomorrow and a very cold day tomorrow with a biting wind chill and it's going to stay cold then into Wednesday as well generally not too many showers around and some sunny spells but it's getting very tricky for Thursday into Friday now unfortunately the weather models are struggling which makes this very frustrating trying to forecast it and I'm sure very frustrating for your listeners look at all the wraps changing and the forecast changing but what I would say is especially for Donny Gall is keep up to date with the weather forecasts very carefully this week there is a risk of some heavy sleet and snow Thursday into Friday now it could be rain sleet at lower levels and snow at higher levels or it could be snow at lower levels and there is a risk of some disruptive snow for a time Thursday into Friday so unfortunately I can give you a clear kind of indication of how much snow where it's going to hit all I would say is definitely keep up to date with the forecast because there is a risk of some snow this week and there's a risk of no snow either but there's enough of a risk that you you see worthwhile mentioning it which is good advice and this weather not I mean it's only early March I suppose with the brighter mornings and brighter evenings we might be thinking we're in this you know we're actually in the proper spring and into the summer but I mean this weather is not necessarily unusual as such no I mean we have seen cold spells much of many weather can bring us that I suppose we were spiked well most of the areas of the country were spiked were very mild and dry February which might have lulled us into a fall sense of spring has sprung but certainly back to colder and more wintry style weather for this week and and some I know you'll know the topography better than me but I know there's some high roads and that people have got stuck on before if you're traveling those especially this week take great care and keeping a close eye on the forecast because as I say very icy conditions regardless of whether that snow comes and showers and then freezing will lead to ice but certainly a risk on especially those higher ground areas of some significant snowfall Thursday into Friday it does look like temperatures will increase for a little bit and but they could drop again next week now northern areas could hold on to the cold so it all depends on where this front of rain sleet and snow goes but the north of the country is likely to see the worst of the cold spell in terms of the longevity of it so unfortunately those heating bills Greg are not going to be very kind no and yeah and fair play to Alan for recognizing that in your forecast too it is um it's true it's real okay Alan thanks so much we appreciate your time as always take care cheers all right Alan Riley there who is of carloweather just a heads up it's nothing's guaranteed at this point but there could be some disruptive snowfalls Thursday evening into Friday a caller says again everything is about women Greg women can say whatever they want to men and there's no recourse if a man even looks at a woman there is outrage you are the same as the mainstream media you just want to hear women's views and everything but you do not look at the balance between each gender and listen I appreciate you might feel that but it's not the case half of the people listening to this show are women um a lot of the voices are men's we try and strike a balance as much as we like but listen it's very very clear that in certain elements of life um it's tougher to be a woman than it is it's a fella and if we're trying to sort of talk about women's issues it's doesn't in any way it doesn't affect men we're not trying to do that or I'm not trying to do that it's just that it's to give everyone um a platform and and to best ensure as possible that we're all have a fair crack of the whip I appreciate your time texting in nonetheless we'll be back tomorrow morning at nine have a lovely day thanks to Caroline or who researched and produced the show and Anja working with us as well uh we've more live music for you tomorrow and so much more besides tune in from nine discover your dream don't go wet