Morning Focus – Thursday, December 3, 2015

Following ongoing discussion of the poor quality of mobile phone coverage in Clare, Vodafone agreed to meet commmunity representatives in Whitegate and Feakle. The news came after Clare TD Michael McNamara met with Vodafone officials at Leinster House to relay hundreds of complaints from the public and the results of a survey he conducted showing that up to 55 per cent of respondents described their mobile reception as 'terrible’. Deputy Michael McNamara told Gavin he was pleased with progress so far, but that more needed to be done by service providers.
With the continuing crisis in rural general practice, Clare GPs appealed this week for public support. Doctors in the county warned that rural services could be completely wiped out unless members of the public get behind a campaign to retain them. The threat to a number of rural GP posts in this county has prompted a public meeting in Corofin. Gavin was joined, to discuss the issue, by Dr Liam Glynn, a GP in Ballyvaughan.
A new reported this week showed that screen time is creating cranky kids. According to Early Childhood Ireland, children are becoming increasingly angry, tired, passive and cranky after using electronic devices such as computers and smart phones. Gavin heard more from Teresa Heeney CEO of Early Childhood Ireland.
Dr Maire Finn discussed the issue of controlling blood pressure.
Niall Maloney from Shannon Airport spoke to Brian McLoughlin about a very special photographic exhibition and the return of the much-loved ‘Santa Flights’.
Celebrity chef Clodagh McKenna joined Gavin to chat about The West Clare Junior Bake Off.
We heard about 252 years of the much-loved publication, Old Moore’s Almanac, from its editor Nicole Buckler.
Ahead of the inaugural lecture of the Clare 1916 Centenary Group, Dr Micheal O hAodha librarian and lecture at UL joined Gavin to discuss his translation of Colm O Gaora's autobiography, 'Mise'. The translation is called 'On the Run, The Story of an Irish Freedom Fighter’.
Spanish Point man, John Burke, conquered 22,000ft Nepalese mountain Ama Dablam and told Gavin about the experience. John and the other brave climbers trekked for up 20 hours a day for three days in their quest, in temperatures as low as -25 degrees Celsius, to raise funds for The Clare Crusaders, a charity which helps children with special needs.