Morning Focus – Monday, March 21, 2016

The show opened with reaction to the news that Ennis will host Fleadh 2017. The county town was confirmed as the venue for the festival for a second year in a row over the weekend, seeing off competition from Drogheda, which was the only other town to make a bid. 
This year's Fleadh expect to attract up to 400,000 people to the town over 10 days in August. Gavin was joined in studio by Micheal O Riabhaigh Chair Ennis Fleadh and also heard rom Rita McInerney, CEO of Ennis Chamber of Commerce
One of the country's first wave energy projects is progressing off the coast of Clare, with a target date of 2018 for completion. 
The multimillion euro project involves a collaboration between a number of leading universities including NUI Galway.
Tonight (Mon. Mar 21) ESB Wave Energy will host a public meeting at Doonbeg Community Hall, Co Clare (8-9pm) to provide an update with progress on the project. Gavin spoke with James Tedd, West Wave spokesperson. 
Consumers are being warned of a new scam which targets people with a contactless payment facility on their bank cards.
The scam involves thieves wandering about – usually in crowded shops, pubs or concerts – carrying a card scanning device, which they use to tap against an unsuspecting target's pocket and take a payment from their card. 
Many banks here have replaced old Laser cards with contactless debit cards that allow people to make payments of up to €30 without using their PIN number. 
The Consumer Association of Ireland say they've benen expecting a scam of this nature since the government raised the limit on contactless payments and they're advising customers to be more security conscious. 
Dermot Jewell, Policy Advisor with the Consumer Association of Ireland, gave Gavin some advice on avoiding scammers
As the centenary of the Easter Rising of 1916 draws closer, Morning Focus decided to find out what the rebellion means in modern Ireland. 
Is it something that still resonates in the Ireland of 2016?
Clare FM's Siofra Mulqueen and Emer Moroney gathered some reflections and opinions on this seminal even in Irish history. 
On Monday, we heard from poet Mary Ellen Fean from Shannon and from John Mulkere, Classics Teacher at St Flannan's College, Ennis.
Caroline from Ballynacally got in touch with Morning Focus to express her anger at the fact that her 18-month-old daughter, Millie, was denied treatment at Ennis General Hospital earlier this month. Caroline says that Millie fell and got a deep gash over her eye and Caroline took her to the local injuries unit at Ennis General. At the hospital, a nurse told the family children under 5 couldn't be treated there and that they could go to UHL or wait Shannondoc. It was around 4.45pm and Caroline says she was concerned about waiting until 6. The family took Millie to the GP who treated her. 
Caroline says a post on the issue has received a big reaction and that she was contacted by a local TD (Dep Pat Breen). She feels that many parents are unaware of this restriction at Ennis General and she says she's very unhappy at the situation. 
As part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, synchronised wreath-laying ceremonies will be held at a number of locations across the State next Monday afternoon (1.15pm, March 28), to commemorate all those who gave their lives in the Easter 1916 Rising, in the cause of Irish Freedom. 
The West of Ireland ceremony will take place in Athenry, County Galway, and Gavin spoke with Michael Owens Galway County Secretary.
Survivors of symphysiotomy have expressed outrage at moves to distroy unclaimed medical records of those who suffered the procedure.
The records of 700 survivors, detailing the medical procedure they were subjected to, are currently available for collection.
But there are plans to shred all unclaimed documents from today (Mon. March 21)
The barbaric practice of symphysiotomy involved the breaking of the pelvis bone, to allow natural childbirth in preference to a Caesarean section. Gavin spoke to Ellen Moore from Ballvaughan, one of the survivors to this practice. 
Our sports panel were Clare FM's Derrick Lynch and Eoin Brennan from The Clare People
A lucky Clare couple, Elaine Burke and Noel Dooley from Mountshannon joined Gavin to share their delight at winning the Clare FM Wedding Competition. 
There are 40 days to go to the 4th Annual Irish beard and Moustache Championships, which takes place in Corofin in May. That's plenty of time to sprout a bit of facial hair, and it seems that some lucky lads can grow up to 6 inches worth of a beard in that time. 
Facial hair, in all its forms, will be celebrated at The Festival of Finn where prestigious titles including Ireland's Best Moustache, Best Fake Beard and Sexiest Beard, will be bestowed over the May Bank Holiday Weekend.
Martin Waldron from the Festival of Finn joined Gavin with some tips on growing facial hair.