Gardai should be paid at least the average industrial wage of 33 thousand euro, according to the Garda Representative Association. It comes after three newly qualified members of the force resigned over low pay. At the moment new gardai are paid 23,000 euro a year after graduating from Templemore. Gavin spoke to Ciaran O’Neill, Vice President of GRA, about the issue.
Next on the show, Gavin spoke to a young man from Quilty who has appealed for people to reconsider their relationship with alcohol after the death of his twin brother. Twenty-year-old Patrick Mungovan from Quilty has made an emotional post on Facebook about the dangers of drinking too much. His twin brother Stephen died after he fell from a cliff near Spanish Point last October, while on a night out. Patrick believes alcohol played a role in his brother’s death, and he wants young people to learn before it’s too late.
Crisis pregnancy service, Cura, is to close its centre in Ennis, citing changing trends in how its services are accessed. The facility, which is backed by the Catholic Church, says there’s a greater focus nowadays on supporting clients online and by phone. In a statement, the Catholic Communications Office announced that its centres in Ennis, Limerick, Tralee, Thurles, Kilkenny, Wexford and Athlone will close over the next few months. Drop-in facilities will be delivered through four main hubs in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Waterford, with volunteers redeployed in some cases. Cura’s National PRO, Charlotte Keery, spoke on the show this morning about the closure.
Later on Morning Focus, Gavin spoke to USI President, Kevin Donoghue, about a USI conference in Ennis.
A Doolin man narrowly escaped Tuesday’s (March 22) attacks on Brussels’ Zaventem Airport. Davin Garrihy spoke to Gavin about his experience on the show this morning.
Members of the Corofin Dramatic Society joined Gavin in studio today to discuss their upcoming play, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg. The play will come to Glor in Ennis, next Tuesday (March 29). A Day in the Death of Joe Egg was first produced in 1967. The playwright, Peter Nichols, had a daughter, Abbygail, with severe cerebral palsy. Peter has said that they could cope very well with Abbygail, but one of the most difficult aspects for them was making other people feel comfortable in her presence. He says that he and his wife developed a kind of comedy routine to put people at ease when they visited. The play also deals with the inadequate approach taken by the medics and the religious to help them understand and cope. Eileen Lahiffe, who plays Grace; Martin O’Donoghue, who plays Brian; and Maura Clancy, who plays Sheila, performed an excerpt from the play on the show this morning.
Next we heard from a panel of historians who spoke about the 1916 Centenary. Panellists included Dr Joe Power, author of Clare and the Great War; Dr Tomas MacConmara, oral historian and folklorist; Canon Seamus Mullan, from Miltown Malbay; and Dr Padraig Og O Ruairc, Historian and Chariman of the Meelick, Parteen & Cratloe Commemoration Committee. Dr Padraig Og O Ruairc also spoke about an event taking place on Easter Sunday, when the Commemoration Committee will unveil a new monument to the men and women of Clare who fought for Irish independence.
Clare FM has partnered with the HSE promoting all the #littlethings you can do for your mental health. When we go through tough times, little things like talking about our problems, getting regular exercise, drinking less alcohol and being involved in activities we enjoy can make a big difference to how we feel. Find the little things that work for you at yourmentalhealth.ie. Right now on Clare FM Sile Seoighe speaks to Ciaran Lynch, Clinical Nurse Manager with HSE who is based in Galway. He’s been outlining what they’ve been doing there to highlight positive mental health.
