A new this week called for the establishment of a dedicated Family Law Court in Ireland. It also recommended more supports for parents with intellectual disabilities. Marian spoke with Noleen Blackwell from the Free Legal Advice Centre who has backed the call for change.
Morning Focus heard that Clare householders are saying no to junk mail. The run up to Christmas is as time when we all welcome a little bit more post dropping on the mat. But, as well as the welcome Christmas cards, there's also a hefty amount of flyers, brochures and leaflets – the dreaded 'junk mail', that usually ends up in the recycle bin. This year, there's also the run up to the General Election, brining with it a raft of political leaflets and flyers. To combat junk mail in this county, an initiative designed to help householders to reduce the amount of waste being generated by unsolicited mail is being extended. Marian was joined by Pauline McDonagh Regional Waste Prevention Co-ordinator for the Southern Waste Region.
With the COP21 summit ongoing, we heard that ‘there is no planet B'. That's the message being sent to a gathering of 195 international politicians who are, this week, trying to reach a deal on climate change. Marian heard more about COP21 from Dr Barry O’Dwyer of the Environmental Research Institute at UCC.
Restaurant industry experts said this week that a tap water charge is likely to be introduced in line with anticipated hikes in water charges for businesses next year. The Restaurants' Association of Ireland, says a reasonable charge on tap water is 'only fair'. However, the Tourism Minister, Paschal Donohoe, says he’s ‘absolutely against’ the proposal for restaurants to charge for a glass of tap water. But what's to happen locally? Aidan McGrath of the The Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna, gave Marian his views.
Clare's Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme was launched this week at the De Valera Public Library in Ennis. The County Clare programme is the outcome of consultations with interested local groups, organisations and individuals, who were invited to participate in the planning and implementation of the local programme. Led by Clare County Council and under the guidance of the local 1916 co-ordinator, Helen Walsh, the programme contains events and initiatives ranging across all seven strands of the national Ireland 2016 programme. Folklorist and historian, Dr. Tomás Mac Conmara, was Marian’s guest in studio, along with Helen Walsh County Librarian.
Well-known singer Sean Keane is on a mission to introduce children all over the west to traditional song, and offer then an alternative to shows like the X Factor. This week, he visited Connolly National School to rehearse with pupils who were to join him on stage at glor, Ennis. Ahead of that visit, he was Marian’s guest in studio.
A young Clare boy, Johnny Coleman O'Loughlin, was chosen from thousands of children to join Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Toy Show this year. He brought the house down when he met his hero, weather forecaster, Evelyn Cusack. Johnny called to Clare FM to tell us about the experience.
Kilkee journalist and documentary-maker, Peadar King, is back on TV with a new series of ’What in the World?’ This series illustrates the human consequences of global economic inequalities and human rights violations, by focusing on how people encounter these issues on a daily basis.
Stork, the nation’s favourite baking spread with over 90 years of heritage, this week unveiled some very surprising insights into the psyche of Irish bakers. People who bake regularly are revealed to be more fiery and intense, but with a more optimistic outlook than the rest of the non-baking population. To test the research, Marian was joined by Pauline Browne from Stork and Geraldine Creegan, Food Technologist at O'Connors Bakery, Ennis.
