Fly infestation causes havoc in Tralee

An extraordinary story in the Kerryman this week reads like something straight out of a dodgy straight-to-DVD horror movie. Businesses and homeowners in Tralee have been driven to distraction for the past week following an infestation of flies in the town that has been linked to recent works at Kerry’s main dump.

A bad buzz for the people of Tralee and a town whose name not even Kerry people can pronounce

Since last Wednesday Tralee has been inundated by millions of flies with infestations forcing some businesses to close and even leading to shortages of fly killer and other bug sprays across the entire town.

Local businesses are blaming the plague of flies on Kerry County Council and works the authority carried out last week at the Muingnaminnane landfill site some nine miles to the north east of Tralee.

These claims have been denied by Kerry County Council who say that while large numbers of flies were accidentally released from the dump, the problem was confined to the local area and didn’t spread as far as Tralee. According to the council any flies that were found in Tralee were likely the result of unseasonably warm weather.

Swarms of flies began appearing in Tralee on Tuesday evening last but the problem began to take on epic proportions on Wednesday when huge numbers of flies began appearing in homes and businesses in Tralee town and its surrounding areas.

While homes were badly hit the worst affected were bars, restaurants and other food businesses. At least three restaurants in Tralee Town Centre were actually forced to close their doors, dump food stocks and have their premises fumigated by pest controllers.

Up to 40 homes in the area around Muingnaminnane site were affected with householders forced to leave their homes as they struggled to cope with the flies.

Works at one of the pits in the landfill disturbed a huge number of flies and it’s thought that prevailing winds then blew the swarm towards Tralee and Ballymacelligott with subsequent warm weather compounding the situation by increasing the flies breeding rate. The Council said that the problem has been largely resolved by a return to colder weather and that extra insecticide is being used at Muingnaminnane to avoid a repeat of the problem.

Dan Mulvihill of Ballyseedy Garden Centre was one of those affected for several days. “We were hit very badly. It was horrendous at times. We had to cover all the food and I actually had to go out and spend €400 on an electric fly killer. We had hassle for about four days. People were coming in, ordering, seeing the flies and leaving. Sales were definitely affected,” he said.

“Thankfully the problem has now been fully rectified, all the flies are gone and everything is completely back to normal,” said Mr Mulvihill.

Twitter and hot chocolate help save newborn foal at County Limerick farm

One of the best gags at Jerry Seinfeld’s recent Dublin gig was his stance on Twitter. He said birds tweets, translated, would be ‘sex, worms’ and that most human tweets are about the same thing… However, there’s no denying that Twitter is taking over the world and one tweet helped save the life of a newborn foal in County Limerick.

The Limerick Leader reports that Ger Whelan’s draught mare foaled on his farm in Bruff on Friday last. Everything went fine until Ger noticed the colt wasn’t suckling from his mother.

Neigh joke, chocolate saved this foal

The farmer found that only one of her two teats was working. However, there was very little milk being produced from the one teat and the foal’s life was in danger.

In years gone by farmers would ring their neighbours to see if they had any beestings or colostrum for calves or foals. Instead, Ger thought of Twitter.

Not being a tweeter himself, he got in touch with the Irish Horse Welfare Trust and they sent out a tweet: “FOSTER MARE REQ URG 4 large Draught colt foal. Mare alive but no milk. LIMERICK distance no object: Ger Whelan 086…”

It was retweeted over 50 times including by animal lovers in England. While no foster mare was forthcoming Ger said he got lots of phone calls with advice. And one of those calls with some unusual advice helped to save the day.

“There are different things you can do to help bring the milk down in the mare for the foal. One of them is to put cocoa powder, the same as drinking chocolate, in to the mare’s feed.

“A grain of that in to the mare’s feed and that helps her to bring on milk,” said Ger, who in his early forties. Once the milk increased in the one teat the foal started suckling and now is thriving, says Ger. “The two of them are flying it now,” said Ger.

Italian ‘Oscar’ for Meath man Mickey Brunnock

The Meath Chronicle proudly reports that Kells-native musician Michael Brunnock has won in the Best Original Song category at this year’s David di Donatello awards ceremony, the Italian equivalent of the Academy Awards.

New York-based Brunnock, along with David Byrne and Will Oldham, was nominated for ‘If It Falls, it Falls’, one of the songs from the soundtrack of the new movie ‘This Must be the Place’, starring Sean Penn and Frances McDormand.

Ex-Talking Heads singer Byrne cast Brunnock to sing the role of an Irish musician on the brink of success whose voice guides Sean Penn through an emotional journey of self-discovery in ‘This Must Be the Place’.

The score by Byrne, with lyrics by Will Oldham, called for a distinctive vocalist, and Brunnock was discovered by Byrne’s management while searching for Irish singer/songwriters on the internet.

No such thing as a free lunch for Craigavon Councillors

Craigavon Council’s new policy of not providing food before meetings has led to complaints from councillors from other districts, reports the Lurgan Mail.

It happened at a meeting of the Voluntary Transitional Committee (VTC) — designed to unite Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Councils — which was held in Craigavon Civic Centre.

And it left Banbridge council member John Hanna — who is diabetic — struggling until the meeting broke up at 8pm and he rushed home to Scarva for a late meal.

He said: “Our meetings start at 6pm, with many members having to go straight from their work. They don’t expect a five-course meal, but something to tide them over. All we got at Craigavon was tea and a biscuit and we understand it was provided by Sinn Fein members after Craigavon recently passed a ‘no more entertaining’ motion.

“I wasn’t told anything about it — otherwise, I’d have eaten before I went. Frankly, it seems a bit mean. They’re not saving the ratepayers much money and I suspect the ratepayers would feel highly embarrassed that their council isn’t even providing sandwiches for their guests.”

Former Armagh Mayor Jim Speers said that Armagh and Banbridge provided adequate nourishment for the meetings.

The ‘no entertaining’ motion was passed by Craigavon Council last month.

Alderman Arnold Hatch sais the council now realises the move is unworkable and embarrassing.

“We did shoot ourselves in the foot in the heat of a debate aimed at saving money. Now it looks as if we’ll have to save face.”

Wrong Way Steam train leaves parents fuming!

The Westmeath Topic has a great yarn on the steam train that went the wrong way this week. Paul O’Donovan writes “What was meant to be an enjoyable family day out on a steam train excursion turned to chaos, frustration and annoyance for many families who boarded the steam train last Saturday afternoon.

However, things didn’t quite work out and the journey the train undertook was a different one entirely and left large groups of families annoyed and frustrated. The steam train was to make a straightforward journey to Longford and back. However, due to a number of problems the train didn’t arrive in Mullingar on time, so instead of going in the direction of Longford, the train went in the opposite direction – to Killucan! – a town with a closed railway station so nobody was allowed off the train, there was no refreshments on board and the children grew frustrated.”

A passenger, who did not wish to be named, said relatives had driven out the Longford Road to wave at their grandchildren on board the train, and were left waiting for an hour. Thankfully there was a happy ending and the people behind the train trip have offered to compensate all on board.

Limerick activist cheesed off at pizza delivery firm

The Limerick Leader reports that a NORTHSIDE community activist has vowed never to use a city pizza firm again after claiming it refused to deliver to his home in Delmege Park.

Christy Duhig says when his 18-year-old daughter Kelsey attempted to order a take-away from a national chain, based in Henry Street, she was told that she would have to walk to 15 minutes to Watch House Cross at the entrance of Moyross.

He believes the national take-away company, which has more than 80 branches nationwide, is discriminating against people from Limerick’s regeneration areas.

Businessman Mr Duhig, who serves on the Moyross Residents Forum, says he was told that the firm’s policy is not to deliver to Moyross after one of its drivers had the rear windscreen on his car smashed while making a delivery to Moyross.

This stance was later confirmed by the company when the Limerick Leader made contact.

Mr Duhig says both he and his teenage daughter have been left “disillusioned” by the experience.

“The fact is, we are being stigmatised. This defeats the purpose of home delivery. I would not be using them again, and I have advised my daughter not to use them either,” he added.

Fortunately, another take-away company in the city was happy to deliver to Delmege Park.

Now based in New York the former Little Palace frontman, along with David Byrne and Will Oldham, was nominated for ‘If It Falls, it Falls’, one of the songs from the soundtrack of the new movie ‘This Must be the Place’, the Irish-set oddity starring Sean Penn as a reclusive Robert-Smith-style rocker based in Dublin who ends up on the tail of a Nazi.

Ex-Talking Heads singer Byrne cast Brunnock to sing the role of an Irish musician on the brink of success whose voice guides Sean Penn through an emotional journey of self-discovery in ‘This Must Be the Place’.

The score by Byrne, with lyrics by Will Oldham, called for a distinctive vocalist, and according to the Meath Chronicle Brunnock was discovered by Byrne’s management while searching for Irish singer/songwriters on the internet! Hope it was the essential Little Palace album “Whole” they found!

The Irish man and director Paulo Sorrentino were congratulated by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at a reception at the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, which was to honour the nominees for the 2012 David di Donatello Awards.

Brunnock performs six songs, all written by Byrne and Oldham, in the movie which was part-filmed in Dublin and the US last year. The 56th David di Donatello ceremony was held at the Auditorium Conciliazone, Rome.

Little Palace were a band who really should have made it, so it’s extremely heartening to see Michael do so well.  A unique band with three lead vocalists in the form of Brunnock, Anna-Louise Mulvany and Anthony Cregan, they left behind only two albums, “Invitation Time” and “Whole” and two successful E.Ps. the best-known being their debut “Beekeeper”, which featured the song “Gift” produced by “Dead Can Dance” main man Brendan Perry, and the follow up “Car”,

Brunnock’s most recent solo album will be “The Orchard”, an elegant and moving album featuring a great guest turn from Glen Hansard (see below). The album is his third since “Live in New York” and “So I Do”. The Orcard was released with help from PledgeMusic. Hope it sells loads on the back of Michael’s Italian success.

For more info, and to hear some songs, log onto http://www.michaelbrunnock.com/ or check out http://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelBrunnockMusic

Enniskeane man’s bucket souvenir of papal visit

The Southern Star in Cork, one of Ireland’s best regional newspapers, has a fantastic front page story this week about a priceless bucket, a bucket that has shared a remarkable journey with it’s owner, Enniskeane man John Joe McCarthy. To most people it’s just a humble plastic bucket, but to the pensioner it’s a valued souvenir of one of the most fascinating days in his life – the day Pope John Paul II came to Limerick.

Ailin Quinlan writes that John Joe is planning to present a simple black plastic bucket, which he has had mounted on a slab of marble, to his former school, in memory of the Pope’s visit to Ireland more than 30 years ago.

John Joe McCarthy and his Papal Bucket — pic c/o the Southern Star

The paper details that John Joe rose at 4.30am on September 29th, 1979 to catch the train to Limerick for the long-awaited visit by the head of the Catholic Church. His late wife Joan, his son and his black bucket went with him to Limerick Racecourse.

‘I used the bucket to carry my provisions for the day – my lunch, my camera and my binoculars,’ he says, quipping that the solid two-gallon bucket, which measures more than 12 inches in height, also served two other important functions.

‘I used the bucket to sit on and I also turned it over and stood on it in order to take pictures of the Pope as he passed in front of me in his Popemobile! So the bucket had three functions! I kept it all these years as a souvenir of the Pope’s visit to Ireland.’

He moved house three times, from Tipperary, to Mallow and then to the West Cork village of Enniskeane – and each time he moved, the bucket came with him.

However, the announcement earlier this year that the Eucharistic Congress was to take place in Dublin prompted him to take action.

‘I thought about the bucket and I felt I should hand it over to the school where I was a pupil,’ he says.

John Joe now plans to make a presentation of the bucket, along with a laminated notice which explains the story behind the bucket, to Ahiohill National School, of which he is a former pupil – he left the school in the 1940s.

‘I originally wanted to have an inscription put on the bucket, but because it is made of plastic this could not be done. Instead I have written out the background to the story and laminated it. I also have a marble slab on which to display the bucket.’

Another reason why he intends to present the bucket to the school, he says, is because the pupils and teachers there have created a museum in a room in the school which celebrates the heritage and culture of the surrounding area.

‘It’s an excellent museum, they even have a spinning wheel’.

Councillors find costly conferences boring

Hats off to a pair of Macroom town councillors, who have admitted they were ‘bored’ at recent conferences they attended on behalf of the town council.

Members of Macroom Town Council are required to report to the local authority’s monthly meetings on any conferences they attend.

The Corkman reports that Cllr Pat Melia (FF) told this week’s meeting that he had attended a conference in the Galway Bay Hotel over the weekend of April 13–15 on ‘reform of the water sector in Ireland’. The conference was run by Clonmel-based Kadenza Consultancies.

“It was boring, a lot of it went over my head,” he conceded, adding that the weekend-long conference started on the topic of climate change in Ireland before moving on to the ‘politics of it’ and then concluded with a recap on Sunday, with a Q&A session.

Independent Cllr Connie Foley then told the council that he had attended a conference on strategic planning –a summit he also found ’ boring’.

The conference in question was a joint strategic forum on planning matters held in the Park Hotel in Dungarvan, Co Waterford on April 17.

“I hate to use the word boring twice in the same night but it was shocking boring altogether,’ Cllr Foley reported the meeting.“Your man put a slide show up on a projector and just read it out for about three hours.”

Cllr Foley added that he felt the conference, which analysed planning practice came ‘two years too late’.

Last year The Corkman revealed that the Macroom council spent €15,294 on conference fees, travel and subsistence in 2010 so it’s good to know that the Councillors are at least honest.

Boyzone star drinks pint shocker!

Forget all the gossip and showbiz columnists in the national papers. The local notes of the Carlow People this week shows you how it’s really done with a report on a megastar having a pint.

Under the headline ‘St Mullins pint for Ronan’ the papers writes:

Ronan Keating and his nice Carlow pint

“BOYZONE’S Ronan Keating took time out to relax in the picturesque surrounds of St Mullins recently.

The singer and his children stayed at a friend’s holiday home on Bauck Hill, where they are understood to have camped out in the garden.

While in the area, Ronan casually stopped by John A’s Pub in nearby Glynn, much to the surprise of locals, who he happily posed for photographs with and chatted to.

After ordering a pint of Guinness, which he remarked was really good, and minerals for his children, they all played pool and songs on the juke box.

The Boyzone singer hit the headlines earlier this month following the end of his marriage to his wife of 14 years, Yvonne.”

Gardai catch goat-killing butchers in the act!

A shocking front page story in this weeks Kerry’s Eye newspaper should give one food for thought.

Anne Pullen writes that frantic calls from shocked residents alerted gardai and members of the Kerry Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to an illegal butchering at a house in a Tralee housing estate on Monday.

Locals in Balloonagh Estate called emergency services after hearing “piercing screams” coming from the rear of a house in the local authority development on Monday afternoon.

The survivor of the Kerry goat bloodbath escorted to safety

Gardai arrived at the scene at approximately 4.30pm and found three African nationals in the back garden, with a number of kid goats and implements for slaughtering animals.

Three animals had been slaughtered, and a fourth was about to be killed.

One kid goat, approximately four weeks old, was rescued and taken away by members of the KSPCA. The dead animals were removed from the house in bags.

One eyewitness said blood and entrails were spattered around the garden. Another described the scene as a “bloodbath” and said that the piercing cry of the goats could be heard all over the estate

Trap’s Army invited to Portlaoise – before Euro 2012 takes place

A Sinn Féin Councillor in Laois is proposing to take the legendary Granny Rule to new extremes as he bids to bring the Irish soccer team to the county after the Euro 2012 Championships. According to the Leinster Express, the prospect of Giovanni Trapattoni leading Robbie Keane and the boys in Green into Laois was almost a reality at a meeting of Portlaoise Town Council.

Cllr Alan Hand wants the Council to host a Civic Reception for the Irish soccer team when they return from the Euro 2012 Championships in Poland, later this summer.

Cllr Hand proposed that the council contact the FAI to make the offer, as he said that every premises would be decked out in green, white and gold this summer in support of the soccer team.

“There is a huge financial spin off from the championships for local pubs and business. We need to be confident that we can attract big delegations to the county.

“If they say no I wouldn’t be disheartened, but it would be uplifting for the boys and girls who play soccer in the county,” said the Sinn Fein town and county councillor.

Whatever about the prospects of getting the whole squad to visit, the Sinn Fein man feels there may be some hope of the Irish captain coming to town. His wife Claudine (nee Palmer) has strong Laois roots, her grandparents hail from Stradbally.

Eleven drivers over 80 with ‘L’ plates in Galway

Dara Bradley has an unusual motoring story in this weeks Galway City Tribune.

“They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but in the case of pensioner drivers in Galway, they’re wrong – new figures show that there are 11 people over the age of 80 in Galway who are on a provisional driving licence and whose cars are donning ‘L’ plates.

The new release from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveals that there were 14,789 learner drivers in the county

Of these learner drivers, 11 are over the age of 80. Nationally, there are 411 learner drivers aged 80 and over who are still on provisional licences.

The figures are contained in the CSO’s Transport Omnibus, which was just released this week and relates to the year 2010.

Northern Lights return — better and brighter than ever

Most people think you have to travel to Scandinavia to witness the Aurora Borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, but all you have to do isgo to Donegal. The lights made a spectacular return to the skies above Donegal this week.

It’s not often we talk about a local newspaper website, but you should log onto the Donegal Democrat site this week for some great photos of the natural phenonomen. Local photographers, having been given the heads up by the Donegal Weather Channel, were out in force, particularly in Inishowen.

The weather co-operated, much to the delight of stargazers and photographers alike. www.donegaldemocrat.ie

Here are some extraordinary timages, captured by Brendan Diver at Ballyliffin, Bren Whelan at Mamore Gap, Adam Porter at Leenan, Martina Gardiner at Dunree and Paul Doherty at Burt.

HEADLINE OF THE WEEK

From the Limerick Leader — Drunken Limerick post office robber left his loot behind

The story of a Moyross post office burgler who turned up at the Ardnacrusha post office in his own car with nothing to disguise who he was. A bit worse for wear he held up a female member of staff with a concealed “barrel-shaped object” that turned out to be a tent pole. He stumbled out of the post office leaving rthe stolen money behind him on the floor. He was jailed.

Author, Hot Press journalist and hellraiser, Olaf Tyaransen will be hosting the legendary Leviathan political cabaret series when it returns to Monroe’s BackStage Bar tonight (April 26th)

The theme of the panel debate is: “Urban/Rural Divide: Media Myth or Reality?”. Joining Olaf to discuss such issues as the septic tank charge, household charge, turf-cutting, hunting and all that seems to get under the skin of people outside Dublin are Ronan Casey presenter: “Medium Sized Town – Fairly Big Story” on Hector on 2FM; broadcaster and journalist, Ella McSweeney; and cartoonist and Twitter legend, Allan Cavanagh.

There’s also musical comedy from leader of the Late Late Show House Band, Paddy Cullivan, satirical short film from Doris/Magee Productions and slam poetry from Marty Mulligan and some special guests too!

Come and be educated, informed and entertained.

“The hottest ticket in town…” The New York Times

“A truly amazing event…” Jon Snow, Channel 4 News.

Tickets €10 from the website. Doors: 7.30pm

For more information, see www.leviathan.ie and http://www.facebook.com/leviathan.political.cabaret

Here’s me shooting the breeze with Ryan Tubridy on RTE2fm this morning

Ryan Tubridy was in Mullingar yesterday (Wednesday, April 25th) on the latest stop-off on his ‘Greet on the Street’ tour, a once-a-month jaunt around the country where the show is broadcast from a rural town. It’s a brilliant way for a show to get out among its listeners, and for its presenter to show his people person side. Its title takes it cue from the near-mythical ‘Beat on the Streets’ of the 1980s and 1990s where piles of DJ’s played the hits from a stage, cheering and clapping from the back of a truck like rock stars. The difference with this one is that it is a real greet on the street, with Ryan and his team in town the night before the show meeting the people and getting out among them.

Broadcasting the show the following morning from the Greville Arms Hotel in the centre of the town was a masterstroke, really allowing the show to get out there and for the audience to drop in and out. It’s a classic town centre hotel, a busy old-style hotel with character which has played a role in the lives of generations of Westmeath people; a place where people have no qualms about visiting. And from the warmth extended to the audience, the host had no qualms either, meeting and chatting before the show. Getting out among the audience during it and, best of all, doing what I call the ‘Daniel O’Donnell’ trick of meeting the audience after the show, chatting to them, posing for pictures, signing autographs, body parts and whatever you’re having yourself.

I was asked to help out in advance of the show and also to contribute on the day itself so I was delighted to be given the opportunity of a transfer to Tubridy for the day to big up my home county of Westmeath. Other guests included Robin Shortt of Exploring Ireland, a great local travel company bringing in thousands of tourists ever year, Niall Breslin and his mother Mandy to talk about LARCC, Niall Horan’s father and grandmother, Ben Dolan, Karen Karroll, Adrian Dolan, Ray Dolan, Vinny Baker, Joe Meehan, Jimmy Mullally, Paddy Dunning, David Clarke, Aisling Tubridy, Mary McEvoy, Christy Maye, Bartle Darcy, Gerry Duffy, Conor Quinn, John ‘Banjo’ Quinn, and many more.

Starting with the fat that most people miss Westmeath and Mullingar because there is more motorway here than in any other county in
Ireland, I detailed some of the things you should not miss. Maybe its because of the motorways that some of the most famous names in literature, music and sport have passed through the town, with some even calling it home, relatively un-noticed. I mean, where else in the world can Niall Horan of One Direction go fora pint with his father or friends without being bothered?

James Joyce 20 years after his Mullingar stay. Look at the effect the lakes had on him, didn’t age a day…

One of the big reasons to visit is the town literary connections. Mulingar is the only place outside of Dublin referenced in the work of James Joyce. It’s one of may important literary connections that the town has that are not celebrated. James Joyce spent two summers here in 1900 and 1901, when his father was employed to sort out the electoral rolls in Westmeath. During that time he stored away references and characters and tested out his new style of prose. He referenced the town twelve times in Ulysses, in Chapter 14 of Stephen Hero and three times in Finnegan’s Wake. He may have coined the famous phrase “beef to the heels like a Mullingar heifer” whilst chowing down on a steak. He stayed at the Greville Arms Hotel, and at Levington House, currently the residence of “Ginger Man” author JP Donleavy, occasionally visited by some lad called Johnny Depp.

Jonathan Swift wrote ‘Gullivers Travels’ whilst living on the shores of Lough Ennell in a place called Lilliput. The little people are
allegedly based on the small-minded people he met in the area! Or maybe people from Meath…

Other famous authors to have called Mullingar home include Josephine Harte and the late Leo Daly.

2. Sporting Excellence: The most famous names in golf have all played (and invariably won) the Mullingar Scratch Cup, the most prestigious Irish golf trophy for up-and-coming golfers. It’s almost a rite of passage and the previous winners list reads like a who’s who of Irish golf: Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Philip Walton, JB Carr, Tom Craddock and many more. This year Mullingar Golf Club will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Scratch Trophy. The tournament will be held on the weekend of the 25th & 26th Aug 2012.

3. Music: It’s not just Joe Dolan, Bressie and Niall Horan, Mullingar has been a home for several famous music stars, including Michael
Jackson and Dire Straits legend John Illsley. Bruce Springsteen’s great-great-great Grandmother was from the town (we’re hoping to get him to play here some day!) and heavy metal legend Duncan Patterson (Anathema, Antimatter, Ion) lived here for years. Massive names such as Johnny Cash, Status Quo, Thin Lizzy, Ian Brown, The Prodigy and many more have all played gigs here.  The first ever Fleadh Cheoil was held here and the governing body of Irish traditional music, Comhaltas Ceoiltoiri na hEireann was established here. Mulingar plays host to dozens of big music festivals every year with Festival of the Fires opening the festival season, and Green Village closing it. Body & Soul takes place here every June and there are dozens of others to suit all manner of musical tastes.

4. Lakes: Mulligar sits at the heart of Ireland’s lakelands, and you can’t move for lakes whether it’s the big ones — Lough Ennell and Lough Owel and Lough Derravaragh — or little ones of which there are hundreds. Each has a story to tell, Ennell has everything from its connections to Gulliver’s Travels to the story of Belvedere, whilst Owel played a role in the drowning of the Viking chieftan Turgesius,
but Derravaragh’s is perhaps the most enchanting: The Children of Lir.

5. The Gar: In a few says, Mullingar will have its own currency, when The Gar is launched. A throwback to the punt The Gar will be a unique currency circulating among the people of the town that promises the bearer a 10% on goods and services. The note is based on the old 10 punt note, and it carries a different image of James Joyce. All visitors to the towns hotels will get a bunch of Gars to spend locally. Retail is how towns like Mullingar will survive and its thanks to its Chamber of Commerce, currently under Pat Whelan, that inventive approaches like this will save several shops.

Ryan Tubridy meets Adrian and Ben Dolan, with my dad Seamus in the background!

 

Over the Easter weekend there was much joy for the Walsh family. A week later, the dog was dead.

Bruno the dog is dead

The beautiful happy story of a Laois dog who last week returned home after being missing for four years took a sad turn this week. Bruno the Golden Retriever disappeared on his owners, the Walshe family from Rosenallis, back in 2008.

Last week the Laois Nationalist had a front page story featuring the happy news that Bruno had returned home.
He was found wandering in the Mountrath area and was taken to the dog pound in Ballacolla, where his owners were traced by assistant pound keeper Denise Quinn from information recovered on a micro chip that had been placed under Bruno’s coat by his breeder from Durrow when he was born.

The delighted Walshe family were over the moon to be reunited with Bruno and had a particularly joyful Easter getting to know him over again. Son Colm came back from Dublin, delighted to see the dog whom he thought he would never see again.

Sisters Aoife and Ashling, filmed Bruno in fine form jumping about in their garden and uploaded it to Youtube. The family Skyped another brother, Diarmuid, in Australia.

However, last Easter Monday night the Walshe family’s world began falling apart. Mr Walshe returned home from work and gave Bruno some chicken bits, but the dog refused to eat them.  He was given dog nuts and went to bed.

The following morning, Ann tried Bruno with some bread and milk but that, too, was refused and it was at this stage that she began to worry.

She said: “It was around 10am on Tuesday. I thought Bruno didn’t look himself. I rang around and tried to get a vet, but I couldn’t get one. Ashling came home at lunchtime and brought Bruno into the house. He started vomiting blood. At about 3.30pm I rang a retired vet I know in Abbeyleix and he told me to bring Bruno over to him. He had a massively high temperature and the vet gave him loads of injections. We brought him home and he died in the house later that evening. We rang the vet again to tell him what had happened and he said he thought Bruno might have had a tumour or that he could have picked up something and that his resistance to disease may have been low.”

Speaking last Wednesday, Ann said that her family was still in shock over Bruno’s death.

“He was a real pet and a lovely dog. We were mad about him because he was so friendly, quiet and tame. I suppose it was his time. He came home to die,” said Ann.

A right royal rumble with Prince Harry in Galway

The Galway Advertiser is at the centre of a right royal prank this week, exposed with glee by its rival city paper the Galway City Tribune.

Oh dear…

According to the Advertisers front page, Prince Harry is coming to the City of the Tribes for the Volvo Ocean Race in July.

Fine Gael Councillor Padraig Conneely told the Advertiser he haskept in touch with many of the people he met during the last Volvo Ocean Race (in 2009) “some of whom know Prince Harry personally”. He goes onto say: “It was suggested to me that he would warmly welcome the opportunity to come to Galway for the finale.” Cllr Conneely subsequently made enquiries through the British diplomatic service and was in contact with the Taoiseach’s office to notify them of the circumstances. Since then the Fine Gael councillor has learned that there has been “engagement at the highest diplomatic level, and it is just a matter of protocol before a visit is confirmed”.

However, the Galway City Tribune contacted Buckingham Palace and it appears Cllr Conneely is the excitable victim of a royal hoax. The Advertiser “exclusive” was based not so much on discussions “at the highest diplomatic level” but apparently on correspondence containing a false letter with a Buckingham Palace letterhead, which may have been seen by the excitable city councillor who in turn informed local media. “The letter may have been sent to the Mayor’s office as a joke,” says The Tribune.

Harbour rates hike could blow Fungie boats out of the water

According to the Kerryman, a proposed 200 per cent increase in harbour charges could spell the end for boat trips to Dingle’s iconic tourist attraction, Fungie the dolphin.

The eight boats that ferry tens of thousands of tourists every year to see the dolphin that has frolicked at the mouth of Dingle Harbour since 1983 face crippling increases in their operating costs due to the proposed ‘Fishery Harbour Centres (Rates and Charges) Order 2012′,  just published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The loss of dolphin boat trips – along with other marine tours – would also have serious implications for the tourism industry in West Kerry for which Fungie the dolphin has become a worldwide ambassador.

“The only viable, longterm sustainable industry remaining in the Dingle area is tourism. The ice plant is closed and without boat trips visitor numbers would almost certainly be affected,” said Tom Hand, Secretary of the Dingle Boatmen’s Association.

There are eight ‘Fungie’ passenger boats plus two eco tour passenger boats, four deep seaangling boats and possibly two or three other boats that run Blasket Island trips. According to the Boatmen’s Association, these all have the potential to be affected by increased harbour charges, with 33 seasonal jobs on the line.

Harbour charges for a typical 10 – 12 metre passenger boat will go up from €2,500 — €3,000 a year at present to between €8,500 and €9,000 a year.

Waterford’s dogs create half a tonne of dog shit per day

According to the Waterford News and Star, it is estimated that the population of dogs in Waterford City produce half a tonne of waste per day, yet some owners are failing to clear up the mess that their beloved pooch creates.

Dog fouling has become a particular problem recently and in response Waterford City Council have released their ‘Anti Dog Fouling Action Plan for 2012. The action plan features an extensive awareness campaign, which will include a 100 day challenge of delivering leaflets in the city centre area, and stopping and talking to people about the implications of dog fouling.

According to the Council dog fouling has negative health implications and can lead to a disease called toxocariasis if it is left there for a number of weeks.

This disease can be passed from dogs to humans through contact with animal faeces and contaminated soil. Children are particularly at risk and infection can lead to illness and even partial loss of sight.

This can be prevented if dog waste is cleaned up and disposed of immediately.

Pilot Dog Bag dispensers and temporary stencils on prominent walking routes and a campaign of writing to owners of licensed dogs to warn them of the consequences of dog fouling are part of the new drive to clean the city streets.

Best local Titanic story?

Titanic runs aground in Mullinasloe

One hundred years after the “greatest ship ever built” left the dry dock in Belfast and sailed into history, the Titanic is now casting its shadow over the shimmering waters of Donegal Bay.

The Titanic in Donegal

The Salmon Inn, at Mullinasole near Donegal Town, has become a fitting resting place for a 1/25th scale model of the RMS Titanic, built by local food writer Zack Gallagher, along with Jim Canavan and Gerald Drury from the St Francis NS Parents Association, as the school’s float in the Donegal town St Patrick’s Day parade. It won the overall prize for best float on the day.

Now the Titanic (or rather half of the Titanic) now sits proudly in the garden of local publican and restaurateur Martin Quinn.

“We couldn’t find anywhere to keep it and it was such a shame to let it go to ruin,” said Zack. “An offer was made by some members of the local Credit Union to display it in their office window. A lovely gesture indeed, but we tried in vain to get it through the door,” he added.

Martin Quinn, of the Salmon Inn, heard about the plight of the local boatbuilders and came to their rescue.

A keen fisherman and sailor himself, he didn’t want to see the ship sink so soon after its glorious maiden voyage. “I’ve spent most of my life by the sea and I thought it would be a shame if the Titanic float couldn’t, well, float!”, said Martin. “So, we have it in the garden for the moment as we are building a temporary floating pontoon for the boat to sit on. She’ll look great sitting on the water, from the windows of the bar and restaurant, especially when the sun sinks behind her in the western sky”.

The model is only “half a Titanic” as it was built to represent the great ship when it was sinking.

“I was going to build a full-length scale model,” Zack explains. “But it was easier on the budget to give the impression that half of her is under the water.

Headline of the week:

Ireland’s most famous mother called for jury service

The big story in the Donegal Democrat this week was the revelation that Daniel O’Donnell’s mother was called for jury duty!

Yes, “the grand old lady who is widely accepted by people in every corner of the country as Ireland’s most famous mother received quite a shock in the post last week when she received a summons to appear in court. What makes the story rather unusual is that the good lady is a lively 93 years of age, has never committed a crime in her life and is the mother of our Donegal’s greatest ambassador, Daniel O’Donnell.

Julia O’Donnell who is synonymous with making really great cups of tea as well as her knitting skills and a truly great mother received the rather official looking notification recently and after a short flurry of panic was relieved to discover that she was only summonsed for jury duty.

The same lady is well used to receiving official letters from people in exceptionally high places including one from His Holiness, Pope Benedict after she knitted a few pairs of her famous socks for him but she did confess that she did get a bit of a shock at the possible court appearance.

Julia is well known for her wisdom and public opinion in West Donegal indicated that she would be well fit for jury duty and would have superb judgement.

One local from Kincasslagh remarked, “If Julia was to serve on the jury there would be no need for a judge — the same woman would be able to make up her mind in an impartial manner very quickly.

“Sure didn’t she rare a great family with everyone of them doing so well?”

The Donegal Democrat contacted the Court Service who said that there was no upper age limit on service and added that names are randomly selected from the Electoral Register which does not contain details of age.

The spokesperson added that if someone of a senior age was capable and anxious to serve on a jury they would be more than entitled to.

The Circuit Court sits this week, but as we go on air we can confirm that Julia has declined the offer allowing some younger person to gain the experience.

Speeding rocker strikes right note with Judge

THE merits of singer/songwriter Mick Flannery became the unlikely topic of conversation between a judge and a musician summoned for an unpaid speeding ticket.

According to The Corkman, Matthew William Shallow, with an address at Kilbouthra, Macroom, appeared in Macroom court last week having been detected speeding on the N22 at Codrum, Macroom. The fixed charge notice went unpaid.

Mr Shallow insisted that he would have paid the fine had he received it in the post, offering the example that he always paid any fines received for illegally parking his band’s van at gigs in Dublin.

Mr Shallow explained that he was a member of the band Ten Past Seven, and that parking is at a premium when the group gig in Dublin.

Judge James McNulty further quizzed the defendant on music and in particular his opinion of Mick Flannery, for whom the Judge professed an appreciation. Judge Mcnulty explained to the court that Mr Flannery had a new album out and that he likes to keep abreast of the music scene.

“The kids often laugh when they see me come home with a copy of Hot Press under my arm,” Judge Mcnulty revealed.

Mr Shallow was told he would be spared a conviction in return for a charitable donation.

The defendant thanked the judge but explained he would need time to get the money together.

“Come back after your next gig, I’ll keep an eye out for your listings,” Judge Mcnulty quipped.

So, for my ‘Medium-Sized Town, Fairly Big Story’ slot on Breakfast With Hector on RTE 2FM today (Tuesday, April 17) we had the following tales from the following papers:

Here they are in full. Be sure to tune into RTE2FM every Tuesday at 8.20am to hear these — and more — and be sure to interact with the show while you’re at it. It was superb to be on it every day last week, and the kind texts from listeners (if any of you read this) meant a lot.

Bambi the County Limerick deer thinks he’s a calf!

Huge news from the Animal Kingdom in this week’s Limerick Leader… An orphaned deer which turned up in the backyard of a County Limerick family-run guesthouse has been adopted by a herd of cattle and now thinks he’s a calf!

‘Bambi’ arrived into the yard of the O’Neill family home at Castleoliver Farm in early January.

With no food or sustenance — his mother is suspected to have been shot by hunters – the young deer began suckling from one of the cows.

Bambi the deer pictured at Castleoliver Farm. Thanks to Aine Fitzgerald

“He is just one of them now,” explained Alyce O’Neill of Castleoliver Farm, Ardpatrick. “We just went out one morning and he was there in the field with the cattle and of course we have named him, needless to say, Bambi. He was obviously very young because he was actually suckling from the cows,” she added.

The deer has become so attached to the cattle that everywhere they go, he follows.

“When they move between the fields he goes with them,” said the mother-of-four.

He even nudges the six cows and six calves out of the way to get at the hay and on occasion ventures up to the back door of the family home to have a look.

Seeking taxes from the dead!

Agreat piece of writing from Paul O’Donovan about a sensitive (and barmy) subject in this week’s Westmeath Topic:

“We are all aware there’s a recession at present, times are difficult and there’s cutbacks everywhere. Nearl everyone has felt the pinch, the young, the middle-aged and the pensioners but now it looks s if the government has gone further, and decided to tax the dead!

Next thing they’ll be taxing the dead… oh…

“Last Wednesday morning David Kelly, Collinstown received some letters in the post. A tax form caught his eye. When he opened it he realised it was an Income Tax Form for the year 2011 for his mother Mary Kelly. As David said: “The only problem is, my late mother died 25 years ago!”

Speaking to the Topic Davide explained Mary died in September 1987 “so I felt annoyed and downright angry at receiving such a letter. I could understand if a person had passed away six months, but we are talking about a quarter of a century”

“Does the government not have any records of people who have died?” asked David.  “I thought it was a joke. Perhaps the Govt are trying to emulate Mr Burke and Mr Hare, two Englishment who many years ago robbed dead bodies for financial gain.”

“He appreciated that people may find the tale funny. “I don’t blame people for laughing, as I would laugh if it wasn’t about my own dear mother.”

“If the Govt really want to contact her they should pay a visit to her grave. Or perhaps they would like to hire a medium or use some psychic powers to try and get some tax ffrom her,” said David sarcastically, “but to the best of my knowledge my mother had very little money and I’m certain she didn’t bring any of it with her!”

Mystery man in Kerry jersey causes a stir at US Masters

Marion O’Flaherty has a great yarn in the Kerryman newspaper about a Kerry GAA jersey spotted in America!

She says the eyes of the world may have been on the US Masters over the Easter but the hot topic on everyone’s lips last Friday night wasn’t how Rory McIlroy or Bubba Watson was faring; it was ‘who was the fella in the Kerry jersey?’

As US pro Tom Watson approached the crowd on the Friday, the camera caught sight of a man wearing a Kerry GAA jersey.

Twitter was soon alive with chatter as to the identity of the mystery man wearing the Green and Gold at one of the world’s most prestigious golf tournaments.

RTE’S Des Cahill was one of the first to notice, tweeting an image of the gentleman in question. He even went as far to tweet that Philip Reid of The Irish Times, who was at the Masters in Augusta, told him that the jersey seemed to have been signed by Kieran Donaghy.

This prompted a flurry of comments and questions; among them one from Damien Mcgeady who claimed this couldn’t be a true Kerryman because “they only travel for finals”.

The Kerryman revealed that the man was one Hugh O’Keeffe from Kells, whose father Gearoid had won tickets to the Masters in a draw hosted by Laune Rangers GAA Club.

Crumbs! — residents’ anger as bread dumping draws rat plague

Crumbs! Dumped bread in one of the best named places ever — Termonfeckin

It’s amazing what you’ll find in a hedgerow today. In Cork you can’t fit an old washing machine or broken TV into a hedge without finding a Coke bottle full of urine, and in Termonfeckin, Co Drogheda you can’t open a gap without finding a few tonnes of bread. According to Fiona McGennis in the Drogheda Independent, tonnes of unwrapped bread has been dumped in the ditches on the side of the road at areas including Blackhall, Beaulieu, Sandpit and Banktown. It has led to a rat infestation in the area.

‘It is absolutely disgusting because it turns to mulch and it attracts a huge amount of rats,’ said local resident Sarah Finegan. ‘You can actually see the holes where the rats have burrowed through. The smell from it is absolutely disgusting and a real blight on the landscape.’

She said the dumping has been ongoing for a number of months, since last Christmas, with more bread dumped once the previous lot has turned rotten.

’ The dumping itself occurs every two to three weeks so just as the bread has turned into sludge a fresh batch is left. It started late November/early December of last year so the community is fed up at this stage,’ said Sarah.

‘Both sides of the road are destroyed with it. I don’t drive so I walk down the village and pass by it all the time. The amount of rats it is attracting is just horrible.’

Louth County Council are investigating the matter. According to an official:

‘Obviously there will be an investigation to see where this is coming from but it is very difficult to know because people travel from far and wide so it is very hard to establish whether it is local or someone coming from outside the area but certainly investigations will be carried out.’

Man was ‘sick as a dog’ after drinking poitín 

A Crossmolina man was rushed to Mayo General Hospital after he drank some poitín which was meant for a sick dog last week’s sitting of Castlebar District Court heard.

According to the Mayo News, the man was arrested for intoxication in a public place and threatening and abusive behaviour in the A&E Department of Mayo General Hospital on April 2.

He told the court he drank the illegal alcohol in his home in Crossmolina and but could not remember anything after drinking it. He was transferred to Mayo General Hospital but the ambulance personnel would only bring him if they were accompanied by four gardaí for safety reasons.

Garda Ciaran Brett said he was called to the A&E Department of the hospital at 3.15am after staff reported a difficulty with a patient. Garda Brett said the defendant was highly intoxicated and when he was dealing with him, the defendant said, ‘you’ll be sorry, you’ll regret this, I promise you’.

The defendant said he was ‘totally ashamed’ of what happened and explained that he did not know it was poitín he was drinking at the time as it was in a clear bottle.

“I didn’t know what I was drinking at the time. I was brought by two ambulance men but I don’t remember anything after that. It is a blank,” he told the court.

He explained he later discovered the drink was for a sick dog and when he was asked by Judge Mary Devins if he rubbed it into the dog, he replied ‘The dog wasn’t drunk, he doesn’t drink it’.

The matter was met with laughter in the court.

Defending solicitor Peter Loftus said his client had a serious reaction to the poitín. Garda Brett told the court that after the incident the defendant was co-operative and was not aggressive to the gardaí. He said he apologised when he was sober and added that that does not always happen.

Judge Devins said if the man wrote a letter apologising to the hospital staff and donated €300 to the Ann Sullivan Centre for the Deaf and Blind she would give him the benefit of the Probation Act.

Pothole-filling machine gets Mayo trial

The Western People reports that the plague of pot-holed roads may soon be at an end if Mayo Co Council successfully trials new road repair equipment.

At a meeting in Ballina of the local authority’s special policy committee on roads and transportation, director of services Paddy Mahon said it is hoped that a demonstration of a “velocity patching unit” might be arranged for council engineers in the area over Easter.

SPC chairperson, Cllr Jarlath Munnelly, said members of Mayo Co Council are convinced of the need to make use of the advances in road repair technology and seal, rather than just fill potholes. Velocity patching involves the use of a machine that fires the bitumen and chippings through a pump and into the pot-hole.

Headline of the week:

Thanks to the Laois Nationalist for this one!

The tell tale trail of slime and the sight of rows of decimated crops is the bane of every vegetable grower’s life. Slugs and snails affect just about every single crop you can plant, indeed the crops affected are too numerous to mention both here and on air. Tender new shoots and young seedlings are most at risk. Whole sowings and plantings can be devoured overnight by dastardly slugs. They can even worm their way into heads of cabbages and fully grown headsof lettuce, into celery and leeks, brassicas and also root vegetables such as beetroot, celeriac and potatoes.

There is much you can do that is safe and kind to the environment. You can employ baits such as upturned grapefruit halves or beer traps. For the latter you can use half egg shells or the bottom of cut off plastic bottles. Slugs will allegedly clamber over the edge and drop into the beer that has attracted them, and the protruding lip will prevent beetles etc from meeting the same fate.

I have a serious problem with this. For starters, it rains in Ireland, so most beer traps get washed away. Also, what Irishman is going to open a can or a bottle and pour a drop into a trap without having having a slug or two himself? Drinking and gardening do not mix! I have a sore foot which proves this theory…

Barriers such as sharp gravel, crushed eggshells or copper bands will form a line of defence that slugs and snails find unpleasant to cross. However, it’s Ireland. These barriers are less effective in wet weather and seldom stay in place for too long. And slugs can get all British POW and tunnel underneath them! Copper is pretty good, and gives slugs a short, sharp, shock. Dig it. You can use copper rings or a copper-coated fabric that can be cut to size aound plants and copper tape around pots.

Slugs — kill ‘em all!

If you have the time and the tendencies, then you can engage in pitched torch light battles, going out to pick away the pests. You can deal with them environmentally, throw them over theneighbours wall or try an get the birds to eat them.

Or better still, kill ‘em all. I have spent the best part of a decade fighting slugs and snails, and the only true effective method for the time-pressed gardener is with biological controls or slug pellets.

Another pest that make my gardening life a misery are carrot fly. Carrots are one of the best crops a family can grow, and if you can keep carrot fly at bay you’re in for a treat as there is nothing like the taste of a home grown carrot. Try sowing Spring Onions and Scallions each side of a row of carrots – the smell deters them. Or try resistant varieties or just be careful, sow thinly and maybe use a fleece. Also do your best to encourage birds!

French Marigold flowers are another great pest deterrent. Sow around your veg patch, especially alongside tomatoes.

Most of all, enjoy the battle!

For more great tips, log on and join the GROW IT YOURSELF IRELAND movement. Together we grow!

For a patio, balcony or small garden

It’s possible to grow a huge range of vegetables and herbs successfully in pots, buckets, old saucepans, colanders, bins or old wooden boxes which means that people with just a balcony, some steps to their door or even just a sunny windowsill can harvest their own fresh produce for the kitchen.

You could have ranks of terracotta or other pots along the edge of steps or on a patio. The light/shade suits most herbs, particularly parsely, mint, thyme, sage – in fact almost any herb once well watered. A recycled kitchen colander could be hung from anywhere, and from it tomatoes could cascade over the edge, with parsely and thyme to plug the gaps.

Large containers such as old wooden boxes are ideal for leaves such as lettuce. Valmaine – aka cut and come again — is my favourite lettuce. It’s old-school, traditional, and will not let you down.  Courgettes, even sweet peppers with herbs are ideal for this. Grouped containers of any description, improvised bins or buckets provided drainage holes are in their bums are ideal for leaves.

Shops around and you’ll see it’s increasingly difficult to find good quality, fresh lettuce in the supermarkets. It’s mass-produced Spanish tasteless heads, or bags full of chlorine. Lettuce is easy to grow and with a little planning, you can eat it fresh for 9 months of the year despite not having a garden.

If you’re afraid to venture outdoors, why not try herbs, chilis and peppers from inside your windowsill? It’s amazing the amount of herbs you can grow. Check out the GIY Ireland website for pointers. If you’re a single man fond of cooking that staple single man dinner of spag bol, why not grow some basil in a pot, an old jar, or vegetable tray, and watch the ladies swoon as they bite into fresh herbs on top of your humble spag bol.

A humble plate of spag bol can be livened up with fresh basil!

GIY’s vision is for a healthier, more sustainable and more connected society where people grow their own food.  They inspire and empower people to grow their own by bringing them together in community groups and online to share tips, ideas and produce. There are approximately 100 GIY groups and 12,000 people involved in the movement around Ireland.

GIY is open to people interested in food growing at all levels, i.e. from growing a few herbs on the balcony to complete self-sufficiency, from beginners to old hands, and this week’s competition on Breakfast With Hector with guest host Paddy McKenna is all about that.

My own garden has been an experiment in progress going back a decade. Every year, every month, every week and every day you learn something different, or learn a new trick, and every hint and tip one gets will benefit you down the line! There are daily tips on the GIY Ireland websiteand if you tune into Breakfast with  Paddy on RTE2FM every morning this week around 8.30am you’ll hear mine!

‘An early start?’

Today we spoke about how crucial this week is for outdoor planting. But before you go banana’s sowing everything, experiment with a few rows. The second week in April is generally a tricky week for deciding whether to sow out or not. The temptation is to, er, go bananas but it’s still risky. The Spring has been nice and mild thus far (so much so that there’s a drought affecting the lakes and canals of Westmeath). Temperatures are high enough to plant out, so do try, but advance handfuls are a good bet. If things don’t go to plan and there’s a frost the so be it. You can call them sacrificial crops!

For a medium to large garden

This is a big week in the sowing guide as it sees the first sowings outside of some of the really staple main crops such as peas, carrots, parsnips and potatoes. Whether you actually want to do now depends on local conditions and the absence of frost by night. But either way, we are really down the nitty gritting of sowing for this years crops, and sowing a little but often is the key.

Good outdoor planting this week
Salads and leaves; Scallions; Courgettes (in 3cm pots);Spinach; Peas; Beetroot; Broad Beans; Carrot, and root vegetables including Parsnips (first few weeks in April are generally your last chance); Radishes; Turnips; Cucumbers and if you have loads of room, then it’s time for your main crop of Potatoes. Don’t worry too much about spuds if you don’t have the room, as they are pretty cheap to buy.

It’s also a good time for aubergines and tomatoes (indoors for transplanting out, any later and you’ll have too short a growing season outside); broccoli, cabbages and other brassicas; celery; chicory, chillies, peppers; leeks and onions.

If you don’t want to take a chance outside then you can grow inside, on a windowsill, in the office, in the spare room, in the toilet and the big special in our house and one that drives them all mad–  in your kitchen. But hey, it’s all about growing together isn’t it?

More tips all this week on RTE2fm on Breakfast with Hector with guest host Paddy McKenna! I’m on at 8.30am.