The Douglas Post » Editor

Irish European Fiscal Compact Referendum

Online Staff — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:21:10 +0000

As the country is about to hit the polls I have listened to the great debate and watched political leaders once more score points and tear strips off each other and their party policies. The people of this country are suffering the penalties of a global collapse but moreso we are suffering the consequences of banking fiascos which have taken the heart and soul out of our nation. So for once, just once, I ask the policy makers and administrators of this country – think about the people, put the people first and come together as parties and political ‘leaders’ and show Europe the way. Blood, sweat and tears is what we have given this country – there have been too many suicides, too many young people having to emigrate, too many homes lost, too many jobs lost. NOW is the time to stand up and be counted and show Europe we are the Irish and we have had enough austerity already!

Slán

George Thompson

Editor

New State of the Art Upgrade for Ashton School

Online Staff — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:54:09 +0000

Following on from last week’s announcement on Ashton School’s new buildings, I am delighted to report that work has begun on replacing the current building with a modern, three-storey school. This new state of the art building, which will integrate the gracious Georgian building affectionately known as ‘the Old Building’, along with the Sports Hall, will enhance the school’s role as a centre of educational endeavour, and excellence. Students will enjoy many new features in the completed school, for example, being three stories high and having quite a significant glass frontage will add a new dimension to the building. The Sports Hall will be totally refurbished, with new floors, new roof and upgraded facilities, and will also be connected with the main school building. New up to the minute Science Laboratories will be a feature of the new build, along with dedicated art rooms, language rooms, library, and enhanced woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing rooms. Best of luck to all at Ashton!

Mathew’s Men’s Division I to take on Philippine National Team

Fr. Mathew’s has grown from its roots as a senior men’s, one team club based in Ballyphehane to become one of the most progressive and largest clubs in the country with membership now exceeding 200, catering for all ages groups from ‘nursery’ to underage and senior. This Sunday sees the clubs annual awards day at Rochestown Park Hotel and with it comes the announcement that the Men’s Division I team will take on Philippine National Team on Sunday August 26th at the Mardyke Arena and it is going to be a sell out as there is already a huge interest among the large Philippine population living in the Munster region. There will also be a huge Mathew’s following in attendance of this first ever match between a Mathew’s side and a senior International side. We will be providing regular updates on in the build-up to the big game so keep a close eye on Fr. Mathews club website and face book page. Go Mathews!

Roy Keane

Love him or loathe him you have to hand it to Roy Keane for keeping the Cork flag flying in tele-land as he builds his career being a pundit. While it is apparent Roy has the respect of his fellow former players and co pundits, I cringe sometimes when the broad Cork accent comes out but, all in all, fair dues to the Cork star. Like most stars in whichever walk of life, the charity work they undertake very often goes un-noticed however after 10 years doing his bit for the Guide Dogs, Roy has taken the Cork based service for the visually impaired, to another level with the ‘Shades’ campaign which take place every year and once more, this year is no exception…….it’s a great cause so please support it!

Slán

George Thompson

Editor

Nagle College Sensory Garden

Online Staff — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:39:40 +0000

The Sensory Garden, which has been under construction at Nagle College Mahon over the past month was completed this week with the help of 15 volunteers from Novartis which is a major sponsor of the garden, together with staff and pupils. The garden is part of the on-going progression of the ASD programme and is designed to encourage interactivity among the students, of all five senses. The garden will provide students with a number of benefits including development of life skills, as each pupil will gain a great deal of plant knowledge while also learning how to maintain the garden over the school year. The sensory benefits of the garden mean that students have a beautiful area for time out, reflection and discussion which can help with emotional well-being. Well known Douglas man Paul Finglas of Second Nature Garden Services carried out all works in relation to planting and design of the garden.

CBC Students Attempt Climb Into Guinness Book of Records

Twelve CBC students with their teacher Mr. James Deane, will attempt to climb Mount. Kilijamaro this coming August to raise funds and awareness for two Irish charities – Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin and Adi Roche’s Chernobyl Children’s Project. The climb is taking place from 23/08/2012 to 02/09/2012, while the team is also attempting to make it into the Guinness Book of Records with the most people on the summit at the one time. The group will be travelling with an organisation called Kilimanjaro Achievers and further information can be found on their website http://www.kilimanjaroachievers.com Training for this event is ongoing with the team having already conquered The Galtees and Carrantuohill. James Bryant and Corey Cashman from Douglas are two of the students on the team.

Ashton to get new school

Congratulations to Ashton School, Blackrock Road on the official launch of building work in relation to their new ‘state of the art’ school which takes place on Thursday morning May 3rd, at 10.00 am . This announcement at a time of extreme austerity in terms of the general economic climate, has created great excitement and enthusiasm for students and staff. Slán George Thompson Editor

Kiely-Walsh Academy Reels in World Titles

Online Staff — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:14:30 +0000

Well done to The Kiely-Walsh Academy which has once again hit an all time high winning 2 World titles along with 2 seconds, 2 thirds, a fifth and seventh and eight for both individual and team competitions, at the recent World Irish Dancing Championships held at the Waterfront Belfast. The Academy are no strangers to success having won 2 All Ireland titles and 8 Munster titles in the past few months. Congratulations all!

SHINE

The guys at Shine Autism Centre, Carrigaline are good friends of ours here at The Post and Dian Tobin Aherne was on to me to let me know that herself and Laura Crowley are organising a Ladies Lunch in aid of Shine on Sat 9th June in the Clarion Hotel from 12.30 pm. Shine are an amazing charity so please support if u can. Tickets cost €50 which includes 3 course lunch & wine. Spot prizes on the day and Guest Speaker to be announced soon. Tell your mums, sisters, aunts and granny’s. They would really appreciate the support. And they are looking forward to the day (and apparently the night!!!!)

Cork Motorcycle Racers do well at The Masters

I travelled to Mondello last Saturday evening for Ireland’s premier motorcycle racing series ‘The Adelaide Masters’ and while I missed Saturday’s racing, Sunday threw up all sorts of conundrums as the ‘neither here nor there’ weather played havoc with tyre choices and bike setup however, a great day was had by all and in particular a very successful weekend for Cork riders. Declan Swanton scored three emphatic wins in the Pre Injection Class and a 3rd and 6th in Supersport, while another Carrigaline man Paul Tobin had a 2ndand 3rd in Super Twins. Rookie John Horgan had a superb 3rd in the wet in only his second ever race and Brian Coomey from Douglas scored a 3rd in the Superbike Cup race. In a poignant tribute to Supersport 600 champion Sean Hurley, all riders were led by Declan Swanton riding Sean’s championship winning Yamaha R6 on a parade lap in honour of the Cork champion who tragically lost his life in a car accident near his home in Ballinhassig last November. .Keep ‘er lit #109

Slán

George Thompson

Editor

Titanic Wreath Laying Comemoration

Online Staff — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:21:39 +0000

I made a brief return to my navy roots last Sunday morning as I boarded LE Eithne at Cobh for (take out brief) the voyage out of Cork Harbour to the position where Titanic anchored on April 11th 1912. The reason for this short voyage was for a wreath laying ceremony on the anniversary of the liner’s sinking, three and a half days after leaving Irish waters and the sight of ‘Roches Point’ at the mouth of Cork harbour. The invited guests included local dignitaries together with members of the Irish Titanic Historical Society and indeed decendants of some of the passengers of the ill-fated ship. It was a sombre occasion as I noticed many people individually reflect as they watched the wreaths drift on the current after being placed in the sea. While the formal ceremony took place on LE Eithne’s flight deck, I couldn’t help notice that the children who had come aboard for this short trip, were playing in one of the ship’s Seariders (RIB – rigid inflatable boat), blissfully unaware of the occasion being marked and I wondered at that point, if the children aboard Titanic were aware of the crisis around them, as she sank beneath the Atlantic. On a personal note, it was good to catch up with my navy colleagues Cdr. Steve Walsh, captain of LE Eithne, Petty Officer Tom Kennedy and cox’n, Senior Chief Robbie Byrne ,while it was a novelty to sail once more on the ship I was very much involved with as a photographer, from its humble beginnings with the laying of her keel at Verolme dockyard to her launch and fit out, the first helicopter landing aboard, her sea trials and commissioning.

Happy Easter!

Online Staff — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:19:23 +0000

Easter – a time of Eggs and Caution!

As the holiday period begins and the kids enjoy a break from school, I hope we see a return to the weather we had last week with soaring temperatures and sun. What better ingredients to fuel the feel good factor as we try to leave our trouble and woes to one side for a holiday break. Easter isn’t just a religious or easter egg occasion but a holiday weekend that heralds the onset of summer and it’s the time when people air their holiday homes, and put their boats in the water for the season. If the weather is exceptional, a lot of people will take to the water over the holiday and my former navy colleague John Leech, now with Irish Water Safety issued me with the following information regarding safety on and in the water over Easter.

Easter Holiday Drowning Risk

Thousands of people will enjoy Easter bank holiday breaks on or close to waterways that pose a danger if safety is not heeded especially as there will be a Full Moon and some of the highest tides of the year. Irish Water Safety is pleading with the public to avoid tragedy by supervising children on holidays and exercising common sense around our shorelines, rivers and lakes. Children are attracted to water but can drown silently in seconds. It is critical that adults supervise children at all times. Visitors to rural homes should ensure that children do not stray alone to septic tanks, quarries or riverbanks. Those boating over the holiday weekend will share their enthusiasm with swimmers, divers, anglers, canoeists, surfers and thousands more walking the shoreline. Walkers and shellfish pickers should be aware of the dangers of stranding posed by the spring tides. Those enjoying what is commonly their first boating trip of 2012 should ensure that every person on board wears a correctly fitting well maintained lifejacket with crotch strap. Cold-water temperatures are close to ten degrees at present. Most swimmers will not yet be acclimatized to such conditions and should not stay too long in open water. Alcohol is a contributory factor in approximately one-third of all drownings, therefore alcohol should not be consumed before or during aquatic activities. If you have not used your lifejacket since last year then you will need to carry out the neccessary checks. Emergencies – If you see someone in difficulty in the water dial 999 OR 112. Don’t assume someone else will make the call. For more information and details of water safety check out: www.iws.ie

Lastly!

There is plenty of entertainment locally over the holiday weekend, if you are not travelling away and if you do drink – DON’T DRIVE! Have a great holiday everyone! Slán George Thompson Editor

Special Kids Need Special Needs Assistants!

Online Staff — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:21:16 +0000

We at the Douglas Post have had a special relationship with CABAS and SHINE who school and educate young people with autism. Recently government cutbacks have affected many special needs schools but the loss of Special Needs Assistants at the Sonas School in Carrigaline is a particular pill that is hard to swallow.

Stuart O’Mahony whose daughter Amy is 4 years old and has autism, attends Sonas Special Junior School for children with autism in Carrigaline, where parents and staff were told on March 9th last that NCSE (National Council for Special Education) have done a review of staff there and have decided to cut a quarter of the SNAs (Special Needs Assistants) from the school. This is an outrage and cannot be allowed to happen, there are currently 16 SNAs and 6 teachers that care for the needs of 24 very special kids in four classes, who receive one to one tutoring which they so badly need.

These needs and the care will suffer greatly with the loss of 4 SNAs. “Amy started school last September, she was non communicative and because of the work they do down there she now speaks” said Stuart. “She has a lot of trouble transitioning from one place to another (she stops at doorways and has to be coaxed through) and at the start she refused to even go into the school and used to throw herself on the floor and it would take 2 SNA’s and the teacher to get her in, they would sit with her outside the school and try all sorts to get her in, but now she has improved a lot but though still has some problems and needs the SNA’s” Teachers and SNAs bring the kids on social outings to the supermarket and to the Carrigaline Court hotel for toast to teach them how to deal with social situations, but they need one SNA per child as like Amy a lot of these kids need close attention and care. Sonas is a special school not just in name but because it is the only one of its kind in the country that will take these kids in at a preschool level. They prepare these kids for moving onto primary level be it into mainstream, special units or special schools.It’s a key part of the early intervention that is so crucial for autistic children, Amy is currently undergoing toilet training, for which she needs an SNA with her at all times. There are 14 kids leaving this year (6 going to mainstream schools and the rest to units and special schools) and that means that there will be 14 new children starting in September and

AIB outlines activity in the mortgage, deposit and SME lending sectors

Online Staff — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Last week I attended a breakfast seminar at AIB Douglas Road and hosted by Branch Manager Hugh Griffin. The event was attended by a group of business people from the Douglas area who were briefed on AIB’s customer services in today’s economic climate. Hugh Griffin, AIB Branch Manager Douglas, said AIB is “open for business” and supporting borrowers interested in purchasing a home. “AIB also has the most competitive mortgage rates in the market. Recently we have seen a significant improvement in turnaround times for credit decisions and a significant increase in sanction levels,” he said. Hugh was speaking at an event in AIB Douglas, where attendees were offered updates on AIB mortgage and SME lending and also on the bank’s activity in the deposit market. Oonagh Coleman, Mortgage Co-ordinator at AIB Douglas, confirmed that in the overall mortgage market , AIB approved mortgages to the value of €845 million in 2011. This year AIB expects to increase its level of mortgage approvals to a minimum €1 billion but the bank does not have an upper limit on its lending to the mortgage market. The Bank is seeing a steady increase in lending since last summer. AIB has also developed a new ‘Mortgage Pack’ which is aimed at supporting customers as they progress through the mortgage application process. The ‘Mortgage Pack’ is available for customers either in branches, online at www.aib.ie/mortgages, or by sending a text with their name and address to 51500 to receive a copy by post. On the business lending side, attendees at the event were told by Anne Dorney, Manager, of AIB’s intent to intensify its level of engagement with its customers in 2012, “with a view to finding ways of meeting their credit requirements in line with the commitments that the Bank has made to the Government to increase the supply of credit to viable businesses.” Also it was highlighted that the deposits business supports the provision of credit to the SME sector and also provides funding for the mortgage book. Ian O’Connell, Deposits Manager, said AIB has a full range of personal and business savings accounts which can help individuals and SMEs build their most appropriate deposit portfolio. “Should anyone require information, or wish to learn more about AIBs competitively priced deposit offerings, please refer to Mary O’Sullivan or Colman Shanley at AIB Douglas who welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your own particular situation,” said Ian O’Connell. Sensory Garden at Nagle Community College I had a call on Monday morning last from well-known landscaper here in Douglas, Paul Finglas, about a new project taking place at Nagle College Mahon – the development of a sensory garden which is a project being undertaken by transition year students and ASD staff at the school. I went along to see the turning of the sod at the site of the new garden which is directly outside the homeroom and was invited back to see the finished garden on its completion before the Easter break. Well done to all and to Paul Finglas, whose assistance has been described as invaluable on this project.

Slán

George Thompson

Editor

Towards a bilingual Cork

Online Staff — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:42:53 +0000

Public seminar on the Irish Language Gael-Taca, Corcaigh le Gaeilge are organising a public seminar for the Irish Language on Wednesday 7th March 2012 @ 7.30 p.m. in the Imperial Hotel, on the South Mall. The theme of the seminar is “towards a bilingual Cork”, with specific discussion on the 20 year strategy for Irish and how best to implement it in Cork. The 20 year strategy for Irish will be discussed initially, and then people will be put into focus groups, targetting specific areas of the language like Irish in Business, Children with Irish, teenagers with Irish, festivals with Irish etc. The seminar is about action, and empowering people to promote Irish in their own community. Adrian Breathnach, secretary with Gael-Taca says “This seminar is about giving the people of Cork a voice in further strengthening the language, and how this strategy can be implemented in a practical way, by all of us. We want to come away from this meeting with a targetted plan, not just general ideas. We will be focusing in on all areas of the community to do this”. Everyone is welcome to the seminar, regardless of your level of Irish. All details are on Gael-Taca’s website www. gael-taca.com or call us in the office on 021 4310841.

Slán

George Thompson

Editor