On today’s Morning Focus we heard from Presidential candidate Peter Casey ahead of the election this Friday.
The most recent polls put Mr Casey at 2% but the businessman and former Dragon catapulted himself into the media after making remarks about the Travelling community last week.
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Former Labour TD Michael McNamara spoke about running in the European parliament elections. This will rule him out as a candidate in the next General Election and if successful he will become the country’s first Member of the European Parliament in nearly 30 years.
After that, Dermot Goode, TotalHealthCover.ie told us about cuts to the cost of health insurance which could result in a price war among the big insurers. Irish Life Health are reducing the price on a number of plans for families.
In the second hour of the show Lorraine Dolan, Regional Coordinator for the MidWest region of Sage Advocacy spoke about how older people are experiencing home-care delays of up to two years. 6,100 are on the current waiting list with pensioners finding it a lot more difficult to access home-care than a decade ago.
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Brian Meaney, Secretary, Clare Timber Producers Group was live in studio to discuss how Clare forestry owners are losing out over lax regulation. There is concern that farmers and landowners are not getting the financial recompense expected as a result of planting forestry. The Clare Timber Producers Group say they’re unable to run Knowledge Transfer Groups this year, but hope to do so once more in 2019. Anyone interested in taking part is asked to contact 0877203924 or [email protected].
We also heard from Podge Collins, Dual player for Clare and Cratloe who urged Clare residents along the Wild Atlantic Way to share their hidden gems. There is a global social media campaign to highlight the beauty of the locality which calls on Clare people to share photos and videos showcasing the beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way using the hashtag #MyWildAtlanticWay.
Darragh McAllister, Ennis Chamber Festival Chair and Maeve Sheridan, Western Herd Brewery came into the studio to give us all the details ahead of the Ennis Hallowe’een Festival on this weekend. The festival was launched last year and and is based on Parnell Street. Key attractions will include a specially commissioned puppet show featuring vampires in silhouette . Follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram @HalloweenFestivalEnnis
In the final hour of Morning Focus we heard about the Burren Winterage Weekend from Burren Farmers Vinnie Keane and Michael Davoren. The age-old practice of winter grazing will be celebrated at this weekend’s festival. Events will include a ‘Herdsman’s Walk’ led by Patrick McCormack and the Winterage Cattle Drive which takes place this Sunday, October 28.
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Jacinta Sheerin, Ennistymon-based actress talked about her new play ‘Holy Mary’ whch comes to the Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick on Thursday, November 1. ‘Holy Mary’ takes a humorous and heartbreaking look at one girl’s experience of making her First Holy Communion.
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Then, Clare FM music guru Brian Flynn played the best song you’ve probably never heard.
Morning Focus concluded with our regular segment ‘Ask the Vet’ with John Underhill, Burren Vets, Ennistymon. John answered a number of pet and livestock related queries from listeners.
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