Among the many issues covered on this edition of Morning Focus was the extraordinary story of a man who beat alcohol addiction to become a counsellor and therapist.
Jack Byrnes told Gavin that he turned to drink to deal with paranoia and anxiety caused by injuries he sustained in a crash in 1973, when he was 19. At his lowest, he had been kicked out of the house and was living in a car and struggling with suicidal tendencies.
Now Jack has been sober for seventeen years and has retrained as a therapist. Listen back here:
As you may well have heard by now, concerns have been raised that the latest Garda controversies. One involves a clerical error which will lead to the likely quashing of tens of thousands of traffic offence convictions. The other, arguably more serious issue, is the confirmation that the force has grossly over-estimated the number of breath tests carried out. Already, one prominent Ennis solicitor has warned that if the public doesn’t have confidence in the system for policing drink driving, it won’t adhere to it. Chief Superintendent for the Clare Garda Division John Kerin joined Gavin in studio.
Listen back here:
Two of Clare’s brightest young people Gary Kelly and Delia Keary lost their lives in a tragic accident over the weekend. Doora Barefield Parish Priest Fr Gerry Carey spoke to Morning Focus about the tragedy.
Hauliers say the triggering of Article 50 next week may be a positive step. British Prime Minister Theresa May is to formally tell the EU she’s invoking Brexit next Wednesday.
The Irish Road Haulage Association says it will bring months of uncertainty to an end.
It’s set to top the agenda at their AGM in Wexford on Friday last (March 24). Bunratty-based haulier Eoin Gavin gave his opinion on the issue.
Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sgt Joe Downey joined Gavin in studio for his usual weekly slot.
A cast of rural champions will come together this week (Weds. March 29) to look at how inspiration from the world of sport could rejuvenate ailing parts of rural Ireland.
The event, at Mary I’s St Patrick’s Campus in Thurles, will be addressed by Chairman of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) Pat Spillane as well as Padraig Giblin from Scarriff (founder of Sports World Netting and Derg Isle team building centre.
Conference organiser Fr Eamonn Fitzgibbon and Padraig Giblin filled Gavin in on the details. Listen back here:
The Clare People’s Eoin Brennan joined our own Derrick Lynch and Gavin in studio for The Monday Sports Panel.
Breda Coughlan is a former paediatric nurses. Her eldest son Andrew’s struggled with reading and writing and the family’s efforts to find support for him lead Breda to develop a system of ‘visual learning’ which she believes can yield results for many people including those with with dyslexia. Breda is running a seminar next Thursday, March 30, at Treacy’s West County Hotel. She spoke to Morning Focus about the event.
The whole country was glued to their TV screens for last night’s final of Dancing with the Stars. Runner up and Clare native Aoibhinn Garrihy spoke to Gavin about her experience on the show.
