Morning Focus – 05/10/18

Today Morning Focus commenced with Dep Pat Breen who discussed new jobs at Edward Lifesciences after the news that the company will open a new manufacturing facility in Castletroy. 

The US medical equipment company will create 600 jobs by 2021 at the new €80 million facility. An initial manufacturing facility was opened in the Shannon Free Zone in August and it was hoped that the new facility would also be built in Clare.

President of St Vincent de Paul, Niamh McDonnell spoke to us about concerns over public drinking and anti-social behaviour in Ennis. This comes after issues have been raised in the town in relation to littering and intimidation.

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Deputy editor of Fora.ie, Conor McMahon was on the line to talk Wild Atlantic Way merchandise being proposed as a revenue stream for tourism. The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation suggested to Fáilte Ireland that they are missing out and could license the Wild Atlantic Way for official t-shirts, mugs etc.

In the second hour of the show we heard from Elaine Dalton, Clare Women’s Network, Avia Gurman, interdisciplinary performing artist and Orla Quinn, Sacred sexuality facilitator about a new project which explores the relationship between women’s bodies and the Burren.

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Then, Author Paul Rouse told us about his new book ‘The Hurlers: The First All-Ireland Championship and the Making of Modern Hurling.’ The former Offaly manager of the senior football team has also been a contributor to RTÉ’s ‘The Game’ documentary.

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We had our weekly arts round-up from Clare County Arts Officer, Siobhán Mulcahy. Events will include Friday Poetry Collective in Ennis, an artist talk in Glór, painting classes, music and theatre productions in Ennis and Kilkee.

For the final hour of the show we had our regular Friday panel discussion live in studio. This week’s panelists were William Cahir, Cahir and Company Solicitors, Ennis, Martin Waldron, Businessowner, Craft Works Ennis and Kay Murphy, National President, Active Retirement Ireland. The topics this week were Budget 2019, what will it take to topple Trump, solutions to homelessness and the housing crisis and the Krispy Kreme craze.

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Morning Focus concluded with a live performance from concertina player Jack Talty, fiddler Liz Coleman and Guitarist Niwel Tsumbu. Musician in Residence at UCC, Jack Talty spoke to Gavin ahead of his performance with the Irish Memory Orchestra at Glór Ennis tonight (October 5).