Morning Focus began with a look at the Galway Islamic convert Khalid Kelly. The head of one of mosque in the West of Ireland is warning that radical Muslim preachers are arriving here from overseas to incite violence. Imam Ibrahim Noonan, from the Galway Mosque, claims Pakistani nationals are coming to Ireland calling for opponents of Islam to be killed. His claims follow the death of Khalid Kelly – an Irish Islamic convert blown up during an ISIS suicide bombing in Iraq. Imam Ibrahim Noonan joined Gavin on the line.
We then turned to the US Election as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have made their final pitch to US voters. They've criss-crossed America, speaking at rallies in the key swing states that will decide today's Presidential election. Mrs Clinton's appeared on stage with big name celebrities including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga. Polls will close around midnight tonight, Irish time, with a result expected in the early hours of tomorrow morning. Dr Michael Courtney, Department of Law & Government, DCU joined Gavin on the line.
As you may have heard, overcrowding at the region's main hospital yesterday reached its highest level in recent history. Figures released by nurses reveal there were 58 people waiting for beds at University Hospital Limerick yesterday afternoon. 42 of these were in the Emergency Department alone, with a further 16 in overflow areas of wards. Gavin was joined on the line by Dep Michael Harty, Independent TD & GP.
There's no doubt that we seem to be heading into a winter of discontent in terms of public service pay. With many secondary schools closed due to strike action by the ASTI and Gardai on course to withdraw their labour next Friday [CHECK], it may not be long before nurses and doctors threaten to go to the picket lines too. In the midst of this, there's been a proposal that women – all women in the country – should down tools next Friday in a bid to improve their pay. Journalist Julien Mercille has proposed that from Friday at 4.27pm, women should simply walk off the job. Julien Mercille, Assistant Professor (Dept. of Geography) UCD & columnist.
Morning Focus then turned once again to the US Election. Excitement is building in Doonbeg ahead of the US Election vote. The West Clare village has a unique connection to both Republican candidate Donald Trump, and his running mate Mike Pence. The billionaire tycoon owns the Trump International Hotel and Golf Links, while both the Indiana Governers' great-grandparents emigrated from Doonbeg towards the end of the 19th Century. Tommy Comerford joined Gavin on the line.
We then had Chris Sexton on the line. Chris is from Mullagh. He spent 15 years in the US and played Junior Hurling for Clare in 1960 in New York. Because he's an American citizen, he was able to vote in the Election and cast his ballot for Donald Trump. He says he considers Trump to be his neighbour and someone who's delivered for West Clare and will continue to do so through the development of the Doonbeg Resort.
Gavin next spoke about mental health. Mental Health has always been a difficult subject to talk about, one of many. Please Talk, St Patrick’s Mental Health Services and the Union of Students in Ireland have launched their annual ‘Chats for Change’ mental health campaign to get students talking. Both GMIT and LIT are taking part. Treasa Hanniffy, National Please Talk Officer joined Gavin on the line.
The sixth session of the Matt Talbot Novena will take place in SS John & Paul Church this evening (Tue. Nov. 7, 7pm). The preacher is Rev. Vincent Stapleton CC, Thurles, County Tipperary. The parish believes that the story of Matt Talbot’s life and struggle with his addiction is similar to the many stories of people today who are caught up or trapped by addictions of many and varied kinds. The Novena offers a spiritual response to help people to cope and to give people hope. It is not a substitute to seeking and following professional intervention, be it medical, counseling or group support. Fr Tom Ryan, Parish Priest in Shannon joined Gavin on the line.
We then had our weekly session with Frankie Coote, Clare County Dog Warden.
Morning Focus’ next guest was living proof that you don't need to base yourself in Hollywood to carve out a successful career in the film industry. Steve Hall is based in Limerick but has strong links to the Banner County. Earlier this month, he took a top award at the Richard Harris Film Festival He won the Newport Beach Competition prize for his short, Day Off. The award qualifies him to attend the Newport Beach Festival in Los Angeles, next year. Earlier this year, Steve's film 'Safe' was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. He came on the line to tell us about his win.
For those who love their wildlife documentaries, there's a real treat in store in Ennis later this week, when the multi-award winning cameraman Doug Allan comes to glór. Doug is a freelance wildlife and documentary cameraman who films both topside and underwater. His new show 'In the Company of Giants' is about the challenges of filming the largest animals in the wildest places on Earth. It comes to glór this Thursday November 10. Doug joined Gavin on the line.
If you've ever been to London, the odds are that you've ridden on the city's underground rail network. The Tube, as it's known, carries over 1.3 billion passengers a year with 200 million of those, give or take, on the Victoria Line which goes through the city's centre, and even under the River Thames. It was built in the 1960s in a major construction product that counted my next guest as one of its workers. Doonbeg native Tommy Harvey has been telling me how he went from West Clare to becoming a tunnel tiger.
Morning Focus ended with some live music from The Fiddle Case who are launching their new CD at venues around Clare this week. Eoin O’Neill & the Fiddle Case joined Gavin live in studio.
