Morning Focus opened with Donald Trump’s second wall. Trump's Doonbeg Golf Resort has scrapped plans for a controversial €10 million sea protection barrier adjacent to the property. An online petition opposing the plans had attracted 100,000 signatures, but the project had also received significant support from locals in Doonbeg. Gavin was joined on the line by Fergal Smith, Moy-based surfer, member of Save the waves and the Green Party.
Morning Focus opened with Donald Trump’s second wall. Trump's Doonbeg Golf Resort has scrapped plans for a controversial €10 million sea protection barrier adjacent to the property. An online petition opposing the plans had attracted 100,000 signatures, but the project had also received significant support from locals in Doonbeg. Gavin was joined on the line by Fergal Smith, Moy-based surfer, member of Save the waves and the Green Party.
Talk then turned back to cystic fibrosis. Clare sufferers of Cystic Fibrosis are among those travelling to Dublin today (Wed.s, Dec. 7) to protest at Leinster House over access to the break-through drug Orkambi. It emerged last month that the HSE is unlikely to fund the drug which has been described as a revolutionary drug for many patients. Campaigners say it slows the progression of CF and cuts the rate of hospitalisation. 32-year-old CF sufferer Robert Cook from Kilrush spoke to Morning Focus on foot of the news and he's on the way to Dublin to protest today. He also joined Gavin on the line.
Four men have been arrested after a greyhound, stolen from kennels in County Tipperary yesterday, was recovered. Clares Rocket, which is owned by a Limerick syndicate, was taken from the yard of Irish Derby winning trainer Graham Holland in Golden in the early hours of Monday morning. The dog, which was recovered safe and well, is estimated to have a stud value of more than €1 million and has won the Champion Stakes and the Produce Stakes. Four men have been arrested in connection with the theft of the animal. Gavin spoke with Áine Fitzgerald, assistant editor with the Limerick Leader.
Divorce rates in Clare are in line with the national average, according to figures just released by the Courts Service. Last year, this county saw 118 applications for divorce, judicial separations or the dissolution of civil partnerships. The figures reveal that Carlow had the highest divorce rate last year, with 125 applications per 100,000 population. Dublin, not surprisingly, came in second place with 1,552 applications for divorce in the capital in 2015 – that’s one third of the national total. On the flip side, the figures show that the most enduring marriages are in Donegal with just 66 divorces and civil partnership separations registered there last year. The divorce rates were relatively low in other small counties, with less that one a month recorded in Longford and Leitrim, where just eight and six applications were recorded respectively last year. Other notable findings from the report included the break up of 75 civil partnerships nationwide. There were 33 applications for “nullity” last year also, which is a declaration that the marriage is null and void, according to the Sunday Times. A Fine Gael TD has put forward a Bill to amend the current rules in the constitution which state that couples need to be separated for four years for before being legally divorced. Deputy Josepha Madigan, who is also a family law solicitor, said that the current law “is unfair and unnecessary” and wants the four year period to be reduced to two years. Mary Cashin from Cashin & Co Solicitors joined Gavin live in studio.
Morning Focus then turned to cheap flights. Exciting news here for those in the west of Ireland. The US Transportation Department has granted approval to Norwegian Air to commence low cost transatlantic flights between Ireland and the United States from Shannon Airport. It’s been reported that a one way flight will start from as low as €69. Stuart Buss, Head of Communications in UK with Norwegian, joined Gavin on the line.
Italy's Prime Minister is delaying his resignation until after the country's budget has been approved in the next few days. Matteo Renzi's quit because he lost yesterday's referendum on constitutional reform. The country's also been suffering from a weak economy – which has poor growth, high government debt, and banks saddled with bad loans. However here at home, both the Taoiseach and the finance minister have played down the effect of the referendum. Gavin spoke with Paddy Agnew, Rome Correspondent with The Irish Times.
Talk then turned to healthy eating. We all remember in school learning about the food pyramid, with the stuff you really wanted being at the top and told you couldn’t have it, well it seems now that even if you were following it to the letter it didn’t fully matter as they’ve now changed it. Gavin was joined on the line by Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, Director of Human Health and Nutrition with Safefood.
One of the most quintessentially Irish things on our lovely island has to be the Post Office, so much more than just sending letters. You can pay your bills there, get your passport, it’s been a stable feature in Ireland sine its inception. Well now Stephen Ferguson has written ‘The Irish Post Office: An Illustrated History’, telling the story of our nation and its people in a unique and accessible way. Stephen joined Gavin on the line.
It’s beginning to look more and more like Christmas, the Miltown Malbay Market is taking place on December 10th and 11th, there’ll be a wide variety of stalls and even a Santa’s Grotto for the kids. They also have the added attraction of Graham Norton’s Big Red Chair direct from London. Gavin was joined on the line by Claire Jones from Jones’ Supervalu, Miltown Malbay.
Without a doubt, one of the most captivating attractions in the Burren is the Temple Cronan site. A pilgrimage site since ancient times, its archaeological highlights include holy wells, rare relic shrines, cemetery, penitential stations, ancient church, monastic enclosure and a complex of ruins of lay buildings. It's also the subject of a special talk tomorrow night (Thurs. Dec. 8, 8.30pm) at the X-PO in Kilnaboy. The illustrated lecture is entitled 'City of God -Temple Cronan, Carran'. Gavin was joined on the line by Tony Kirby from Kilnaboy.
And to finish the show Gavin was joined live in studio by our regular vet, John Underhill.
