Meath Local News, Edition 14

MEATH SECURES “LARGEST BUDGET EVER” OF OVER €200 MILLION Meath County Councillors adopted a budget for 2024 of €208.7 million on local public services, an increase of €22m (or 12%) from last year and the first time the Council budget has exceeded €200m.

The budget went through by a wide majority of 30-4 votes with the current funds well above the 2019 budget of €124m. €65 million will be spent on housing, 32% of the total budget €9.5 million of this will be provided specifically for Housing and Building in Budget 2024. The Council plans to utilise advance purchase arrangements of un-commenced developments, cost rental schemes with AHBs, Part V agreements, and LIHAF funding to

deal with challenges regarding the housing crisis.

Transport increased to €55m, €1.7m more than last year, and will focus on progressing the Strategic Infrastructure Development application for the N2 Slane Bypass.14 new outdoor staff will be recruited next year to support local services.

Development management also garnered €23m in funds which will be put towards projects and services related to planning, community, economic development and tourism.

Other funds include €23.6m for environmental services, €12.5m for recreation and amenities, €11m for water services, €1m Agriculture and Welfare, and €16m split

By Eoin Ryan

across Customer and corporate services, communications, facilities, health and safety.

This represents an increase of over €80m from five years earlier with the bulk of funds dedicated to housing and roads.

Cllr. Tommy Reilly said the council’s decision to refrain from imposing a commercial rates increase was especially significant when calling for more economic focus on rural areas in Meath “I think there has to be more investment in villages and infrastructure, water and broadband so that people can work from home and that houses can be built, sites bought and sold at a reasonable price to people

that want to own their own house in their own area,” Cllr. Reillt said.

“We are still supporting businesses that are under pressure and to see there has been no rates increase in the last five years, that can only help businesses and I think businesses are thankful in how the local authority have treated them over the last number of years.”

“The key aim of Budget 2024 is to ensure that Meath continues to be best positioned to grow and prosper, to support economic development, avail of future investment, address the county’s housing needs, foster sustainable and resilient communities and adapt to the impacts of an ever-changing climate.”

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Transport will see a total increase of €1.7m Progression of all our major Capital Schemes will continue to be a priority in 2024, with a particular focus on progressing the Strategic Infrastructure Development application for the N2 Slane Bypass and Public Realm Project with An Bord Pleanála. €3.5m is for economic development and promotion, an increase of €750,000 from last year. Schemes such as The Town and Village Renewal, Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), and Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), will further improve the living and working environment of local communities.

“The key objectives of Budget 2024 are to continue to maintain our key service levels and enhance some essential services, deliver on the objectives of the Government’s Housing for All Policy, address climate change and environmental sustainability within the organisation and in our communities, and a renewed

focus on economic development that will expand and maintain a sustainable and viable rate base, into 2024 and beyond,” Meath County Council Chief Executive Fiona Lawless said while presenting the budget.

Meath County Council’s Head of Finance Sheila Harkin said this budget is “a total increase of over 37% since the current Council was elected in 2019. This has been possible through a continued focus on maximising the use of resources at our disposal, strong budgetary management processes, and greater effort in securing higher levels of grant funding”.

Ms. Sheila Harkin, the Council’s Head of Finance, said, “This is the largest budget ever presented to members, with a total increase of over 37% since the current Council was elected in 2019. This has been possible through a continued focus on maximising the use of resources at our disposal, strong budgetary management processes, and greater effort in securing higher levels of grant funding.”

CHILDLINE BY ISPCC REPORTS OVER 100 CONTACTS MADE IN RELATION TO SEXUAL ABUSE IN PAST MONTH AS IT LAUNCHES CHRISTMAS APPEAL

Ireland’s only 24hour listening service for children and young people launches national Christmas appeal as harrowing statistics reveal up to 10 contacts per week from teenagers pertaining to rape.

Dublin, November 27th, 2023 – Childline by ISPCC has today launched a national Christmas appeal with heartbreaking statistics that reveal Ireland’s only 24hour listening service for children and young people receives:

horrifying statistics. The 24/7 Childline listening service means that there is always someone to listen if a child or young person needs to share their story, during the festive season and all through the year.

Many of the contacts received by the team at ISPCC are heartbreaking. One of our volunteers Ciara* spoke several times to a little girl named

120,000 contacts each year of which almost one quarter are classified “level 4” – the most concerning.

26 contacts from children and young people in relation to child sexual abuse on a weekly basis.

169 contacts about incest to date (November 27th, 2023) Weekly Childline by ISPCC receives between five to 10 contacts from teenagers about rape. This Christmas the team of staff and volunteers at ISPCC will be working hard to address these

Orla* who rang about how scared she was of the monster who came to her bedroom at night. This monster should have been one of the most trusted people in her life, but nine-year-old Orla was being sexually abused by a

member of her family.

Another volunteer Maria* tells of a young caller Jess* who was also being abused at home. Jess had been calling Childline regularly and through talking to our volunteers had built up her courage and determination to protect and save her siblings from her own horrifying experience.

Orla and Jess’s experiences are not rare. According to the CSO Sexual Violence Survey 2022, 41% of respondents, aged 18-24, experienced sexual violence as a child. Of those surveyed, 83% of victims knew the perpetrator.

Mairead McGinn, Director of Fundraising, ISPCC said: “Childline relies heavily on public generosity to help keep us here for every child and young person 24 hours a day. We depend on donations for up to 75% of the funding which keeps us listening 24hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a real difference and helps to en-

sure that we always provide a listening ear and support to those who need it.”

In addition to our 24/7 Childline service, ISPCC is also playing an active role to help prevent child sexual abuse through a number of proactive initiatives.

“At ISPCC, we know how important technology is as a means of combatting child sexual abuse. We are delighted to be involved in the GroSafe research project with TU Dublin, the aim of which is to develop a technology-enabled solution to build societal resilience to child grooming,” said Fiona Jennings, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, ISPCC. She continued: “We are also working with TU Dublin in an End Violence Against Children funded research project to develop a tool that reveals the patterns of adults perpetrating online child sexual abuse and the children who are affected by such violence.”’

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€900,000 SPENT TACKLING ILLEGAL DUMPING IN MEATH Taxpayers have spent almost €900,000 to tackle illegal dumping occurring in Co. Meath since 2019.

The topic was brought up at the local authority’s meeting this month by Fianna Fail CouncillorPaul Mccabe, who described it as a serial offense blighting the local landscape due to the indiscriminate dumping.

McCabe stated that the rate and taxpayers of Meath are burdened by the cost of cleaning up the rubbish of other people every year.

Though not everyone in Meath engages in this behavior though there, are small groups of people who regularly engage in the services of illegal and bogus waste collectors and the material always ends up dumped in the countryside .

He mentioned that some people do not avail themselves of the free bottle banks in every village provided by Meath

By Aodhan Tomkins County Council, and advised to use these services to dispose of waste in the lead up to Christmas.

Meath County Council advised the public to reply to social media advertisements by asking for a permit number and, if the collector does not reply with one or does not respond at all that means, they are operating illegally. Another effective method is to have the public send in photographs of household rubbish collectors ads received in the mail or on social media

to provide more information about current unlicensed collector advertising.

The County Council is also telling the public to report illegal dumping to them and give them the location of illegally dumped waste. Litter wardens must open and look through each rubbish bag they find to investigate the identity of the dumpers and if identification is found, it can lead to a court appearance. They are used to finding loads of rubbish bags dumped in areas such as a field or highway, and this amount of waste is often found weekly.

Close to 1,800 homes were available to rent on November 1st, again a 64% increase compared to the same date a year previously.

All counties in Leinster except for Dublin have seen a decrease in rent costs on five bed houses with Meath seeing a 7.7% decline in comparison to last year down to €1,891 a month.

Meath rent is still increasing, however, with a 7.3% yearly change, making average rent €1,813 a month and a national rise of 8% over the same period. 300 homes across Leinster were available to rent on Daft.ie on 1 November, 17% higher than last year but still less than half of the 2015-2019 average of 800.

“But there are two important caveats to this sliver of good news,” The Daft Report’s author Ronan Lyons said. “The first is that, by any objective measure, having just 1,800 homes on the rental market for a country that has, as of the April 2022 Census, at least 330,000 households in

By Eoin Ryan the private rental market is far too little.”

“The other caveat is that the improvement in rental market conditions is concentrated in Dublin.”

Lyons called this a massive

improvement but “1,800 (homes to rent) is not nearly enough. If there’s a magic number, it’s probably closer to 6,000.

Availability has been improving for seven months with a substantial increase of over 60% in over the last four months.

The situation was at its worst in August 2022 when only 716 homes were available to

rent across the entire country, a massive decrease from when 23,000 were available 13 years earlier.

Dublin rents have only risen by 1.3% since the starter, just under 6% higher from a year earlier, but rents have jumped by approximately 9% in the cities of Galway, Limerick, and Cork during the same time period.

All counties in Leinster except for Dublin have seen a decrease in rent costs on five bed houses with Meath seeing a 7.7% decline in comparison to last year down to €1,891 a month.

There were close to 1,000 rentals available to rent in Dublin on November 1st, a jump from the 350 available the same date last year.

“More homes available to rent puts less upward pressure on rents. Given what is happening in Dublin ‐ and what is not happening elsewhere ‐ it is unsurprising that the ease-off in rental inflation is, at least at the moment, concentrated in the Dublin area,” Lyons said.

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MEN’S AID ANNOUNCES UNPR ECEDENTED LEVELS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONTACTS ON RECORD IN 2022

Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, on Friday 17th November launched Men’s Aid 2022 Annual Report to mark International Men’s Day. Men’s Aid, Ireland’s only dedicated organisation supporting men and their families experiencing domestic violence, shares how men are finding the confidence and encouragement to seek information and support.

The Annual Report highlights the following points: • The 9,524 contacts made to the service in 2022.

• This is a significant increase of 26% on 2021 demand and a 73% increase compared to 2020 demand.

• 1 in 4 calls were first time callers to the domestic violence support service.

• Whilst 4,098 Helpline calls were supported, the report outlines that 1,356 calls were missed. • The experiences shared by men include emotional, psychological, physical, financial, and sexual abuse, with high levels of coercively controlling

relationships disclosed.

• The gender of the abuser disclosed: 91% female, 7% male and 2% both.

Keynote speaker Dr. Melissa Corbally of Trinity College Dublin will share her recent research at the launch event, which will give key insights as to what is happening, why it is happening and thus providing an enhanced focus to meet the needs of male victims across Ireland.

Kathrina Bentley, CEO of

Men’s Aid Ireland, commented: “In 2022 we supported the highest ever level of contacts

of over 9,500 to our domestic violence support service.

It is a welcomed increase, as it illustrates that we are breaking down the silence, the stigma and the shame associated with men talking about domestic violence”.

called us sooner”.

“We care about the men who feel they have no way out of a controlling relationship, and we would encourage them to pick up the phone and call our confidential helpline team to speak in

“People need to be aware that Domestic Violence is at pandemic levels across Ireland and at Men’s Aid, our support service is available to empower and support men and their families.

It is important that we bring awareness about the experience of abusive, unhealthy relationships and give a voice to those living with a coercively controlling partner as this will help others feel less alone”.

confidence about their situation. We know it’s not easy, the first step is often the hardest, however we know many men wish they had

“Men using of our frontline support service range from 18 years to 90 years of age, including 49 nationalities, men, from everyone walk of life”.

“In June 2022, the Department of Justice published the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Zero Tolerance, which we welcome and are currently supporting in the delivery of the action points identified to support the needs of male victims”.

RATOATH RESIDENTS MAKE COMPLAINT AGAINST IRISH WATER DUE TO OUTAGES Ratoath res“There were

By Eoin Ryan idents have days without made a “collecwater, businesstive complaint” against Irish es had to close (and) send Water concerning its poor workers home, loss of pay record of providing water and loss of business there, to homes, businesses and but in homes, people who services in Ratoath and the were looking after people surrounding areas. medically compromised were days without very baWorkers’ Party member sic hot water for dealing with Gerry Rooney organised the that,” Gerry Rooney said complaint involving a large while speaking on LMFM. group of Ratoath residents.

The town has been plagued “It shouldn’t have hapbyh regular interruptions pened. You would like to with Meath County Counthink that Irish Water as a

cil having to supply bottled water to housing estates and businesses at a certain point.

result of this complaint will learn some lessons and do their business differently in a far more proffesional manner and will prevent that from happening again.”

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CONDITIONS IN GOWAN TAKES DOWN IRELAND’S BEST

When the gun went off for the Senior Men’s/U23 race it was clear from the beginning

When the leading pack came around into the start of the second lap, some big names such as Efrem Gidey and Daragh McElhiney looked to be getting left behind. While the race continued to unfold it was clear to see that the

By Cillian Sheeran sickness the last and Gidey, who placed third in week leading up 2018 were not going to make to the Nationals, “I got sick the squad. last Sunday and it wasn’t ideal” this made Callum, “more Within the U23’s race we finervous”. nally got to see some familiar faces make the podium.

It was very unfortunate to Callum Morgan from Cansee the Tullamore Harriers dour Track club will be repathlete, Micheal Murphy just resenting Ireland for the first miss out on qualifying for time as an U23 athlete at the Brussels. In a very emotional

that the race would not go to plan for many of the athletes in the field. The new National Champion, Cormac Dalton from Mullingar Harriers said he “wasn’t relishing it” espe-

senior men’s team for the European Cross Country Championships was going to take a big hit, due to athletes such as McElhiney, who is a two time European medallist

Europeans. Callum described the course as “a real slog” and he had to “grit it out”. Not only were the conditions not ideal for him on the day, he was also dealing with some

Ireland’s best athletes took to the starting line in Gowan for the National Cross Country Championships. The race took place ahead of the 2023 European Cross Country Championships held in Brussels on December 10th.

cially “after being in the American system and running on golf courses”.

interview, the U23 athlete said he “sacrificed everything the last five months preparing for the race”. Although Micheal placed sixth, it is only the top three athletes who automati-

cally qualify, the other three are picked directly by Athletics Ireland. Even with the conditions Murphy described his performance as “the race of his life” because he “gave it absolutely everything”.

Although it was clear that some of the favourites didn’t perform the way they wanted to, the athletes who did go out

and run really well should not go unnoticed. Some of these athletes include, Kevin Mulcaire who runs for Ennis Track Club, finished second as well as Hugh Armstrong from Bal-

lina who finished third.

Athletics Ireland stated that there was “no shortage of drama” throughout events in Gowan. With the horrendous conditions and the fatal impact it had on the men’s team heading to Brussels, it raises the question of whether the National Championships will ever be held there again. An Athletics Ireland spokesper-

son said, “it is not the worst I have ever seen”.

With the Nationals over, the attention now shifts to the European Championships.

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BECTIVE ESTATE Nestled on the road between Trim and Navan, is a historic gem of Meath, the Bective Estate dating back to the 12th century. The Bective Manor, once part of the Bective Abbey itself but eventually sold as residential land, and the Bective Church, all once known as the Bective Estate. The Bective Manor was used as a “Hunting House” until it was sold in the 1900’s. The River Boyne runs very near the grounds of Bective making it a great location for a walk. This is one of many places in County Meath that leads you on a whole tour of heritage sites that are located short distances from each other. The Trim Castle grounds (9km), Newgrange (24km), Hill of Tara (7km). Spend an hour walking the 3.5km route of the Bective Manor or spend a whole day visiting all the historic landmarks in the area.

What remains of the Bective grounds is surrounded by parkland and woodlands.

Many of the trees that can be seen there date back to times before the manor was built. The original Abbey was founded by the King of Meath, Murdagh O’Melaghlin, in 1147.

Unfortunately, nothing remains of the original building as it was absorbed into structures built in the 13th, 15th and 16th centuries. The Bective Abbey was one of the most important abbeys in all of Ireland. It was the initial burial place of the Lord of Meath, Hugh De Lacy’s body. In the 17th century, the abbey buildings were repurposed as a manor house and upgraded with fireplaces, tall chimney stacks and given the appearance of a castle. The land was used in the 1995 film “Braveheart”. The film to this day, brings many tourists into the area, creating a great opportunity for new businesses.

Due to the numerous exchange of ownership of the

Bective Manor property, and being repossessed by the bank, the land and architecture of the Bective Residence was left to the elements of nature and became a forgotten relic of the past. In 2016, a successful effort was made to put life back into the residence. The land was bought by the Moran’s who fell in love with the overgrowing potential of the residence, resulting in many refurbishments restoring the land’s charm and character. The original stables were restored and developed into an Equestrian Centre and the Bective Stud, accommodating several of Ireland’s thoroughbred racehorses which can be seen while walking the grounds of the Bective Residence. The centre of the Bective Residence, the manor, is undergoing restoration and will become a Five Star Hotel. The now Bective Tearooms are formally known by the locals as the North Lodge of the Bective Estate. The land has now regained a part of its previous glory and the locals are definitely looking forward to seeing the space be renewed and repurposed.

The Bective Estate, including the Bective Tearooms and Stud, is a welcoming spot to visit and enjoy. The 3.5 kilometre woodland walk on the Bective Manor Land is open to the customers of the Tearooms and guests staying in the estate only, therefore dogs are not allowed. The space is open six days a week, from Monday until Saturday, and it is definitely worth a visit for a leisurely stroll, finished off with a delicious breakfast or lunchserved in the charming Bective Tearooms. In close proximity, a range of heritage sites are offering invitations for exploration and discovery of the past which you cannot miss while there.

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Meath County Council is pushing a planning application and public consultation for the Trimgate Street pedestrianisation scheme for early next year.

This plan builds on ‘Navan 2030’ which plans to enhance pedestrian access on Trimgate Street by providing a vehicle free area after 10am.

The pedestrianisation plan builds on the original Navan ‘2030’ plan to enhance pedestrian access on Trimgate Street, by providing people with a vehicle free environment for shopping and leisure after 10am.

The council said its plan reflects an increased national focus on utilisation of more sustainable and active travel methods while also improving pedestrian access to the town centre “This plan for Trimgate Street will deliver an attractive, safer and more enjoyable shopping and leisure

By Eoin Ryan environment at the heart of Navan Town Centre,” Meath Co Council Chief Executive Fiona Lawless said. “It will make for a better experience for those visiting the town centre and it will encourage more people to visit, to shop and to stay longer”.

73% of shoppers believe pedestrianisation would improve the street, 64% said it would improve the shopping experience and 72% said it would increase road safety, according to a survey car-

ried out in Trimgate Street.

Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons voiced his disapproval of the plan, saying. “I grew up there

and have a business on the street. 98% of businesses on the street don’t want pedestrianisation steamrolled in.”

“It will affect how you get in and out of Navan. The town has very narrow streets and we already have a lot of pedestrianisation of the laneways. It would kill the middle of the town. It might look well in the summer, but from October to March it won’t look attractive.”

LOCAL TD PUSHES FOR REOPENING OF CAIRN T TO THE PUBLIC

Concerns over the current state of the Cairn T at the Loughcrew heritage site near Oldcastle, Co. Meath has been raised by Meath West TD, Johnny Guirke.

Guirke said in a press release that “the site is a significant part of Ireland’s ancient history, and it is essential that it is preserved for future generations.”

By Sorcha Rose Mcgroarty ment on the matter from the Minister.

The Office of Public works (OPW), has confirmed that meetings have been held regarding the site with the National Monuments Service of the Department for Housing, Local Governments

for the site, with the work expected to commence in early 2024. A Conservation Management Plan is also being commissioned for Loughcrew as a whole as part of the efforts to preserve the heritage site in the long term. This plan will include scheduling the reopening of the Cairn T site to the public alongside any other neces-

Plans will go to a six-week public consultation in early

2024 and further details of the proposals and the public consultation will be made available next year

He asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Fine Gael TD Paschal Donohoe if a start date has been set for remedial works on the site to begin. He also asked if there is a schedule for the re-opening of the site to the public, further requesting a state

and Heritage. During these meetings, details of the continued structural supports to safeguard Cairn T were agreed upon.

According to the OPW, its structural engineers are currently finalising plans for permanent structural support

sary works and other conservation efforts.

Guirke has welcomed the progress made, emphasising the importance of “safeguarding the site for future generations, given its significance to our local and national heritage.”

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NEW APPEAL FOR ACCOMMODATION FOR THOSE FLEEING UKRAINE Meath County Council and Irish Red Cross launch new appeal for accommodation for those fleeing Ukraine.

Meath County Council is joining with other local authorities and The Irish Red Cross for a new appeal asking those who have unoccupied properties or rooms to offer them as temporary homes for those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

one who can make an offer of accommodation to consider it.

and match properties to Ukrainian people and families in need.

Meath County Council and other local authorities take and manage offers of unoccupied houses, apartments or holiday homes. Offers can be made at offerahome.ie or by contacting the local authority in which the property is located.

Deirdre Garvey, Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross: “The Irish Red Cross Register of Pledges platform has been supporting refugees fleeing conflict, oppression, and climate change since 2015. The outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine in 2022 saw an unprecedented outpouring of goodwill from the Irish people, who opened their hearts and homes to those fleeing conflict in their home country.

This new call comes as hundreds of Ukrainian people continue to arrive in Ireland each week, seeking safety.

A tax-free recognition payment of €800 per month is available to anybody offering a room or property to house Ukrainian people or families.

Since the conflict began, more than 98,500 people from Ukraine have arrived in Ireland. Irish people haves been extremely generous in offering many of them accommodation and other community supports.

As winter begins and thousands continue to require temporary homes, this appeal aims to encourage any-

The Irish Red Cross takes and manages offers of any accommodation, including rooms and shared properties. Offers can be made at www.registerofpledges. redcross.ie or by phoning 1800 753343.

Those making offers can be assured that their local authority or the Irish Red Cross will follow up within days to discuss suitability, complete the required assessments

“As winter approaches and pressure on the private rental sector continues to mount, together with our partners and local authorities around the country we are calling on the people of Ireland to continue extending a welcoming hand to those fleeing extremely difficult circumstances in Ukraine by offering a home.

“Your pledge could make a huge difference in the life of an individual or family seeking a home this winter.”

The charity made a heartbreaking discovery of a toy embedded in the dog’s coat.

Following a 37% increase in surrender requests this year, the charity fears they will see more dogs abandoned and in need of rescue.

To find out more about how you can help Save the Next Dog, please see www.DogsTrust.ie/Crisis Dogs Trust Ireland is highlighting the worrying increase in the number of dogs needing help as they took in a dog whose coat was so badly matted; they were initially unable to tell if he was male or female. Named Acorn by the charity, the dog was found wandering alone in Dublin, in late October. A kind member of the public brought Acorn to Dogs Trust, as it was

clear he needed urgent veterinary care.

The three-year-old male Poodle Cross had such severely matted fur, he was unable to walk properly. As the charity began to clip away his tangled coat, they discovered an old dog toy embedded within the clumps of hair, suggesting he was once a much-loved pet.

Due to Acorn’s level of discomfort, he needed to be sedated by the veterinary team at Dogs Trust to completely shave his coat.

Veterinary and Welfare Manager Niamh Curran-Kelly, stated: “Although Acorn was showing signs that he really wanted affection from those around him, his heavily matted fur was causing him a lot of discomfort and distress.

We removed almost a kilo of matted fur from him, which is an awful lot to carry around on his 14-kilo body. Dogs with coats like Acorn’s need regular grooming and sadly, this is something many people do not consider when they decide to welcome a dog into their home.”

While Acorn is in the process of being adopted, the charity is appealing to the public

for their support, so that they can be there for the next dog like Acorn who urgently needs them.

Dogs Trust recently launched their ‘Save the Next Dog’ campaign highlighting the worsening dog crisis in Ireland. This year, the charity received the highest volume of surrender requests since opening the doors to their rehoming centre in 2009. With 3,691 people contacting Dogs Trust since January, the charity fears that more dogs like Acorn could end up being abandoned, as rescues and welfare organisations struggle to cope with the demand for their services.

To find out more about the how you can help, please see

www.DogsTrust.ie/Crisis

PUBLICATION OF THE N2 SLANE BYPASS PUBLIC REALM ENHANCEMENT SCHEME The application for development consent for the N2 Slane Bypass and Public Realm Enhancement Scheme has been finalised and has been submitted to An Bord Pleanála.

The N2 Slane Bypass and Public Realm Enhancement Scheme is a multi-modal transport solution which addresses a number of transport needs for the local community, businesses and visitors aswell as those on the wider strategic road network.

The Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR), the Natura Impact Statement (NIS) and the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) Maps and Schedules for the N2 Slane Bypass and Public Realm Enhancement Scheme have been submitted to An Bord Pleanála. The statutory process has commenced, and legal notification has been posted to all

property owners from whom property is to be acquired and those with a legal interest in those lands. The legal notification comprised of an individual letter and a server map (drawing showing lands to be acquired).

A copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) as well as the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) Maps and Schedules may be inspected at the offices of Meath County Council (MCC) during the display period 6th December 2023 to the 16th February 2024.

Submissions may be made in writing to An Bord Pleanála at any time during the display period.

Further information is available on www.n2slanebypass.ie.

An Bord Pleanála will consider submissions once the closing date has passed.

The holding of an Oral Hearing for the scheme will be at the discretion of ABP. After the Oral Hearing, ABP must consider the report and any recommendations of the Inspector holding the oral hearing. ABP may approve the scheme or any part thereof, with or without conditions or modifications or may refuse to approve such development or part thereof.

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THE RIOT IS OVER, BUT THERE MAY BE MORE TO COME The riots have passed, but there is still a lingering worry of what is to come, especially for non-Irish natives living in the country.

What is now almost as, if not more important, is how people and groups reacted to it and how much support the anti-immigration groups has as of now.

It is blatantly obvious how this was caused due to anti-immigration sentiment with a large proportion of this being thinly-veiled racism. The disturbing part is how rampant it has become in a country with 20% of its population being from another country.

The government and all major parties have unsurprisingly condemned this act, but this will do nothing to stifle anti-immigrant sentiment both in Ireland and online.

Anti-immigration groups including The National Party and Irish Freedom Party who are now vying for polit-

ical power in the next council elections have pushed the angle that they are ‘wrongfully’ labelled as farright despite this ideology including anti-immigration policy as one of its main beliefs. They have backing from Irish citizens, but it is hard to tell if this is enough to make a difference or just a tiny minority bolstered by far-right nationalists from other countries.

By Eoin Ryan

posts of what you like and those that represent your own beliefs. This can be as simple as being shown fishing to seeing posts mainly supporting Fine Gael if you support them. Those believing in Anti-immigration are no different in this so it

is hard to see the full extent of its support online for both those who support and are against it.

It is borderline pointless for news sites to constantly put a highlight on how the farright are wrong and they

should change their ways.

Any news agency with differing views is either called ‘fake news’ or ‘mainstream media’ that only pushes a government agenda that will lead to the collapse of Irish culture. There is also no point in condemning their actions when most have already heard more than enough of that from much more qualified reporters.

Something that is very difficult to figure out is the scale of support Ireland has as its surge was very recent and we lack any elections to go off.

What is important to do right now is watch what happens next and wait for hard facts before jumping to conclusions, just like those who rioted in Dublin.

For many this sentiment has been known but rarely taken seriously because of how new and seemingly small it is.

The plethora of false information discussed about that night while it was occurring meant even I struggled to figure out the truth from fact when it was just beginning.

Facebook was filled with images of the army apparently rolling through Dublin and posts mourning the death of the young girl who was stabbed only for her to be reported as still in critical condition the next day.

The issue comes with not knowing how large this far right sentiment is in Ireland due to the way social media and media bubbles are. Media bubbles are social media environments where you are only shown

There are also those who purposefully tell only half the story to better preach their ideals, such as mentioning everyone who went in to save the children in the knife attack but excluding any non-Irish citizens.

Misinformation online is, on many occasions, more rampant than the actual truth which a lot of the time is much more simple and boring. Everyone has already heard about this before, but many still fall for it over and over again. Even millennials and gen-z fall for this despite growing up with it and being fully aware of its dangerous potential by those distorting truth to fulfil their own agenda. It is so easy to look something up and take five minutes to verify if a piece of information is true or not, or even by simply waiting to see if news sites pick it up as a story. Because many do not take those five minutes, however, more and more people have beliefs and ideals not based on facts, but on fiction.

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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: ANOTHER CARI FACING CLOSURE DUE TO

By Robyn Richmond SCORSESE CLASSIC HEALTH UNDERFUNDING By Eoin Ryan Scorsese is far more than a man who makes just gangster movies unlike what plenty of people think. He’s one of the most important people in film history due to his efforts to preserve Turner Classic Movies and restore films all across the world.

He’s also an incredibly versatile director, able to seamlessly jump between mob epics like Goodfellas, The Departed and Casino to historical romances like Age of Innocence, biopics like Kundun and even musicals in the case of New York, New York. This belongs more in the echelons of The Aviator, The Last Temptation of Christ and Silence as an epic, emotionally exhausting movie.

This is a frustrating and devastating movie, one that will fill you with fury.

The runtime is absolutely merited and every second counts. By the time this is done, you feel like you’ve gone on a journey with these characters.

Thelma Schoonmaker is one of the best editors in Hollywood and the film still feels tight despite the runtime. No one is better at evoking an era than Scorsese and this absolutely transports you to

Osage County, Jack Fisk’s production design really stands out. Lily Gladstone is mesmerising as Mollie, the heart of the entire movie and someone who can say so much with just a look or a glance.

Robert De Niro is the best he’s been since at least The Irishman, playing a truly despicable person.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays against type here and both he and Scorsese invert your expectations of Er-

nest. Most Scorsese protagonists like Travis Bickle, Jordan Belfort or Henry Hill, despite their immorality and heinous acts, have a charm to them. Ernest is not such a character, he’s a dullard who mostly only cares about money and little else.

The Children At Risk Ireland (CARI) charitable faces closure as the only Child Sexual Abuse agency in Ireland due to a lack of funding. CARI are currently in talks with the government in an attempt to garner more funds from TUSLA, the agency that funds their organisation.

The cast is excellent with some character actors that I was really glad to see (the petrol shop owner from No Country for Old Men) and the soundtrack here is particularly good. It’s a tale of white man’s greed and corruption so you can see what drew him to it, but it’s the humanity within that’s the real draw.

CARI is the only organisation outside Dublin providing longterm therapeutic supports to children aged 3–18 affected by child sexual abuse and their families. Two part-time outreach services in Louth and Kildare were planned to open in 2024 subject to funding approval from the Department of Justice Victims Impact Fund.

Scorsese is someone who is drawn to stories of crime and greed, yet this is the heaviest subject matter he’s touched yet. This is the genocide of an entire people purely driven by human greed, racism, a sense of superiority and complicity from people who could have helped and turned a blind eye.

Their work provided over 3,000 hours of support to 339 people just last year and 322 between January and October of this year.

They are appealing for a further funding commitment of €763,000 to sustain their services in 2024 and prevent the organisation’s closure.

Their statement said there is a further 134 children on their waiting list who will lose access to CARI’s specialised service of 1-3 years expert therapy if

they are forced to close.

“The inadequate funding that CARI already receives means children languish on our waiting list for 2 to 3 years,” CARI said in a statement. “With the huge reduction of our core funding from Tusla forcing our closure, the outcomes for these children would be disastrous. Without the support they need, child victims of sexual abuse are more likely to experience premature death in adulthood through illness, disease, and suicide.”

Tusla proposed private therapy as an alternative, but a CARI representative said this is not subject to the same expert oversight, governance, training, and supervision procedures which CARI has in place.

Irish healthcare received a €22.5 billion budget for 2024, an amount criticised for being insufficient. The Health Service

will face a €1.5 billion deficit by the end of 2023 and a further deficit of around €1.3 billion next year.

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said next year’s focus is on maintaining the health services we currently have, acknowledging the limited budget he possesses.

HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster has warned that this amount is not enough to run the health service at the same levels as this year and that there “little doubt that as we face this coming period, trolley waits and pressures will be a feature of our services”.

Gloster told senior management that he was extending an existing recruitment pause beyond clerical and management grades to include patient and client care roles. An immediate pause on around 7,000 posts that can not be funded was also announced.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said Donnnelly has been “hung out to dry” by his colleagues after being given only €708 million extra funding, well the €2 billion the Department of Health bid for.

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Boliden aims to reopen Tara Mines in the second quarter of next year if an agreement with the workers unions can be reached by the first week in February.

A support package for Tara mines workers was extended to until the new year after a meeting between Boliden management and unions.

By Eoin Ryan icant deterioration in market conditions.”

“We must address the operational challenges through a rescue plan, before we can reopen the mine,” a statement from Boliden said. “It is our intention to present a rescue

Tara Mines have temporarily suspended work at the facility since July, leaving over 800 workers laid off.

Tara Mine’s owner Boliden said rising energy bills and a drop in the price of zinc are the two main reasons it was placed under ‘care and maintenance’. Boliden said there is an anticipated €100 million in losses from Tara mines due to these factors.

Boliden recently said they are determined to reopen the mine as soon as possible if there is “no signif-

February, our ambition is to re-open the mine in the second quarter in 2024, assuming that there is no significant deterioration in market conditions.”

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney said the government welcomes this decision and “recognises the strategic importance of the mining sector and we are committed to providing all possible assistance to facilitate an early reopening at Tara.”

SIPTU welcomed this news but said “it could mean June 2024 for the first worker to return through the gates.”

plan in early January 2024, after which we intend to enter talks with the Group of Unions to discuss the proposals that are presented, and seek to reach an agreement with them.”

“If we can reach an agreement by the first week in

“If it took seven months before a full reopening, as it did in 2001 the last time the mine was put into care and maintenance, that would mean January 2025 at the earliest for all employees to return to the mine. That timeline would not be acceptable.”

By Eoin Ryan An Electoral Commission has recommended the Midlands-North, which includes Meath, to have an additional European parliamentary seat to this area.

This follows a European Council decision in September to increase its number of MEPs for Ireland from 13 to 14.

It also comes after a month-long public consultation where submissions from political parties, elected representatives and interested individuals were made.

The Midlands-North West constituency is currently made up of Cavan, Donegal, Galway, Kildare, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo, and Westmeath. The commission also recommended that Laois and Offaly 175,027 voters in total, should transfer from the South to Midlands constit-

uency to accommodate this addition.

“In late September a long-awaited EU decision allocated an additional 14th MEP seat to Ireland, stemming from our growing population and EU rules on the European Parliament’s composition,” Electoral Commission chair, Supreme Court Judge Ms Justice Marie Baker, said.

“Our recommendation is to allocate this additional seat to the Midlands-North West constituency, making it a five-seater and bringing in the counties of Offaly and Laois into that constituency from the South.”

Current MEPs for Midlands-North West are Fine Gael’s Maria Walsh, Sinn Féin’s Chris MacManus, Fine Gael’s Colm Markey and Independent Luke Ming Flanagan.

The Commission said recommendations meet the

statutory requirements set down for the review. These are that there should be reasonable equality of representation between constituencies, each constituency must have between 3 and 5 seats, breaches of county boundaries should be avoided, and continuity should where possible be maintained.

The Government is expected to accept these recommendations in full and they will be cemented in law as an amendment to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023.

Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, Green Party and Labour Party all favoured the extra MEP being allocated to Midlands-North West in their submissions to the Commission.

Next year’s European elections will take place between 6th and 9th June.

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THE LEAGUE OF IRELAND MAKES A “RECORD-BREAKING” SEASON From a record breaking cup final attendance, to record breaking attendances on a club and league level, It has been a season that has highlighted that the demand for League of Ireland (LOI) football is there and that “the demand will continue”.

“People always refer to the old days and records. Now we have, not only a modern-day record, but an alltime record”. These are the words of League of Ireland Director at the FAI, Mark Scanlon summing up what can only be described as a ‘record breaking’ season.

By Daniel Doyle

Shamrock Rovers lift the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division title for a 4th year in a row against Sligo Rovers.

ter a 9-year hiatus taking on Peamount United.

There were four SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division games for the first time ever with over 1,000 people attending. The largest attendance being close to 1,500 fans featured the women’s Shamrock Rovers team af-

Attendances in the LOI rose by 20% in 2023 with 826,086 people attending fixtures across all three divisions in comparison to 2022 which saw 688,272 people attendees. This figure grows closer to almost

a million when you include attendances from both FAI cups (Men + Women’s), the Avenir Sports All-Island Cup and the Presidents Cups.

As previously stated, the men’s Shamrock Rovers team won the Premier Division for their fourth consecutive title and their twen-

In comparison to seasons gone before, clubs now “are much more ingrained in their Community”, when it was previously just a “men’s senior team playing in the men’s senior league”. With this new approach by the clubs, it has seen 44 games sold out across the League of Ireland in 2023, with many regularly reaching capacity.

The largest attendance of the LOI season was seen at Tallaght stadium, where over 8,000 fans witnessed

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ty-first title overall. It is now the second time in the LOI that a team won 4 league titles in a row and Shamrock Rovers were the last team to achieve this back in the mid 1980’s.

Winning the league has qualified the Hoops for the 2024-2025 Champions League first qualifying round. Derry City, St Pats and Shelbourne have gained qualification to the Conference League qualifying rounds, but St Pats will be starting their qualifying in the second round of the competition, due to not only their league position but also their victory over Bohemians in the FAI Cup final.

UCD and Cork City were relegated to the first division for the 2024 season with Waterford and Galway being promoted to premier division In their place. Galway gained automatic promotion after an unbelievable season, losing only 2 out of 36 games and drawing 4 of those.

Waterford battled through the first division play-off,

winning against Athlone Town and Cobh Ramblers before defeating Cork City 2-1 in the play-off final in Tallaght.

In the women’s LOI, Peamount United secured the league ahead of 2nd place Shelbourne. In the cup this year, it saw Athlone tackle Shelbourne in an entertaining 2-2 game which went all the way to penalties. In the end, Athlone town made history securing their first ever FAI Cup. To wrap up what has been a record-breaking year for the LOI, this years Men’s FAI cup final recorded close to 44,000 fans in attendance.

This broke a record which was set back in 1945 when Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians contested for the cup in front of 41,000 fans.

The final this year has been recorded to be the ninth best attended match of its kind in Europe. This attendance beats cup finals in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark.

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KILL EM CHARLIE: A LOOK AT IRELAND’S INDIE SCENE

Kill em charlie is one of Ireland’s many underground indie bands, with a small audience of loyal fans they have amassed a monthly audience of around 100 listeners on spotify. With the members hailing from Tipperary, they now live and perform in Cork most frequently with the music scene being much more forgiving there than back home. The boys started the band while still in their early teenage years, with two of the members, Eoghan and Damon joining later on in the bands lifespan. Since then they have been consistently practising together, improving their craft and recording new music as time goes on.

The band is comprised of Eoghan as the vocalist, Patrick the guitarist, George on the bass and Damon on the drums. In their early days the 5 original members mostly played Green day covers, “We were basically a Green Day cover band,” as George put it when I spoke to the band about how they grew their roots. Over the years the band has grown more and more accustomed to writing their own songs, stating Eoghan joining as the lead vocalist brought a new voice to their music, introducing more indie influence to their original pop punk sound.

Each member had their own introduction to music, but there was definitely a trend amongst them, with each member aside from Damon having music in their families which led them to where they are today. Eoghan, Damon and George all said their biggest motivators to being musicians, specifically playing in a band, was that all of their fathers had been in punk bands back in their own hay days which influenced each of them to follow in their fathers footsteps. However Patrick had a slightly more individual start to his life as a musician. When speaking to him he said he had been out in the sun one day, looked inside and saw the guitar when he said ti himself, “fuck it I’ll try and learn that,” after finding he had a knack for it he ended up continuing his practice which led him to where he is today.

Overall Kill em’ Charlie has both a pop punk influence and a heavy indie influence, with the bands origins being firmly set in 90’s punk/rock bands such as Green Day and Blink 182, as well as some more indie influences like two door cinema club and the fontainnes D.C. Over time the band has grown to have its own unique voice, while its musical influences are still apparent they have added

their own style and twist to the genre creating a sense of music that can be best described as being perfect for the playlist you put on before going on a night out with friends. Its music best enjoyed through its ener-

gy and momentum, creating a buzz in the room that just cannot be beat. uckily fans can expect more from Kill em’ Charlie in the future, with the band planning to record a new EP in the new year, when asked about their upcoming projects they said they hope to have more music

fans can enjoy coming soon, with some songs finalised and some more in the works one thing is for certain and that more fantastic music will be released in hopefully the near future.

Though from an outside perspective the Irish indie music scene may not seem like the most vibrant and enticing place the start up as an artist, Kill em’ Charlie have had no lack of shows since releasing their first first single, ‘When you need me,’ in July of 2017.

While originally each member hails from Tipperary, they moved to Cork in order to give the band the best shot, stating that while Tipperary might not have the most exciting music scene, places like Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Galway have a highly active musical community with venues for smaller bands to put on shows. This year alone they have performed in Cork, Limerick and Belfast, they also won a Battle of the Bands competition while in college, however after realising they had won, George apparently promptly dumped an entire pint on Patrick’s head, “not a drop hit the floor,” said George. Subsequently Patrick spent the celebrations covered in alcohol, soaking wet, but happy.

That is not the only show with a memorable story. Speaking to them about other memorable moments they recounted their recent show in Belfast where the venue was so hot that George took off his shirt, stating he looked like Edward Cullent from twilight, “all pale and glistening with sweat,” or the many moments at shows where they would bring a friend of theirs up on stage to pose as a random fan who could sing every lyric and also

By Sorcha Rose Mcgroarty

do the splits, saying “it’s basically rehearsed at this point.”

While being in a band is fun it can have its drawbacks, especially when also working a regular 9-5 job on top of practising, performing and recording.

This rings true for the members of Kill em’ Charlie with each of the members working full time alongside being in the band.

Trying to work around their schedules in order to hold rehearsals, record, write songs and perform at shows is no easy feat, however they make it work. As they put it themselves they do it for the love of the craft over anything else, even if it is “like another full time job, “ at times.

Overall Kill em’ Charlie has plenty of promise for the future and is definitely worth listening to, if you enjoy music by Arctic Monkeys, Catfish and the Bottlemen and The Strokes they will be right up your alley. Fans can look forward to much more to come, with their upcoming music set to be released on all major streaming platforms, likely to be announced on their social media accounts in the coming months.

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THE KILLER: PARODY OF ITS OWN CREATOR’S WORKS

By Robyn Richmond

The Killer is David Fincher making a parody of David Fincher movies. It’s a film about a meticulous perfectionist who prepares every little minute detail of every event only for it to go badly wrong and upend his entire life.

One can easily read this film as a return to the cold studio fare that Fincher did early in his career (The Game and Panic Room), only this time with a slightly more tonguein-cheek nature to the whole thing.

Much like Mank and the underrated and all-to-brief series Mindhunter, The Killer is a Netflix original, his second movie for the service after Mank. Mank was arguably Fincher’s most divisive movie in years despite being a passion project based on a script his father wrote, so through The Killer it almost feel like Fincher is working through some of his own is-

sues. Returning to a genre he’s comfortable and familiar in to tell a metanarrative about a perfectionist who messed up his last job and wants to fix it and set things right.

Thankfully though, The Killer works beyond just its metaphorical nature, delivering a darkly comedic film about a man who messes up at work and goes to such absurd and ridiculous lengths to fix his mistake. The comedy stems from the unnamed Killer’s pretentious narration and commentary throughout.

Fincher made Fight Club, a movie that criticised toxic masculinity but nonetheless Tyler Durden was adopted by many men’s rights activists and misogynists as someone to aspire to.

The Killer feels like Fincher making fun of those individuals, a man who thinks he’s above everyone else and understands how the

world works only to be proven wrong on every level. He only listens to The Smiths, reflecting how he’s too cool to listen to what the ‘normies’ listen to. I’m not sure if there are much funnier things in 2023 films than when everything goes wrong and The Killer just keeps saying “Stick to the plan” as if he has it all under control.

Fincher’s trademark precision is on full display and the Brute fight is maybe the best action scene of the year behind most of the ones in John Wick: Chapter Four.

The washed out colours are gorgeous and the narration never fails to be funny.

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’ soundtrack drones throughout the whole narrative. The ending is surprisingly poignant considering all that came before, a brief moment of self-reflection from an otherwise absurd character.

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