Paul Hopkins

The Fact OfThe Matter

PAUL HOPKINS When was the last time you spotted a plumber?

Hi! I’d like bathroom tiles repaired please. When can you come? Tiler, Next appointment is in eight years.

Man, Oh. OK, I’ll take it. Tiler, Morning or afternoon?

One could be forgiven for thinking we were talking about Ireland today, with this quip doing the rounds in Eastern Europe long before the Berlin Wall fell.

It’s hard to get good help these days. I am waiting weeks for my gardener, the man who will run the mower over the front garden — with the minimum of e ort, trust me. He’s booked up, he says, but at least with my wild lawn, as opposed to the prim ones of neighbours, I am doing my bit to ensure the survival of our threatened bumble bee. So important to food production, if they vanish we might as well all give up.

One of the fallouts from the pandemic is that a nation obsessed with their week in the sun or climbing the Himalayas, what with travel restrictions decided to use their hard-earned cash to dolly up their homes. I might as well have a new couch to relax in, went the argument, before I go mad altogether with HWS (holiday withdrawal symptoms).

Kitchen and bathroom retailers have been working round the clock to keep up with demand, cost of living increases or not. So, you buy the components and then set o on that journey to nd someone to put all the pieces together. It would be easier to solve the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle than nd such a craftsman.

After the crash in 2008 construction workers and tradespeople contracted signi cantly. Numbers have never returned to the gures of the mid-2000s, despite the demand, post-ish pandemic, for home improvements setting a new record.

In 2007, there were 23,700 apprenticeships in Ireland — by 2015 that had fallen to 4,400 and has not recovered since.

Dermot Casey of the Construction Industry Federation says a negative perception of trades endures. “Schools are only considered successful when 95% or more students go on to third level. e high drop-out rates of young people after one year in college shows the problem with this thinking.” ( e CIF says 86% of building companies have an inadequate supply of quali ed tradespeople.) e fewer tradespeople have us over the proverbial barrel. ey know we are desperate to keep up with the latest interior trends and rotating AI kitchens or showers that resemble the Trevi Fountain but, wouldn’t you know it, they are run o their feet so can’t give you a concrete date to start work. Sorry, no Trevi Fountain for you, just a quick body wash with a damp cloth.

Among my coterie of friends in my teenage years, a good half of them went on to become apprentices in various trades from chippy to sparks, plumber to mechanic. Among them was the bold Mickey D, who was apprenticed to a carpenter and about ve years after nishing his indenture had himself a successful little business.

My best friend Papo, lived two doors up. His mother was the wonderful Sheila. One day she decided to get a ‘lean-to’ at the side of her end of terrace house, to house the kids’ bikes, the rusting lawnmower and the bin — only the one in those days. e bold Mickey D was given the lucrative contract which involved a wooden beam or two, some wooden laths and someone’s long discarded back door. e job was rushed, the door knob was a little dicey. “I’ll be back tomorrow to sort that out, Sheila,” says Mickey D, and he was gone.

Some weeks later I was leaving my parents’ home and stopped to say hello to Sheila who was in her garden pruning her roses.

“Jesus,” she said struggling for breath after many decades of smoking Woodbines, colloquially known as Co n Nails, “will you tell that Mickey D fella to come back and x my door knob.” And she pulling on the fag, the rose pruner to hand. at conversation was repeated many times down the years until, 19 years on, Sheila died.

After her funeral we adjourned to a nearby hostelry. We lads were propped up at the bar and Papo, after settling his family in, came over to say hello.

“Jaysus Pat,” said Mickey D, “I’m sorry for your loss,” o ering his hand in condolences.

Papo looked him square in the face and without batting an eyelid said: “Well, at least now you won’t have to come back and x the door knob.”

‘Easier to solve the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle ...

Farmers' climate 'crisis'

Policies being formulated by the Government to tackle climate change are fuelling a mental health crisis among farmers in Ireland, provisional results, according to a new study show.

Led by experts from the School of Agriculture and Food Science and the School of Psychology at University College Dublin, the research entitled 'Dying to Farm: Developing a Suicide Prevention Intervention for Farmers in Ireland', indicates that climate-related stress is contributing to suicidal ideation at farm level. e project, funded by the HSE National O ce for Suicide Prevention, is based on views from some 250 dairy, beef, sheep and tillage farmers (male, female, aged 20-80 years) who participated in nationwide interviews, focus groups and surveys over the last 12 months.

While the study will remain active until the end of August, authors say most of the data was collected prior to the Government agreeing an emissions reduction target for agriculture by 2030.

Research coordinator Alison Stapleton said: "We know from a lot of anecdotal evidence that mental health is a really big challenge for farmers, yet in Ireland, there hasn't been much research on suicide risk among this community. " is project aims to address that, while looking at interventions to bolster the mental health of farmers and attempt to reduce the rates of suicide. "We asked farmers about their knowledge of support services, their mental health generally, if they've ever experienced suicidal thoughts, and speci c factors contributing to poor mental health. "From a list of 30 options, our data is currently identifying the top farm stressor to be 'Government policies designed to reduce climate change'; followed by 'concern over the future of the farm' and then 'outsiders not understanding the nature of farming'. "'Not having enough time to spend together as a family in recreation' and 'limited social interaction opportunities' were also in the top ve stressors,” she said.

Fundraiser being set up to provide heat for St Canice's parish homes

A fundraising campaign has been set up to provide energy ef cient and cost e ective heating to the St Canice’s Parish Homes, in Kilkenny City. e community, at Troy’s Court, has 20 houses that enable residents to live independently with social and domestic support.

Each of the houses has two electric heaters that were installed 12 years ago, replacing old-fashioned storage heaters. Back then, they were modern and economical but with both energy bills escalating and technology advancing it is hoped to install more up-to-date heating.

With a high cost involved in the project, the self-funding, charity organisation is appealing to the people of Kilkenny to help.

Frances Gilligan, manager of St Canice’s Homes, estimates the overall cost to replace the 40 heaters will be €20,000. e current heaters are economical but Frances Gilligan plans to replace them with heaters that will be cost e ective and easy to use for the residents.

“We may not reach the target this winter, but we need to start somewhere,” she said, adding this could be a two-year project, depending on donations received.

“Over the years the people of Kilkenny have been extremely helpful, extremely good. We rely heavily on donations and the generosity of the public and they don’t let us down,” Frances said.

You can donate to the fundraiser online (click here to go to Go Fund Me ) or contact Frances at Troy’s Court.

“Help us keep residents warm this winter without burning a hole in their pocket!” she appealed.

The passing of a radio legend

Tributes continue for radio legend Johnny Barry who was laid to rest recently. e Kilkenny native, aged 80, died peacefully at his home.

Johnny retired from his weekly Sunday evening slot on KCLR and went on to work as a Country and Irish Ambassador for the station.

He also hosted a special All-Ireland Edition of the hugely popular Johnny Barry Show, that would prove to be his last on KCLR. e former cinema worker and re ghter had been with the station since 2004, having previously worked on pirate station AMS and Radio Kilkenny.

KCLR announced the passing of their former colleague and shared a special tribute.

In a statement they said: "It is with deep sadness that KCLR announces the death of our colleague and friend Johnny Barry. "Johnny died peacefully earlier today at his home in Kilkenny city. "A native of the city, Johnny had celebrated his 80th birthday in June of this year when he had retired from his weekly Sunday evening slot on the station with a star – studded tribute show where his unique contribution to broadcasting as well as to Country and Irish Music was recognised by some of the biggest names in Irish music and some of his thousands of fans. "Johnny had been honoured on his retirement by the people of Kilkenny when the then Mayor of Kilkenny Cllr Andrew McGuinness hosted a special reception in his honour to recognise his contribution to Kilkenny life over many years."

Chief Executive of KCLR John Purcell said: "Johnny Barry was an absolute legend in Irish radio and all in KCLR along with his many thousands of fans in Kilkenny, Carlow and beyond are shocked and deeply saddened by the news of his sudden passing. "On behalf of all at KCLR, his many friends in the broadcasting and entertainment industry and on behalf of his many thousands of fans and I would like to express our sincere sympathy to Johnny’s brother Kevin, his sister Mary and his nieces and nephews. We will not see his like again. Ar dheis Dé go raibh sé."

An Ode to Johnny Barry, Gerry Moran, Page 20

Help get this special child on the road...

Shreya Ambade, working for the charity Variety Ireland with Miss Ireland as this year’s Miss Kilkenny, is organising a raffle fundraiser to purchase a trike for a disabled child in Co Kilkenny as part of Variety Ireland's mobility programme.

"Many children with disabilities don't experience the freedom of movement and we hope we can help them overcome their challenges and be able to provide a fun liberating experience for the child," Ms Ambade told The Kilkenny Observer.

"I am also the ambassador for Cycle Against Suicide and we are organising a gazebo during the Markets on Saturday the 13th of August at the Parade to raise awareness on mental health and provide resources to the locals. "We are asking readers of e Kilkenny Observer to help us promote our ra e fundraiser and Cycle Against Suicide event," she said.

Shreya Ambade is 19 and is currently studying Biomedical Science at UCD.

Miss Ireland is one of the World’s longest running beauty pageants established in 1947 it has been the launch pad for many well known successful, empowering women in Ireland.

IN BRIEF

Learn more on palliative care

All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) is calling on people in Kilkenny to become better informed about palliative care and its bene ts as part of Palliative Care Week. Now in its ninth year, Palliative Care Week takes place from 11 to 17 September.

Palliative Care Week 2022 aims to raise awareness across the island of Ireland about the di erence palliative care can make to people’s quality of life. is year’s theme is ‘Palliative Care: Living as well as possible’.

'Dual threat' to dairy farmers

e Government has been accused of conducting a regulatory "pincer movement” on Ireland's dairy heartland.

Farm bodies say farmers in dairy strongholds are facing a dual threat of meeting onerous new nitrates regulations and the State's binding target to cut agriculture emissions by 25%.

Fears are mounting over the impact of these measures in areas that have been the economic engine of Irish agriculture over the past decade.

€300k. funding for 11 projects

Funding of more than €300,000 has been secured under Measure 1 of the Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) for a total of 11 projects throughout Kilkenny. e projects include upgrade works in Graiguenamanagh, Woodstock Estate, Windgap and Mooncoin.

ORIS provides funding for the development and maintenance of outdoor amenities such as trails, walkways and cycle ways. Funding of almost €6 million was also announced to develop more than 200 outdoor adventure projects across the country