Southside News 23-09-2020

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Mark Smith at the launch of HB Ireland’s 2020 Ice Cream Sunday campaign in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland

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23.09.20

Blackrock local gets a ‘Taste of Home’ on the fabulously weird side!

The crazy flavours were a true delight — my favourite being the bacon and maple syrup donut!”

Meanwhile, in Dublin, Jacinta and Catherine whip up the ultimate traditional Irish breakfast to try and champion her Portland experience.

Over the eight episodes Tastes Like Home will also revisit San Sebastián and

Barcelona in Spain to cook up a real storm, as well as South Korea and Dubai, to capture individual stories from contestants who refuse to let the physical distance from home curb their appetite for their favourite home-cooked meals.

HAVING already sampled wares from South Africa, Mexico and Canada, Catherine Fulvio gives viewers a taste of Portland, Oregon in the US for episode four of this season’s Tastes Like Home.

Catherine meets sisters Jacinta Baille, who lives in Blackrock, Co Dublin and Savina, who now lives in Portland, for a real breakfast challenge.

Catherine will show us a new take on the full Irish breakfast with potato cakes, along with new recipes she developed from her experiences in Portland with Savina, like slow-cooked pulled pork in Boa Buns.

Catherine said of her Portland experience: “‘Keep Portland Weird’, they said, and well I did try my best!

Voodoo Donuts was definitely

‘Ballymun Southside’ gets green light in D4

Book of Kells is now a real pageturner

A €338M plan to build apartments on land once owned

by RTÉ has been approved in spite of strong local opposition.

Cairn Homes secured planning permission for 611 apartments in blocks of between four and 10 storeys at Montrose in Dublin 4.

Objectors include the neighbouring Austrian Embassy and Pat Desmond, wife of the billionaire Dermot Desmond. She and other residents brought an unsuccessful High Court action against the handling of the fasttracked scheme. Mr Desmond (70), described the plans as “Ballymun Towers South Dublin”.

Sarah Moran, a senior planning inspector with the appeals board, wrote in a report: “While the increased height contrasts with the surrounding residential and institutional developments, it represents a reasonable response to its context and is stepped down at site boundaries to reduce impacts on adjacent properties and protected structures.”

A NEW display case for the Book of Kells allows for every page of the famous manuscript to be displayed on a rotating basis. Some of the pages have not been on public display for 30 years.

The freestanding tower case comes from the designers of the cases for the Mona Lisa, the British Crown Jewels and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The new case, which went on display at Trinity College last week, was funded by Fáilte Ireland and a gift from donors.

Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said: “The opening of the new Book of Kells Treasury and display case is one of the most positive developments for the country’s culture, heritage and tourism sectors this year.

It heralds a period of renewal and innovation for cultural organisations across Ireland.”

“The conservation and preservation of our heritage for generations to come is of national importance. It ensures that this global icon will continue to be admired and studied by millions currently and into the future,”

Tastes Like Home with Catherine Fulvio will air on September 29th, 8.30pm, RTE ONE.

Jacinta Baille, from Blackrock, cooks up breakfast with Catherine Fulvio

The new display for the Book of Kells case was funded by Fáilte Ireland and a gift from donors the Minister added. Last year, the Book of Kells exhibition generated €12.7m, with more than one million visitors to the ninth-century manuscript.

The manuscript, believed to be more than 1,200 years old, contains the four Gospels of

the New Testament in Latin and is considered to be one of the world’s finest medieval manuscripts.

The exhibition was closed for five months this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Librarian and College

Archivist Helen Shenton said: “This new display case reflects the importance and beauty of the Book of Kells. It has been designed to protect the manuscript while providing an enhanced viewing experience for visitors.”

Plans for Sandymount cycleway put on hold CYCLISTS in Sandymount have had their hopes for a two-way cycleway dashed after plans were halted until next year.

The seaside cycle route would have reduced cars to one lane, but local residents were strongly opposed to it.

Dublin City Council received a total of 2,500 submissions during public consultation.

The controversial plan involved placing a two-lane cycleway along the seafront on Strand Road, Sandymount reducing traffic to one lane southbound as a six-month trial. It is understood the submissions were running two to one in support, but among Sandymount residents there was significant opposition.

Locals pointed to heavy traffic that would be forced onto busy residential streets.

The council said submissions will have to be reviewed over the coming months and further “traffic modelling will take place before another round of public consultation.”

Dublin Cycling Campaign spokesperson Kevin Baker said they were “very disappointed” with the delay.

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23.09.20

Vitamin D4: Why the Southside is good for you

Known as the ‘sunshine’ vitamin, vitamin D was highlighted as one of the essentials in the battle against Covid as it helps build resistance to respiratory infections.

Now a major new study has found vitamin D deficiency is widespread throughout Dublin, with one in six people deficient all year round — rising to one in four during the winter months when the body is unable to produce it.

Furthermore, the study found levels of vitamin D varied depending on the part of the city you live in.

Researchers from the Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing (MISA) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) identified large variations in vitamin D levels between adults of different ages and locations.

Those most likely to be deficient were people over the age of 80, and surprisingly, young adults in the 18-39 age group. Overall, men were found

to have much lower levels than women.

When it came to specific areas, vitamin D deficiency levels were lower in south Dublin compared with Dublin north and west.

And while vitamin D levels were lowest in the winter, those living in inner city Dublin and west Dublin had the highest rates of deficiency all year round.

Researchers noted that socio-economic status is also a factor, with those in typically disadvantaged areas having an increased risk of deficiency.

However, the study showed vitamin D deficiency is a problem for everyone, not just those over 80, and surprisingly affected those aged 18 to 39.

One reason why younger adults may be deficient is that they may spend more time indoors, such as in their working environment.

Dr Kevin McCarroll, added: “The striking differences in the prevalence of deficiency within

Dublin and other areas is likely due to factors such as dietary vitamin D intake, supplement use, sun exposure and also ethnicity affecting the skin’s capacity to make vitamin D from sunshine.

“Increasing vitamin D intake in the winter when deficiency is prevalent is a good idea for many people,” he said.

The importance of Vitamin D is now growing more than ever after a separate study from Trinity College Dublin found it is likely vitamin D reduces serious Covid-19 complications.

Professor Rose Anne Kenny, who carried out the research, called on the Government to recommend supplementation, pointing to the correlation between high levels of vitamin D in the populations of Nordic countries and lower death rates from Covid-19.

“The correlation between low vitamin D levels and death from Covid-19 is statistically significant,” she added.

04 First we had plain old Bingo.

Then we had Telly Bingo.

And as the country went into lockdown in March, the innovative citizens of Ringsend, in Dublin, created Balcony Bingo — with Easter eggs and toilet rolls up for grabs as prizes.

Now, our love affair with the numbers game has gone one further with Radio Bingo, an initiative led by the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) and Sunshine Radio 106.8.

Anyone pining for the bingo lingo cries of ‘Legs Eleven’ ‘Tickety-boo’ and ‘Danny La Rue’ can rekindle their passions for the game live on Sunshine radio, with daily weekday prizes worth up to €400, and a Thursday jackpot prize of up to €25,000.

Numbers are called out after the 10am and 4pm news bulletins.

The idea behind the latest development in the bingo world is to give people the buzz of a live game at a time when public events have been curtailed.

NCBI Radio Bingo is already active with Shannonside/ Northern Sound in the Midlands and Highland Radio in Donegal and has proven a huge success.

Funds generated by Radio Bingo supports the charity’s work, offering a wide variety of services including day centres, rehabilitation support, training, employment, library

Tune in, relax .. and play Bingo NCBI Fundraiser Sharon Fallon with Sunshine 106.8 presenter Robbie Fogerty at the launch of Radio Bingo

services and social connection.

Joe McKenna, NCBI Head of Fundraising, said: “We have been delighted with the response to date in other counties.

People think it is a novel way to have some fun, connect with their local radio station and to support a worthy cause at the same time.”

Players can pick up their books (which cost €5 for the five games each week) in local stockists listed on sunshineradio.ie.

And it is the perfect gift for family members who may be isolated, or an activity for a parent or neighbour who may be spending more time indoors.

Books can also be ordered online and delivered to the family member at their own address.

Each day the player fills out start-up numbers on the panels and then listens for the 10 numbers on air. They can also catch them again by going online.

Prizes are claimed before 8pm each evening.

23.09.20

Amazon to create 20 jobs in Rathcole

ONLINE retail giant Amazon is to roll out a new service in Dublin West.

Delivery can drivers have been doing ‘dummy runs’ ahead of the opening of the retail giant’s first Irish depot in Rathcoole next month.

Twenty workers will be permanently employed at the west Dublin warehouse, along with a further 150 delivery staff working for contractors.

Van drivers have been calling on homes for ‘dummy runs’ in recent days.

A Northern Ireland-based contractor confirmed delivery drivers have been doing the runs ahead of the opening of depot’s opening.

There had been confusion over the runs, with concerned homeowners in Clontarf, Navan and Swords reporting to local Facebook groups that drivers had been taking photographs in their area.

A spokesperson for Amazon said delivery drivers’ vans are normally branded with an Amazon sticker.

“We have Amazon drivers that are independent drivers, they would have a sticker saying Amazon driver on their vehicle,” they said.

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23.09.20

Family make fresh appeal to find Philip THE Dublin family at the centre of one of the nation’s most high-profile missing persons cases — schoolboy Philip Cairns — have had to endure unimaginably cruel phone calls from people claiming to have taken the child in the years since he disappeared.

In a new RTÉ Scannal documentary, Philip’s eldest sister, Mary, poignantly tells how part of her life has stood still since her 13-year-old brother went missing 34 years ago.

“If anybody knows anything about what happened to Philip, I will ask you to please, please come forward, as we don’t know how much time any of us have left,” she says in the recently aired documentary.

“We would really like to be able to bring Philip home, give him a burial and somewhere

for our mother to go where she knows where he is.”

On October 23, 1986, Philip went to Coláiste Éanna Secondary School in Rathfarnham in Dublin like any other day before returning to his home on the nearby Ballyroan Road for his lunch at 12.45.

The youngest of six children left the house at 1.30pm and was never seen again.

The new Scannal documentary forensically re-examines the intense Garda investigation, extensive searches, numerous appeals and rewards in the unsolved case.

Behind the headlines about the case, which has been compared with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal, is the trauma endured by the family which has been exacerbated by horrific calls to their home.

“People ringing maybe to say what they had done to Philip… where his body could be found.

People saying that they had Philip in the background and someone screaming in the background,” recalls Mary.

Retired Garda detective Gerard Lovett recalled: “There were a lot of conspiracy theories floating around about paedophile rings, religious cults and things like that.

“These rumours don’t help the Garda Siochana and neither do they help the family.”

In June 2014, after 28 years of tireless campaigning, Philip senior died without ever knowing what happened to his youngest child.

Mary now wants to find peace for her mother Alice.

‘Philip Cairns: The Boy Who Never Came Home’ is available on the RTÉ Player.w

Charity dip at dawn great for ‘mind, body and soul’ Mum Amy and her junior dipper Suzie O'Neill

AMONG the 50 hardy families who took part in the recent Dawn to Dusk Daily Dip fundraiser were Amy O’Neill and daughter Suzie (8), who braved the elements in aid of St Michael’s House.

The challenge saw participants tackle the cold waters of the Irish Sea in their local area. The money raised went directly to St Michael’s House Assistive

Technology Project, which makes information accessible for users with intellectual disabilities.

Participants were encouraged to set a challenge for August, ranging from one swim a day for a week, with some opting to swim once a day for the month.

Amy, who is a St Michael’s House staff member from Baldoyle, said: “What better

Food firms get a taste of success Forty-six Dublin producers have been shortlisted for this year’s Blas na hÉireann, the prestigious Irish Food Awards.

The awards will be announced on October 3 on the Blas website and across social media channels.

The finalists shortlisted from Dublin, across a range of different categories, are: ARYZTA Bakeries, Aveo Foods Ltd, Ballymaguire Foods, Bewley’s Tea & Coffee, Cornude Artisan Popcorn, Donnybrook Fair, Dunn’s of Dublin, Freshcut Foods, Freshways, Funky Monkey, Fusco Foods, Gem Pack Foods Ltd., Genovese Foods Limited, Gino’s Gelato, Glanbia, Harvest Moon Foods Limited, Higgins Butchers, Ina’s Kitchen, Keogh’s Farm, Kepak Group, Le Patissier, M&M Products Ltd, Manning’s Bakery Ltd, McCormick Distilling International Ltd, Mud Bakery, Nicky’s Plaice, Olly’s Farm, Pearse Lyons Distillery, Pizza da Piero, Rua Food, SAMA’S Foods Limited,

Scarlet Chilli Co, Sushi King, Taylor’s of Lusk, Tendermeats Ltd, The Bretzel Trading Co Ltd t/a The Bretzel Bakery, The Cupcake Bloke, The Delicious Food Co, The Porterhouse Brewing Company, Traditional Cheese Company, TrusTEA, Valeo Foods, Veggie Earth, WonderFoods, Wrights of Howth and Cremore.

Now in its 13th year, research has shown that the Blas accreditation has the highest recognition amongst Irish consumers and using the award logo on packs encourages shoppers to buy these products.

The team at Blas na hÉireann have been working tirelessly since March to ensure that Blas 2020 awards go ahead, maintaining their commitment to celebrating the very best in Irish food and drink.

Chairperson Artie Clifford feels that now, more than ever it is essential to shine a spotlight on the the talented producers dotted around the island. For moreinformation: www.irishfoodawards.com/

way to raise funds for a great cause than jumping in each day for a swim. We set a goal to try and get in every day, hail rain or shine — although we didn’t expect storm Ellen or Francis to get in the way!

We safely dodged the Lions mane jellyfish and we have been enjoying our dip each day together. I would highly recommend it — it’s great for your mind, body and soul.”

No hike in property tax until next year Homeowners in Dublin can breathe a sigh of relief after the Finance Minster said he would not introduce increases in the Local Property Tax (LPT) this year.

Minister Paschal Donohoe announced he would defer the valuation date for the tax from November this year to the same month in 2021, which means property owners will not face any new charges until 2022 at the earliest.

Mr Donohoe said that as with many aspects of the economy, the pandemic has introduced volatility into the residential property market and the Revenue Comissioners needed enough time to introduce the necessary changes to the LPT regime before any new valuation date.

“I have decided to defer the valuation date from November 1, 2020 to November 1, 2021.

With this new valuation date, there will be no change in LPT liabilities until 2022 at the earliest,” Mr Donohoe said.

New homes purchased since the introduction of the tax in 2013 have been exempt.

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23.09.20

Nostalgia a thing for the past in time of Covid-19

By Paul Hopkins These days we find ourselves more often cooped up at home with, say, two small children, three dogs and three cats, not to mention the goldfish mouthing disdain through his tank window. For many, after months of working from home, the days are blending into each other. If this is Covid-19, it must be Tuesday — again.

And so our thoughts turn to the ‘good old days’; we hanker after better times, reimagine

magic moments, and stream, repeatedly, Lost In Translation and Groundhog Day, if only for consolation in knowing we are not alone in being stuck in a world that repeats itself, over and over again.

Suddenly, nostalgia is no longer a thing of the past.

The lockdown has had us, in yearning for those ‘good old days’, recalling first loves, first child, first anything-you-careto-mention. “I believe many are turning to nostalgia as a stabilising force and a way to keep in mind what they cherish most,” says my psychologist friend from Magherafelt.

“People find comfort in nostalgia during times of loss, anxiety, isolation, or uncertainty.”

In one study tracking the effects of Covid-19, more than half said they found “great comfort” in revisiting TV and

Singer Mary Byrne at the launch of The Irish Cancer Society’s ‘Your Cough Could Be Masking Something Else’, lung cancer awareness campaign.

Pic: Andres Poveda

music they had enjoyed in their youth — Friends, Cheers and The X-Files popped up (Casablanca too), along with The Sex Pistols and early U2 and our ‘adopted’ David Gray.

Even old family boards games and retro fashion from the back of the wardrobe have come to the fore, and memories of sporting glories, along with surreal dreams that have found us in awkwardly adolescent moments with first loves — I speak from, eh, a personal perspective on the latter.

The modern definition of nostalgia is “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, a period or place with happy personal associations”. Its history, however, is less pleasant and more complex, it being once considered a disease with

odd and potentially harmful treatment options.

Apparently this feeling of longing and heartache started back in the 1600s, towards the end of Europe’s Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) and the phenomenon was dubbed ‘el mal de corazon’, the ‘evil of the heart’. But it was Swiss medical student Johannes Hofer who coined the term ‘nostalgia’ in a 1688 dissertation by combining two Greek words, nostos (homecoming) and algos (pain).

The medical community during that time considered it a psychopathological disorder that was a form of depression and melancholia. When Irish and other immigrants flooded to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, doctors

referred to nostalgia as the “immigrant psychosis”, because our forefathers were pining for the old country as they attempted to start life in a new one.

Psychologists today recognise the benefits of what they call ‘personal nostalgia’, which is when we reminisce about details of our own past, often triggered by life changes and milestones such as graduations and weddings and deaths, in the time of coronavirus or otherwise. By contrast, what they term ‘historical nostalgia’ is tied to valuing a time that happened before we were born — like a former friend who is obsessed with the Roaring Twenties — and it can reflect dissatisfaction with what is

happening in the present.

All of this begs the question: can we ever go back, recapture that idyllic childhood holiday, that first romance, that precious moment when, before Covid-19, everything seemed right with the world? And, if we could, would the experience match up to our memories of that moment in time, long since lived out?

During lockdown I went back to Thomas Wolfe’s You Can’t Go Home Again, published posthumously in 1940. The novel tells of George Webber, a fledgling author, who writes a book that makes frequent references to his home town of Libya Hill. The book is a success but the town’s residents, unhappy with what they view as Webber’s distorted depiction of them, send the author menacing letters and death threats.

Wolfe explores the changing society of the 1920s, including the Wall Street crash, the illusion of prosperity, and the unfair passing of time which prevents Webber ever being able to ‘return home again’.

The title comes from the denouement of the novel in which Webber realises: “You can’t go back home to your family, to your childhood ... back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting — back home to the escapes of time and memory.”

Nostalgia, it seems, just might not be what it used to be ...

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Education2020

23.09.20

Eight-page special

• Page 2 Schools’ siblings • Page 6 The Covid-19 guidelines • Page 6 The new study app

Author Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi with Henry Power (9) at the launch of the Red Line Book Festival which runs October 12-18 in North Clondalkin Library. Pic: Julien Behal

part three of our SupPlement on going to school and college

02 Education

23.09.20

Church denies change to school ‘sibling first’ policy The Archdiocese of Dublin has said its policies have not changed regarding ‘sibling first’ enrolment policies following reports that Catholic schools in Dublin have been advised to end the practice.

A spokesperson told RTÉ News that equal weight will continue to be given to children of the school area and the siblings of current pupils. ‘’This is considered to be the fairest policy,’’ according to the Archdiocese.

It had been reported that Catholic schools which give enrolment priority to siblings of existing pupils had been instructed by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, to drop admission rules that give such priority.

The Archdiocese of Dublin – the patron body for about 400 schools in Dublin, Wicklow and parts of Kildare, Carlow, Laois and Wexford – has asked all primary schools to update admissions policies in the coming weeks.

Schools who operate ‘sibling-

Dancing with the Stars Karen Byrne Caoimhe Elliott (aged 10) and Benas Karosas (right) (aged 11) at the launch of the Vodafone Red Family Challenge. Pic: Naoise Culhane

first’ enrolment policies said they have been instructed to grant parity to all children in the local catchment area, rather than giving preference to siblings of pupils.

And schools say they are powerless to resist orders issued by Dr Martin to drop admission rules that give priority to places for siblings of existing pupils.

The move sparked controversy among school boards of management, parents’ representatives and principals, with fears parents will be forced to send children to different schools — creating huge inconvenience for families.

In a letter to parents, the board of management of Our Lady’s Grove Primary School in Dublin 14 said it had wanted to continue to offer priority admission, but the archdiocese would not approve this.

The letter said that the board of management consulted other schools in the locality who were “experiencing a similar difficulty in relation to the changes to admissions policy

insisted upon by the patron.

“However, it is now clear that the patron insists that Our Lady’s Grove and, indeed, other schools in the archdiocese, adopt a standard admission policy, which does not permit a school to prioritise siblings of current students only in its first category.”

Dublin-based Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill called on the archdiocese to provide data on the proportion of places occupied in each class by such enrolments before pressing ahead with any changes.

“Juggling work and dropping children to school is difficult as it currently is for many parents, in particular for single parents,” she said. “Arranging drop-offs and collections at different times in different schools would make the planning and practicalities of their week even more difficult for parents.

“Now more than ever, with the rapidly evolving working landscape, we should be trying to work together and consider the whole family unit when making decisions about

Geography, Business Studies, Economics, Design and Technology, Music, and Physical Education .

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School Is Easy is here to help you Advertorial As we battle to cope with the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 regulations, homebased learning has taken on a new importance.

Many parents who want their children to enjoy the benefits of one-to-one tuition are, nevertheless, nervous about having a stranger in their home or sending young students to a tuition centre.

School is Easy (SIE) can solve that problem.

We can offer one-to-one or group grinds for Primary, Junior Certificate or Leaving Certificate school students at a time that works for you and your family.

We offer the following subjects, from Primary to Secondary to Specialist Third Level courses: Irish/Gaelige, English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, German, Spanish, History,

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Education

23.09.20

Prefect System Sixth year students help out as mentors to younger classes as developing their leadership skills by taking on other responsibilities.

Student Council All classes are represented on the Student Council and the SC is delighted to present at the Student Leadership Conference held by CEIST. PE As we offer PE as a leaving certificate subject we are delighted to have close links with DCU. During a recent visit to the Health and Human Performance Faculty they took part in a number of fitness tests that they will be able to utilise in there 6th year Leaving Certificate projects. This was a fantastic opportunity for both our students and future PE teachers.

Student empowerment Students are encouraged to organise events for example International Women’s Day(IWD) 2020. Our students are an inspiration to us each and every day. We were delighted that with Ms Sheila Flynn and other teachers the students engaged in a number of activities to celebrate IWD and to showcase their own talents and

Collecting our green flag in DCU, Lisa Cordos, Louise Acedera, Karina Acedera members of our ECO Committee aspirations. It was wonderful to have Ms Roisin Shorthall TD visit us on March 6th last.

She met with a number of students, took part in a debate on women in politics with TY Students and looked at student projects and work throughout the school. Roisin spoke to the students about the women who have inspired her and inspired the students to continue to be the best they can.

Subjects on offer Irsih, English, Maths, French, German, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Accounting, Business,

Our Soccer team who had many success last year.

Market Day in school, The TY team went on to win the Margaret Farrell Enterprise at the Dublin Final. L to r Didar Palini, Michaela Borta, Ava del Mar.

Ellen Collingan head girl, invites Rosisn Shortall to sign our visitors book.

Prize winners receive their Certificates from Richard Bruton TD when he visited to celebrate Maths week

Economics, LCRE, LCPE, History Geography, Music, Home Economics, Link Modules as well as Guidance, SPHE, CSPE, PE for all classes and a Learn-

ing Support Programme Music The school has a rich tradition of music

Art The school is pleased to be awarded an Arts Council Creative Engagement Grant to continue our work on Art’s based

Telephone: 01 837 1478 • Principal: Ms Rose Mary Lynch

projects. Niamh Sinnot, a ceramic artist has worked with students creating an evocative piece which is hanging in the school.

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04 Education

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23.09.20

Education

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06 Education

23.09.20

Covid guidelines pass parent test EIGHT in 10 parents are satisfied with Covid-19 guidelines at their child’s school, while three in four are comfortable with their children being back in school every day, according to a new survey.

The survey by iReach comes as a number of schools have reported at least one coronavirus case in the last 10 days.

The Department of Health had warned ahead of schools reopening that infections were “inevitable”, and that it was not a major cause for concern as long as guidelines were followed.

The nationwide survey, to determine parents’ thoughts and concerns about their children returning to school, received more than 1,000 responses, which show: • 78% of parents are satisfied with the guidelines put in place by the school their children attend. However, 13% of parents are unaware of the guidelines implemented by their school.

• 76% of parents are

Ryan Kinsella, Cian Matthew O’Sullivan and Eimear Burke from Scoil Chaoimhin, Marlborough Street at the launch of Maths Week Ireland 2020.

Pic: Chris Bellew

comfortable with their child being back in school.

• 19% of parents believe schools will be forced to close before Halloween, while a further 22% believe they

will be closed at some stage before Christmas.

Oisin Byrne, iReach Managing Director, said: “The vast majority of parents are confident that schools

nationwide are doing their best to minimise the risks of Covid-19. However, we do see a growing level of expectation that the risk of school closures still exist.”

Among schools which reported cases of Covid-19 in the last 10 days was Ronanstown Community Childcare Centre in south Dublin, which confirmed a child there had tested positive.

In a letter to parents, management confirmed the relevant pod was shut down and all close contacts were advised to isolate. The school was also deep cleaned.

St Columbas National School in Glasnevin, north Dublin, wrote a letter to parents also advising them of a confirmed case.

The last date the pupil was in the school was September 9, and all close contacts were notified and asked to take a test.

As with all cases, close contacts were advised to selfisolate and request a test, while the rest of the school continued as normal.

Boost those grades with new study app A REVOLUTIONARY study app has been developed to enable students to improve how they approach studying, based on real time data.

EKKER, created by two Kilkenny brothers and teaching professionals, Carl and John Lynch, removes the guesswork of study and provides students with real time data, allowing them to predict their performance, and identify the changes necessary to see improved results.

John said: “We’ve seen first-hand how unmotivating unguided study is and we wanted to provide a system that will help students eliminate guesswork and deliver real performance-led data. Our students go into exams knowing what they know – the performance follows.”

More than 370,000 secondary school students across Ireland have returned to school this academic year, in what is a new term like no other. The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of embracing

new systems with enhanced technology.

A study by Amárach Research showed Ireland has seen an increase of 52% in the use of technology devices in the past six months.

According to its developers, the EKKER app will deliver content, track progress, and analyse data to empower individual learning and ensure zero study waste and maximum efficiency.

Key features include: • Study Now — see the number of minutes you have studied and what subjects need more attention.

• Study History — Allows you to see how you rated over past study sessions.

• Study Stats — Analyses your study patterns.

• Grade Estimator — An estimation on what your end grade will be and what you need to target.

EKKER is available now for a free 10-day trial. The app will cost €4.99 a month or a discounted price of €45 for a year.

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Education

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08 Education

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23.09.20

From tenement to living museum

Guinness is not all about the pints of plain

While much of Dublin city centre looks frozen in time at the moment, if you fancy taking a step back a further 300 years to see how people lived, then 14 Henrietta Street is a real eyeopening experience.

When you enter 14 Henrietta Street you’ll be taken on a journey from its grand Georgian beginnings to the tenement dwellings of its later years. The guide will introduce you to the personal stories which reveal the building’s hidden histories and the experiences of those who lived and died there. These stories are recreated with the help of immersive rooms, audio, film and of course through the walls of the house itself.

Numbers 13-15 Henrietta Street were built in the late 1740s as private dwellings until, in 1800, the professionals moved in. Between 1800 and 1850, 14 Henrietta Street was occupied by families who belonged to the legal profession.

Then, from 1850-1860, the house was the headquarters of the newly established Encumbered Estates’ Court,

Arguably one of Dublin’s most iconic attractions and hugely popular with visitors, Guinness Storehouse is back open for Dubliners who wish to dine in one of the restaurants and discover how the range of beers from the Guinness Brewery can complement traditional food.

There are two restaurants available for guests to dine in — Arthur’s Bar and the 1837 Bar & Brasserie.

If your preference is for something casual and relaxed, Arthur’s Bar is the perfect fit. Here you can enjoy lighter bites, relax in the cosy snugs of Arthur’s Bar and enjoy the views over Dublin.

The Arthur’s Bar menu includes the classic cheese toasties, Guinness Storehouse hot dogs and the famous Beef and Guinness pie (pictured).

For something more substantial, the a la carte

which allowed the State to acquire and sell on insolvent estates after the Great Famine.

Family life returned in the early 1860s when the Dublin Militia occupied the house until 1876, when Dublin became a Garrison town. Then, in 1876,

things changed dramatically when 19 tenement flats of one, three and four rooms were installed and advertised in The Irish Times in 1877: ‘To be let to respectable

families in a large house, Northside, recently papered, painted and filled up with every modern sanitary improvement, gas and wc on landings, Vartry Water, drying yard and a range with oven for each tenant; a large coachhouse, or workshop with apartments, to be let at the rere.’

However, by 1911 the house was filled with 100 people, while over 850 in total lived on the street.

When the last families left in the late 1970s, the house fell silent, deathly quiet after the din of children’s games and the chatter of grown-ups. It was left in a state of disarray until Dublin City Council acquired it in 2000 and the idea for a museum came into being.

14 Henrietta Street is only accessible by guided tour. Ticket prices are: €9.00 adults €6.00 concession (OAP, student, child aged 5-18). For more information: www.14henriettastreet.ie

menu in the 1837 Bar & Brasserie offers larger plates.

The restaurant showcases the best of Irish cuisine, including classic oysters and Guinness, as well as the ‘Fire & Smoke’ selection, which explores how the unique roasting of Guinness barley matches with chargrilled, roasted and smoked foods.

While you’re there, you can impress your fellow diners with this piece of trivia: 1837 was the year that oysters and Guinness were first recorded as a perfect culinary match, thus the name of the restaurant.

Visitors are advised that booking is preferred and guests are required to wear face coverings when arriving and leaving. In line with government guidance, groups can consist of no more than six people from two households. For more information: www.guinnessstorehouse.com/

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Classifieds 21

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Dublin In The Rare Old Times 23

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We take a look back at extracts from old newspapers to see what was in the news this month in years gone by

Ir

Irish Independent 29/09/1938

Irish Press 15/09/1949

Freemans Journal 26/08/1862

Irish Independent 17/09/1907

Irish Press 22/09/1941

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southSIDE NEWS 23.09.20

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