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Festival of World Cultures For Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council presents 38 EVENTS OVER 3 DAYS IN A DOZEN OR MORE VENUES Festival of World Cultures 24 25 26 August featuring WORLD PREMIERE of Micheal O Suilleabhain's Templum St Micheals Church Dun Laoghaire Saturday 25th August 8.30
Vedran Smailovic's a Dance for Ireland at the Evening of World Cultures Monkstown Parish Church Friday 24th August @ 8.00
http://www.dlrcoco.ie/arts/world.htmThe local cultural scene will be greatly enlivened when Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council presents it's new 'Festival of World Culture' in late August. The Festival is a celebration of the diversity of living traditions, locally, nationally and internationally.
The aim of this festival is to inspire audiences to explore elements of international cultures through music, dance workshops and street and park events,( run by Down to Earth Theatre Company/ Inspired Productions) and one day will celebrate international food in association with Southside Partnership.
There will be activities for all ages and stages, and opportunities for participators and spectators. The venues will include: The Pavilion Theatre, St Michael's Church, The Concourse Space, The Assembly Rooms at The County Hall and The Purty Kitchen.
A Festival of this scale is made possible through the growing network of Arts and Cultural organisations in the County. Partners of the Festival include The Pavilion Theatre, The Harbour Board, Dance Theatre of Ireland at Bloomfields, The Grainstore Youth Arts Centre The Irish Refugee's Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Tourism Company.
The Festival aims to develop an identity for the future and build foundations for growth both in Ireland and in Europe. Over the next few weeks the programme will be finalised. Call into the County Hall and pick up on a brochure for the acts which have been confirmed.
These include : a Brazilian group who make music out of everyday objects, Cellist Vedran Smailovic of Sarajevo, Shalom Singers from Nigeria, Georgian opera singer David Jokhadze, Yat-kha, a folk-rock Siberian group, Joji Hirota and The Taiko Drummers from Japan, , World premier of Micheal O'Suilleabhain's new album, The Yellow Bird Indian Dancers from The Grand Canyon, traditional musician Mick Kinsella and guests, Havana Che brass band, King Masco dance band from Sierra Leone, Viento Y Fuego for classic & contemporary Spanish flamenco, Oleg Ponomarev & His Gypsy Hot Band... and much, much more.
Are you tired of this rain swept summer and longing to experience the music and dance of another culture- but unfortunately have no holidays booked? This festival could be just the answer- as well as sounding like a lot of fun.
Call into County Hall for a brochure. For more details contact Jody Ackland Tel: 2054749/ 2054719
Civic Reception
Cllr. Betty Coffey, MCC, Cathaoirleach of Dœn Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, hosted a Civic Reception on Monday 23rd July 2001 at the County Hall, Marine Road, Dœn Laoghaire at 18.45hrs to mark the presentation by the Chief Herald of Ireland of a Grant of Arms to the Genealogical Society of Ireland.
The Grant of Arms will be presented to the Society by Mr. Brendan O'Donoghue, Chief Herald & Director of the National Library, in a ceremony involving a colour party from the FCA and accompanied by a piper, Mr. Timmy Crimmins.
The Grant of Arms by Letters Patent will be received by the Cathaoirleach of the Genealogical Society of Ireland, Mr. Rory Stanley, in the presence of the Cathaoirleach of the County Council, Cllr. Betty Coffey.
Following this presentation to the Society, Cllr. Coffey, will present the Chief Herald with items bearing the Arms of the County Council for display at the Heraldic Museum in Dublin.
Dun Laoghaire Businessman Shortlisted For Ernst & Young Award
Enda O'Coineen, Chairman and founder of Kilcullen Kapital Partners from Rosmeen Gardens, Dun Laoghaire has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Ernst & Young 2001 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. This awards programme was developed to identify and salute leading Irish entrepreneurs. Enda was chosen for his extraordinary track record in business and his unconventional background, both in a leadership role and in partnership.
Enda has started over 10 companies under the Kilcullen Kapital Partners umbrella including ASPEKT Central Europe, Czech Credit Bureau, Key 6, Bumblebee Telecom, SIMPLY and MOZART Funds. His companies provide finance and management support to its clients.
Enda was educated at Colaiste Iognaid and UCG. He loves sailing and has visited the West Indies and North America. In 1977 as the result of a wager over a bottle of whiskey and an interest in sailing life rafts and survival at sea, he set out from Boston to return to Ireland in a 16ft inflatable dinghy. He has outlined his expereinces in a book," The Unsinkable Kilcullen," published by Bodley Head. Enda has also written for the Irish Press and the Irish Times and started AFLOAT magazine, Security World magazine, Anchor Travel and The Hair Company, EPOC Publishing and Marketing and was part of an insurance brokerage, Aquabroker.
The winners of the Ernst & Young Awards will be announced on September 13th. Previous winners have included Eddie Jordan, Denis O'Brien and the creators of Riverdance.
Microsoft Strengthens Partnership With Enable Ireland
Microsoft has contributed £50,000 to Enable Ireland, formerly Cerebral Palsy Ireland. This is the second of a total of three financial payments that have been committed by Microsoft to Enable Ireland.
In addition to donating money, Microsoft has also provided software to the organisation and dozens of Microsoft employees have volunteered their time to train Enable Ireland staff and to develop the Enable Ireland website.
Microsoft became a corporate partner of Enable Ireland last October and the relationship has grown steadily since then. The latest financial donation to the organisation will be used to further develop Enable Ireland's Assistive Technology Programme (ATP).
The new ATP initiative, developed by Enable Ireland in partnership with Microsoft personnel, will lead to the introduction of advanced technology communication aids, enabling members of Enable Ireland to communicate. Thirty per cent of people Enable Ireland provide services to are unable to communicate without the aid of technology. The ATP initiative is designed to find a solution for these people.
Microsoft has also donated software to equip Enable Ireland's new school and clinic in Sandymount, Dublin. Enable Ireland has over 350 children attending this school. In addition, Microsoft employees have become involved in a number of different ways with Enable Ireland, including sitting on the Board of Directors of various schools for children with disabilities, delivering ATP training to Enable Ireland therapists, assisting with the development of Enable Ireland's internal supports and on-line training, creating a children's website, partaking in judging Enable Ireland competitions and helping to kit out the Enable Irelands children's library as part of the 'Giving Tree' programme.
Commenting on Microsoft's support, Ruair’ O'Connor, Regional Director, Enable Ireland said: "The successful operation of Enable Ireland and the benefits we can bring to our members and their families are helped enormously through the partnership we enjoy with Microsoft. Many of our members, through the use of communication aids, have been able to communicate for the first time and for them and their families, this has been a great step forward. We want to recognise the marvellous support we have received not only financially, but also through software and personnel which Microsoft has given us", concluded Mr O'Connor.
Shock As Homeless Office Closes
Homeless people in desperate need of emergency accommodation, and local representatives have been shocked by the un-announced closure of the only central office in Dublin which arranges accommodation.
Local Council member, Labour's Eamonn Gilmore described the closure of Dublin's Homeless Persons Unit, as an utter disgrace. The Unit provided emergency assistance to homeless people across Dublin and helped them to find hostel or B&B accommodation.
He said," Last week the Homeless Persons Unit in Dublin's Charles Street was closed due to health and safety concerns. No alternative office has been opened and homeless people in Dublin have been effectively abandoned. It is disgraceful. In the Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown area alone, at any one time there are at least 50 people sleeping rough."
He added," The fact that the Homeless Persons Unit was forced to close on health and safety grounds is itself indicative of the official neglect that homeless people and those who provide services to them have to endure. It was a grim place and a difficult place to work and the health board ignored the signals they were getting from their staff, yet it was needed as 100-150 people could be waiting there every day. This was the first place the Council would refer a homeless person to. Homeless people had two choices- either to sleep on the streets, or to go to Charles Street."
"There are supposedly plans to deal with male and female homeless people at offices in Wellington Quay and James Street but my information is that these offices are not open and yet again homeless people have nowhere to go. An 1800 number which has been set up cannot be contacted."
"I am demanding that the Minister with Responsibility for Housing, Bobby Molloy, ensures that a new office for the Homeless Persons Unit is located and opened. This is a real emergency and vital services cannot be withdrawn from those who find themselves without shelter. Estimates suggest that there are 5000 homeless people in the Greater Dublin area, 1000 of whom are children. The Minister's lack of action to date cannot be allowed to continue."
" Homelessness on the streets of our capital is a growing problem. Figures compiled by the Simon Community indicate that there are more people sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin than there are in Oxford, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Liverpool combined. The housing crisis is forcing more and more people onto the streets and emergency accommodation is at breaking point. Given these facts it is immoral that the one dedicated service for homeless people has been closed down. The Minister must ensure this scandal is brought to an end immediately," said Deputy Gilmore.
House Of Fraser For Dundrum
Councillor Maria Corrigan has welcomed the decision by leading UK department store group, House Of Fraser, to locate a store in Dundrum.
Councillor Corrigan said, "This is good news for the people of South Dublin. The five floor store which is expected to create 300 new jobs in the area will be a major boost to the local economy and will provide further choice for the consumer," said the Fianna Fail South Dublin candidate. "Attracting business and enterprise for the future has become possible as a result of the developments presently taking place in Dundrum, particularly in the area of transport. The Luas, light rail project is on target for completion in 2003, the new Dundrum By-pass will be completed next year, the Southern Cross Motorway has recently opened and work is starting on the South Eastern Motorway," she said.
"Dundrum and its surrounding areas service a large population. There is a need for a major retail development in the Dundrum area. The Dundrum Town Centre Scheme will also incorporate office space and various amenities including a cinema, restaurants, car parking and hotel." said Councillor Corrigan.
"While the remaining work on these projects is being completed we will naturally experience some temporary difficulties. However, I believe in two years time, Dundrum will be a much sought after location to live, shop and do business in. The department store group have already exchanged conditional contracts with an expected opening in Autumn 2003."
Dispute At Loughlinstown Hospital Continues
The East Coast Area Health Board has called on the Irish Nurses Organisation to suspend their industrial action by theatre nurses at St Colmcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown.
Theatre nurses at the hospital have withdrawn their on-call availability since 23rd July, 2001. Consequently, no surgical procedures are possible at the hospital after 4.30pm each day.
The INO is seeking an increase in the on-call pay rate for theatre nurses in the hospital and the East Coast Area Health Board has responded with a package of measures including an increase of 300%, for nurses providing on-call services in excess of the standard rota. This offer was recognised as fair and recommended for acceptance by the Labour Court.
The ECAHB believes it has been imaginative and flexible in trying to reach a solution to this issue and is continuing to work towards a resolution. In the meantime, the Board says it is urging the INO to suspend their action and work with management to find a fair and practical way forward and to allow the hospital to provide a full service to its patients.
Pending this, the Board is continuing to provide contingency measures to ensure patient safety and to minimise disruption to services at the hospital. Surgical accident and emergency admissions in the evening time will continue to be diverted to neighbouring hospitals for the duration of this dispute.
Launch of National Children's Day
National Children's Day, which celebrates Ireland's one million plus children was launched recently by the NCD 2000 Children's' Bravery Award Recipients.
The overall aim of NCD 2001, an event which transcends colour, creed and background is to encourage children nation-wide to participate in and celebrate their day.
This year NCD will be celebrated on Sunday 7th October.
The event which celebrates our future generations, also acknowledges children who have overcome significant physical and intellectual challenges in their lives. To this end the NCD Bravery Awards are presented to a number of children as recognition of courage and determination shown against illness and trauma or for giving selfless time to assist others.
Anyone throughout Ireland can nominate a child they feel deserves an NCD Bravery Award and application forms are available from all Dunne's Stores outlets nation-wide, in the RTE Guide or on the NCD website at
www.ncd.ieAn Taoiseach Mr Bertie Ahern will present the children with their awards at a special gala evening on Sunday 30th September, which will be televised by Network Two. As patron of National Children's day, Ms Mary Mc Aleese, President of Ireland has invited the 2001 Bravery Award winners to Aras An Uachtaran for afternoon tea on 17th October.
On hand to launch the event for 2001 were some of the recipients of Bravery Awards in 2000. Each had their own great memories of their day last year.
Food Safety Awards to Local Restaurants
Over 25 Restaurants Association of Ireland Skillnets member restaurants from around the country were awarded certificates last week for best practices in food hygiene and safety. The presentation took place in Brasserie na Mara in Dun Laoghaire where Dr Patrick Wall, Chief Executive, Food Safety Authority presented the awards.As part of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Skillnets programme member restaurants can avail of industry specific, tailor made training - including the Primary Course in Food Hygiene.
This course is designed to create awareness and knowledge among food workers of the importance of good hygiene practices. Basic microbiology, personal hygiene, food contamination, food hygiene law and cleaning procedures are all covered in the training. Students take part in a two-day course and sit a one-hour examination to become certified by the Environmental Health Officers Association.
Dr Patrick Wall, Chief Executive, Food Safety Authority of Ireland said, "Many food businesses express concerns about the apparent ever increasing food safety rules and regulations, with some smaller businesses fearing they may be regulated out of business. However, the award winners today have demonstrated that it is possible to achieve high food safety and hygiene standards.
Food safety is every restaurants' responsibility and by introducing these training initiatives, the RAI is facilitating its membership to accept this duty." Bart O'Brien from the Courtesy of Choice programme also presented certificates to the restaurant staff. The Courtesy of Choice programme is an international programme, developed by the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA), to facilitate the accommodation of smokers and non-smokers in hospitality establishments using existing or improved ventilation. The course provides staff with the skills necessary to accommodate smoking and non-smoking customers.
Local restaurants who received certificates were:
Outlaws, Dun Laoghaire - (recipient Maureen Coleman)
Brasserie na Mara, Dun Laoghaire - (received by Shawn Callahan)Other local restaurants who completed the Primary Course in Food Hygiene/Courtesy of Choice training but couldn't attend the certificate presentation included:
Coffee HQ, Dun Laoghaire - (awarded to John MacManus, proprietor)
Café Mao, Dublin 2 and Dun Laoghaire - (awarded to Graham and Rosie Campbell proprietors).
Traffic Chaos Has Followed M50 Opening Says Mitchell
Fine Gael spokeswoman on local government and housing Olivia Mitchell TD has said that traffic conditions following the opening of the M50 to Ballinteer were completely unacceptable.
"It is little consolation to find that all predictions of traffic chaos following the opening of the M50 to Ballinteer were very well founded. Journey times in the area are now completely intolerable, even before the end of the holiday period and the opening of the schools and colleges. To lengthen commuting times is bad enough but for residents of the Sandyford/Ballinteer area every single journey, whether by bus or car, is now an endurance test." she said
"This was all foreseeable and predictable. Even a child could see that you cannot terminate a motorway at a single, already congested, substandard road and expect it to successfully distribute traffic to and from the motorway and also cater for existing local traffic. Official assurances that 'traffic will be no worse', that 'motorists will go elsewhere' and that 'cars would be left at home' now ring rather hollow."
"Some disruption is inevitable until the motorway is completed but no effort was made to minimise the chaos in the three year interim. Even at this late stage funding must be provided to remove bottlenecks on the Sandyford Road and improve the flow of traffic into and out of the Industrial Estate. Additional buses on the 44 and 48 routes, as well as a vastly enhanced service from Sandyford to the Stillorgan QBC is a minimum requirement if conditions are not to deteriorate to the point of total gridlock. Not only are there thousands of jobs at stake in the Sandyford/ Leopardstown area but the quality of life for local residents is being totally eroded," said Deputy Mitchell.
New Garden in People's Park Dun Laoghaire
A special new garden was opened in the People's park, Dun Laoghaire on Sunday 12th August, to coincide with the South County Dublin's Horticultural Society's Flower Show. The garden was laid out by staff from the Council's Parks department. in a record two weeks. This achievement is especially noteworthy as previously the area has simply been a dumping ground and an old nursery area.
It has now been transformed into The Partnership Garden, in recognition of the generous donations of materials and plants from local nurseries and suppliers. The garden boasts a white painted summerhouse, trees, shrubs, bedding areas, three water features( including a waterfall gushing out of a wall) and a centrepiece sunken seating area. This 'hidden' garden is not visible from the road, or indeed from most of the rest of the Park. This seclusion makes any time spent here truly feel like an oasis of calm.
New Laws Proposed For Travellers
Olivia Mitchell, T.D., Dublin South Fine Gael said it was now clear that only changes in the law could stop mass traveller incursions such as those suffered on an ongoing annual basis in Dublin suburbs.
She said, "If, as it seems, the current law permits, condones and protects the kind of environmental destruction wrought by travellers each year, then the only solution is to change the law"
"The requirement of the 1998 legislation to provide both permanent and transient sites has proven, as I predicted at the time, not only unreasonable but unworkable". "Even if it were desirable, it is completely unreasonable to ask local authorities, no matter how many permanent sites they have provided to also provide for any number of additional travellers who may turn up unannounced at any time."
She concluded, "It is one thing to provide permanent accommodation for a family but it is entirely unrealistic to ask the tax payer to also fund holiday or business premises for unknown numbers of travellers who clearly have the means to provide for themselves".
"It is this aspect of the legislation which permits the flagrant disregard of the rights of the settled community to enjoy their local amenities in a rubbish free and unthreatening environment"
"Changes in the trespass law are also required to protect private property such as schools, health board facilities, church grounds, businesses and even private gardens are now regarded as 'fair game' by some travellers".
"The Government rejected all my suggested amendments to the Traveller Accommodation legislation and as recently as last October rejected my proposals on trespass. The events of this summer in Dublin South and in other beauty spots around the country must surely prove that this problem will not go away. If the Government will not bring forward their own legislative proposals then Fine Gael will".
RTE Interactive to Publish CAO Points Table
Help is at hand for this year's Leaving Cert students. RTƒ Interactive will publish the CAO Points Table for the first round of the 2001 offers at
www.rte.ie/cao .The Points Table will also be available on Aertel, page 700, from 6am on the morning of Tuesday, 21 August. Although Aertel has featured the Points Table in the past - and the content has been provided on the web - this is the first time that RTƒ Interactive has put together a special website for the results. It is hoped the service will prove an invaluable resource for second level students.
The site will be easy to navigate with figures broken down between degree courses, diploma & certificate courses and, for the first time, nursing courses. The website will also contain links to radio and television features. Fine Gael spokesman on education Michael Creed TD congratulated this year's Leaving Certificate students on their results.
He said, "For many, the year was difficult due to the ASTI dispute and their achievements are all the more remarkable for it. Now many students minds turn to the CAO offers . With declining numbers of students and a growing number of college places and course choices three quarters of those who sat the exam can expect a place in one of their top three degree course choices.
This is a welcome reduction in the intensity of the 'points race' of recent years. Welcome as this is, it also brings its own problems." "With the drop out rates in 3rd level colleges giving cause for considerable concern, there is no doubt that one of the contributory factors is students opting for courses, for which they have the entry point requirement but not the aptitude. Students should give serious consideration to this issue, lest they become one of the casualties of drop-out later," he said
New Guide to Reactions Following Vaccinations
A new Guide to Common Reactions following Childhood Vaccinations was launched today by Pfizer/ Warner-Lambert Consumer Healthcare, the makers of Calpol. The Guide stresses the importance of ensuring children are vaccinated against common childhood diseases as part of the Department of Health & Children's childhood vaccination programme.
Ireland's childhood vaccinations programme recommends vaccinations to protect against diphtheria, hib (haemophilus influenza type b which can cause one form of bacterial meningitis), meningitis, measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, rubella, tetanus and tuberculosis.
A timetable indicating the optimum age at which children between two and fifteen months should receive each recommended vaccination is given in the Guide. A checklist of minor reactions/ side effects to these vaccinations and advice on what parents can do to ease their children's symptoms are also included. High temperatures, rashes and general irritability are all common reactions following vaccination.
An effective way of bringing down a high temperature is to give an antipyretic medicine, that is, one that reduces a fever, like liquid paracetamol. Calpol is a liquid paracetamol product for children which relieves pain and feverishness without irritating the stomach. It is also suitable for asthmatics. Calpol Infant Suspension can be given to children at two months to treat a fever following vaccination.
"We hope that this Guide will help support the Irish childhood vaccination programme by providing further information to encourage parents to ensure that their children receive all necessary childhood vaccinations. While serious reactions to vaccination are rare, minor reactions such as fever and general irritability are common and may be relieved with a liquid paracetamol preparation such as Calpol."
"However, as always parents should seek the advice of a doctor if they are concerned about any of their child's symptoms, " said Roseanne Dunne, of Pfizer/Warner Lambert Consumer Healthcare.
The Guide continues Calpol's series of helpful Guides to Tots' and Toddlers' Health which includes a Guide to Coping with Illness & Accidents at Home.
For a free copy of the Tots' & Toddlers' Guide to Common Reactions following Childhood Vaccinations, please write to Tots' & Toddlers' Reader Offer, P.O. Box 7808, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
Calpol contains paracetamol. Always read the label and ask your pharmacist for advice.
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