Henry Mckean On The Hard Shoulder

Many parents in Dublin cried foul when The Department of Education just before 10pm last night said that all Dublin schools would remain closed for a second day, despite by 8am this morning the county was no longer on an Orange Alert. But what do Dublin parents, childcare workers, students, principals think now as Storm Barra passed over?  Meanwhile DCU decided to open as normal. Henry McKean met these TY students in Swords.

Taxi drivers are calling for a promised fare hike of 5% to be implemented while a review is carried out. Those working in the industry say the rising cost of fuel, and the increased use of contactless payments, are among the main reasons given. Henry McKean has been looking into it.

Up and down the country the backbone of Ireland's response to the Pandemic is your local General Practice Surgery. From the beginning of restrictions they have continued to serve their patients. Now we are in the 4th wave, Henry McKean spent the day at Bray Medical Centre with the windows open where he met GPs, the secretary and their patients, 2 metres apart. With Dr Barbara Bonar, Dr Aoife Cuddy and Dr Stephen Hawkins.

It's been 7 years since the Garth Brooks fallout when he didn't get planning permission for 2 of his 5 gigs at Croke Park so he walked away. Is all forgiven? In Croke park Henry McKean met Garth Brooks who has sold 160 million albums with hits like Friends in Low Places and If Tomorrow Never Comes. Henry McKean got to sit down with Garth Brooks and this is what happened...

For Lotto players up and down the country it's been nearly 6 months of a rollover with the Lotto stuck on €19 million. FG Kildare North TD Bernard Durkan called for an investigation into why has there been no winner, and even said why can’t it be like Ronan Collins’s day when it was just 36 numbers, it's now 47. Henry McKean has travelled to Bettystown County Meath where people all day have been queuing up in the local Centra.

Ireland’s second largest athletic club, Lusk AC, is looking for a permanent home to train. Now with 700 members they are the biggest in Dublin. At the moment they share an area called the Hub at the back of Lusk with GAA pitches, dog walkers and football, but it’s become difficult to throw a discus or javelin with the other sports taking place. A local developer is supposed to hand over a 7 acre site for recreational use to Fingal County Council and for Lusk Athletic to use but it has been caught up in red tape for some time. Henry McKean has been investigating.

On Friday Tony Holohan announced if you are out and about meeting people you should take an antigen test twice a week. Since then Newstalk understands there has been a run on antigen tests across the country with shops and pharmacies sold out or low on stock. Henry McKean has been visiting pharmacies and asking people are they ready to take them, do they feel confident using them and should they be free or subsidised? Henry took 2 antigen tests, the first one didn't work and the second came up as negative.  

Ennis County Clare is the winner of Ireland’s Super Valu Tidiest Town 2021, beating over 800 towns and villages across Ireland. The fiercely competitive competition since 1958 is back after the pandemic. There were tears of joy, Henry McKean was there in Ennis at the Old Ground Hotel as the news broke. Big winners on the day included: Geashill, Co. Offaly awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Village. Abbeyleix, Co. Laois awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town. Cobh, Cork South awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town. Ennis, Co. Clare awarded Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre.

Roy Keane got into a heated argument outside Old Trafford with a fan after Manchester United went down 2 nil against Man City on Saturday. It got us talking, do Cork people have a bad temper? Henry McKean got reaction from Mayfield in Cork, where Roy Keane grew up. The report starts with a viral clip of the argument.

Writing in todays Irish Times Brianna Parkins says she doesn’t want a man to make all the money, she wants him to make dinner. Her opinion piece asks lots of questions despite women now contributing equally to the mortgage they are still doing most chores around the house. Brianna wants to send an email to all men to say the key performance indicators have changed on what makes a good husband, boyfriend or partner. It’s no longer being a bread winner. Henry McKean took to the streets to see if the public agree with her.

Yesterday Kieran Cuddihy went on a rant about the amount of people on public transport not wearing masks and how these people are not paying any attention to Tony Holohan. We got a strong reaction from you listening. We decided to send Henry McKean on a few Luas journeys to nowhere.

In this spooky Halloween special Henry McKean speaks to Dublin Fire Brigade about the challenges they face on Halloween night. Dublin City Council Waste Management clear over 500 tonnes of wood material teenagers were stashing and face abuse going about their job. Fun Place Joke shop talk about the most popular Halloween costumes this season. The kids of Holy Child Boys National School in Larkhill Dublin tell us why they love Halloween and what they really think of Squid Games. And Dockers and Demons the Halloween Festival drop into studio.

‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ by Gerry and the Pacemakers has beaten Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ to the top spot on a funeral music request chart. Henry McKean spoke to Mary Cunniffe, branch manager Massy Brothers Funeral Directors in Templeogue Village and singer and musician Simon Morgan.   Pic: Living Pat Green 94, on board her pink casket at her jazz funeral in New Orleans.

A video of a Wicklow GAA fight at the end of an Under 15 final between Carnew and Kilcoole played at Wicklow GAA Centre of Excellence in Ballinakill went viral. In the video we see teens, adult men and women, and officials brawling. Henry McKean has visited Wicklow for us. 

It's World Animal Day, the international day of action for animal rights and welfare. The DSPCA are busier than ever as people start to give up their lockdown pets. Henry McKean visited the DSPCA in the Dublin Mountains and met animals looking for a new home and sent us this report. With Suzanne McGovern from the DSPCA on World Animal Day, to find out more about the animals mentioned in that report log onto DSPCA.ie

It's James Bond Week on Newstalk and to celebrate No Time to Die hitting the cinemas tonight we sent Henry McKean to stunt school. The Condren family, brothers Patrick and Joe and 20 of their relatives run Total Stunts, Ireland's longest running stunt team. They have worked with Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. Henry McKean met them at Hogan's Farm Shop and Cafe near Kells County Meath, which was turned into a live action film set, with punch ups and people being set alight. Totalstunts.com

According to a new survey by Royal London 85% of Irish people would expect the average salary of a stay-at-home parent to come in at around €28,000, if they were to be paid. However, the real figure is €49,000, this is how much it would cost someone to replace the “duties” these mothers and fathers perform on a daily basis. Henry McKean has been out and about for us meeting stay at home parents in their gardens across Dublin.

Today is World Alzheimer's Day, a global awareness 24 hour hours around Dementia and the stigma which still persists. Carebright in Bruff county Limerick are Ireland’s first purpose-built community for people living with dementia. Where residents are given dignity, respect and space. Henry McKean visited this afternoon and met Kevin Quaid who has Lewy Body Dementia and Ken Greaney whose dad Dave lives at Carebright. Henry sent us this report.

The Ploughing is back but not as we know it. Instead of crowds of 250,000 the 90th National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska County Laois is limited to 1,000 people per day, because of uncertainty over Covid Restrictions.   The event has no trade exhibitions just back to basics ploughing in the fields for plough men and women. However there was a hint of glamour as Freddie Flintoff, Patrice Evra, Romesh Ranganathan and Jamie Redknapp showed up to film an episode of 'A League of their Own'. Henry McKean was there to see if it still has the Ploughing Atmosphere and he sent us this report.

A newspaper column which criticised the appearance of a number of Fianna Fáil politicians has been described as 'deplorable' by a party member. Senator Erin McGreehan, who was named in the article, told Newstalk Breakfast it served no purpose but to put people down. The Irish Mail On Sunday article, was also described as "nasty" by Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Did the article over step the mark and cross a line or is it fair game? If a politician is in the public eye is it ok to have a go at them? Henry McKean has been speaking to the public and fashion experts including David O’Connor Group General Manager of Louis Copeland who dresses many politicians including ministers and different taoisigh over the years.