SIPTU Organiser Ted Kenny has strongly rejected media reports that the union was involved in agreeing to the withdrawal of ambulance services from Youghal by the HSE.

“SIPTU was not involved in the proposal to replace the ambulance service in Youghal with an advanced paramedic responder,” Kenny said.

“SIPTU has agreed nationally to the abolition of on-call arrangements as one of a number of cost-saving measures with the HSE, but it’s up to HSE management to decide how to implement changes. Far from supporting cutbacks, SIPTU has consistently campaigned against them and will continue to do so.”

Kenny added: “We’re also mindful that misinformation is being fed into the system by vested interests, which sometimes wish to exploit cutbacks in services for commercial reasons. We would like to reassure the public that our members will do everything in their power to maintain services to the best of their ability in the present straitened circumstances.”

By Gary Culliton.

Info: www.imt.ie

About Gary Culliton

Gary Culliton is Chief News Correspondent at IMT and specialises in consultant issues, the HSE, quality of care, health insurance, clinical research and global news.

Saturday Mornings are changing on CRY 104FM with the Breakfast Crew from 7am to 9am with Derek Kiely and James Howes. The show will have a mix of Music, Local News, Sport and whatever is happening in and around the area.

The show is Sponsored by Farrell’s Summerfield Bar and will look to kick start everyone’s weekend with a bit of craic and information to start of your day.

Co-presenters Derek Kiely James Howes said “Mick Sheehan was a brilliant presenter with the ‘Morning Youghal’ show and he should take a bow for what he did in the programme, he has moved on now and it’s up to us to keep up the good work. We will have a different approach to the programme, but we are really looking forward to it”.

Wake up with the ‘Breakfast Crew’ on CRY 104FM every Saturday morning at 7am.

Phone the show on 024-91199 or 02492288

Text the show on 087-2544745

Or email the Breakfast Crew on info@youghalradio.com

A priest in the scandal-hit diocese of Cloyne in Co Cork has urged his fellow clerics to speak out and defy the “culture of fear” that pervades the Catholic Church.

Fr Joseph McGuane has become the first ordinary cleric in Cloyne to comment on the child abuse controversies that rocked the diocese and the entire church in Ireland.

Fr McGuane – who is a chaplain in St Raphael’s Centre, a community hospital in Youghal – said ordinary people were very angry that “justice has taken a back seat”.

“The leadership has sailed us into a perfect storm and there must be a new way of thinking to get us out,” he said.

“The church is in a bigger crisis now than it was back in 1994 when the Fr Brendan Smyth scandal brought down the government.”

Fr McGuane argued that the church needed to totally transform itself and guarantee greater transparency.

But he acknowledged that ordinary diocesan clerics faced the task of rolling back “a culture of cover-up and dictatorship”.

“It would be a great help if my peers spoke out – sadly, I am the only one.

“There is a culture of fear within the diocese. Good people are afraid of the repercussions if they do speak out – it is hard to break ranks,” he said.

The cleric said that the emphasis within the church has been on authority and control from the top down, with desperately negative consequences.

Fr McGuane also hit out at former Bishop John Magee, who vanished weeks before the Cloyne report was published.

The whereabouts of the Newry-born bishop, a former private secretary to three Popes, is still a mystery.

In Dr Magee’s absence, Archbishop Dermot Clifford of Cashel and Emly had to handle queries over the shocking revelations in the Cloyne Report last month.

Fr McGuane said it was now clear that Dr Magee should have resigned three years ago when Cloyne’s problems over its handling of clerical abuse allegations were first highlighted by the church’s own watchdog body, the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children (NBSC).

“I said back in 2009 that Bishop Magee should resign,” Fr McGuane said. “The head of FAS, the Taoiseach, the Financial Regulator and the heads of the banks all fell on their swords. Why should it be any different in the church?”

Fr McGuane insisted there was hope for the future and said men of “courage” like Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin have signalled the way forward.

 

Monday, 8 August 2011

www.belfasttelegraph

Youghal/Killeagh Branch of Cope Foundation would like to thank all who supported the 2 live bands ”LIVE VIBE & THE GRIP” @ The Rugby Club Youghal on July 16th, also the raffle draw that was held in Berties Bar last Fri Aug.5th. Big thank you to both bands that committed their time free of charge for the event, the Rugby Club for the use of the club and also Paul Dempsey of Berties Pub for his support with the raffle draw.

A fantastic amount of €2,050 was raised in aid of ”Cope Foundation“. Thank you all for your support it is greatly appreciated.

Team Youghal gear up for 1,350 mile Race Around Ireland.
Cycling for the Local Charities

TEAM YOUGHAL will create history on Sept 11th when they will compete in the 1,350 mile Race Around Ireland Cycle Race for the third successive year. This year the team will be raising funds for two local charities, Youghal Hospice and Youghal Meals on Wheels.

THE RACE AROUND IRELAND is quite simply the toughest cycling endurance test in Europe covering a massive distance of 1,350 miles travelling through all four Irish Provinces with many steep climbs and sharp descents along the way.

What makes this such a fantastic challenge is the constant flow of the race which runs 24 hours a day from start to finish, with little or no let up and that overwhelming desire not only to complete the race, but to win it!

‘Team Youghal’s’ winning time in the 2009 ‘Race Around Ireland’ was clocked at 90 hours and 6 minutes and they improved this by almost two hours last year in very poor weather conditions.

The race is part of the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association (UMCA) World Cup Series and the race is organised by the Navan Road Club and is sanctioned by Cycling Ireland.

In the ‘Race Around Ireland’ once the clock starts for ‘Team Youghal’ in Navan on September 11th it won’t stop until they reach the finish line at the end of the 1,350 mile circuit. This is the second most gruelling bike races in the world, the toughest being the Race Across America and Team Youghal became the first Irish 8 Person Team to complete this race in June of this year in seven days and 14 hours.

Team Leader Ger Flanagan said “This is a great group of people and there is a great togetherness about the team both on the bikes and in the support crew. The support crew are the vital cog in our whole race attempt. We are looking forward to taking on this challenge for a 3rd successive year and would like to ask as many people as possible to support the excellent work of Youghal Hospice and Youghal Meals on Wheels”. Sponsorship Cards are in circulation from Youghal Meals and Wheels, Youghal Hospice and from Team Youghal.

Team Youghal held a launch for their chosen charities at Youghal Hospital recently and both charities as really looking forward to the race. The Race will pass through Youghal on Wednesday 14TH September and once again the Walter Raleigh Hotel has been chosen by the Race Organisers as an Official Time Station.

Organising or working on an event such as the ‘Race Around Ireland’ takes massive work hours and ‘Race Around Ireland’ race director Alan Heary and his team deserve tremendous praise for their efforts.

Alan Heary said “Team Youghal’ are a very important part of the ‘Race Around Ireland’ event, because they bring a very professional team and back up crew to the race, with everything in terms of planning and structure as well as pure enthusiasm and effort, plus the age range in the team is so varied it shows that there is no age barrier for ‘Team Youghal’ because of their superb preparation. I think the spirit of the event is defined by ‘Team Youghal’ in their approach to everyone involved in the event. There is nobody they wouldn’t help or give the best advice to, there is always an excellent genuine attitude, I believe ‘Team Youghal’ embodies everything that is good about the ‘Race Around Ireland’ and we are delighted to see them back to defend their title”.

The race route through Cork is incredible, entering the County in Glengarriff, heading on to Bantry, Goleen, Mizen Head, Skull, Ballydehob, Skibbereen, Leap, Ross Carbery, Clonakilty, Timoleague, Ballinspittle, Kinsale, Ballincollig, Kerry Pike, Blarney, Cork City (Including St Patrick’s Hill) Glanmire, Carrigtwohill, Midleton, Castlemartyr, Killeagh and on to Youghal, before heading to Dungarvan and on the Mahon Falls.

To keep up to date with ‘Team Youghal’s’ race progress plus daily reports log into www.teamyoughal.com

Following on the success of his SOLD OUT exhibition in aid of South Abbey School in the Methodist Hall 3 years ago retired photographer Bob Rock is working on a new venture. This show comprising over 60 prints will open in Youghal Credit Union in early September.The work, all shot locally will depict the beauty of Youghal as never seen before. All of the images are printed on acid free paper using Canon’s  Chromalife 100 inks (100 years life behind glass)  and mounted ready for framing.Prints will be selling at almost half usual price and all profits go to Trocaire’s East Africa famine relief appeal.

Those prints make a unique gift for giving or keeping.They can be easily removed from the mount and posted to relatives abroad in tubes.So don’t forget to drop into the Credit Union (dates to be announced) for a visual treat and who knows you might buy a print and save a life.

 

She learned to horse ride during childhood summers in Ireland and is now using those skills as a strong woman in a Western —an experience she is relishing, Olivia Wilde tells Will Lawrence

The star of last year’s mega-money sci-fi hit Tron: Legacy and the forthcoming Daniel Craig blockbuster Cowboys + Aliens, Olivia Wilde is one of Hollywood’s hottest properties, and yet the 27-year-old star says that she feels a closer connection to Ireland than she does to the US.

“Ireland is such a big part of who I am,” the actress tells me. Her father, journalist Andrew Cockburn, was raised in Youghal, Co Cork. “Not only as an actor but as a human being. I am very aware of my Irish blood.” She laughs, “I really believe that, not only in my capacity for alcohol, but also being able to sense certain values, I think these elements come from my Irish blood.”

Indeed, for all the celebrity garnered by her high-profile movies and her starring turn opposite Hugh Laurie in hit American TV show House — where she plays an inscrutable young woman who sufferers from Huntington’s disease and a propensity to self-destruct — Wilde remains a warm and open interviewee with a hearty laugh and a spirited demeanour. She’s a classic car fan, too, owning a 1958 Chevy Biscayne, and, like many Irish folk, she adores horses.

Her love for the country, and for its equine passion, was fostered in her youth — her parents, who eventually settled in New York, would return to Ireland in the summers.

“We grew up going to a little village called Ardmore,” she recalls. “It is on the coast quite near Youghal, about an hour or so out of Cork.

“I went to acting school in Dublin, too, but I haven’t been back to Ireland in a few years. It is something I am really looking forward to doing this summer because I miss it so much.”

With dual-citizenship, and a family home in the country, Wilde trained for a while at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin and when choosing a stage name she opted for her favourite writer Oscar Wilde. “I came and trained as an actor every summer in Ireland,” she continues, “and my sister and I worked in a stable, so that’s where riding became such a part of my childhood.”

She says that riding gave her courage. “When you are teaching a kid to ride a horse you are teaching them about conquering their fears, about having respect for animals and it is very humbling, too, to work with horses because you are acknowledging how much more powerful this animal is than you.

“You realise that if you can learn how to behave around a horse you can develop a sense of self-control over your fear. Horses can smell fear. Also my parents used to say that you are not a real rider until you have fallen off a hundred times. You fall off and scramble to get back on the horse and that’s a good life lesson.”

Her riding skills proved a boon when shooting her latest movie, the blockbusting Cowboys + Aliens, which starts as a straight-up Western film before transforming into an Earth-based sci-fi adventure at the end of the first act. With 007 (Daniel Craig) and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) for co-stars, Wilde is in the company of some fairly august adventurers.

“When it came to doing a cowboy movie, I am very appreciative of all that training I’d done with horses over the years,” she says, “although in Ireland I had ridden English-style, but in this movie I had to learn how to ride Western, which is vastly different. But I am really happy to know how to do it now. It is a great skill to have, which is what is so cool about making movies. You develop these skills.”

Wilde’s new film also gives the actress the chance to expand those talents, taking on the rare role of a strong woman of the West.

“I have always been such a fan of genre movies, although as a woman I struggle to find female characters in a lot of Western films that I relate to, really strong female characters. In sci-fi, I can find more women to relate to, just think of Sigourney in Alien.

“That said, Westerns have had such an effect on my taste in movies, and my favourite genre is the gangster movie and really they all are Westerns. I realised that a lot of the elements in the films that I loved came from the Western.”

In her Western, directed by Iron Man head honcho Jon Favreau, Wilde plays Ella, a rough-and-tumble cowgirl with a decent gun arm and a strange and startling secret. “I think the film’s great,” she says, “and Jon did such an amazing job keeping this entire story in his head with these two giant genres, weaving them together so elegantly. And I hope that what we have created in this movie is a female character in a Western that other young girls out there will be inspired by.”

If not, then those young girls could perhaps draw inspiration from one of the many characters Wilde is bringing to cinemas once Cowboys + Aliens is off screens. She’ll soon be seen in the likes of the comedy film The Change-Up with Ryan Reynolds, the sci-fi thriller In Time with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, and the bleak and brutal thriller Blackbird, with Eric Bana. She is also hoping to make a movie set in Ireland. “That’s exciting,” she coos, “but it’s too early to say anything about it yet, I’m just enjoying doing all this work.”

Indeed, if the truth be told, work is proving a welcome distraction for Wilde, who has suffered a difficult time personally, filing for divorce from her husband of eight years, Italian-American filmmaker and socialite Tao Ruspoli, in March of this year. She filed papers at a Los Angeles Superior Court on March 3, citing irreconcilable differences.

Wilde and Ruspoli eloped in 2003 when Wilde was just 19, got engaged at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock, Nevada, and married in a bus on Venice Beach, California.

The couple enjoyed a happy relationship until they started to drift apart. They mutually agreed to separate earlier this year and have no children.

“Even though it didn’t work, there is nothing I regret about any of it,” Wilde says in the July edition of American Marie Claire. “We’re friends; his family is my family. You always have a choice to feel angry and not be friends, but I can’t handle the idea of walking into a room and seeing someone I have bad blood with. I can’t keep any negative relationship with anyone.”

Wilde has been linked with a number of suitors — including fellow A-listers Bradley Cooper and Justin Timberlake — but while she says that she is taking the plunge into dating, it isn’t easy. “I’m trying to be adult, entering the shark pool of dating,” continues the actress in that interview, “but I’m hopeless at it.”

That seems unlikely, given her stunning looks, innate charm and bright mind, fostered by parents that both work in the media. Her mother, Leslie, is an American journalist, and a producer on TV news magazine 60 Minutes. Wilde grew up surrounded by high-profile names, and Barack Obama once called her mobile to thank her for the support she lent during his campaign: “I was professional on the phone, then I hung up and started squealing like a school girl.” But the phone wasn’t off. “I had a friend at the campaign office and they said that they could all hear me — that’s embarrassing.”

The actress, however, has overcome her mortification. She is plucky, after all, an attribute she ascribes to her Irish blood, and to her determined mother. “My mother taught me a lot about being a woman,” she says, “like how you can be sexy and beautiful and yet still be the smartest person in the room.” Olivia Wilde, it appears, is the living proof.

Cowboys + Aliens is in cinemas next Friday

 

By Will Lawrence

Friday August 05 2011

Originally published in

SOME 1,000 people took part in a protest in Youghal, Co Cork, over the weekend over plans by the Health Service Executive to replace the town ambulance service with a first responder paramedic car.

Protesters said that if a medical emergency happens from next month, the patient will have to wait at least 20 minutes before an ambulance from Midleton, Dungarvan, Fermoy or even Cork city arrives to take them to hospital.

Jim Flanagan, public relations officer with the Save Youghal Ambulance Group, said locals have assembled in large numbers on three occasions in recent days to express their anxiety about the loss of the ambulance service.

“This [Saturday’s protest] is the third time we have met within 10 days so it is terrific to think that people feel so passionate about this issue.”

Mayor of Youghal Cllr Eoin Coyne (FF) told Cork’s 96FM radio station that the HSE would have to start paying attention now that people are protesting in such “huge numbers”.

The campaign has received the support of amongst others Sinn Féin TD Sandra McLellan, who said a rapid response vehicle manned by a medical technician is not the same as an ambulance manned by advanced paramedics.

“At some stage it won’t work and lives will be lost,” Ms McLellan said.

Last month a public meeting convened by the Youghal ambulance protest group, was read an e-mail sent by the HSE to Labour TD Seán Sherlock in March.

The message said the proposal was not cost-saving, but part of a phased strategy to abolish on-call ambulance services nationally and without budget cuts.

The HSE has previously said traditional work practices within the service are changing to ensure the needs of people in Cork and Kerry continue to be met in an integrated, safe and effective way.

 

OLIVIA KELLEHER The Irish Times – Monday, August 8, 2011

www.irishtimes.com

THE SPONSORED CLIMB, CYCLE & CANOE TEAM arrived safely home to a hero’s welcome at the Ferryslip, Youghal, last Saturday 6th August. After 8 long days of climbing, cycling & canoeing the team were in great spirits as they were greeted by family, friends and members of the Youghal Cancer Support Group.

A reception with some well earned refreshments to round off their fund raising week in the wild was held at the Red Store Restaurant where a benefit music night, in aid of Youghal Cancer Support Group, with alternative DJ set by Mick O’Connell followed by live music from the fantastic local band The Vinyls.

Youghal Cancer Support Group said on their Facebook page: -  “Well done to everyone who took part in The Climb, Cycle and Canoe in aid of THE YOUGHAL CANCER SUPPORT GROUP. Personally and as a group we are all very proud of you. With people like ye we are sure to reach our goal, which is to open a CANCER SUPPORT AND DROP IN CENTER in Youghal for East Cork, West Waterford and all Townlands in between. Again a very BIG THANK YOU.”

About the teams endurance
[30th July - 6th August] A Sponsored Climb,Cycle & Canoe in aid of Youghal Cancer Support Group between
Description
This is a sponsored event taking place on 30th July – 6th August 2011 raising money for the Youghal Cancer Support Group Serving East Cork & West Waterford Districts. All Donations & Support Are Kindly Welcomed.

The idea is to climb over Irelands highest mountain ‘Carrantuohill’, Cycle around one of our most famous scenic routes ‘The Ring of Kerry’ & canoe down the third longest river ‘The River Blackwater’ from Millstreet all the way to where it meets the sea at Youghal Co…. Cork.

The plan is to do each leg of the journey, a 15km hike, 220km cycle & 110km canoe trip, back to back in less than a week and raise as much money as possible. Sore legs, bums & arms for a worthy cause.!
For any info. contact Jamie on 087-7694537

Click on the video below to see the team’s arrival in Youghal Harbour

Youghal Cancer Support Group Info.
The aim of the group is to open a new purpose built Cancer support & drop in centre for the East Cork & West Waterford districts. It will cover Clashmore, Ardmore, Dungarvan, Tallow, Cappoquin, Lismore, Killeagh, Castlemartyr, Midleton, Youghal & all of the town-lands in between.
The plan is to provide a holistic centre in which people with cancer and their families can find emotional support & practical help. Our aim is to provide therapies that complement the medical model, so as to make a difference to the lives of those affected by cancer.
The complementary therapies will include;
• Counselling with fully trained & accredited therapists
• Stress management
• Therapeutic Massage & Reflexology
• Relaxation & Visualisation
• Yoga
All therapies will fully conform to best medical practice. Regular information meetings will be held.
For further information please contact: 087 – 1677447

Click on image to enlarge

 

Following the successful Vee Challenge 2010 the Youghal Cycling Club were delighted to repeat the same 130km and 90 km route in aid of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Cyclists from various cycling clubs were present to support the event and took part in as outriders for part of the journey. The cyclists set off from the Youghal GAA centre at 10am, Sunday 7th August, behind the lead car and were escorted through the town under the supervision of Sgt. Orla Coughlan and Garda Eoin Hodnett in the Yougal garda car who marshalled the major junctions en route. The Youghal Cycling Club are very active in the local community and last October organised a charity fundraiser cycle from Youghal to Castlemartyr  in aid of the local Keith Phelan Appeal as well as other charities.

THE VEE CHALLENGE

130km Route

Taking in the ascent of the Vee from Lismore and descending into Clogheen before climbing the Vee again up through the wood’s,then heading for the food stop on the road to Cappoquin.Refueled the route will pass by the Blackwater taking in the beautiful Dromana drive before heading for the coast and the final sting in the tail offering fantastic views of Youghal town.
A route suitable for the regular cyclist with a good standard of fitness.A challenging route with several climbs offering some fantastic scenery along the way.

THE VEE ASCENT

90km Route

This route covers most of the the roads that the Vee Challenge incorporates with participants climbing the Vee as far as Glenaknockaun before turning back for the R669 and the welcome foodstop along this gentle descent into the town of Cappoquin.
This route is ideal for those looking for a moderate challenge with the scenic climb of the Vee, along with the beautiful Dromana drive part of the route.A reasonable level of fitness would be required to enjoy your day in the saddle and the fantastic scenery that the area offers.

Youghal town has a proud tradition of cycling with a club in existence for most of the past 50 years. Over the years all disciplines of cycling have been particapted in by members from grass track racing in the early years to competitive road racing.A very successful underage section that challenged for national titles was in existence back in the early 1990s.

The current club which was formed in 2006 is focused on the leisure/sportive side of cycling taking part in the ever increasing number of events that form part of Cycling Irelands leisure calendar. Members also compete in Cycling Ireland’s Road race Calendar with strong performances in these events.The club takes full advantage of the spectacular roads and scenery that East Cork and West Waterford have to offer.

Club membership has grown strongly in the past number of years and actively growing with both male and female members participating in a wide range of cycling challenge events both at home and abroad.The club has hosted many leisure tours over the years with clubs travelling from around the country to participate on challenging and scenic routes.

Highlights for the club have been particpation in the following events:

SEAN KELLY TOUR OF WATERFORD

WICKLOW 200

RING OF KERRY

MIDLETON TOUR DE CURE

REBEL TOUR

ETAPE DU TOUR

MALIN TO MIZEN CHALLENGE

WEST CORK 200

TOUR OF FLANDERS SPORTIVE

RACE AROUND IRELAND

AN POST REBEL TOUR

CONNOR PASS CHALLENGE

MOUNT LEINSTER CHALLENGE

THE AIM  OF THE CLUB IS TO GET PEOPLE ON THEIR BIKES TO PURSUE A

HEALTHY ACTIVITY AND TO  ENJOY THE COMPANY

OF OTHERS WHILE

CYCLING THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Club training spins take place year round,
for details follow the links on this site.

For more information you can contact the club @

mailto:youghalcyclingclub@gmail.com

MONTHLY MEETING

The club hold a monthly meeting on the first Wednesday of the month, in the hall of the Holy family church(next to Gaa club) @ 8.00pm.
Everybody welcome.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU ON THE ROAD

Click on image to enlarge