There was shock in Clare with the closure the West Clare Early Years Centre, leaving hundreds of families without childcare and 50 staff out-of-work.
The situation was described as ‘a catastrophe’ for families who rely on its childcare services and for the staff.
Ahead of an emergency public meeting at Kilrush Community Centre, Gavin spoke to Mary O’Donoghue Co-ordinator of the West Clare Family Resource Centre in Kilrush. He was also joined by Michael Coughlan, a parent forced to take the day off (without pay) to look after his child and by Catherine Pinder who said the community must be given answers. Statements from the Department of Children and Family Affairs and from Pobal were read.
There were two late additions last Thursday to the list of candidates to contest the Clare constituency in the upcoming General Election.
Gavin heard from Independent Dermot Mulqueen, an artist from the Gort Road and from André Sibo Hakizimana, an economic policy consultant, also from the Gort Road, have now entered the race for one of four Dáil seats.
Dr Maire Finn joined Gavin for a fertility special with Dr Declan Egan of the Galway Fertility Clinic.
Ahead of the annual mission in Springfield, Clonlara, John Pridmore was an ‘enforcer’ in a London gang for almost 20 years before the experience, in the early ‘90s, of almost murdering someone changed his life. Pridmore, who had been a crack cocaine dealer, believes that God intervened and inspired him to devote himself to helping others. He has since worked in ghettos and preached all over the world. He’s now based in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim.
A Shannon Councillor called on Clare County Council to clean up the county's footpaths in order to encourage people to exercise.
Independent Councillor Gerry Flynn told Gavin that dog fouling is a serious problem around the county and it may be making people reluctant to get out and walk.
Listeners to Morning Focus also heard more about a famous incident in the life of Eamon de Valera and the role played by a fellow Clare native. Dev was held captive in Lincoln Prison, from 1918 to 1919. What’s not so well known is the role played by a Clare teacher who assisted her county man in breaking out of the notorious gaol. Kathleen Talty was a teacher from Loophead, living in Manchester at the time, was Captain of the Manchester branch of Cumann na mBan, and it was she who smuggled in a copy of the key to Dev’s cell inside a cake.
After his escape, Dev went into hiding at a chaplain’s house in Crumpsall but the police discovered his whereabouts. So Kathleen Talty walked him across Manchester to another safe house in Fallowfield. The walk took place in February in the dead of night with Dev disguised in a British colonial officer’s uniform complete with wide brimmed hat.
Annette Sills, a Manchester author, became fascinated with Kathleen and Dev’s connection and has written a fictional account of their walk across Manchester.
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