We opened the show this morning hearing from a Clare FG TD who has slammed Ministerial colleagues over lack of action on Roche. Roche has confirmed that the phasing out of production at its Clarecastle plant has begun. In a statement to Clare FM, the company says consultations with union and staff representatives regarding staff reductions started last week. They describe the decsion as not being easy and not a reflection of the performance of the employees or the site. For more on this, Gavin spoke with Fine Gael's Joe Carey, who told him how he is highly critical of the government's efforts to secure investment in Clarecastle. He told Gavin that yesterday's announcement was the "inevitable" outcome of the company's recent announcement that it's withdrawing from the Clarecastle plant.
Next we heard about an act of vandalism in Corofin. An incident of vandalism at Corofin Hall has shocked the community and left those who run the facility facing a bill of well over €1,000. The building, which is the focal point of a range of community events and activities, was targeted on Saturday night in what local people are calling a 'prolonged' attack and 'a mindless act of wanton vandalism'. Gardai say the incident happened some time between 6pm on Saturday and 10.30am on Monday. While the centre is wired for CCTV, the local committee said that it hadn't yet raised the funds to install cameras. They now believe this is something they'll have to address in the short-term. Ger Kennedy was on the line.
One of the most celebrated and controversial jockeys of his time, and one of the most successful Clare sportsmen of all time, Kieren Fallon, has announced his retirement from horse racing. The six-time British champion, who hails from Ballinruan near Crusheen, is suffering with depression. The jockey says he's lost the motivation to continue riding. Throughout his career, Fallon rode over 2,500 winners in Britain, won 22 Classics and 2 Breeders' Cups. Mark Costello, Editorial Manager with Irish Field, spoke to Gavin about Kieran's legacy.
Then we turned to dads' fears over public breastfeeding. More than 1 in 3 Irish dads have admitted to feeling uncomfortable about their partner breastfeeding in public. A survey by the Dublin Instituite of Technology (DIT) asked 583 fathers for their views. One in 20 said they would be 'completely uncomfortable with lots of concerns', but the majority (62 percent) said they would be completely comfortable. The main reasons why dads had reservations about their partners breastfeeding included modesty (e.g the fear someone might take photos/video and put it online) and the possibility of causing offence to others. Tricia Neary from La Leche League, Ennis, was on the line to discuss the importance of breastfeeding and explain why it needs better understanding.
Next we had an interview with Francis Jacobs, the recently-retired head of the European Parliament’s Information Office in Ireland. There's been much discussion about the ramifications of the Brexit referendum, what it means for Ireland, what it means for Britain… but what does it mean for Europe? How will the EU handle the exit negotiations, and will other member states now look to pull the plug as well. Francis was in Ennis last week as part of the Merriman Summer School. He started by giving Gavin his reaction to the Brexit referendum.
Now that the summer holidays finally here, many of you will be looking for active and fun ways to keep the kids entertained. Green Little Fingers could be just the thing. Set up in November 2014, the online business encourages children to grow their own vegetables and shows parents and kids how to get stuck into the work together. Áine Purcell Founder of Green Little Fingers and her daughter Roisín (7) joined Gavin in studio to tell him more.
Finally today we heard from Frankie Coote, Clare County Dog Warden, who discussed hare coursing in the county.
