if the truth be told. Am I early, am I? Yep. And they're very persistent. It's not consistent. Eight o'clock is fine. Half seven's fine. Half eight's fine, but you're always late at nine. It's a bit dodged between me and you, isn't it? Yep. Any questions? No, no, no. I accidentally called Caroline Ashley and on the radio yesterday. When was the most inappropriate time you've screamed at the wrong name? Oh, God. That's a big question, that. I called somebody mammy one time. He's so innocent, Caroline, isn't he? No, I'm not innocent. Do you know what I called mammy? Do you know what it must be? You must show that I love this person and just call him mammy one time, you know? You said you called him mam. I called him mam. I've done that to you. Thanks, mam, do you know? But obviously, you must care for this person. What does it look like to see them like your mum? It's an awful lot worse. What could you do? Than being called Veronica. Veronica? Veronica's a nice name. It is, it's very nice. There's not a barnacus out there. There is, aye? Yeah. That's all right. So you called someone mammy. You can't divulge who they are or not. Was it a woman? No, it was a lady. I already called a man, mam, wouldn't you? Yes, mam. You're capable of anything. I know, I know. Did you like my hair band? Yeah, beautiful. Me and Neve wasn't that good. Because Neve's always on about do videos, do videos. And I said, come on, we'll do a video and wait this and that. And then she wants me to do videos and then she said, I'll just take a picture. What worries me is there's a few comments there and a couple of people are saying that yours is nicer, which I think is quite worrying. See if I had a wee bit of lipstick on, I was going to say, if I had lipstick on. So do you. What's it? My lips, you know, you can let on is just that. Come on, we're going to be late for news. Good luck. Come here. What band are you wearing tomorrow? Because this is a feature now. You should wear a hairband. Good man. Nine o'clock, time for a news update. Donald Kavanaugh, good morning to you. Thank you, Greg, good morning. The doll has been told that the west and northwest is being used as a picturesque region in which to launch plans. But it's being ignored when it comes to their implementation. Sloganitrim and South Tony Gold, W. Mark McSharry hit out of the transport minister, Eamon Ryan, who recently indicated to a meeting of councillors and officials in Sligo that there wouldn't be money available to progress the Nock Clooney upgrade of the N-17, despite the fact that it's been identified as a key element of the Atlantic Economic Corridor and a vital spur on the 10-T European Road Network. W. McSharry told the doll minister, Ryan is a nice fella, but his idea of implementing the programme for government is to do what he wishes it said. The people of the western seaboard are a little bit sick of the fact that it's the chosen location for the launch of Ireland 2040, and it was good enough for Biden to come to Ballinare, NACA, wherever it is. But when it comes to implementing the programme for government, here we have, in effect, Minister Ryan, Dragonfina Fall and Fina Gale around this house in line with his chosen and preferred version of what he might have liked the programme for government to be. The doll has been told that at the Kennedy University Hospital must be given a fair allocation of resources as management seek to implement a new plan to address concerns raised by Hickwa. W. Podrick McLaughlin challenged Thyshuck Lee of Radker to ensure the hospital is given the funds and resources necessary to ensure that plan is implemented. In his response, Lee of Radker said, while he hasn't seen the plan, government will consider all plans to improve services. He added that hospitals often struggle to fill vacancies when additional jobs are sanctioned. Thanks, Eplia. I'm afraid I haven't seen the plan, but I certainly look forward to taking a location I've visited the hospital on many occasions. Obviously, we'll consider positively any plans that a hospital has to expand their services. One of the difficulties we often run into when we allocate additional resources for staffing is that hospitals often struggle to find those staff, given the international shortage of health skills. And as you know, we do have expansion plans to provide more beds, about 1,000 more already provided since the government took up office. And the government is launching a campaign today. The Irish Cancer Society, pardon me, is launching a campaign today, urging the government to allow women undergoing cancer treatment defer maternity leave. The ICS says legislation in its current form affects up to 60 women each year. It's been described as fundamentally unfair because at present, men can defer their paternity leave, but women can't do the same. CEO Avril Parr says changes to legislation need to be implemented.  The Paternity Leave Act, which is more recent, obviously, than the maternity legislation, allows men to park their paternity leave that isn't there in the maternity acts. We think it was probably an oversight, and we're calling on the minister to change it, and the president is there from the other legislation. And the weather forecast dry for most areas with just a few isolated showers today, mainly limited to this evening. Good spells of sunshine, it'll turn a bit hazy as the day goes on. Top temperatures this afternoon, 20 to 24 degrees Celsius in light, southerly breezes. That's Island Radio News. We're back with news again at 10 o'clock. To Amy, happy birthday to you. Okay, Nathan, you're next. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday. My birthday's not till next month. Like getting your money's worth? Enjoy a one Euro 70 cheeseburger, part of the McDonald's EuroSaver menu. Whistling. Price varies on delivery orders served from 11 a.m. subject to availability. The county's number one talk show, the Ninetal Noon Show on Highland Radio. And now it's time for the talk of the Northwest, the Ninetal Noon Show with Greg Hughes on Highland Radio. And hello, very good morning to you all. It's four minutes past nine on this Thursday, the 22nd of June, 2023, and it's Thursday. I said it, but I can't believe it. Anyway, we're here for the next three hours in the Ninetal Noon Show. Keep you informed, entertained, and hopefully you'll do the same in return. The lines are open for you right now. 08, 660, 25,000. Get your WhatsApps and texts into that number. 08, 660, 25,000. I encourage you, if you've never texted a show before, to get involved in this one, it's your show. You can give us a call to an 07491 25,000. Caroline and Nev are taking your call and if email is your thing, well, it's comments at highlandradio.com. And don't forget, if you wish, you can watch the show live across our social media. We broadcast it every day for the three hours. YouTube, Highland Radio, Ireland. You can watch it on your phone, laptop, tablet, smart TV, or your Firestick, we're also across Facebook as well. And it's Thursday morning, as I've mentioned for the third time now, my apologies, which means there's loads of papers out. And very interesting to get your views on this one is the front of the Chicano Tribune. Tourism interests and the people of Fannard have been left reeling in disbelief with confirmation that Port Salon Pier will be closed to the public from early July into Halloween to facilitate major construction works costing 1.5 million Euro. And I presume the works are to be welcomed, but it is an incredibly busy pier, very difficult to park on or get down to, but it is an incredibly busy part of the world. And I saw that myself about a month ago. So that was well outside the summer season and it was wedged. Well, reading on here, many of those engaged in the tourism sector at Port Salon told us their season now is effectively wrecked if the council pushes through with the start of the contract in early July. The project has the shortest possible lead-in time frame and with the completion date of October 31st to comply with EU rules, the clock's already ticking on turning the pier into a construction site in early July. The work will see the installation of a sheet piled wall for the entire length of the pier, gunnet repairs, key wall construction, marine construction and ancillary works, all business interests, the license trade, kayaking, pier jumpers, leisure boat owners, food and catering, parking spaces, the swimming lessons, the holidaylets, caravan parks, they accept they will be hit and some may not survive. However, the message has to go out that Port Salon is open for business this summer. Access to the shorefront and the beach shop will be open and a floating pontoon will be moored to cater for boating traffic. So you can see they're trying to do something there to keep activity ongoing, but the pier in and of itself will not be accessible for summer. Have you an interest in that and have you an opinion on that 08, 6, 60, 25,000? The Donegal news carries the same story. There are growing fears that the county's tourism industry will be severely hit by plans to carry out essential works at a number of popular tourist sites during the busy summer months. Locals in Port Salon have already expressed anger at the news that Port Salon pier is to close on July 1st for two months to allow for planning repairs to the pier. Funding is also in place for major works at the piers at Rathmullen, Bonbeg and Burton Port. And there are concerns that those works will also need to be carried out during the summer season before the funding runs out at the beginning of November. So a significant amount of money was allocated for this works. It is important, but you know, I think with the tourism season coming, you can see how people are saying, well, why can't you do this at another time of the year? But if the money might be lost, if it's not done this summer, it's a difficult one, isn't it? As I say, any views and insights on that get in touch with us. The Donegal Democrat tells us that a Donegal County councillor has been charged with assaulting a fellow councillor and with stealing a mobile phone from another councillor. Councillor Frank McBurty faces four charges relating to alleged instances at the Oral Leisure Centre, Salahe Rain Letter Kenny on July 11th, 2022. The charges arise out of alleged incidents during a special meeting of Donegal County Council. The case was mentioned at Monday sitting of Letter Kenny District Court. Councillor McBurty was not present but was represented by his solicitor, Mr. Patsy Gallagher. The 54-year-old is charged with assaulting Jerry McMonegal. The offences contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. He also faces a charge of stealing property to it, a Samsung S21 Ultra mobile phone valued at 1,000, the property of Gary Daherty. The offences contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice, Theft and Fraud Offences Act 2001. Councillor McBurty is charged with using or engaging in threatening abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace and being reckless as to whether a breach of the peace might have been occasioned. This offences contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice Act. As amended by Section 22 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008. He's also charged with that he did drive a vehicle without due care and attention on an offence contrary to Section 52 of the Road Traffic Act. Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that the matter be dealt with summarily in the District Court. Mr. Gallagher said he would take instruction from his client but asked that the court make a statement, order, to include all CCTV circulated and in possession of ungodly economy through social media or otherwise. Mr. Gallagher said these were well documented matters. He said his client was de facto unemployed. There will be an application depending on circumstances for the state to fund the defence of this, the solicitor said. The case was adjourned until October 16th of this year. On to the Derry News now. And Derry Mann to lead Dublin's Pride Prades, the headline. Derry Mann will lead the Dublin Pride Prade this Saturday, half a century after he co-founded a group that organised the first ever Pride demonstration in Ireland. Mee Hall Kerrigan, gay rights, civil rights and social activists will be at the front of the parade as grand marshal this Saturday, the 24th of June. Right, let us go on to the nationals. This is well inside the papers but it is a story that I know a lot of you are following so I'll read the update for you. It's in The Irish Times. The introduction of a new hate crime law is a step closer after it passed second stage in the shanard. Concerns were raised by some senators about the potential for the legislation to have a chilling effect on freedom of speech and at the lack of a definition for hatred in the proposed law. However, Minister for Justice Helen McIntee defended the bill saying it has been in development for four years and insisted it has not been rushed. A bid by some senators to have consideration of the legislation postponed to the end of the year to allow more time for the debate around the controversial issues it deals with was defeated in the shanard vote.  It will criminalise any intentional or reckless communication or behaviour that is likely to incite violence or hatred against a person or persons because they are associated with a protected characteristic.  The debate on the legislation resumed in the shanard yesterday with a contribution from independent Senator Sharon Kogan. She said, she argued that the proposed law is so broad in its scope and casts a prosecution or oral net so wide that upon its passing no citizen will ever be entirely sure what they are free to say. Now, the government say otherwise, but that's a view being expressed by the senator there that others feel. But anyway, it's wrapped in on through. It's through the door, through the shanard. The Irish Independent this morning, the central bank has been accused of being fast asleep when it comes to helping mortgage prisoners who loans were sold to vulture funds. Mortgage arrears campaigner David Hall told the Rockers Finance Committee that the central bank is conflicted because it encouraged banks to sell non-performing loans to vulture funds but also has a duty to protect consumers. And you can see his point. Vulture funds charge mortgage rates to some of the customers that are double the rates charged by banks. And unfortunately, there are those listening to this show today that are facing that nightmare. GEA Go continues to provide controversy in the Irish Daily Mail this morning. Sports fans have cried foul to Minister Catherine Martin over the GEA Go service and the unavailability of high-profile games on free-to-air TV, one being Donagall's recent match with Monahan, of course. In correspondence to the sports minister, her department, members of the public, accused both RTE and the GEA who jointly operate the subscription service of trying to bleed cash from them. One email said the GEA was getting nearly 30 million in government funding and that they were absolutely disgusted. More games were not available. Now, these so-called treasurers want to bleed more money from the people of Ireland. How has this happened, they wrote. Another labelled the GEA, the Greedy Athletics Association and said the association's revenues each year were staggering and so on and so forth. There's more letters from people upset inside that paper today. The farmer's journal tells us that culling 200,000 dairy cows will cost those who remain in milk production around 2,500,000 euro per year on average in higher processing costs. New analysis by the Irish farmer's journal puts the additional processing costs of a herd reduction scheme at around 39 million. However, this figure excludes the downstream impact on the rural economy of cutting Ireland's dairy output by around one billion litres or 11%. The full impact is likely to cost the economy hundreds of millions of euro. Charlie McConnelogue admitted to the Irish farmer's journal that a financial impact analysis of reducing the national dairy herd has not been carried out by the Department of Agriculture or CHAGASC. So the paper's done it, but the Minister for Agriculture, his office and CHAGASC haven't. Quite remarkable. The Irish Daily Star this morning, Public Expenditure Minister Pascal Donahue outed himself as a Taylor Swift fan as he warned hotels about charging extortionate prices. Concerned fans have expressed concerns about hotel prices skyrocketing following the announcement that the US superstar will play two nights in the Aviva Stadium in June 2024. Just hours after the announcement, it was reported that one hotel had increased its prices from 359 euro to 999 for the nights of the concert. Now, I think there is a default on some of those booking websites that lists those rooms at 999 for one reason or other. If there's anyone involved in the hotel industry, I'd be really interested to find out what's going on there. I think it does default to that at some point. I don't know what triggers it. And I'm not saying they're not gouging, by the way, but maybe the other rooms were booked out. I don't know, but there's something there. I've seen it all too often where hotel rooms go to 999. And I don't know why. Is it just a price that they're charging? Well, I said a press conference about the prices. Minister Donahue exposed himself as a Swift fan. I saw Taylor Swift perform last time she was here in Ireland. He told reporters of a pretty good idea about the level of joy and happiness anyway. He likes Taylor, but he's asking hotels not to gouge. But this is hardly in hotel rooms left as it is. So it's like an airplane, the less rooms they have, the more they charge. And that's just the way it is. I'm not sure they will change that habit, but perhaps they should. I think a lot of people from this part of the world will go up and down on a bus, won't they? Not ideal, but I think that's what the majority might do. So we're being ripped off in the hotels.  And we're generally just being ripped off. We are the mugs of Europe when it comes to what we pay. And that's just the bottom line. And I can back it up with some facts here now because it's in the sun. Ireland is officially a rip-off republic with new figures showing where the EU's most expensive country. Euro stat numbers show that prices here are now a shocking weight for it. 146% of the EU average, above the EU average it should read, I think. Ireland is closely followed by Denmark, 145% and Luxembourg, 137%. Meanwhile, the lowest levels were recorded in Romania, 58% Bulgaria, 59% and Poland, 62%. Dara Cassidy from bonkers.ie said, we all know Ireland is an expensive country, but the fact that we're now the most expensive country in the entire EU is still pretty shocking. We are now even more expensive than Denmark, which has long been known as one of the most expensive countries in the world. Prices here now are over 46% above the EU average and it's getting worse every year. So just for the, seemingly the fun of it, we're paying almost half on top of what everyone else in Europe on average is paying and way, way, way above other countries such as the likes of Poland. Why? Who is asleep at that wheel? And finally in the Irish Daily Mirror, dating in a housing crisis can be a disaster with singletons living at home saying it's a struggle to make romance work. With Irish statistics showing 60% of young adults still stuck with mommy and daddy and the average age of moving out pushing 30, daters don't get much privacy. New research by dating at Bombal has found over two thirds of Irish adults in Ireland find dating a challenge for this reason and it doesn't help when you see the price of hotel rooms either, does it? Right, okay. That is a look through the papers. Later on we're doing dear Greg, aren't we? Yep, so if you've any questions that you once answered about a relationship being a relationship with a partner, so to speak, or a prospective relationship or even a family relationship and you want some independent and partial advice that won't be held against you down the line if you were to maybe engage with a friend or whatever it might be. Well, we're here for you. You can email them in in absolute confidence, by the way. Please let me assure you of that. Email comments at highlandradio.com. You can text 08 660 25,000 or just give us a call on 07 491 25,000. And if you prefer, maybe you want a private message me on Facebook. I really want to see if it would help someone. That's all the better, you know yourself. Right, okay. We are going to be back with more after the break. Stay right where you are. Courtesy of Kelly's Central Mountain Tower was brought to you by Letterkenny Credit Union, offering low-rate car loans with fast approval. Apply online at letterkennycu.ie or in office today. Do you live in an older home? Your house might have lead pipes, which may result in lead in your drinking water. It's important to replace them for you and your family's health. Grants of up to 5,000 euro are now available to help cover the cost of replacement. 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Travel Route 32 from Lettac, entity Dublin when you book online and travel for less.  Liam Ward is the Director of Community Development and Planning Services with Donegal County Council. He joins us on the programme now. Liam, thanks for your time this morning. Good morning to you. Good morning, Greg. Right, we're speaking in the context now of Donegal County Council, the Chrysler Working Group and the Chrysler Community Association presenting the Draft Village Plan and Draft Community Regeneration Project to local people later today. How long has work been ongoing on this, Liam? Yeah, Greg, and I suppose at the outset, I would like to say that as opposed to as we continue this work, all the parties that are involved and we get into some of the detail on that, we clearly are very conscious and acknowledge the awful tragedy that happened in Chrysler and the village on the 7th of October last year. And again, extend our sincere condolences to the families directly impacted the entire community and as opposed to everyone affected by those terrible events. And as opposed to saying that we are continuing to liaise with the families in relation to these different proposals that are now emerging, and we'd like to think that we'll work at a pace and bring people along with us at a pace which they're comfortable with and we're very, very anxious to do that. All right, just for context there then, Liam, was this already planned or is this a process that was begun in the wake of the awful tragedy? Yeah, I suppose the beginnings, the starting point for this was that in the aftermath of the tragedy, Donegal County Council, through a proposal presented by the chief executive, suggested that we would establish a Chrysler working group within council and as both the purpose of that working group was to look at different projects and as well as opportunities that might come about that could be funded and could be implemented, that would help the community, obviously those directly affected by the tragedy and the wider community as well as in their journey of healing after the awful events that took place. So this was considered in November last year by Donegal County Council and from that a working group was established. It was just to say a word or two about the working group. The working group is made up by officials from within Donegal County Council, including myself as chair of the group and joined by two colleagues, Paul Kelly and Aideen Doherty. We also have elected members represented on the working group through the Cajira of the council, Councillor Liam Blaney and joined by councillors Micheal McLafferty, Noreen MacGarvey and John Hemi Shofari, all from the Glenties municipal district and I suppose most importantly, and I think this is an important point to dwell on, is the community itself being represented within the working group and those representatives led by Father John Joe Duffy, also Lorcan Rorty, Yvonne McGinnis and Stephen Doak, they played a central role in terms of how this has moved on and I suppose we are on the stage and I know we'll be coming to talk about that today about where we're at now, but as we've progressed through our thinking here, the input from the local community representatives on that group has been vital really. Yeah, because we are, I mean the first year anniversary hasn't happened yet and some might feel that this is so soon that they can't necessarily really process what they want from this process, but that being said, with the people involved that you've mentioned there, they would have a good sense of what the broader community would want. Obviously everyone's going to have different opinions but you'd be satisfied with the names that you've mentioned being involved there that we're doing the right thing then at the right time. Yeah, and I think your point is well made, Greg. Like people will move at different paces as to how they deal with us and the aftermath of the tragedy and we have to be very conscious of that and very mindful of that as we progress our work. But yeah, as I say, the input from the local community reps and I think the degree of consultation that we have taken place, that has taken place, the manner in which it was carried out, I think we're confident that we are moving at a pace that people are comfortable with and you're so right. There's no timeline that suits everyone here and we have to be very mindful of that as we move on with the work. Okay, so what is on the table at the moment? Like what has been, and it will be presented to the local people and they'll have first eyes at it, of course, but just to give us an idea of where we're at, what's up for discussion, what kind of work has been done so far, Liam? Yeah, well, it's important to just take us back at a small step. This is the second round of public consultation as well as initiated by the Creasley Working Group, a very active Creasley Community Association and very, very strongly supported by Arup, who are a multi-disciplinary global consultancy team who have provided services here and have worked with the group or the team in the council on a pro bono basis and their support has been critical and Agnes Monahan and the team in Arup have been fantastic to work with. So we held an initial round of public consultation in May and we got some fantastic feedback from that. We got great input. We were very pleased with the level of engagement we had. We had over 180 people attended the event, the public consultation event, which is similar to the event that now will be happening later today. We engaged with the schools. We had, as I said, engaged with the families or offered the opportunities to the families to engage. We had different stakeholder briefings, including for landowners, for the trustees of lands that we're hoping to use. And we offered the opportunity for an online comments. So in total, we had over 1,200 responses, which is quite remarkable for a public consultation process. That's huge, isn't it really? Yeah, that's huge. And I suppose what the task that we had and was then was distilling all the feedback that we received and I suppose emerging from that, there are two pieces of work that we are advancing now. And this is what we want to bring back to the community now, our thinking in relation to both pieces of work. The first of those pieces of work is a village plan. So that's a plan that'll allow for different regenerational development projects to occur in the village. It's probably a long-term plan, but it includes a range of different initiatives and different infrastructure projects across the board. And the feedback we got from the community, we would like to think that they will see their comments reflected in that draft plan that we will be presenting later today. That work is being led by Arup and they've done an absolutely fantastic job and I'm hoping that the community will welcome what has been presented. And obviously there will be opportunities to take on board for their comment. The second piece of work, which is around a community regeneration project, this came very much to the fore in the earlier consultations. So we are looking at a particular project on a piece of land in the centre of the village and I suppose at this stage we are anxious that we present the initial thinking around that, that we have taken from the consultation that has happened today. And now that we've worked up some designs around that and what will be included and what may not be included. So this is a further opportunity for the community to engage with us, to say, yeah, they like aspects of it, maybe they don't like other aspects. And from this consultation event, we will take away the feedback we receive and that will allow us to inform the final concept for this regeneration project, which we hope to move through the planning process certainly before the end of the year. So presumably, I don't know if a balancing act is the correct way to describe it, but I presume that Chrysler has an incredibly, incredibly rich history and that was recognised very recently with the unveiling of a statue in the town. It obviously has a very bright future, but it also has to recognise an awful tragedy that happened very recently, but presumably at the same time, I would imagine it doesn't want to be defined by that either, but recognising it, because how could you not? It was such a shocking and tragic event. Is that the balances that are trying to be struck here? Yeah, absolutely, Greg. I mean, this is fully to acknowledge the awful event that did take place, the very tragic loss of life, the huge impact it had on the immediate families and the wider community, but at the same time, to look to the future here to see what interventions that can be made that will provide, as opposed to the opportunity for a bright future for the community and for the village in Chrysler, as you say, it's a village that's deeply steeped in history and heritage and it has a lot going for it, and that really came through from the public consultation. And I recall in the early aftermath of the tragedy being at a meeting in Chrysler, where those there were asked, well, what do you like about your village? What do you, why do you see this as a good place to live? And while there was a slow start to that conversation, when people got up and running, the facilitator on the night must have filled two or three different sheets of paper with all the positive things about the village. So we're anxious to build on that. And obviously, this requires support. It'll require capital investment. So the village plan, I would suggest, is a longer term piece of work. It's obviously we need to capture what the community wants and we need to then, over a period of years, seek to target the correct funding to implement some of those. This is both the regeneration project that we are moving ahead with now. That will, once we get through planning, we will be seeking to have that funded and obviously developed over the next number of years. Liam, I would imagine that everyone would welcome this entire process, but I'm not privy to any of the submissions or the conversation, if the truth be told. But my gut would tell me that the site of this awful tragedy, the explosion that costs so much for so many people, that that is a core point here in terms of what happens there, what happens to the existing building. Are those that lost their lives, will that be recognised at that point or will that be moved more to the centre of the town? Do you know, I think everyone would sort of could sleep at night about everything else that's going on, but when it comes down to that plot of land, that building that's there, that boarding, that scene, the memories that evokes, I would guess, and you can correct me if I'm right or wrong, that this is the key part of this whole process that has gotten to be got right. Yeah, absolutely, Greg, and you're so right. The site of the tragedy is clearly very, very much a focal point. As opposed to within the context of the work that we're doing, we're very mindful of, as opposed to the views of the community and any developments that may or may not take place into the future, we're very mindful of what people's views are, the huge impact the site has yet within the minds of not just the families who obviously clearly are directly impacted, but also the wider community. So that's one that we will be approaching with great sensitivity, as you can imagine. Right, so you had a huge involvement, public involvement in this process so far, but in terms of the consultation process, things have moved onwards. So talk to me about the location, the times, and the process for what's going to happen later today. Yeah, so we have a consultation, a public consultation, a drop-in event in Masinas Hall starting at 2 p.m. today, running until 8 p.m. There's no appointment necessary. People are welcome and encouraged to drop in. And at the event that will be on display, as opposed to draft village plan that I've talked about, and also the draft concepts for the community regeneration projects. So we have already engaged with, as say, the trustees of the lands that we may be targeting for this development. We've obviously engaged and are working very closely with the Crease Lab Community Association. We've also given the families an opportunity for a pre-briefing in relation to the proposals that are emerging. So while there's an actual consultation event taking place today, the consultation process will remain open. It will remain open until the 13th of July. We have established a website. These documents will be available on the website to view, and people can submit their comments through that process as well. So when it closes on the 13th of July, we'd like to feel that we will have a very good idea of where the community is at and how we might move on from there. So if we can just maybe give details of the website, Greg, that would be helpful. It's just creaselavillageplan.commanplace.is. And I think that'll probably be carried on your own website. Yes, for sure. We'll carry it on our socials. Now, finally, Liam, obviously with this can't be time-lined because you said this is a short, medium, long-term project, as is these plans for many areas around the county. But in terms of what might happen in the near future, maybe it would be dealing, excuse me, with the site of the tragedy itself. Like, what is on the table in terms of what will be done? Because I'm sure you've heard concerns in the past. You know, people, there's a bit of uncertainty. People have come up to me and said, Greg, what are we going to do? I heard there's planning permission in for the site to decrease the tragedy. Do you know what I mean? I'm not saying that's the case or not, and I'm not asking you to confirm or not. But that seems to be the focus of concerns and contacts I get. So is that the site of this tragedy? When are we going to decide what's going to happen with that? And when will families know? And is that part of the short, the medium, or the long-term plan, as far as you see it and as much as you're aware of, Liam? Yeah, I'm very conscious of a number of things, Greg. Clearly, as I've already commented on, the significance of the site is certainly not lost. And anyone, I think that's fair to say. But we are dealing with a situation where, you know, there are private landowner interests here as well. They have to be taken into account. So we're very much conscious of that. And I suppose as this sits very much outside the work of the Creaslow working group. And we're very much, I suppose, anxious to move on with the regeneration and the developmental projects in, as I say, in consultation with the local community and all the stakeholders. But we do see this as an accept that it is a critical issue. I'm not in a position to give you a timeline in relation to when this will be, because it's not within my gift to do so. There are clearly other parties involved. And I suppose we are very conscious of it. We are very much aware of the significance of, you referenced it earlier in terms of the first anniversary of the tragedy coming up again in the 7th of October. We're very conscious of that as well. But I suppose I'm not in a position to give a definitive timeline in relation to how that moves on. I get that, Liam. And I'm just trying to cover every question that might come in after we conclude this. So I hope you understand that. OK, so we're going to link the website for those who, maybe it's even too soon for them to make it to the consultation process in person. creaselavillageplan.com and place.is. That's the website, but we'll link it as I say. And the in-person drop-in event, public information event is from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. today. You can drop in at any point. And it'll be the same at dropping at 7 as if you dropped in at 2. It's in the Masanase Hall in Creaselor. But the process remains open even outside of today's six hours. Is that fair to say, Liam, are you happy enough with that, yeah? Yeah, absolutely, Chris, yeah, or Greg. That's OK, no problem. And I appreciate the opportunity. OK, no problem whatsoever. Have a lovely day. Take care of yourself. That's Liam Ward there, director of community development and planning services with Donegal County Council 0860-25000 is the WhatsApp and text number. Watch the show live now on YouTube, Facebook and at highlandradio.com. The moment you got told the good news. Rob, you made the panel. When the lads added you into the group, skipping nights out, missing the crack, rewatching classics and learning new tricks, being driven to the biggest game of your life by your ma'am.  It's the minor moments that last a lifetime, the electric iron and GAA minor championships. This is major. Foilside at the centre of more for your euro with great value gifts. So it's worth making the journey wherever you live with convenient parking, late night and all your favourite brands. You're better off shopping at Foilside. See foilside.co.uk. Hi, it's Claire here from Claire Clothing. Our summer sale has started. I've loads of discounts of dresses, tops, trousers, all of the summer stock. So we'll see you at our summer sale in Claire Clothing, Main Street, Letterkenny. The Ninetal Noon Show is brought to you by Letterkenny Credit Union with monster loans available up to €60,000 for all occasions. Visit letterkennycu.ie. OK, you're very welcome back to The Ninetal Noon Show and we're in studio and joined by a number of guests. Brendan Duvenny is an ambassador for Plan International. No stranger to the show, of course, in a sport and context. Good morning to you, Brendan. Good to have you back safe and sound. Yes, indeed. Good to be here. You had a recent trip which we're going to talk about with Carol Wickham, head of fundraising and communications with Plan International. Good morning to you, Carol. Hi, Greg, how are you? Good to have you with us and thank you so much for joining us. I'll turn them up in a second, Brendan. And also, Brendan Bradisle Donald from Glentease, who also was on the trip and documented it. Good morning to you, Brendan. Morning, Greg, how are you, sir? I'm doing good. How are you keeping? Not too bad at all. He goes by Brad, by the way. Brad, OK, well... It's Bradis in Ireland, but it's Brad and Togo for something really good. OK, so is it now Brad? I don't know how. Brad. Brad, yeah. Brendan, what was the trip like? Oh, fantastic. Greg, listen, I suppose blessed to be able to go, blessed that the likes of Ciaran Brogan, Sister Sharers and Terry here in the Mount Errigal, you know, sponsored the trip for myself and Brad, it's to go over to help plan, to document it and I suppose bridge that gap between sponsoring somebody here and XCC and the children over there in the work the plan do. So it was blessed to meet Judith, Deborah and Catherine. Before you went out, you said you didn't really know how to expect, what to expect or how it would impact you on reflection. Yeah, well, I guess I'm looking at things that gets a lot, you know, in terms of what's going on in the world in it and because I'm involved with plan, you know, you're a decent idea, but you're still blown away by the by the energy, particularly when we went up to the village to meet the three girls that I sponsored, but the whole village was out and listen, it just blew your way there. I suppose they're spirit to see them face to face.  And they'll write back to you and they'll see their progress. So you basically make sure, first of all, they have nutrition and healthy water, but education is a massive thing and trying to stop things that, you know, early childhood marriage and keeping kids away from, I suppose, manual labor and working on the farm, which is the biggest thing.  So they try and keep the kids in school and education that they might grow and develop. That's a big thing to plan to do out there. Yeah, but obviously you've been kept up to date with the people that you've sponsored, OK? But then to be able to travel and see first hand, the actual impact of that in the flesh has to be more impactful than a video or a picture or something. And did you see that as you have that experience? What was that like? Yeah, I suppose humbling doesn't really cover it. When we stepped out first, Brad, I was straight on the camera, like the professional is, but myself and Karl were walking in and this whole, I suppose, thing was going on with music and people dancing and welcoming us. It was a bit hard to take because you were looking around thinking, who's this for? You know, it was a bit strange. But they really rolled out the red carpet. And as I say, the spirit that they had and the music that they had and everyone dancing, you had women with babies on the back and you had the oldest women in the village with the youngest dancing and everybody was having a great time, you know, so that side of things was amazing to see. So I think listening here in Ireland, you know, obviously from Davies Charity Ball, that's what sponsored the kids and I sponsored some myself as well. But, you know, we see a lot of things. People get it tough and I suppose perspective is the thing.  And I know in the media here, things are hard and things are at home. But I suppose contentment, they were content and they were happy. And I suppose that's a big message. And it's relating that message. And we've talked about it on this programme and there's a human condition or a societal thing and I don't know what it is. I recognise that it's there. I actually do understand it. But it's like what we've seen recently with the awful situation with the five people that are lost on that submarine and we hope they're found safe. But it has been wall-to-wall coverage, front pages, rolling news and whatever. At the same time, we've had hundreds of people fleeing terrible situations in boats, dying in their hundreds. I think yesterday there was another boat capsised. Dozens of people lost, barely makes the news. Now, even if it did make the news, I'm not sure how the public's appetite to consume that would be. As I say, maybe that's something we have to hold and mirror up to ourselves and ask, but that is just the reality of it. So it is trying to get us out of our mind space of here and our worries in the immediate and to sort of show them what you've witnessed, show people's real-life situations, what they're going through. But relatable in a way that they can connect with it and be moved by it and do something to help. Yeah, and that's great. That's a massive thing. What you said there about people coming over, and as we invest in the communities, particularly in Africa that are trying to come over here, they're going to keep wanting to leave, which then it's a spiral thing. So, you know, with plan, at least you're doing one by one.  If I make it then the month, I'm doing well. Tuesday and the third week, things start to get a bit sticky. So that's a big thing. Like how do you start to help out that small bit? But I guess from my wee boys' perspective in the house, you know, we have the wee pictures of Deborah, Judith and Catherine in the house. So, you know, they're very aware of them and aware then of their life versus theirs and that. So it's that wee bit, I suppose, centre and for them as we guys growing up, you know. OK, we're going to bring Brad as in in a second. But, Carol, we can head of fundraising and communication with Plan International Ireland. I suppose trips like Brendan's and the PR work he does here. And then, of course, with Brad as, you know, being able to document it in video format. That is part of helping people understand what others are going through and how one can help. Absolutely, Greg. I mean, it's just huge and I'm forever indebted to Brendan and Brad for the time that they have given to plan to do this trip.  And I guess now what we want to be able to do is impart some of that to the nation, to let people know what we saw and how it made us feel. You know, I'm the mother of two twin girls, eight-year-old twin girls, and I count my blessings that they will not know or ever have to go through what the young children in those communities have to do. What was so humbling was, as Brendan said, how happy and content they all were, the children, the adults, the leaders in the community, the teachers. I'm so grateful. And yes, they have relatively little. They don't take education for granted like we do. They need sponsorship programs in their community that can allow their community to be educated. And so for them, seeing somebody like Brendan come over that actually allows those life-changing moments in their community to happen, for them, it was a huge, huge celebration. And I guess that's what we saw in terms of the singing and the dancing and all of that when we arrived. But I guess also, as well, Greg, for me, what is great is looking at somebody like Brendan, who is an ordinary guy like the rest of us and can do very simple, make very simple sacrifices in his day-to-day life to do something really, really extraordinary. And Brendan's right, 22 euro a month might seem a lot to some people. But by making small changes in your everyday life, you can very easily come up with that 22 euro and not only make a difference to the child that you sponsor, but to their whole community. And that's what's so special, I think, about child sponsorship is that you have this wonderful relationship with the child that you get to correspond with, but you're also knowing that you're making a difference to a whole community. Yeah, and I think the charity sector took a bit of hit over the last little while with stories about what monies people are earning and what money get through and what have you. And hopefully it's on the recovery now. But I think it's never been more important to show people where the money goes. Do you know what I mean? So they see it, so they don't think, oh, well, that's just going into the pocket of some dictatorship in some country and they'll never make it to the ground. I think what really is valuable about this trip and the work that Brendan does is it shows how the money that you donate, your 22 euro per month, directly goes to address all of the issues that you've been highlighting. And I think that's more important now than ever it was. Absolutely, and our donors, you know, get updates, you know, not only when they correspond with the child, but we also give updates about what's happening in the community and where that money is going, whether it's educating the community to help stop, you know, early enforced childhood marriage or whether it's educating the community to stop female genital mutilation or whether it's, you know, basics in terms of making sure, you know, there's desks and school books to educate children. All of that is shared with our donors at community level. Some people, and we're seeing it more so than ever now, and we're actually seeing it in the West now, see education as a threat and particularly the education of women and girls as a threat. And as I say, we're actually starting to sort of be more aware of how people are threatened by things like that that we take for granted even in the West. I'll come back to you, Carol, but Brad, thanks for waiting so patiently there. I don't know your background in terms of where you've travelled and what you've seen, Brad, but how big of a shock was this to you in terms of like, were you aware of what it was like? Was this your first experience in getting off the plane and getting the camera out? What was the experience for you like?  No toilet facilities, things we take for granted and they're not there.  Is this trip life-saving and life-saving, it is, of course, but life-changing for you, Brad? Absolutely, Greg. I mean, as I said, like, I mean, you're sitting back worrying about small things in this and our part of the world, like, I mean, at least we know that we have food and we have beds and we have, you know, facilities and things like that, whereas they don't have that, you know, but yet they're so happy. You know what I'm saying? There's no, there doesn't seem to be as much negativity in the world out there as there are here with all we have, you know what I'm saying? So in terms of that and in terms of the way that they embrace Brent and the way he came out to them and the welcome that they give, you know, with music and with song and everything, like, I mean, it's life-changing and I think we should be very grateful for what we have and in any way at all, we can help them out there.  Like, one to sponsor, one to get, like, makes a huge difference out there. What do you think of the girls? I beg your pardon, what do you hope to do with the footage? I mean, I presume that's a group decision, is it a few, I mean, you've got a lot of stuff there. Brannis, what are you going to be doing with it, do you think? Well, what we're doing, there's a few things we've done for plan international as well that'll be used around the world for theirs to raise awareness on that, you know, and then on social media platforms we're gonna do as much as we can and between my connections and Brann's connections to the media, we'll hopefully get some other things out onto the national media and that as well to, in terms of short clippets or snippets and that, you know, off the footage just to highlight the great work that Planner are doing out there. All right, so, Brenda, once I go ahead. Yeah, there's nothing big in the Greg Hughes show, of course, that's just a mean thing.  Yeah, yeah, we've talked to a couple of TV and radio stations, but I'm not gonna make some great because this is your show. You mentioned them, go ahead, I'm not precious. Here's what I'm gonna mention, Greg. Carol, what an absolute angel and saint of woman. I tell you what, me and Brad is initially, we're talking about going on this trip on her own, forget it, we wouldn't even get past Paris. You know, Carol basically shorted everything, I don't know how she did it. And on me, I have a wee bit of insight into doing things, see this Brad man, right? Do you remember the Samson's auto, the bus driver? There you go. That's our Brad, he was laid back, chilled out too. When we landed in Togo, his visa wasn't even sorted. We didn't even think we were gonna get out of one stage. Well, Carol, anyway, with the magic that she knows, might as well sort the whole thing out. But see, between the three of us, Greg, we had such a good time with the three, it's a crack, we had how we were received by the Togo plan staff out there. Did you sing for them? Me and Carol were dancing in the middle of the night. We might use that tip for a bit of strict income dancing, Carol. So yeah, we... I'd say you. Okay, listen, in the last, I mean, obviously this'll be drip fed over various platforms over the next while, but just in the last minute, if you don't mind, Carol, just, you know, talk to us about how people can support Plan International if they wish. Yeah, so our website is plan.ie. And there's multiple ways people can support us. So we have the sponsorship program, which is 22 Euro a month, but we also have funds like Girls Fund, which keep children in education. And that can be a regular gift for a lower amount if that suits people. You can also give cash gifts that will help us educate communities to end child marriage. And we're also running hunger campaigns because, as you know, Greg, there's a huge hunger crisis happening at the moment. And we shouldn't ever forget it. There's multiple ways, depending on how people want to interact with us and lots of... It's not just us affected by what's happening in Ukraine too. It is, it's having a ripple effect right through Africa in terms of food and stability. And it's another part of this whole thing that's never discussed really. Carol, Wickham, thanks so much for your time. Have a lovely day. Thank you. Bye-bye. Take care of yourself. Bradders, thank you so much for your time, all right? And we look forward to seeing all your stuff. Take care. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. And last but not least, Brendan Devaney, thank you very much for calling in. I will chat to you soon. Take care. Back with more after the news and obituary notices. As a professional, you want your van to be as efficient as you. Efficient with time and efficient with space. The new Renault Kangoo Van E-Tech 100% electric is made for you. With up to 300 kilometers of range, fast charging is standard and 3.9 cubic meters of loading capacity. New Renault Kangoo Van E-Tech 100% electric from 96 euros per week for those who never stop. Offer is made under her purchase agreement. 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Call us on<PHONE_NUMBER> or apply online via our app or in-office today. At Manor Motors Opel, we're half full type of people, which is how we come up with the Opel 5050 finance offer. Choose from the Opel Crossland, Corsa or Mocha. Select your flexible payment option. Pair it with three years free servicing and meet your new other half. Discover more about Opel's 5050 offer at the Opel Open Road event. See ManorMotos.ie for details. Balance is provided by way of a consumer higher purchase agreement by Bank of Ireland Finance. Lending criteria and condition supply over 18 zillion. Ownership remains with Bank of Ireland until the final payment is made. Bank of Ireland Trading out of Bank of Ireland Finance is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Dreaming of a getaway this summer? There's still time to book with TUI, flying from Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports. Summer, best enjoyed on holiday. TUI, live happy. Cowcull to cost farmers millions. For more in your farmer's journal, this Paul Mooney. Our exclusive analysis reveals how a potential cowcull scheme could impact your farm. County councils to ramp up water quality inspections and farms. New grants to do-up-all farmhouses and farm safety measures. Find out who can claim the new 60% women's Tams payment and don't miss your free 32 page summer food magazine with unmissable advice on cooking the perfect steak. All inside this week's Irish Farmers' Journal on sale today. The Dive Time show will be coming live this Friday from Dunfanny Golf Club for their 24 for 24 charity golf event. We have the usual great music and chat and a few giveaways on the day. So join us this Friday at Dunfanny Golf Club from 2.30 to 5 p.m. Thank you to Arnold's Hotel, the White Atlantic Camp and Boise Centre Dunfanny for supporting our outside broadcast. Connor McCready's Country Tea Party in aid of the Dunnegal Hospice takes place this Sunday, 25th in the Orchard Inn, Lettercanny, from 1.05 p.m. featuring Keelan Brown, Simon Peters, Paul McCall, Kylian McLaughlin, Elaine Boyle, Johnny Hohi, and more. This ad is sponsored by The Orchard Inn. The Ninetal Noon Show is brought to you by Lettercanny Credit Union, digital loans now available. Apply online or via our app today and get your loan transferred directly to your current account. We're online and on the Highland Radio app. This is Highland Radio News. Good morning, it's 10 o'clock, Donald Kavanaugh at the news desk. The chair of Dunnegal County Council's Chrysler Working Group is urging people to attend a public consultation at Masinas Hall today as work continues onto projects. Director of Services, Liam Ward, says the open event between 2 and 8 o'clock this evening will update people on progress with the village plan, which has already been the subject of an initial round of consultation, while the working group will also ask people's views on a community regeneration project on trusty lands to the rear of St. Michael's Parish Church. On today's Ninetal Noon Show, Liam Ward told Greg they're particularly anxious to speak to people about that project, which they hope to progress through planning in the coming months. We are looking at a particular project on a piece of land in the centre of the village and now that we've worked up some designs around that and what will be included and what may not be included. And from this consultation event, we will take away the feedback we receive and that will allow us to inform the final concept for this regeneration project, which we hope to move through the planning process certainly before the end of the year. More detail on that and more of that interview with Liam Ward, now available on our website, hylandradio.com. You can watch the whole interview back on our YouTube channel and later today, the intern at Ninetal Noon Show will of course be podcast on our website and you can also watch back on YouTube and our Facebook and social media pages. The doll has been told that the West and Northwest is being used as a picturesque region in which to launch plans, but it's being ignored when it comes to their implementation. Sligo Leitrim and South Donegal W. Mark McSharry hit out a transport minister, Eamon Ryan, who recently indicated for meeting of officials and councillors in Sligo that there would not be money available for the Nock Colony upgrade of the N17, despite the fact that it's been identified as a key element of the Atlantic Economic Corridor and a vital spur on the TNT European Road Network. W. Mark McSharry told the doll that hundreds of thousands of people right across the Northwest and West will be put out by this delay. He told the doll that Minister Eamon Ryan is a nice fellow, but his idea of implementing the programme for government is to do what he wishes it says, rather than what it does say. The people of the Western Seaboard are a little bit sick of the fact that it's the chosen location for the launch of Ireland 2040, and it was good enough for Biden to come to Ballinare or NACA or wherever else. But when it comes to implementing the programme for government, here we have, in effect, Minister Ryan, Dragonfinafall and Finnegeal around this house in line with his chosen and preferred version of what he might have liked the programme for government to be. Again, the whole of that exchange available on our website. The controversial government consults with the Forum on International Security Policy, gets underway in University College Cork this morning. It's designed to build understanding and generate discussion on our foreign security and defence policies. Protests are being held against the meeting. People before profit are calling it a sham, but Declan Power, a security analyst who's taking part in the forum, says important issues are being discussed. What we need to be doing in order to protect our citizens, our air, our sea, and other territories from aggression, and we now know that aggression comes in more than the kinetic form. So this is to allow for an exchange of ideas that will be filtered out into the public realm that hopefully will give the ordinary members of the public perspective on this. And then we can have a more informed debate. The supply of oxygen in the missing submersible in the Atlantic Ocean is dwindling rapidly. Oxygen on board the vessel carrying five people is forecast to run out at 8 minutes past 12 this afternoon. Underwater noises heard during the search for Titan sparked fresh hopes of finding the submersible, but former British Navy officer Dr Chris Parry believes investigating the banging was predominantly done to lift spirits. This banging sound, it was totally unlikely to have been from Titan. You've got a lot of noise in the water, mechanical noise from all sorts of things. And why would you bang on the side of a carbon fibre hull which you don't want to break?  I think they were just trying to give people hope and maintain morale to tell you the truth. Well, the forecast might air and tell us it'll be dry for most of today. Just a few isolated showers and they'll be mainly confined to this evening. Good spells of sunshine as well, turning a bit hazy as the day goes on. Top temperatures this afternoon. 20 to 24 degrees Celsius in light, southerly breezes. And that's Island Radio News. We're back with news again at 11 o'clock until then, from the news team. Good morning. The obituary notices for this Thursday morning, the 22nd of June. The death has taken place of Honour King, Maharin Chur Bunkrana. Her remains are reposing at her brother Carl's residence in Maharin Chur. Finnal from there tomorrow afternoon at half past 12 for one o'clock Requiem Mass in St. Mary's Church, Cough Hill, with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. House private pleas from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Family Fairs Only Pleased, Nations in Louis of Desire to Hillcrest Lodge, letter Kenny, care of any family member or McLaughlin and McLaughlin funeral directors. The church service can be viewed online at churchservices.tv. The death has occurred of Martin O'Donnell, Strabo, Cough Hill, Bunkrana. Martin's remains are reposing at his home. Finnal on Saturday morning at 11 in St. Mary's Church, Cough Hill, with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. The funeral can be viewed on churchservices.tv. Family Time Pleased from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m. and on the morning of the funeral. Family Fairs Only Pleased, Nations in Louis of Desire to the Donegal Hospice, letter Kenny, care of Martin's family members or Mcinney funeral directors. The death has taken place of Susan McColgan, Cranley Park Derry and Carroraire Road, Cairndona. Finnal from her home in Cairndona tomorrow morning at quarter past 10 for 11 o'clock Requiem Mass in St. Columbus Church, Drone Quigley's Point, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. The funeral mass can be viewed live on St. Columbus Drone.net. Family Fairs Only Pleased, Nations of Desire to the Foyle Hospice, care of Annie family member. And the death has taken place of Anna McMonegal, named McGinley, Aite Art Cranagh, Gord Lee, letter Kenny, formerly of Moyle Hill, Milford. Her remains will repose at her son Joe and Sandra McMonegal's residence at Wood Road, Cullian, letter Kenny, today from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. The funeral mass tomorrow at 12 a.m. in the Church of the Irish Martyrs, Gord Lee, letter Kenny, with burial afterwards in Newlake Cemetery. The funeral mass can be viewed on the Church of the Irish Martyrs YouTube channel. Rosary tonight at nine. Family Time Pleased, before the funeral. Family Fairs Only Pleased, Nations of Desire to the Donegal Hospice, care of Annie family member. For more details, including Annie family health guidelines for wakes and funerals, please go to highlandradio.com. Is your home or motor insurance up for renewal? Now is the time to check if your policy still offers you the right cover and the right fit at the right price. To be sure you are getting the best deal, take this opportunity to shop around. It's easier than you think. Simply contact your insurer or broker today. Remember, don't just renew, review. For more information, visit understandinginsurance.ie. Brought to you by Insurance Ireland. OK, you're welcome back to the nine till noon show. Good morning if you've just joined us and we're welcoming new listeners all the time and just to let you know what we do here as well if you are new to the programme which we're here to help you. If there's something you want to highlight or some help you need with something, get in touch with us, we'll try our best to do so. We have great success in helping listeners across a whole range of things. A lot of it doesn't even make the air because it gets resolved by the time it was due to come to air but that's what we're here for and you can WhatsApp, text us or wait 60, 25,000. Maybe you have an experience you want to pass on and I'll give you a perfect example of that because sometimes people are very moved by an experience and they want to share it with others. It's a simple one. I feel I must text in and acknowledge the prompt and excellent care and attention my grandchild received at the ED in letter Kenny Hospital after an accident. It was busy, the staff were flat out but very professional and competent. Thank you for all the care. So they obviously went through a stressful time but wanted to relate their happiness with how their grandchild was treated. Greg, it's only now I'm able to speak of this, says an emailer, so affected I am by the awful incident I witnessed on Sunday evening in my local town. I was sitting outside having a drink for Father's Day in a popular restaurant bar in the town when a couple exited the bar, went over to another couple who were sitting in a pod eating, spat on their food and walked away. How utterly revolting. I witnessed no altercations before or even after. I heard no words spoken. The offended couple looked shocked. Management claim out, cleaned up and replaced the meal and everyone went on as if normal. No guard and no fuss. The offending couple ate their meal, paid and left. Is this a regular thing when eating out in my area? Provided my details to guard is a witness in case the people concerned want to make a complaint.  Spitting is one of the most disgusting acts, isn't it? So this person sitting there out for Father's Day watched one couple walk past another couple who were sitting outside, spit in their food, get in the car and leave. It seems the couple who were the victims of that didn't complain, but that person was so shocked by it that they made a statement to the guard in case that couple did make a complaint. And perhaps maybe you are that couple listening. Someone has witnessed it and made a complaint to the guard. You'll know precisely where it is. I am a lost parent at the moment, says this listener. My child has been on the ENT waiting list since 2021. The department has received letters from our GP and especially stating that my child needs urgent care. He gets ear infections every two to three weeks. I received a letter from the department saying priority status was remained unchanged. I'm at a complete loss. Now, R. Eldest Lee had this. Now, I presume they get near infections all the time. He had it from a baby. It was an absolute nightmare. Every two or three weeks, the ear infections would come on and everything would be calm. And next thing, why? The crying would be, I walked miles every single night out in the car, vacuum cleaners, and then of course, anything to try and calm them, white noise. I know exactly what you've went through. Now, I can tell you what I did. I got Lee Grommets in. Now, this is going back 10 years on the National Treatment Purchase Fund. He ended up getting the Grommets in really quite quickly in a private hospital in Galway. It was done through the National Treatment Purchase Fund. So, I'm not sure if that still applies now or if that can be done, but I know exactly what you're going through. I know exactly what the young person in your life is going through. And the solution for me, Ann Lee, was through the National Treatment Purchase Fund. So, I presume it's Grommets that are looking to get in. That's probably what they'll end up doing. Maybe it's not. Maybe you're actually not at that stage yet. You still need to see, you probably still need to see a consultant before you refer to that actually now that I think of it.  The only thing I know is that GPs' letters, I'm not sure really they get so many of them. I'm not sure it makes any difference. So, anyway, let me read the text one more time. Let it put it out there. This person's obviously at the wit's end. There is nothing, there is lots worse, but you know what I'm saying. There's nothing worse than a child getting a regular ear infections. There are antibiotics all the time if it's the same situation that we had. So, I'm a lost parent at the moment. My child has been on the ENT wait list since 2021 and the department has received letters from our GP and especially stating that my child needs urgent care. He gets ear infections every two to three weeks. I've received a letter from the department saying on priority status, priority status was remained unchanged. I'm at a complete loss. As again, as I say, I don't know why you're on that process, but just double-check to see if the NTP, National Treatment Purchase Fund, the NTPF might sort that out for you because I couldn't have done another six months or a year of dealing with a child get an ex-blue ear. It was almost like it was called the inside of the ears, red raw and just the intense pain that would just come on like that. And then it would abate and then it would come on like that. You just, I don't know if it's the same situation with you, but that was my experience. But we'll put it out to the listeners. Maybe my information is not constructive. Someone else probably has a better understanding of the terminology you're using and might be able to help better. Hi, Greg. What about the people who use plastic bin bags? Throw them at the end of the road the night before the collection. Birds and dogs tear the bags and the rubbish is left there as the owner lives further up the road and don't clean it up. Think plastic bags should not be allowed. I thought that, I mean, they are still allowed, but I thought they were moving away from that. But anyway, now, Vinny McLaughlin was on this show in the past, lovely lad, and he is running a charity football match again this year for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. It's Man United fans versus Liverpool fans. So you can imagine, even though it's gonna be very friendly, there's gonna be some quite a strong rivalry there. It's Friday the 23rd tomorrow. It's a 7 p.m. kickoff at Lether Kenny Community Centre. And Vinny's inviting you all down to come and watch the match and have a bit of crack. So if you're free tomorrow evening, Manchester United fans are taking on Liverpool fans. It's tomorrow night at 7 p.m. maybe. You just wanna watch a game of football on a Friday night at the Lether Kenny Community Centre. And it's in support of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. So I imagine it will be a great bit of fun and I hope plenty of people can go down and support that event. Rightio, let's take a break for the bingo numbers. It's Jackpot Day. Good luck if you're playing today. The county's number one talk show. The 9 till noon show on Highland Radio. It's time for MCBI Bingo on Highland Radio. It's Thursday the 22nd of June, and it's Jackpot Day. You're playing for the Jackpot Prize of 18,200 euro on the pink sheet. The reference number is S4. It's game number 25. The jackpot number is 61. This number can come out in any position from the next 10 numbers drawn. And now here are your daily numbers. 84, 11, 17, 53, 23, 19, 43, 9, 83, and finally, 42. Phone your claim to 9104833 before 8 tonight. Leave in your name, contact number, and the name of the shop where you purchased your book.  Get all your NCBI Bingo information at highlandradio.com. Is the appearance of your staff important to your business? It's the first point of contact for customers when entering your premises. At CNM and Broijery in Letterkenny, they have a huge range of clothing, covering all areas of the workplace. It's widely known that customers warm to and trust employees that present themselves well. Have your company name and broidered or printed on all your work uniforms. Contact CNM and Broijery on 07491 28097 and get your staff looking their best. At Cherrymoor Kitchens and Bedrooms, we are now operating out of one new state-of-the-art showroom in Donegal Town. And we invite you to visit our new 5,000 square foot Donegal Town showroom to discover the latest eye-catching designs. Remember, at Cherrymoor, you're dealing directly with a manufacturer, which means high quality kitchens at factory prices. Start planning your dream kitchen or bedroom by calling Cherrymoor on 074 9725 82. Cherrymoor, 25 years delivering value, quality and service all over Ireland. The 9 till noon show with Letter Kenny Credit Union, now offering mortgages from 40,000 to 600,000 euro with no hidden fees or transaction charges. Letter Kenny Credit Union 9102127. Now, we welcome on to the programme, Larissa Feeney, who has been elected as President of the Donegal Women in Business Network. Congratulations to you, Larissa. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you, Greg, and good morning. I'm delighted to be here. Yes, indeed, and you've got really big shoes to fill, perhaps a word first on former President, the outgoing, or the outgoing now at this stage, Joe Daly. Yes, absolutely big shoes to fill. Joe was President for three years, and it was three very difficult years, obviously, Greg, over the pandemic. And she put a huge amount of time, hours, blood, sweat and tears into that role, and really the network is all stronger for her contribution. So we're very, very sorry that she stepped down as President, but she is remaining on the committee, so we're delighted about that, so we're not losing that experience. Yes, of course, and you have your own priorities, of course, but also part of your remit, I presume, will be to build on the foundations that have been laid before you. Exactly, so the network will be 25 years old next year. The first meeting was back in 1999, and really it has been a huge amount of effort, volunteer effort over all of those years. And what I'll do, I suppose, and what the committee will do is pick up the baton and carry that forward and continue to build on the effort to help support women in business in Donegal to make their businesses stronger and more sustainable into the future. We have seen progress over the lifetime, haven't we, of the Donegal in Women in Business Network? We have, I mean, the need was identified by the local enterprise office at that time, as there needed to be some support for women in business in Donegal. And indeed, that has been confirmed over many statistics and surveys over the years. But we have seen progress and it has been very, very positive. However, there was just another survey released this morning, Greg, that showed that we've gone back a little bit over the last couple of years in our progress. So we still have a lot of work to do. Why are we going backwards? Well, maybe the pandemic played a part, you know, perhaps that disrupted progress in some way. And maybe we just have more work to do. I mean, we do have to continue to advocate for women and to be a voice for women and to recognise that women in business have different needs and they have unique challenges that are different to men. And we have to recognise that and support that and continue to invest in women to help them to start businesses and grow and scale. Does it help too, though, that we have, you know, leading lights or women at higher-up positions in business? I want to mention our own CEO here, Finula Rabbit. And she's also president of Letty County Chamber, a lot of plates to keep rotating. And I also know to the recent Letty County Chamber, you know, a lot of the business leaders there were women, people in senior roles. So obviously, more needs to be done in that area, but the more presumably women we have in those senior positions, it brings hopefully more women through in companies and encourages other women to start up their own enterprises as well. Exactly. I mean, you can't be what you can't see, right? So the more of those role models we have, the more that we can see, the more that are visible, Greg, that's very important. So you've mentioned Finula, obviously, and there's many other examples as well in the county and in the country. And the more of those that we see and the more of those that women and girls hear from and that, you know, it becomes very normal, doesn't it? And hopefully we won't have to have this conversation in the future, but at this point in time, we're not quite where we need to be. Yeah, though, the networking events are hugely important, aren't they, to the Donegal women in businesses that network in terms of support and making connections or inspiring or advice being shared? Yes, exactly. So we actually had one just last night. We had a fabulous networking event at Oakville Park North Pole where we raised the glass to the summer solstice, and that was just an unbelievable event. Nikki Bradley joined us and Nikki spoke about her journey and how she's built resilience over the years. That support and that networking element of the network is vital to women in business, especially in the early years of their business. It's been proven that women require that a certain level of support, community, collaboration and education in order to help grow their confidence so that they feel able and competent to start their own businesses and build and grow their businesses. How do people join the network? And I suppose at sort of what stage of a process they might be going through like an idea or maybe they've started something or... So talk to me a little bit about, you know, how people become part of this network and at what stage of their journey do they tend to or are they encouraged to get involved? Well, we actually asked the question last night, Greg, you know, how many people in the audience? There was about 70 people there last night and they were really at various stages. So there was people who had only been in business less than one year and there was people who had been in business for several years. So really from all ends of the spectrum, really from idea stage right through, but also not necessarily running your own business. I think that's important because if you have an interest in business, if you're a female who works in a business and you'd like to develop your career and expand your network, I mean, we all know that your network is your network, isn't that right? So I mean, the more of that we, the more network we do the better for our own personal and career development. So you don't actually have to own a business, but if you have an interest in business, you're more than welcome and at any stage of your journey. Yeah, and how do we, this is probably the big question and perhaps we work through it and find out, Larissa, but how do we stem any backward steps and begin to move forward once again? What do you see is the key areas of attention that are required? Well, we seem to do a great job in education. I mean, you'll see from that report that was released this morning that we're joined first in access to education. So there's no issues around access to education for females. That is clear. What happens is after that, so once we enter the workforce, it seems just to go awry from there. So there's a lot of things, there's a myriad of things that we have to do in order to continue to build and make sure that we close that gap around support, mentorship, collaboration, networking, and also the obvious one, of course, is around childcare because that gap that we take away from the workplace to have our families and the support we need, crucially, when we return. I mean, I've seen my own team coming back from returning to leave and they tell me how difficult it is for them to integrate back into the workplace and to find themselves and find their place again. And I think the more that we recognize that, the better. And then as we go through our careers, we also have the menopause years as well. So that also can have an impact on our development. So to recognitionists, employers and businesses having a recognition of that. And in many cases they do, Greg. And I suppose the more time we talk about it, the more we make it more normal. Yeah, but that has to be accommodated and taken as a fact rather than seen as a problem or something. And I don't know how we get to that. And you talked about childcare and speaking to some women in business. They see that actually themselves as the biggest inhibitor. It's not exclusively a problem to letter Kenny, but it's particularly a problem in letter Kenny. Access to childcare, they actually, even a couple of the people I spoke to, ranked it above in terms of recruitment, for example, and retention, above the housing crisis. Which I thought was really, it opened my eyes that childcare was above the housing crisis in holding people back. Or as I was saying, in terms of recruitment. Absolutely, but then we're automatically assuming it's a female problem. And it shouldn't be a female problem. There's a couple that come together to have babies. So I mean, it's the female and the male issue to work together to look for the solution to that. And there's the childcare, access to childcare is a separate issue as well, of course. Can I just say, by the way, not to cut across it, it was a woman said that to me. And it was in relation to couples coming here if both are working, it is, you know what I mean? It just so happened to be a woman that said it to me. She didn't say it to me that it was a problem exclusively to women, just to be clear, that's not what I said. But go ahead, Larissa. Yeah, no, absolutely, I understand. The challenge is though that it is in the main challenge exclusively for women. And we know that and we see that in the statistics. But around the provision of childcare, that is a national problem. And if you talk to childcare providers, they'll tell you they can't get the staff. And if you speak to parents, they'll tell you that they can't get the childcare places. So it's clearly an issue that government has to address from both angles to make it more accessible. And we've talked about this for years, you know, making childcare more accessible. And it hasn't happened. Now, of course, they've done, they've done very supports in different countries. And I know even in Ireland, we've gone further in the last few years in terms of the pre-school support that we're now getting, which is fantastic. But there's more to do there. Yeah, brilliant. Listen, how long is your term, Larissa? Three years, Greg. Excellent. So you've, and a great, like it's exciting, isn't it?  But hopefully you'll be able to see the progress that can be made over that period of time. I think it's a nice period of time. It's a huge commitment from you, of course, but it gives you an opportunity to work on things with the rest of the network.  We have almost 250 members. And what the contributions of those businesses make to the economy in Donegal and in Ireland. I mean, each small business contributes around 100,000 euros to the local economy. So you can imagine the contribution that those women in business make. So I think it's about highlighting that and recognising the importance of that and encouraging more of it. OK, it's been lovely to speak to you. I'm sure I'll be speaking to you plenty over the next week while Larissa, again, congratulations on your election and the best wishes and we'll chat again. Thank you. Thank you very much. Bye-bye. Take care of yourself. That's Larissa Feeney, CEO and founder of Accountant Online. And she's also now the newly elected president of the Donegal Women in Business Network. Watch the show live now on YouTube, Facebook and at HighlandRadio.com. The 9 till noon show is brought to you by Letter Kenny Credit Union, offering low-rate holiday loans with fast approval. Apply online at letterkennycu.ie or in office today. Join me, Marty, for this and every Friday night from 8 for Rockin' Hits on Highland Radio in association with Arena 7 Letter Kenny. If you're celebrating a birthday or a work night out, Arena 7 Entertainment Complex has it all. Check out arena7.ie. For the biggest names into perfume and aftershaves, visit Nagee's Chemist Letter Kenny, Dolce & Gabbana, Paco Raban, Coral's Gabbana, Paco Rabanne, Carolina Herrera, Calvin Klein, Jimmy Chou, and Burberry, Ariana Grande, Jean-Pel Gautier, Vera Wang, and many more. From timeless classics to celebrity favorites, there's a perfume or aftershave for everyone at Biggie's Camus Letter Kenny and online at Biggie's.ie. Test Drive the Suzuki S-Cross at Barry Brown Cars Milford at their Test Drive event from the 19th to the 24th of June, and avail of the 0% finance offer. That's right, secure your 232 Suzuki S-Cross at 0% interest this week at Barry Brown Cars Milford, your main Suzuki dealer in Dunnegall. Finance subject to status terms and conditions apply. The Dive Time show will be coming live this Friday from Dunfanny Golf Club for their 24 for 24 charity golf event. We have the usual great music and chat and a few giveaways on the day. So join us this Friday at Dunfanny Golf Club from 2.30 to 5.00 pm. Thank you to Arnold's Hotel, the White Atlantic Camp, and Boise Centre Dunfanny for supporting our OSA broadcast. Hey Greg, just call out to say good luck to the Dunnegall team on Saturday. Let's hope to see them a cool park packed with Dunnegall Flags and jerseys. Let's get behind the team and make it difficult for Tyrone, indeed. Caller from Bonomy in Letter Kenny says once again the community has had no water since the weekend which is adding to residents concern that no water either for fire hydrants. There's a big forest area behind us if struck by lightning we would have been in bother. Indeed, that's the kind of fear one has to live in when the water is not accessible. Morning Greg, our rental house from the Council. Every February we have rent reviews where they send out a form and you have 10 days to fill it out and return. I just received the revised rent notification and my rent has increased by 5 euro and 80 cent that which will be 68 euro 80 per week point being in my pay rise of 10 euro which I got in January. It's now worth 4 euro 40 a week to me as the council have taken more than half of it. I'll be telling my boss I don't want any more pay rises. I see so because your wages increase they said right we'll have half of that towards the rent. Okay I can see where you're coming from. Me, my husband, my children and my 96 year old mother went west for a staycation for a few days it was a Monday and when we went for a small bite to eat we only discovered one cafe opened in the area during June a tourist season. My mother given her age is a very poor eater and drinker so I asked could I get an extra mug so she could have a small amount of tea from my pot. I was shocked to discover upon paying that it was charged wait for this an additional 2 euro and 50 cent for the spare mug. The staff were not friendly and stated that we had two pots when we didn't. I thought it was rather mean of them to charge us four of this. I suspect they've charged you for another pot of tea even though you only asked for a spare mug and the mistake has been made. Also I see a lot of places are starting to open this weekend I think really for a lot of businesses the tourism tourist season really kicks off this weekend you know because schools are closed. A caller says the Titanic is a graveyard a very unrested spirit submarine should never go there just use a drone camera but people should not go there I hope the submarine people are found alive and well it's all so heartbreaking says that listener. Yes indeed I was up Aragull this morning to see the sunrise great idea to bring the show up in August yes we're hoping to. Greg there'll be no shortage of guests on Aragull as it's packed every day with cars there you might have to shimmy over but plenty of help carrying equipment but it could be a Friday do the Friday for me the live or I'd imagine you get great way for Wifi up there we'll have to find that out yet zoom up there and finish off with entertainment slot if the CEO says it's okay and Carl or weather says he's coming to Donegal too in July he did say good weather is coming ideally for him to be involved and see the sites in a different way to that comes in from Kevin listen Kevin thank you very much indeed for that right Professor Dennis McGonagall is honorary consultant rheumatologist and in a show and man and he joins us on the program a very good morning to you professor how are you keeping. Hello Greg yeah it's McGonagall yeah what did I say? Not McGonagall but it's all they're all Donegal variations. I think that's that's I think that's the problem professor professor Dennis McGonagall honorary consultant rheumatologist and in a show and man and congratulations to you Dennis as the first Irish man to be awarded the Carl Nachman Prize this weekend for your work in rheumatology scale that for us is this like Tom Hanks winning an Oscar but in the world of rheumatology. First of all Greg if I can hijack your show to just say hello to my mother Mary Treas and my uncle and his wife Mary and brothers John and Danny and their kids Danny Sean and Eden and Trisha the wife and I'd be here for the next half hour if I mentioned all the Doherty cousins on both the maternal and paternal side so thank you for having me on so yeah so put it in context yeah this is the highest global prize in rheumatology it's run out of Germany where somebody left an endowment in 1972 and they said you know we want to reward people that have contributed new ideas or changed the direction of arthritis and rheumatic diseases and as far as I know I'm the first Irish first Glenn Gadman for sure to win it and the first the first Irish man and myself and the wife we're going over there tomorrow to collect the prize in the town hall in a place called wife spaden which is a little city on the Rhine outside of Frankfurt not far from where you're gonna clock used to manage once you talk about football you immediately get the Donnie Goldman lined up that's it well before we talk about what you've been doing in your career can we talk about how your career started and when did the interest in medicine first come to you and how did you progress that interest that's very interesting when I was a kid I childhood asthma and the local GP God rest him Joseph Enright he's he used to treat me and I was amazed at how good doctors were and then I was blessed with great primary school teachers like Louis Walsh I spent a lot of time with then Karen Donna really inspirational teachers like Colin Toland he used to show us how to deduce mathematical equations like he is equal to MC squared I couldn't do it now but he taught us back then and then I got into UCD and again great teachers guy Hugh Doherty and Donnie Gaul name was a brilliant at immunology that's how the immune system controls the body and that inspired me and then I just did great teachers in the matter hospital guy from Galway Bobby Coughlin own Casey from Kerry and then I moved over to Leeds to work with the guy called Paul Emery who's a very very affectionate towards Irish people as he viewed as very hardworking compared to people born on this side of the Irish sea so yeah that's how it all happened lots of great lots of great mentors and supporters yeah millions of people around the world and many many people in Ireland suffer from rheumatic complaints what's happening when you know we start being affected by this this condition is it parts wearing out is it lifestyle is it activity what's happening yeah so there's two big issues Greg there's commoner garden wear and tear like if you've got a cake or a fall or an injury well you have rheumatic pains now that is not something a rheumatologist usually sees or treats that's more physiotherapy and ice packs and painkillers and your GP so the rheumatologist is a specialist that largely treats diseases where you have a normal skeleton bones and joints but your immune system mistakes you as foreign and then it starts attacking you so you end up the inflammation and swelling and your immune system starts destroying your joints and of course if you injure a joint or twisted it will swell up and that heals it helps in the healing and it gets better in five days to six weeks and sometimes it's hard to tell tell the two apart so what's happening is in these rheumatic diseases and the commonest one is rheumatoid arthritis but there are there are many others the immune system is attacking the joints but not only does it attack the joints but it also attacks the the skin and the eyes and the bowels and many other organs in the body so rheumatologists are experts across a lot of medicine so we treat diseases of many systems and it's interesting that in the covid pandemic it was three rheumatology drugs that were developed by rheumatologists that actually turned the fight because they started to work and sick people in hospital so that illustrates that the rheumatology specialist isn't just for you know injuries or twists that you might get at a football match or a worn out disc from older age or in a worn out joint sweet very much focused on how the immune system destroys the joints and what's happening Greg is in this last three decades there's been amazing advancements my first day as a rheumatology trainee in St James's Hospital in Dublin I had about 12 people in bed and mobile with arthritis and I could take as much fluid off their knee joint to the syringe that would fill half a pint of you know a pint of a beer glass with fluid from the inflammation and now it's been like 10 years since I admitted somebody with arthritis and inflammation that couldn't be treated so there's there's been amazing developments well and you have focused much of your career in terms of research and that's part of this recognition of course why were you drawn to the research side side of things Dennis yeah I'm basically interested in how things work so low I'm a medically trained doctor and I'm a medical consultant 70% of my activity is in the university and I'm coming from our labs now in St James's Hospital where I have a team of 10 people studying the immune system and cells and these are all these are all scientists and one of them is medically trained so I'm basically a middleman between the patient and the scientist like the scientist although I have a scientific lab training so that's that so it's just my general interest in how how the immune system works I got me into into rheumatology that was my thing so some doctors are interested for example in surgery or psychiatry or or dermatology but I'm really interested in in arthritis and the arthritic diseases are the most strongly linked to the immune system so if you want to study the immune system in humans the best way to do it is in the rheumatic diseases because so many of them are driven by the immune system and your listeners disease is like psoriatic arthritis ankylosing spondylitis lupus scleroderma myositis there's long lists of diseases that are relatively rare but if you add them all up they affect maybe one in 50 people yeah it's interesting isn't it and your work to break it down into layman's terms and normally when I use this phrase and listeners will understand it I'm asking you really to explain it to me so I understand but I pretend I'm advocating on behalf of the the tens of thousands of people that are listening so in your research okay my reading of it is is you you understand or you try and understand the mechanics of the disease what's happening and how the body interacts with the drugs that are used to treat it is that if that's a fair synopsis then what's the end game what what what from you can publish your papers and what have you but how is that information useful as we try and learn more about it yeah yeah very good question so when I started rheumatology you know training and research in 1996 I was already clinically trained the only test we used was x-rays but now we have high tech 3d MRI scans and ultrasound scans and other scans so I'm being awarded this price because I used these to look inside the body in the earliest stages of arthritis and we were able to split up that there is although people walked into the into the clinic with swollen joints we were able to define that the arthritis started in completely different parts of the joint in different conditions and then that allowed us to make accurate diagnosis and then as time went past it allows us to pick the right drug first time for the patient so that's where my work and again this is in conjunction with like a large team here in Leeds so we work smarter not harder then is that it is that's the idea that it's yeah so we're much better at diagnosis and the scanning also allows us on day one to help predict who's going to do badly so then we single those patients out for special extra intense treatment to treat them more aggressively to cure them so one end game has already been reached is that all around the world now people use this scanning technology based on our work and I say our work because you know I was working very closely with expert physicists no physicists and radiologists so there's a big team behind this so this is globally adopted so people use this to help diagnose and treat and the second part of the question is Greg so now that we know different types of arthritis start in different places we extract the tissue from patients undergoing surgery and then we extract the immune cells from those sites and companies give our labs millions of pounds not to me personally when I say I got a million pound grant that means zero money for me it means a million for the university and I get paying my salary but companies give us money to test their new drugs in these different tissues to see if the drugs work and then the end game of that is they will launch new drugs to treat arthritis so the end game I suppose is people at the moment are very good at controlling it just as you can control diabetes with daily insulin injections but that's not a cure so there are people then we talk about how how could we move forward to cure disease like some types of cancer which is often linked to the immune system there's a big overlap between the immune system and cancer and also arthritis so we're interested in potentially working again working with global partners towards curing some of these conditions it's a it's a funny thing isn't it really the work that you do in in that you kind of almost have to accept that you can't see it through that you contribute to a journey if you you know what I mean and we've seen that throughout life in that you will leave your fingerprints on it but we probably are maybe you and I will not be here when the breakthrough was finally made as an academic and obviously someone who thinks a lot is that frustrating how do you how do you process that you say right I'm making great progress here but such is live I'm probably not going to be able to see this through because I'm going to have my feet up in the south of France sipping a red do you have to early in your career come to terms with that or is it part of it or is it frustrational how does that make you feel now first I prefer the rain if it is shown to the south of France you're less likely to get skin cancer and wrinkled so Glenn Gad coffee or something okay so you know that's why that's life that's I mean that's we're all on the journey irrespective of our vocation whether it's building you know houses or you know electrician whatever everybody's on the same journey but yeah and the thing is we build on and other people's work the work I've done builds on worked on and leads in the 1950s 60s and 70s where they first said all inflammation is not the same then we've built on that and and our our aspect like I'm 57 now so my there's about five or six young people that are trained up as professionals I hope you don't think I was writing you off it's just the wheels move so slowly yeah so we train up younger people in the next generation of professors so yeah that's right absolutely you need a long-term plan I fully agree a listener concludes that the main reason and thankfully I have a professor now to put this too they conclude that the main reason for math mass arthritis is oxalates in our food chain and the chemicals being added to our tap water yeah yeah there's there's lots of this is a funny thing Greg about arthritis most types of wear and tear not the immune driven arthritis but wear and tear when your body is wearing and tearing itself and wearing out a bit the joints are actually repairing all the time so this means Greg that if somebody has a bad joint pain from wear and tear if you do nothing within a couple of weeks it likely have improved and then if you're taking or cutting something out in the diet you make a spurious association that the oxalates or the tomato or the acid that you've cut out in your diet is the cause of arthritis because you got better but these things naturally fluctuate and get better so there there are many many remedies proposed for the wear and tear type arthritis including oxalates and these little crystals which can actually do appear in the joint in wear and tear or osteoarthritis but yeah the diet is always a big issue there's the old saying that we are what we eat yeah and it's it's perhaps the easiest example for us to understand that gout for an example a form of arthritis okay listen it's been it's been great speaking to you Professor did you get back to Greg Gadd often yeah I was over twice this year already and hope to be gone back over now in the summertime to see everyone yeah it's okay we'll try and get you that rain that you love so much professor professor Dennis professor Dennis McGonagall honorary consultant rheumatologist of course are very proud in in a showman and now the winner of the incredibly prestigious Carol Nachman prize for your work in rheumatology it's been lovely having you on and it's great to be able to celebrate our own and the successes and we wish you all the best into the future and future success thank you very much professor that thank you Greg have a lovely day take care of yourself the 9th whole news show is brought to you by letter Kenny credit union offering low-rate car loans with fast approval apply online at letterkennycu.ie or in office today the groom goes free the groom goes free yes you heard it the groom's room evolve clothing Larry Kenny retail park the groom goes free call in today terms and conditions apply it's not the end armor they're in a spately greener new this weekend home store and more all clothes hangers are all half price that's right all clothes hangers are all half price but better hurry because when all the half price hangers are gone they're gone also all camping is still all half price but when all the half price 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the ATU well we'll pass it on um there's a huge demand at the moment okay let's say hello to Rose hi Rose hello I'm doing great thank you very much for coming on and chatting to me okay Rose what's your experience in recently I've got a few minutes right I'm going to go back to it next time just want to talk about the return to buses okay now you recently tried to book wheelchair access on a bus from Donegal to Galway just you tell the story and then I'll let you go Rose for that taxi yeah yeah yeah uh I tried we're good to require by the bus the Galway from Donegal and they told me no they don't and so they said they decided that they don't do the Galway so but we got one to Dublin so it's been like at uh you they told me to go to Dublin on the way to my boss we do a bus but it's not fair on people the rest of the country they can't get the Galway on the rest of the country so the rest of the country not matter did they offer any solution at all Rose no no just to say we're sorry all right okay which is no good to you or your husband and uh why did it beg us belief wise the no wheelchair access on the bus from Donegal to Galway no no right Rose well listen you made the point I'll let you go because that taxi is waiting and the meter could be running hopefully you'll switch it off for you and uh we'll see if any other listeners want to get involved in that conversation as well have a lovely day yeah we do thank you great thank you not most wishes to you and your husband okay so that's uh Rose she was inquiring about booking a wheelchair access seat on the bus from Donegal to Galway and was told no they don't do it on that route but they can provide it to Dublin and Rose as you heard they're asking how is this fair on wheelchair users it restricts her husband going anywhere around the country other than the areas provided for and uh Rose just asked do they think wheelchair users should only go to Dublin is that something that you've come across 086 60 25000 086 60 25000 right some of the things that you come across your desk I sort of sent this picture it's not photoshopped I'll explain it for those of you listening on the radio but I'm holding up to the camera here for our viewers it's uh Councillor Maly Quinn standing in a pot hole it doesn't look like a pot is it a pot hole it looks like a collapse in the road but he's standing in the pot hole asking is this the worst pot hole on record it certainly looks like it I mean I've heard of losing your tyre in a pot hole but certainly not the lower half of your body but he's standing in it will fair play to him a picture paints a thousand words so they say and that is a that is a significant one all right Hugh Harper joins me on the program now Hugh how are you and how's Donna and how are you keeping hey Greg um good question every day is a different day that's but the the the only thing I haven't gone on this a day without you on that um that's we're doing all right it's ups and downs and it comes in waves I presume for you Hugh just hits you right hits you like a lightning bolt at any time you're you're beautiful weather but we're having there quite recently and you know you always would have been taken full advantage of it's not especially there with a rally you know it's listen it's one of those first times over and over again you know without having done it here but it was a huge a huge rally fan as well and would have been uh with you or friends Hugh enjoying that and we know that okay we were speaking earlier on about the the plan that's being developed um for um for for Creasler um and and listen we have to plan for the future and you know the the area has to be developed and and that probably would have had to have happened in any case but uh for you obviously especially for someone outside of uh Creasler Hugh uh your focus presumably is going to be on the scene of this awful tragedy the scene where you lost your daughter of course there's great yeah um we I suppose we can relate to and away 9-11 as it's ground zero that's that's where the explosion took place that's where 10 people lost their lives and many people who were injured um it's always going to be the focal point for us uh and it always will be what would you like to see there uh Hugh or not there for that matter that's the most important question for some minute Greg not there is that building we we as a family uh and I want to be clear that I'm not representing directly other families but it may be indirectly um we feel that that building there's there's still standing the remnants of that building when you look at it it brings you right back to that that day the 7th and 8th October that is a stark reminder that that is it's just something that we feel now at this stage that time so much time has passed on that that's no longer needed it's no longer wanted and can I say an add to this just for listeners that may not be aware um your daughter lay there for 24 hours uh Leona was the last uh person to be removed from that site so she lay there for 24 hours it has a a particular significance for you and for your wife who stood vigil waiting for news at that point this is ingrained and enshrined in your life now forever more that part of this entire planet um what would you like to see there if this building is gone if anything um Hugh have you considered that well people have asked me quite recently that question and the only thing that I can answer the moment Greg is anything is better than what's there at the moment um I understand that it's that's private property I understand that it's it's a commercial site I do understand all that but I suppose from the perspective of the person to be in work this morning I have I have a con purpose you know some of these days in the kind of council obviously they've they've helped us through a table of mind but not always there if you need them but um I suppose my thinking on on what's going on at the moment is the regeneration um a regeneration for Chrysler um I do welcome that it's something that is needed it's something that as Liam said is there for the healing of the people on the ground and you know the next walks that are not from Chrysler and others that are not from Chrysler but I can't understand how you can regenerate one part of the town and still have that part of the world and still salmon to me you could you could print to all the buildings in the town with bright nice colors you could sweep the streets you could you could do whatever you want to to make that tone look new and tidy and you can I hold you for a second because I want to have to break for the news and I want to hear further what you have to say so stay where you are and we'll come back to you very very shortly but it is 11 o'clock so let's get that news and as I say then we'll return to Hugh good morning Donald cabinet thank you great good morning the chair of the legal county council's Chrysler working group is urging people to attend a public consultation at mass on this hall today as work continues on two projects director of services Liam Ward says the open event between two and eight this evening will update people on progress with the village plan and also present details of a community regeneration project which the council hopes to carry out protesters have interrupted the government's consultative forum on international security policy a number of people began chanting anti-war slogans and heckled the tarnished in cork this morning behold martin was opening the first day of discussions on the country's foreign security and defence policies up to 50 people had gathered outside a handful were inside the lecture hall at ucc the those been told the west and northwest is being used as a picturesque region in which to launch plans but is being ignored when it comes to their implementation slaggy trim and south donnie gall deeply mark mcshary hit out a transport minister a man ryan who recently indicated at a meeting of officials and councillors in slago that there'd be no money available for the knock cologne upgrade of the n17 despite the fact he said it's been identified as a key element of the atlantic economic corridor tomorrow night june 23rd is st john's eve traditionally a night when fires were lit at sunset and had to be watched and tended until early morning the bonfire tradition remains strong and passive donnie gall with donnie gall county council particularly anxious that people don't waste use waste materials such as mattresses tires and sofas on their bonfires and the supply of oxygen in the missing submersible in the atlantic ocean is dwindling rapidly oxygen on board the vessel carrying five people is forecast to run out at eight minutes past 12 this afternoon and we're back with news headlines again at 12 then all right donal thank you very much indeed now just before the headlines there or we're in the conversation with hugh harper and talking about the regeneration but of course hugh and others as well are very much focused as you can imagine on the site of this awful tragedy and i think it's just worth reminding ourselves as well that we're still well shy of the first anniversary of this awful tragedy and also we have yet to find out the findings of a of a report into it as far as i'm aware hugh so i don't want to put words in your mouth hugh but just picking up on what you said before 11 is it difficult for you to say really how can we progress or get things right until such time as we talk about the actual scene of of this explosion you were saying yes you can develop this here and paint that there but whilst that remains or whilst we don't know what's going to happen really particularly those affected by the tragedy is it difficult then to to to move forward with these these plans yeah you you've you've helped an eel in the head greg how how can there be a development plan or a village development plan or or any other plant that doesn't include um that that state that that to me that to me it has to be it has to be togetherness it has to be all in one uh plan it can't one plan can't go ahead without without and no one what's going to happen that's on that side to me doesn't make sense to me uh suppose i'm trying to say is you can develop one end of the town you can you know you can put as much love and heart and blood sweat and tears into as you want and then once you turn the corner to understand the the the the caravan park there belong belong with the roger family you know all that good work is undone for me um i'm sure there's people that come to it that caravan park of lorkers there and the visitor a beautiful town a beautiful area with lovely attractions but the the last word of our lips on the leaving is that building you know what happened in craisler um and i suppose in a way that's a memorial at the monot and it's not a fitting memorial that's that's something that's that's reminding people people that live local the past that every day that lost people in that building that were injured in that building and my heart goes out to them for and in a way i had to say i had to use the word lucky but we are in a way that we're not passing that every day we don't have to see it every day and to be quite honest we find it right if we're to go towards the craisler because we know that about this understanding if there's something was developed there um that was in agreement with everyone that was was a tribute you know i'm thinking of uh i'm thinking of the anger that i was reading about some time ago when there was some suggestion of doing something else with the stardust site right people were up in arms saying you can't do this this is the scene of a tragedy this is the not the final resting place of course but where people perished and and and what have you for some people it's unimaginable that that would become a business again okay and i understand we're a small area okay and we're all neighbors and friends and no one's doing anything bad as such we're just trying to all work through this together okay and so i hope no one thinks i'm trying to make any points here Hugh but it's just no it's on it's on it's unimaginable for some people at the very least some people would say right it's the heart of the town it should be vibrant and that's a fitting uh memorial others would say well it should be some sort of a place where you can go and reflect and sit and can contemplate and maybe somewhere you could actually when the time is right for you Hugh go and remember your beautiful daughter it's a difficult one but it can't be rushed and i think we have to try and make sure we find the right way of doing the right thing yeah i agree Greg um as i was trying to resolve a development on that properly i haven't thought that far ahead um it's it's very early days yet but i think what we do need is more information as into what what maybe the owners think that they would like to do with it maybe to have before we rush into to do much of a development plan to maybe look into exactly what is going to happen with that building what what the proposals are um we are kept on the loop by the creases community association um they do their best even though we don't really visit the town that much uh we do go down on the odd occasion very very rare just to to to stand and say a prayer and drive on it's very difficult but um i think we need more discussion uh and a bit of clarity um i think after that then decisions can be made to exact exactly what would be certain uh do people agree to a new build what does it what do the owners want that's it is very early yet but i think at this stage know that some movement on that is needed and i think it kind of maybe has to be done and discussed outside of the planning process because let's just say hypothetically i have no knowledge of what the plans are there or if there are any plans don't get me wrong but we could find ourselves in a situation where someone like yourself might have to be making your points as part of a submission to a planning application for an example if you know what i mean i presume that's oh yeah we don't we want this to be discussed and agreed and everyone accommodated as best as possible not in that format or that environment well if this is if this is a community regeneration that has to involve all the community it can't be a crested community association and the rest outside of that you know we're in this together that's that's something that happened in a small community everybody in that community was affected even us outside and other families are outside that community but i think at this stage now it'd go nine months um we need some movement we need to hear exactly what the thoughts are um and i suppose the end of the day that's what i'm doing now i'm calling on people to come up with the ideas and the owners to to clarify what their positions are um from the point of view greg that and again this is not i'm not important to the owners i'm i'm not ridiculing that i'm not um it's just from that building i don't know what they see when they see that building but what i see it's it's a sheer devastation that brings me back to stammer for the 24 hours getting the owners body and going across the road to identify it in the mortuary it's it's a story that just is playing out in my head and when i see that building every time whatever today's day does today's day for me if i was there now there's more than a time today's day today is the 7th of October 2022 okay Hugh thanks for your time best wishes to you Donna and the rest of the families you worked through this awful loss uh thanks for your time this morning thank you greg and just before i go i just want to make it clear that i'm not i'm not given days to go to the country or the property owners that's just it's just my opinion well you're entitled to it and thanks for sharing it with us Hugh Hugh Hopper there the 90 noon show is brought to you by letterkenny credit union with monster loans available up to 60 000 euro for all occasions visit letterkennycu.ie driving unproperly inflated tires will reduce your fuel consumption extend the life of your tires and it's better for the environment get your tires checked by a circle elt member today there are almost 3000 member outlets nationwide circle elt ireland's tire compliance scheme and its members help recycle and recover over four million tires every year to find out more visit circle elt.ie circle end-of-life tires driving a sustainable tomorrow are you tired of how you feel despite diet and exercise are you struggling to lose weight do you need help to achieve your weight loss goals at letterkenny medics private clinic we are offering a free consultation to ascertain if you are suitable for treatment on our weight management program all consultations are confidential and completed by an experienced doctor we are open seven days per week from 10 a.m to 10 p.m to facilitate your needs to book an appointment go to letterkenny medics dot i e letterkenny medics we listen if you want to talk in the next 15 seconds you're going to find out where is the best place in the northwest to buy a bed or mattress it's rest text beds and furniture mountaintop letterkenny where comfort meets style all the new citron models are on display this week during the open week at highland motors letterkenny c3 and c3 aircross suv c4 petrol diesel and electric the c5 aircross suv in petrol and diesel plus berlingo vans all in stock and ready for july delivery call mark for a test drive on nine one two seven double zero seven the citron open week now on at highland motors letterkenny nothing moves you like a citron do you need to get smart with your spending so you can do more with your money sounds like a lot of work not with on post money manager the smart budgeting app that does the work for you securely link all your current accounts and credit cards and see all your spending in one place what if i'm running low on cash you get a heads up with spending and budget alerts sounds expensive not at all it's free to use whoever you bank whip say no more i'm going to download the app now do more with your money no matter who you bank whip search on post money manager on post is authorized by the minister for finance to provide payment services and is regulated by the central bank of ireland in the provision of such services now we are delighted to welcome back on to the program uh keely taverner psychotherapist author and uh coach a very good morning to you keely how are you getting on not too bad how are you sir it's great to see you again how are you keeping house uh summer in london it's not going too bad i've moved to buckinhamshire now so i'm very nice i'm certainly out but not too far around yeah you have the best of both worlds you can dip your toe into city life or you can chill a little bit i'm loving it i don't want it but now i've made the move i'm very glad that i have good stuff it's a big thing in our life moving isn't it um now if you want to put a question to keely 08 660 25 000 or you can call 07 491 25 000 so we hop straight into it keely a couple of questions all right i met a lovely fellow last year he separated and has two children we all get along fantastically he's got a good parenting relationship with the children's mother now he is we sit now he is suggested we all go on holiday together i said no but if you want to take the kids on holiday with the mom work away not thinking he would now they're happily planning this holiday in august am i being unreasonable to think this shouldn't have happened and they're separated and therefore should have taken the kids on separate holidays well i guess in the first instance you said you didn't have an issue with it which clearly wasn't your truth so that would make me more curious about whether you have an agreeable nature whether you have a desire to please people at your own expense because based on your acceptance of it the individual has then gone and made the plans because they got the okay from you but now it's not okay and that's okay because sometimes we can say yes to things and as they go forward we kind of revisit things so my encouragement would be to have the conversation with the individual about not feeling a hundred percent tickety-boo about how things are manifesting to what point though to say look at uh you know she heads away with the children you stay with me or stuff it is their late availability on a flight because sort of they're at the point now whereby she either has to accept it or do something about it and i presume that that's the part maybe she's looking for keely to help with well i would suggest that she has the conversation about not being surprised or now it's actually happening she needs to decide would she would she want to go or have him not go i think that actually can create quite an issue because the partner then may feel well listen this is something that's important to me i you know i want my children to have holidays with me so i would begin to