Colm Hayes and friends – Before The Day Was New

Kristine writyes:

I know that we’re nearing saturation point with lockdown music collaborations but think that this one’s worth sharing. Beautiful song and performance from Colm Hayes and co

Gary Baus – Alto Sax
Cian McCarthy – Piano
Grace McMahon – Backing Vocals
Cárthach Ó’Nuanáin – Banjo
Tom Edwards – Bass
Niall Dennehy – Percussion

Another fascinating animated science class from German educational design studio Kurzgesagt. handing the reins to anthropologist John Green, who discusses the extraordinary discovery made by 18-year-old French mechanic Marcel Ravidat in 1940 thanks to his dog, Robot.

Previously: Why Are You Alive?

From top: Leo Varadkar in the Phoenix Park, Dublin last Snday; Deputy Assistant Secretary General at the Department of Taoiseach Elizabeth Canavan

“Outdoor spaces and tourism sites, including car parks beaches and trails will be opened, where people can move around freely and where social distancing can be maintained. If you’re visiting a public amenity, try not to stay too long at the site or have picnics. Please do your exercise and then go home.”

Deputy Assistant Secretary General at the Department of Taoiseach, Elizabeth Canavan on May 18

Fluffybiscuits writes:

Leo contravening the goverment’s own advice: No picnics in the park?

Yesterday: Sunday In The Park With Leo

Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar denies picnic with friends was Covid-19 rule breach (The Guardian)

Rollingnews

This morning.

From 11am.

The Special Committee on Covid-19 Response will meet in the Dáil chamber.

They will discuss the Government’s response to Covid-19 in nursing homes, in the first two sessions at 11.10am and 2pm respectively, and direct provision centres, in the third session at 4.30pm.

Some 54 per cent of the 1,606 Covid-related deaths in Ireland took place in nursing homes, while there have been 13 clusters and 171 cases overall in direct provision centres. At least 25 residents of the Skellig Star Hotel in Caherciveen, Co Kerry (top) which was turned into a direct provision centre in March, have tested positive.

It’s being reported that Nursing Homes Ireland CEO Tadhg Daly will tell the committee, in his opening address, that “the dismay will live forever with us” and:

“We were exasperated. The sector required a specific plan. We knew that Covid-19 disproportionately impacts on older people. The planning and focus was almost exclusively on our acute hospitals. Multiple clusters initially emerged in our hospitals. But the numbers in nursing homes started to increase.”

According to the meeting’s schedule, those appearing before the committee include CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland Tadhg Daly, Executive Director of Sage Advocacy Mervyn Taylor, CEO of HIQA Phelim Quinn, and representatives from the HSE and the Department of Justice.

The committee meeting can be watched above or here

Meanwhile, a transcript of last week’s committee meeting can be read in full here.

Previously: Covid 19 And Older People: A Shameful Time For Change

An Uncomfortable Truth Out Of Sight

“Please Start Moving People Now”

Ah here.

Just a flavour of the immense silliness of RTÉ One’s Claire Byrne Live over the past two months, from ‘how to wash your hands’ (top) to last night’s jet plane interior seating reenactment.

Not all superheroes have blonde bobs.

Previously: Claire Byrne Live on Broadsheet

Met Éireann has issued an alert to farmers warning of weather conditions ‘conducive to the spread of potato blight’

It seems that the weather soon might
Be cause for good cheer and delight
But sadly it could
Be bad for the spud
As the boffins are warning of blight

John Moynes

Pic: Shutterstock

This evening.

Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health Dr Tony Holohon told the nightly press briefing that no new Covid-19 deaths have been recorded.

He said 59 more Covid-19 cases have been diagnosed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 24,698.

Meanwhile, asked about businesses calling for the two-metre social distance rule to be reduce to one metre, Dr Holohan said:

“It is not a magic thing on its own. The measure of two metres does not mean that everything is safe outside of two metres and everything less than two metres is less safe. It’s a risk.

“So that if the average distance between people is one metre, the risk of transmission of infection of this kind is greater than if it’s two metres and greater than if it’s four metres and so on.

“And we think, for the moment, two metres is a reasonable compromise given where we are. But that’s something we’ll keep under constant review and I understand the position that businesses will have articulated in relation to some of those kinds of measures.”

UDPATE:

Dr Holohon also told journalists referred to the results of a Department of Health survey “hot off the presses”.

Participants were asked “On balance, do you think Ireland is trying to return to normal either too quickly, a bit too quickly, at about the right pace or a bit too slowly or much too slowly?”

Dr Holohon said the survey’s results show more than half of participants (56%) believe that it is being done “at about the right pace” and another 24% believe it’s being done “too quickly or much too quickly”.

He said:

“That shows the majority of people are cautious. This is where the public is at. And so I understand completely why people who have responsibility, if you like, for sectors, or people who are in advocacy positions in relation to particular parts of the economy and society would fell that we need to be moving on more quickly. But this is giving us a sense of where…so we can open certain escorts in the morning for example.

“But we also have to reflect on are the public going to feel that this is the right time in terms of going to feel sufficiently reassured to feel that it’s time to use a particular service if they don’t perceive that the risk for that service had been addressed sufficiently.

No new deaths from Covid-19, 59 additional cases (RTÉ)

Broadsheet.ie