Adrian McCusker, founder of the PostAselfie App

This afternoon.

Remember postcards?

Helen O’Dwyer writes:

The humble postcard had become an endangered commodity but a small fledgling business based in Kilkee in Co Clare has found a way to marry the powerful smartphone and the humble postcard with its PostASelfie App. 

Now PostASelfie want to help keep people connected and bring a smile to people for St Patrick Day at Ireland or abroad by offering their service FREE for 200 St Patricks Day Cards from Monday March 15th until Friday March 19th.  Offer is limited to one postcard per user.

“We came up with the idea of a simple-to-use app which combines the magic of a personal photograph with the enduring delight that people get when they receive a postcard from a friend, loved one or neighbour,” said Adrian McCusker, Founder of PostASelfie “we know how special it is for Irish people abroad to receive a postcard from home so we want to do our bit to help families stay connected and send love this St Patricks Day”

The PostASelfie App is available free to download from Postaselfie, Google Play or the Apple App store.

Simply take a picture or use an image from your phone library. The app will then ask you to type the address and a personal message.

Include ‘Happy St Patricks Day’ in the message, then swipe left to bypass the payment system and enter the voucher code: irelandx (all lower case).

PostASelfie

This morning.

The pipes are calling.

Via Independent.ie:

“The ESB state that in order to prevent further deterioration of the chimneys, steel caps were erected in 2015 and that the ongoing cost of the maintenance programme, which includes the removal of hazardous material and the decarbonising of the inner thermal lining, will run to several million euro, and that this will secure the chimneys in the medium term,” the council said.

In 2017, ESB gave a written commitment for 10 years to maintain the chimneys. The red and white chimneys, standing at 207m tall, were built in the 1970s and only had a planned lifespan of 30-40 years. As such, the power plant ceased production over 10 years ago with both chimneys being decommissioned officially in 2006 and 2010.

Dublin City Council added that in order to maintain the chimneys, it: “may give rise to the need for the structures to be encased in a new concrete or fibreglass casing”.

FIGHT!

Poolbeg chimneys ‘may need to be encased in fibreglass or concrete’ (Independent.ie)

RollingNews

From top: ads for children, 1960s and 1970s; Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman

This afternoon.
A review of illegal adoptions in the State has recommended against a full-scale inquiry,  Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman told cabinet colleagues this morning.

Via The Irish Times:

The sampling review is thought to have examined around 1,500 records held by the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla, finding around 260 instances where there was information or so-called “markers” which raised the suspicion or prospect that an illegal adoption may have taken place.
Based on the prevalence of so called “markers” within this sample, the review estimates that between around 5,500 and up to 20,000 files may have similar indicators within the wider archives.
It is understood that while files contain material or “markers” which raised suspicions, the review didn’t find clear evidence of illegal adoptions indicated.
….the review stops short of recommending a full-scale inquiry into the issue.

Good times.

Illegal adoptions review advises against inquiry despite thousands of ‘suspicious’ files (Irish Times)

RollingNews

What’s this curious little Mars-like planet? Well, it’s not Mars, but that’s there too. To wit:

In a digitally stitched little planet projection, the 360 degree mosaic was captured near San Pedro in the Chilean Atacama desert. Telescopes in domes on the horizon are taking advantage of the arid region’s famously dark, clear nights. Taken in early December, a magnificent Milky Way arcs above the horizon for almost 180 degrees around the little planet with Orion prominent in the southern sky. A familiar constellation upside down for northern hemisphere skygazers, Orion shares that southern December night almost opposite the Large and Small Magellanic clouds. But the Red Planet itself is the brightest yellowish celestial beacon in this little planet sky.

(Image: Robert Barsa)

apod

From top: Eamon Ryan, Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin

This morning.

Government Buildings, Merrion Street, Duublin 2.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin and ministers arrive for a cabinet meeting go discuss the Davy scandal and vaccine roll-out…

When asked if he would approach the British Prime Minister on sharing a vaccine surplus, Mr Martin said Boris Johnson has made it “clear” to him his first priority is to vaccinate his people.

He added, however, that it would be helpful to Ireland if the situation arose.

The Taoiseach said that right now the broader picture is on manufacturing capacity of vaccines and that the vaccine roll-out will pick up in quarter two.

Taoiseach ‘disappointed’ with aspects of vaccine supply issues (RTÉ)

RollingNews

Broadsheet.ie