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A FIREFIGHTER HAS been hospitalised after being rescued from an upstairs window while battling a blaze at a house in Athy, Co Kildare.
Emergency services were called to the fire on Canal Walk at around 10.05 this morning.
The Athy and Stradbally units of the fire brigade responded to the call and four fire tenders and around 15 firefighters were required to tackle the blaze.
One of the firefighters was injured during the incident and had to be rushed to hospital.
Kildare’s Chief Fire Officer Celina Barrett revealed that he sustained an injury after being rescued from an upstairs window.
It had initially been thought the incident was a gas leak, but Gas Networks Ireland confirmed this was not the case.
Barrett said the rescue worker got in trouble after the fire “developed in an unpredictable way.”
Unfortunately one of the firefighters sustained an injury and had to be hospitalised but his injuries are not life threatening and he will make a full recovery.
Barrett said there is no indication what started the fire but it is now under control. Garda crime scene experts are now at the house, which is cordoned off.
Local Councillor Mark Wall, who arrived at the house shortly after the fire took hold, said the blaze spread rapidly and it has done significant smoke damage to the house.
“Most importantly everyone is okay. I’m told everyone is okay,” said Wall.
The family who live in the house had vacated the building shortly before the fire took hold, the councillor said.
Emergency services remain at the scene and diversions have been put in place on roads in the area. Other houses in the area have not been evacuated.
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As clear as mud! Leo under investigation, Donnelly is a disaster, Martin sending mixed messages. It’s a shambles. When will we get real change?
@Daniel Bohan: you forgot to mention Eamon Ryan. I think he even forgets that he’s in government
@Daniel Bohan: And they are all scared of King Tony who is running the shop
@Daniel Bohan: when people like Understand that people are Dying Numbers are High each Day a d in Hospitals when we the people do what’s best and keep our distances Then and only then will we get A Clear Path out of This
@Brian Madden: definitely forgets where he is anyway ..he’s asleep hand the time! Pay Rise well earned!
@Hear me now: *half
@Tony Humphreys: it’s not you who’s King Tony anyway. People need to realise that when they didn’t listen to “King Tony” and opened the country, cases went bonkers because the public didn’t listen. So unfortunately, to stop people dying (before we are all vaccinated), we need to keep the country locked down. It would be different if you lost someone you love, or god forbid, you got a serious dose of it…
@Brian Madden: his wage helps him remember
@Daniel Bohan: The only thing clear about all of this is that they are reactive instead of proactive which saddens me as it is causing further loss of life unnecessarily. If they had listened to the experts in NPHET last October we wouldn’t be in this current quagmire. Who are they representing???
@Frank Cauldhame: you’re correct about been reactive, but what NPHET advice did they ignore last October. It was listening to NPHET, particularly Tony Holohan who on return from extended leave insisted on unnecessarily going from lvl 3 to lvl 5 that created the pent up demand that helped fuel the Christmas surge. We have been at lvl 5 since the 20 October, except for 3 weeks, What more did NPHET want?
For some reason there’s a view that all success is down to NPHET, failure down to government.
NPHET is just a rebrand for the senior Dept. Of Health and HSE management team who have mismanaged our health service and been instrumental in multiple health scandals over the last 20+ years.
@Andy O’B: I did lose someone to it also to mental health issues. I do know several that had it. People are dying everyday from all sorts of illness including ones where diagnosis were missed because of covid. Not all people will be vaccinated there will be some who wont want it. So do we still keep it closed down. Lockdowns are not working they are only creating a myriad of other problems. If people want to stay indoors that’s fine . But it’s time to open up the economy and let others live theirs. This government is a shambles there is no living with covid plan. Holohan is now running the show.
@Derdaly: Exactly but you are not suppose to criticise Holohan. I put up something similar to what you have said regarding the levels several times. A lot if them were removed!!
@Brian Madden: he’s off growing vegetables on a window sill
@Brian Madden: good point….what exactly is his function again….awful chancer…..
@Brian Madden: The less we hear of him the better, total sell out. Greens are a disaster.
@Brian Madden: shhhhhh. Its nap time.
@Daniel Bohan: this pandemic has shown severe lack of organisational ability across public services. With 10k beds in the hospital system how can 700 inpatients be causing such duress. A protracted vaccine program. The government comms and handling of the so called lockdown… which btw is non existent in Dublin! The sound bite Donnelly who should be sacked as had nothing but self interest in mind.. shall I stop?
@Derdaly: We should have stayed at level 5 as advised by NPHET instead of taking a three week break for Christmas. Cancelling Christmas in the traditional sense for one year would have been a small sacrifice, look at the damage it has caused with the virus spiralling out of control. With regard to the Health Service nothing has changed in how its run for as long as I can remember except its name. It was a bit like changing Walter Mitty’s name to John Smith and expecting his personality/ character to correct itself. Successive FF & FG led Governments have overseen all of this since the inception of the Health Board but have either failed nor had the will to fix the problems which are at administrative level. I would always heed the advise of NPHET over that of career politicians.
@Daniel Bohan: The problem is that the two feet of the same clown are pointing in different directions.
@Frank Cauldhame: you do know that NPHET is mostly made up of the same Dept of Health and HSE senior mgmt that have been there through successive governments.
Holohan put the govt into the position in Dec as he insisted on the lvl 5 on 20 Oct when numbers were declining under lvl 3. When the additional restrictions failed to deliver more than the lvl 3 there was no way for the Govt to keep people locked up in December, like now there would be a backlash.
Christmas was due to the total disregard of the psychology of the public by NPHET. They have consistently employed one tool. Where was pro active testing of nursing home staff in October and November. Where is the increased capacity and capabilities in our hospitals, the “experts” are NPHET, not the politicians.
@Derdaly:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/who-are-the-nphet-members-overseeing-ireland-s-response-to-covid-19-1.4241823
NPHET Members:
Dr Tony Holohan, CMO at the Dept of Health.
Prof Colm Bergin, infectious diseases consultant at St James’s Hosp and Prof of Medicine at TCD.
Paul Bolger, director of Dept of Health resources division.
Dr Eibhlin Connolly, deputy CMO at the Dept of Health.
Tracey Conroy, assistant secretary in the acute hospitals division of the Dept of Health.
Dr John Cuddihy, interim director of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
Dr Cillian de Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory in UCD.
Colm Desmond, assistant secretary for corporate legislation, mental health, drugs policy and food safety division in dept of health.
@Derdaly: Who do you trust, the list of experts I provided above who make up NPHET or Leo Varadker, Simon Harris, Micheal Martin or Stephen Donnelly?
@vanc: the lockdown is non existent in Dublin? What an utterly ridiculous comment to make. I live in Dublin city and the only people I know who are working are in healthcare or working from home. The only shops open are supermarkets, convenience, hardware and pharmacies. How does this make lockdown non existent?
@Derdaly: Let’s not forget that the ‘great’ Tony Holohan is also the man who presided over the Cervical Check fiasco. Can’t understand why people are willing to put so much faith in him.
@Frank Cauldhame: there are 35 people on the NPHET board, most are career civil servants. There are 6 deputy CMOs, 2 x PR gurus, 1 X epidemiologist, no immunologists, no logistics experts. It is a committee of public servants who’s only interest is in not collapsing the disastrous health service they have built and mismanaged.
Absolute joke and no sign of it improving,while we watch enviously at our neighbours in the uk getting on with vaccines and road map in place with date to look forward to and plans can be made our lot just go around like headless chickens thinking of ways to blame people for their inept handling of the pandemic ,lockdown down and vaccine rollout. While people can continue to fly in from countries with different variants Reid blames kids on visiting friends for a cuppa for the increased rates…salon owner gets visit from garda and told to shut down mosque is allowed stay open in breach of rules. Funerals are reduced to 10 people yet other sector of society can have as many as they like attend without fear of garda intervention, can’t travel more than 5k without risking a fine yet can fly thousands of miles without fear of and financial penalties…. 12 months on and still no cogent plan to enforce isolation in hotels yet other countries can do it no problem….meanwhile politicians look forward to pay rises,continue to grab expenses and the new must have for tds a security fence paid for by the tax payer….
@Martin Smith: Well said Martin
@Martin Smith: Well said Martin, there’s a reason why there allowed to fly in ……. Larry Goodman, same old same old shenanigans, you scratch my back (politicians) I will scratch your back.
Country is fkd up
@Martin Smith: I think the rubberbandits have the best take on these gobsh!tes https://twitter.com/Rubberbandits/status/1364296806855753733?s=19
@Martin Smith: well said
@Martin Smith: Can u not see its Brussells running the show . And where is the DAIL BJ make plan present it to common to vote on. Here cabinet make decisIon and tells dail. Neither taoiseach minister owes RTE or any media or voter any account of how and why they reach decision they do but to DAIL OF 166 TD (less taoiseach and min that taoiseach and min account to ) but the TD not doing anything not engaged at all in formulation of NATIONAL policy ON THIS PANDEMIC.
It going to go on until people turn to TD and start blaming them for no vaccines and no mandatory quarantie etc cos believe it or not it the DAIL that hold all the card but not using them .. TD just not organised like commons.
@PMG:
With their big payrise coming up they are all happy as Larry!!!!!
In the meantime OAPS. are still awaiting full restoration of 2008 entitlements???
@Martin Smith: u MUST remember that road map is laid before the COMMONS and MP actively engaged in formulation of national policy in this huge crisis.
Here cabinet make decision and tell Dail and end of storey even though GOVT ACCOUNT TO DAIL.
And neither taoiseach or min owes any explanation of how and why cabinet make these decision to anyone but DAIL amaze me how people accept lack of DAIL involvement in NATIONAL POLICY.
@PMG: Martin when asked by Kelly on Virgin News at 12.30 about the 2500 Brazilians Martin stutteringly replied they were Irish Brazilians .I was actually embarrassed for him. Kelly just sat their shaking his head in disbelief. Mind you his reply wasn’t broadcast on RTE news!!
@Franny Ando: RTE can’t bite the hand that feeds it (too much). Just show enough teeth to be taken somewhat seriously as a journalistic medium.
Why is there a media blackout on the Journal & RTE about the lady in balbriggan opening her salon to earn her living? Or are we afraid the brave lady will give others the courage?
@David Lee: I’d be the first in for an appointment if I had any hair
@David Lee: Noticed that alright …. I hope all the family-owned SME’s have the courage to open up and survive. What’s worse…. Getting blacklisted for not paying the mortgage, and having to ration the kids’ dinners, or the infinitesimal risk of being hospitalized with this virus….?
If it was me, and anyone tried to stop me, there’d be a few sore faces on my way to jail.
@David Lee: I was wondering the same thing. Pretty important news, as has been reported by numerous other media, but not the journal for some reason? And for what it’s worth, she’s now been arrested..
@David Lee: Brave, Give over.
Not at all. It looks like each TD are saying something different. Very confusing. Who is actually running the show outside NPHET?
@Kim Steen Hansen: the lack of common sense or nuance within the restrictions leads to totally undermining of any messages. Why 5km, not 10 or 20 or travel in your own county. Why can you click and collect a new vacuum cleaner but not a pair of shoes or a book? Why can you go for a walk with a person not in your household but you can’t play a game of golf with them?
We patently aren’t in the same situation as January 1st but are in the same level of restrictions. No one in their right minds is asking for pubs to open but it’s time to let people visit their families again.
@Derdaly: Exactly, having a blanket ban on everything regardless of the risk is not a plan. No leadership, no vision. It’s just lock it all down and we’ll see what happens in a few months. Desperate governance.
@Kim Steen Hansen: Under constitution GOVT (Taoiseach and ministers) ACCOUNT TO DAIL EIREANN but and wont happen until people stop obsessing about one man job of min and taoiseach . Amazing how MEDIA and People seem to have no problem at all with DAIL NOT BEING INVOLVED in National Responses. All td are doing is commenting on govt decisions on airwaves.
They’re all so busy being busy that they’re achieving nothing. What is crystal clear is that there is no plan! They’ve communicated that excellently!
If they have bit of dignity they should resign and give a chance for someone who really want to do something for this country and have a plan and vision for future
@Robert Robert: No chance of that happening with this lot Robert! After all, this is Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael we’re talking about here.
@Robert Robert: Who?
@Robert:
And the Greens, who ran the Country over a Cliff.
@Michael Reilly: you know who this trio what we see all day on press
@Robert Robert: Who did you have in mind? Without Ff/Ff/Greens you dont have anywhere near the numbers.
@Robert Robert: a general election in the midst of a pandemic?
Listening to ministers being interviewed on the radio would make anyone angry, reading straight from a script
@Damo: Charlie McConalogue was on Pat Kenny earlier. Kenny tore strips out of him for governments lack of vision and common sense. Charlie stayed on script and didn’t answer one single question, primarily because there is no answer available from government. I get that it is very tricky to ascertain when restoration of normal everyday life is a viable reality, but if you are going to keep Ireland locked down for a prolonged spell, they need something to aspire to. Boris, for all his many failings, did exactly that, albeit laiden with caveats. Our lot have taken living with covid to another level, and the one trick pony that is the jab seems to be the only show in town. Dragging their heels legislating for enforced quarantine in hotels, an impotent attitude to the border, and no end game.
@Adrian O’Donnell: 100% Adrian
It’s cute that people in Ireland actually think things might change on the 5th of April. It’s like they haven’t been paying attention for the past 12 months.
They will use the illusion of high infection rates to lock people down again.
This only ends when we say no.
@Eoin Ó Cuinneagáin: Absolutely. At least the number of people saying “sure it’s only a few more weeks” are less and less. How long can those people keep assuming that the government will have things sorted in just a few more weeks? It’s been a year!
@Eoin Ó Cuinneagáin: “it’s only one St Patrick’s Day.” “It’s only one Easter.” “It’s only for a few weeks.” Et cetera et cetera ad nauseam.
Few days back when over 100 people was in that mosque and 12 calls was made to Garda no one show up at the scene even if was recorded no sign of measures was taken…but yesterday when that poor woman open her shop over 3 guards was there to fined and close her all I can say is SHAME
Haven’t a clue what there doing. Health Minister a joke. Don’t know his left from right.. but he doesn’t care doesn’t effect his
Still on full wages and we are stuck on PUP for 11 months … If he and his gang were. It would be sorted Sooner
it was so clear that they annoyed the whole country,I can’t wait till country gets angry and everyone goes to Dublin for questions that the press can’t ask
You have, Mehole, Leo, Donnelly, Ryan saying stuff, throw in the shinners, Smith, shortfall, creating in certainty. Then you have Reid and the HSE mouthing off and throw in scientist a that take to the airwaves etc. No wonder the nation gets confused
Martin says one thing, Lei says another. They are too busy trying to outdo each other in the media, rather than getting anything done.
As clear as a brick wall.
Hopeless.
Michael may have well have just come down those stairs at government buildings and do the Jerusalema into the camera for all the good it was.
We couldn’t organise a p!ss up in a brewery. Sick of hearing of the vaccine ramp up, that’s not been happening, buy our own jabs too instead of waiting for EU bureaucracy to catch up with the pandemic.
You know you’re not doing a good job when people on the Journal are praising Boris Johnson. The UK plan gives people hope, whereas ours is a combination of mixed messages and doom and gloom.
Living with covid roadmap should be called SURVIVE WITH COVID
@Robert Robert: survive with this government.
Even that seagull from the picture looks confused. No there are not clear.
Clear as mud
Both are as thick as two short planks .
When, as leader of our country, you are talking about extending restrictions via a British tabloid newspaper BEFORE addressing the nation in a proper manner on the plinth, then NO – communication has not been clear in recent weeks. Not only has it not been clear, it has been downright insulting the manner in which they are informing us right now of plans.
What’s the purpose of all these polls? Is it just data collection to be shared with goverment or sold on? So many polls lately seems very strange.
@TBPOF: The polls on the journal have been feedback for the government for quite some time now.
Where’s the LOL option?
Flip Flop, Flop Flip, Followed by Waffle everyone’s fault, Wafflers at their Finest
Muppets couldn’t get anything clear
Yes – there’s No plan and they’re not going to be held accountable to any dates/targets that would be included in a real plan, thus No plan
It’s a disgrace this government making things up as they go along not giving people any sort of hope just stay in your house all will be fine. Mental health has gone out the window they don’t care what it’s doing to people
@John Quinn: should I add suicide rate?poverty?joblessness?
The government has been a complete shambles from the very start of this pandemic. You have to give them one thing though, at least they’re consistent.
Generations plunged into debt overnight in bank bail out – no involvement of Dail, Seanad or the E in that disastrous decision. Mandatory quarantine for all incoming travellers by air, sea and land including fruit pickers and meat packers which could help to keep new variants out of the country will take weeks to implement. Enough said.
it hasn’t been clear since the start
Clear enough when you don’t bother listening to all the falaphal in between. I blame the “journalists”, well done, creating quality content there! Sure what else are ye employed to do!
What exactly is it people don’t understand? Stay at home when possible, wash your hands. Wait until summer until supplies of vaccine reach us.
@Anthony Clark: Seriously get a grip. If you actually believe this will happen by summer you are very naive. It’s time to open up the country.
@Anthony Clark: Heard that last summer. Here are a few for you. How do we move between levels, what numbers does it have to hit. Why is it deemed countries with low levels won’t have to quarantine but Kerry are still at level 5. Some counties have 10 times the infection rate as Kerry but all level 5. How is certain outdoor activities like golf band when the risk is so low. Why were all the Brazilians let in while Irish people get fined for been 6km away? Thanks in advance for you willingness to make me understand these.
@Eamonn Martin: Answers to all the questions are simple – no one knows – not the Gov, Not SF or any of the parties not in power, not UK, not Sweeden.
Each government is handling it as best they seem fit, some winging it – some, like us, using advice from their health experts – pressure from Media and populist views is only forcing bad decisions – like open restrauants for Christmas – see how that turned out.
As clear as mud really. 200 and more people in the polling saying the messaging was clear, seriously? Sure Leeky said there today that communications need a reset, practically admitting it was made a balls of as per usual. Anyone know what tourism minister Catherine Murphy is up to? Hardly too much now. Get her sorting out mandatory quarantining with hotels.
@Gavin Mckenna: Sorry. *Catherine Martin.
No no no no no no and no. Make a plan, tell us the plan.
As clear as the sky was yesterday.
This is Ireland and no matter what’s going on its always related to money those making the decisions have no worries in that department the Government getting better salary’s so are a large cohort of the population so they do have support, Lets face if your employed or on the pension under the Public Sector who would want a change of Government or the current system. There is no respect for the private sector unless your a Millionaire. So who really is having a tough time ?
Doesn’t take much to explain their latest non-plan. All they’ve got is “open the schools”. That’s it. Not a word about anyone being allowed to see family. Not a word about restarting the economy. Apparently not safe to allow construction or other sectors to operate outdoors or on small sites where social distancing can be organised by keeping trades separate. By some miracle though, it’s safe to allow all school children to sit in their crowded classrooms, with poor ventilation, and with a variant that is far more infectious for children than the previous virus. Add to that the thousands and thousands of parents who will now be doing the school run and just having a quick “chat” with the other parents outside the school and you have a million people interacting while the economy dies.
One thing I have noticed on social media and the media in general is that many people and journalists making comments have very short attention spans and do not understand the health advice…..despite being told otherwise most people I know have never been confused about government advice…the goal is to cut down as much as possible the spread of the virus by restricting movement and socialising. The advice can be contradictory with regards to one sector and another. It doesn’t have to be fair, just because one sector such as grocery shops and other essential businesses are allowed to open doesn’t mean that other businesses or sports can open even though they say that they can open safely, people will congregate or have to travel there therefore they create additional risk of spread.
@Kevin50: And there are people like you who sit upon their high horse pontificating. When you have your livelihood taken from you for almost a year, when you have to live on 350 euro a week. When you lie awake night after night worrying about how to pay your mortgage, bills and feed your children then you will understand. Until then stay safe you could suffer serious injury if and when you fall off.
@Franny Ando: I run a business…I provide services to the many sectors including the hospitality sector and also the private sector and struggle to get paid to pay our staff…we have been giving extended credit to hospitality sector customers. If you can’t live on your Covid payment… there are jobs out there if you look… stop wallowing in your self pity and go find one
As clear as Stevie Wonder shopping for knickers in Roches stores with Stephen Hawkings as his personal assistant & Fatima Whitbread as his bodyguard.
Poll: is the temperature warm in the Antarctic in mid-winter? Yes/no?
Journal, Are you having a laff? This is the worst government ever in getting things organised- and this is after the mountain of PR people they have hired to spin over their mistakes, which they would not need if they actually did things correctly or heaven forbid, even close on time!
They are clear when issued but the RTE and other media mess them up.
Nothing makes sense to me. I’m not from Kilkenny. They are still in level 5 and they have no cases.
How’s the media’s communication been?
Recent Weeks? It has never been clear, between TV, radio interviews, newspaper articles, tweets, fb & instagram post the only thing clear is the constant inconsistencies throughout all the communications.
Nope! It’s a pity the Tanaiste won’t keep his mouth shut and the Taoiseach take some real leadership
Fail to see how it’s not been clear.
Locked down after Christmas and told there will be a review going into March.
Consistently stated during this period that the country will unlikely be allowed out of lockdown after March 5th and will review in April.
Couldn’t be any clearer. Not great that we are here but, how anyone has not been able to understand this message beggars belief.
Probably the same people giving an 83% “Good Job” rating to Tony while bashing Martin and Varadkar……their current roles on Covid are inextricably linked one impacts the other.
I would need a clarification why it’s safe for small children to go back to schools which had no changes made on the way they are going to operate
but
they would still need to see how that goes to bring the next safe classes in.
That makes no sense at all and that’s only from one man.
This is a joke poll, right?
This is a joke poll,
have your say