LAST UPDATE | 22 Jan 2023
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
AN INVESTIGATION IS underway into the death of a man in his 80s following an incident at Cork’s Mercy University Hospital early this morning.
A man in his 30s has been arrested. Gardaí were alerted to the incident involving two men in the hospital just after 5:30 am this morning.
It’s understood the man in his late eighties died after an apparent assault in a ward of the hospital.
2. Chief of Staff Sean Clancy sat down with The Journal recently to discuss his 15 month tenure in the top job, the challenges of change and his message to the men and women of the Defence Forces.
It’s been a tumultuous period with the revelations of the Women of Honour scandal, the Covid-19 pandemic, war in Europe, the Commission on the Defence Forces report and an action plan to bring Defence into the modern era.
Clancy said the trauma and grief at the death of Private Seán Rooney shook the Defence Forces as 2022 ended.
3. Campaigners seeking the reopening of their local hospital have detailed how their efforts to discover the reasoning for its closure were thwarted and frustrated at every step of the way.
St Brigid’s District Hospital in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary was closed during the pandemic over what the HSE claimed were safety concerns, which have been disputed ever since by locals.
They appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Petitions this week, which resolved to summon representatives of the HSE and HIQA to come before it to be questioned over the decision to close the hospital in 2020.
4. A member of An Garda Síochána was seriously assaulted after responding to a call concerning an incident of dangerous driving at Gulliver’s Retail Park, Santry, at approximately 11:30 am yesterday.
During the course of an arrest, the Garda was assaulted and a man in his 30s was brought to Ballymun Garda station where he is currently detained.
The Garda was taken to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown to be treated.
5. Hundreds of people took part in rallies supporting refugees at St Stephen’s Green, as well as the Drimnagh and Clondalkin areas of Dublin yesterday.
An anti-immigration protest outside the Shelbourne Hotel yesterday afternoon was met with a large counter-protest of activists chanting “Refugees are welcome here”, as Gardaí kept both groups separated on opposite sides of the road facing the green.
Counter-protesters also chanted “Same struggle, same fight, housing is a human right” while anti-refugee campaigners held signs reading “Inner city says no”.
6. A donkey has been rescued following a disturbing video on social media in which it was dragged behind a car in Co Offaly.
A video taken on Friday afternoon went viral on Tiktok, causing outage from many social media users and has led to Gardaí opening an investigation.
The animal is now in the care of the Donkey Sanctuary Ireland, who Tweeted:
“For anyone concerned about the donkey being dragged by a car in the video shared yesterday afternoon, we can confirm that we assisted with the seizure of this animal, & 6 others.”
7. Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has accused Sinn Féin of attempting to act as “judge, jury and executioner” in a kangaroo court against Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohue.
Speaking at the opening of a marina in Co Cavan today, Humphreys said that Donohoe, who has faced scrutiny over an undeclared election donation from businessman Michael Stone, isn’t being given due process.
Stone paid for election posters of Donohoe to be erected in 2016 and bought Fine Gael ‘superdraw’ tickets from the minister in 2020 and 2021.
8. A national day of protest took place at 17 hospitals across the country yesterday over the overcrowding crisis in emergency departments.
A march took place in Limerick to highlight the crisis at University Hospital Limerick, the most overcrowded emergency department in the country and the only ED in the mid-west region.
The Health Information and Quality Authority, as well as staff at UHL have highlighted the pressure on the hospital’s ED over the past several months, particularly after a teenage girl died from meninigitis last month after allegedly spent a significant amount of time on a trolley.
9. The final session of the Citizens’ Assembly on biodiversity loss largely focused on the controversial Coillte deal with a UK pension fund, with members citing concerns it could cause a sell-off of State woodlands and harm biodiversity.
The assembly will forward a final report to the Oireachtas in the coming weeks, which could have far reaching effects.
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