Donie's news Blog up-date Monday

Ireland has only got 40% of Garda stations on the Internet or to have email addresses

        

40% of Ireland’s Garda stations do not have the internet or email. Only 421 of the State’s 703 Garda stations are “networked locations”, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter revealed in a parliamentary response to the Fianna Fáil spokesman on justice Dara Calleary.

Mayo TD Mr Calleary said it was “absurd that such a basic necessity for the operation of any office would be so lacking within our Garda force”.

A total of 282 of the 703 stations lack the facility.

Mr Shatter said every district and divisional headquarter was a networked location “therefore providing access to that network for every member of An Garda Síochána”.

“It doesn’t help if you’re a mile away from a networked location,” Mr Calleary said.

He acknowledged that there had been significant investment in information technology at Garda divisional headquarters and at national level, but “community Garda stations are the frontline of policing in this country”.

He added: “Speed and efficiency of communication within the force is crucial to successful policing.”

A statement issued by the Department of Justice said: “The provision of information technology facilities is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner.

“This was the position throughout 14 years of continuous Fianna Fáil-led government and remains the position today as it is right that operational decisions are made by the Garda Commissioner and not the Minister for Justice.

“It is extraordinary that deputy Dara Calleary does not acknowledge or understand this.”

The Great old man of Irish acting David kelly dies aged 82 

& joins his great acting mate Jimmy O’Dea, 

           

ACTOR David Kelly died in Dublin yesterday after a short illness. He was 82 years old.

He worked in theatre, television and film for more than 50 years and had continued to work up until last year. He was perhaps most highly-regarded for his portrayal of “Rashers” Tierney in the 1980 RTÉ series Strumpet City . He singled it out as one of his favourite pieces of work.

In 1975 he had a brief but memorable role in Fawlty Towers when he played the part of the hapless builder O’Reilly. He often remarked that he had performed on stage for more than 50 years but the nine minutes on Fawlty Towers made him recognisable all over the world.

Kelly was born in Dublin on July 11th, 1929 and educated at Synge Street Catholic Boys School. He started acting at the age of eight in Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre but also trained as a calligrapher and was a talented watercolour artist.

He was a dapper dresser and known for his colourful bow ties. He later said the bow ties became his trademark as he tried to look the part of a bohemian artist.

He became a familiar face to British audiences in the 1960s and 1970s when he played eccentric Irish characters in sitcoms such as Oh Father, On the Buses and Never Mind the Quality Feel the Width. He performed in 50 episodes of the Richard OSullivan vehicle, Robin’s Nest, in which he played the one-armed dishwasher Albert Riddle. Other television work included Glenroe, Ballykissangel and Emmerdale Farm.

He had a long list of film credits including the 1969 version of The Italian Job, Into The West and Waking Ned , which he credits for making him a sex symbol after he appeared nude on a motorbike.

He also appeared in films such as A gent Cody Banks 2, Laws of Attraction, Stardust and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , in which he played Grandpa Joe Bucket. He had been tipped for an Oscar nomination for that role.

On stage he will always be associated with Samuel Beckett because of his legendary performance in the title role ofKrapp’s Last Tape . He won many awards and acknowledgements for his work, including a Helen Hayes award forMoon for the Misbegotten , and a Screen Actors’ Guild nomination for Waking Ned.

He won an ESB Theatre Award in 2003 and an Irish Film and Television Academy lifetime achievement award in 2005.

He recalled that he regularly played people much older than himself. In 2005, he told The Irish Times : “I remember, six years ago, on my 70th birthday, some journalist writing: David Kelly is 70 today. But what I want to know is how come he’s been 70 for the past 40 years’. . .”And it’s perfectly true. It’s a very strange thing.” He was asked if he had ever considered retiring and replied “Oh God, no. Ah no . . . I will continue hanging on to the script until they prise it from my cold, dead hands.”

Kelly was married to actor Laurie Morton. The couple had two children, David and Miriam. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

How eating too much could double risk of memory

         

Watch what you eat: Consuming 2,100 to 6,000 calories a day could trigger memory problems in elderly people, a new study has found (picture posed by models)

Overeating could more than double the risk of  memory loss among elderly people, a study has found.

Researchers discovered that those who consumed more than 2,100 calories a day were far more likely to have ‘mild cognitive impairment’ than those who ate less.

The findings suggest that keeping to a low-calorie diet in old age could keep the mind sharp – and may even prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists in the U.S. looked at the eating and drinking habits of 1,200 people aged 70 to 89 who did not have dementia, and gave them memory tests.

They found that 163 had developed memory problems – and the risk was more than twice as high for those who consumed the most calories.

The connection was clear even after the scientists had adjusted the data to account for other factors that could influence memory loss, such as educational levels or a history of strokes, diabetes or depression.

The researchers had divided the study participants into three groups: one included people consuming 600 to 1,500 calories a day, with another for those consuming 1,500 to 2,100, and a third for those consuming 2,100 to 6,000.

No significant difference was found between the two lower groups, which suggests that consuming fewer than 2,100 calories does not raise the risk of memory problems.

Study author Dr Yonas Geda, from the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, said the research linked high calorie intakes with mild cognitive impairment – the stage between the normal memory loss that comes with ageing, and the beginnings of Alzheimer’s disease.