Autumn is here. The colours are magnificent. Weather is mixed. Grass growth is more or less equal to demand. Animals are content. A few days ago the sun was shining. Seamlessly, we’ve slipped from our summer clothes into autumn wear. Storm Callum is due. I was looking out the window of one of the bedrooms upstairs wondering what trees or plants might be damaged while admiring the autumn colours. My eyes had rested on the vibrant orange and red berries on the mountain ash trees.
We planted these Rowans when we moved into the house in 1995 and we chose them because the soil was poor in that area of the garden. Tim knew more about trees than I did. He promised that the flowers would be nice in the spring, but that the berries would be lovely in the autumn. He was right, they are spectacular.
As I watched, a flock of starlings descended on the trees in an absolute frenzy. With wings flapping and lots of chattering, they stripped the berries in seconds. And then they were gone, leaving my Rowans partially disrobed with a fraction of the colour remaining.
Wasn’t I lucky to have witnessed the beauty before it was obliterated. The question is, were the starlings having a good feed before bedding down for the night or were they preparing for storm Callum?
The lads had done general preparation for the promised storm. The generator was in place should we lose power. They had tidied away any items around the yard and house that might blow away.
A stone had flown from a strimmer last week and shattered the outer glass on one pane of the double-glazed living room window. It would surely fall in during the storm, so it was boarded up and then we waited.
Cartoon by Clyde Delaney.
McCabe vindicated
It’s scary waiting for a storm to hit and we were uneasy. Students hoped it would be bad enough to close the schools, giving them a day off. Others were planning to bed down for the night in Cork City on Merchants Quay to queue for Post Malone concert tickets. The homeless had no choice.
Tucked up in bed, the wind sounded fierce as it tunnelled through crevices, eking out a path of escape. Yet, the usual countryside noises were still. There were no dogs or foxes barking. They had gone to ground.
I thought about Maurice McCabe and his family. After 12 years he could finally sleep easy knowing that he had been vindicated by Justice Peter Charleton, who said that Maurice McCabe was “repulsively denigrated for being no more than a good citizen and police officer”. I watched him on the news as he said: “All is over. I can get back to my normal life, hopefully.”
I really hope that he can get back to a normal life and put all the hurt behind him. I’m sure every citizen with integrity welcomes the findings of the report recognising that nobody should be put through the tortuous smear that Maurice McCabe endured. In effect, 12 years of his life were made unbearable for him and his family. But many questions still remain. Safeguards need to be put in place so that this can never happen again.
This country’s treatment of whistle blowers is not good and it must change to one of reacting quickly and decisively rather than one of suspicion. Every employee is entitled to know that “the boss has my back”. It is very sad indeed to realise that this was not the case.
The criticism of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency also worries me greatly. How can an agency only founded in 2004 have a finding of incompetence levelled against it? This outfit is there to protect very vulnerable children and families.
According to its website: “It represents the most comprehensive reform of child protection, early intervention and family support services ever undertaken in Ireland”.
This agency needs to get its house in order as it is dealing with the most vulnerable of children and families that need support. Justice Peter Charleton has served the country well with his report.
The storm continues, but has quietened considerably. This time we have escaped damage. CL
Autumn is here. The colours are magnificent. Weather is mixed. Grass growth is more or less equal to demand. Animals are content. A few days ago the sun was shining. Seamlessly, we’ve slipped from our summer clothes into autumn wear. Storm Callum is due. I was looking out the window of one of the bedrooms upstairs wondering what trees or plants might be damaged while admiring the autumn colours. My eyes had rested on the vibrant orange and red berries on the mountain ash trees.
We planted these Rowans when we moved into the house in 1995 and we chose them because the soil was poor in that area of the garden. Tim knew more about trees than I did. He promised that the flowers would be nice in the spring, but that the berries would be lovely in the autumn. He was right, they are spectacular.
As I watched, a flock of starlings descended on the trees in an absolute frenzy. With wings flapping and lots of chattering, they stripped the berries in seconds. And then they were gone, leaving my Rowans partially disrobed with a fraction of the colour remaining.
Wasn’t I lucky to have witnessed the beauty before it was obliterated. The question is, were the starlings having a good feed before bedding down for the night or were they preparing for storm Callum?
The lads had done general preparation for the promised storm. The generator was in place should we lose power. They had tidied away any items around the yard and house that might blow away.
A stone had flown from a strimmer last week and shattered the outer glass on one pane of the double-glazed living room window. It would surely fall in during the storm, so it was boarded up and then we waited.
Cartoon by Clyde Delaney.
McCabe vindicated
It’s scary waiting for a storm to hit and we were uneasy. Students hoped it would be bad enough to close the schools, giving them a day off. Others were planning to bed down for the night in Cork City on Merchants Quay to queue for Post Malone concert tickets. The homeless had no choice.
Tucked up in bed, the wind sounded fierce as it tunnelled through crevices, eking out a path of escape. Yet, the usual countryside noises were still. There were no dogs or foxes barking. They had gone to ground.
I thought about Maurice McCabe and his family. After 12 years he could finally sleep easy knowing that he had been vindicated by Justice Peter Charleton, who said that Maurice McCabe was “repulsively denigrated for being no more than a good citizen and police officer”. I watched him on the news as he said: “All is over. I can get back to my normal life, hopefully.”
I really hope that he can get back to a normal life and put all the hurt behind him. I’m sure every citizen with integrity welcomes the findings of the report recognising that nobody should be put through the tortuous smear that Maurice McCabe endured. In effect, 12 years of his life were made unbearable for him and his family. But many questions still remain. Safeguards need to be put in place so that this can never happen again.
This country’s treatment of whistle blowers is not good and it must change to one of reacting quickly and decisively rather than one of suspicion. Every employee is entitled to know that “the boss has my back”. It is very sad indeed to realise that this was not the case.
The criticism of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency also worries me greatly. How can an agency only founded in 2004 have a finding of incompetence levelled against it? This outfit is there to protect very vulnerable children and families.
According to its website: “It represents the most comprehensive reform of child protection, early intervention and family support services ever undertaken in Ireland”.
This agency needs to get its house in order as it is dealing with the most vulnerable of children and families that need support. Justice Peter Charleton has served the country well with his report.
The storm continues, but has quietened considerably. This time we have escaped damage. CL
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