Archives

Yoga Retreat Cashel Library.

Ms Maura Barrett, (Cashel Library) issues Yoga invitation.

Join us on a yoga, breathwork and mindfulness retreat. This 2-hour session allows you experience how movement and breathwork promote physical and mental well-being.

Those attending will be guided through a series of yoga postures and mindful breathing techniques that have been scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve focus.

No prior experience needed – just bring along a yoga mat and be ready to experience the benefits of these time-tested, science-backed methods.

Remember the date, Tuesday 12th November – 18.15pm -19:45pm.

This Retreat is FREE, but places are limited.

To register; scan the QR code in the poster or follow the link SHOWN HERE.

You can locate the Cashel Library building, situated on Friar Street, Lady’s Well, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, HERE. (G487+RX)

Support For Climate Action High Across Ireland.

Public Support For Climate Action Remains High Across Ireland.

  • New EPA Climate Opinion Maps show that, similar to previous findings in 2022, there remains a high level of consistency across Ireland in terms of climate change attitudes, policy preferences, and behaviours.
  • People across Ireland continue to be in almost full agreement that climate change is happening, and large proportions of the population are worried about it.
  • On most topics, there remains no discernible difference between urban and rural areas, and there is majority support for all surveyed policies nationally.
  • An emerging divergence was noted between Dublin and other counties regarding support for taxing fossil fuel-powered cars, and a slight fall in support for banning fossil fuels for home heating in the northwest.
  • People in counties with a history of environmental risks such as flooding, water shortages or wildfire, show an increased awareness of the potential impacts of these risks resulting from climate change.

Check out the EPA Climate Opinion Maps to see where your County stands on Climate Action.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today released updated interactive maps of Ireland that show national, regional, and county-level data about people’s climate change beliefs, attitudes, policy preferences and behaviours. This is the third output from Wave 2 of the Climate Change in the Irish Mind study, undertaken in 2023 by the EPA and the Yale University Program on Climate Change Communication in support of the National Dialogue on Climate Action.

Speaking about the new climate change opinion maps, Dr Eimear Cotter, (Director of the Office of Evidence & Assessment) said: “The interactive climate opinion maps make the EPA’s Climate Change in the Irish Mind data accessible to a wide audience across Ireland. These maps show nationwide acceptance of the scientific consensus on climate change, and strong support for most climate action policies, with minimal variation based on where people live, and that most climate attitudes were resilient in the face of cost-of-living increases. However, we also see that public understanding of the causes of climate change is limited and varies between counties. In some counties, less than half of the population understands that climate change is human caused, compared to about six in ten in other areas.”

While the overall picture of support for climate action is high and largely consistent across the country, there are slight regional variations in the level of support for some policies such as the banning of peat, coal, and oil for home heating. Support is highest in urban areas, and weakest in the North-West and border regions. A similar pattern is evident for policies to increase taxes on cars that use petrol and diesel.

People tend to be worried about known region-specific risks from climate change. For instance, a higher percentage of people are worried about water shortages in Dublin and the Mid-East region than the rest of the country. However, water pollution remains a widespread worry for eight in ten people across all counties.

Speaking about the maps, Dr Tara Higgins, (Programme Manager, EPA Evidence Programme) said: “It is encouraging to see that most people across all parts of Ireland believe we have a collective responsibility to act on climate change. It will be important to understand and address people’s concerns about some climate action policies – such as moving away from fossil fuelled transport and home heating. These latest climate opinion maps are a valuable resource for climate policy decision-makers, researchers, the media, non-governmental organizations, and students. We encourage people to use these maps to explore opinions on climate change and worries about climate risks in their own county and region.”

Plan To Address Barriers To Entry To Lgal Professions Published.

Plan to address barriers to entry to legal professions and early career progression published.

  • Plan identifies steps needed to widen and increase access to education, training, and career opportunities in the legal professions.
  • Relevant professional bodies and stakeholders will sit on the Implementation Plan Working Group.
  • LSRA will provide progress reports every 6 months.

A plan has been published to address the barriers facing many newly qualified and early career solicitors and barristers.

The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) were asked to submit a plan to implement the recommendations of its Breaking Down Barriers Report.

This report, which was published in September, examined how a range of issues such as financial means, geography and professional connections can act as obstacles to progression for those studying or starting out in the legal professions.

The plan contains 32 recommendations, and the implementation process will be led by the CEO of the LSRA, who will also chair the Barriers Implementation Working Group.

Relevant professional bodies will be invited to nominate representatives to sit on the Working Group, which will hold quarterly progress update meetings with the legal professional bodies, the Law Society of Ireland, the Honourable Society of King’s Inns and the Bar of Ireland.

Dr Brian Doherty, Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Service Regulatory Authority said: “The LSRA very much looks forward to working with all relevant stakeholders with the common goal of building a more inclusive and diverse legal services sector. The recommendations made in the Breaking Down Barriers report represent an important reform initiative which will build upon measures introduced in recent years by key stakeholders, including the professional bodies for solicitors and barristers, the Law Society of Ireland, the Bar of Ireland and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns.”

The LSRA Breaking Down Barriers Implementation Plan can be accessed HERE.

Halloween Lecture – Relics & Reliquaries – Cashel Library.

Halloween Lecture – Relics & Reliquaries – Thursday evening, October 31st Next at 7:00pm.

Librarian Ms Maura Barrett will continue her tradition of presenting a Halloween Lecture in Cashel Library.

This year Ms Barrett will looks at relics and their reliquaries in the Irish context, and discusses the enduring belief in their miraculous powers.

You can locate the Cashel Library building, situated on Friar Street, Lady’s Well, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, HERE. (G487+RX)

Please do remember: Booking is essential by return email or to Tel: 062 63825.
In booking, also keep in mind that the Library closes at 5:00pm this evening (Friday October 25th), and will not reopen again until Tuesday morning, October 29th at 9:30pm sharp.

“Oíche Shamhna faoi mhaise”. (Irish – Happy Halloween).

EPA Launch New Quarterly Greenhouse Gas Emissions For Ireland

EPA launches new Quarterly Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Ireland, which show greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 2.2 per cent in Quarter 1 of 2024.

  • The EPA launched a new series of quarterly greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland to support more frequent monitoring of national and sectoral progress on climate action.
  • Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions were down 2.2 per cent (306 kt CO2eq) in Quarter 1 2024 compared Quarter 1 of 2023.
  • Electricity emissions were down 16.7 per cent (-312 kt CO2 eq) driven by reductions in fossil fuel use and increased importation of electricity.
  • Agriculture emissions were down 2.6 per cent (-129 kt CO2 eq) due to reduced lime application to soils and lower milk output.
  • Transport emissions were up 2.7 per cent (78.2 kt CO2eq) driven by increased sales of petrol (+9.6 per cent) and diesel (+1.3 per cent).
  • Emissions from commercial and household buildings increased by +5.8 per cent (+126.0 kt CO2 eq) due to increased demand for heating and a decrease in the price of gas.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today published quarterly greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland for Quarter 1 of 2024. This is a new series of quarterly greenhouse gas emission indicators which will support early and more frequent monitoring of progress on climate action.
The data show an overall reduction of 2.2 per cent in the first three months of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. The largest sectoral decrease in emissions was observed in electricity generation with a reduction of 16.7 per cent (-312 kt CO2 eq). Emission reductions were also observed in the Agricultural (-2.6 per cent, -129 kt CO2 eq) and Industrial (-4.7 per cent, -69 kt CO2 eq) sectors.

Welcoming the report Dr Eimear Cotter, Director of the Office of Evidence and Assessment, EPA said:
“These quarterly greenhouse gas emissions respond to an on-going need for more timely and frequent data on Ireland’s greenhouse gases. Ireland joins a small number of countries worldwide to carry out this type of assessment, which will provide valuable early and frequent indicator data for the monitoring and governance of Ireland’s climate action. The series will complement the national greenhouse gas inventory and projections prepared annually by the EPA”.

Commenting on the findings, she added: “The reduction of 2.2 per cent in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in the first quarter of 2024, when compared with the same period last year, is welcome following the largest annual reduction in emissions outside of recession reported in 2023. This shows that we can make progress in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions when concerted action is taken.”

An increase in greenhouse gas emissions for transport (+2.7 per cent), commercial (+4.1 per cent) and residential buildings (+6.1 per cent) in Quarter 1 of 2024 shows the clear link between increased energy demand, largely delivered by fossil fuels, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Also speaking about the results, Ms Mary Frances Rochford, Programme Manager of EPA’s Climate Programme said: “These findings signal the continued impact of climate action and decarbonisation measures across Ireland’s economy and society. The assessment on a quarterly basis also highlights the impact of market prices and weather conditions. We see reduced emissions from the electricity sector linked to increased renewables and interconnection, increases in emissions from heating associated with lower fuel price and cooler temperatures than quarter 1 2023. Poor weather conditions also impacted lime application to soils which led to lower emissions from the agriculture sector.”
The Quarterly Greenhouse Gas Emissions Indicators for Quarter 1 of 2024 is available on the EPA website HERE, and the EPA Greenhouse Gas web resource is also available online HERE.