Education « Thurles Information

National Walk To School Week – May 24th To May 28th.

National Walk to School Week begins today and Green Schools Ireland want to encourage pupils across the country to walk to school for some if not all of their journey.

This year’s Walk to School Week is made all the more significant given that last year, at this time, pupils could not walk because schools buildings were closed due to the pandemic.

The goal of National Walk to School Week is simple: encourage thousands of school staff, pupils and their families to get walking for one week and maybe they will walk to school more often.

Although the goal of walking to school may seem simple, the gains are many and complex, with walking having far reaching and positive environmental, health, social and financial benefits for us all.

To celebrate National Walk to School Week, Green Schools Ireland have organised a number of online talks exploring, among other topics, how walking impacts our mental and physical health, the challenge and rewards of hiking and mountaineering, as well as what it’s like to walk to the summit of Kilimanjaro and back.

All online events are free, but schools must register to access them (click HERE).

Learn About Irish Garden Birds For Free.

With this week, being Biodiversity Week (May 15th-23rd), why not take a walk, enjoy the sunshine (in the company of an umbrella) and take some time to make the acquaintance of the rich variety of garden birds that visit our garden’s and hedgerows daily.

Today, The Irish Times, in association with BirdWatch Ireland, are giving away a magnificent glossy poster featuring Ireland’s twenty most common garden birds, including robins, thrushes, different types of crows, tits and finches; all contained in today’s newspaper.

The poster is illustrated by Mike Langman, with expert notes by Niall Hatch of BirdWatch Ireland. The poster is double-sided and content appears in both the English and Irish language. It’s an excellent reference and a great resource for adults, children and classrooms alike.

In addition, and from today, an interactive page with information on the featured birds and an audio of each bird’s song can be found by clicking HERE.

Biodiversity Week – May 15th To 21st, 2021.

This week is Biodiversity Week and it aims to encourage young and old to celebrate and explore Ireland’s rich variety of flora and fauna. Biodiversity is the term that refers to all the different biological life that exists in an area, including plants, trees, insects, animals, fungi and even bacteria.

Online Events.

All this week Biodiversityweek.ie is hosting a series of wonderful online events that the whole family can enjoy. Activities include webinars on how to build a bat box, templates for tidy towns groups, mammals of Merlin Wood, summer wild flowers, gardening for bees and butterflies and better management of hedgerows for biodiversity. All the events are free and available to access by clicking HERE.

Biodiversity Photographic Competition.

Be in with a chance to win €500 by entering the 9th Annual Biodiversity Photographer of the Year competition. The competition is open to amateur photographers and this year they are looking for photos that celebrate Ireland’s rich web of life. Photographs must be taken in the month of May and submitted by May 31st. For more information click HERE.

Backyard Bioblitz.

Ever wondered what that plant was or what’s the name of that bird? During biodiversity week ecologists and wildlife experts will identify it for you. Simply share a photo of your mystery flora or fauna item on Twitter or Instagram with #BackyardBioblitz. For more information click HERE.

Biodiversity Scavenger Hunt.

This is a great activity for children and families. By clicking HERE you can download one of two scavenger hunt worksheet challenges to aid the exploration of biodiversity in your area. Complete the worksheets and submit them by May 23rd to be in with a chance to win a prize from the National Biodiversity Data Centre.

Biodiversity Week and Green Schools.

Green Schools Ireland have an action packed schedule of events for schools during Biodiversity Week. Activities include online events, videos and competitions that explore birds, trees, insects and flowers. For more information click HERE.

Stop Talking – Take Action.

Bathing Water Quality Continued To Improve In 2020.

Bathing water quality continued to improve in 2020 with 96% of bathing waters (142 of 148) meeting or exceeding the minimum required standard.
111 bathing waters were classified as excellent for 2020, up from 107 in 2019.
Bathing water quality at four beaches was classified as ‘Poor’, compared with five in 2019.
Pollution incidents, especially during heavy rainfall, can impact bathing water quality on a short-term and localised basis.
Swimmers should check the latest bathing water quality information at www.beaches.ie

**Urban domestic wastewater system allowed to run non-stop into the River Suir, on the south west bank, close to the ‘New Foot Bridge’ area, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.**
*Picture G.Willoughby*.

The EPA has today published the ‘Bathing Water in Ireland’ report for 2020, which sets out the quality of bathing water at our beaches. Overall, bathing water quality improved across the country in 2020. However, the report highlights that water quality can change quickly in the short term, especially during rainfall events which can wash pollution into our bathing waters. Swimmers should always check www.beaches.ie for the most up to date water quality information for their local bathing site.

Commenting on the report, EPA Director Dr. Eimear Cotter said: “The continued improvement in bathing water quality is welcome. It is also positive to see two new beaches being identified in 2020, and to see improvements at two beaches that had poor water quality previously. Good quality bathing waters are important now more than ever as more people enjoy our natural amenities, and particularly swimming. With many people now swimming outside the bathing season, the EPA is calling for additional water quality monitoring at beaches where there are large numbers of year-round swimmers, and that this information is made available to the public.”

The water quality at some beaches can be impacted when pollution, from wastewater and agriculture, gets washed in following heavy rainfall. Swimmers are encouraged to check www.beaches.ie for the most up to date water quality information. Local authorities and Irish Water must continue to address sources of water pollution which impact some of our beaches to ensure that public health is protected.

In summary the key findings of the Bathing Water in Ireland report for 2020 were:

96% of bathing waters (142 of 148) met or exceeded the minimum required standard. This is up from 95 per cent in 2019.
111 (75%) bathing waters were classified as ‘Excellent’, up from 107 in 2019
4 bathing waters were classified as ‘Poor’, down from 5 in 2019. Local Authority management plans have been put in place to address the sources of pollution.
The bathing waters classified as ‘Poor’ were:
Clifden Beach, Co. Galway
Lilliput – Lough Ennell, Co. Westmeath
Cúas Crom, Co. Kerry
Balbriggan – Front Strand Beach, Co. Dublin
Clifden Beach has been classified as ‘Poor’ for five years in a row and must now be declassified as a bathing water for 2021.
Galway Co. Co. and Fingal Co. Co. have taken actions to improve bathing water quality at two bathing waters that were ‘Poor’ in 2019:
Ballyloughane Beach, Co. Galway improved from ‘Poor’ to ‘Sufficient’
Portrane (the Brook) Beach, Co. Dublin improved from ‘Poor’ to ‘Good’
Two new bathing waters were identified in 2020 and will be classified for the first time following the 2021 season. They were Carrigaholt and Quilty, both in Co. Clare:
57 pollution incidents were reported to EPA during 2020. Incidents have the potential to cause a pollution risk and when they occur, swimming restrictions are applied at the beach until sampling shows the water quality is safe.
The most common cause of pollution incidents in 2020 was discharges from urban wastewater systems. Irish Water needs to make improvements in the operation and management of urban wastewater treatment plants and networks, where these impact on bathing waters.
Local authorities also put up 135 ‘Prior Warning’ notices at beaches in 2020, to warn swimmers that short-term pollution (lasting no more than a few days) may occur due to heavy rainfall. These warnings are removed when sampling shows the water quality is safe.

Throughout this summer water quality information and details of any incidents affecting bathing waters will be displayed on the www.beaches.ie website. The EPA reminds anyone using or swimming at beaches this year to follow the public health advice hse.ie/coronavirus/ and any local information in relation to the COVID 19 pandemic.

The ‘Bathing Waters in Ireland’ 2020 report, infographic and a map of the quality of Ireland’s Bathing water sites in 2020 are available on the EPA website, (all links to be updated).
Further information on bathing water and updates on monitoring results during the bathing water season (1st June to 15th September) is available at www.beaches.ie.

Coeliac Awareness Week May 9th To May 15th.

From yesterday May 9th to May 15th is Coeliac Awareness Week.
Every day this week the Coeliac Society of Ireland will host a number of free online events. This year the events focus on the psychological impact of living with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance. Webinars will explore gluten-free cooking, wellbeing, mental and physical health challenges, as well as advice on nutrition and sleep. To register for free and to view more details about the schedule of events click HERE.

What is Coeliac Disease?

Coeliac disease is a condition where a person is intolerant to the gluten protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. Gluten is therefore found in foods made from these ingredients, including breads, pasta, cakes and many processed foods.

Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease which means that your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body. When a person with coeliac disease eats gluten, the lining of the small intestine is damaged which in turn stops the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.

There is no cure for coeliac disease but a gluten free diet keeps the condition under control. If left undiagnosed however, the condition can result in osteoporosis, anaemia, infertility and some types of cancer.

Symptoms of coeliac disease can range from mild to severe and may include diarrhoea, bloating, abdominal pain, weight loss and malnutrition. It is not certain what causes coeliac disease but it is thought to be some combination of genetic and environmental factors.

It is believed that the condition effects 1 in every 100 people, with an estimated 50,000 people living with coeliac disease in Ireland and a further 400,000 living with gluten intolerance.

If you have any concerns about your health and coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, please contact your GP.