Latest news with #Eircode
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Cork man calls for funding after charity first responder saves his life
A man who suffered a massive heart attack says he owes his life to a family friend and charity first responder who discovered on route to the medical emergency that he knew the casualty. Jim O'Kelly, 68, from Killavullen, in north Cork, says he has no doubt he would have died were it not for the quick response and skill of Edward Walsh, from Mallow, an emergency medical technician (EMT) and volunteer first responder with the emergency medical response charity, CRITICAL, on Easter Sunday, April 20 last. And he has urged the State to provide funding so the charity can expand its life-saving services. 'They perform miracles like this every day and they need to be funded,' he said. 'The simple fact is that I owe my life to Ed and CRITICAL. I have no doubt that because of his quick response, I am alive today. 'From the time the 999 call was made, to the time I was treated in Cork University Hospital (CUH), it was less than 90 minutes. 'When an echo was carried out on my heart it showed no damage to my heart, all down to the speed of treatment. "The National Ambulance Service (NAS) and the staff of CUH could not have saved me without the intervention of CRITICAL.' Mr O'Kelly, a wheelchair user, began experiencing chest pains and shortness of breath while at home on Easter Sunday evening, prompting his wife, Hilary, to dial 999, just after 9pm. Mr Walsh was at home in Mallow, planning an early night in bed, when he got a text from the NAS with basic details about a medical emergency in Killavullen. It was only when he typed the Eircode into the tablet in his emergency rapid response vehicle that he realised he knew the address, and the patient. He arrived at the O'Kelly home within 20 minutes, and an ECG monitor confirmed his suspicion that Mr O'Kelly was having a heart attack. He administered aspirin and readied a defibrillator while they waited for the ambulance. 'I tried to relax his breathing, calm the situation, but prepare for the worst. I told Jim that the only voice I wanted him to listen to is mine, and that we're going to get through this together,' Ed said. Mr O'Kelly said Mr Walsh took control of the situation and calmed him, his wife, and their daughter, Lisa. The ambulance arrived 20 minutes later, and the crew immediately rushed Mr O'Kelly to CUH. He was on a table in its Cath lab within 90 minutes of the first 999 call. A stent was inserted, and despite a 100% blockage, Mr O'Kelly's heart escaped damage which medics said was due to the swift medical intervention earlier. Mr Walsh said: 'Jim's daughter sent me a photo of him the next day in the hospital bed with his two thumbs up, and I thought 'job done'. "I was on cloud nine for the rest of the day. This is why I do what I do. It's like I was meant to be there that night. Saving anyone's life is fantastic, but given the personal relationship here, this one was very special. As Mr O'Kelly continues his recovery, he has become an advocate for the charity, travelling to Leinster House recently to tell TDs his story, and to call for state funding for the charity. 'I want to highlight the work they do. They are all fantastic people," he said. CRITICAL has 162 responders in 21 counties who have responded to 720 incidents since the start of the year. Its network includes doctors in Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Waterford, Donegal, Dublin, and Wicklow, as well as community first responder groups, off-duty paramedics, EMTs, and advanced paramedics. It costs €150,000 to put one of its emergency response vehicles on the road, and between €12,500 to €15,000 to set up a community first responder group. You can help it expand its lifesaving services here: h ttps://
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Revealed – the latest rural Galway areas to get fibre broadband
There are 1,171 Galway premises in the Maam deployment area that can join the NBI network. The area includes the rural surrounds and townlands of An Fhairche (Clonbur), Letterbreckaun and Leitir Feoir (Letterfore). National Broadband Ireland is calling on people living nearby to check online to see if they are ready to connect. 40,000 premises in County Galway are included in the State's Intervention Area, which will see NBI deliver minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to homes, businesses, farms, and schools. Galway will receive €153m of Government investment under the National Broadband Plan. Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said: 'We are delighted to announce that almost 1,200 Galway premises in the Maam deployment area can now order high-speed broadband services through the NBI network. This will enable those who connect to experience the life-changing benefits of high-speed broadband with minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second. 'Overall, over 26,600 homes, businesses and farms in Co Galway can now order a high-speed fibre connection to the NBI network. This includes over 2,500 premises near Ballinasloe, over 2,600 near Athenry and over 3,700 in the rural surrounds of Galway City. We are working hard on the ground to progress other areas of the county through engineering survey, design and construction phases. We are encouraging Galway residents to visit the NBI website to check their Eircode and sign up for updates.'
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Climate
- Irish Independent
One of Galway's Aran Islands has been in drought status for two months as water restrictions continue to apply
The Aran Island was hit with official drought status in mid-April, due to low rainfall levels over the winter months. Uisce Éireann has issued a reminder to customers about the restrictions on the island's water supply. The water body says that the measures were introduced in to conserve water and safeguard the island's daytime supply. Restrictions remain in effect from 11pm to 7am and are seen as essential to protect reservoir levels on Inis Oírr, Uisce Éireann says. They say that enforcing restrictions overnight ensures a continuous daily supply of water is available for residents and visitors on the island. Uisce Éireann's Tony Kelly thanked customers on Inis Oírr for their co-operation and called on them to conserve water. 'We are asking customers to be mindful of how they use water. Simple water conservation efforts can have a big impact on reducing demand on the supply,' he said. 'Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth and shaving can save up to six litres of water per minute. Taking a shower instead of a bath or using a watering can rather than a hose when gardening can also make a big difference in water use. 'We are also encouraging people with responsibility for properties that are currently unoccupied to check for leaks and turn off water where it is not required,' he added. Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communications for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours. Uisce Éireann's customer care team is available 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on X @IWCare with any queries. For further updates, visit the service and supply section of Uisce Éireann has a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at the text alerts page.
Irish Independent
22-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Louth property marking project aimed at reducing theft and burglary
The initiative will see local volunteers receive training in the use of specialist property marking equipment. Once trained, volunteers will assist neighbours, businesses, and local groups in marking valuable items such as machinery, bikes, tractors and lawnmowers with a unique identifier, typically the property owner's Eircode. The purpose of the programme is to deter theft, help Gardaí trace stolen goods, and promote a stronger sense of safety and cooperation in communities throughout Louth. Each year, homes, farms and businesses across the country suffer from theft and burglary. While some stolen property is recovered, it often cannot be returned because it lacks any identifying information. Property marking addresses this issue directly by making items identifiable and traceable, increasing the likelihood of return. Volunteers will be asked to attend a short training session on how to operate the marking device. After this, they will help others in their area mark their belongings and promote awareness of the benefits of property marking as a crime prevention tool. Louth County Council will provide all necessary training and ongoing support. Training and support for the initiative will take place in Dundalk on Wednesday, July 2. To express your interest, please email communitysafety@
RTÉ News
16-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Which Dublin residential areas use the most and least electricity?
Analysis: The latest CSO report on electricity consumption in Ireland highlights some interesting facts about usage across the capital and country Electricity consumption in Irish households is up across the board, with every county in the country showing an increase. But in 2024, it was the Dublin postal districts that had the highest proportion of residential consumption at 19%, followed by Cork (12%), Dublin County (6%), Galway (6%), and Kildare (5%). This is according to the latest report on metered electricity consumption from the Central Statistics Office. This found that both residential and non-residential consumption saw a rise of 4% overall between 2023 and 2024, while Urban Residential grew by 5%, and Rural Residential by 3%. Within the Dublin postal districts, Dublin 15 (10%), Dublin 24 (9%) and Dublin 18 (6.5%) had the highest proportions of residential electricity consumption, while Dublin 2 (1.9%), Dublin 10 (1.6%) and Dublin 20 (1.3%) had the lowest. Dublin 15, which covers Ashtown, Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Coolmine, Clonsilla, Corduff, Mulhuddart, Tyrrelstown, Ongar, and Clonee (County Meath), used a total of 172 Gigwatt hours (GWh). Dublin 24, covering Firhouse, Jobstown, Old Bawn, Tallaght, parts of Ballymount, Saggart, Rathcoole and Brittas, consumed 152GWh. While residential electricity consumption was up across all Dublin postal districts between 2023 and 2024, figures from the last decade do reflect some fluctuations in our electricity usage. Overall, usage rose to a peak in 2020 and 2021 during Covid, when many were working from home, and then fell in all areas between 2021 and 2022, when energy prices also skyrocketed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. When looking at usage in any given year, the weather, naturally, has an impact (2015, for example, was a very cold year, as was 2024). Because there are so many factors that feed into consumption, it's difficult to draw definitive conclusions on what's behind any changes in individual Dublin postal districts, says Orla McCarthy, Senior Statistician with the CSO's Climate & Energy Division. One factor is the percentage of BER A-rated homes in a postal district, as they use electricity as their main fuel but are also more energy efficient. From RTÉ Radio 1's This Week, why does Ireland have the most expensive electricity in the EU? The CSO also notes that the postal district could be extracted from the routing key where an Eircode was available. In other cases, there was uncertainty between some postal districts being derived from the street name. Hence the coding at this level should be regarded as only broadly correct. Looking at the total consumption in Dublin postal code areas, McCarthy highlights that it has decreased marginally between 2015 and 2024. At the same time, the number of properties has increased, and the number of properties in Dublin whose main space heating fuel is electricity has increased, implying an "overall reduction" in the use of electricity. Looking at the country overall, median residential electricity consumption rose by 2.3% in 2024 compared with 2023, with all counties showing an increase. Counties with the lowest median residential consumption in 2024 included Donegal (2,650 kWh), Leitrim (2,700 kWh), and Mayo (2,867 kWh), while Kildare recorded the highest median figure at 3,845 kWh, followed by Meath at 3,753kWh. The CSO explains the median can be regarded as typical usage as it is not influenced by outliers in the same way that the mean or average is. Around 10% of residential customers consumed less than 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2024, significantly less than the median consumption of 3,246 kWh. Low consumption levels can indirectly indicate factors such as vacant properties, holiday homes, or energy poverty, and are also influenced by dwelling size and energy efficiency, the CSO said. Overall in 2024, total metered electricity consumption reached 31,903 GWh a 4.3% increase compared with 2023. Non-residential consumption constituted the largest share at 72% of the total. Urban and Rural Residential customers accounted for 18% and 10% respectively, the figures show. Large energy users, which include data centres, used 31% of metered electricity consumption in 2024, up from 30% in 2023. The proportion of electricity used by data centres continues to rise and represents over a fifth of all consumption in Ireland. In 2015, data centres accounted for 5% of consumption, rising to 21% in 2023 and 22% in 2024. Quarterly metered electricity consumption by data centres increased steadily from 290 GWh in the first quarter of 2015 to 1,829 GWh in the fourth quarter of 2024. Between 2023 and 2024, metered electricity consumption by data centres increased by 10% from 6,335GWh to 6,969 GWh. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, almost 2 million smart meters have been installed, but there is still no easy access to data Elsewhere, the CSO release noted there were 1.9 million residential customers with smart meters by the end of 2024, which is 83% of all residential meters. There was a 10% increase in the number of residential meters between 2015 and 2024, and the highest increases were in counties adjacent to Dublin City, with residential meters in Kildare and Meath both up by 19%. On the subject of electric cars, metered electricity consumption by stand-alone Electric Vehicles (EV) charge points rose by 43% from 23 GWh in 2023 to 33 GWh in 2024.
