00:01
I'm mortified now. It's time to talk. Today, tomorrow, and the day after.
00:05
People have stood together.
00:08
Just the thought of us. If I could speak twice as fast, I'd be off the air at half ten. The Neil Prenderville Show on Red FM. Tell us what you can. The Voice of Cork.
00:19
A lot of papers of...
00:42
special sports supplements, of course, and they figure in those as well. But it's absolutely great news and congratulations to all concerned. Meanwhile, you know, tragedy, well, not deaths, but one man is very seriously injured and others also rush to hospital. You're talking about eight teens at eight teens at like half past four, five o'clock in the morning, driving the wrong way down the M50 and they smash in to an unfortunate driver in the second car, a man in his 20s, who's seriously injured now and taken to hospital.
01:14
It's front page making the mirror, the star, the sun, the 18s hurt in a 5am wrong way, M50 smash, and the driver of the other car minding his own business, going about wherever he needed to be. head-on crash and collision, seriously injured, taken to hospital. It's absolutely awfully sad. And in many, many ways, it's appalling that something like this would happen at that hour of the morning. Eight teens in one vehicle going the wrong way. We talk about homecomings this morning, whether it's the Adolfi Cup on Leeside with the Camogie Victoria's Camogie team and also Dan Kennehan.
01:52
He caught a lonely figure in the special criminals court yesterday, all on his own. But home he came nonetheless in Dubai on the government jet. He travelled in style, so he did. And now, of course, he's being held and... Obviously, I mean, it's very interesting because you see this morning in The Independent, Paul Williams says that Kinahan's one-way ticket home was sealed the minute the U.S. put a bounty on his head. And the U.S. put a bounty not only on his head, but also his father, Christy Kinahan, and his younger brother, Christopher Kinahan Jr. Of five...
02:28
million dollars each uh so he's home um he was a bit tongue-in-cheek about it over the weekend saying yeah absolutely i have no problem with that i'm looking forward to going home because i'd like to get some batch bread and make a tato sandwich so i don't know whether they'll facilitate that request uh while he's holding uh waiting he's in jail now he spent his first night in jail last night um And we'll have to see what happens with regards to that one. So Kinahan, they also talk about it actually with regards to some of the papers online where they were saying that his involvement with the different gangs, if you look at the Kinahan-Hutch feud down through the years, 18 lives have been lost as a consequence of that.
03:08
In other news this morning, of course, you have more politicians, as usual, moving their lips and making promises that invariably they do not keep in more ways than one.
03:19
And of course, we've all heard that in the past with regards to things that Simon Harris has had to say regarding the USC. Actually, I must dig out that audio clip actually and play it for you again with him promising all those years ago that he would abolish the USC. He said it 10 years ago. Now they're talking about this being, what do they call it? They love calling it the squeezed middle, right? Giving some more relief to the standard rate before you pay into the higher bracket of income tax. So that would go from 44,000 to 46,000, they're saying.
03:51
But hang on a second. If it's going to be such a windfall budget for hardworking families, why don't they just honour the pledge? that they made, if they got back into power, this would be Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael, to put that standard rate, before you go into the higher rate, to 50,000 and stop tinkering around with things. I mean, that's the promise that was made. They're absolutely coining it with the amount of money that's coming into the Exchequer with regards to tax, PRSI, and indeed VAT returns.
04:22
So forget about your 46,000. Just do what you said you're doing. Raise it to 50,000 and get on with it. There's a lot of different money stories today. No matter what they do with the bus station in Parnell Place, they just can't make it attractive-looking. no matter what they do. And in spite of the fact that the Echo said that they just spent €800,000 in the recent past on trying to spruce up Parnell Place bus station over the last five years, but it still looks, and this is not in any way disrespectful to those working there, but it looks grotty.
04:56
And it always has looked crotty. And I don't know what would make it any better. But certainly one thing that comes in for criticism, one, the 800,000 that they spent on it. And Tommy Gould, with regards to the state of the toilets there, which were deemed to be absolutely disgusting. He uses the word disgraceful. And you still, in spite of them being disgusting or disgraceful, have to pay 20 cent to get in there. But anyway, they've never got that right. They just never, ever had. Interestingly, I know it's a little early in the morning to be engaging in kind of toilet humour, but there is another story that makes the Telegraph today.
05:33
And I don't know whether it's because more people from all around the world are now living in London or because they're saying there are more tourists coming into London. But if you ever go overseas, forgive me, I won't dwell on this long, but have you seen the squat toilets? They wouldn't have a urinal like we do. There's no way to sit down on you squat. I was never a fan of those, but for many other countries, it's the way to go. And some people say it's more hygienic. I don't know. But there's a bit of a brouhaha now with regards to labour up in Cambridge because they've started to replace the toilets with squat toilets.
06:03
And I mean, for those that just don't want them, there's a bit more like adding insult to injury where they're charging people a pound to use them. So at least the bus station is only 20 cents.
06:15
Actually, I should keep my mouth shut because I'll give them an idea. They'll put it up to a euro. But anyway, you know, it's a lovely thing when you see local communities come together. And this, for me, really, has got to be one of the stories of the week or maybe the month. And it's a pub up in Cullen that closed a few years ago. And around 70 shareholders came together. The people up around Cullen in North Cork Well, North West Cork, to be absolutely geographically correct. And they instead have decided to buy the pub. And they've done that. And it's flying, apparently, is thriving. Now, Cullen has a population of less than 400 people.
06:47
This is a big article that makes the inside pages of the Examiner this morning. So less than 400 people.
06:55
For 400 people in the village of Cullen, they once had five pubs.
07:00
What's the maths on that?
07:02
It's a pub for every 80 people, is it?
07:05
They had three shops, a creamery, a petrol station and a post office. Now, seriously, all have closed. I mean, that's an indictment of Irish Royal Society, isn't it? That five pubs closed, three shops closed, a creamery closed, a petrol station closed, post office closed. So they all closed. And the lights were turned off in the last pub two years ago. So the community came together and you were allowed to buy a shareholding of 10 grand per shareholding. And people did. And they got a lot of money together, well over 300 grand.
07:35
And, you know, they spent 290,000 buying the pub.
07:39
And then on top of that, then they had to put in a cooling system and put in all sorts of beer lines and things like that and get different grants and things. But the plumbers of Cullen, the farmers of Cullen, the electricians, the carpenters, they all worked voluntarily to fix up the bar. That's a great story. And it opens at half past five on the weekdays, three o'clock on a Saturday and half past 12 on Sunday. And it's been jam packed and it's community owned. Don't you just love that kind of story?
08:07
There's been other ones in the past, actually. And I hope to talk to some of the good people of Cullen on that story and their achievement. I think it's brilliant. But there's been other ones up and down the country over the years. Like we found one, two, three, four, five different pubs. including the pub in Cullen. There was a bar called, I love the name, The Rancher's Return in Kilkenny, where the community bought it for 375 grand. There was another one then, The Harbour Bar in Kinsale, with a 1.5 million campaign target to buy that one. So it's been done in the past and it will be done again.
08:38
But I won't mention this, I won't go into much detail on this now because I won't have much time, but talking about pubs and publicans and trying to do business, There's a bizarre story made the Telegraph on Friday, on Saturday's Telegraph, where we're talking about in the bigger area of London City is Westminster, right? So Westminster Council controlled that. And it's where you would have all of the tourists and people teaming in and all of the pubs and all of the restaurants. So they'll come up now with a proposal that they want to put in vertical drinking bans in the pubs.
09:12
Now, if you checked your calendar and you thought that this was the 1st of April, I wouldn't be surprised. But no, this is real. So a lot of pushback from the pub saying if they do this, you will absolutely decimate the pub trade. So how would it work? Well, it would mean that nobody would be allowed to stand up inside in a bar or lean up against a counter or have a few chats with your buddies or worse still, outside where people might congregate of a summer's evening in groups of twos or fours or sixes, all standing around having a cold one or a frosty pint.
09:44
You instead would have to sit at a table and be served by a waiter or a waitress. Who comes up with these barmy, barmy decisions? I mean, could you imagine that if Cork City Council, for instance, put in a vertical drinking ban? It would absolutely decimate the pub trade. And it also would be a real nail in the coffin for having a bit of crack and a bit of banter and a bit of chat. Like a table and chairs around a table for four or six. That's all very well if you're having food or something. But mother of God, would you just stall the ball on that?
10:17
I'd love to get your thoughts on it. Because if it happens there, it could happen here anytime soon. Text 0868104106. You look at the world getting crazier and crazier. Back to Cambridge we go this morning, although this actually makes the Irish sun this morning, where they're saying the university has put a woke trigger warning on the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. So for those going into first year college who are getting kind of an initiation, they were getting involved in some kind of a webinar where at the start of the webinar they were warned about adult content and themes of violence.
10:52
for Little Red Riding Hood. Now, if you look at the article, they were taking a critical look, they said, at children's stories, but they were encouraging the first-year students to read beneath the surface that Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm and all of these people actually had more subliminal messages in these fairy tales that we need to take seriously with regards to sex, abuse, control.
11:20
coercive control, behavioural issues, and, of course, violence and death. Why? Because, I think, is it different now, Little Red Riding Hood, that we read to the children? I mean, does the wolf still eat Red Riding Hood's granny?
11:37
Or has that been changed in the stories? Anyway, it's one of the examples of wokeness, I suppose, where you just got to wonder, when's this ever going to end? You know, I tell you one thing that hasn't ended. There was a bit of a blip, right? But we're back to kind of nice weather again for this week. But the Mail is saying this morning that the summer and sport enticed a lot of Irish people to boost... The numbers enjoying staycations last month, 9%. It's not bad. It's not 10%. It's 9% up on last year. But what I found interesting about it, if you do a comparison between that story of sun holidays in Ireland, actually the Puck Fair starts today down in Kilorgland.
12:14
It was coming through yesterday and they were putting the last touches to it. The tarot card readers are in town. The fortune tellers are there with their caravans. The big fun fair is up in the middle of the square. All the chipper vans are raring to go. And, of course, the goat will make an appearance at some stage this morning. But that's Puck. But if you look at those that do want to stay at home, the Irish Mail on Sunday yesterday gave some examples of how expensive it actually is. I'm not looking at three stars and I'm not looking at five stars. I just looked at four star hotels that they printed in the Mail on Sunday yesterday for Westport.
12:47
Now, this would be two adults and two children for a week, right? Right. Westport, €2,100. Galway City, €2,600. Dublin City, wait for it, €7,000 for the week. Two adults, two children. Absolutely bonkers. Killarney, €2,100.
13:10
Not bad value when you look at some of the other crazy prices, but dear enough, all the same. And then Waterford, probably the best value. Beautiful town. 1,000, I should say, city. They got very annoyed. 1,336. So as high as, as I say, any kind of...
13:26
By any stretch of the imagination, looking at six or seven grand in Dublin is absolutely mental. And then say as low as water for a city at 1,300. But what about Cork, I hear you ask? Well, I can give you two examples. Cork City, 3,840. They chose the Dean Hotel in Cork City at 3,840 for an adult and two children, two adults and two children, family for one week.
13:49
And Acton's in Kinsale. By comparison to the Dean, there's a bit of value to be had, but it's still high. 2,940. And I'm imagining that that's bed and breakfast before you put a sup into your mouth or a bit of food into your stomach. But there you have it nonetheless. So if you do decide to stay at home, it ain't cheap, lads. Not by any stretch of the imagination. And there are other two stories I'll come back to later on because everybody loves kind of shrinkflation stories and other people love what's found under floorboards. The kind of floorboardy story happens to be a Mars bar that was discovered in a house property clear-out from 1991, right?
14:25
Yeah.
14:27
And it seems as if back in 1991, the Mars bar was nearly the size of your hand. Actually, longer, from the tip of your middle finger all the way down to your wrist. I swear to God, there were big, massive, chunky, bulky bars. Now, forget about it. 65 grams they weighed back then. There were 14 centimetres long. Now they're 40 grams and 9 centimetres long. You pay more for them and you get a heck of a lot less. And the other one then has to do with a bottle of Guinness that was found in a shipwreck that was discovered 160 years ago.
15:02
It sank and was found last week. And on board were other... I mean, there's china on it and candlesticks and wine and pickled vegetables if you want to add it to your salad. But 24 bottles of Guinness on board, perfectly sealed. The next... stage now is to taste the Guinness to see if it's palatable and if it tastes anything similar to the Guinness of today. And Guinness themselves are very interested in getting a hand on a bottle of it to see what it's like and if it stood the test of time 160 years later.
15:36
Be part of the conversation. Text 0868 104 106. Amongst other things, then you're above in Dublin paying your three or four grand for a week in a hotel with the family. And you decide if you're a tourist then, where would be a nice place to go? Well, Temple Bar is supposed to be lovely. We might go for a little drink there and just chill out. Saw this on Facebook, Neil. Cheeky to be paying for midnight music at tea time, isn't it? Imagine the twine you drop at a session. We've lost the plot here. Yes, indeedy. There's a lot of twine involved here. You got yourself a pint of Heineken. in Temple Bar where you paid 11 euro 95 cent I hope it was the absolute nicest pint of Heineken you ever had for 12 euro and whoever you were with decided to have a vodka and tonic and that cost 16 euro 16 euro.
16:24
Hang on a second. Wait a second. 10 and 4 is 14. Yeah, 16 euro for a vodka and tonic. Isn't it absolutely barking mad, the cost of things? Keep it coming. Text 0868 104 106. Pick up the phone on 0818 104 106. More fires in the Glen I see over the weekend. See video being shared at the weekend. Don't know why. Obviously, it's man-made. It usually is. All sorts of carry-on. And then we had another issue down around Church Bay Beach. I see that coming in over the weekend. Another fire lit at Church Bay Beach.
16:55
Time and time and time again, people have been told to cop themselves on and they just don't do it. And if that wasn't bad enough for you with the way people behave in their lazy manner, not giving a damn. Helena, good morning.
17:07
Good morning, Neil.
17:08
Okay, what have you got for me? Is this Bishopstown? No.
17:12
Unfortunately, look, it's O'Brien's service station in Bishopstown. Now, look, I go in there all the time. Fabulous service station, always spotless, clean, lovely staff, no complaints. But it's the bottle return scheme at the back. Oh, my God.
17:27
So basically I was driving out and I noticed there was like three bins full to the brim of black rubbish bags. And then, of course, when they've run out of space, they just leave them on the ground. You know, it's one of those bins you can empty the whole bag into and then it just does all the work. Oh, OK.
17:44
It's kind of an automated one. Yeah, yeah.
17:47
Yes, yes. And I mean, look, it's not the service station's fault, but I really think this return scheme was very badly thought out.
17:54
So are you saying, because I'm just hearing this for the first time, I don't have pictures of anything, you're saying the people are just dumping their bags?
18:01
Yeah, yeah, because you see, like, Neil, if you put it in one by one, when you're finished, your hands are filthy, the bags smell, your hands are sticky, those bags are no more good for anything, you know?
18:13
So it's the empty... Are we talking about hundreds of dumped, large, black, empty bags?
18:17
Oh, yeah. Yeah, there is, yeah. Loads of them.
18:20
Like, it's a problem. They just discard them?
18:23
Yeah, because you can dump a whole big black bag in. So once it's dumped in and you get your money, you leave the bag.
18:32
I'm not following how this system works. Can you just explain to me? Does the bag and all go in or you tip the bag into a...
18:39
Into a drawer, more or less. Yeah, a hopper. And you dump in all your bottles, you close it, and then it does all the work for you, you know?
18:49
And then people just leave the bags?
18:51
Yeah.
18:54
And you've scouted, like, hundreds and hundreds of them?
18:57
Oh, yeah, there was three bins full of them at the top and stuffed in and hanging out. And then there was more thrown on the ground because the bins were full, like.
19:08
You know?
19:08
Yeah. But shouldn't the service station be changing them more often or looking after that?
19:15
I don't know. I just think this whole scheme, being honest, like we have recycling collections. Why did we not get a roll of bags or an extra bin? Now we've set up a company and they got a big pay rise recently.
19:28
Yeah, well, certainly those at the executive level did, yeah.
19:31
Yeah, yeah. And look, they put vehicles on the road, they got machines, they use electricity. Like, is this not counterproductive when we already had a service that we just didn't include bottles, plastic bottles and cans in it?
19:46
But how would you get the refund on it? Because they're charging you more now.
19:51
Butcher, don't charge. Just give it in your bin. We were all recycling anyway and throwing the bottles and cans in. What were we doing?
19:57
It was a perfectly effective way. But they were saying a lot of people weren't when it came to littering around towns and villages and parks.
20:04
I don't think it's made any difference to that, being honest. I live in the country and you'll be driving along and you'll go over a can because you know the noise of it. You can see it silver and shiny. They're still dumping chip papers all over the place and the cans go out with them as well, you know?
20:19
It hasn't made a blind bit of difference.
20:21
I don't think it has. Just extra work. And by the time you go there, you queue up, put your bottles in, get your money. If you put it on a voucher, you go spend it. You could be talking and now we're like, out of your week.
20:33
I thought I was going to get my shopping free the last time I brought down two big plastic black bags of it down to Aldi and I was there happy out. People behind me were fairly fed up. Clinkity, clinkity, clinking into the machine. This is going to be great. I'm going to get about €35. I got €4.75 for like three or four months work putting them together.
20:54
And all these iced coffees now you can buy in plastic bottles, none of them are included in the return scheme. These protein drinks that are very popular with all these gym bunnies and youngsters, none of them are included in the return scheme.
21:09
Why do you say gym bunnies?
21:12
Is that a bit of a slight on the younger generation trying to get fit?
21:15
I'm envious, envious of them. I wish I was one, Neil.
21:19
I'm too busy recycling. That's my excuse.
21:22
Yeah, well, there's no excuse for litter and behaviour like that. Of that, you can be sure. No, no, but... None whatsoever.
21:27
None whatsoever. I just think... And there's millions unclaimed as well because those receipts fade or else, you know, they get a bit wet and the writing goes off them straight away. You know? It's not even a digital system that goes on your phone or anything. It's just the whole thing. It's like...
21:47
I just can't. It's like the e-voting machines. It's just as bad.
21:50
Down with all that sort of stuff. Anyway, let's see what other people think of it. Appreciate it. Thanks so much, Alina. Text 0868 104 106. Pick up the phone on 0818 104 106. I love getting emails. Neil at redfm.ie. Got this one overnight. I'm writing, as a very shaken passenger following a frightening incident on the half past nine CityLink bus on Friday. A couple were travelling on the bus and the woman appeared extremely intoxicated. She became increasingly aggressive towards the man she was with, shouting and throwing objects around the bus.
22:24
During one of her outbursts, an object was thrown and it struck a female passenger who was travelling independently of the couple and it struck her in the head. Thankfully, she wasn't seriously injured, but it was extremely upsetting and could have had much more serious consequences. Situation became so disruptive that the bus had to make a diversion and cause a lengthy delay. The driver told us the guardie had been called, although they did not attend while we were still there. I've submitted a formal complaint to CityLink, but I wanted to contact to show, see if anyone else was on the half nine service and witnessed what happened.
22:57
It was an extremely frightening and chaotic journey and particularly concerned that an innocent passenger was struck in the head. If anyone else was on the bus that night, I'd really appreciate hearing from them. A very shaken passenger. Well, CityLink did confirm to us that it happened and that they don't tolerate violent or anti-social behaviour on their services.
23:17
And they had to divert...
23:21
And the schedule, of course, then was messed up for everybody else because of that. But they said they're aware of an incident involving passengers and they will conduct a full investigation. Nobody's telling me anything about whether the Gardaí got involved or turned up or anything. But I'm just seeing a lot more of that now with regards to behavioral issues around people. And, you know...
23:41
A couple travelling on a bus, a woman extremely drunk, and then starts and kicks off, and whoever she's with gives it back, and then, of course, it gets violent, and everybody else has to witness this kind of carry-on. It's just not good enough. Text 0868-104-106. Pick up the phone in 0818-104-106. John, good morning. Good morning.
23:59
How are you, sir? Your thoughts on Kinnaghan?
24:04
My task on Kenyon, right?
24:06
How these guys are allowed to get so powerful, just like John Gilligan, the general and all these guys, is down to the lack of enforcement and criminality by the Irish government, right? Now, Daniel Kenyon was in court yesterday, no need. And he's the one. No, he didn't secure a liar at that stage, yes. But neither should he be standing in front of a judge, right? There should be hundreds of thousands of people standing with him. And by that, I don't mean support to him. I mean in the dock with him.
24:37
Because how many people in the Saturday night, Neil, it's just normally now, it's like going from a jail, you take a little snot to cocaine, whatever, you have the connections, every town, village, the smallest city village in Illinois, you can get drugs. And every single one that's taking drugs, they're not making the connection with criminal... Yeah, they don't connect the dots.
25:00
Listen, I don't want to come across as preachy now or in any way like that, but people don't connect the dots when it comes to their lines of cocaine at the weekend.
25:08
Yeah, they don't connect the dots between the criminality, the murder, the mayhem, everything that goes with that. And so Danny Kenyon shouldn't be on his own side in that court, stand in front of a judge. There should be hundreds of thousands of people, every single one that takes their little shot of cocaine in the weekend should be standing there with them because you're just as guilty. We don't care about our society, the mayhem that's going on, the drug taking, the pressure that's putting on the health sector, that's already overburdened. They're just complete selfish. traitor to every decent standards that we have in this country.
25:41
It's kind of hypocritical, I know, when you make the point like that. It really is.
25:45
It is completely like that. And again, as I said, the Irish government has left these people to get as powerful as they did. When they slaughtered a young woman in the near school college, a young mother, Veronica Gearden, the cab was set up, Neil, right? Noah Rowan got up off her big fat ass at the time, right, the Minister for Justice.
26:03
Steady on, steady on, steady on. Let's not personalise things.
26:08
No, but the point being, like, I mean, she wasn't doing her job as the Justice Minister, not with the government, right? Why couldn't they set up, like, if you go back to Al Capone, that's where they actually got Al Capone on. Not the muggling, the mayhem, and everything else, and the smuggling. It was on text. And these guys would get too powerful, the same as the Kinehans got too powerful, because basically the governments and numerous ministers of justice were not doing their job. And as it goes, the government is.
26:34
OK, interesting that you bring that up, because I've text on that. This is not the government jet. This is not the government jet. It's the peoples of Ireland's jet and should not have been used for this purpose, to bring Daniel Kinehan back from Dubai.
26:47
So we just put you on this note, costing 53 million or whatever, right? And there's no means to ferry criminals around the world. I don't think the Irish taxpayers are happy with us. But then again, we're not happy with it.
26:59
Gillian says, how much did that cost to fly him over in a private jet? Andrew says, no doubt he'll be let off and they'll fly him back in the government jet too. That's a bit tongue-in-cheek.
27:10
Who's paying for it, says Lizzie?
27:12
We're paying for it. The fools that we are.
27:17
But how else do you get... I mean, he's got to answer the charges in court and the proceedings must continue as you know, right?
27:27
I mean, I hate saying things like this, but just to remind innocent and prove it guilty. But he's a very, very wanted man. So they had to find some safe and secure way of getting him back. And you wouldn't put him on a domestic Aer Lingus or a Ryanair or a BA flight from Dubai. With two or three hundred other people?
27:48
No, obviously not. I mean, we have the Air Force jets there. I mean, the few misery ones that we have. Something like that.
27:56
You're going and doing it again. Why would you say something unkind about the Air Corps? What do they ever do to you?
28:03
No, no. But the fact is, I mean, what little Air Force that we have. I don't see why the government jet is supposed to be used for government business, right? Yeah, no, I'm seeing that.
28:16
I am seeing that. OK, covered a lot of ground, actually. Let me put some of those points that you made to Nicola Talent, who is the investigative editor of the Sunday World newspaper. She also has Crime World podcast, which is a super podcast. Thank you, John. She joins me. Nicola, good morning. Good morning. Slightly off topic, but here on Leeside, people are wondering about why Kennehan would come back on the government jet. Do you have any thoughts on that or is that irrelevant?
28:40
Well, look, I mean, people will give out about the cost of that and all the rest of it. But in the end of the day, this is just such a high profile moment. I do think for Ireland, the eyes of the world are on, you know, our law enforcement really and the justice system here. So I think they just didn't want to take any chances. It was the same last night when he was brought to court. You know, there was a chopper in the air. There was a cavalcade of four cars. There was an out kind of a rider car before that. Everything was bulletproof.
29:10
There was armed police there. Like, you know, this is the most wanted man in the world. And the embarrassment of anything going wrong, I think, would just make us ridiculed. Is he that high up the cartel chain, yeah? The most wanted man in the world? Oh, he is, yeah. He is, yeah. I mean, 100%. I mean, it's really akin to the likes of, you know, in the States when they bring back you know, the big high profile cartel bosses like Joaquin, El Chapo, Guzman and that kind of thing.
29:45
You know, it's as much about PR, really, as it is anything else. It's a show of strength by the state that, you know, nobody is untouchable.
29:56
Nobody is bigger than the state. We can, you know, police anybody. dismantle a cartel. You know, there's a message there really, isn't there, as well as everything else. So I think personally I'd get over the government jet thing, although my colleague Niall Donald had to fly in, as Daniel Kinnehan would call it, baggage class last night from his holiday. So, you know, the rest of us are just in the ordinary seats still.
30:20
So what I'd like to know, among other things, right, is did, because I was reading this this morning, it happened to be in The Independent, but I think it was Paul Williams who was saying that, you know, his one-way ticket home was sealed the minute the US put a bounty on his head. Was that the five million that did it or how was he caught?
30:37
Well, like the US, OK, came in with those sanctions four years ago now. It was 22, April 22, actually, and There's been such a huge change of regime there in the States. It'd be hard to know are they really actively looking for the Kinnahans. That certainly happened because they believed, they suspected that the Kinehan cartel were working hand in glove with Hezbollah, with the Iranian regime, who were looking to invest in drug shipments, particularly cocaine, in order to make massive profits and fund their acts of terror.
31:09
So that's really why the US got actively interested in the Kinehans. The sanctions were put in place.
31:16
It was huge news.
31:19
But I don't really know how it affected them because they kept moving drugs. You know, they're not actually working in the legitimate economy. So it's, you know, it doesn't affect them in the same way as it would ordinary business people. So the US are a little bit of an enigma. Do they really want them or not?
31:39
Hard to know. But here in Ireland, I mean, what he's before the courts for is a criminal charge directing a criminal organisation. And we are operating totally separate to the US. That investigation has been going on for 10 years, really. The period of time is interesting. It's October 2015 to April 2017. Same dates that were used in the Sean McGovern case. His number two was brought back last year and ultimately pleaded guilty before the courts.
32:12
So you don't have a trial, but you have a sentence hearing, which is a very detailed description of what the state's case was against him. And that case will be very similar to what Daniel Kinnaghan will be facing.
32:23
Because the government got a 24-year sentence, yeah?
32:26
Yeah, so Kinnaghan, yeah, on a guilty plea, you know, on a guilty plea. So Kinnaghan is up the structure from him. So even on a guilty plea would be likely to get more than that. I don't think Kinnaghan will plea. I could eat my hat on that, but he has constantly over the last 10 years sort of put out the narrative about this conspiracy theory that he really believes in his head that the government under the then Taoiseach Enda Kenny, that the Gardaí, the media and the Hutch organised crime group work together in order to try and assassinate him that day in the Regency.
33:06
Now he's put out a book about that on an e-book thing. He had a rap song recorded, which is very Mexican cartel style. telling that story and he also released a documentary with high production values and has continued really up until last week because he's been doing this series of interviews from prison in Dubai with the Scottish podcaster James English and that narrative has come out again that you know this is all I've done nothing wrong this is all a conspiracy the media are against me and he has this big interview done with him which is
33:43
Yeah, that's what he's having a bit of, he's kind of having a bit of a laugh at the whole thing with him. He said, yeah, I'll go home anyway, baggage class, economy class, get me home. I'll have a bit of batch bread and a packet of potato crisps. I'm not sure they're facilitating that in jail at the moment, though.
33:59
No. Well, I mean, they will have the batch of bread and the tater crisps, actually. You'll get that. Baggage class, I think, only exists for bags. I don't think there's actually such a thing. But he's also kind of said things like, you know, put out this interview. I let the public decide. I mean, the public have no place here in a court of law. It'll be a three-judge special criminal court, which will be, you know, perusing the evidence put forward by the state of, in this very lengthy investigation into him. So it doesn't really matter what the public think.
34:33
You know, it'll be up to the courts.
34:36
How long will that take?
34:38
I think you're going to see a trial within the year because the special are operating. They have two courts running and they've got very, very efficient since they have got the two courts running.
34:48
Again, looking back to the McGovern case, his trial was due to come up within a year of him landing in prison here in Ireland.
34:57
other than he tended guilty at an early point, which moved the process forward. So I think definitely you'd be looking at next year. It won't be that much longer.
35:07
And what difference would that make, really? I hate to put a damper on things, but let's say he's out of the picture. Won't somebody else just take over and carry on?
35:17
Well, they already will be, undoubtedly. His arrest in Dubai will have caused mayhem. There will be others who maybe worked at him previously moving in to take over the routes, taking over the logistics, taking over the shipping opportunities that he has been using.
35:35
Spain, I believe, is slightly chaotic now at this stage. And obviously the Kinahan grouping largely has been dismantled here in Ireland and the UK. Of course, somebody else will step in, undoubtedly. That's the way of that world. There isn't much loyalties, at least further than skin deep. And I'm not sure that Kinahan...
35:57
believed he was ever going to be brought back. You know, he seems to be in disbelief about it. He believed his protections and his friends in the UAE were really going to save him. And I'm not 100% sure he has done that succession thing, which his own father did for him, who's left McGovern's back here in jail as well. He was his number two. He was the go-to guy for everything. So some of the characters left out in Dubai...
36:27
wouldn't really be capable of running it. So it will, you know, it will be undone.
36:33
Is there a chance that he might try and, you want to sound like American TV now, but do some kind of a deal, cut some kind of a deal, give names, bring other people down with him?
36:44
I don't know if he would be adverse to that as a person, but I don't think they're going to cut any deal with Daniel Kinnehan. I mean, it's either going to be, he obviously, like anybody, will have an opportunity to plead guilty to these charges if he wishes. But otherwise, he'll go to trial and, you know, other associates of his have gone...
37:06
state witness, including Imperial Raffaele in Italy. But I don't think they're looking for Daniel Kinahan to give up others.
37:15
And finally, just before I let you go, and thank you for jumping on this morning, John was making an interesting point that's been made before, that people don't seem to connect the dots, and there's an awful lot of hypocrisy in society where it Any given day, but particularly the weekend, cocaine is in bountiful supply as a social and recreational drug that's part of a night out.
37:34
There's a lot of hypocrisy, isn't there, with regards to cocaine?
37:38
Well, look, as long as there's demand, there'll be supply. It's as simple as that. It's just as simple as that. And there is a huge demand for it.
37:47
You know, it's that war on drugs has never really worked because people take them, use them.
37:55
And a whole other debate would be what... And what would you, just briefly then, because you've covered this for many, many years, what would win the war?
38:06
I don't think there's any winning it. I think that the law enforcement are just, they're kind of like, it's like whack-a-mole. They just keep going after the ones that are getting particularly big and violent. But if you stay under the radar, giving tips to your listeners there now, but if you stay under the radar and don't kill anyone, you're usually kind of down the pecking order for law enforcement, if you know what I mean. A lot of these groups implode themselves like the Kinnehan's did. I mean, the two groupings that went to war there were once one grouping. So, you know, jealousies and all the rest of these things take over.
38:39
you know, the more wealth there is, the more greed there is. And they usually nearly sort of wipe themselves out before law enforcement get to them.
38:46
Yeah, yeah. Interesting times. Let's see what happens next. Nicola, thanks so much for taking the call. Appreciate it. Nicola Talent, the Sunday World and also creator and host of the Crime World podcast. Text 0868104106. Your thoughts are welcome to that. Lots more after the break.
39:03
Get on to Prenderville.
39:04
Text or WhatsApp Neil now. 0868-104-106. The Neil Prenderville Show.
39:12
Don't be able to be overly negative, but there's been a lot of stuff over the weekend. You can be sure of it. Amongst other things, Kenahan and the whole issue with regards to feuds on Leeside and gang warfare over the last week. Cork Pio reporting from a very serious incident on the north side of the city over the weekend as well. And this was a grey Skoda estate, they're saying, that appeared to drive directly at a man on a moped in Blackpool. Um, And this is another very serious incident that they say could well be deliberate, where the scooter rider was deliberately rammed and left with serious injuries in Blackpool Friday, round about half past five, busy traffic, half past five in the afternoon.
39:54
The driver of the moped then is taken to the university hospital, getting treatment for serious injuries. As you can imagine, a Skoda, uh, if Skoda motor car hits a foot on a, on a, on a moped, there's going to be serious injuries. So the gray Skoda, which just legged it after that, just sped away, didn't stop. And the guards are looking for people to maybe come forward and give some information with the guards. So that would be always suggesting that it was deliberate, the ramming, um, That left a man seriously injured. And the next question you got to ask is why?
40:22
On Daniel Kinahan, what's one more gangster going on the jet?
40:28
OK, I get what you're saying. There are enough gangsters. I get it. We don't have to go there. Well done to John, but the country is in big trouble. There's a serious lack of law enforcement and drug testing should start from the top down, beginning with the political elite. This is to do with the hypocrisy behind cocaine use. And people using it, but not connecting the dots all the way up to the Kinnaghan or the Hutch gangs and the like. I'd rather see the jet used to serve justice all day long. So somebody agreeing that that was a good use for the government jet.
41:01
The private plane, I'd say, was a matter of public safety, Neil. With these high profile cases, any danger to the public is a concern for the Gardaí. the Army and the Air Corps. So they did the right thing by using the Air Corps plane. Yes, indeedy, you make sense when you put it like that, but I think that is a first, that a private plane that normally would be reserved for dignitaries or the Taoiseach or the Taunista or senior ministers going to and from Brussels or all of the different jollies that they go on for the first time has been used by...
41:33
the Irish state to bring back, as Nicola Tannen said, one and perhaps the most wanted man in the world on the government jet.
41:42
Text 0868-104-106. Morning, Neil, and all the team.
41:45
Great win, obviously, for the Cork Camogie players yesterday, but I also thought it was great to hear the banks of my own lovely Lee played over the intercom throughout Cork Park directly after the victory. It was a real traditional Cork anthem. Let's bring it back, says Grainne, and it's coming back later on this afternoon to the Grand Parade. I heard that as well. I sat down, watched the entire match. It was a cracking match. It was absolutely. Komogi played at the highest level. And at the end, all over the stadium, through the PA system, the banks of my own lovely Lee.
42:18
I could not have been prouder. Text 0868-104-106. Back after 10.
42:28
Be part of the conversation, the Neil Prentoval Show with Elevate Credit Union. And again, being Monday, it's the Monday Munchies, your opportunity to win tray loads of cakes from the old mill confectionery. We've got the long jammy doughnuts, the light and creamy eclairs, the big fudge cake. We've got chocolate slices, custard slices, tipsy cake and lots of Chester cake. So it'll feed lots of you in the workplace. If you've never got involved for the Monday Munchies, do it for the first time this morning. Text who you are and where you're working to 0868 104 106 and we'll do the first bunch of shout outs in about a half an hour's time.
43:01
Red Patrollers then, as soon as we pick a winner just before midday, will deliver all the cakes this lunchtime and you can have a good nosh up or share with other businesses around you. So text who you are and where you're working to 0868-104-106. And a lot of matters to do with food this week because Cork on a Fork kicks off. And every day this week, we've got a different prize associated with that big Cork culinary event. The Pembroke Street Table is on Sunday from 2 until 5 p.m.
43:32
Fear not if you missed out on tickets because there are still a few left if you want to get them yourself. But we have a wonderful giveaway and I'll tell you a little bit more about it Throughout the course of the morning, we have tickets to give away. There'll be like 100 diners at this shared table dinner with different contributors. More on that a little later on. And we've got great giveaways for Cork and a Fork right across the week. Meanwhile, it's interesting the different topics you bring up that...
43:58
Get people thinking and get people into conversation. There's an interesting one there with regards to the bring back refund scheme with regards to recycling. This refund caper is awful. If you have transport, it's not too bad. But if you have no car and you're 75 years old, it's absolutely crap. And you know what?
44:20
You never would get fed up with regards to... Well, actually, you would get fed up with it. I shouldn't say that. But I shouldn't be surprised at the things that people do out of pure stupidity or else intentionally. The Barry Collins supermarket right down in Cargilline had to close down the loader. of the return scheme, the machine itself. They had to strip it down and they had to clean it. God almighty, the person who had that job, I really do pity them. You might ask why. Because somebody in their wisdom or stupidity filled it with foul rubbish, like dumped their rubbish through the chute.
45:00
or the big hopper itself. And it included used injection paraphernalia. Would you believe it? I mean, I gesture not. And I have photographs of the evidence as well. The things that people just do. And it's got to be intentional. It's just got to be sheer, pure laziness. On different topics then over the past, certainly from the back end of last week and into this morning, we spoke a lot then about the government spend. The state has 60 billion in the bank.
45:29
Yes, indeed. And much of that was a surprise even to them. Yet sick people are sleeping on hospital trolleys. Irish children can't get a bus to school. 17,000 Irish people are living in B&Bs. Meanwhile, Michal Martin is building modular homes for Ukrainians, spending billions to keep them here and giving Zelensky 700 million.
45:50
I imagine that that also included perhaps the Apple money. I don't know what it included, but you're absolutely right. And a lot of people are incensed at the state of play in this country. We need to be doing... Good morning, Neil. We need to be doing this also. The Irish are being left behind and so many Irish are homeless. That suggestion actually has to do with building modular homes and modular estates for Irish people. Now, whether there's so much suicide in young people in Ireland, they can't buy a house, they can't start a family... The government, including the Taoiseach, has a lot to answer for.
46:21
Regarding the comment to safeguard British people first in the UK, well, this is a conservative Kemi Badenoch promise, if they got back into power, that no person coming into the UK would be allowed to go on to a public authority housing list. There's nothing wrong with it, says John. If a policy like that were introduced in Ireland, it would clamp down on the freeloading criminal gangs arriving on our shores and automatically having everything free and being so aware of all of their rights because NGOs tell them. And that's nothing short of despicable.
46:54
If the British government, well, it would have to be a Conservative government, why should we give subsidised housing to anyone outside the EU anyway? What if they contributed to the country? But fear not, the EU lackeys would never allow this to happen to upset our real government in Brussels. Final one on this, I would agree 100% with the UK political party promising houses for UK residents only. We have a homeless person living near us. He's Irish, but I bet if he were a foreigner... he would have been given somewhere to live. The country can't cope with all of the non-nationals being housed.
47:28
It's interesting because we got in touch with the press office for the Justice Department asking them, what's the state of play with the modular houses, certainly down around Mahan or up around Charleville? What will happen with them now when the temporary protective directive comes to an end? It's being wound down now.
47:49
and will happen in the coming months. And they said, potential further uses include social and affordable housing consultation with local communities, but no final decision has been made on long-term future use.
48:05
Well, there could be a lot of future use for these modular homes because they have an expected lifespan of 60 years. And there are 11 locations around the country now with 654 units in total, housing 2,640 people.
48:22
So it's not a huge amount, but it's more of the optics and how it looks than anything else as to what will happen with them next. I mean, at this stage, we also have...
48:32
I was down there because you have the existing ones. They're pretty impressive, actually. They've got front...
48:38
green areas and parking spaces and gardens and shrubberies and plants and flowers. Looks very well. And next to them then in Mahan, they are just about to put the finishing touches to another bunch of, I don't know, I don't know how many, it could be 30, it could be 40, that are just about to be finished and they're all completely kitted out and furnished. So what will happen with them? Because they're brand new and they haven't had anybody living in them anytime soon.
49:04
All the talk about the super prison on your show is absolutely useless because no matter how big you build a prison, it will fill up and people will be moaning again that there's no room for anyone anymore. Morning, you were talking about Garda numbers and thinking outside the box. Why not just have one Garda assigned to each patrol car? Similar to the system they use in the US as opposed to Irish patrol cars with two Garda. When a Garda is called to an incident, a second patrol car can also be dispatched if it's considered to be serious enough. They can then support each other, like in America.
49:37
It would be a better allocation of guarded resources and it would increase the visible guarded presence, says Billy. You would have twice as many guards, I suppose, theoretically going around if there weren't two in every squad car. So that's just the tip of the iceberg. I'll plough through. I'm just going to be one more, actually, because Balafihan was very much in the news last week. Morning, Neil. I have lived in Balafihan for over 30 years, reared my family who grew up in a safe area with lovely friends. What happened over the past few months is no reflection of the 99% of amazing, respectable people who live here.
50:10
We have a fantastic community who look out for each other, especially our elderly neighbours. It's sad that those who have only come into the area recently have tainted the good reputation that people worked hard to build over the years. Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't believe that anybody who is convicted of a crime like the level that we're hearing about now that's led to gang feuds because of drugs should ever be living or allowed to remain in a public authority house. I think it should be an automatic eviction order.
50:42
No messing, no ifs or buts, no pleading, no sub stories, just out. Text 0868104106.
50:49
Listen to The Neil Prendiville Show wherever you go. Download the Go Loud app, the new home of Red FM.
50:55
The Neil Prendiville Show on Red FM.
50:58
Somebody texting, just a short text there saying, were those eight teens being pursued by Gardaí? No, they weren't. In fact, a guard said by text, I'm a guard. We would not be allowed to pursue said vehicle in a situation like that. They can't. This is the story of the nine teenagers all under the age of 18, In one car, there was eight of them, and that's bad enough, right? But they crashed into another lad who was actually in the second car. He was going the right way, and the eight in the car, all under 18 years of age, were going the wrong way on the M50.
51:31
Came down the ramp the wrong way and smashed into him. Now, that's bad enough, but I feel really, really sorry for the other lad, the driver of the second car, a man in his 20s who was taken... to hospital with serious injuries, completely innocent to that stupidity and that mayhem. And anyway, you got all under 18 and I hope they make a full recovery. I really do. Don't get me wrong in that regard. But I worry all of the time with regards to innocent people on our roads when other people do stupid things, you know, play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
52:02
I mean, like you have to say that it's half past five in the morning. They're all under the age of 18, right? Yeah.
52:11
Do any of their parents at all know where they are at that hour? I mean, what's going on? I know we seem to say that an awful lot now when it comes to young people. It's getting younger and younger, the activity of teens. And unfortunately and sadly, not always good activity. Like what in the name of God have you got eight teens in the same car at half past five in the morning driving the wrong way down the M50? I don't know whose car it was. I don't know whether it was theirs or whether they borrowed it. I have no idea. Stole it. I have no idea. But 5am in the morning. What the hell is going on with their parents?
52:42
Anyway, text 0868104106. Just briefly back to Kinahan. PJ, good morning.
52:47
Good morning, Neil. A lot of texts on this, actually. You know, people seem to be engaging on Daniel Kinahan and a stop to his gallop. Your thoughts?
52:55
Yeah, I think.
52:56
Look, I don't usually buy into conspiracy theories. We've spoken several times on here, but...
53:03
It would be beyond the realms of imagination for a deal to be cut there. I mean, Kenny Henn's, what, 50 years of age and, you know, he's allegedly done whatever he's supposed to have done. He's 50 years of age. He's coming near the end of his career, possibly, as an alleged gang leader or whatever. And would it be beyond the realms of belief that he would cut a deal and say, look, you've been chasing me for the last 20-odd years? You know, here I am. You know, he approached Michael Martin. Michael Martin gains from this. He's head of the EU.
53:33
He's just called one of the most sought-after criminals.
53:38
Are you saying it's a feather in his bow because we have the presidency of the EU?
53:44
Again, you wouldn't be put against the ball and shot for tankiness. It is, you have to agree, it is convenient that it worked out this way.
53:52
You know? So, like, it's...
53:56
I think I thought that it all should happen... so quick after going on for so long.
54:02
Well, his, his, Kennehan's number two, a fella called McGovern, right? You're probably aware of McGovern, Sean McGovern. He was his closest associate extradited to Ireland last year, right? He, he, he pleaded guilty and he still got 24 years. So I don't, Nicola Tallon says she doesn't believe anyone would be interested in doing any kind of a deal or business with, with, with Kennehan. Yeah, well,
54:26
Like, in fairness, Neil, when you raise to that notoriety, when you raise to that amount of fame in that thing, really it's a prison sentence.
54:39
But it could be 30 years.
54:42
I know, I know your freedom is gone, but... Like, you know, there's elements of respect, there's a hierarchy in prisons, as you're probably aware, you know, where...
54:55
you have the kingpins and you have the walkers and that, so... Yeah, but they're still in jail now. I hear about this hierarchy thing. It may not be as difficult on him as it would be the drug dealer that gets caught...
55:09
stealing or robbing a shop or something.
55:11
Ah, yeah, but I know that. It might be a bit, you know, you might get a lot more perks or benefits, but my point is you're still in jail. You still can't walk out the front door. If you got 30 years, say if you were 50 years old, there's a chance you'd serve 23 or 4 anyway, wouldn't you?
55:27
I mean, that's... Oh, you would, yeah.
55:30
That's the real best part of your life gone.
55:33
Yeah, well, I mean, he's 50 years of age.
55:36
you know another 20 years of age and I know 70 is the new 60 and all that kind of thing but I'm 62 believe you me I feel every day of it you know so but still I mean where was he going to go he was going to get caught eventually you know he was he was he was going to get caught eventually well I wouldn't be in Dubai anyway if if be in South America or something I'd get lost Yeah, well, I suppose, look, if Joseph Mengele managed to get lost, I suppose he could as well.
56:09
But I don't know, I think it just works out. Maybe I'm just having a go at me. Like I said, it wouldn't be beyond the realms of disbelief that that was done.
56:21
A deal to bring down others beside him.
56:24
Yeah, OK. Well, this is it. The deal could be cut, maybe...
56:29
Give a little bit of information that's possibly broadly known inside the world itself, inside the villainous world itself.
56:35
Yeah. Okay. Interesting thought. Appreciate it. Got some text on it as well. Thanks, PJ. You said, Neil, if anything went wrong, this is the reason that, you know, our equivalent to Air Force One was used, the government jet. If anything went wrong, it would have been embarrassing. We're a laughing stock already, let me remind you, with our Air Force One jet that can't even land in fog. Daniel Kenehan being brought home changes nothing. We have a lot of foreign gangs operating in Ireland who are just as vicious, if not worse, than our own homegrown drug dealers.
57:06
Zero tolerance is the only way forward, and all this talk of enabling addicts to have safe injection centres won't help the big hullabaloo surrounding the Kenehans, but unfortunately it'll make situations worse rather than better. I'd much rather see our politicians before the courts. They're the real problem, says John, who's amused by it all. You are so right. You would find that if you looked at Cork, typically a lot of what's going on in Cork is controlled by very ruthless, lethal, very dangerous groups from Eastern Europe and right into Russia, very much controlling everything that's happening in Cork now, right at the top of the tree.
57:45
The neck of Micheál Martin and his praise for the guards yesterday was embarrassing. The Americans were the ones that did all the hard work. If it was up to the Irish guards, he'd never get caught. Look what happened with that poor girl in Killarney. Our country is a shambles. Cocaine is all over the place. Love the show, says John. What do you mean by that? The Americans did all the hard work. Let me just remind you, and let me get the words right here. The UAE police arrested Kennehan in April on foot of an extradition request from Ireland, and he's been in custody there ever since and was extradited yesterday on the government jet.
58:21
Like, what part of that is not the Irish Gardaí involved in that?
58:25
I mean, you might say that they were absolutely delighted to get him out of the UAE and couldn't wait to see the back of him. And maybe, you know, America saying we'll give a five million euro bounty on his head may have made them think, oh, we got to get rid of this guy. He's way too hot for us to handle. But anyway, keep those texts coming. Morning. The reason that the Taoiseach's jet was used to bring back Kennehan from Dubai, from what I can see, is that it's the only plane the Air Corps have the range to get from Dubai to Dublin without refueling. It's a distance of more than 6,000 kilometres. I think there was at least one refueling step.
58:58
I think a stop, I should say. I think I read that yesterday. And I think at some stage it may have stopped on the east coast of England as well, but a moment of correction on that. Keep them coming. Text 0868104106. The guards are afraid for their own safety. My God, it's absolutely frightening what's going on around the place. At this stage, they should arm the guards once and for all because things have become so bad. They should also put the army on the streets. These drug gangs have absolutely no respect for law and are ruining the lives of our children and our grandchildren. This is referencing the events, of course, out around Balafihan.
59:30
I'm a 66-year-old father and grandfather, and I only see the situation continuing to get worse and worse. Text 0868 104 106. Call's on the way.
59:50
On a lighter note, we were talking about doing 30 marathons in 30 days last week and people doing it for Charity Pass says, I once did 30 marathons in 10 days. I couldn't do it today because they're now called Snickers.
60:05
Oh, I love to lighten the mood, ladies and gentlemen. Let's lighten it some more, although I'm not sure that Mel would agree. Mel, good morning.
60:12
Good morning, Neil. How are you?
60:13
I'm great. Do you work from home?
60:16
Yes, primarily from home, yes. With smallies?
60:20
Two smallies, Harper's eight and Feral Frank just turned four in June.
60:25
Feral Frank, I love it. Feral Frank.
60:27
Well, his name is Miles, but he's known as Feral Frank if people follow me on Instagram.
60:31
Okay, so would you be doing a Zoom call in a quiet room or in a Teams meeting or something and Feral Frank might have something to say about it?
60:40
Absolutely not. There's no such thing as a quiet room in my house. So I'm primarily from home when the kids are off school. My husband is also from home, so it's a bit of a chaotic household. And I've recently had to purchase noise cancelling headphones because even though Myles is completely toilet trained, he still likes to have a little bit of assistance. So I could be on a Zoom call and all my clients on a big Zoom call can hear, Mom, I did wheeze poos in the toilet. And he likes to sing it sometimes and he likes to shout it other times. He likes to change it up, which keeps things interesting.
61:14
How does that go down with your clients or your colleagues?
61:18
Do you know what? I have to be very, very honest with all my clients at the start of the summer being like, look, I have two kids that are going to be at home. I am working from home. You might get a bit of entertainment on the call. I'm going to try to be as professional as I can. But in fairness, I'm very lucky with the clients that I have. A lot of them are working parents, so they get it. They're like, yeah, ours are running around at home as well. So I think we're all kind of more or less in the same boat.
61:42
You know, I'm very curious as to whether how the summer has been for working mums and dads so far. I hate saying that we're coming to near the end. August is a summer month, of course, and many people are away. So there's weeks to go yet. But is it too long for you?
61:58
look all jokes aside I think it is too long not just for us but I think the kids are just bored and as you know like anybody that has kids know that they thrive on routine and the minute the summer comes in the routine is completely out the window now I understand there's camps and everything available and I think I was probably a little bit too naive this year thinking that my children could co-exist and But I think that they've just decided that there's a full-on battle every morning that starts at 8.30 and doesn't stop until 10pm between the two of them.
62:28
Are both of you working from home, Mel?
62:31
Yes, both.
62:33
I mean, that's tough enough without any children at all.
62:37
Honest to God, I love my husband, but there's a reason why we probably do have two... Well, we're both graphic designers, but he is usually primarily in the office two to three days a week.
62:48
but he's on a call I'm on a call the dog is running around the place Frank is pulling at wires it's just been an estro I think I'm solely solely keeping Ryan's super value in Grange's off license going this summer I think that the only reason they're still operating is because I have been there what are you purchasing copious bottles of wine is it Copious, copious, yeah, yeah, copious. There's a price to be paid.
63:15
There's a price to be paid with that the next morning, though. But anyway, that's for another day, I'd say.
63:20
Listen, it's, yeah, it would have been cheaper to put them into camp, but it's fine.
63:24
And have you done that, tried to farm them out into any kind of a camp or any kind of a community activity that's happening?
63:31
I mean, thank God that we have, like, a hands-on grand-aunt that has been kind of been able to help out and, you know, my father-in-law has taken them and, you know, we kind of had said at the start of the summer to make a plan that I was going to maybe take Mondays off, my husband takes Fridays off, so it was just the three days in the middle that we had to kind of function around but even at that like trying to get things done it's it's just it's it's very tough now look i understand you know my my husband's parents um you know had very too demanding jobs so they'd be dropped himself and his sister were dropped off at a trial minder at seven in the morning and collected at seven o'clock in the evening so you know all jokes aside like i'm very lucky that i'm able to spend so much time with my kids but i do think that you know
64:14
We need some time to practice. You're being very honest. You're being very honest.
64:18
I love them, but there's moments during the summer where I understand why some animals eat their young. There's been days like that.
64:28
You should be doing stand-up.
64:31
Even for two, never mind the smallies, but even for two, I'm just thinking to myself, listen to you, even for two adults, two grown adults, right? Husband and wife, partners.
64:41
You need space from each other. A relationship will thrive because you have your own space or your own time. Like being cooped up with somebody. It's problematic, I would have thought.
64:55
Yeah, my husband started running this summer and I was like, there's a reason why he's trying to run away from me. But we, no, but we get to the evenings and because the evenings are longer as well and the kids don't really want to go down. What do you say? How was your day?
65:08
The evening comes, you sit down and say, how was your day today?
65:11
You kind of know, you're living under the same roof. We don't even speak to each other, honest to God. I have a notes app open for things throughout the day that I need to speak to Mike about at some point. And if there's a moment in the evening where we can actually function enough to have a conversation with each other, I'll go through the notes app and say, OK, the dog needs to be talking to the vet. And, you know, this reminder came in, that reminder came in, all these things. But no, generally, I'd say I probably really haven't spent any time with my husband this summer.
65:42
We're counting down the days. 26th of August is looming.
65:46
Is that when primary schools go back?
65:48
Yes.
65:49
Not a day too soon, you say. Did you go on summer holidays?
65:54
Oh, yeah. But again, yeah, we went away to Spain in May. But again, we kind of had said that, you know, again, they're older. They keep themselves entertained. Not at all. I'd say we got myself, my husband got about four hours in the whole 10 days that we were away that we were able to like have conversations with each other.
66:14
Eight and four. I can only tell you one thing. It gets easier in about 10 years time.
66:20
Oh, I don't know.
66:22
But then I'm dealing with attitudes and hormones and teenage fits. And then I just said when, especially my daughter, because she's very like me, I said when she turns 15, I might just move out and then I'll move back in when she's in and around 24 when she could be reasoned with.
66:36
Is it any wonder that your graphic design website is called madhouse.ie?
66:41
Yeah, and that's exactly why I started a business in lockdown. Harper was 15 months old running around the place. Again, my husband was working from home.
66:50
And I just started the business and I said, you know what, let's just call it Madhouse. And that's...
66:58
it's the worst thing living in and I think look I think it's a bit of crack as well like I post a lot of stuff on social media and people kind of like the behind the scenes and things like that and they've almost kind of seen my kids kind of grow up really in a sense but I'm just kind of giving glimpses in because I like to travel as well you see for work right so I like to travel you know the soft man pointer I don't know if you ever heard of that I travel there once or twice a week just bung them in there is it Yeah, yeah, throw them in there, work at a table. The Bean and Leaf in Douglas, they're another haunt that usually I have to travel to.
67:32
Anywhere that has a soft play, yeah. But I do think that there's a hole in the market for a co-working area that has almost like an off-to-the-side childcare facility.
67:47
Could you imagine if Republic of Work put a creche in on the mall? Yeah.
67:51
I'll be in there every day. First in the queue at 18.
67:55
Free my wadi for all children.
67:58
Well, they allow dogs. I can't believe they don't allow kids.
68:01
There's food for thought there. Maybe they might decide at some stage in the future.
68:06
I mean, I could be opening a co-working space in five years' time just specifically for that, for stressed-out mums for the summer.
68:12
Well, let's see if I can de-stress you a little bit, because we've got these wonderful summer passes right across the summer. We've given away dozens and dozens and dozens of these to all sorts of wonderful tourist attractions. It suits you perfectly. I suppose they might say that you have the perfect family model. You have a wonderful husband, you have a son and a daughter, and the number is four. So do you fancy maybe something, maybe to take your mind off things for a day or an afternoon?
68:41
Absolutely. Absolutely.
68:43
Something that will, I'm just looking at the list here, something that will tire them out.
68:46
Do I have to take the kids with me?
68:51
and I go on my own.
68:54
Do you know, if you had a pass for one, Neil, and I could just say... I'll tell you what. Mum's going to Road to Sound Park Hotel for a night and look, you can't come.
69:03
Here's what I will do with you, right? And this may well shame you, right? I will either give you a summer pass for Monkey Maze or Cork Harbour Bowtire or the West Cork Model Railway Village in Clon or Blarney Castle or Clonacilty Adventure or whatever. Or...
69:20
Or I will give you two tickets.
69:24
Careful what you pick here now, Mammy. I'll give you two tickets for the Pembroke Street Table, where you will go along and sit with 100 diners for a unique shared dinner table experience. And the different restaurants involved in this are the Imperial, Orso's Kitchen, Arthur Main's, the Old Town Taqueria Cafe and the Bookshelf. be live music, complimentary gin cocktails on arrival, wine, beer, lively street atmosphere in the city centre and a big sit-down street feast.
69:56
Now, it's Sophie's choice for you, Mel. Do you give up your children or do you do the right thing?
70:06
Oh, I give up the kids and I'll do the night out with my husband. He needs a little bit of attention as well, doesn't he?
70:12
There's no guilt there, no?
70:15
Absolutely not. I've spent the whole summer with my kids.
70:19
As I said, they need a break from me as well.
70:22
You're sure now you won't be savaged or guilted out by others?
70:25
They say, I can't believe he was giving her a prize for the family and she went for the gin and tonics instead.
70:31
No, I have no guilt about it at all. And I'd say the majority of mothers would probably go, yeah, I probably would have gone for the gin and tonic as well.
70:37
OK, well, you're sorted for the Pembroke Street Table for all the pain and suffering of the last eight weeks, all right? Thanks so much.
70:43
Bye.
70:44
Do stay in touch, will you? Because I'd love to chat with you again about different topics.
70:49
Also, listen, you can catch me on Instagram. I'm usually losing my mind on there every day. So, yeah.
70:55
What's your Insta handle?
70:57
It's just mathhouse.ie.
70:59
I'm not surprised. Okay.
71:01
Yeah, yeah.
71:01
All right, we'll stay in touch anyway. Listen, stay there, Mel. I'll get details for the Pembroke Street Table, all part of Cork and a Fork giveaways this week. Meanwhile, actually, I'll tell you what, I'll see if I have maybe a counter-argument to make as to whether the summer has been too long. Emma, good morning.
71:18
Good morning, Neil. How are you?
71:20
What did you make about what Mel had to say about it all?
71:24
Well, firstly, I take my hats off to her for taking that prize for myself. I'm sure it's absolutely well needed.
71:33
It means I can't give you that prize. So anyway, we'll deal with that in a minute.
71:37
And you know what? I think I probably would have felt the guilt a bit more. So fair play to her for taking it.
71:42
Oh, she has no shame whatsoever. She's off for the gin and tonics and the food. Fairness to her.
71:47
I hope she enjoys it.
71:49
How's it been for you, though? I mean, how old are the kids?
71:54
So the four kids that are on school holidays now, because I have six kids, but my two eldest ones are actually done school. But the four that are on holidays, it's been mahaled. I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to sugarcoat it.
72:10
Are they primary? Are they secondary?
72:12
Are they both? So I've one boy gone to, class, one going into first class and we have one going into junior infants.
72:24
That's even amazing. So that's amazing. You've got like both ends here. You have a couple who are through secondary school and you have a first class primary.
72:38
I do. And one going into junior infants. Junior infants. So yeah, my last baby going into junior infants. You must be worn out. That's a bit emotional.
72:47
I'm definitely, like, I don't think worn out even cuts it. Like, I do go to work for a break.
72:54
Like, people say, how do you go to work? And obviously, like, you know, I'm a single man.
73:00
So I'm very, very lucky to have the family I have around me. But my sister-in-law yesterday, she's going to kill me for saying this, but I was at work.
73:08
And I got a text message.
73:10
And all she said in it was, how do you do this on a daily basis? I'd happily do life.
73:17
How do you do it on your own?
73:19
So, like, I mean, you know, the kids do go to see their dad two nights a week, which is... That's nice.
73:26
That's important.
73:27
You know, it's great. And they, you know, so that is a mental break for me, let alone a physical break. It's the constant mam, mam, mam, mam, mam. Like people say it to me. I don't know if my kids are extra demanding compared to other kids, but I must hear the word mam a million times a day.
73:46
Probably not. You know, they're probably not any more or less demanding. Kids will just be kids.
73:52
Yeah, that's it. But you know what? I actually, there was a thing on social media during the week. You know, our kids get enough time off school, as you know yourself. You saw the post, but I actually think that they need this time. And that we need this time to recuperate and make memories. Am I tearing my hair out every day and saying, oh my God, when are they going back to school? Yeah, I definitely do. I wouldn't be human. I wouldn't be a man if I wasn't.
74:20
What was the general response on that post to the question of whether eight weeks or so was too long for primary?
74:28
Actually, the general feedback that I got was that it wasn't too long. I mean, you have people going against, like people need their kids in school for childcare. you know, for going to work. I'm really lucky that I do have family that step up. And obviously, there's the National Childcare Scheme, which doesn't cut it, but it helps.
74:47
And so when they're back in school, you know, you can avail of like after school and all of that. But I have to say, I've really, really enjoyed the summer with my kids. And like we recently moved house and I actually, I was looking out the window the other day and I said, I actually got so emotional. Because we were living in the countryside and we had never been used to living in the countryside, but we've moved back into town. And to see them out playing with friends and making those memories, you know, you just can't, you can't compare it to anything.
75:22
Yeah, yeah.
75:23
But equally, I think them going back to school, they need that too. They need that routine and they need to see all their school friends and catch up again and You know, but I will say I'm not looking forward to getting back into the bedtime routine and getting them up in the morning. It's like, it's like an Olympic sport.
75:43
You're like... And it's interesting because all of that is happening all within the same hour, if you like. That many need to be sorted and dressed and fed and washed and cleaned and out the door all on time.
75:56
Yeah, like I'm sure the neighbours think I'm crazy half the time. Like, I'm sure they can, you know... hear the rustling and the running around from next door and the constant, like when you four kids, ma'am, where's this? Ma'am, where's that? Where's my socks? Where's my school bag? And to be fair, you know, it's like, if the four of them could just fit on the chair every morning and let me dress them from head to toe up to the 14-year-old, they would.
76:25
I have tremendous respect for you and others like you. I'm told that you're going to Jurassic Park in Kilkenny today. Sounds to me as if you've got a bit of a Jurassic Park at home as it is.
76:36
I know. I don't think we actually need to step outside the door to have...
76:41
you know, to go and have adventures. But to keep up saying, yeah, we're going to Jurassic New Park today in Kilkenny, it's absolutely beautiful. And we've done lots of adventures over the summer like that. Obviously, affordability with a few kids and stuff, trying to go out foreign is difficult.
77:00
Yeah, and expensive.
77:01
I'm not sure I'd have the patience to, or the nervous capacity to be taking my children out foreign, to be honest.
77:10
You're bound to lose one of them, at least.
77:13
Yeah, like, I think we'd actually all have to be changed together, like, you know, with handcuffs or something.
77:19
But I love the fact that you say, in spite of all of that, and in spite of the eight weeks or whatever, you're making memories, and that's important.
77:27
That's the most important thing to me. Because, you know what, and it's taken me...
77:32
out of my six children, it's taken me until my very last, going into junior instance, to actually realise how quickly they grow up, you know, and that you'll never get this time back again. As much as, you know, it drives you insane, like, I don't know how I haven't been sectioned at times, you know.
77:55
I'm assuming you're joking, but I'm quite sure that others probably...
78:01
I'm actually... I'm actually half joking.
78:06
I think it's extremely, extremely difficult. And anyone that looks after my kids are like... Now, bear in mind my sister-in-law that messaged me this yesterday.
78:16
That's two of her own kids. And she's recently just gotten a new puppy.
78:20
And she still can't fathom just, you know, how demanding they are.
78:28
You throw a puppy into a chaotic mix and that's just, like, absolutely moves the dial to another level entirely.
78:38
Yeah. And I suppose, like, you have to weigh up the options as well. You know, a puppy is part of the family and making memories too, so... But anyway, that's her. I definitely wasn't throwing a puppy into my mix.
78:51
OK, well, let me throw something into the mix for I don't know whether this is a blessing or whatever, but we have wonderful summer passes right across the summer. As I say, we've got things for all sorts of different locations right across the county, like terrific ones. Camden, Fort Mars, Spike Island, Cork City Jail. You might want to leave them up there. The Dursey Cable Car. Yeah. the ferries, different museums, the Heritage Centre, all down to beautiful Skibberine. The list is endless. The Model Railway Village in Clonacilty. Would you fancy one of those to take your tribe away?
79:20
I'd absolutely love it. But Cork City Jail does sound appealing and it really does. I think, though, that I might be tempted to kind of turn on my heels and leave them in one of the cells.
79:35
You'd make the visit a one-way visit, would you?
79:38
Well, you have a think about it, right? I'll put you back to Viv and you can just pick one of them and let me know where you decide to go and enjoy it, all right?
79:45
Thank you so much, Neil. Thank you so much.
79:48
I'll credit you to your girl. Take care. Take care. Thank you. Bye. Thanks to 868 104 106. You know what? There are 850 attractions and hidden gems and activities right across Cork. It's important that we say this. And Cork County Council put together what I think is probably the best. I think it's the best event. kind of travel or tourism app I've seen. And it's called the Explore Cork app. And you still have time to download it and check it out yourself. It really is very well put together. And it's digital. It's one stop. It's got everything in there. Check it out. It's the Explore Cork app. Text 0868 104 106.
80:21
We're asking the question, is the summer's too long? Are you making memories of the summer's too long when it comes to downtime? I mean, that's primary. You look at secondary school, that's even longer. Again, you can throw another four or five weeks on that one. Text 0868 104 106.
80:35
Head on to Prenderville.
80:36
Text or WhatsApp Neil now. 0868-104-106. The Neil Prenderville Show.
80:44
OK, stall the ball there for a second because it's the Monday Munchies with lots of wonderful, wonderful tasty treats from the Old Mill Confectionery. Morning to everybody at the radiology department at the Mercy Hospital. We think it's time we got diagnosed with a serious case of cake deficiency at the radiology department at the Mercy. We're spending all day scanning, x-raying and imaging everyone else. But there's one thing we just can't find on the screens. Cake. We're a great bunch who work hard looking after our patients. We need a little sugar therapy. So forget the scan. The diagnosis is clear. Radiology needs cake.
81:16
Please prescribe us a big dose of the Monday munchies. Hang in there, guys. That's a brilliant text. Fair play to you. BlackRock Resilience Healthcare listening, as always. Good morning to all the staff there. Dasher in Little Island. Morning, Jamie. MMPO Sullivan, Cash and Carrie. They're so hungry for food. And they're working very hard supplying all of their wonderful customers. DDA out in Dell Technologies. Morning, Lisa. Please, Old Mill Delicious Cakes, quickly. Rockwell in the Insulation and Ventilation Workshop in Clawhean. To everybody at Pest Attack in the Lock, they'd love some munchies today.
81:47
So with the gang at 360 Security in Ballancolic, a little Monday sweetener. The Energy Servicing Solutions in Glanmire, MCM Technology down in Little Island, Southern Renovations in Middleton, they share it with the customers. Bartley Water Softeners in Rathcormach. To Nicola and the staff at Woody's in Blackpool, always listening, never winning. All the staff at Vass Auto Mechanic in Mallow, morning all. The Doc Decor Painter and Decorator team, they're out working in Bishopstown today. The Heron Cafe in Formoy, which share it with the staff and the customers if they want all those delicious cakes.
82:20
to Dornan Engineering in Little Ireland, where I was listening, and Crowley Engineering in Upper Glanmire. Sweeten us up and cushion the Monday blues. Well, it helps that the weather is nice these days, doesn't it? You've got a better pep in your step when the weather's on our side. So text who you are and where you're working to 0868-104-106, the Monday Munchies, Kurdish Silver Sows, and the Old Mill Confectionary. You can visit them at their shop at the North Point Business Park or... Go and see them. All of their wonderful, wonderful cakes from many, many shops across the city and county and even across the border now in Kerry.
82:53
So we have the chocolate fudge cake. We've got lots of long jam donuts. We've got the light and creamy eclairs, the chocolate slices.
83:00
The custard slices, tipsy cake and lots of chesty cake. Trays of them. So text who you are and where you're working to 0868-104-106. Right, is the summer too long?
83:11
I don't think it would be as bad. If the weather was shocking, you might say something about it. But the great weather we've had at late, of course, it kind of softens the pill with regards to the smallies, I suppose. But anyway, we talk about mams and dads. But what about the nans and granddads? Anne, good morning.
83:26
Morning, Ian. How are you?
83:27
Let us not forget the grannies and grandfathers, right?
83:31
I kind of said, what about all the men that get up at six o'clock in the morning to go and mine and their grandchildren?
83:36
Okay, how does that work out for you? Why do you do that and how long have you been doing that?
83:42
Since they were babies.
83:43
Six a.m.? Six a.m. I had three in Kerry and I used to travel to Kerry to mine them. They're getting big now, 15, 12 and 11. Um...
83:55
I used to do my stint down there as well, but not for full weeks. It might be a day or two. And now my daughter's children and my son-in-law are there in Carritool. So I get up at six o'clock. I'm living in Ballyfeehan. I travel down.
84:07
Did you travel to Kerry from Ballyfeehan?
84:09
I did.
84:10
Did you come back in the evening then?
84:12
No, no, I'd stay.
84:14
That's come back a couple of years ago and I'd go down and have that out.
84:17
Okay, so at the moment now you get up at six o'clock and you go from Ballyfeehan to Carritool. Carritool.
84:24
Yeah, Coolard and Kerry too. And my daughter finishes with a half as three and I stay with them until she comes in. And it's not easy. You have to find things to amuse them as well.
84:34
Wow, aren't they so lucky to have you? Because the way the world is now, you have to have both parents, just to keep the show on the road, have to be out at work.
84:43
Exactly, exactly. Now, it's two. I don't go Mondays and Fridays. I go in between Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It could be two days one week, three days next, depending on my son-in-law's shift.
84:54
But I do it. And then if they go out, if they want to go out on Saturday night, I try and help them out when I can.
85:00
You'll do the babysitting because they need a bit of... Of course, it's nice to be able to get out and get a break.
85:05
And then I take them up. I had them up now last week on a sleepover for a night so that I wouldn't have to be getting up at six o'clock.
85:11
So are you there now today doing the business?
85:14
Not today. No, I don't do Mondays. My daughter's off on a Monday and Friday.
85:17
Right. And so what would a typical... What time would you arrive there? It must be like seven, is it?
85:22
No, no, I'd be down. I'd leave at six. I'd be down for half a six, twenty past six, depending on the traffic. And what happens then? That goes in the winter as well, like when they go to school as well.
85:32
Okay.
85:33
So I go in and let her go to work in the summer. Hopefully they'll stay in bed for a while. I bring my little doggie with me, Coco.
85:41
He goes everywhere. They love him.
85:42
Right.
85:43
And he's up at six o'clock too.
85:45
And he'd be bit.
85:47
So you do breakfast, dressing. Yes. During the school term, getting them to school.
85:52
Oh, yeah. Collecting them from school. Taking them to after school activities.
85:58
A whole lot. Until my daughter comes home.
86:01
God, they're blessed that they have you.
86:04
Aren't they just? But I love them. I love my grandchildren. Don't get me wrong.
86:07
Yeah.
86:08
And then when my daughter or my son and his wife go on holidays, I take their doggie as well.
86:15
So he's coming down next Saturday to stay for a week.
86:17
Does it exhaust you or do you enjoy it? Do you look forward to it?
86:21
I'm tired sometimes. I'd be tired. I'm 64 now. But like, do you know what? I love them too. They keep it going.
86:26
You know?
86:28
I do love them. But it is hard work in the summer trying to keep them occupied.
86:33
And what do you do to keep them occupied during the summer?
86:35
What is it involved?
86:37
We usually go to the park with them. Like if there's camps, I drop them to camps. I always bring my grandson. He's 11 and I have a nine-year-old. We had them in camp now two weeks ago. We pay for that every year for the two of them. They went off to camp, such as dropping them, collecting them, lunches, trying to keep them from, you know, creating havoc and occupying them. And I always take them to a photo with my twin sister and her too.
87:02
once in summer and we go to Leake's Farm as well.
87:04
Ah, yeah, you're making me a bit emotional now because my mother, who passed away, crikey, nearly 20 years now since she died, but when my two were very, very small, she was great for jumping in and she would love nothing better. I still have the photographs and the videos from the likes of Fodham Wildlife Park, herself with Luke and Cathy, or they'd go to Bail-Nablau, not Bail-Nablau, they'd go to Gugambara and places like that. And I'm looking back now with fond memories and you will too, like, yeah?
87:32
Oh, I did. I took my tune out to Barry's Court Castle there. Just out on the roundabout there from Carrington.
87:38
I've got to get there.
87:38
When he recently done it up, Barry's Court Castle.
87:41
Is it fab?
87:42
Oh, my God. It's beautiful. The drones there are absolutely beautiful.
87:46
You really do get stuck in. Do you do the dinner and everything? Breakfast and packed lunch?
87:50
I don't do the dinner, no. I don't do the dinner, no.
87:52
Draw the line at that.
87:53
I cook for them at breakfast and lunch.
87:56
And... I don't do the dinner because they're different to me. It's not dinner time when I'm leaving anyway.
88:02
Why don't we send the whole tribe of you down to Monkey Maze or something in Glanmire or something like that? Yeah, they'd love that. I'm sure they would.
88:10
Make some more memories down there. It's important to acknowledge the grannies and granddads who jump in, isn't it?
88:18
It's very hard for couples today. It is very hard. I do understand that. And there's some amazing grandparents out there.
88:25
And you've got to wonder the bigger picture. Is it better now or is it worse with regards to rearing and the way it used to be decades ago? I mean, there's pros and cons for both, I suppose, isn't there?
88:36
I think it's hard today, Neil, with the drug situation. I mean, you start with your children and then we have a 15-year-old grandson. He's a great kid. But you worry about them. You start worrying about them then again. It's a vicious struggle.
88:49
And then they get a little bit older. You know what I worry? I worry, you know that story now, you had eight teenagers all under the age of 18 driving the wrong way on the M50, right? At 5am in the morning. God only knows what the parenting is like there. But anyway, I don't want to be judging people. But I worry, because my kids are well grown up now, but I worry about them when they're driving. I worry about my wife when they're driving. I worry about them driving at night with the lunatics that are out there. There's always a worry for parents and grandparents.
89:19
Every single day, nearly awake in the morning, you worry.
89:23
It never goes over your head.
89:25
Never.
89:25
There's always something.
89:27
And when you have your grandchildren, it's worse because they're more, you know, it's an awful thing to say that your grandchildren are one thing, but your grandchildren are precious.
89:34
precious to you.
89:35
Without a doubt.
89:36
That's your second chance in life and that's what you do like.
89:39
Well, listen, well done to you. You're a wonderful, wonderful grandparent, Anne. Thank you. Got you sorted out. Go to Monkey Maze and have a really ball of a time, all right?
89:47
Oh, my granddaughter will be delighted with that now she's 6.30 and she'll be like, Nana, can we go to Monkey Maze?
89:52
Well, go and share the news now.
89:54
Tell her, go and tell her.
89:57
Well, indeed, Neil. Thanks a minute.
89:58
God bless and take care. Big it up for grannies and granddads also pulling their weight. Fair play to them. Back after 11. Keep those stories coming. Text 0868 104 106.
90:12
Be part of the conversation, the Neil Prentiff Show with Elevate Credit Union. The All Milk Confectionery will provide you with tray loads of wonderful fresh cakes at lunchtime if you win the Monday Munchies. So text who you are and where you're working to 0868 104 106 and we'll start another bunch of shout outs in about 15 minutes time. But do text 0868 104 106. I was talking earlier on this morning and you always worry and that was one of the topics you could have with a parent or a grandparent about grandchildren. or great-grandchildren, but you never stop worrying. They're all different aspects.
90:43
So you got a lad then at half past five this morning, driving his car, going from A to B in his 20s. He's now seriously injured. He's been taken to hospital. Why? Because you had eight teens traveling together in one vehicle, going the wrong way down the up ramp at Junction 12, the M50, at half past five in the morning, and they crashed into the lad in his car. So you have... Them and him then rushed to hospital after a horror head-on smash on the M50.
91:15
And all of those teens in the one car were all under the age of 18. Brendan Dennehy was talking this morning with the mother of the young man driving the car that the teens crashed into. And that's why I say you will always worry. I've no idea what that lad was doing. He needed to get somewhere and he was driving there. He was minding his own business, an innocent young fella, you know, breaking any laws and driving safely. And down against him, he sees this tearaway car with a bunch of teens in it that crash into him. So Brenda was talking with her this morning and she just put some notes together because you can imagine that Sarah, the mother of the lad, is kind of up to 90 now with worry because he's in a hospital and she's dealing with members of Vangardish Econa.
91:56
And she says, my son Craig was the innocent man of the eight young teenagers crashed into him yesterday morning on the M50. They were in a robbed car. They've been driving around recording it and putting it up on social media. They drove down the M50 junction 12 ramp in the wrong direction and they ploughed into Craig at 100 kilometres an hour.
92:18
This is what she's saying. He's lucky to be alive. And I thank every guardian angel that minded him. Because if you saw that crash site in the morning, like I did, you would know how lucky he is. He has some internal bleeding, a lot of soft tissue damage and pain everywhere. He'll be out of work for a good few weeks. He's doing an electrical apprenticeship and will have so many bills to pay as well as full future medical appointments and physio. But that said, to see comments saying end plates shouldn't be on the M50, questioning why he was out at that time and placing blame on him without knowing the whole truth is just so upsetting.
93:01
He has a right to be on the road. He has tax, insurance, license and everything. He worked hard for that car and now he has no car. He's out of work while he heals and recovers. Those kids have been terrorising the neighbourhood around the area and there were probably no repercussions for them. I do hope they recover, but they could have killed my son.
93:20
Sarah Jane joins me by phone. Sarah Jane, good morning.
93:23
Good morning. How are you?
93:25
I just wanted to read out what you had to say this morning because it really drives home how precious life is.
93:31
How are you coping and how is Craig?
93:34
Craig is doing well at the moment. He's stable.
93:37
He had some internal bleeding yesterday, but it stopped without surgery, which was a relief.
93:44
He's sitting up talking, but he's sore all over, which is expected. He was hit head on at 100 kilometres an hour.
93:52
You know, so he's in shock as well.
93:55
When did you hear of the accident?
94:00
Craig rang me 1532, not 15, 532 from a police officer's phone. He couldn't find his phone. We realised then it had flown out of the car when it was spinning. But Craig rang me from the police officer's phone and I got into my car and was across the M50 as quickly as I could.
94:21
Of course, this isn't an accident as such at all. Another word should be used for this. This is not an accident. Accidents happen. This was caused.
94:30
Yeah. If them children had been at home in their beds, my child would have come home to me. I wouldn't have had to go to him.
94:39
I'm assuming that you know and he knows how lucky he is to be alive. 100km, full-on smash.
94:45
There was Guardian Angels with my child on Sunday morning. It's the only thing I can tell you. How he walked out of that car. And we walked out and had to sit down about 10 foot ahead. But he walked out of that car and checked onto other kids. He was asking how they were. That's the type of child I wrote.
95:04
Fair play to him. Did another motorist come across the scene or what, Sarah Jane?
95:10
Yeah, another two lads came across, Craig said, and they were waiting, but the police were on it within minutes. Craig said it was no more than two minutes before the police were jumping the barrier on the M50 because they came down the correct side of the road and came across to him at the time.
95:30
And because apparently the police were monitoring, was the word that was used, the car all night.
95:38
Monitoring it. I'd love to know what that means.
95:41
I'm not going to get into that part of it, but I have a feeling that another word isn't being used.
95:47
Okay. So what we do know is that eight teens, all under 18, were in the same car. Go on. Did you say under 16?
95:58
Yeah.
96:00
Under 16. Yeah.
96:01
And what's your understanding? Because you said, you were chatting with Brenda, you said it was robbed and they were recording and sharing video footage.
96:09
Yeah. Yeah. The TikTok videos up of them children in Dakar. And I keep saying the word children because that's all they are.
96:17
Right. And seeing what's been put up about them on the internet as well is hard because they're children. And if they're out that late at night, there's someone not minding them. Someone's often means eight kids don't sneak out of the house and nobody knows it.
96:34
Exactly. How in the name of God do you get eight under 16 teenagers out at five o'clock or half five in the morning? Probably all...
96:41
They were out for a good few hours.
96:42
That's the point. Probably out all night driving around in a robbed car and their parents either not know or not care.
96:50
It's... Come here. I got to my child in 15 minutes of a phone call and my child's 22.
97:00
I don't blame the children in this. I'm not going to place blame on anyone. It's after happening. My child is alive and he's lucky. But there has to be consequences for someone for what's after happening.
97:11
Well, look, you're the mother of Craig. If you don't wish to blame them, that's your prerogative. But I think even at 16 years old, eight people in the one robbed car know what they're doing is wrong.
97:26
What they've done is wrong. I'm not taking or minimising what they've done is wrong. What I'm saying is I'm not going to start placing hate and anger at them while they're injured in the hospital. I hope they make a full recovery and face consequences of the justice system.
97:40
Yes, yes, yes. And we hope also, of course, that Craig will make a full recovery because he's innocent to all of this. He's just going about his business.
97:50
My child has no care now. He walked his ass off. He's a third year electrician. And he's no care for work now. And he's not going to have a care for a while. And the other thing is, is my child going to get back in a care after what's happened?
98:04
What kind of conversations have you had since it was the early hours of Sunday morning when this happened?
98:11
With Craig?
98:12
Yeah.
98:13
Yeah. Just say, all right, Paul. Ike.
98:17
we're sore you know go with sleep son what can I get you I'm willing to drive to the moon to get him whatever I'm after going and getting him a chicken fillet roll and send you and we've just been informed he's back on he's not allowed to eat it he's devastated he's back fasting so he's he's an apprentice electrician he's doing his best to get on in life get a good start and get a trade under him Yeah, he's a good kid. He's a kind, caring, loving young fella that's gone out, is working since before he left school.
98:54
Got his apprenticeship off his own back. It wasn't because who mummy or daddy knew or anything like that. He used his initiative. He got it all off his own back. He goes to his gym. He has his girlfriend. He has his pals there. You know, normal 22-year-old young fella.
99:09
And his dream is that when he finishes his electrical apprenticeship that he goes travelling.
99:15
And tell me, does he recall anything with regards to the crash?
99:19
Yeah.
99:20
Yeah. Every bit of it.
99:23
That's why at the moment he's still in shock. It's going to cause issues.
99:29
I think you probably are right. The physical injuries may heal a lot faster than the psychological ones.
99:35
That's what I mean. I don't know if he's going to get back in the car again to drive. And he needs a car for work. He can be put anywhere where his company is.
99:44
You see, people don't realise the consequences of their actions. You say that those kids, we won't say much about this apart because, well, they certainly haven't been named, but they've been terrorising the neighbourhood for some time.
99:57
Apparently, this is what I'm hearing. And again, I'm hearing it secondhand so I can confirm it. But they were out prior to hitting my child for a number of hours.
100:09
In a robbed car, like lording it up.
100:11
In a robbed car, yeah.
100:13
Sharing videos, yeah.
100:15
And, you know, there's TikToks then going up of hope they pull through and all, but not one has asked how my child is when I've been asking about this.
100:28
Well, I mean, we all wish everybody a 100% recovery, but to be honest with you, I mean, you know...
100:36
You may say they're under 16.
100:39
It's easy to tell the difference at that age with regards to what's right and what's wrong. Your son, though, has all of my sympathy, I have to say. He really and truly does.
100:50
He's 100%. Once I knew my child was okay, I could look at something else, if you understand me.
100:57
But if you were at that crash site and you seen what I seen at that crash site, And honestly, it was like a clown car, them children coming out of it.
101:08
It was like a what?
101:09
On the ground. Like a clown car.
101:12
Eight of them. Eight of them coming out of it. On the ground, ambulance men everywhere. And I think that's why I have, because I've seen the crash site.
101:23
I think you're with Gardaí at the moment, are you, Sarah Jane?
101:26
No, I was with Gardaí earlier. I need to try to sort out insurance and stuff like that from...
101:33
Okay.
101:34
You have a lot on, you have a lot of hair, a lot of hair, a lot of recuperation.
101:40
We'll have to let you go at this stage and hope that he makes a 100% recovery. We live in dangerous times though. We live in dangerous times.
101:50
Please God he does. Please God he does. And hopefully the consequences. Thank you.
101:55
Thank you so much. That's Sarah Jane Fox, who's the mother of Craig, the innocent lad who was crashed into by a small, I don't know how small it was, I shouldn't say that, a robbed car with 18 ages, all of them under the age of 16. And it's, you know, if that's not bad enough, right, and it's a robbed car, and it's 5 a.m. in the morning, they're probably at it the whole goddamn night. They're filming it for laughs and clicks and follows and thumbs up on social media. Text 0868 104 106. Pick up the phone on 0818 104 106.
102:26
Just ahead of the break. Michael, good morning.
102:29
Good morning, Neil. Do you want to pick up on my conversation with Sarah Jane, mother of Craig?
102:35
Not the whole of it because I didn't get the whole of it.
102:39
She's the mother of the lad in his early 20s who got crashed into by a stolen car driving the wrong way with kids in it.
102:47
Oh, yeah, my sympathies are with the person. But, Neil, what I wanted to do in talking about accidents generally, especially people going on a schoolhouse, people are glad with stolen cars, that's an innocent. Those people are rushed into hospital. There's poor old people that have been waiting months and months for operation. Their operations are pulled because they need the specialists, they need the surgeons, they need the neurosurgeons.
103:13
to tend to all these people.
103:14
But what are you going to do? It's about prioritising the cases.
103:19
Yeah, but surely to God, if there was some control over the amount of people who can go out on the road like that, unlicensed, taking cars, underage, driving scooters, You know, they're all in very serious accidents now.
103:36
They're not. Yeah, but you see, a lot of them aren't accidents. We need to stop calling them accidents. They're caused. They're caused events. You know that. You're smart enough to know that.
103:45
I agree with you.
103:47
Accidents are different.
103:50
It's very annoying because I'm waiting for it to be seen by a surgeon. I waited six weeks already. They've been told...
103:58
I'd be seeing a surgeon. Do you know what I mean? The whole time that's already there, the long waits that's already there without somebody coming in on an ambulance and then blocking the whole system up again for maybe the whole day.
104:13
And do you mind me asking, is it a big operation that's planned?
104:16
No, it's a 15 or 20 minute operation.
104:20
So can you imagine if it was brain surgery or open heart surgery? I know. But you know, I'm taking your point, like these things are avoidable.
104:29
And maybe I'm a broken record with parenting. I don't know. None of us are perfect parents. I know I was far from. I do the best I can. But at half five in the morning in a stolen car, all under the age of 16, come on, what do the parents do?
104:43
Yeah.
104:44
I'm afraid I have no answer to that. I'm a grandfather now. And thankfully, we've missed all that.
104:52
And it's for another day.
104:55
I understand. The point I'm making is that
104:59
something should be done about the backlogs there by getting more people maybe to filter the void.
105:04
I hear you. I hear you. No, it's a valid point and you're entitled to make it. Thanks, Michael. Best of luck. I often wonder, you look at these wonderful life-saving surgeons and doctors and nurses a lot of the time who do an awful lot of the work and anybody involved in the medical profession. And, you know, like if, imagine, I don't know if they ever have any kind of Thought process if they're, you know, operating on certain individuals, like for instance, like say gunshots, for instance, you know, obviously their mantra is to save a life.
105:34
That's what they sign up to. Or people who have been involved in horrific criminal activity or doing horrible, nasty things to other people who then need medical intervention like that. You know, it's a tough job. And I suppose you have to kind of put all that aside.
105:50
In this case, of course, like, you know, there's nothing you can say about this. Like, you know, many million people have been injured and hurt.
105:56
But we see the consequences of it to a young lad who's just, I mean, taxed, insured, licensed, everything. Worked for the car, paid for the car, took out the loan for the car. He's got a girlfriend. He likes his independence and everything. Now he's no car. He's in a hospital. He's injured.
106:14
Hopefully he'll make a 100% recovery. He's got internal bleeding, soft tissue damage and pain everywhere. But by God, what will be going on in his head for some time, it'll be like a washing machine between his ears reliving that event. It's appalling. Your thoughts are welcome, please. Text 0868 104 106.
106:27
Get on to Prendiville now.
106:30
0818 104 106. The Neil Prendiville Show.
106:36
Selection of texts on different topics from this morning is an interesting one with regards to the Kinahan gang. I was listening to the BBC Radio 4 News yesterday morning, says James M. Middleton, and they said Kinahan had been described by the American administration as one of the most dangerous criminals in the world. Grow up, man. Of course his arrest was all down to the Yanks. Do you think Dubai would risk upsetting America? That's the second time they did things for Ireland recently. They had the killer of the woman murdered in Killarney arrested too, says James in Middleton, as in where would we be without the intervention of America?
107:10
And then, you know, we talk about coming and going and I gave you some stats this morning as to what you might pay. I picked four star hotels as opposed to three or five. I just went right into the middle and I gave you examples of different parts of the country where you could pay. So two parents and two children for a week in Ireland, anywhere between two and four and a half grand for the week.
107:31
Check this short text out. We just booked a holiday to Marrakesh, Morocco. Seven days, flights, flights. Four and a half star hotel, all inclusive, which means breakfast, lunch, dinner and all drinks.
107:45
700 euro per person. Absolutely savage, says the texter. And that's a good way to describe it. 700 euro per person, which is return flights. Four and a half star hotel, all inclusive, everything for 700 euro per person, 100 a day, including the flights. I've said it before.
108:06
I don't know why this country is just so, so expensive. I don't know how people can justify a week in a hotel with two children and pay anything between two and a half and four and a half grand for it. It just makes no sense.
108:20
In other topics this morning, I can tell you that the modular homes will remain full of Ukrainians. They will not evict them as they are state owned and won't have to evict them. The changes will come into effect for the private properties, though.
108:33
Regarding the modular homes in Mahan, they are not occupied.
108:37
They give them to elderly people who need homes. Mahan needs a mix of young and old living in the area. Too many young families and what do you get? You get trouble with teenagers, full stop. Well, I've been down there and I've seen both the occupied and the unfinished, although they're almost finished, but not occupied yet. They are now fully furnished and everything and all of the landscaping and everything is done. I think that texter is suggesting give them straight to elderly people who need homes themselves. Keep it coming. Text 0868104106.
109:09
Interesting. This may well get a response from others. You know, you're talking about rearing children and is the summer holidays too long? And what's it like if you're rearing them on your own? Or we had other cases this morning where you have a mom and dad both working from home. Text says child rearing is far more important than working. The poor children inside all day and TVs babysitting them and missing the glorious summer. It's criminal.
109:36
It's easy to say, though, isn't it, that child rearing is far more important than working. But unfortunately, in the times that we live in, two salaries are needed. And also we live in a society where both partners, male and female, should be allowed to have the option to do either or indeed then to share the rearing themselves between them. My mother is 83 years old and still minds the great grandkids from time to time. She's Anne Tobin from Cove. She cared and looked after all our kids while we worked. And now minds my children's children.
110:07
She's amazing. I've often called in and there would be six boys all in there. Happy out with their granny.
110:14
I want to shout out my dad who just turned 70. He takes my autistic, almost four-year-old boy over the summer when he's off school. I would be absolutely lost without my dad, says Alana. He stands at the swings for an hour at a time because my son on the spectrum adores the swings. He takes them to the beach twice a week. And they make beautiful memories out swimming because that's another of his favourite. My son's name is Jerome O'Brien.
110:42
Sorry, I'm hoping my bell will be confusing. Maybe it's your dad's name is Jerome O'Brien. Whomever they are, he'll know who he is. And he's a wonderful, wonderful dad, says Alana. Viv tells me she's given you a Monkey Maze pass so your dad can take your little lad off for a day at Monkey Maze and they will thoroughly enjoy it. What a wonderful granddad. And thank you for the photograph of the two amigos.
111:04
They look as if they're having a rare old time with big smiley faces. Keep them coming. Text 0868 104 106. And you talk about criminality and we do from time to time.
111:15
God knows we get enough opportunities and examples to talk about. And one of the suggestions was that you build more prisons and you build bigger prisons. And the change must happen from judges in the judiciary who end up. And I have case histories that I've seen where judges have said, because the prisons are full, I'm giving you community service. That's code for saying if they weren't full, you'd be going to jail. So build them bigger. But then you have to look at the people who are in the jails who have serious addiction issues. Do they belong in jail at all in the first place?
111:46
Should they be in rehab and treatment as opposed to jail?
111:50
Text 0868-104-106. Back after the break.
111:53
Get on to Prenderville now.
111:55
0818-104-106.
111:56
The Neil Prenderville Show. on Red FM.
112:01
Sometimes you take for granted all the wonderful systems and organisations and network that's there can help in extreme cases like that, and it's a wonderful thing. Thank God. Text 0868 104 106. I love you and leave you. We'll pick it up in the morning, but on a lighter note, of course, it being Monday, a final bunch of shout-outs for the Monday Munchies, courtesy of ourselves and the Old Mill Confectionary. Godfrey Kirby, Car Dismantling, always listening, Coolie Duff Construction, DK Fitness, Diane Callagher, and everybody working hard, looking after people. A nice little treat of cakes and buns wouldn't go amiss.
112:32
Mulcahy, Skip Hire and Douglas, the endoscopy unit in the CUH, gate operations of the Port of Cork and Ring of Skiddy, keeping Ireland supplied. Good morning to everybody at Hype Department at the CUH and the old Abtran building. Everybody at Baroque Healthcare on the Monaghan Road. NetApp at Navigation Square. Absolute Property in Bishopsdown would love a chance to win for all of the staff. Sonia Antoinette and the hungry, hard-working team. HB Transport, Skip Hire and Tick Knock. Maxi Zoo, head office in Balancholic. Mornay Martina, Tots to Teens in Carrick Navarre. Crown Centre at Oven, supporting people living with physical disabilities and their families.
113:04
To all the Scout leaders, hard-added painting the Scout Hall for September for the return of the second Cork Balafihan.
113:12
It was a 17th myself, but hi to you all at the 2nd as well. R&R Tires, I should say, in Balancholic. And Smiles Dental on Oliver Plunkett Street. There's Janice, Adele, Sinead, Ash, Noel, Susanna, Sudi and Fionnan. We know we're Smiles Dentals. We know cakes give you cavities, but we're willing to take our chances to beat the Monday blues.
113:35
Ha!
113:37
I love it. I love it. Keep them coming. Got to pick a winner now and get it all sorted. The Old Mill Confectionary with lots and lots of cakes and I'm talking about the best of them. The fudge cake, the doughnuts, the eclairs, the chocolate slices, the custard slices, the tipsy cake and lots of Chester cake. Courtesy of ourselves in the Old Mill Confectionary. Check them out in all sorts of shops. Freshly cakes. Gorgeous.
113:58
kind of reinvigorating and reinventing all of the car classics. So for this week, oh, I see it on the screen here. Crown Centre in Oven, supporting people living with physical disabilities in their family. My daughter is a service user, loves everyone out there. She's just arrived now for their summer camp, which they'll be running for two weeks over the summer. We'd be lost without them. The staff and volunteers are amazing. Please consider us here at the Crown Centre in Oven, says Susan. It's done and I think the timing is great as well for the start of the summer camp. So all of you, and thank you for the great work that you do.
114:30
Enjoy all of the cakes from the Old Mill Confectionary. They're on the way. Red Patrollers will load up. You guys get the cattle on or get working on the Maiwadi and enjoy the treat. Our lines will stay open. You can text 0868 104 106. Have a good day. I'll see you tomorrow.
