Guided walk along Navvy Bank will launch Dundalk Positive Mental Health week tomorrow

Dundalk Positive Mental Health Week gets underway this Saturday with a guided walk along the Navvy Bank.

Hosted by the Dundalk Positive Mental Health Forum, the fun walk starts at 12 noon and will last approximately 45 minutes.

It is the first in a range of events taking place throughout the week.

On Monday there will be a coffee morning in Riva in Earl Street from 10.30am to 12.30pm while on Tuesday there will be a special radio show on Dundalk FM from 10am to 12 noon.

On Wednesday Minister Kathleen Lynch will be in Dundalk to launch an art exhibition in the Carroll Building of Dundalk IT at 11am.

A cookery demonstration will then be held on Thursday night at 7pm in DkIT entitled ‘Eating for Positive Mental Health’.

Throughout the week an information stand will also be in the Marshes Shopping Centre.

For further details contact Senator Mary Moran on 042 9329052

Dundalk IT in a “vulnerable” financial position

Dundalk IT is in a “vulnerable” financial position, according to the chief executive of the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

Addressing the Dáil Public Accounts Committee yesterday, Tom Boland said that Dundalk IT, as well as Waterford IT, Letterkenny IT, Galway Mayo IT and the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) were suffering financial problems “to varying degrees”.

None of those institutions are in danger of immediate collapse, he said, but the authority is working closely with them. They have been asked to provide three-year plans setting out how they will recover.

Mr Boland said the difficulties, to some extent, reflected the lack of funding for the higher-education sector after the financial crisis. Some institutions were less able to manage than others due to factors including demographics.

Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy told the committee some institutions had indicated they have deficits that could potentially affect their ability to operate in the future.

Appeal lodged against student accommodation and nursing home at Dundalk IT

Existing student accommodation at Dundalk IT

An appeal has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála against Louth County Council’s decision to give the go ahead for new student, accommodation, a nursing home and a research and development facility at Dundalk IT.

In August Fallstar Construction Ltd were granted conditional planning permission for a development of four blocks of student housing, three storeys in height, at Greenpark on the Inner Relief Road.

This is beside existing student accommodation to the rear of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Each block wasa to contain 21 units each, with each containing nine rooms. This would lead to 189 rooms in total being built should it come to fruition.

Mullingar-based Fallstar were also given the green light to build a 127 room nursing home at the same location. This would be two storeys in height and would include ancillary facilities.

They also got the go ahead for a research development and training centre five storeys in height, which would have a gross floor area of 12,286sqm, all with associated parking and a roof-top plant including optional solar/photovoltaic panels and all associated site development works.

However, those plans have been put on hold following an appear from Frank Holmes of the Old Golf Links Road in Blackrock.

He argues a number of points, including that the land has been designated for “education, recreation, enterprise and innovation” and says that a privately owned nursing home would not conform with this.

Dundalk IT set to change policy on appointment of chaplain

John Hamill

Dundalk IT are reportedly set to change their policy in relation to the appointment of the college chaplain by tendering for the role for the first time ever.

Their decision comes after a local atheist applied for the position in the college after being ordained as a minister within a non-Christian church back in May.

Castleblayney man John Hamill hit out at Dundalk IT earlier this year for spending €30,000 of state funds towards the provision of a Catholic chaplaincy service and €1,200 a year to a similar Presbyterian role.

He claimed that the payment breaches Article 44.2.2 of the Irish Constitution, which says that “the State guarantees not to endow any religion,” thus prohibiting the funding of a specific church using public funds.

Hamill insisted that no decision was ever recorded by the college’s board to make these annual payments and that no tender was issued or process followed to allow other religious or secular bodies to offer pastoral services to students.

Hamill said this was “nakedly sectarian as the role is not advertised and no other Churches or secular bodies are invited to participate.”

Fr Paddy Rushe is the current Dundalk IT chaplain

In response he applied for the role as an Ordained Minister in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. He did so “such that any attempt to award the role to a Catholic Bishop without tender, would be discriminating against me on a sectarian basis.”

Having applied for the chaplain’s position, the college responded to him this week suggesting they would change their policy to tender for the role for the first time.

Their letter, signed by Dundalk IT president Denis Cummins last Friday, read: “We are currently considering the type of Chaplaincy Service that we will, in future, provide at the Institute. The tender documents etc. will be issued following this exercise.”

Fr Paddy Rushe has been the Dundalk IT chaplain in recent years with Reverend Stanley Millen making himself available to Presbyterian students when required.

Go ahead given for new student accommodation, nursing home and R&D facility at Dundalk IT

Existing student accommodation at Dundalk IT

The go ahead has been given for new student accommodation, a nursing home and a research and development facility at Dundalk IT.

Fallstar Construction Ltd have been granted conditional planning permission by Louth County Council for a development of four blocks of student housing, three storeys in height, at Greenpark on the Inner Relief Road.

This is beside existing student accommodation to the rear of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Each block will contain 21 units each, with each containing nine rooms. This would lead to 189 rooms in total being built should it come to fruition.

Mullingar-based Fallstar have also been given the green light to build a 127 room nursing home at the same location. This would be two storeys in height and would include ancillary facilities.

They have also got the go ahead for a research development and training centre five storeys in height, which would have a gross floor area of 12,286sqm, all with associated parking and a roof-top plant including optional solar/photovoltaic panels and all associated site development works.

DKIT Sport officially launches with the creation of 35 jobs

DKIT Sport was officially opened earlier today.

The new facility, which features a gym, sports pitches and more, is part of Dundalk IT and is located at the former JJB complex at Dundalk Retail Park.

A number of local representatives attended the launch, hosted by DkIT president Denis Cummins, including Louth TD and Junior Minister Ged Nash.

It was revealed at the launch that 35 new jobs would be created by the opening. For further details visit www.dkitsport.ie

Sharkey encourages people to get involved in Dundalk Parkrun

Cllr Tomás Sharkey at last weekend’s Dundalk Parkrun

The second Dundalk Parkrun event takes place at Dundalk IT this Saturday morning at 9.30am.

Parkrun organise free, weekly, 5km timed runs around the world. They are open to everyone, free, and are safe and easy to take part in.

Local councillor Tomás Sharkey took part in the first event last weekend and was full of praise for the initiative.

He said: “Last Saturday morning was the first time that the Parkrun event was held in DKIT playing grounds. It takes place every Saturday morning at 9.30am and involves a 5km run, jog or walk which is timed.

“We had a brilliant time at the inaugural event. There was a fantastic atmosphere where everybody was encouraged to do their best.

“The true advantage of Parkrun is that everybody who registers online gets to print a barcode which is used to record your time each week. This means that you can track your progress.

“I want to praise the organisers and volunteers involved and all who took part and encourage everybody in the Dundalk area to come along on Saturday morning to enjoy a healthy start to the weekends.”

Further details are available at www.parkrun.ie/dundalk

Parkrun gets underway in Dundalk this Saturday

The event will take place weekly at Dundalk IT, getting underway at 9.30am every Saturday morning

Parkrun gets underway in Dundalk this Saurday

Parkrun organise free, weekly, 5km timed runs around the world. They are open to everyone, free, and are safe and easy to take part in.

The local event gets underway at 9.30am on Saturday at Dundalk IT, with local councillor Tomás Sharkey encouraging people to get involved.

“ParkRun is a brilliant initiative. A 5km route has been measured out in the playing fields at DKIT. Every Saturday morning, starting at 9.30am there will be a free service where your running or walking time around the course will be measured and recorded.

“All you have to do is go to the www.parkrun.ie website and register. You will receive a barcode which you scan each week at the course. It is a great way of monitoring your progress.

“I want to encourage as many people as possible to register with this new service for the area and to take part in the weekly runs.”

The Parkrun will take place every Saturday at the same time with a free post run coffee available afterwards in the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Further details are available at www.parkrun.ie/dundalk

Dundalk IT to host FÍS 2015 next week

Creative Media at Dundalk IT returns with its end of year student showcase, FÍS 2015, in the surroundings of the award-winning Carroll’s Building.

Housing the School of Informatics and Creative Arts, the building houses a state-of-the-art TV studio, audio and radio recording studios, a photographic darkroom, performance spaces, edit suites and a screening room.

The launch of Fís will take place on Wednesday June 3rd from 6pm -9pm and will be open to the public on Thursday June 4th from 12pm-9pm.

Fís (Irish for ‘vision’) 2015 features completely new and original work ranging from film to interactive installations and games. The work on show will highlight the relevant and diverse skills that students of creative media & film acquire over the course of their studies at DKIT. The students showcasing work are graduating from four main programmes: the BA / BA (Hons) in Communications in Creative Multimedia and the BA / BA (Hons) in Video and Film Production. In addition, for the first time, students on the one-year Springboard programme, the Certificate in 2D/3D Digital Animation Production, will also showcase their work.

New works from students completing the BA (Hons) in Communications in Creative Multimedia respond to the theme of ‘socially responsive design’. Juvenis, Metus and Level Up combine interactivity and design to explore a range of issues relevant to young people. Juvenis deals with identity issues confronting young people while Metus strives to raise awareness of GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder). Level Up meanwhile aims to assist second level students with identifying careers they may be interested in pursuing.

Exhibits from the BA in Communications in Creative Multimedia – including Aquatica, Drumon and DoodleBlocks – focus on the theme of ‘play’ through a series of interactive games and installations aimed at a wide range of age groups.

Visitors to the exhibition can also enjoy a programme of short films from students completing the BA in Video and Film Production. These will be on show in the purpose built screening room. The shorts on show include ‘Harry’ which takes a blackly comic look at the dangers of using the internet as a replacement for creativity and ‘The Shift’, a coming of age tale set in the Ireland of the 1980’s.

Students completing the BA (Hons) in Video and Film Production will also present screen work that draws on the results of their practice-based research projects. The subject matter of their final films includes the issue of media bias, women in the Irish film industry and the history of cinemas in Dundalk.

For further information on the large range of programmes in the Section of Creative Media currently open for Change of Mind applications through the CAO, visit www.dkit.ie/creativemedia. Also find out more on free Springboard programmes in 3D for Games and 2D/3D Digital Animation Production at www.springboardcourses.ie/.

FÍS 2015 is open to all, and will be launched at 6pm in the Carroll’s Building on Wednesday 3rd June.

Atheist Ireland hit out at Dundalk IT for using €30,000 of public funds for Catholic chaplain

Fr Paddy Rushe is the current Dundalk IT chaplain

Atheist Ireland have hit out at Dundalk IT for spending €30,000 of state funds towards the provision of a Catholic chaplaincy service.

The group obtained details through a Freedom of Information request on the amount DkIT pays to employ full-time chaplain Fr Paddy Rushe.

They also learned that €1,200 per year is paid to Presbyterian chaplain Reverend Stanley Millen to make himself available to students if required.

Concerns about the chaplaincy were raised earlier this year after a student complained about receiving emails from Fr Rushe.

Atheist Ireland claims that the payment breaches Article 44.2.2 of the Irish Constitution, which says that “the State guarantees not to endow any religion,” thus prohibiting the funding of a specific church using public funds.

They insist that no decision was ever recorded by the college’s board to make these annual payments and that no tender was issued or process followed to allow other religious or secular bodies to offer pastoral services to students.