Thursday, 15th


December 2016


info@eastcorkjournal.ie


East Cork Asked to Help Blood Donations This Christmas


by LEAH RING


THE Irish Blood Trans- fusion Service are call- ing on the public to give the gift blood of blood this Christmas as wor- ries grow that supplies will deplete throughout the festive season. East Cork residents may


give blood on Thursday, 15 of December at the Midle- ton Park Hotel from 3pm to 5pm and 7pm to 9pm. The Irish Blood Transfu-


sion Service Operations Di- rector, Paddy Bowler said: ““Traditionally holiday periods and especially the lead into the Christmas and New Year festivities present significant difficulties in sus- taining the blood supply.” Just 3% of the Irish pop-


ulation regularly donate blood, meaning the blood


supply can quickly plummet over the holiday periods. Mr Bowler explained:


“The blood supply is cur- rently at 5 to 6 days across the main blood groups and increasing this will require a special effort from donors over the coming weeks.” In order to ensure that


the blood supply does not deplete, the Transfusion


will people


Irish Blood Service


need 12,000 donations be- fore the end of December. This is roughly 3,000 per week, an in-


crease of 2,000 based on current figures released by the group. Donations significantly


dropped last year as many women were unable to give blood due to insufficient haemoglobin measurement systems. However, the group are


encouraging both men and women to donate this Christmas. Mr Bowler


said: “We


want to thank donors who supported us in the last 3 weeks. We have now rein- troduced the former hae- moglobin


measurement


technology across all clinics so all blood donors are now welcome to attend, particu- larly female


donated between June 30th 2014 and Nov 13th


donors who 2015. We


also want to keep encourag- ing men and new donors to


keep rolling up their sleeves in the run up to Christmas.” O positive accounts for


roughly 47% of the popu- lation and is the most com- mon blood type, while AB negative is the rarest type in the world. AB negative accounts for


just 1% of the population and anyone who may have this blood type is encour- aged to donate regularly. It is possible blood every


90 days and transfusion needed in hospitals on a daily basis.


Visiting with John McGrath in Youghal


Monday............................ 10AM to 2PM Tuesday ............................. 2PM to 5PM Wednesday ...................... 10AM to 2PM Thursday............................ 2PM to 5PM Friday .............................. 10AM to 2PM


Pat Buckley TD will be available on Friday mornings.


Pat Buckley TD will be available on Friday mornings.


Local Clinics will be advertised in local press.


Local Clinics will be advertised in local press.


For appointment please ring 021-4639551.


For appointment please ring 021-4639646.


2 The Crescent, Mill Road, Midleton, Co Cork 2 The Crescent, Mill Road, Midleton, Co Cork • John and Olive McGrath (front left) in the newly refurbished top floor of Youghal Clock Gate by DENISE FITZGERALD were


Not many can say they born in a historic


building which dates back to the 1700s and The East Cork Journal, on a visit to Youghal’s Clock Gate Tower


delighted to meet


last weekend, was with


John McGrath, a former resident


of the building.


John is very proud of his birthplace, the iconic Clock Gate,


but said “it


was not an easy life back then for us, or indeed for most people’.


He told


how the building, which is the centrepiece of the his- toric town of Youghal, was home to two generations of the McGrath family start- ing with his Grandfather who was resident caretaker of


since the early 20th


the building and clock century,


and then John’s father who inherited the position of Caretaker from his father. John, with his parents


@eastcorkjournal / #eastcorkjournal


Christopher and Agnes, brother David and sisters Sheila and Nancy lived in The Clock Gate Tower un- til 1959 and he remembers how Nancy, who was con- fined to a wheelchair, en- joyed the best view of the streets below as she sat at the window watching the passersby, many of whom waved and called up to her as they went under the fa- mous Arch. The


restoration eastcorkjournal of Youghal’s Clock Gate


Tower was enjoyed by John last weekend when he joined a visiting group with Tour Guide, Dorothy McGrath-Heaphy, who gave a wonderful pres- entation.


John added


a personal touch for the fascinated group when he shared memories of his formative


years, describ-


ing how family life was like growing up in such an unu- sual building which arches over the Main Street of the busy town.


His memories


were a huge contribution to the restoration of the building which has now been restored to its former state, and is almost identi- cal to the McGrath home as it was over seventy years ago. The Clock Gate


tour


provides a unique insight into the political, econom- ic and social history of the building, the town, and Ire- land with the different his- torical stages represented on each of the four floors .


Tel: 021 463 8000 • Email: info@eastcorkjournal.ie • Web: www.eastcorkjournal.ie


Monday .........................10AM to 2PM Tuesday...........................2PM to 5PM Wednesday....................10AM to 2PM Thursday.........................2PM to 5PM Friday............................10AM to 2PM


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