These are the best of times and the worst of times.
Front line workers are putting their lives on the line to battle Covid 19.
Meanwhile, others cannot take a break from being utter gobshites.
This was the scene in South William Street, Dublin two days ago.
If any of these civic-minded types contract the virus, then they will be treated in one of the capital’s hospitals.
Self-inflicted wound comes to mind.
My youngest works in one of those hospitals in Dublin, and they do not have an infinite supply of ICU beds.
The pandemic has provided an opportunity for the worst of us to reveal their true selves.
Not just the self-absorbed, but the completely moronic.
You really need to be catastrophically vacant to come up with something like this:
Quite simply, beating this thing is a job for all of us.
A century ago, my grandparents in Mayo were fighting a vicious superpower.
It was also a time of a deadly pandemic.
In 2020 all I have to do here in Donegal is stay at home.
Herself has the Mass on the laptop, and the home delivery lad is good craic.
We have a 5km space around the home place to go for a walk on the Level 5 restrictions.
That is tough when you can see Muckish from the window.
When the restrictions are lifted, then I will be back up the Miner’s Track.
That mountain and I have some history.
When I got the call, the Garda just said that a family on Muckish had lost “Toby” and that he was “seven years old”.
We got there at batmobile speed only to find out that Toby was a beagle.
Still, he was duly rescued.
The best climbing buddy, I ever had in the Derryveaghs!
Around 7.03 on the video, you will see where Toby and I had our climbing session.
In fairness, if staying within 5km of the front door counts as a sacrifice in a time of global crisis, then I’m not being asked to do very much at all.
There are growing fears we will remain in full lockdown next month due to the high number of Covid-19 cases in the county.
We’re running at almost twice the national average at the moment.
The 14-day incidence rate of the disease in Donegal is 272 cases per 100,000 people, by far the highest in the Republic. There were 27 new cases reported there yesterday, bringing its 14-day total to 434, second only to Dublin.
Data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) for the period October 27 to November 9 shows Buncrana in Inishowen recorded a rate of 536.5 cases per 100,000. The second-highest figure was Letterkenny, which had a rate of 409.5.
Not good, not good at all.
It is no coincidence that we share a large land frontier with the Sick Counties.
Snarlene and her dignified pals have created a Covid shitshow in Narne Arne.
The idea of an all-island anything brings them out in a rash.
Sadly, in their desperate attempts to remain “Bradaish,” people are dying here in the northwest on both sides of the artificial line.
Over the weekend, some of them were more concerned that someone in Amazon thought that this entire island was a country.
Well, actually it is.
However, some folk in Narne Arne do not like to be reminded of that.
Irish Twitter wasn’t long in seeing the funny side of it all.
At times like this, laughter is an essential service.
The news on the vaccine is a morale booster, but there are still hard days ahead.
Today, I got the news that I had been quietly fearing for months.
Baby Doctor told me today that she had contracted Covid19.
Her test came back positive.
The hospital has excellent protocols in place, but this virus is a determined adversary.
Fortunately, Baby Doctor is asymptomatic.
She told me that this means that she had antibodies.
I offered her my…ahem… professional opinion that nature had given her a head start.
Sure, she’s a Donegal woman with Mayo relatives!
The blood is strong…
We were even able to laugh and joke about the Gah.
She’ll be grand.
Yesterday, the Tribesmen fought well and it went to the wire, but a point is enough..
Abú!
It might be the final flourish of the Curse of 51 if Aidan O’Shea lifted Sam at an empty Croker.
For the avoidance of doubt, I would take it…
Stay safe.
This is not a drill.
Discover more from Phil Mac Giolla Bháin
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
As a frontline worker I’ll be happy to avail myself of any new vaccine which might protect me from Covid and allow me to carry on looking after the more vulnerable in our society. I don’t have the time nor the inclination to unite with the vaccine doubters as I feel it’s a choice between the Devil and the deep blue sea. All we can do is take every precaution as per the guidelines and hope that the vaccine allows us to win back a near normal life. HH
We kinda fell out some years ago; I may/was likely to have been, over-the-top in (the Guinness +) and my comment(s), in your view may have warranted a red card. Fine. You may also remember calling me a “top proofer” in our too-short ‘sortie’? In any event, I’ve never attempted to comment on here since. I am still an avid reader and you’ll know (historically) I’ve made several contributions towards the upkeep of your excellent site. I do not hold grudges.
However on another note, and I think it is critical to add to the point you make, with which I agree in general, but just doesn’t go nearly far enough: It’s the 5th line down of today’s blog, beginning “If any of these civic-minded types……..”
My family has been ‘encouraged’ to do the decent thing and follow (or add to) government advice. I’ve seen footage from Liverpool to Dublin and Glasgow to Gloucester, and more. The government has fukked this up from Day 1. The ‘people’ have added their inimitable horror. So, we need a solution. It’s not hospital, it’s gaol (jail) , or worse. If proven to be culpable in contracting (by behaviour) and either/or spreading it, put EVERY FUKKING ONE OF THEM on one of the wee islands off the British/Irish coasts that was poisoned decades ago by BG ‘experiments’. If they survive, well….we’ll maybe run out of Guinea Pigs…..
The irresponsible pricks whom have no concern for their families and/or life itself, should be given the same, ignorant response.
Trust me here, I don’t and won’t tolerate that.
Vinnie.
Phil do you believe these big pharma companies who say their vacancies are 90% & 94% effective. They haven’t even had a year to develop this.
Yet the flu, which is another covid virus , has a vaccine which was developed in the 1940’s is only effective 40%-60% .
Now call me sceptical but something just doesn’t add up with those figures.
Obviously, I hope that you are wrong.
I hope I am too. I want to be able to celebrate 10 in a row
We have several NHS front line workers among family and friends. I’ll add your lassie to those I say a silent prayer for. They’re all at risk but it’s only human nature to worry more about your own.
I’m with you there mate. I struggle to believe a word they say now.
Are you a medic? Do you have a Phd in Pharmacy? Do you have polio? Then just thank the scientists. These people are publishing FACTS. Ignoring these just makes you a **** with an opinion.
In India, where (thanks to the oral vaccination work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) Polio was officially eradicated), 495,000 children contracted Non-Polio Flaccid Paralysis between 2000 and 2017. It was called Non-Polio Flaccid Paralysis because India was declared to be Polio-Free, therefore it could not be Polio which afflicted the children .However, the virus which caused this Non-Polio Flaccid Paralysis is indistinguishable from that which causes Polio Flaccid Paralysis – even under a microscope.
Well, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and swims like a duck – the chances are that nit is a duck.
I’ve done a wee bit of reading into it.
The problem with influenza vaccines is that the influenza virus is continuously mutating at a faster rate than covid19.so they have to chose three or four strains deemed to be the most important to put into the coming vaccine, half a year before the flu season arrives. so it’s impossible to have a 100% perfect cover for all the circulating influenza viruses. If is was a good match, about 70% effective, if a bad match (the last time it was due to the virus mutating during it being cultured in chicken eggs in preparation to making of the vaccine) down to 35%.
I believe that they actually base the vaccine each year on whichever flu strains have been most prevalent in Australia, as their flu cycle runs roughly six months ahead of ours.