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2019 O’Connell Death Mask Presented To Report Says E-scooters Could Help
With Greenhouse Gas Emissions
28th, Office Of Public Works

August he death mask of one of

the country’s best-known
| Tleadersissettogoon pub-
EXAMINER the Liberator, campaigned for
lic display.
Daniel O’Connell, known as

Catholic emancipation and
IRISH against the Act of Union
between Great Britain and
Ireland during his political
career in the early 19th centu-
ry.
He died in 1847 in Genoa,
Italy, while on a pilgrimage to The Government is being urged not to put too many barriers
Rome at the age of 71. Saturday. OPW is honored and delighted in the way of people using an electric scooter to commute.
O’Connell’s death mask has Derrynane House, the fami- to accept this generous gift
been in the custodianship of ly home of O’Connell, is now from Countess Dunraven.” A new report has recommended regulating them and says that
the Dunraven family for over dedicated to his life and Mr Buckley added: “Today they could help tackle Irish greenhouse gas emissions.
160 years. achievements, under the care Derrynane House is much It is that estimated over 800 e-scooters are currently on the
On Saturday it was present- of the OPW. more than a museum, it is a roads in Dublin alone yet they are not currently regulated.
ed to the Office of Public The mask is set to be added space that tells the story, from This new report from the Road Safety Authority, which has
Works (OPW). to the public display at the the cradle to the grave of the been submitted to Transport Minister Shane Ross, has recom-
The Countess of Dunraven house. Liberator. mended “clear standards” be put in place to deal with safety con-
made the presentation to Kevin Moran, Minister of “This mask will be an cerns.
Maurice Buckley, OPW chair- State with responsibility for the incredibly valuable addition to The Irish Times reports that the study calls for new guidelines
man at the Daniel O’Connell OPW, said: “As the custodians the collection here and we look to be drawn up and raises the possibility of e-scooters not being
Summer School at Derrynane of Derrynane House and on forward to making it central to allowed on high-speed roads.
House in Co Kerry on behalf of the Irish State, the the collection.” C There could also be speed limits if they’re permitted on foot-
paths.
Overall, the report says electric scooters could reduce traffic
congestion, improve air quality and replace less sustainable types
of transport if they’re used in the right way.
The study says attempts to ban e-scooters would be “counter-
productive” and “difficult to enforce.” C

Irish Youth Hostel Organization
In Jeopardy Due To Financial Crisis
The Irish
Youth Hostel
Organization is
in danger of clo-
sure next month
after 88 years.
Nearly 20 hos-
tels around the
country are in
jeopardy, along
with up to 60 jobs, because of a financial crisis.
An Óige runs 18 youth hostels, owning eight, in Kerry,
Wicklow, Galway, Donegal and Cork, and has the franchise for
the other ten.
But they are now in jeopardy because of a funding crisis.
In May, An Óige was forced to close the Dublin International
Hostel at Mountjoy Street in the city center, which accounted for
60% of its income.
There were issues with the electrical system in the listed build-
ing that would have cost €2m to fix.
An Óige’s financial difficulties stem from borrowing substan-
tial amounts in the 90s to modernize hostels.
Now, it says it will run out of money next month.
In a letter to the Finance Minister Paschal Donohue, it is ask-
ing the government for funding to prevent its closure.
An Óige is requesting a loan of €3.5m to pay off debts owing
to AIB.
It says with this support, it could work with the state to create
a 280-bed hostel at the Mountjoy Street premises in Dublin to
house the city’s homeless. C