Tag Archives: Ireland

Stop Irish medical complicity with Bahrain dictatorship

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This video is called Bahrain royal Princess Nora tortured injured protesters & doctors inside hospital.

From the Belfast Telegraph in Ireland:

Call over Bahrain medical college

30 May 2013

Human rights lawyers have urged the Medical Council not to sanction accreditation for an Irish medical college’s operations in Bahrain.

The Ceartas group has claimed the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Bahrain (RCSI-Bahrain) has been overseeing the teaching of medics in the troubled Arab state while some patients are tortured and doctors imprisoned.

Reports from Medecins Sans Frontieres, the US-based Physicians for Human Rights and a Bahrain government committee all state widespread human rights abuses since an uprising began in early 2011.

Gearaid O Cuinn, co-director of Ceartas – Irish Lawyers for Human Rights, accused RCSI-Bahrain of using militarised hospitals and that medics are ordered to pass information on patients to the authorities.

“Our report shows how the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Bahrain is sending its students to be trained in militarised hospital facilities where patients, especially injured protesters, may be subjected to ill-treatment and in some cases torture,” he said.

“Trainees and graduates also face discrimination in employment on the grounds of their religion. All of this has been well documented by numerous human rights groups.”

The Medical Council has not given RCSI-Bahrain accreditation since its teaching operations began in 2004. But it is obliged to approve the college as its degrees are recognised in Ireland. RCSI now has about 1,200 students on its books in the Gulf state paying fees from 1,900 to 31,000 euro.

Bahrain saw major unrest when the so-called Pearl uprising began more than two years ago with pro-democracy protests by the Shia Muslim majority against the ruling Sunni Al Khalifa monarchy. Protesters have been shot dead on the street, tortured and imprisoned.

Scores of medics who treated them have been arrested and jailed and some have gone on hunger strike. Ceartas said women who have suffered miscarriages following indiscriminate tear gas exposure have reportedly been denied access to medical records.

See also here. And here. And here.

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Beavers help kingfishers

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This video from Ireland is called Kingfisher | The Secret Life of the Shannon | RTÉ Goes Wild.

In Dutch nature reserve Lepelaarplassen, there are beavers.

According to Vroege Vogels TV, as these beavers fell trees, they help kingfishers find nesting opportunities.

The kingfisher was the favourite bird of Prince William of Orange, well known from the sixteenth century Dutch revolt against the king of Spain.

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First Irish eaglets in 110 years

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This video is about red kites, brought back to Ireland.

From Wildlife Extra:

White-Tailed Eagle chicks hatch in Ireland for first time [in] 110 years

Two pairs of White-tailed Eagles have successfully hatched chicks

May 2013. White-tailed Eagles have successfully hatched chicks in Ireland for the first time in more than 110 years.

County Clare & Kerry

In the last week a pair was confirmed to have hatched chicks at a nest near Mountshannon, Co Clare. This pair also created history in 2012 when they nested for the first time. A second pair, in Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry, successfully hatched chicks in the past few days having laid eggs in late March.

These are the first chicks of the high profile reintroduction programme which began in 2007 with the release of young Norwegian eagles in Killarney National Park as part of the White-tailed Eagle reintroduction programme developed and funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in partnership with Golden Eagle Trust.

Introduced from Norway

Nesting began in late March with pairs laying eggs in nests in Clare and Killarney. The Mountshannon breeding pair, a five year old male and four year old female, was collected on the island of Frøya off the west coast of Norway. This pair laid eggs in 2012 but failed to hatch chicks. However by January 2013 [they] had already built a new nest. The Killarney breeding pair, a six year old female and five year old male, was collected on islands in Flatanger and Hitra, Norway, in 2007 and 2008. The Killarney female spent part of the winter in early 2009 in the Scottish Highlands before returning to Kerry. All birds were released in Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry, as part of the White-tailed Eagle reintroduction programme. Several pairs have now established themselves in counties Kerry, Cork, Clare and Galway at coastal and inland lake sites.

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan T.D. said “This is a momentous occasion in that we are now witnessing the first white-tailed eagles born in the wild in Ireland in over 100 years.”

Golden Eagle Trust

“We are delighted that White-tailed Eagles are now nesting successfully in Clare and Kerry”, said Dr. Allan Mee, project manager for the Golden Eagle Trust. “Last years’ nesting attempt by the Clare pair was a momentous event for the species recovery in Ireland. However, the species has now taken the next important step by producing the first chicks on the reintroduction programme. This is another milestone for the project as producing and fledging chicks in nests in Ireland is critical for the projects’ success. Ultimately the viability of the reintroduced programme depends on these chicks going on to breed themselves in Ireland. Each step brings us closer to that goal. Many people have helped us reach this goal over the years. We especially wish to thank local communities in Mountshannon and Whitegate, Co. Clare, and in the Killarney and wider South Kerry area for their goodwill and continued support. The eagles have benefitted from widespread support from communities and landowners, and their presence enhances rural economic values, especially wildlife tourism. Special thanks also go to our friends in Norway who put their faith in the reintroduction programme in Ireland by providing birds and also supporting us through some difficult times.

In Norway, the Norwegian team cooperating with the Irish Reintroduction Programme “was delighted to hear of the first successful hatching of chicks in Ireland, an important milestone on the road to a self-sustaining population of these magnificent birds. Our congratulations to the Irish project team, and to the Irish government who has supported the scheme, including taking measures to address the poisoning threat to the eagles and to the wider environment which the projects work revealed. The constructive approach of Ireland has been an impressive feature of the reintroduction, and we look forward to assisting further with your efforts”. The Norwegian effort to collect chicks for the Irish Reintroduction was composed of local volunteers, with coordination by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research and Norwegian Ornithological Society

No disturbance

The news of nesting White-tailed Eagles has generated a lot of excitement locally in east Clare and Kerry and is likely to attract the attention of people keen to see the birds. However disturbance, particularly during the early stages of nesting when the birds are on eggs or have small chicks, would be detrimental to the pair’s success. “We are very conscious of the risk of disturbing the birds especially at this stage of nesting” Dr. Mee added.

Please note that it is an offence under the Wildlife Act (1976) to wilfully disturb White-tailed Eagles at the nest. Disturbance could result in the birds leaving the small chicks unguarded for a period during which they could be predated or be chilled or the birds could desert the site. We would caution people not to approach the nest area but instead avail of the unique opportunity to watch from a nesting pair of sea eagles from nearby Mountshannon pier. Information on the birds, their ecology and conservation will be available. We would like to acknowledge the goodwill and assistance of local people in the Mountshannon area, Mountshannon Community Council, local angling, gun clubs and Clare County Council before and during the nesting period”.

Ronan Hannigan, Chairman of the Golden Eagle Trust stated: “We really appreciate the huge level of support received for all our restoration projects, particularly at grass root level. White Tailed Eagles depend on the on-going support of landowners, fishermen, clubs, farmers, local businesses, traders, tourists and school children. They hopefully now will be a more regular sight all over the West of Ireland.”

Hannigan went on to say ” … The hatching of White-tailed Eagle chicks in Ireland again after over 100 years will no doubt boost tourism in this Year of the Gathering, but also in the years to come, and hopefully will restore some of our magical past”.

Whatever the outcome of these nesting attempts, the signs are good for future breeding in the area and at a number of other sites across Ireland in the near future. White-tailed Eagles can live for 25-30 years and generally mate for life with adult pairs remaining within their home range throughout the year. First time breeders, especially young birds, often fail at their first attempt. However, with the goodwill and support of local communities the species should have a bright future in Ireland.

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Desert locust fatigue, new research

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This video is called Desert Locust Insect (Schistocerca gregaria).

From Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland:

How long do insects last?

08 May 2013

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have shown that although insects are made from one of the toughest natural materials, their legs and wings can wear out over time. The findings have been just published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

“The single biggest cause of failure in cars, airplanes and other mechanical structures is material fatigue,” said Dr. Jan-Henning Dirks, who studied the biomechanics of insects together with Eoin Parle and Professor David Taylor at Trinity’s Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. “For quite some time it has been known that this kind of fatigue behaviour easily happens in some materials, but far less in others. That’s why engineers are constantly looking for ideas to design safer, more durable types of materials.”

But until now nothing was known about the fatigue properties of the second-most common natural material in the world: insect cuticle.

Insects are regarded as one of the most diverse groups of animals in the world, yet they have one thing in common: they all are made from a material called cuticle. “The insects’ exoskeleton supports them in a way our bones support our body,” said Dirks. “At the same time the cuticle also acts as a kind of protective skin. Cuticle is an extremely versatile biological material. If we understood how it acts under repeated loads, we might be able to design more durable biomimetic materials for many kinds of applications.”

As a first step, the team looked at the cuticle of the desert locust. “These locusts are capable of flying across oceans and deserts, often for days or weeks at a time,” said Parle, who is writing his PhD thesis about the mechanical properties of insect cuticle. “Their wings beat hundreds of thousands of times, and with their hind legs they perform thousands of jumps.”

To measure the fatigue properties of the cuticle, the team took samples of the legs and wings and mechanically simulated the repeated loading that occurs in wing beats and during jumping. The researchers were able to show that both structures can withstand hundreds of thousands of cycles, with the legs being notably more resistant to fatigue. “Our results also show that due to their shape and fibrous material the legs are very well adapted to withstand the types of failure that might occur in jumping and kicking,” said Parle.

“For the first time, we now actually know that insect cuticle shows material fatigue after repeated loading.” said Taylor. “These results are obviously just a first step. Studying insect cuticle is not only thought-provoking from the engineering point of view, where our findings might help us to develop more durable composite materials. Our results are also interesting from the biological perspective, where we can learn more about how insects evolved to become one of the most successful groups of animals.”

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Women in British science, new research

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This video from Ireland says about itself:

Reflections on women in science; diversity and discomfort: Jocelyn Bell Burnell at TEDxStormont

Apr 4, 2013

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell inadvertently discovered pulsars as a graduate student in radio astronomy in Cambridge, opening up a new branch of astrophysics — work recognised by the award of a Nobel Prize to her supervisor. She is now a Visiting Professor in Oxford.

From Kingston University in London, England:

Unearthing the hidden women of science and inspiring the next generation

08 May 2013

A group of historians and scientists is about to embark on a major project to scrutinise the role of British women in science. It will focus on finding and assessing the careers of scientific women who may not have received credit or recognition for their work. The £33k project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and run jointly by Kingston University, University of Liverpool, the Royal Society and the Rothschild Archive London, aims to examine how women were involved in scientific societies between the years 1830 to 2012 and look at how that can inform policy today.

It will involve the establishment of a network of academics to gain a better understanding of how historical perspectives might impact future education policy making. Recent statistics show that only a third of science, technology, engineering and maths students in Britain are female and just 11 per cent of senior positions in science are held by women.

“Women’s unequal participation in science subjects at all levels, both in education, academia and in industry, is currently receiving close attention from policy makers, educationalists and social commentators,” project leader Dr Susan Hawkins, a senior history lecturer from Kingston University, said. “Part of the purpose of our work will be to closely examine data on women in science in the 19th and 20th Centuries. The hope is that by looking at women’s relationship with science in the past, we can pinpoint ways to encourage young women to participate more fully in the subject.”

There was a wealth of historical information which could open a window into the past but it was often dispersed across different archives, Dr Hawkins, who originally trained as a scientist, explained. “Through the network we hope to identify where these archives are and what revelatory material they may contain.” Part of the project will involve a shadowing scheme which will allow researchers studying the history of science to spend time alongside a female scientist in the laboratory, gaining an understanding of how science works today and the challenges faced by women in the field.

The network will be organised around a series of events, including three workshops, a two-day international conference to be held at the Royal Society in May 2014 and an exhibition open to the public. The first workshop will aim to identify archives that may contain information on women in science. It will concentrate on two groups of women – those whose work was recognised by the scientific community of their time and those who, despite producing work of high standard, were not. “The intention is to look at the characteristics that link the two groups of women and also to find out what set them apart,” Dr Hawkins added. Another workshop will focus on identifying possible oral history projects.

“The final workshop will pull together the findings from the first two events and allow us to make recommendations to government on future projects to help increase female participation in science,” Dr Hawkins said.

The issue of the representation of women in science has dominated headlines in the media in recent months. According to a report in last month’s Independent newspaper, female professors account for 5.5 per cent in physics, 6 per cent in chemistry and maths and just 2 per cent in engineering. This has prompted growing calls for better representation of women in science both in universities and in industry – a sentiment also echoed by Kingston University’s new Chancellor American playwright and author Bonnie Greer. “It is crucial that women continue to take up the study of science and maths as historically women have been kept out of these professions, so who knows what genius has been lost?” she said recently. “When you think of all the big problems that are out there waiting to be solved, every ounce of human intelligence is needed.”

Things were extremely tough for women in science in the past and they often did not receive proper recognition, according to Dr Hawkins. “It was a real struggle. For instance, the Royal Society didn’t accept female fellows until as late as 1945,” she said. “There were women in the scientific field but they really had to fight to be recognised, independent of any men they might have been working with.”

Guests from around the world will attend a launch event for the project at the International Congress for the History of Science Technology and Medicine to be held in Manchester in July.

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