In the first full day of the partial government Coronavirus shut down, how are people coping, what are they getting up to and are they observing social distancing? Henry McKean has been in Ireland’s fastest growing town, Balbriggan in North County Dublin.

Henry McKean on the Hard Shoulder

How are Irish people coping in the #Coronavirus delay phase

It's International Women's Day on Sunday and according to a major UN Survey nearly 90% of the world of every gender hold some sort of bias against women. The study which includes 75 countries found many prejudiced views, they include men are better politicians and business leaders than women, going to college is more important for men, and men not women should get preferential treatment in the job market. Henry McKean asked men and women from around the world, do they hold some prejudice against women?

"Women are beautiful but they can't pick a leader & are always cat fighting." #InternationalWomen'sDay

It’s the social event of the season, a bit of royalty around the capital- I’m talking of course about the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge, Will and Kate. They got off an Aer Lingus commercial flight this afternoon on a post- Brexit charm offensive. Henry McKean was there at the Garden of Remembrance.

Will & Kate in Dublin #RoyalVisitIreland

Today in Ballymun Dublin teams of school students and locals were out with paint, spades, buckets and brushes trying to clean up Ballymun. We sent Henry McKean to Ballymun to try to make Ballymun great again 10 years go since the regeneration. A billion euro was spent knocking down the old Ballymun towers and to rid Ballymun of the anti social behaviour and get civic pride back.  The local secondary school, Trinity Comprehensive Ballymun had a brain wave and want to change things.  They say it’s not just social responsibility, planting and cleaning, it’s about documenting before and after and not just doing this once.

"I love Ballymun!" #BetterBallymun

After in-fighting and the cancellation of the opening ceremony because of Storm Ciara, Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture is now trying to get on with it, and deliver a year long festival of richness and diversity of cultures, putting Galway and it's people at the centre. Henry McKean met the artists and organisers of this massive event, Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture.

"Galway oozes culture" #Galway2020

As talks to form a government here enter day nine, it seems only two things are certain; they’ll continue for weeks and two of the three big parties will have to go into coalition together. But how common are coalition governments now across Europe? Our reporter Barry Whyte has been looking at other coalition governments across Europe; do they work? And how long did they take to form?

It once took 541 days to form a government in Belgium; How long will it take here?

It’s that time of the year - love is in the air as we approach Valentine’s Day. But what about the newly single, stuck in a rut over 40s? To try and help the hopeless singletons, we are joined by Henry McKean who has been chatting people over 40 to find out if you can find love, or have you missed the boat? There is a great podcast called No Men Live Here podcast with Mary and Katie, they talk about dating in your 40s and many other subjects, they say it does come down to chance, Mary and Katie live in the same house and have been on the older dating game.

Middle aged online dating tips #Valentines

Bumblebees are in drastic decline across Europe and North America owing to hotter and more frequent extremes in temperatures. Populations are disappearing in areas where temperatures are getting hotter according to scientists, who say it points to a mass extinction. To discuss further we are joined by Henry McKean who has been speaking to bee lovers and experts. A study suggests the likelihood of a bumblebee population surviving in any given place has declined by 30% in the course of a single human generation. The research published in the Journal Science say the rates of decline appear to be “consistent with a mass extinction”. McKean met bee experts at Trinity College Dublin.

Could Bumblebees become extinct?

Now it’s time for ‘McKean’s Cab’ where Henry McKean talks to taxi drivers across Ireland. A taxi cab is the modern day version of a confessional box, where passengers and voters spill the beans on how they feel. Here in Newstalk we are trying to find the ‘Voice of the Voter’ and get a straw poll of what the public really think. And what better way to do this than to ask Ireland’s taxi drivers? Henry there are 26,000 taxi drivers in Ireland and you’ve been speaking to some of them in Cork.

"Micheál Martin all the way." McKean's Cab in Cork

Ireland had the highest rate of increase in cyclist Deaths in all EU member states over the past 10 years. A new report by a leading EU transport safety body has revealed deaths in cyclists have risen by 8% each year since 2010. In the rest of the EU it dropped by 0.4%. The report by the European Transport Safety Council has called for urgent action. Nearly 20,000 cyclists were killed in the EU between 2010 and 2018. 83 cyclists were killed on Irish roads in that time, with 851 cyclists seriously injured. Henry McKean has been meeting motorists, experts and cyclists to ask is cycling in Ireland safe?

"You need balls to cycle around Dublin" Cyclist EU highest rate of increase

January 31st is Brexit Day, the day the UK officially leaves the EU. Boris Johnson has called for celebrations on Friday at 11 pm and across the UK people are having parties to celebrate. Nigel Farage will host a party in London and a commemorative 50p coin will go into circulation. Henry McKean reports from Belfast to get reaction from Loyalists and the border community outside Newry.

"Britain's my identity and I live by my identity!"

A quarter of Irish primary school kids cannot run properly, one in two can’t kick a ball properly and less than one in five can’t throw a ball. The research by DCU Dublin City University of over 2000 primary school kids between 5 and 12 looked at skills development of children and their skills around, running, jumping, catching and kicking.  These are known as fundamental movement skills, they should be achieved by the age of 8. If kids don’t master these basic skills they could be turned off sports in teenage years, feeling self conscious and become unhealthy in adulthood leading to obesity. Boys had good throwing and catching skills and girls were better at balancing and skipping. Overall boys and girls were very involved in GAA. Henry McKean has been out meeting the experts behind the ‘Moving Well - Being Well Project.’

Why 1 in 4 Irish kids cannot run properly

Now it’s time for ‘McKean’s Cab’ where Henry McKean talks to taxi drivers across Ireland. A taxi cab is the modern version of a confessional box, where passengers and voters spill the beans on how they feel. Here in Newstalk we are trying to find the ‘Voice of the Voter’ and get a straw poll of what the public really think. And what better way to this than ask Ireland’s taxi drivers. Henry has just been dropped into Newstalk HQ by taxi. Henry gets the feeling of GE 2020 amongst Ireland’s 26,000 taxi drivers

"Confessional box of #GE2020", McKean's Cab

&nbsp; Mallorca and Ibiza, Spain's holiday islands have passed a law banning pub crawls and happy hours in three popular tourist destinations in a bid to crack down on alcohol fuelled holidays. A regular watcher of Spain’s hottest night spots is our very own Henry McKean, he asks the average Irish tourist is the party over, no more pub crawls, no more cheap boos? This report contains adult themes from the start.

"Magaluf won't be the same." Irish tourists react to strict new drinking laws in Mallorca & Ibiza

Its ‘Broke Friday’ a phrase we coined here in Newstalk, the first Friday back to work but no money in the bank account after and expensive Christmas and New Year, payday is 3 weeks away, with mixed weather at the weekend, only pasta and tomato sauce in the press.  But how can we get through cold January, feeling broke, perhaps lonely with nothing to do in the evenings. Henry McKean our ‘Broke Friday’ expert joins us now and tries to talk us through some options for people who feel down, broke and lonely.

hubhopper

Henry McKean on the Hard Shoulder

hubhopper