What stories would you like to see covered by The Nationalist?

J_Wholesale

Let's assume that this is an alternate reality where proper investigative journalism is carried out by local newspapers. (I know, but please don't laugh.) In such a fictional universe, what stories would you like to see a local newspaper such as the Nationalist cover?

For myself, I can think of two local issues that I would like to see given proper investigation, both involving local roads.

1. The Carlow / Athy road.
If anyone has driven to Athy in the past year, you will have noticed that the road has been resurfaced from the Thompsons factory onwards to the Three Counties and beyond. This was in response to the damage caused by the freezing conditions many months ago. However, this 'resurfaced' road is already falling apart. I'd like to know why. Are the contractors to blame for cutting corners, or is Kildare Council to blame for not forking up the money to do it properly.

2. Recent Drainage works on Carlow roads.
The ongoing work over the past few months. My issue is not with the fact that the work is being done but with the manor in which it is being finished. Relaid road surfaces after the work is completed are uneven and just plain bad. This is the norm when holes are dug on roads around Carlow. I would like to see a journalist address this issue, and uncover what standards, if any, are followed when road surfaces are relaid by companies who dig holes, and ask why there are no penalties for bad work. Maybe there are, I don't know.

These are just two local issues that I would love to see a real local newspaper address. Do you have any of your own? Specific issues that you come across now and then that really could do with hard questions being asked?

wheres me jumpa

3. Corcorans children, the impact of Corcorans Orange and Corcorans Red Lemondate on a generation of Carlovians, 20 years on.

racso1975

1)Why the Fluck there is one hse addiction councellor for the whole county!!! And no community addiction service

2)How dangerous are the levels of radon gas on some of the older estates in carlow especially new oak



Not very jessica fletcher sorry:o

Why does the nationalist and in particular Ms. <snipped> Wilmot think that providing a substantial spread on any traveller wedding is interesting......oh that right it not. It's you guys taking the piss out of travellers

patrickc

racso1975 wrote: »

1)Why the Fluck there is one hse addiction councellor for the whole county!!! And no community addiction service


I can teel you for fact Rasco thats's not true. theres 2 in ARDU currently and there's also ones connected with the psych services also.

pm me if you want more details. If you're waiting or someone you know is waiting for counselling etc I can help speed up that process.

foggy_lad

J_Wholesale wrote: »

Let's assume that this is an alternate reality where proper investigative journalism is carried out by local newspapers. (I know, but please don't laugh.) In such a fictional universe, what stories would you like to see a local newspaper such as the Nationalist cover?

For myself, I can think of two local issues that I would like to see given proper investigation, both involving local roads.

1. The Carlow / Athy road.
If anyone has driven to Athy in the past year, you will have noticed that the road has been resurfaced from the Thompsons factory onwards to the Three Counties and beyond. This was in response to the damage caused by the freezing conditions many months ago. However, this 'resurfaced' road is already falling apart. I'd like to know why. Are the contractors to blame for cutting corners, or is Kildare Council to blame for not forking up the money to do it properly.

2. Recent Drainage works on Carlow roads.
The ongoing work over the past few months. My issue is not with the fact that the work is being done but with the manor in which it is being finished. Relaid road surfaces after the work is completed are uneven and just plain bad. This is the norm when holes are dug on roads around Carlow. I would like to see a journalist address this issue, and uncover what standards, if any, are followed when road surfaces are relaid by companies who dig holes, and ask why there are no penalties for bad work. Maybe there are, I don't know.

These are just two local issues that I would love to see a real local newspaper address. Do you have any of your own? Specific issues that you come across now and then that really could do with hard questions being asked?

That road was just given a patch and surface dressing afaik and not a proper relaying of the full roadway which would involve about three layers of tarmacadam, so it is down to what money was available to pay for it i suppose after all the too little too late winter salt was paid for!

as for the other work being done, they are most likely waiting till all work is finished before putting the road back as they found it.

Jacques Thelad

First someone needs to explain to the Nationalist what a news story is. If a volcano erupted under the newsdesk, they'd still write some ****e about a playschool in Borris.

foggy_lad

Jacques Thelad wrote: »

First someone needs to explain to the Nationalist what a news story is. If a volcano erupted under the newsdesk, they'd still write some ****e about a playschool in Borris.

But there is not much news in Carlow apart from local interest stories and most people read them.

J_Wholesale

foggy_lad wrote: »

That road was just given a patch and surface dressing afaik and not a proper relaying of the full roadway which would involve about three layers of tarmacadam, so it is down to what money was available to pay for it i suppose after all the too little too late winter salt was paid for!

It was a waste of money in that case - they might as well have left it as it was. As it stands now it's little better than it was before the work started, and the fact that work was done at all means it won't be touched again for years.

as for the other work being done, they are most likely waiting till all work is finished before putting the road back as they found it.

I don't believe that. Drive down any road that had work done on it years ago and it's a patch work of poorly laid surfaces. Examples: Staplestown Road from the Credit Union down to the railway bridge, Athy Road around the Seven Oaks, the Post Office down to Graigue Bridge (worst stretch of road in town). And it's all down to workers not finishing the job properly. This is why I say it needs a real investigation.

royston_vasey

The obvious story to be investigated is the planning irregularities that have existed in the county for a number of years. These issues were highlighted by Mary White and John Gormley was committed to getting to the bottom of it but that won't happen now as those with a vested concern are now back in charge.

We also never got the full story as to how the council made a decision to build the "road to nowhere" or who rubber stamped it; this has the stench of corruption at all levels.

http://buckplanning.blogspot.com/2010/04/carlow-council-denies-planning.html

ottostreet

J_Wholesale wrote: »

It was a waste of money in that case - they might as well have left it as it was. As it stands now it's little better than it was before the work started, and the fact that work was done at all means it won't be touched again for years.

I don't believe that. Drive down any road that had work done on it years ago and it's a patch work of poorly laid surfaces. Examples: Staplestown Road from the Credit Union down to the railway bridge, Athy Road around the Seven Oaks, the Post Office down to Graigue Bridge (worst stretch of road in town). And it's all down to workers not finishing the job properly. This is why I say it needs a real investigation.

Green Road from the roundabouts down to the IT, & Granby Row are awful also. I frequently have to drive a meandering course that includes both sides of the road, just to smoothen it out. I have a rock hard suspension, and I live there, so have to drive them every day. It's ****ing horrible, and I've seen many people in similar cars having to take the same meandering route.

People in more everyday cars fly along the same stretches and often, are driving too fast for the road conditions, so the car is bouncing up and down. The amount of times I've seen the front bumper of passing cars hit the ground because of the unevenness is scary!

J_Wholesale

Another one to add to my list:

4. Rent Charges for social housing
I've been phoning around the past few weeks looking to rent a new property in town, and in some cases where the ad didn't explicitly state 'no rent allowance,' was met with the question "Social housing or cash?" when I asked how much. The subtext being that the price is different depending on which I choose. Now, I may be totally wrong here, but I'm assuming that if I said social housing the price would rise.

This particular issue would not even require much in the way of investigation in order to get a story. All it would take would be two different people calling every property for rent ad in their own paper, one asking how much for cash, the other asking how much for social, and comparing the results. Immediate story.

wolrac

You will never get comprehensive articles in The Nationalist on the any of the issues you have mentioned. Think about this. Who are The Nationalist's biggest advertising customers?

sonic85

glamour model on page 3 would be great.

seriously though its not the irish times or anything - youre just not going to get high quality articles on important topics

royston_vasey

wolrac wrote: »

You will never get comprehensive articles in The Nationalist on the any of the issues you have mentioned. Think about this. Who are The Nationalist's biggest advertising customers?

It actually goes deeper than the advertisers and if you examine the backslapping "stories" then you will realise it is a mouthpiece for certain people and institutions.

Hannah C

Vegetarianism/veganism/environmental awareness...IN CARLOW:D:cool::):D