Realising the A profile of sporting value of our star Enya Breen iconic seals page 31 pages 2-3 www.westcorkpeople.ie & www.westcorkfridayad.ie January 15 – February 4, 2021, Vol XVII, Edition 221 FREE Old Town Hall, McCurtain Hill, Clonakilty, Co. Cork. E: [email protected] P: 023 8835698 TIME TO CHANGE NEW PEUGEOT 3008 HEALTH & LIFESTYLE pages 16-27 PLUG-IN HYBRID, PETROL, DIESEL Nita and Richard Tarr with their son Gregory Tarr, 17, a 6th year student from Bandon Grammar School who is the winner of the 57th BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. Pic: Chris Bellew /Fennell Photography CLARKE BROS LTD Bandon student wins this year’s BT Young Main CLARKEPeugeot Dealer, BROS Clonakilty Road, Bandon, Co. Cork. Scientist and Technology Exhibition Tel: 023-8841923(BANDON) LTD Web:Main www.clarkebrosgroup.ie Peugeot Dealer, he winner of the 57th BT ed artificial intelligence software which was well beyond his years. ENVIRONMENT Young Scientist and Technol- program that can efficiently detect The level of coding he deployed in Clonakilty Road, Bandon, pages 28-30 ogy Exhibition (BTYSTE) DeepFake media with state-of-the- developing the extremely complex Co. Cork. Thas been announced as Gregory Tarr, art accuracy. The software, which program which detects fake videos, Tel: 023-8841923 aged 17, a sixth year student from is over 150,000 lines of code, made was guided by his deep understand- Bandon Grammar School. Gregory significant improvements on speed ing of the state of the art of this All cars can be seen on has taken home the top prize of and efficiency when compared to the leading edge technology”. He went €7,500 and the BTYSTE perpetual current best model without sacrific- onto say that “the judges have been www.clarkebrosgroup.ie trophy for his project titled ‘De- ing its ability to accurately detect the continually impressed by Gregory’s tecting state-of-the-art deepfakes’. fake. This tool could potentially be projects at the BT Young Scientist Contact Ian Carey The announcement was made at the deployed at scale to filter out Deep- competition over the past few years 087 2624747 first ever virtual BTYSTE awards Fake media making the internet a and they were delighted that he had ceremony streamed live from the safer place. This was Gregory’s fifth progressed to winning the top award [email protected] Mansion House last week. Gregory time competing at BTYSTE having this year”. presented his project in the senior competed on four other occasions in Gregory will also represent Ire- age group of the Technology catego- the RDS. land at the European Union Contest ry. A further 35 awards were made to Chair of the Technology judging for Young Scientists, which is sched- Cork students in recognition of their panel, Mr Leonard Hobbs from uled to go ahead in Salamanca Spain projects. Trinity College Dublin, said that in September 2021. GARDENING Gregory impressed the judges “the winner this year demonstrated pages 33-34 with his project using a sophisticat- an expertise in computer science To support our healthcare workers and keep your friends and families safe, please follow the Level 5 stay safe Covid Guidelines to suppress the virus in West Cork. 2 January 15 – February 4, 2021 Realising the value of our iconic seals which is really special, as most centre is based at the central While the pandemic has forced so many of us of the Common seal population location of Courtown in Co to slow down, organisations such as Seal Recue found around the North West,” Wexford on the east coast. “I’ve Ireland have been exceptionally busy. West Cork is says Melanie. been here for three years,” says There are between eight Melanie “ and I’ve only seen lucky enough to host some of Ireland’s seal popu- and ten thousand Grey seals in one or two wild seals ever; and I lation and members of the public, forced outdoors Ireland. The species is recov- walk on the beach every day.” in greater numbers due to lockdown, will have no- ering from near extinction, so Open water swimmers may therefore it is protected under have noticed that seals, in ticed an increase in seal activity along our coastline EU and Irish law. The numbers particular the Grey Seal, will recently. The reason for this is that pupping season are now starting to slowly climb approach and follow them in has just ended for the Grey seal and it has now but Grey seals only have one the water. pup per year, of which approx. “Seals are marine mammals, entered its moulting period. only 50 per cent survive their built for speed and agility in the first year. Unfortunately seals water,” explains Melanie. In the Melanie Crose, Executive Director of Seal Rescue still face huge environmental water they are in their comfort threats from things like plastic zone; it’s much easier for them Ireland chats to Mary O’Brien about the work pollution and unsustainable to escape if they feel threatened, carried out by Seal Rescue Ireland, the hugely fishing, which threatens their so they do tend to be more important role that seals play in our ecosystem and food source. curious, which is completely “It’s important to keep in normal. what members of the West Cork public should do mind that there are fewer This curiosity rarely turns to if they do happen to come across a seal in trouble. Melanie Crose, Executive Director Seal Rescue Ireland, Grey seals in the world than aggression unless the seal feels holding a common seal pup that was rescued from Sligo. African elephants, so the ones under threat. “There have only we are lucky enough to have been very rare cases, if any, that eal Rescue Ireland (SRI), ally a far easier process and we people to pick seals up off the Unlike whales and dolphins, here in Ireland are iconic and I’ve heard of, where someone initiated in 2010, is a can also hold training sessions beach that don’t need to be seals are semi-aquatic, which really valuable,” says Melanie has been bitten by a seal while registered charity focused more regularly.” rescued because oftentimes this Melanie explains means they passionately. they’re in the water. Saying Son the rescue, rehab and release The training is focused on can actually do more harm than spend about half their time on that, we do urge people not to of sick, injured and orphaned teaching people how to observe good. land. “This is because they need approach seals, as if they do seals from all over Ireland. As seals in their wild environment “Another reason that it’s to rest and rear their pups.” “It’s important to keep feel threatened, they could get the only such organisation in the and identify any that need to really important for members Moulting season for the Grey defensive or even aggressive.” Republic, SRI is always looking be rescued. “We often get calls of the public to maintain a safe seal ends in March or April. in mind that there are On land, seals are slow and to recruit, induct and train about seals that are actually distance from seals is because Common seal pupping season fewer Grey seals in vulnerable, so usually very new volunteers to its network. healthy and just hanging out in they are in fact closely related to starts in May or June. the world than African cautious about getting out of “Anyone can join our network,” their natural habitat,” explains dogs and bears so of course they Most mammals and birds the water when there is human says Melanie “and as we’re now Melanie, who emphasises that do have sharp teeth and they undergo moult, during which elephants, so the ones activity in the area. “Much of training over Zoom, it is actu- the last thing SRI wants is for will bite!” hair or feathers, respectively, we are lucky enough to the time when a seal has to be are renewed. The annual moult have here in Ireland are rescued, it’s because a person in Grey seals involves the has disturbed a seal pup and, as shedding of year-old fur and iconic and really valu- a result, the pup is abandoned the growth of a new pelage. able.” by its mother. The increase in “As a result, this time of storms is another factor; many year is when we’ll often hear sea pups are getting a really about a seal over-popula- Seals are a native keystone brutal start to life.” CNM tion problem but that’s only species, which means they help SRI will usually see a huge because there are these small hold the marine ecosystem rise in calls following a storm. Training Successful Practitioners pockets of credible habitat together. “Seals are critical to 2020 was by far the busiest year where it is safe for the seals to keeping a balanced ecosystem,” for the organisation with 170 moult, so they’ll all cluster up she emphasises. “It’s like the seal intakes. there,” explains Melanie. wolves at Yellowstone. As an While on one hand, lock- CHANGE CAREER The reality is that the vast apex predator, they were re- downs, and as a result increased majority of the Irish coastline moved because people thought human activity, has been good is inhospitable to seals. it would give other animals for seals because the rescue or- Train to become a… West Cork is fortunate to a chance of survival. What ganisation are getting more calls be home to both the Grey actually happened is that certain about ones in trouble that other- and Common seal, the Grey species got overpopulated, wise may have been missed; the Nutritional Therapist species being the larger of the which decimated certain areas downside is that there are some two.