Senior Times March 2015 by SeniorTimes Ireland

The magazine for people who don’t act their age Issue 74 March 2015 €3.95 (£3.20)

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Beating the blues

Shay Healy talks to Paul Brady

Writes of way Exploring Dublin’s Literary legends

Cruising down the river Travelling Europe’s major waterways

News Review l Creative Writing l Travel l Health Fashion & Beauty l Profiles l Competitions and much more!

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March 2015

Contents

News: 2 Thumbs up for Paul Brady: 10 Shay Healy talks to his friend of 40 years about a professional crisis and an emotional upheaval Extras, extras read all about it: 16 Jim Rees says you may only need to go to Hollywood, Co Wicklow to appear on the Silver Screen Homage to Catalonia: 20 Terry McCabe is entranced by the beauty and diversity of Catalonia La Traviata and Madam Butterfly come to Dublin: 24 Writes of Way: 28 Lorna Hogg continues her literary-themed walks, tracing the rich heritage to be found in Dublin Creative writing: 34 Fashions: 36 What’s on in the Arts: 39 Maretta Dillon previews happenings around the country in the next few months Cruising down the river: 44 If you are poor ‘sailor’ and cannot face a sea cruise then a gentle river glide might be the answer for you Beauty: 50 Mairead Robinson reviews the latest beauty products suitable for the older woman No place like home: 51 Aine O’Connor examines the services of some leading home care providers Settling old scores: 56 Dermot Gilleece traces the life of the inventor of the Stableford golf scoring system At the Captain’s table: 62 Mairead went on an unforgettable voyage and met the Captain The South East calling: 66 Highlighting the attractions of Co Waterford Enduring Power of Attorney: 70 A potentially costly legal conundrum explained Active Retirement Ireland: 72 News from ARI branches around the country Ask the vet: 78 Wine world: 80 Tips on tipples Careful on the Costa: 83 Advice when buying a property in Spain Know your rights: 87 Advice from the Citizens Information Service Meeting place: 90 Sudoku: 93 Crossword: 94 Crafts: 96

Publishing Directors: Brian McCabe, Des Duggan Editorial Director: John Low Editor At Large: Shay Healy Consultant Editor: Jim Collier Advertising: Willie Fallon Design & Production: www.cornerhouse.ie Contributors: Shay Healy, Lorna Hogg, Dermot Gilleece, Matthew Hughes, Maretta Dillon, Jim Collier, Mairead Robinson, Eileen Casey,

Debbie Orme, Connie McEvoy Published by S& L Promotions Ltd., Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Tel: +353 (01) 4969028. Fax: +353 (01) 4068229 Editorial: John@slp.ie Advertising: brian@slp.ie Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

News... Low income older people have more health problems

Age Action welcomes Minister’s clarification on Fair Deal funding Age Action has welcomed the clarification by the Minister for Older People that she is not seeking any increased contribution from older people towards the cost of their nursing home beds under the Fair Deal scheme. However, Age Action remains concerned about the funding of the scheme and the impact this is having on vulnerable older people awaiting a nursing home bed. Speaking on “Today with Sean O’Rourke” programme on RTE, Minister Kathleen Lynch clarified comments she made to the Oireachtas Health Committee yesterday. She said she was not seeking an increased contribution from older people, but increased funding from the State of €30 million per annum to enable the Fair Deal scheme to be demand-led. When the Nursing Home Support Scheme (the so-called “Fair Deal” scheme) was launched in 2009, the State proposed to take 80% of a person’s disposable income along with a maximum of 15% of the value of other assets towards the cost of their nursing home bed. This increased to 22.5% in 2013. Age Action is concerned that insufficient funding from the State and the capped funding for the scheme has resulted in unacceptable waiting periods for sick older people before they can access a bed. Age Action notes that the “Fair Deal” scheme does not cover the basic needs of some older people in nursing homes, who have to meet the cost of incontinence wear, specialised equipment and therapies from the 20% of their disposable income they are left with by the state. People assessed as being in need of a nursing

Minister Kathleen Lynch said the Government were not seeking an increased contribution from older people. home bed are facing increasing waiting periods (either in hospital beds or at home, where they are being cared for by family members or others). ‘Increasing waiting lists and waiting times creating untold hardship’

Older people on lower incomes and living in deprived areas across the island of Ireland have considerably worse health than better off people of the same age, according to a study by researchers from Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin. This may be linked to differences in health behaviours, especially smoking and physical inactivity. The research, led by Dr Eibhlin Hudson and funded by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI), explores these differences by analysing existing datasets in Ireland, North and South.

Age Action has warned that if the waiting list and waiting times for the Fair Deal nursing home scheme continue to grow due to insufficient funding, it will result in untold hardship for older people and further disruption to hospital services.

The findings show that older people on low incomes are more likely to smoke and have insufficient exercise. In contrast regular alcohol consumption is more common among those on high incomes.

The warning by the older people’s charity follows predictions today by HSE director general Tony O’Brien that waiting times for the Fair Deal scheme could increase from 11 to 20 weeks by the end of the year, and the numbers awaiting a nursing home bed could rise from just over 1,200 to 2,200.

When comparing Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland the research found that smoking rates among people aged 50+ are similar (18% and 17% respectively). Many older people north and south do not have enough exercise but low physical activity is much more common in Northern Ireland (54%) than in the Republic of Ireland (30%). The research also highlighted the particular vulnerability of older people who are single or widowed and disabled or in poor health. People aged 50+ who are single, widowed or separated/divorced are more likely to smoke and have low levels of exercise.

“The reality is that many older people who are assessed as being in need of a nursing home bed will get progressively sicker in the community while they wait, with the result that some will be admitted to their local hospital to get the 24 hour nursing care they need,” Age Action spokesperson Eamon Timmins said. “The knock-on effect will be more trolleys in hospital corridors and a reduced efficiency in our hospitals.”

For more information contact Paul McGill at CARDI. Tel: 00 44 28 9069 0066 or email: paul@cardi.ie.

Providing support for people with sight loss

pendence, through solutions such as magnifiers, technology training and mobility training (using a long cane).

NCBI, the national sight loss organisation, is a not-for-profit organisation which provides advice, support, rehabilitation services and other training to assist people who are living with sight loss to do so independently. As our population ages, sight loss is becoming more prevalent. About 95% of people using NCBI services have some remaining vision, while only 5% are completely blind.

NCBI can advise on the use of magnifiers to help with reading and other activities. Good lighting at home can reduce the risk of falls. Task lighting is helpful for reading, writing and preparing food and can be placed over the desk, cooker, worktop, sink or the kettle. NCBI also has an online shop with useful speaking and easy-to-see products for people with low vision, including talking watches and clocks, large print calendars and big button landline and mobile phones.

Every year NCBI works with thousands of people around the country as they adjust to sight loss, enabling them to make the most of their remaining vision and to maintain their inde-

If you or anyone you know are experiencing significant difficulties with their sight contact: NCBI at (01) 8307033. Email: info@ncbi.ie

Page 2 Senior Times March 2015

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Boating and fishing service in Kinsale

You can rent out a motor boat from Kinsale Boat Hire, which is fully equipped with every conservable extra to make it a safe enjoyable experience, while you relax and enjoy what the Bandon River, Kinsale Harbour and the Wild Atlantic Way have to offer. Previous boating experience is not required as the staff at Kinsale Boat Hire provide full training, lifejackets and even a GPS so you now where to go. They even have a tracking device on every boat so you always have someone watching out for you on shore. Starting from €60, for the boat, you can take friends and family on an adventure they will love, but don’t forget your camera, & maybe your fishing rod, as the sites and wildlife are spectacular. This is boating at its best, all the fun and none of the hassle, in fact Kinsale Boat Hire recently established a Boat Club for those who want to use boats on a regular bases. Members pay an annual fee and can use the fleet when they wish – your own boat but without the hassle and expense of ownership – heaven. For further information Call Daragh mobile 087 - 1747 585 or email info@kinsaleboathire.ie The company is situated beside The Trident Hotel at the Marina

Three Falls Action Centres of Excellence opened in Ireland

gies, a University College Dublin medtech spin-out company. The three Centres have been set-up to facilitate falls screenings for referrals from GP clinics and hospitals and for individuals who are themselves concerned about falling. The falls assessment is administered by a Chartered Physiotherapist who is specifically trained in the area of falls prevention. The assessment itself is more accurate and reliable, providing only objective information and measures, using a best in class approach. The three centres are based out of Physio Company clinics, which are part of Spectrum Health, located in Drumcondra and at IFSC in Dublin and in Dooradoyle, Limerick. Each Centre will be fully equipped to provide an exact and quantitative evaluation of the many dimensions that make up a person’s propensity to trip and fall and will identify those at risk of falling. The Centres will also provide post-screening physiotherapy should it be required. Falls in older adults are a major problem in Ireland, with an estimated 30% of adults over 65 falling each year. Incidence rates in hospitals are higher, and in long-term care settings approximately 30–50% of residents fall each year. In Ireland alone it is estimated that the annual healthcare costs associated with falls is €500 million and is expected to rise to €1 billion by 2020. For further information contact Micéal Whelan, Communications Manager (Innovation), University College Dublin, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie or t: +353 1 716 3712; Krishna Naidoo, Commercial Director, Spectrum Health, e: krishna@falls.ie; Seamus Small, CEO, Kinesis Health Technologies, e: info@kinesis.ie or Falls Action general enquiries, e: hello@falls.ie.

Ireland near to becoming world’s first age friendly nation

Falls Action (www.falls.ie), which provides a comprehensive and objective falls prevention service, has announced the opening of three Falls Action Centres of Excellence in Dublin and in Limerick. Falls Action, established at the end of last year, is a partnership between Spectrum Health, Ireland’s largest allied health services provider, and Kinesis Health Technolo-

Page 4 Senior Times March 2015

Dublin City Council and Age Friendly Ireland have launched the Dublin City Age Friendly Strategy. The move is the latest step in making Ireland one of the first age-friendly countries in the world, where older people are valued and their needs are considered. The Dublin strategy represents a framework for multi-agency partnership aimed at making Dublin city a great place in which to grow old and ensuring that all Dubliners are respected and valued,

regardless of age. The document targets 9 key domains including safety, health, outdoor space, buildings and transport, and sets out action points which include: • Appointing a dedicated Garda with responsibility for older people in every Garda station in Dublin • Introducing high-visibility, targeted area Garda patrolling in neighbour hoods with a high density of older people • Rolling out a cross-agency partnership programme designed to support older people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible Minister Kathleen Lynch TD, Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for Primary Care, Social Care (Disability and Older People) and Mental Health, said: “In 2013 the Government published the National Positive Ageing Strategy and launched Healthy Ireland, a national framework that aims to increase the health and wellbeing of people at all stages of life, including old age. Positive ageing and healthy ageing are in everyone’s interest and the Dublin City Age Friendly Strategy is one of the many ways that we, as a society, will realise the aims and aspirations of these two vital national documents.” Dublin City Council is one of 26 local authorities throughout the country who have signed up to the Age Friendly Cities and Counties programme.

Guidebook for for Alzheimer’s and Dementia caregivers Confidence to Care is the first book published by Home Instead Senior Care to help dementia caregivers. It combines personal stories with practical techniques drawn from caregiving experiences from family caregivers and professional Home Instead caregivers and internationally recognised experts. The book focuses on the most common issues associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and helps family carers deal with caregiving situations they never thought they would have to face. Each chapter offers plenty of care approaches and prevention tips, and begin with a relevant and moving real-life family caregiver story. “One of our first experiences with Alzheimer’s disease involved a client who refused to change her clothes. Marion insisted on wearing the same www.seniortimes.ie

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grey trousers every day, all day. Eventually her caregiver bought her a duplicate pantsuit and that was all that was needed to encourage her to change into a fresh set of clothes. It’s simple tips like this that are included in the book – everyday advice that make the caregiving experience slightly less daunting”, says Danette Connolly, Director of Care, Home Instead Senior Care. Confidence to Care also highlights the importance of the caring for the caregiver as well as caring for the person living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. It also provides support in dealing with a range of dementia-related symptoms and behaviours. All profits from this book will be donated to dementia-related organisations and causes. The Irish edition of the book is available in paperback and Kindle edition from Amazon.co.uk

Are you worried about your memory, mood or ability to manage? Everyone can be forgetful and struggle to put a name to a face or remember where the car is parked. But if you are worried about changes in memory, mood or ability to manage daily life, it is important to do something about it. There are many reasons for memory loss and confusion, apart from dementia. If you are worried it is a good idea to talk to your doctor. You doctor will explore with you what may be causing the changes that concern you. Before you visit your doctor, make a note of the changes you have noticed and some examples of the things that are causing you concern. Keep a diary to help you. You can also call 1800 341 341 to talk to someone about your concerns. A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or another form or dementia can come as a huge shock, not matter how expected it may have been. It can take time to adjust to this diagnosis and time to adjust to the changes that it brings. However many people with dementia and their families find that they do adjust and that they do live well with this diagnosis. One of the most important things you can do is to reach out and talk to someone. There are over 48,000 people in Ireland today with dementia, you and your family are not alone. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland works across the country in the heart of local communities providing dementia specific services and supports and advocating for the rights and needs of all people living with dementia and their carers. For more information about getting a diagnosis and living well with dementia contact the free and confidential Alzheimer National Helpline at 1800 341 341. Page 6 Senior Times March 2015

Specialists in adjustable beds and recliners Martin and Yvonne Cassidy have many years experience in the service industry. They bring a person touch to their business. ‘Our ethos is respect, reliability and service’. They are a new company and their showroom is based in Sandyford in Dublin 18. They specialise in adjustable / high low beds and recliner chairs. They promise to provide a bed within 48 hours of receiving an order. Care to Comfort is different because they offer a choice of beds, the standard type hospital bed and several other designs of beds, ie. wooden, leather, divan etc. They do not look like hospital beds therefore they fit in more comfortably in your home and are less clinical. All their beds are adjustable at the head and the feet and have the option of a high low mechanism (vertical lift). Another option is a built -in massage. Most of their beds have a fiveyear guarantee on the mechanism. The range of chairs vary from manual recliners to lift and tilt. Electric chairs are available in fabrics and colours of your choice. Both their beds and chairs can be made to suit all sizes, tall, small , large and petite. They treat their clients as customers and not as a patients. ‘Our aim is to find them the most suitable bed or chair for their particular needs’. Visit their showroom at: Unit 3 St Kierans Enterprise Centre, Furze Road, Sandyford Dublin 18 Call before you visit at 01 2959000 www.caretocomfort.ie

First Heart of Ireland Festival in Mullingar Mullingar will be the place to be over the weekend of 11/12 July this year for the first Heart of Ireland Festival and Competition. There are two facets to the festival: The Heart of Ireland competition This is a search to identify the Heart of Gold from nominees from all 32 counties and an operational framework throughout Ireland and around the World similar to the Rose of Tralee, there will be centres. The tricolor (of green, white and gold) and the shamrock (composed of three hearts) combine to create the mechanic: • at all the centres, all nominees will receive green hearts, • centre winners will be awarded white hearts • in Mullingar during the Heart of Ireland Festival following ‘Late Late Show’ style interviews, from the white hearts we will select The Heart of Gold: not a saint, but a strong character who possesses a generosity of spirit, a gift for storytelling and a love for life.

The Arts Festival As you wander, travel through time and genres to the jazz band and our open-air cinema, screening black and white movies. Next up it’s the rock ‘n’ roll movement of 60’s, followed by 80’s pop and on to today where the 21st century is in full swing. “We are very excited that Active Retirement Ireland have agreed to be a festival partner” explained Maria Bourke originator of the concept. This festival is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the amazing Irish people – 84 million – in the Diaspora worldwide. Nomination details will be available soon. For further information contact Maria Bourke at 087 9980056. Email: maria@heartofireland.ie

Irish Rural Link ‘changed my life’ Sonny O’Brien, 80, participated in the Irish Rural Link computer training course in Lackagh, Co Galway and provides the following testimonial of how the basic computer training has ‘changed his life’. ‘I trace my original reluctance to participate in training to fear. To think that somebody who graduated from an ink well and nib in Annagh National School many decades ago could be introduced to the world of computers did not appear realistic. Today I also have a fear but it is of what I would have missed out on if I had not availed of this wonderful opportunity .My first reaction was that this could be just a hobby .I gradually saw the horizons broaden and while it has still an element of entertainment it is now an absolute necessity in my day. The activities are too many to mention them all. I will just mention a few. Some months ago our family suffered a double bereavement in THE U.S. An e-mail was a vital link up in keeping in touch with family in those dark days. The support that it allows us extend to each other in post bereavement is wonderful. Skype is such a wonderful facility to participate in all situations is they happy or sad. Both of those facilities enhance quality of life’. Another course participant, Kitty, Kilbeggan, 80 years plus, comments: ‘I am a long-standing member of the Kilbeggan Active Retirement Group. Over four sessions the two excellent tutors gave us an introduction to Online Payments, accessing and using the RTE Player, how to use and play CDs and DVDs, SKYPE, and how to access and use the 2001 and 2011 Census. All of the above mattered to me, and the group, as they are now so much part of everyday life for most people. ‘What I found most rewarding was the session using the Census. I am a member of the local Historical Society and in 2001 was instrumental in carrying out a survey of a old local graveyard with the

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assistance of an archaeology expert from UCG’. For more information contact James Claffey, Policy and Communications Officer, Irish Rural Link. Tel: 087 2819741

‘No Government can ignore the rising burden of heart disease and strokes’ Speaking at the Irish Heart Foundation Conference on Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, World Health Organisation (WHO) Expert Dr Shanthi Mendis warned that no government can ignore the rising burden of non communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease and stroke and stressed that each country has an unprecedented opportunity to alter its course using nine voluntary global targets. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of NCD deaths worldwide, responsible for 17.5 million deaths globally. In Ireland, cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death - one in three people die from it and it claims almost 10,000 lives here per annum. At an annual conference of healthcare professionals hosted by the Irish Heart Foundation’s Council on Cardiovascular Prevention, supported by MSD, Dr Mendis re-emphasised the need for country action to tackle key risk factors such as insufficient physical activity, harmful use of alcohol, salt/sodium intake, tobacco use and hypertension, to halt the rise in diabetes and of obesity, and improve coverage of treatment for prevention of heart attacks and strokes. Dr Mendis said: “If prevention is accorded a central place in national efforts to address NCD, the world will be able to alter the course of the NCD epidemic by 2025. Population-wide and individual primary prevention, cost effective health care delivery and surveillance are key components of a sustainable public health response to address NCD. “Population-wide prevention is challenging because it requires multi-sectoral action across multiple sectors and levels of

New guidelines for refractive eye surgery in Ireland The Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO), the training body for eye doctors in Ireland and the medical experts on eye care, has published new guidelines for refractive eye surgery. The publication, which will be a guide for the public, patients and doctors, was developed by the College in consultation with external expert bodies.Welcoming the introduction of the Guidelines, incoming President of the ICO, and eye surgeon at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Mr Billy Power said, “Refractive surgery corrects short or long sightedness and astigmatism and can remove the need to wear spectacles. The ICO has formulated the guidelines to assist people in making an informed decision. The College has been working closely with our members and the other relevant expert bodies, including the Medical Council, Patient Associations and the Advertising Standards Authority, to ensure

Page 8 Senior Times March 2015

government. Individual primary prevention requires a robust primary health care system. Active participation of the civil society and the private sector is also vital for the success of NCD prevention.” Professor Ian Graham, Chair of the Irish Heart Foundation’s Council on CVD (cardiovascular disease) Prevention and member of the European Guidelines on CVD Prevention called on Irish healthcare professionals to engage in debate as he called for a greater ‘prevention focus’ on medical school curricula. He said: “Traditionally, healthcare professionals are seen as treating disease. But they should also have the skills to assess CVD risk and to advise people on the healthy lifestyle choices that can reduce risk and help them to avoid our leading cause of death.

Over 65s ‘probably pay more for their flights’ – AA Travel Insurance Many over 65s could be paying more for their flights than their younger counterparts when they book online, new research published by AA Travel Insurance suggests. Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs, Automobile Association Ireland: We encourage the over 65s to seek out the best value on flights, the AA also encourages this age group to be savvy shoppers when it comes to their travel insurance’. In an online survey of more than 9,000 people nationwide, the AA quizzed respondents on their habits when it comes to booking flights. While airline pricing technology does not factor in age, the AA’s research suggests that preferred search techniques could have a bearing. For example, 43% of the 17 – 24 year olds who participated in the AA’s survey indicated that they will go directly to a price comparison website when pricing flights. This figure is three times higher than among the over 65s with just 14% of this age group stating it’s their go to method of booking flights.Another factor likely to this document sets the appropriate standard. A key priority for the ICO is educating the public on the importance of taking care of their eye health. We are focused on setting the highest standards of eye care in Ireland to ensure best outcomes for patients.” Clear indications relating to the qualifications, facilities and clinical governance of surgeons who perform refractive eye surgery are central to the guidelines, which recommend that surgeons must be registered with the Medical Council (Ireland) on the Division of Ophthalmic Surgery Specialist Register and must have undergone sub specialist training for refractive surgery. Standards Relating to advertising and marketing A dedicated section on standards relating to advertising and marketing are contained in the new Guidelines. The recommendations were devised following the in September 2014 which facilitated a debate by expert bodies on the impact direct-to-patient advertising for a medical or surgical procedure can

be influencing these figures is the nature of the journeys being undertaken, with several participants sharing that they tend to be a more diligent shopper when booking long-haul flights. Others said they were conscious that not all airline providers are included in searches by online comparison websites. “We also put the theory to the test looking up a series of flights from Dublin to Paris with multiple airlines. What we found is that the prices remained consistent irrespective of whether or not we had cleared our browsing history in advance of repeating the search,” said Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs, AA Ireland. Deleting cookies will, however, help to reduce temptation by eliminating those ads linked to your search history that follow you around the Internet. In addition to encouraging the over 65s to seek out the best value on flights, the AA also encourages this age group to be savvy shoppers when it comes to their travel insurance.

Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs, Automobile Association Ireland: We encourage the over 65s to seek out the best value on flights, the AA also encourages this age group to be savvy shoppers when it comes to their travel insurance’.

have on a patient’s decision making. The guidelines state that information on procedures must not trivialise the seriousness of surgery or minimise the potential risks and that time limited deals, financial inducements and any advertising which undermines surgery should not be used. They include that advertising material must be legal, factual and not misleading and must be designed to safeguard patients from unrealistic expectations. These guidelines go some way in addressing the issue and promoting the importance of fair and accurate information being communicated to the public, however, the ICO along with our medical colleagues in the specialties of Dermatology and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, believe tighter regulation and formal legislative control is needed to safeguard consumers from inappropriate or pressurised sales techniques.” A copy of the Refractive Surgery Guidelines is available to download at www.eyedoctors.ie

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With Andy Irvine for their landmark 1976 album

Thumbs up for Paul Brady

Paul and Andy Irvine more recently

Shay Healy met his pal of forty years and heard how he recently beat a professional crisis but admitted emotionally he was ‘going through a rough patch’

A recent portrait by painter Colin Davidson

Paul Brady has just got the thumbs up after negotiating his way through the biggest ever crisis in his career. Did he have writers block? No. Did he have to go into rehab? No. Was he caught listening to a Chris De Burgh CD? No. The clue is in the first line. Brady’s thumb was growing arthritic and sore to the extent that he couldn’t play his guitar for six months. For many guitarists, the thumb wouldn’t be sore, except Page 10 Senior Times March 2015

Brady’s percussive style is what gives such power to his songs. That helped do the damage. His search for a cure took him eventually to the small principality of Monaco where he found a surgeon who set about the task of rebuilding Brady’s thumb and when he played on stage at The Sugar Club on Feb 4th, his rebuilt thumb stood up to the strain and the man is back in business.

‘I was worried about it..I had no notion of whether I would be able to play. It was quite scary about how it would feel after an operation. It was vital to me because I enjoy playing music…it’s who I am, what I do. And when you can’t do it you begin to wonder who you are. This was the longest time in my life that I haven’t played an instrument’. Paul Brady was born in Strabane, Co. Tyrone sixty seven years ago. He www.seniortimes.ie

With Planxty in 1974

attended the famous St.Columb’s College in Derry, which was also the alma mater of Seamus Heaney, Seamus Dean, Phil Coulter and John Hume. Brady came to Dublin to attend UCD and it wasn’t long before he was in the thick of the music scene. I first saw him playing with a rock band called The Kult, when he was about 18. But he didn’t pursue the rock music. Instead he went the folk route and joined The Johnstons folk group alongside Mick Moloney and sisters Adrienne and Lucy Johnston. They toured Ireland and the U.K successfully, but when the group didn’t take-off in America, Brady left the band and returned to Ireland and won himself a reputation as a fine interpreter of Irish songs. He joined Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny and Liam Og O Flynn in the groundbreaking band, Planxty, whose line-up was rounded out by Christy Moore. However, it was the release of his second solo album Hard Station that showed off Brady’s great skills as a writer and songs like Crazy Dreams, Dancer in the Fire, Nothing But The Same Old Story are as fresh and relevant today as they were back then. The songs that Brady writes and sings are articulate, intelligent and melodic and he is his own best critic when making his performances achieve a satisfactory level. ‘I can’t think for people and I don’t know what people think of me..but I can imagine I think people recognize that whatever guise its under it will always be of good quality, and when people come to me, they know I’m someone who puts his heart and soul into every performance. Every gig I do justifies my existence and the people who like that stick with me. Some people think I’m very intense but I take my music seriously. Its very important to me and I take it seriously.’ Politics inevitably reared its ugly head www.seniortimes.ie

for someone born in the North of Ireland but Brady evaded becoming politicised. ‘I got approaches to join from various political parties in the North from a Nationalist point of view, or would I be a fundraiser, performing at events. I did not want to be seen to be espousing any one political party because in the first place audiences came from all traditions and didn’t see me as one thing or the other. I really valued that position. If I played in Northern Ireland my audience would be very mixed and I didn’t feel that any particular political viewpoint expressed exactly how I feel.’ The Island The Island is one of those songs that resonates in the Irish psyche. This iconic song of peace could easily be misinterpreted and take away from the power of the lyrics. ‘Contrary to popular opinion, it doesn’t represent any one tradition. ‘I don’t know where The Island came from beyond the fact that it came from a point of view that the character in the song feels powerless in a very conflicting position..most people felt like they were powerless and at both extreme ends there was a lot of activity going on. We didn’t know what to do, what to think. If you grow up in Northern Ireland it’s something you have to deal with all the time. Can you remember in the Fifties when the IRA campaign happened and it was very hard to know how to feel about it, because there had been an awful lot of injustice, an awful lot gerrymandering? So it was hard to know what peoples’ feeling were and I wrote the song to find a way through all the ambivalence and confusion. I’m never able to explain The Island. It’s a song that’s bigger than me. People want to nail you down and I don’t want that. I’d rather the ability to just float’ . In the late 90s, Brady ached to be an

international rock star and I personally would have staked my house on the song Nobody Knows as the hit that would make him famous worldwide. But alas, it wasn’t to be, something that now represents a lucky escape to Brady. ‘Everybody wants to be a rock star. Anyone who works in the music business wants to be successful and in the public eye but I don’t handle that kind of thing very well and I‘m not comfortable. I’m one of the people who think “fame” is the total sum of people misconceptions about you. I’ve never felt comfortable in the glare of the spotlight. Obviously you do good work like Nobody Knows and you put it out and you’re disappointed if it doesn’t have a degree of success. But actually it worked to my advantage. Frankly I have been able to slip through the music business without the glare of publicity and people say to me “you’ve lived for so long and made a good living out of music. And that’s success and you don’t have to be on the front page of The Sun every morning.” ’ There was a time when he got a bit lost and didn’t know who or what he represented and it was affecting his followers. ‘Audiences got me confused with what I was. I’m not surprised - I was confused myself and the people who came to see me as a folk musician wondered was I selling out folk. Whereas some of the rock fans didn’t know anything about my folk period. What happened in the long run is that anyone who “got me” has stayed and because I was never fashionable, I was never unfashionable.’ The music business is tough and you can have all the talent you like, but you also need a modicum of luck. If you’re in the right place at the right time, things happen. Two of the greatest female stars in the world led to Brady’s reputation as a songwriter being seriously enhanced, not to mention the bulge in his wallet. Senior Times March 2015 Page 11

Discography Albums Solo Welcome Here Kind Stranger (1978) Hard Station (1981) True for You (1983) Back to the Centre (1985) Full Moon (1986) Primitive Dance (1987) Trick or Treat (1991) Songs & Crazy Dreams (Compilation) (1992) Spirits Colliding (1995) Nobody Knows: The Best of Paul Brady (Compilation) (1999) Oh What a World (2000) The Paul Brady Songbook (album and DVD) Live recordings for RTĂ&#x2030; TV series (2002) The (Missing) Liberty Tapes (2003) [Recorded Live at Liberty Hall, Dublin, 21 July 1978] Say What You Feel (2005) Hooba Dooba (2010) Dancer in the Fire: A Paul Brady Anthology (Compilation) (2012) With Andy Irvine Andy Irvine and Paul Brady (1976) With Tommy Peoples The High Part of the Road (1975) With Matt Molloy and Tommy Peoples Molloy, Brady, Peoples (1977) With Andy McGann and Paddy Reynolds Fiddle Duet (1976) With Andy McGann It's A Hard Road to Travel (1977) With John Kavanagh The Green Crow Caws (1980) Feed The Folk (1985), Temple Records FTP01, ("The Green Fields Of Canada") The Rough Guide to Irish Music (1996) DVD's The Transatlantic Sessions Series 3 (2007) (various artists) The Paul Brady Songbook (2002)

Page 12 Senior Times March 2015

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The young troubadour

Paul with Tina Turner in 1987

Brady set himself the highest standard since the beginning of his career and has never dipped below it. But who could have anticipated that in 2001 he would fill Vicar Street for 23 consecutive nights!

But I’m luckier than many people - I’m mobile, I swim three times a week -30 lengths. It’s not very aerobic but it’s great for keeping your muscles stretched. Philosophically I just accept it. I don’t think anybody enjoys ageing, but its just something you put up with.’

Brady confesses that it was Paul Charles, his agent at the time, who first suggested it. ‘I’d often thought if I could get some of the people who I have played with and admired to come and celebrate with me on stage.. But to put flesh on the bones of that idea was something I couldn’t do. So Paul Charles went to the promoters, the Aikens, and they were sceptical at first, but people got turned on by the idea. There was no advertising, no promotion and nobody knew who was coming on every night. In some cases I had to change in mid-stream because someone unexpected came on. There was that kind of dynamic. The word got out about this strange event and one night Van Morrison showed up. ’ Having just pulled off the 23 consecutive nights, the success of the stupendous, series of gigs there was no slacking for Brady. ‘I’m an odd sort of a character. As soon as I achieve something, I don’t take it for granted and go round clapping myself on the back’. In the forty years I know him, Brady has had a reputation of being a bit of a grump at times. The encroachment of old age is something he is acknowledging in his inimitable way. ‘I’m dealing with old age grumpily. I don’t like getting out of a car after an hour and a half’s journey and feeling stiff. Page 14 Senior Times March 2015

There is one shadow over Brady’s life right now, over which he has no control: ‘ I have four grandchildren, two in New Zealand and two in England. I‘ve never seen Leo who is my son Colm’s three months old. We’ve seen him on Skype and on Facebook….but its not the same. ‘Mary and I miss having family in Ireland and its a big hole in our lives emotionally. Its something that you never get used to it.’ He didn’t ascribe his unhappiness at being a long distance granddad to Sean and Leo in New Zealand and Lyra and Finn, the two children of Brady’s daughter, Sarah, who lives in London, as the reason for his current state of mind. But for now, Brady is not communicating his own inner feelings to the world.

clinical way. These reactions are brought about by your mood. If you’re happy it sets up a chemical reaction in your body and it makes things easier to do and makes thing happen in the world. To me there isn’t some person “up there”. Everybody is God and God is everybody. I’m a bit hard on religion. I think religion has passed its usefulness in this century. Anywhere I look around I see it doing more harm than good.’ Some people still regard Brady as difficult and cranky, but his irascibility comes from his continuing search for perfection. He has mellowed, safe in the knowledge that he has never made a bad record or written a bad song and musicians know that at the end of the day, even if he is cranky, it’s a privilege for them to play with Brady, a much respected songwriter and musician around the world. And a good friend.

‘To be honest I’m going through a rough period where I’m not saying anything. I’m enjoying working with other people and the thought process that goes on and getting your head around something different. I don’t have the burning ambition any more, declaiming to the world about this, that and the other thing. I may start writing lyrics again, but at the moment I’m struggling.’ Is God someone he believes in that might give him comfort? ‘God? What does that mean? I tend to believe that the human organism responds to situations in almost a www.seniortimes.ie

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Cinema

Extras, extras, read all about it Jim Rees says you may only need to go to Hollywood, Co Wicklow to appear on the silver screen

Cecil B. de Mille used 3,500 in his silent film version of The Ten Commandments. Eight thousand were used in the making of Ben Hur. But the record goes to the late Richard Attenborough who had over 300,000 of them in the funeral scene in Ghandi.

Ben Kingsley in the hugely successful Gandhi. Director Richard Attenborough used over 300,000 extras for the funeral scene

What am I talking about? Extras: those nameless men, women and children who turn up in large numbers to play their parts in everything from Hollywood blockbusters to regional soap operas and telly ads. Without them, many stories simply could not be told. They add the spectacle, impact, or just background Page 16 Senior Times March 2015

ambience to a scene set in a country pub or church congregation. Without them, even the work of the most skilled directors and writers would seem contrived and fall flat. The logistical problems must be a nightmare. How, for example, did Attenborough and his crew organise over a quarter of a million people to do what was needed of them? Anyone who has organised a bus tour knows the difficulties even a small group can create. It’s not just the large scale aspects that need to be managed. The director and his helpers have to be constantly on the lookout for anything that will make nonsense of a scene. Take three background actors the usual term for ‘extras’ in the trade, by the way - who are taking part in a film or television drama set in the 1930s. No matter how authentic the clothes and hairstyles, even the language, an exposed wrist sporting a digital watch, a mobile phone peeking out of a pocket, nose-studs, bits of metal through eyebrows and other obviously modern fads and fashions will immediately spoil the credibility of the scene.

Dressing a crowd in appropriate period costume can be a major task, depending on the numbers needed and the level of detail required. Marauding warriors in jeans and Reeboks just isn’t on, unless of course it’s for Love/Hate. Likewise, an acquaintance of mine was asked to grow his hair and a beard when he applied for a part in Vikings. He could have donned a wig and fake whiskers, but they preferred the real thing, as did my friend who wore his scruffiness as if it were an Oscar. No wonder more and more film-makers are now looking for ways of creating crowd scenes without the crowds. In a world that seems determined to replace human beings with machines, answering services and other embryonic robots, it will come as no surprise to learn that the film industry is increasingly using computer graphics to do away with the need for hordes of extras. In 2002, James Hawes’ film for America’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Lawrence of Arabia - Battle for the Arab World needed as many skilled Arab horsemen and camel riders as they could get. All he could muster were 60 officers from the Royal Jordanian Camel Corps and Mounted Police. Impressive though these riders were, no one would be fooled into thinking they were a full army. Enter the ‘special techniques’ crew, who multiplied the five dozen into multitudes. www.seniortimes.ie

Many a good storyline in Ballykissangel was lost as we tried to look past the smouldering good looks of Colin Farrell to see the gnarled features of a neighbour.

The good news is, while the technocrats and their gadgets are becoming more skilled by the day, they haven’t yet been able to do away with the need for humans completely. Extras, real extras - the ones with heart-beats and lived-in faces - are still required. Let’s look closer to home. County Wicklow has been described as the film-making centre of Ireland. Perhaps it is no coincidence that in the heart of the

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For the umpteenth time that day, Mel Gibson in director mode called for ‘Quiet on set.’ Mel roared as only Braveheart could: ‘Shut the hell up!! I’m trying to make a film here!’

county is the village of Hollywood, named long before that upstart on the outskirts of Los Angeles was heard of. Just look at some of the films that have been made in the county in the past twenty years - Michael Collins, A Love Divided, Braveheart - and then there are television series such as Bracken, Glenroe, Ballykissangel and Vikings. So, how come the Garden of Ireland gets all this attention? Well, one clue is in the nickname, ‘Garden of Ireland’. The natural beauty of the place is extremely cinematic. Also Ardmore Studios, where indoor sets can be erected and technicians have the facilities with which to create their magic, are based in Bray. Dublin airport is just an hour away, linking the most remote locations with major film centres not only in Ireland, but throughout the world. Game, set and match.Because of this, it is not unusual to see film stars popping up in the county’s towns and villages, some even calling in for a quick pint. Over the decades James Cagney, Robert Mitchum, Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Gabriel Byrne and a host of other top talents have been seen walking amongst the mere mortals of Wicklow. Sometimes, the fact that locals are recruited for crowd scenes can spoil the viewers’ appreciation of the programme or film when it finally goes on air or is released in cinemas. It is not the star that cries out for our attention, it is the faces in the background, the ‘extras’. We want Gibson to move his head a little so we can get a glimpse of Johnny Byrne from down the road, kitted out in a dirty tartan and wielding a claymore. Many a good storyline in Ballykissangel was lost as we tried to look past the smouldering good looks of Colin Farrell to see the gnarled features of a neighbour. So, how do you go about getting in on the act?

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It all starts after an idea has been floated, locations found, backers and potential buyers identified, stars’ agents contacted, contracts agreed and signed, scripts written, and - the key role - someone has been hired to make sure that the kettle is never off the boil. Then, and only then, is it time to gather in the great unwashed, an especially apt phrase in a series such as Vikings! As I mentioned, casting agencies are contacted, but you don’t have to be registered with an agency

Comedian Ricky Gervais even made a successful TV series Extras featuring such well known stars such as Kate Winslett

to try your luck. Announcements are also made in the local media, calling for all shapes and sizes to present themselves at a particular location at a particular time and date. Sometimes, it can be sheer serendipity. When A Love Divided was being filmed in Rathdrum, a friend of mine drove his then teenage daughter to the location. This was in response to her constant pleading as she desperately wanted to be an extra. Pat, on the other hand, just wanted to have a look at what was going on. Unfortunately, by the time they got there, all the female teenagers required had been recruited. What they did need, however, were a few more middle-aged men. Never one to hide his light under a bushel, Pat jumped at the chance of being ‘3rd Bigot’ - at £100 a day. Originally booked for one day, it turned into fifteen, paying for a family holiday to Spain. He also managed to wring enough sympathy from the casting director on the last day of shooting to have his daughter included in a scene. Another acquaintance of mine still tells of the day when he and Mel Gibson had a ‘cosy chat’ on the set of Braveheart. He was a member of the FCA, then Ireland’s reserve army corps. You may remember that part of the package that attracted Mel & Co to make the film in Ireland was the agreement of the Page 18 Senior Times March 2015

Eight thousand extras were used in the making of Ben Hur.

government to allow the use of the FCA for battle scenes. Do you recall that scene where the bluewoad-dyed Scots were lined up and about to show that there really was nothing worn under their kilts? Well, it was that day - a day of idly waiting for hours for the next five-minute burst of frantic activity. It had been long hours of planning, debating, shooting, ‘cutting’, assessing and reshooting. Everyone was either a little fed up or completely fractious. Harry was the former, Mel Gibson the latter. For the umpteenth time that day, Mel in director mode called for ‘Quiet on set.’ Harry, deep in conversation, didn’t hear him. Nor did he hear him the second or third time. Mel roared as only Braveheart could: ‘Shut the hell up!! I’m trying to make a film here!’ To this day, Harry speaks with pride about this spot of repartee between acting buddies. A word of warning - it’s not all glamour. Extras do far more standing around than anything else. It can be tedious waiting for the next mad dash before relapsing

into another hour of idleness. Nonetheless, many people who have done it are bitten by the bug and can’t wait to do it again. Interested? Just google ‘movie extras’ or something along that line and you’ll see just how easy it is to get your toe in the door. As preparation for this article, I contacted the Irish company MovieExtras www.movieextras.ie for information regarding what is required. Now, as I write just two days later, my computer has pinged letting me know of the arrival of an e-mail informing me not only of projects they have been involved in recently but also what projects are in the pipeline for which extras will be needed. Also check out www.facebook.com/LouiseKielyCasting and www.tv3.ie/entertainment to see how extras have been recruited for TV3’s new soap Red Rock. Now, it’s up to you. Who knows, maybe one day a famous director might roar at you before shouting ‘Action!’ www.seniortimes.ie

Travel

Homage To Catalonia Terry McCabe ate, and drank, his way around one of Spain’s most distinctive regions

The Catalan Province is situated in the northeast of Spain the Pyrenees to the north, Costa Brava to the east. It has its own language, distinct culture and cuisine. Amazingly you can walk on a sunny beach yet within a couple of hours be on the ski slopes – you won’t be bored. Girona makes an ideal starting point serviced by Ryanair from Dublin and only 30 minutes by coach from the airport and 30 minutes by train from Barcelona. We stayed in the centrally located Cuietat Arabat Hotel within a stroll of the cathedral, museums, art galleries and shops. The cathedral is unusually wide without internal supporting columns – one of the stain glass windows is by Sean Scully. Nearby the Jewish museum in the old synagogue is well worth a visit with exhibits on many floors. The Jews are believed to have come with the Pheonicians in the 6th century BC – artifacts from 2nd century BC have been found. It seems they were very important people: Columbus’ navigator was a Jew as was his financier for his American trip in 1492. This was the year of pogroms and their expulsion from Spain. I have lifted word for word a piece on the Jews from the museum: “The Catalan Jews were distinguished in the study and exercise of mathematics, medicine, astronomy, languages and science in general. Outstanding Catalan figures took part in an important chapter of medieval knowledge. Their Page 20 Senior Times March 2015

One of the many distinctive and quirky buildings in Canet De Mar

literary and poetic production was highly valued and Jewish philosophy was especially noteworthy in that it played a key role in the evolution of medieval thought.” Wines and cuisine The Catalans are justly proud of their wines and cuisine – we dined in a restaurant on a bridge Pont de Terro over the River Onyar called Vol Espai Gastronomic. It has won international awards and chefs cook local produce in front of the diners, serving complimentary wines – brilliant. You could spend a day or two at the start of your journey walking or cycling around the city ( The hotel has electric bikes 15 euro half day 25 euro full day). Population is 100,000 and it feels very safe and friendly. Canet de Mar a seaside town about an hour’s drive from Girona was a major port and docks where ships of all sizes were built. Now it’s a fishing port and market town. Its architecture is a striking mixture of old traditional buildings, neo-classical and Cuban style for it was the rich merchants who made their fortunes in the Spanish colonies who spent some of their wealth on houses and churches here. There is a www.seniortimes.ie

Cadaques, where Salvador Dali and his wife lived for many years. This spectacularly picturesque fishing port now houses a museum to the great man

tourist train that travels through the streets and climbs up to the Santa Florentina Castle which is open to the public and caters for weddings and is now owned by a wealthy Russian. The train is called a Zip Train -- why I don’t know for it travels at a nice sedate pace giving you a chance to enjoy the changing scenery. While you’re there the church near the Castle is worth a look and within 100 metres is a not-to-be-missed Art Nouveau family run restaurant called Santuari de la Misericordia – inexpensive and first class. Not far from Canet de Mar near Montseny Natural Park is the spa town Caldes de Montbui famous for its springs which emerge at 76C; the Romans also built 15 baths here. In the tourist information offices there is an interpretive centre and a permanent exhibition by Manolo Huge and Pablo Picasso. In medieval times the building was used as a hospital offering thermal treatment to the poor. When we were there large teams of people were gathering preparing for a contest called castles. This entailed men, girls and boys combining so that they could stand on one another’s shoulders making a human tower – on this particular day they achieved seven tiers. It’s taken very seriously and a lot of practice and preparation goes into it with teams from different villages vying with each other to be the tallest. A small boy no more than 5 or 6 finishes off the pyramid, nowadays wearing a helmet due to a recent fatality. There’s a lot to see in this historic town but a must is to dine www.seniortimes.ie

at Robert de Nola, a restaurant on Passeig dei Remei only a few hundred meters from town centre. A word of warning – they take this dining very seriously and the food is superb; allow lots of time and its excellent value. If you enjoy walking and the countryside, Santa Fe del Montseny National Park is a good place to aim for, situated in 31,000 hectares of forest and upland farms climbing to a height of 1700 meters, its varied landscape can be spectacular. The Interpretive centre at Santa Fe has an interesting film show and exhibitions, so you will be more aware of your surroundings. There are many well marked trails from two hours to days in extent; guides are available. There are just two campsites in the park. However if you are on a long hike you are allowed to pitch your tent but only between the hours of sunset and sunrise. As the elevation rises the climate and tree variety changes from Mediterranean with holm oak, cork and pine to European with beech, fir and further up sub-alpine. I did notice cork trees with the bark removed – this procedure happens when the tree reaches 60 DBH (60 centimetres at breast height) then they are left for 14 years before another lot is taken. Cork not suitable for bottles is used for insulation. Fonda del Montseny is a restaurant in Montseny. We had a three course meal there – cheese with chestnuts, sausages of chestnuts and meat and beans, then chestnut cake and ice cream. The wines were white Flor d’Alva – red Vinya del Tons Senior Times March 2015 Page 21

The beautiful Vichy Catalan water plant, said to be the most celebrated mineral water in Spain, in Caldes

The spectacularly situated Vol Espai Gastronomic restaurant, perched over the River Onyar in the historic quarter of Girona

and coffee for 22 euro 50 – scrumptious. While in the area we stayed in Hotel Ciutat de Girona, an ideal base for walking and further up into the hills is the Three Mounts interpretive centre and restaurant in El Belver ; just sat, had a drink and took in the magnificent views. L’Escala on the coast near Figueres is a sea port with a large marina offering boat trips of all sorts and durations. It has a renowned anchovy factory supplying shops like Fortnum and Mason. The fish are placed in barrels of brine with weights on top – left to stand in a controlled temperature for about a year before being prepared for bottling. We stayed in Hostal Empuries right on the sea shore – a high class Wellness hotel with all kinds of treatments and good cuisine. From there we went north to another Natural Park Cap de Creus. This is a more rugged, sparse scene because of the fierce winds that sweep across the landscape at times, carving out unusual shapes and figures in the softer rocks. Dali was much inspired by these shapes and based some of his paintings on them. He knew the area well as his father was from Cadaques, a lovely old fishing village nearby. It is here Dali and his wife Gala converted several fishermen’s cottages and grounds into their home and studio. Dali spent his summers here until Gala died. The house is open to visitors and is full of his artefacts and furnishings, paintings etc. I noticed a collection of photos of Dali with the great and the good – Page 22 Senior Times March 2015

L’Escala on the coast near Figueres is a sea port with a large marina offering boat trips of all sorts and durations. It has a renowned anchovy factory supplying shops like Fortnum and Mason.

world leaders, etc. including the bould Brendan Behan. If you want to pay a visit you should book as they only allow small groups through at a time and it’s very popular. Last but not least a visit to a vineyard in Mollet de Peralada to Cellar la Vinyeta. A young couple have grown this business from small beginnings and have made a mark gaining awards for their unique blends. We spent a very enjoyable afternoon here sampling and tasting – my favourite was Heus Negre Farrinyeta. And so ends an unforgettable trip – the only downside was the weight gained but of course it was purely for research! FURTHER INFORMATION For more information on visiting Catalonia, contact: Spanish Tourist Board, 1 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 1. Tel: (01) 6350200. Email: dublin@tourspain.es www.seniortimes.ie

Madam Butterfly and La Traviata coming to National Concert Hall Award-winning opera producer Ellen Kent is determined to see opera triumph over war as she brings Eastern Europe talent to the Irish stage with performances of Madama Butterfly and La Traviata. During preparations for this year's tour with the Ukrainian National Opera in Kharkiv, Ellen was caught just six miles from a very bloody civil war. Warned by the British Foreign Office not to travel due to fatalities, bombings and kidnappings, Ellen still managed to transport the complete sets, props and costumes out of the area.

For more information, go to www.ellenkent.com

Focussing on overcoming the difficulties of the conflict, Ellen has brought together a new company including Ukrainians, Moldovans and Russians, working together in harmony, to bring a production of Puccini's popular Madam Butterfly and Verdi’s La Traviata. Ellen Kent told Senior Times: ‘Anyone who enjoys a good show, perhaps in the genre of the best of musicals, like Miss Saigon or Phantom of the Opera will love my operas. I want to make opera understandable and enjoyable - people don't go to be educated – they want an enjoyable night out, to have fun and to be taken on a journey that they are part of, not watching from the outside with a confused expression on their face. ‘Most operas, especially the more populist and well-known ones, are simply fantastic stories - full of drama and passion. When the curtains open I want people to say ‘Wow!’, I want to do opera that people actually want to see, that they can identify with and cry and feel moved. My operas have to be emotional and beautiful. Mine isn’t minimalist – it’s traditional opera with a sexy feel’. With magnificent sets by renowned Ukrainian designer Nadia Shvets and handpicked soloists from the national operas of Odessa, Spain and Rostov, the show visits the National Concert Hall in Dublin on April 18 (Madama Butterfly) and April 19 (La Traviata). Operas are sung in Italian with English subtitles. Tickets are on sale now, contact the NCH box office on 01 417 0000 or go online at www.nch.ie. Page 24 Senior Times March 2015

Win tickets to La Traviata and Madame Butterfly! Senior Times, in association with producer Ellen Kent, is offering three sets of two tickets as a prize to see either of the operas. To enter, just answer this question: Which nationality were Verdi and Pucinni? Send your entries, indicating which opera you wish to see, to: Opera Competition, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Or email to:john@slp.ie The first three correct entries drawn are the winners. Deadline for receipt of entries is 8th April. www.seniortimes.ie

www.seniortimes.ie

Senior Times March 2015 Page 25

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Literature

Writes of way... Lorna Hogg continues her literary-themed walks, tracing the rich heritage to be found in Dublin Maeve Binchy taught at Miss Meredith’s School at No. 1 Pembroke Road in the 1960s

St. George’s Church, better known as The Peppercanister, was the childhood parish church of Elizabeth Bowen who lived in nearby Herbert Place

We have one of the world’s greatest literary capitals- but how much of it have you explored? Whether your taste is for comedy, history, philosophy, social commentary or ground breaking literature, it’s easy to walk in your favourite writer’s footsteps, inspirations and memories. The city has so many famous and well loved authors, that your only problem is choice, best solved by dividing the city into north and south side. Added to the variety of choice is the fact that those authors’ haunts are largely unchanged. From red brick Ballsbridge, the formal Georgian houses of Merrion, Parnell and Fitzwilliam Squares, to Bohemian Dublin around the tree lined Grand Canal, much landscape and literary inspiration remains. Also, you’ll quickly find that while Paris may have its bistros, Dublin has its pubs, ideal for breaks whilst tracing literary histories. So, whether you want to simply stroll, or to absorb the atmosphere of these areas which inspired so many writers and dramatists, there is plenty to inspire, and enjoy.

Take the Lincoln Place entrance into Trinity College, much of which is unchanged throughout the times of its impressive literary roll call. Goldsmith and Edmund Burke, Oliver St. John Gogarty, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, Synge, Brendan Kennelly and Beckett studied here – and Trinity graduate and Irish American writer J.P. Donleavy set his famous novel The Ginger Man here. Leave Trinity by Front Gate, and walk across to Fleet St., for The Palace Bar, one of the city’s most famous writers’ pubs. Then walk up Dame Street to the Cork Hill entrance to Dublin Castle. Cross over to the Castle’s outside walls and walk up to the site of Hoey’s Court, birthplace of Swift, and marked by a plaque in Little Ship Street. Nearby lies St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which holds his death mask and grave. Next, walk down the atmospheric St. Patrick’s Close, to Marsh’s Library, Dublin’s first public library. Swift, as well as James Joyce, Charles Mangan, and George Moore were regulars. Swift’s home as Dean of St. Patrick’s, The Deanery, is also here. Don’t miss the nearby St. Patrick’s Park, containing plaques to a variety of writers ranging from Brendan Behan to Oscar Wilde.

Southside saunters Take the DART to Pearse Street station, on Westland Row – where Oscar Wilde was born, at No. 21 in 1854. Kennedy’s pub is here, well known to Behan, Joyce and Beckett. Follow the road round the corner to Lincoln Place, where Ulysses fans can spot Sweeney’s Chemists. Clare Street was the site of Greene’s, one of the city’s iconic bookshops, complete with winding stair, dating from 1843. The building now holds Henry Jermyn tailoring, but the famous glass portico and wrought iron struts remain. Page 28 Senior Times March 2015

Just a short walk takes you back to St. Stephen’s Green, which has several literary statues, including Yeats and Joyce. Grafton Street is worth a detour for Bewley’s Café, where Kavanagh and Maeve Binchy and generations of students were regulars, Explore pub territory - The Bailey and Davy Byrne’s, famed for their Joycean connections, face each other in Duke St. In Chatham St., Neary’s, frequented by Brendan Behan and actor Jimmy O’Dea, and the Dawson Lounge were also popular, whilst Mc Daid’s attracted Behan, Kavanagh, Donleavy and also younger writers. The Shelbourne Hotel was another literary www.seniortimes.ie

Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, lived in the Crescent, Fairview

James Joyce was regular to Marsh’s Library, Dublin’s first public library

haunt, from Elizabeth Bowen and George Moore to Brian Friel. It also featured in George Moore’s novel, `A Drama in Muslin.’ Continue on up Merrion Row, past Doheny and Nesbitt’s pub, popular with politicians, artists and writers including Neil Jordan, and turn on to Ely Place. Popular with the city’s Edwardian writers, St John Gogarty lived in No 15 and George Moore in No 7. The Dublin United Arts Club, is nearby, at No. 3, Fitzwilliam St. Upper, familiar for writers ranging from Yeats and St. John Gogarty to Percy French Merrion Square was home to many Dublin’s writers. Daniel O’Connell lived at No.58, Sheridan le Fanu at No. 70, Yeats at No. 82. and Oscar Wilde at the beautiful No. 2 corner house which is now the American University. As a child, he and his brother played in the Square with the children of Sheridan le Fanu, and Wilde’s statue now gazes out towards his old home. Nearby lies The National Gallery, a popular retreat of George Bernard Shaw, and also Beckett, who lived at No. 6 Clare St. The Peppercanister Continue on around the Square to Lower Mount Street. With a view framing St. George’s Church, nicknamed The Peppercanister, it was the childhood parish church of Elizabeth Bowen. Jack Yeats’s funeral was also held here. In 1954, the Pike Theatre in nearby Herbert Lane, staged Brendan Behan’s The Quare Fella and in 1957, the controversial The Rose Tattoo. Behind the church lies Dublin’s literary Bohemian heart, the still atmospheric ‘Canal’ area. During previous centuries, barges plied their trade on this leafy artery of the Grand Canal, criss crossed by some picturesque bridges. The drawing room light at Elizabeth Bowen’s childhood home at No.15 Herbert Place, was dappled by canal reflection. No. 25, over www.seniortimes.ie

Oscar Wilde lived at No. 2 Merrion Square corner house which is now the American University

looking one of the prettiest crossings, Huband Bridge, was the home of Flann O’Brien/ Brian O’Nolan. Patrick Kinsella was nearby at No. 47 Percy Place. This canal stretch inspired many writers - Joyce’s character Daedalus mused here, walking along its tow paths, and The Ginger Man wove his way home under the flickering gas lights. Senior Times March 2015 Page 29

Patrick’s Kavanagh’s seated statue on the Grand Canal near Baggot Street Bridge

St. Patrick’s Cathedral holds Jonathon Swift’s death mask and grave.

Baggot Street Bridge was famous for Parsons, Dublin’s avant garde bookshop ‘where one met as many interesting writers on the floor of the shop as on the shelves!’ according to MaryLavin. Run by Mary King, from the late 1940s until 1989, its customers formed a Who’s Who of Irish literary talent, plus politicians, newspaper editors and intellectuals. Brendan Behan, a resident at 15 Herbert Street, and also 18 Waterloo Road, set his watch by the clock at the junction with Mespil Road. Along with Patrick Kavanagh, who lived at 62 Pembroke Rd, he drank at Mooneys’ pub, whilst Searsons and the Waterloo were also popular spots. Continue on to the Mespil lock, past the statue of Kavanagh, to the Court Apartments, Wilton Place, home to Frank O’Connor. Liam O’Flaherty was a neighbour. Around the corner, Fitzwilliam Place leads to Lad Lane, where master short story teller Mary Lavin was an ‘early adapter’ in her converted mews house. At Leeson Street, you can continue along the canal, to Camden Street, for 33 Synge Street, birthplace of George Bernard Shaw. Alternately, return to Baggot Street Bridge, and walk through Ballsbridge, past No. 1 Pembroke Road, where Maeve Binchy taught at Miss Meredith’s School in the 1960s, and then down to Lansdowne Road DART station. Strumpet City fans can take the new Dodder Park Walkway down to the old Pump House, and go along Philomena Terrace to 20 Bath Street, Irishtown, where James Plunkett lived. MORE INFORMATION Dublin: One City, One Book Festival - April Dublin Book Festival - November.

Grafton Street is worth a detour for Bewley’s Café, where Maeve Binchy and generations of students were regulars

Marsh’s Library – www.marshlibrary.ie www.writersmuseum.com www.dublinpubcrawl.com www.walkingtours.ie

Page 30 Senior Times March 2015

Mc Daid’s in Chatham Street, off Grafton Street, was a haunt for Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh, JP Donleavy among other younger writers

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Creative writing

Irish art through the ages

Eileen Casey has enjoyed two new splendid Irish titles

Three Centuries of Irish Art, Gandon Editions, €37.

approach binds the work together as a whole, and the essays are scholarly, perceptive, illuminating and deeply sympathetic.” This book is indeed beautiful, featuring 120 key works of art by 100 Irish artists. Each image carries a full page plate, accompanied by text from leading art writers. The volume itself is clothbound, 288 pages of which 244 are colour illustrations. Reasonably priced at €37, art lovers will indeed enjoy such a visual and literary feast.

Richard Wood, writing in The Irish Arts Review, describes Three Centuries of Irish Art as being beautifully presented and doing justice to the important work of the Crawford Gallery, Cork. He also praised how “The Uniformity of

Page 32 Senior Times March 2015

The Crawford Gallery, a national cultural institution and regional art museum for Munster, is located in the heart of Cork city beside the Opera House. Over 20,000 visitors a year are welcomed. The Gallery’s art collection was formed in 1819 with the casting of a set of Greco-Roman and neo-classical sculptures (brought from the Vatican Museum, Rome) which were presented to the Cork Society of Arts. Forming that same

www.seniortimes.ie

The Way Home by Daniel O’Neill

Family, Co. Wicklow by Pauline Bewick

year was The Cork School of Art with students such as Samuel Forde, Daniel Maclise and John Hogan. These artists quickly augmented the Crawford Gallery’s collection. In 1825, the collection was moved to its present building, the former Custom House of Cork. Since then, a new extension has been added to the building, providing purpose built galleries for exhibition. The permanent collection of the Crawford Art Gallery continues to grow steadily. It is strongest in 20th century and contemporary Irish art. In 1990, the collection numbered some 1,500 paintings and sculptures, prints and other works of art. Admission to the gallery and its exhibitions are free of charge. The Gallery’s programming includes both Irish and international artists, reflecting the position of Ireland as a vital member of the EU and international community. The Friends of the Crawford Gallery, a support organisation with over four hundred members, organise lectures and museum visits, both in Ireland and abroad.

Harry Clarke featured Among the Irish School artists who feature in ‘Three Centuries of Irish Art’ is Harry Clarke (1891-1931), an enduring favourite with art lovers. Clarke has been described as Ireland’s major Symbolist artist with an original yet idiosyncratic vision. While being rooted in European Symbolism, Art Nouveau and Decadence, Clarke is also closely aligned with the Yeatsian Celtic Revival and National Romanticism of late 19th/early 20th century Ireland. Also from the Irish School, the work of Daniel O’Neill (1920-1974) demonstrates an influence from nineteenth century Romanticism. Born in Belfast, Daniel 0Neill left school at the age of fourteen to train as a housepainter. During the war years he worked in Belfast and Dublin: in 1944 he travelled to London to work on building sites. A keen interest in art, however, led to him becoming a full time artist, gaining recognition on the Continent and in the USA. In 1968 he designed sets and costumes for Sean 0’Casey’s play Juno and the Paycock. He was inspired in his art by Gauguin, Chagall and Van Gogh. Themes associated with nocturne and with developing a sense of visual poetry are evident in The Way Home, a painting by O’Neill which was exhibited at the Dawson Gallery, Dublin in 1960. The work, set in the night time world, shows figures traversing a landscape with white cottages in the background. The image has a universal, unsettling quality, bringing to mind isolation and vulnerability. The Yellow Bungalow (1954), his painting of a domestic interior with figures seated around a stove, is in the Ulster Museum. Many female artists feature in the collection also, women like Jo Allen, Moyra Barry, Muriel Brandt, Margaret Clarke and Pauline Bewick, among other illustrious names. Bewick was Page 34 Senior Times March 2015

The Key Turns by Harry Clarke

born in England in 1935 but was reared on a small farm in Co. Kerry. Her unconventional upbringing brought her all over Ireland with her mother, in houseboats and railway carriages. Having attended schools in England and Wales, she returned to Ireland to attend the National College of Art. Opening times and news about events/exhibitions etc. can be found at www.crawfordgallery.ie.

Kerry Kaleidoscope Hidden Kerry, The Keys to the Kingdom, by Breda Joy, Mercier Press, €19.99

Hidden Kerry: The Keys to the Kingdom a sturdy hardback, published by Mercier Press is a gem for anyone even remotely interested in anything Kerry. As it happens, I have a personal interest in this book. Reader, I married a Kerryman and spent many happy holidays around Muckross, near Torc Waterfall. My husband grew up near the lakes of Killarney, living in a cottage which was part of the Muckross Estate, surrounded by peace and tranquility. Muckross House was not far from his home and most of his family, at one time or another, found employment on the Estate (his father worked in forestry). Kerry born and bred Breda Joy, the writer of this intriguing collection of essays, is a highly regarded award winning journalist with The Kerryman newspaper and has enjoyed many successes in her writing career. Hidden Kerry leaves no stone unturned in terms of introducing a cast of colourful characters, places and events. These range, among others, from Lord Kenmare’s forgotten mansion, which hosted royal visits until it was destroyed by fire; a daring plot hatched in Dingle to rescue Marie Antoinette and the tale of the German U-boat that landed Greek sailors at Ventry during the Second World War. The cover blurb makes the claim that Hidden Kerry is as much for the locals as for the visitor and I’d have to say that it’s a fair claim. Although I’ve personally enjoyed a close connection to the Kingdom, there are lots of tales here that I’m coming across for the first time. The writing quality sparkles with wit and clarity and there’s a warm, conversational style throughout. Compiling these stories was obviously a labour of love, meticulous research is www.seniortimes.ie

From left, Constance, Mary & Maude Delap, pictured at Reenellen House, Valentia Island, c.1930’s.

Flemish Artist Lily Van Ooste in The Black Valley in the 1980’s.

evident everywhere in the broad range of sources (read/ written/spoken) found within the pages. As well as consulting archaeological and historical documents and following up useful leads, Breda spoke to people from various walks of life, managing in certain cases to obtain primary source material. When writing about the Delap sisters (Connie, Mary and Maude) who lived on Valentia Island, Breda spoke to their descendant, Joanna Lee of Dublin. What is so very enjoyable about the book is the way it’s broken down into stand alone chapters, each one introducing a different topic or character. Chapter titles themselves are intriguing enough to prompt further exploration, titles such as ‘Searching for Jesse James’ Grandfather,’ ‘Lady Lixnaw and Joyce,’ ‘The Headless Earl,’ ‘Kerry’s Sherwood Forest,’ among others. In total, there are 44 chapters, each one a gleaming nugget in this goldmine of stories, perfect for dipping into without losing track.

Vivid characters Because of my husband’s background (his father was born in The Black Valley), I was immediately drawn to the vivid character profile of Lily van Oost, a Flemish artist who left Antwerp behind in the 1970’s in order to “respond to her muse in the wild and lonely splendour of Kerry’s famous Black Valley.” She became known as Lily of the Valley in the process. Lily’s story portrays a feisty, talented and yes, eccentric woman with a master’s in Fine Arts, specialising in graphic art, painting and monumental fibre art. One of her installations was seen and enjoyed in Dublin when she knit a jumper for the Ha’penny Bridge! This chapter also contains a lyrical piece of writing by poet Grace Wells which takes as its theme, a wool coat made by Lily and which Grace had seen being worn on a London street, compelling her to ask the wearer its origins. Grace describes the coat as “no ordinary coat, but a piece of living sculpture, woven and knitted and crocheted by Lily van Oost, deep in the Kerry hills.” Grace Wells’s tribute was subsequently broadcast on Sunday Miscellany and continues in the same poetic vein: “Into the fabric of that coat she sewed the bleat of sheep, and the sound of the wind blown over black lakes. The coat held the spirit of a place, and captured an indefinable spirit of art that I reached towards, longed for.” Alas, Lily passed away in 1997 but she is immortalised in ‘Hidden Kerry’ and will always be remembered by those who were privileged to know her. There’s humour a plenty here also. For example, the tale (if you’ll pardon the pun) of Big Bertha, the oldest cow in the world (47 years old in 1992). Bertha even made it into The Guinness Book of Records. Breda writes about an outside RTE broadcast by Joe Duffy for The Gay Byrne Show in the Blackwater Tavern held in honour of Big Bertha’s longevity. She wittily describes the event as being held “to celebrate bovinity elevated to celebrity status.” On the morning in question, Tralee singer Christie Hennessy serenaded Bertha, www.seniortimes.ie

Big Bertha’s big day in the Blackwater Tavern.

“who leaned her head dreamily beside a creamy pint on the bar counter.” I hope this broadcast is secure in radio archives, perhaps to be revived some day, a broadcast which set the national airwaves “crackling.” Breda describes in the chapter how the nation was told “all about ‘milk music’ – drumming the bottom of buckets during milking time.” Bertha’s longevity was easily proven by the discovery of a special ear mark which indicated TB testing long before ear tags were introduced. Her owner attributed her long life to her breeding, her ancient Droimeann line of cattle, bred to survive on mountainy land. Bertha passed away in 1993 but not before she had raised lots of money (through public appearances) for cancer research. In the chapter ‘A Manner of Speaking,’ Breda explores the origins of Kerry’s “rich store of verbal imagery,” which she believes is dwindling somewhat. There’s a section devoted to expressions/colloquialisms/old sayings/euphemisms e.g. someone who overindulges in alcohol would ‘drink Lough Erin dry.’ Images from nature and agriculture are plentiful, especially when it comes to describing personality traits – in particular negative ones: “He’s as awkward as a spring harrow.” “He’s as thick as a double ditch.” “Nearly never bulled the cow.” “They’re like a brace of briars.” (People who are close-knit). “The curse of the crows.” (People who are always arguing. “She’s low to the ground like a Dexter cow.” (A person who is short in stature, as is this breed of cow.) “He’s carrying it to the fair.” (Behaving in an extreme manner.). At €19.99, this fine publication offers value for money (available in good bookshops or directly from the publishers, info@mercierpress.ie). It does exactly what it promises on the cover; “Hidden Kerry takes you off the beaten track and brings the Kingdom to life.” The centre pages include monochrome images which enhance the stories. Big Bertha is there in all her glory, hobnobbing with Joe Duffy at the bar of the Blackwater Tavern. Lily van Oost can be seen with her extraordinary sculptures and there are many other thought provoking photographs to be enjoyed also.

Want to Be Published? London Publisher Will arrange publication of your book Letter only in the first instance Send to : The Editor, 34 South Molton Street London, W1K 5RG www.newmillenniumpublishers.com Senior 2015 Page 35 Senior Times Times March March2015

Fashion

Dress to impress Make 2015 your year of looking great with a few simple fashion tips. Mairead Robinson explains

Arigna Mining Experience

Most of us never get to fulfil those New Year resolutions of getting fitter by eating better, drinking less and exercising more. So if you have found yourself looking the same as you did last year by the time Spring has sprung, it might be time to change tactics. I am not saying to ditch the diet altogether and taking more exercise is always a good idea, but have you ever tried to dress slimmer? There are tips when it comes to dressing that will make you look as if you have shed a few pounds, and they are easy to implement without buying a whole new wardrobe. Plenty of people feel self-conscious about their weight, and many may even feel insecure about how heavy they think they look. With a few simple fashion tricks, however, you can help yourself look a little skinnier. In general, look for clothing and details that force the eye to look up and down rather than side to side. This reduces the amount of width a person sees, making you look skinnier in the process. Start by wearing underwear that fits, choose the right bra and pants. The right bra helps you shape your silhouette by keeping your chest in check and your waist defined. Avoid styles that will flatten you completely or styles that allow your bust to sag. Don’t wear pants that are tight around your tummy or leg, resulting in a ‘knicker line’ or ‘muffin top’ to ruin the outer garments! There are some good bodyslimming underwear options available in all the major outlets now, including Pennys and Dunnes Stores that will make a big difference to your shape. While the Spring/Summer styles are obviously lighter than winter wear, there are a few basic rules to keep to so that Page 36 Senior Times March 2015

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even the larger ladies can dress in the current styles. Never choose pants with an elasticized waist over a tailored pair – this is a common mistake because tailored pants will slim and control your shape. Elasticised pants will let it all hang out! Wide, straight-legged trousers will camouflage heavy legs. Make sure the hem breaks on the top of your shoes. A hem that hovers above your shoes will add width. Heavy arms, long sleeves.. Regarding sleeves, heavy arms need long sleeves that preferably skim, and never grip the flesh. You can wear short sleeves if you make sure the sleeves aren’t tight. If you want to camouflage your tummy, go for blouson-shape tops that settle low on your hip bones, but stick to soft fabrics that move, such as jersey or crepe. The same shape in a bulky fabric, such as wool or velour, will look lumpy. Keep the bottom half slim to balance everything out. A great hipminimizing outfit is a fingertip-length jacket, nipped in slightly at the waist (so it is not too boxy) worn over straight-legged trousers or a skirt in a fluid fabric, with high heels. The slight flare of boot-leg trousers or a soft A-line skirt balances full hips. A figure-skimming rather than figurehugging cut is always more flattering. Wearing heels under your trousers will further boost the slimming effect. And finally, an off-shoulder neckline, or seaming across the upper back of a dress or shirt that reaches from shoulder to shoulder will minimize the waist by widening the shoulders. And when it comes to jewellery, full-figured women look best in long drop earrings. Button clips and big studs are like punctuation marks that accentuate roundness! For women who are over 45, finding stylish clothes that fit and suit them for both casual and more formal occasions, can be a real challenge. Much of the high street is geared to a younger age-group, and we don’t always want to be shunted off to the ‘Mother of the Bride’ section! Oxendales range I was quite excited then to come across a really attractive range of clothes now stocked in Oxendales designed by Lorraine Kelly. Her approach to mature stylish fashion is very refreshing. “When I started working with Oxendales, I wanted to help women realise that they don’t have to give up on fashion once they reach a certain age; and I am hopeful that my collection reiterates that message. We have adapted catwalk trends to fit and flatter the mature figure, taking into account the body’s natural changes. I look forward to hearing from women who have until now felt frustrated with the lack of variety out there. I’m really excited to be able to offer them a stylish solution.” I have chosen some of my favourites from her Spring/Summer 2015 collection to include here, showing the range of style and colours available. Prices are very realistic also, and of course it is so easy to purchase through Oxendales that we can try on the items in the comfort of our own homes! As Ireland’s leading fashion retailer targeting 45 plus women, Oxendales offers fashion that fits and flatters those refusing to adopt a ‘one size fits all’ approach, making shopping for fashion easy and enjoyable regardless of size or shape. This market currently stands as Ireland’s fastest growing fashion sector and is emerging as Ireland’s most powerful consumer group. Lorraine for Oxendales is available at www.oxendales.ie from January 2015 in sizes 10 to 32, with prices ranging from €41.99 for an embellished top to €104.99 for a Geo Print Jacquard Red Coat. Page 38 Senior Times March 2015

Culture

Music and literature top The Arts bill

Maretta Dillon looks at what’s on in the arts over the next few months

Writer, philosophiser and all round cultural zeitgeist commentator, Michael Harding takes to the road reading and chatting from his new book, Hanging with the Elephant. His first memoir, Staring at Lakes was enormously popular as he spoke honestly and unflinchingly about life, love and melancholy. The elephant of the title in the new book refers to an Asian metaphor for an unruly mind as he attempts to come to terms with the death of his mother in 2012. Expect the unexpected in this hilarious yet poignant take on the wonderful everyday michaeldharding.ie has more information on the tour. World renowned pianist Joanna MacGregor is in Ireland in March to show off her dazzling technique, irrepressible energy and musical intellect. For this tour Joanna will perform a musical sketch of her life: an eclectic and engaging programme with spinetingling renditions of Bach via Piazzolla and Thelonious Monk, as well as a brand new commission from Irish composer

One the main guests this year will be actor and writer Sheila Hancock. Now in her eighties, she has written a scintillating first novel entitled Miss Carter's War set in the post war Britain of 1948. Hancock has already written two acclaimed memoirs, including one recounting her life with Morse actor John Thaw, so there should be lots of anticipation around this event. Bookings from mountainstothesea.ie The book theme continues in April when Dublin celebrates its literary tradition every year with the month long One City, One Book Festival. This year’s choice is Roddy Doyle’s The Barrytown Trilogy – how did it take so long to come up with this one? Relive the adventures of Pat Rabbitte and family at various events, gatherings and readings. Check out dublinonecity onebook.ie for listings.

Rising Irish star Jack Reynor (so good in What Richard Did) bagged an acting prize at the recent Sundance Film Festival for his work in the film Glassland. Kerry born director Gerard Barrett explores the family dynamics between a hard working son and his mercurial, alcohol dependent mother (Toni Collette) to great effect. Also on April 17, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen takes to his horse in The Last Salvation, an unusual riff on the Western genre which polishes off all the old tropes and introduces a few new ones as well. Looks like a busy time for everyone so enjoy the opportunities this Springtime.

Events around the Country March/April 2015 AESTHETIC LOGIC Visual Arts A year-long evolving exhibition honouring the bi-centenary of George Boole at Triskel Arts Centre, Cork. Until Dec 2015 Information: www.triskelartscentre.ie World renowned pianist Joanna MacGregor is in Ireland in March to show off her dazzling technique, irrepressible energy and musical intellect

Conor Linehan. See musicnetwork.ie for more details on venues and dates. Mountains to the Sea literature festival in the seaside setting of Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin has been winning plaudits for its exciting mix of guests and chats. www.seniortimes.ie

Senior Times March 2015 Page 39

Jack Reynor & Toni Collette in Glassland.

Sheila Hancock

Mads Mikkelsen takes to his horse in The Last Salvation Michael Harding takes to the road reading and chatting from his new book, Hanging with the Elephant. HANGING WITH THE ELEPHANT: AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL HARDING Literature Michael Harding, author, playwright and Irish Times columnist, is on his travels again to read from his latest book. Until April 10 www.michaelharding.ie

POSTSCRIPT Theatre Born in a Cork mother and babies home, Noelle embarks on a journey to uncover her real identity. Based on a true story. From March 2015 www. biggerpictureprojects.com/productions/postscript/

JANET MULLARNEY: MY MINDS I Visual Arts Senior Irish artist, Janet Mullarney, ARHA, presents her first large solo exhibition in five years. Until April 11 www.highlanes.ie

UNDERNEATH Theatre Pat Kinevane’s new play is a blackly comic, rich and vivid tale of a life lived in secret, a testament to the people who live on the fringes. From March 1 nationwide

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Theatre A new version of Shakespeare’s play at The Abbey Theatre, but this time with a contemporary setting - a nursing home. Until March 28 Booking: (01) 87 87 222 / abbeytheatre.ie/booking

MOUNTAINS TO THE SEAS DLR Literature An annual celebration of all things literary with: writers, readings, interviews, panel discussions and conversation. March 18 to 22 www.mountainstosea.ie

THE NUALAS Theatre The girls are out and about with their new show Lock Up Your Husbands! Be afraid… Ongoing from March to April 2015 www.thenualas.com

JOANNA MACGREGOR Music The musical phenomenon that is pianist Joanna MacGregor embarks on a nationwide tour of Ireland March 19 to 28 www.musicnetwork.ie

Page 40 Senior Times March 2015

DUBLIN: ONE CITY, ONE BOOK FESTIVAL Literature The Barrytown Trilogy by Roddy Doyle is this year’s choice. April 1 to April 30 www.dublinonecityonebook.ie GLASSLAND Film Sundance award winner Jack Reynor shines in an intense Irish family drama with Toni Collette. Opens April 17 nationwide www.facebook.com/GlasslandFilm THE SALVATION Film Mads Mikkelsen stars in a Danish twist on that most American of genres, the Western. Opens April 17 nationwide DROGHEDA ARTS FESTIVAL Arts Festival With a programme that spans theatre, visual arts, music, film, literature, family events and more. April 28 to May 4, 2015

Finally, if you’d like your event to feature in our list of What’s On please email: events.country@gmail.com

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Come visit Woodstock Gardens this summer • Beautiful, recently restored Victorian gardens • Located overlooking the River Nore in picturesque Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny • Walk through our arboretum which is home to a collection of rare and exotic trees • Visit the walled garden where fruits and vegetables are once again grown in abundance • Take time out for tea in a beautiful conservatory overlooking the flower gardens • Open all year round, daylight hours • Facilities:- Tea Rooms, Car Parking, Toilets, Children’s Playground, Mobility buggy available for less able bodied persons, please phone ahead if you wish to avail of this service (free of charge) • Guided tours available by appointment • Admission fee - €4 per car includes admission for all car occupants to the gardens • Buses and coaches strictly by prior booking. • Price available upon request.

Contact: John Delaney - Head gardener at Woodstock on 087 8549785 or Claire Goodwin in Kilkenny County Council Parks Department on 056 7794373 or email woodstock@kilkennycoco.ie Kilkenny County Council, Parks Section, John Street, Kilkenny. T + 353 56 7794373 F + 353 56 7794069

What you should know about inheritance tax Financial adviser Peter Heuston explains Inheritance and estate planning should be a key element of any solid financial plan. Capital Acquisitions Tax can have a serious impact on the value of your estate. There was a perception that given the recent economic downturn and reduction in estate and asset values, the need to plan for CAT had gone away. However the truth is very different for a number of reasons. • The economy is recovering with a resultant increase in estate and asset values • The rate of CAT has increased from 20% in 2008 to 33% in 2014 • Thresholds have been dramatically reduced. For example the Group A threshold from parents to children reduced from €521,208 in 2008 to €225,000 in 2014. Example Mr. and Mrs. Bloggs have an estate valued at €1,500,000 which is to be divided equally between their two children. Their children’s inheritance tax bill will be €346,500 – i.e. 23% of the estate will be taken in tax. Parents should obviously try and minimise estate taxes at death to ensure that inheritances are passed on to beneficiaries with the least amount being given over to taxes. Tax can have a serious impact on the value of your estate passing to your beneficiaries. There are however some legitimate routes and schemes that can be used to try to reduce the overall tax liability when passing on assets. Annual Tax Exemption There is an annual Gift Tax exemption of €3,000 from each disponer to a donee. Therefore, for example, two parents could gift a child €3,000 each (i.e. €6,000 p.a.) without the child incurring a tax liability and without that amount affecting the relevant tax-free threshold. Thresholds There are three groups of thresholds and they vary in amount depending on the relationship between the beneficiary and the disponer • Group A – each child is currently entitled to receive a maximum of €225,000 in respect of gifts or inheritances from their parents without incurring a tax liability. • Group B – Where the beneficiary is a lineal ancestor, Page 42 Senior Times March 2015

descendant, brother, sister, or child of brother or sister of the disponer, they may receive up to a current maximum of €30,150 without incurring a tax liability. • Group C – In all other cases (including common law spouses/co-habitants) the tax free threshold is currently €15,075. Principal Private Residence Relief Children can inherit the home completely exempt of tax and without impacting their threshold if when they receive the property they do not own any other property anywhere in the world. However if there is any other property in the estate when the estate is being passed the Principal Private Residence Relief will not apply. Other conditions need to be met. Other Property If children live in a property that their parents own for more than three years that property can then be passed to that child without any tax implications subject to other conditions being met Business/agricultural relief Provided certain conditions are met the value of a business/land can be reduced by 90% before calculating the taxable value. Favourite nephew or niece Relief This is a relief that applies if the nephew/niece has worked substantially on a full time basis for a disponer and meets other certain conditions then the nephew/niece is entitled to the Group a threshold of €225,000 instead of the Group B threshold of €30,150 which normally applies to nephews or nieces. Section 72 policies These are policies that are taken out from life companies who will pay out a lump sum in the event of death. Typically it pays out on second death, as generally with the first death assets being passed from one spouse to another are exempt from inheritance tax. The premium payable is less expensive when the policy is on a joint life last death basis and can be particularly useful where the health of one the parties may not be great. www.seniortimes.ie

Basically the proceeds from a Section 72 policy are tax free when used to pay CAT. Section 72, Capital Acquisitions Tax Consolidation Act 2003 grants a relief in relation to the proceeds of life insurance policies which wouldotherwise be liable to inheritance tax on the death of the insured person. Section 72 provides that the proceeds of any qualifying insurance policy taken out under this section by the insured person on his/her own life will be exempt from inheritance tax insofar as such proceeds are used to pay the inheritance tax on the benefits received on the insured person’s death, or within a year of his death.

REDUCE YOUR INHERITANCE TAX LIABILITY

Simply, the proceeds of a life insurance policy are used to pay the inheritance tax liability on the benefits received on the death of a person. Basically the proceeds from a Section 72 policy are tax free when used to pay CAT. Reducing tax liability There are a number of ways by which a potential inheritance tax liability can be reduced including: • Drawing up a will or altering an existing one in such a way as to gain maximum advantage of class thresholds and reliefs. • Discretionary trusts can be used to defer C.A.T. but carry a Discretionary Trust Tax (up to 6% in the first year of charge and 1% per annum). • Ensuring small gift exemption of €3,000 per annum per disponer is used up annually. • Ensuring compliance with the conditions of the reliefs and avoiding claw backs of reliefs. These options, however, may not be sufficient to cover a future inheritance tax liability and so it may be prudent to effect a Section 72 life insurance policy. Remember assets being inherited may not be liquid and so may need to be liquidated in order to pay the CAT. You should ensure that the tax liability does not put the home/business in jeopardy. Anyone leaving their family with an inheritance tax liability should seriously consider a Section 72 policy. How much does this cover cost ? Husband & Wife – both aged 65 (non-smokers) Estimated Inheritance €1,000,000 2 Children - €500,000 each Inheritance Tax Liability €181,500 Annual Cost to insure this risk €3,755 If last surviving spouse lives 25 years total cost is €93,875 Pay-out €181,500 Wouldn’t the kids prefer to receive €93,875 less if it saved them €181,500? Peter Heuston, FCA,QFA,FLIA,AITI is a qualified financial adviser and managing director of Heuston Financial Planning Ltd t/a Retirement Ireland specialising in the area of retirement/ inheritance tax planning To receive a specific quote please email peter@retirementireland.ie. Or telephone (01) 4428120 Heuston Financial Planning Ltd, t/a Retirement Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland

Insure against the risk of an inheritance tax liability through a Life Cover Plan Proceeds of the policy are tax free if used to discharge Inheritance Tax Rather than letting tax legislation decide how your estate will be distributed You can pass on your assets in the way you wish – and plan for the tax consequences Email peter@retirementireland.ie for a short guide to Capital Acquisations Tax or to get a quote for Sec. 72 Life Cover . Peter Heuston FCA,QFA,FLIA,AITI is a Qualified Financial Adviser and Managing Director of Heuston Financial Planning Ltd t/a Retirement Ireland specialising in the area of Retirement/ Inheritance Tax Planning Email peter@retirementireland.ie Tel 014428120 Heuston Financial Planning Ltd, t/a Retirement Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland

www.seniortimes.ie

Senior Times March 2015 Page 43

Travel

Cruising down the river.. If, like many people, you are a poor ‘sailor’, and cannot face a sea cruise, then a gentle river glide might be the answer for you. Lorna Hogg reports.

The River Baroness travelling through Paris. Uniworld tour

River cruising is one of the fastest growing sectors of the cruising market, which is unsurprising when you consider its benefits. Smaller, friendlier ships, lower passenger numbers, ever-changing beautiful scenery, daily ports of call with time to explore, and all the romance and relaxation of life on the water – without any seasickness!

So, whether your preference is for a luxurious all-in trip through several countries, a short value break, or to become ‘captain’ of your own ship on a cruiser charter, we’ve picked a selection to show the wide range now on offer Uniworld luxury Uniworld Boutique Cruising is synonymous with luxury river cruising. It offers superbly equipped ships, great service and food, unlimited fine wines and beer with meals, plus unlimited non- alcoholic beverages. Gratuities and taxes are included, there is at least one gala dinner, plus entertainments, cultural talks, and guided shore excursions, often with choices, led by local experts. You have a audio headset on all shore excursions. An experienced cruise manager is on board, there is free internet and wi-fi, and arrival and departure transfers are included. Spring and autumn are ideal times to enjoy the Rhine, and Uniworld’s 8 day `Castles Along the Rhine’ cruise takes in four countries. You’ll experience The Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland, on a truly romantic Europe journey, Page 44 Senior Times March 2015

cruising from Amsterdam, on the luxurious S.S. Antoinette, with a riverview stateroom. Cologne and Koblenz are destination stopovers, stop with a choice of excursions – try the Koblenz aerial tramride! One highlight is the UNESCO listed Upper Middle Rhine, with 65 kms of steep sided, wooded slopes, over 40 ancient castles, and the legendary Loreli Rock. Stopovers and cultural excursions on the cruise are varied, ranging from some of the world’s great cathedrals, to picturesque medieval villages and wineries, wine-tastings and even a Black Forest cake making demonstration. Strasbourg excursions offer a canal cruise or tour, and there is also a chance to see Colmar’s fairytale half timbered houses, before the cruise ends in the relaxed sophistication of Basel. Uniworld ` Castles Along the Rhine’, 8 days, Amsterdam to Basel – departs 15th March, €2,399pps: 22nd March, €2479pps, (S.S. Antoinette) and 4th November €2319pps, (on S.S. River Empress). Flights not included. Portugal and Spain The Uniworld `Portugal, Spain and The Douru River Valley’ 11 day trip offers a good combination of city break and river cruise, including an excursion to Salamanca in Spain. Ideal for lovers of wine, food and music, the trip starts with a three day visit to Lisbon. You’ll stay at the Intercontinental Lisbon (B&B) or a similar hotel, take a city tour, and enjoy plenty of free time to explore. En route to the boarding destination in Oporto, you lunch in historic Coimbra, the birthplace of six Portuguese kings. On the chic and luxurious `Queen Isabel’, with your riverview stateroom, and onboard meals, you cruise for seven nights through the Douro Valley, which is just one of the six UNESCO Heritage Sites on the trip. Vineyards cling to its sides, and your excursions include trips to quintas and local www.seniortimes.ie

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Sunway offers this `Mega Savings `Tulip Time Cruise Special Offer’ of 7 nights, at €1529 pp, for two sharing. Upgrades are available. Departs 6th May. Flights, cruise and transfers included. Check for any other availability or standard Tulip Time Cruises.www.sunway.ie Queens of the Danube

The River Royale that travels on the Garonne River in Bordeaux. Uniworld tour

wine makers and historical towns. A familiarisation `Magical Douro River Valley’ evening lecture provides some background. Highlights include trips from Vega de Terron to the twelfth century walled city of Castelo Rodrigo. You also cross into nearby Spain, for the `Golden City of Salamanca, noted for is architecture and University, before enjoying a flamenco show. You’ll also see historic Guimaraes, the `cradle of Portugal’ with its roots back in the tenth century, and also visit Pinhao, in the heart of wine territory.

If you’re new to cruising, why not start with a `taster,’ ideally tied in with a city break? The Travel Department currently offers good value Danube cruises. The `Danube East’ Cruise package includes flight to Munich, with transfers for the three night cruise from Passau to Budapest. You’ll enjoy full board, on the highly rated MV Amadeus Excellent, with a cocktail reception, and some optional excursions. This cruise stops at Vienna – so enjoy Mozart’s birthplace, the splendid palaces and Sacher Torte cake! Next comes the ancient city of Bratislava, (a castle visit is a must), and the cruise finishes in beautiful Budapest. You’ll overnight there at the 4 star Marriott Courtyard, enjoy an inclusive city tour, and have a day to fully explore by yourself, before your evening flight home. The Travel Department - `Danube East River Cruise’, departs 16th April, 4 nights, 3 day cruise, with flights included, full board, guided excursions and transfers, from €699pps. www.traveldepartment.ie Emerald cruising

Uniworld `Portugal, Spain and Douro River Valley, 11 days, Lisbon to Porto, departs 12th November €2,959, pps. Flights not included. www.uniworld.ie Tulip times Tulip time in the Netherlands and Belgium is famous for good reason, and this 7 night 5 star luxury cruise with Amawaterways is an ideal way to enjoy it. Sunway is offering a `Tulip Time Cruise Special Offer,’ (Twin Share) on the AmaSonata, which ticks all the boxes for luxury. An advanced river cruise vessel, it has luxurious outside staterooms with complimentary in-room internet, plus gourmet food, inclusive wine and beverages, nightly entertainment, all meals on board, with Captain’s and Gala Dinners, plus inclusive shore excursions. They even have an onboard fleet of bikes! After a canal and harbour cruise in Amsterdam, you slip through the Dutch countryside, via Volendam, to cheese territory at Edam, with some sampling. Next comes the historic Arnhem, famed as `A Bridge Too Far’ with an option to visit the magnificent royal palace of Het Loo. Then it’s into Belgium, for Antwerp, famed for the seventeenth century artist Rubens, diamonds and fashion. You’ll enjoy a guided tour. The beautiful mediaeval Ghent comes next. After a walking tour, don’t miss the famous painting, the `Adoration of the Mystic Lamb,’ Cathedral altarpiece which has survived theft and requisition attempts. There is also an optional afternoon trip to Bruges. As the cruise progresses, more excursions offer a chance for a bike ride, and to see the windmills around lush Kinderdijks. However, springtime in the Netherlands means tulips. So, there is a stop for the famous Keukenhof Gardens, and its walks through 70 acres of beautiful bulbs. Then, it’s back to Amsterdam, for your flight home. Page 46 Senior Times March 2015

Why not take Le Boat....

Some of the best river cruising is, of course in our own backyard, and the Shannon Erne Waterway allows captains of their own charters to choose destinations. In terms of beauty and atmosphere, it’s all here. The views over the river meadows to Clonmacnoise remain similar to those seen by early pilgrims. Enjoy the local villages, welcoming pubs and good food en route, the sunrises and sunsets tinting the meadows and fields. Take in some fishing and birdwatching - or try to count the islands dotting Upper Lough Erne! Emerald Star as part of Le Boat, has a variety of vessels, off peak short break prices start from under €600 for a single cabin hire. Le Boat also offers a wide variety of cruiser hire on France’s Canal du Midi. Take in old Roman cities, walled Carcassonne, or Languedoc’s fertile landscape, river valleys, www.emeraldstar.ie All prices have been checked at time of publication. However, check your tour operators as special offers may now be fully subscribed. Routes/tours altered or prices changed. www.seniortimes.ie

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Cosmetics and Beauty

Putting a Spring in your step

Mairead Robinson suggests ways to look and feel your best this Spring.

are invaluable. Penny is a Mobile Complementary Therapist, ITEC Qualified, and will travel to your home, hotel or office in the greater Leinster area. What impressed me about Penny is the personal care and attention she gives to each of her clients. She is particularly sensitive to the needs of mature clients and includes Indian head massage and reflexology or hand massage as she tailors each treatment to the particular person. Most of her clients become regulars, and Penny has a very friendly manner that puts people at ease straight away.

Although it seems to come around sooner each year, there is nothing like the season of springtime to bring about a feeling of optimism and growth. When that sun comes out, the buds appear and days get brighter and longer, we find our energy increases and we begin to dust away the cobwebs of winter. Like the animals awakening from a winter of hibernation, this is the perfect

Page 48 Senior Times March 2015

Every treatment is preceded with a full consultation, and she brings everything to your house that is needed for a fully professional experience. You can contact Penny through www.pennyfanning.com or on 085-7881547.

time to treat our bodies to a little rejuvenation. Start with a good massage and facial and introduce juices into the diet to cleanse, detoxify and revive the system.

Spa treatment

While the diet part is easy, there are people who are housebound for various reasons and yet would love somebody to come to their home and give them a professional therapeutic massage. This is where the services of Penny Fanning

If you would like a deluxe spa treatment in a luxury hotel environment, then you will not do better than head down to Cork, to the wonderful Hayfield Manor Hotel. I recently experienced their Signature Treatment in their Beautique

www.seniortimes.ie

Food File

Good seafood at.. The aim of The Mourne Seafood Bar Dublin is to serve fresh locally sourced seafood at an affordable price and in wonderful surroundings. To ensure freshness they purchase direct from the fishermen of Annalong, Kilkeel, and Killybegs on a daily basis. Situated right on the canal basin Dublin, The Mourne Seafood Bar offers delicious food with spectacular views both day and night. The location could not be more convenient – directly across from the Marker Hotel and the Bord Gais Theatre, 5 mins walk from Pearse Street Dart Station, 15 mins walk to the Aviva Stadium, O2 Stadium, Connolly Station, the Convention Centre and town centre. Not to mention being only 5 mins drive from the Port Tunnel and 10 mins drive from the airport. With a public bar , The Dock Bar, is open from 5pm Tuesday to Saturday, and have a full Bar licence including a selection of Craft Draught and Bottled beers.

MOURNE SEAFOOD BAR CLASSICS Seafood Chowder Bowl Oysters au Natural Fish & Chips Mourne Seafood Casserole Moules Frites Roast Monkfish with Braised Ox Cheeks Grilled Irish Sole

€7.00 €10.00 €14.50 €18.00 €16.00 €19.00 €18.00

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..affordable prices

Tel: 00353 1 6688862 dublin@mourneseafood.com

Bring your complaints to the Ombudsman Ombudsman Peter Tyndall reminds people that they can contact his office if they are not happy with a public body’s response to their complaint. What does the Ombudsman do? The Ombudsman investigates complaints from members of the public who feel they have been unfairly treated by certain public bodies such as: Government

Departments and Offices, Health Service Executive (HSE), including public hospitals / health agencies providing services on behalf of the HSE, Local Authorities third level education bodies e.g. Universities, SUSI, a number of other bodies which are listed on our website - www.ombudsman.ie the

Our service is impartial, independent and free. We cannot take complaints about private bodies such as banks or insurance companies, private pension schemes, An Garda Síochána, An Post, the Labour Court, Bord Gáis and the ESB. How do I make a complaint? You can complain: by phone at LoCall 1890 22 30 30 or 01 639 5600, online on our website www.ombudsman.ie, by e mail to ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie, in writing, or in person, at the office at 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2 You must try and solve your problem with the public body concerned beforehand. If the body has an appeals process, please use this first. If this does not resolve the problem and you feel that the public body has not treated you fairly, then you can contact us.

Outreach Services In order to make the Ombudsman service more accessible staff from the Office visit Citizens Information Centres based in Cork, Limerick and Galway on a monthly basis to take complaints from members of the public. For more details on our Outreach services please check our website: www.ombudsman.ie

Spa. Starting with a visit to the pool and thermal area, I loved the outdoor hottub followed by a session in the steam room. It is a wonderful way to warm up the body prior to a massage. My therapist, Aoife, was very friendly and professional and I was quite happy to put myself literally in her capable hands for the hour and half during which I almost fell asleep at least twice! A full back-of-body massage was followed by a foot treatment and finished off with a luxurious anti-ageing facial. I relaxed adjacent to the pool area for a while, before heading over to the lounge in the hotel where I indulged in Afternoon Tea! Now while finger sandwiches, fresh scones with cream and jam followed by French Fancies might not be on the detox plan for early 2015, it was certainly worth every indulgent mouthful. This is a blissful treat to enjoy either alone or with a friend. You can get details of their packages on 021-4845900 or at www.hayfieldmanor.ie

Anti-ageing armoury

There are quite a lot of new products appearing on the shelves this year which will be a great addition to our anti-ageing armoury. It is just the time of year to get out of doors but you do need to protect your skin against the Irish weather if you want to slow down the ‘weather-beaten’ look. Clarins have just launched a great new product, UV Plus Anti-Pollution Day Screen which is designed to protect the skin not just from UV but also from the harmful effects of urban pollution. Alpine Sanicle extract is combined with cantaloupe melon extract, a powerful cellular-level antioxidant, to ensure that the skin is protected to a deeper level.

Page 50 Senior Times March 2015

The Beautique Spa at Hayfield Manor

This light ultra-fine texture is compatible with all skin care and make-up products and results in highly protected skin that always appears luminous, fresh and youthful. It also has an SPF of 50, so should be worn all year round. Another new product from Clarins is their super Teint Haute Tenue+ Everlasting Foundation. They have perfected their popular long-hold foundation to deliver even better comfort and coverage for a full 18 hours. This means you can look and feel great from dawn to dusk and you don’t have to think about touching-up your make-up at all.

cleansed skin followed by Q10 day or night cream. And don’t forget the Q10plus eye cream to minimise dark under-eye circles. You can find this powerhouse collection at your local chemist. Now what woman does not want fuller and more luscious lips? The sad reality is that as we age our lips get thinner, and so the prospect of them improving on their own is in itself, pretty thin. Until now, that is. Those clever people at NYX cosmetics have some great new lip liner pencils to emphasize your lips, butter gloss to make your lips look luscious, and my favourite hand-bag essential – the Jumbo lip pencil which is a lip liner and lipstick in one! These are really well priced too, starting at just €4.99 Another new product that I have become a fan of recently comes from Nuxe, a French brand that uses plants and nature as the base source of all their products. Nuxellence Detox is a detoxifying and youth revealing antiaging night cream using passion flower and silk tree to smooth and regenerate and revive a dull complexion. Night time is crucial for our skin because this is when the cells eliminate toxins. As we age, this process slows down and Nuxellence Detox boosts this purification and cell renewal process so that in the morning the skin looks fresh and radiant.

Well-loved brand Nivea know all about smoothing out the appearance of existing wrinkles and helping delay new ones with their specialist anti-wrinkle products. Their Q10plus range have just launched a new product marking a new era in combating wrinkles – the Q10plus Anti-Wrinkle Serum Pearls which contain the highest-ever dose of coenzyme Q10 It should be applied directly onto

Do contact me at mairead.seniorbeauty@gmail.com if you have tried this or any of the other products mentioned, and let me know how you get on. I have had a few emails from people who have had positive results with Renu 28, which was showcased at the Over 50s Show in Dublin last year. It is an exciting time to be ageing with so many great products becoming available to us! Added to these your lifestyle is a major factor, so do get out in the fresh air, enjoy a good diet and nights sleep, and step into spring with a smile.

www.seniortimes.ie

Care

No place like home.. Home care is becoming increasingly popular as a much preferred option to a nursing home. Aine O’Connor examines some of the services available Knowing that you need more support just to live your daily life can be a shock that takes months to resolve or a crippling realisation that defies your understanding and presents anxieties from moment to moment that you’ve never had to cope with before. Getting a definitive diagnosis, or spotting a bizarre change in a loved one’s usual behaviour can be the start of an Alice in Wonderland adventure you’d prefer was kept as a charming children’s entertainment, rather than a set of challenges you’ve to add to your daily bag of tricks. Finding your feet in the maze of private and public healthcare, in addition to that diagnosis and its implications for your family’s wellbeing and progress can be daunting, and particularly difficult when it’s a disease or out-of-the-blue tragic accident you’re hoping to learn to live with. At first glance there’s a mind-numbing array of services available to you that you must whittle away at to find the combination of assistance that best suits your needs. Homecare providers throughout the country can give you practical help and advice in the bugbears that accompany our Golden Years, such as limited mobility or lesser physical strength and their new compensations, right up to managing medical issues that interfere with tasks we took for granted before, such as washing, cleaning, or accomplishing the maintenance jobs around the house and garden. Of the more established names in home care assistance around Ireland, some of the bigger franchises that have become so because of experience over the years will have specific familiarity with the particular set of physical, spiritual and financial issues that recur in pensioners’ needs. They will also have access to the pathways you’ll need to consider for www.seniortimes.ie

sudden complications that you may have to factor in to your routine if someone else in the family needs care too. Bluebird Care Ireland’s list of questions you should consider before choosing the team that’s right for your circumstances are available in a handy, downloadable app for your smartphone. It takes in everything about the complexity of your family’s needs, such as having two or three layers of special needs to accommodate. Say for instance, you’re working and your regular interaction with your children and grandchildren needs the flexibility you’ve carefully built in over the years to be maintained. You’ll need a team that can slip in and out of your family life without restricting your ability to cope. Bluebird’s expertise has distilled the issues to five simple areas: 1. Identify the primary issues affecting you. Perhaps you need pre or post-operative care to slot into a routine that already caters to the care of adults or children with physical, sensory or intellectual disability. 2. Has the company you’re considering got all its infrastructure properly set up? Apart from the prerequisites of a caring, friendly nature, how can you judge their competencies? 3. Can you readily question and satisfy yourself that the company is offering the best value for money your circumstances demand? 4. Your circumstances will fluctuate to include other services they may provide, so how flexible can your relationship with them be over time? 5. Will you have a clear access to not just the carer who visits and helps your loved one in their home, but to the carer’s su Senior Times March 2015 Page 51

It depends on where you start the journey, so to speak. You could be managing very well in your own home but an expected stay in hospital doesn’t have the outcome you’d prefer and you may need the services of a physio as well as a new layer of help in ordinary housekeeping. Comfort Keepers Home Care can first meet with your family either in your home or in hospital before you get back there, to decide what’s needed next.

perviser and the accounts department when you need to discuss any snags along the line, and to the right person at the right time in an emergency.

The Client Care Manager will be happy to get as clear a picture as possible how you accomplish your current level of independence during that first meeting, assess the level of change in that routine and begin the process of finding the best carer for those circumstances.

Have a look at Bluebird’s Safe at Home series of seminars that are free to attend and offer the bonus of time spent together with others in your situation. Often run in conjunction with a Gards’ representative to offer tips on keeping your security habits up to date, you could also find newer gadgets more suited to your immediate needs that you can test for ease of use over the course of the day.

Along the same lines as the other trusted nationwide networks of home care teams, the Comfort Keepers’ policy is to keep the person and their individualised care plan at the heart of everything they do, from the assistance they provide through the carer while in your home, to helping with securing the entitlements that may be available either through the health service or the revenue’s tax relief.

The Safe at Home seminars are conducted sporadically throughout the country, but when burglary or something like a new fear of answering the door becomes a topic of conversation for your family member, it’s a day trip to consider taking your concerned parent to. They get reminders and reassurances of their actual security and you both find out how to use the new gadget at the same time. Not to mention the enjoyment to be had in spending the time together on the journey there and back.

The flexibility built in to your own family’s coping strategies can be complemented by the regular reviews of the level of changing needs. You may be concerned about getting the operation you need in hospital having seen the news reports of how there were now more than 6,300 people awaiting operations in January 2015 in comparison to 183 this time last year. Or you may be anxious about being caught in a sort of twilight zone between hospital and nursing home and fret over what it will cost.

Comfortkeepers approach to providing assistance at home has been developed through experience to have all of those concerns addressed from the start. From the moment you get in touch with one of their offices throughout the country to see what service will best suit your situation, you will be able to rely on their knowledge and skills. You can make an appointment to see one of their Client Care Managers – who’s either from a nursing or social work background – and they can come out to the home to assess the right level of care, and outline what tasks or activities you can expect the carer to complete.

It also emerged that while the waiting time involved in being admittted to a nursing home after hospital care had fallen to just under three months for 1,196 of those on the waiting list, it was expected to rise to five months’ wait later this year. Social Care Minister Kathleen Lynch told the Joint Oreachtas Committee on Health and Children in February that a review of the nursing home scheme will look at different ways to fund care for those already in it, and those due to receive it. There were 22,151 existing residents whose care is state subsidised, another 745 who were awaiting transfer to a nursing home,

Promoting independent living at home and in the community By 2021 there will be 800,000 people over the age of 65 in Ireland. We are an ageing population but we are also a healthier population and many of us can expect to live well into our 80s and 90s. But as the years pass we may need more support to help us live independently. Studies have shown that people want to remain at home for as long as possible. And today this can be achieved. Homecare in Ireland is a growing market as more people choose to live at home to maintain their independence. Bluebird Care provides care across Ireland for people of all ages and varying degrees of ability. Page 52 Senior Times March 2015

There are also very many people who have a life-long disability or experience a life-changing event that requires long-term care. Bluebird Care’s range of specialised care and support services enables individuals and families chooose a care plan that is right for them whether on a short-term or long-term basis.

children with complex needs and disability and dementia care.

Operations Director with Blubird Care Eddie O’Toole says, “The appeal of Bluebird Care is that the services provided can make a real and positive contribution to people’s lives.

Bluebird Care invests significantly in quality standards, education and training, technology and partnerships with other organisations. This was recognised when they won the 2014 Q Mark Business Group of the Year award. They are also the first franchised homecare company in Ireland to have all its offices Q Mark certified.

“People can be slow to make vital decisions about care, but there is nothing to fear. In fact our experience shows that it has very positive outcomes and dramatically improves family situations. We offer a diverse range of services from older persons care, care of

“We also help people recuperate after surgery or illness. Homecare is a realistic and cost effective alternative to nursing home care and there are significant tax reliefs available from it also.”

For more information on their broad range of services visit www.bluebirdcare.ie. www.seniortimes.ie

DUBLIN: DN6, DN7, DN8 Block B, 3rd Floor, Joyce’s Court, Talbot Street Dublin 1, 01 879 7777 DUBLIN: DSE1, DSE2, DSW3, DSW4, DSW5 Nutgrove Office Park, Dublin 14, 01 296 9114 WICKLOW & SOUTH EAST:, Broomhill Enterprise Park, Rathnew, Co Wicklow. 0404 31084 CARLOW, KILKENNY & WATERFORD: The Quays, New Ross, Co Waterford, 051 448308 GALWAY: Liosban Industrial Estate, Tuam Road, Galway, 091 455100

LIMERICK, CLARE, N.TIPPERARY, Charlotte House, Charlotte Quay, Limerick, 061 317712 CORK: Melbourne Business Park, Model Farm Road, Cork 021 4341961 LOUTH, MEATH, CAVAN, MONAGHAN: John Street, Ardee, Co.Louth, 041 687 1002 KILDARE: Naas Industrial Estate, Naas, Kildare, 045 874725

Q Mark National Award Winner

2013

Comfort Keepers: Home Care Provider of the Year Paul Kavanagh, Sales and Marketing Department comments: ‘Comfort Keepers is the only home care provider to be awarded the ISO 9001, Healthmark and Q Mark, certifications for our adherence to the highest standards of care provision. We are also the proud winners of the Q Mark Home Care Provider of the Year award.‘Comfort Keepers is ranked No.1 for Enhanced Home Care packages by HSE in all areas that we cover. ‘At Comfort Keepers our mission is to provide your loved one with the highest quality of life that is achievable. We treat each of our clients with the respect and dignity they deserve, as though we were caring for a member of our own family’. Comfort Keepers is a founder member of Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI). Comfort Keepers, Block B, 3rd Floor, Joyce's Court, Talbot Street, Dublin 1. Phone +353 1 892 1314. Mobile +353 86 836 2544 www.comfortkeepers.ie and 100 new patients a week being added to the waiting list. When you’re assessing what level of home care assistance is best for you, look for things that underpin good communications between everyone concerned, be it you and your children, and you and your homecare team, such as the Comfort Keepers’ telemonitoring scheme and the care journal, both of which are done from your home. The security of knowing you’re the main focus of a carer’s day or week through your care plan is one of the bonuses of having a familiar person do the needful on an ongoing basis once you get home from hospital or convalescent care. Respite Care Respite care is accessed in an integrated schedule or care plan when your microclimate or family eco-system is reaching the end of its elasticity. That’s the theory. The actual, nitty-gritty of practical, reliable help isn’t so easy to encapsulate, but either you or your dependent loved one may be eligible and you should first look to your current provider for help with your options. Another well-established network of care in your home may be your first point of call. Called Home Instead Senior Care, it doesn’t just cater to seniors. Its nationwide network of homecare teams also have experience in respite care for all age groups. As a spokesperson for Home Instead Senior Care told Senior Times: ‘Women, especially, are trying to balance the care of their parents with the responsibilities of parenting, a fulltime job, community and volunteer activities and more.’ When you as a man are the family caregiver you’ll equally feel the anxiety that you could “eventually run out of hours in the day,” or see the stress become too great and the balance broken. Building a relationship with an experienced organization that’s dedicated to the implementation of your loved ones’ needs, or to use sporting terms, can play to their strengths can be the first action you need to take. Getting in touch with Home Instead Senior Care can be your gateway to connecting with local voluntary services, or to sharing the time you volunteer with your family member with others who have the same concerns as you. At the very least connecting with Home Instead Senior Care, either through downloadable apps on their website, or keeping abreast of the issues affecting pensioners with hints and tips published on their social media platforms, you can gradually find the balance of help and independence that suits you now. Page 54 Senior Times March 2015

Helping older people to live independently Home Instead Senior Care is Ireland’s leading home care provider, helping older people live a happy, healthy and independent life at home. The organisation tries to match older people and professional caregivers who have similar interests and hobbies to create a more personal, and relationship-based home care service. The focus is placed more on the individual rather than the basic home care tasks. “A client-caregiver relationship is a long-term commitment and if the client is not completely content we will substitute the caregiver. We want to help older people live at home and maintain their independence, so it is of the utmost importance to us that the right caregiver has been selected. To us, home care is personal,” says Ed Murphy, CEO of Home Instead Senior Care. For more information on home care services or to apply for a role as a caregiver visit www.HomeInstead.ie or call 1890 930 013.

All-round home care for all ages Myhomecare provides all types of homecare from vulnerable newborns to adults requiring round-the-clock nursing care at home, with offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway & Dundalk they provide these services on a nationwide basis. “At Myhomecare we take a holistic approach to caring for people in their own home, because that is the model of care that works best, our home care services are designed to promote independent living at home and we are available 24 hours a day to support our clients” according to Blathnait NiMhurchu National Homecare Manager. “A lot of people don’t realise how the home-care system works and that they may be entitled to get some care hours which may be funded by the HSE or other organisations.” “Our Home care packages are very cost-effective and we simplify the entire process by working with our clients every step of the way. We will make contact with the relevant services to help you assess your entitlements. If someone has a need for home-care, there is support available depending on their circumstances, maybe additional financial support. But it’s important that they make contact with us,” adds Blathnait. To find out how Myhomecare can help you live independently at home -Freephone 1800 400 900 W: www.myhomecare.ie www.seniortimes.ie

THE CARE YOU NEED IN THE HOME YOU LOVE Provider of Care for Older Persons GET IN TOUCH TODAY

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CLARE clare@bluebirdcare.ie 065 6868222

WEST CORK / KERRY kerrywestcork@bluebirdcare.ie 023 8820402 / 066 7104015

LIMERICK limerick@bluebirdcare.ie 061 481208

EAST CORK / TIPPERARY tipperary@bluebirdcare.ie 021 4224343 / 052 6188080

WATERFORD ckw@bluebirdcare.ie 051 591783

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Golf

Settling old scores The formidable Dr Frank Barney Gorton Stableford. He was an excellent golfer and played off a handicap of plus-one in 1907 when capturing the club championship at Royal Porthcawl. Earlier he had served as a surgeon in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and spent some years in South Africa. When his medical career brought him to Wallasey, he joined the golf club in 1914.

Most golf historians would have us believe that the Stableford scoring system was launched at the Wallasey club on Merseyside in the 1930s. In fact, the good doctor unveiled his brainchild as far back as 1898.

The Stableford system is familiar to all golfers, but who invented it? Dermot Gilleece traces the remarkable life of one Dr Frank Barney Gorton Stableford In one of his many enlightened moments, the distinguished scribe, Henry Longhurst, once observed: "I doubt whether any single man did more to increase the pleasure of the humble club golfer." He was referring to Dr Frank Barney Gorton Stableford, inventor of golf’s Stableford scoring system whereby a player, when finished a round, could proclaim without shame that he had scored 25 points, rather than having to admit to the embarrassment of carding 104. For those unfamiliar with the system, it offered a lifeline to the less competent practitioner who invariably fell foul of the established strokes process. As in a player who could cover five, six or seven successive holes in one or two over par, only to plummet at the next to a horrendous 10, or even worse. Effectively, Dr Stableford removed the fear of such disasters, without compromising the overall merit of a player’s performance. Most golf historians would have us believe that the Stableford scoring system was launched at the Wallasey club on Merseyside in the 1930s. In fact, the good doctor unveiled his brainchild as far back as 1898, though it was 1990 before the information came to light. And it happened when a yellowed cutting was unearthed during research for the centenary history of the Glamorganshire club. The “South Wales Daily News” was reporting on the club's first autumn meeting on September 30th, 1898. Page 56 Senior Times March 2015

A golf-writing friend of mine and former sports editor of “The Observer”, Peter Corrigan, had been engaged as the club’s historian when he came across the cutting. In the event, a footnote to the scores in a club bogey competition read: "A special prize was given by Dr Stableford in connection with the foregoing event, the method of scoring being as follows: Each competitor plays against bogey level. If the hole is lost by one stroke only, the player scores one; if it is halved, the player scores two; if it is won by one stroke, the player scores three; and if by two strokes, the player scores four. To the score thus made, one-third of the player's medal handicap is added ...." Though the inventor never admitted it, there we had the first Stableford competition which, incidentally, was won by a certain W Hastings with the splendid score of 42 points. The good doctor, who was a very capable golfer in his own right, didn't play, but the newspaper report proved that he had come up with a prototype of his scoring system, 33 years earlier than he had asserted at Wallasey GC. As a consequence of Corrigan's endeavours. Glamorganshire GC promptly announced itself as the birthplace of the Stableford system. "When they read my record," he said, "Wallasey members were indignant, and the relationship between the two clubs was feisty." However in 1998, on the 100th birthday of the tournament Stableford held using his scoring system, the two golf clubs declared peace. Each took partial credit for Stableford's www.seniortimes.ie

scoring method which, it could be said, was conceived at one and tweaked at the other. And as a measure of that bonhomie, members of both clubs meet each year in a tournament named in Stableford’s honour at which they toast the innovator’s health. It is not known whether the system, which crucially recognised that one bad hole could ruin a round in most other forms of scoring at that time (V-Par had yet to be adopted), was tried again before it was resurrected decades later. Either way, its objective remained unchanged. As captain of Glamorganshire GC in 1995, Bob Edwards made an exhaustive study of Stableford and his family. In the process, he commissioned a portrait of the doctor which now hangs in the grand Tudor clubhouse. He also organised a memorial plaque at the first tee, with the high cliffs of Penarth in the distance. Meanwhile, on the reintroduction of his system on May 16th, 1932, the only change Stableford made was that competitors added their full handicap to the points gained off scratch, which meant that it no longer favoured the better player. Initially, Wallasey officials were sceptical about what had been described as “the crazy doctor's new system." But the players loved it, so much so that Wallasey members elected Stableford their captain in 1933.

and a par delivered no point. For a birdie, however, the player received two points, and an eagle brought five points. The ultimate reward was eight points for an albatross. “He would have adored the tournament,” was the verdict of Royal and Ancient member, John MacDonald, who had met Dr Stableford. "He talked about how The Open should try his scoring system." Born in 1870 in the English midlands, Stableford became a doctor when he was 24 and moved to Cardiff where he joined Glamorganshire Golf Club before going off to the Boer War. Tall and handsome, he was described as having "penetrating blue eyes which had a habit of focusing attention away from companions". He was an excellent golfer and played off a handicap of plus-one in 1907 when capturing the club championship at Royal Porthcawl. Earlier he had served as a surgeon in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and spent some years in South Africa. When his medical career brought him to Wallasey, he joined the golf club in 1914.

As a lasting tribute, Wallasey introduced "The Frank Stableford Open Amateur Memorial Trophy" in 1969. Naturally, it is played as a Stableford competition and has become a major event in the amateur golfing calendar. On a broader level, the system gained huge popularity through Britain and Ireland to the extent that it would be difficult to find a club these days where at least one regular weekly competition is not played under the Stableford system. The Americans, however, needed a lot more convincing.

During the 1914-18 War he served in Italy and Malta as a major with the RAMC and after receiving several commendations, was later promoted to colonel, though his golf handicap had eased out from three to seven. He returned to Wallasey after the war, and records of 1922 show that his handicap had risen to eight. There, he became a familiar, flamboyant figure, driving a yellow Rolls Royce and wearing bright bow ties.

In the early 1980s Jack Vickers employed Jack Nicklaus to design him a course at Castle Pines in Denver, Colorado. And when Vickers petitioned the PGA for an annual professional tournament, he was told the response would be positive, provided he came up with an attractive format. That’s when the owner’s brother, Bobby, came up with a variant of the Stableford system.

At the grand old age of 89 in 1959, he was shocked to learn that he was going blind. So it was that on a September evening, having played his customary round of golf at Wallasey, he returned home and settled with pipe and brandy into a leather chair in his study. He then wrote a note, took out his gun and shot himself in the head.

The International tournament was launched in 1986, with a scoring system slanted heavily towards aggressive play. Under the so-called Vickers system, carding a double-bogey or higher meant the loss of three points; one point was lost for a bogey

Having decided years earlier that golf’s scoring system wasn’t fair, he appears to have come to the same conclusion about life itself. But not before leaving club golfers with a wonderful legacy.

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Senior Times March 2015 Page 57

Northern Notes By Debbie Orme

Sam McBratney: 'On the whole though I would say that my interest in children's literature just derives from the fact that I am basically an introspective character, and I could hardly ever know what I was thinking until I saw it written down.’

Amazingly, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of one of the most successful children's books of all time! 'Guess How Much I Love You' was written by County Down former teacher, Sam McBratney and, while the book may have gone on to sell more than 28 million copies, Senior Times interviewed Sam recently and found that his prolific literary output shows no signs of slowing down any time soon! How did this unassuming Lisburn man unlock the door to global literary success? Born in 1943 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sam and his family were forced to evacuate their home near the city's shipyards after a heavy aerial bombardment by German planes. They subsequently settled in nearby Lisburn, where Sam's father was a compositor at the local newspaper and where he attended Friends' School Lisburn before enrolling at Trinity College, Dublin. After graduating with honours in both modern history and political science, Sam married, and started a family, earning his living as a primary and secondary school teacher. All the while, however, he held on to his dream of becoming a writer, and published children's books as a part-time author for fifteen years. 'I'd always had an inclination to be a writer,' Sam told Senior Times, 'and I was a great reader when I was young. But I grew up in the early 50s and times were hard. I mean, I probably didn't eat a banana until I was about eleven, you know. If you went down to the shop for a packet of sweets you had to have a ration coupon; you didn't just hand over your threepenny bit! You had to have a little coupon, which entitled you to buy the sweets as well. 'Things were scarce, including books, so my early reading was Zane Gray westerns, mainly because my father was a great fan of Zane Gray. I loved reading westerns and he would leave them

Page 58 Senior Times March 2015

Sam’s childrens books rack up 28 million sales lying about the house and I would pick them up and read them. 'That's how I got into books, but, as things became gradually readily more available - specifically for children - I managed to get books like Enid Blyton's series of books, the Ship of Adventure and all that. 'On the whole, though, I would say that my interest in children's literature just derives from the fact that I am basically an introspective character, and I could hardly ever know what I was thinking until I saw it written down, you know. 'Even at Trinity I used to carry kind of a book about with me where I would record all my thoughts about Trinity College and about life. After Trinity, I wrote a series of articles about local history, because I had trained as a historian, and I published my first book in 1976. Since then I have been writing books for children of all ages: the first being the Mark Time book in 1976, which was billed as a fast-moving story set in Northern Ireland.' Although Sam has written more than 100 books - and continues to do so - it was the 1996 publication of Guess How Much I Love You that was to bring him global fame. The book is a simple bedtime tale about a father and son rabbit who try to 'best each other' with how much each loves the other. Little Nutbrown Hare, partly serious and partly attempting to postpone the inevitable bedtime, tells his father that he loves him as high as he can reach, to which the father replies that he loves his son as high as he can reach. That would seem to clinch it, until the little hare tells his father he loves him right up to the moon. With his goodnight kiss, however, Papa Hare wins: 'I love you right up to the moon - and back,' he ends. This simple nursery game, enhanced by Anita Jeram's

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watercolours, hit just the right note with the picture-book set. 'McBratney's book is more than a bedtime tale for children,' said Prue Goodwin, writing in School Librarian at the time. 'It is also a book for any adult who wants a reminder of those magic moments spent with a child before the world intrudes on their relationship and changes it forever.'

Bags of Belfast style

The idea for Guess came from a visit that Sam made to his publisher in London. 'She suggested to me that I try a picture book,' Sam continues. 'I had always thought you needed to know an illustrator to write aÂ picture book but the way she put it to me was that, while they can find plenty of people who can draw anything, there are few people who can write a powerful story using hardly any words at all. So I just thought, well, I'm an old pro, so I'll give it a go. 'I went back to a little fragment of an idea that I had used in an earlier book and I thought I really liked that little episode that would make a lovely picture book.' That 'lovely picture book' went on to sell a million copies within the first year and since then, a further 27 million copies have been sold around the world. And it hasn't finished yet! A little while ago, Walker Books in London informed Sam that a Latin American country, working with the government and operating within the confines I suppose of a social programme type of thing, ordered one million copies of Guess How Much I Love You!' When Sam wroteÂ Guess How Much I Love You, did he realise that it was such a universal story? 'I did come to see how universal it was,' he says. 'It travels everywhere. I can imagine Miriam could have been playing Guess How Much I Love You with little Moses on the banks of the Nile, you know. The only thing that dates it in Anita's drawings: there were no clothes, there's no furniture, there are no knives and forks, there are no tables. It's just two hares in a field and a strand of barbed wire. Timeless!' The success of Guess comes from the fact that, in 395 words, it simply and succinctly sums up a significant moment of interaction between a big one and a wee one; a parent and child, and it's the emotional content that struck a note with readers.

It is the abilities of the workers and not their disabilities that have led to the creation of a fantastic range of quality goods and, from these operations, has grown the popularity of the fantastic range of satchels from the Vintage Satchel Company.

Designer bags are often associated with names such as Burberry and Prada, but buried deep in the heart of West Belfast, one long-established company is now producing a range of bags to rival those which appear on the catwalk!

'My editor once warned me about writing picture books. She said, 'people think it's easy, Sam, but it's not easy', and it certainly wasn't. In fact, it took me six months to write those 395 words and, for those six months, every word I wrote was fighting for its place on the page. It was such a different writing experience than writing say 80,000 words. The discipline is so different. The name of the 'hero', if you like, in the picture book is going to be repeated so often, 'said Little Nutbrown Hare', 'said Big Nutbrown Hare', so I had to get that right. That's why it took a long time. I knew I didn't want it to be bears because there were a lot of bear stories about at that time, and I was just sitting in the kitchen one day when from somewhere in that remote land between the ears out popped Little Nutbrown Hare. And where that came from I have no idea, but it's just so perfect.'

The Vintage Satchel Company has been in operation since 1962 and little has changed since it produced its first satchel. Even though the company continues to perfect its work with small adjustments, the quality of the bags is as good as it was in the early Sixties.

Now in his Seventies, Sam McBratney is enjoying 'retirement' in the company of his wife and children, but he still continues to indulge himself in his passion for writing. Despite his global success, however, his trademark wit continues unabated.

Vintage Satchel Company is part of Ulster Sheltered Employment Limited, which was first established in 1962 under the aegis of the then Ministry of Labour and National Insurance to provide wage-earning employment in sheltered conditions for disabled persons other than those who suffered from blindness.

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Based in Cambrai Street, which runs between the Shankill and Crumlin Roads, each of the company's six collections is named in such a way as to be instantly recognised by the North's capital residents. The 'Millie' collection - named after the women used to work in the local mill - features a beautiful Tote bag with its iconic satchel buckle, detailing and structured shape, while the Hobson collection is named after Mary Hobson, who founded the Workshops for the Blind.....and it's that connection that is the key to what makes Vintage Satchel Company particularly special!

Senior Times March 2015 Page 59

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The'Millie' collection - named after the women used to work in the local mill - features a beautiful Tote bag with its iconic satchel buckle, detailing and structured shape,

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The Vintage Satchel Company is based in Cambrai Street

Fortunately, the Workshops for the Blind in Lawnbrook Avenue, off the Shankill Road in Belfast had surplus premises which they were able to rent to USEL, beginning a relationship which flourished over the years to the advantage of both blind and non-blind disabled persons. This relationship was finally formalised in 1980, with financial support from the new Department of Manpower Services when USEL purchased the Workshops for the Blind factory and other buildings and assumed responsibility for all the blind workers, as well as the existing labour force. Since then, through its manufacturing and service operation, USEL employs more than 80 severely disabled people, who make a range of products including divan beds, specialised equipment hold-alls (such as for Fire and Rescue Services), sports bags and wheelchair cushions.

Senior Times is packed with information on health, finance, travel, hobbies and pastimes, nostalgia, and much, much more! For just €36 you can have 8 issues of Senior Times delivered to your door. Senior Times is published every two months. COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW. YOU CAN PAY BY CHEQUE OR PO MADE PAYABLE TO SENIOR TIMES I would like to subscribe to Senior Times for 8 issues New subscriber RENEWAL NAME………………………………………………………………………………... ADDRESS…………………………………………………………………………….

It is however, the abilities of the workers and not their disabilities that have led to the creation of a fantastic range of quality goods and, from these operations, has grown the popularity of the fantastic range of satchels from the Vintage Satchel Company.

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Having previously focused simply on production of quality goods, VSC is now raising its profile through its online shop, which, it hopes, will show that bags of a similar quality to those of well-established companies, such as Cambridge Satchel Company, are readily available from Northern Ireland! We wish them luck!

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Health

Smile without worrying It’s never too late to invest in yourself; in your quality of life and your confidence. One of your greatest assets is your smile, yet many Irish people over the age of 50 are reliant on dentures; a legacy of the years when dentists yanked out teeth at the slightest provocation. For this reason, many people have been forced to wear dentures for a number of years, with all the attendant problems. Dentures limit your food choices as they are difficult to keep in place, so any tough, crunchy or sticky foods present a challenge. All Dentures become loose over time When you lose a tooth, the gum in the area immediately begins to recede. Dentures may fit well enough initially, but as the gum continues to shrink where teeth are missing, all dentures become loose and begin to move around in the mouth. Dentures are simply a foreign object placed in your mouth with the hope of staying in place. They just become looser and more unpredictable. Apples become your enemy; juicy steak a fond memory. Dentures impede your ability to speak clearly, and the fear of them slipping out unexpectedly becomes an ever-present worry. You become slave to your dentures. Dental implants are the answer for people tired of wearing ill-fitting dentures or hiding their smile because of damaged or unsightly teeth. Dental technology has moved on in leaps and bounds since the days of extracting teeth for the most spurious of reasons, and dental implants are now the gold standard for replacing missing teeth to give you the most comfortable, natural and functional results. Dental implants can change your life Oral Surgeon Specialist Dr. Kadar, of Smile Store – The Dental Specialists in Cork, explains “A dental implant is a little titanium post that is placed directly into the jaw. It acts like an artificial tooth root, and we can then place a restoration on it – crowns, bridges or dentures. We customise the implant for you, depending on your needs. In the case of dentures, we can insert two or more implants at the same time, positioning them perfectly in your jaw. It will take a www.seniortimes.ie

few months for your gum to heal over the implant and for it to become integrated into your own jawbone, during which time we supply you with temporary dentures. Once the implants has fused and healed, we then place the appropriate restoration on them. As your dentures, crowns or bridges are now anchored securely on top of the implants, they will look, feel and function exactly like natural teeth.” It would seem like an obvious choice to make for denture wearers- but many people are told they simply do not have enough bone left in their jaw to be a candidate for dental implants. This is due to the bone receding away from the time you first lost the tooth, and many dentists practices will tell you there is insufficient bone remaining in your jaw to hold an implant. Advanced technology helps people who have been turned away elsewhere Smile Store – The Dental Specialists can help. They are one of the few dental practices in Ireland to own an iCat Cone Beam CT Scanner, a highly advanced machine that allows the surgeon a 3-D view of the interior jaw structures. This enables him to perform a bone augmentation procedure, which involves grafting (adding) bone or bonelike materials to the jaw, building it up so you can have dental implants placed. Dr. Kadar can help those with very flat or diminished bone, giving new hope to people who have been turned away else where. Once the dental implants are in place, they will take a few months to fuse with

your jaw in a process known as osseointegration, after which time your new customised restoration can be affixed atop the now solidly anchored implants. Up to 67% savings mean affordable dental implants As one of Ireland’s largest and most successful all - specialist dental practices, Smile Store – The Dental Specialists can offer the kind of prices people used to travel abroad to find. Their fees offer up to 67% savings on average local prices, and up to 20% on foreign treatments, eliminating the need for rushed or risky procedures. Now known throughout the country as the experts in dental implant surgery, Smile Store – The Dental Specialists are a high volume practice who have the power of bulk purchasing which allows them to pass the savings onto their patients. They use only the highest quality materials; offer several choices in implant types and restorations, and ensure that aftercare is always available to patients. They take the responsibility for your wellbeing very seriously and are dedicated to giving you the best quality of life, with a beautiful, healthy new smile. Give yourself the gift of dental implants and you can enjoy meals out with family, unlimited food choices and smile without ever having to worry about your dentures again. Live your life to the full - you deserve it.

The Dental Specialists Call Smile Store – The Dental Specialists on 021 432 0004 www.smilestore.ie Senior Times March 2015 Page 61

Travel

At the captain’s table.. Mairead Robinson was bowled over by her recent cruise experience, and even met Captain Cook

As Rod Stewart’s famous song goes, ‘through stormy waters’, we did have a night or two of those as we crossed the Bay of Biscay, but found our sea legs pretty quickly and it did not deter us from enjoying gourmet food and cocktails!

We were off for a twelve day cruise from Southampton with P&O Cruises on board the Oriana, and by day three at sea we were sailing serenely towards the blue waters of the Mediterranean. Our journey began with a ninety minute flight from Dublin to Southampton, and after a spot of shopping we took a taxi to the port where our ship awaited. The check-in process was swift and pain Page 62 Senior Times March 2015

Mairead, centre, and friend meet Captain Cook

less and soon we were making our way to our home for the next twelve days - a deluxe balcony cabin with floor to ceiling glass doors. The cabin was more spacious and comfortable than we had anticipated, a large wardrobe gave us plenty of space for all our clothes and shoes (we were two females, so there were lots of

shoes!), and we even fitted the suitcases at the back of the wardrobe. We had all the details that you would expect in a five star hotel room including robes and slippers, and our cabin was made up twice daily, including chocolates on the pillow at the turn-down service. We even had tea/coffee making facilities and biscuits replaced each day. And so to the food – this was a real highwww.seniortimes.ie

light of the cruise. For those who cruise regularly, the concepts of “Club Dining” and “Freedom Dining” will be familiar and these were on offer in the two main restaurants respectively, The Oriental and The Peninsula. With the same menu available in both, we opted for the second sitting in the Oriental at 8.30, and so each evening our table was waiting for us and our friendly waiters Kevin and Dinesh and wine waiter Ferdy, looked after us brilliantly. They soon learnt our preferences, and knew when we wanted more of this or less of that before we even knew it ourselves! Each dinner was a five course treat, with plenty of choice and variety and regular favourites always included. From the home-made breads to the Petit Fours, it was fine dining every night. By day we enjoyed breakfast and lunch, and indeed Afternoon Tea, in the Peninsular Restaurant which also offered white linen service. We met so many different people at these meal times, exchanged stories and picked up lots of information from ‘cruise regulars’, some of whom had done the three and four month world cruises. For those who prefer a more casual dining ambiance, The Conservatory Restaurant offered self-service buffets throughout the day, with plentiful choices from breakfast through to dinner.

We however like the more formal and fancy occasion, allowing us an opportunity to put on the glamour and with three Black Tie Dinners, we were in our element. The Captain’s Party and Gala Dinner was a fabulous affair, as was our visit to Marco Pierre White’s Ocean Grill Restaurant. This speciality restaurant is a ‘must do’ as the dishes are sublime, and for a small supplement, £12.50, you can enjoy a seafood lovers dream- mixed grill brochette – a huge platter of cod, salmon, prawns, scallops and squid with the famous triple-cooked chips and Hollandaise Sauce. The fillet steak, dry aged on the bone for 28 days, was also a large plate of food that took some Page 64 Senior Times March 2015

determination to finish. Portions are exceptionally generous in this gourmet dining restaurant, and we had been forewarned, so we wisely decided to forgo the afternoon Tea on that day. We also visited Sorrento, an Italian speciality restaurant with great classics, such as Saltimbocca alla Romana which I loved. Spectacular food With all the spectacular food on board, I was interested to hear about the executive chef, and was delighted to meet Darren Deegan from Sligo who gave us a tour of the galley and explained how he oversees the preparation of 12,000 meals each day. With around 1,850 passengers and a crew of over 800, the ship carries 150 tons of food and beverage for the twelve day cruise. I was delighted to learn that much of the meat is Irish, and our farmhouse cheeses also figure on the impressive cheese boards. Storage is strictly controlled, everything is spick and span and timing is precision to deliver the first class service. Besides eating, there is plenty to do on board during the sea days: dancing, quizzes, talks, bingo, demonstrations, library, casino, shopping, the spa and the gym and by night the entertainment is renowned. We loved the opera singer Roy Locke and the comedian John Evans and the Oriana Orchestra were consistently excellent. Every evening the Horizon newspaper was delivered which included all the details for the following day from the port information if we were docking, to the entertainment, day’s activities, weather, the night’s dress code, what was on in the cinema to the daily recommended cocktail. Cruise destinations And finally to our cruise destinations. It might sound like we never left the ship, and indeed days spent at sea passed blissfully, some even poolside when the sun was shining. We did spend our first shore day at Madeira where the temperature was a lovely 24 degrees (it was 14 when we left Southampton) and the following day on the island of La Palma. The next day it was the little island of La Gomera (temperature was 26 degrees) and this was my favourite destination. The island is so unspoilt, and most people reach it by ferry from Tenerife, which is where we docked the following day. Santa Cruz in the north of

Can someone peel me a grape?

Tenerife – unlike the tourist resorts on the south-west of the island – is a great place for shopping and for sampling local tapas. That evening we sailed north again and after another relaxing sea day we arrived at Lisbon. Here the weather proved a bit ‘Irish’ and as it was lashing rain we did not linger at the shops but looked out the windows from the bus at the interesting castles and churches. Fortunately I have visited this city previously, including the seaside villages of Estoril and Cascais and so I was happy enough to return to the comfort of the ship in the early afternoon. Two more days at sea as Oriana made steady progress towards Southampton where on the way we glimpsed dolphins frolicking in the water in the distance using the binoculars on our balcony. We also got to visit the bridge, which was fascinating and like being in the cockpit of a jumbo jet; it is so impressive to see how this huge machine can be glided along using a combination of traditional and highly technical equipment. And of course the ever watchful eye of Captain Cook and his team meant we were always in very safe hands. I understand why so many people return again and again to P&O cruise ships: The high standard and the value for money is excellent when you experience all that is included, and the care and attention from the highly professional crew is very reassuring.This is totally the way to see the world. I am planning the next one already! P&O have just launched their 2015/2016 cruise calendar including family and adult only cruises to a variety of worldwide destinations, and their newest ship The Britannia joins the existing fleet of seven. For details contact John Galligan Travel at 01-207655, www.jgt.ie and www.pocruises.com www.seniortimes.ie

Travel

Waterford a winner Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city, with a thousand years of history dating back to Viking days. A thriving port, it blends ancient and modern – city walls, cobbled back streets, towers, castles, pubs and cathedrals sit alongside the latest shopping and the arts. The Sunny South East is justifiably famed for its picturesque coastline and beaches, perfect for family holidays. However, Waterford’s castles, gardens, pretty little market towns and villages, plus walking, cycling and shopping offer plenty of scope for visits. Add in a range of accommodation from luxurious castles to cosy B&Bs, a range of excellent restaurants, and you have a short break for every taste. Choice and value in hotels is excellent. Many city centre hotels have river or marina views, but there are is also traditional country house style on offer and even a luxurious castle - Waterford Castle Hotel and Golf Club has especially good value packages right now. Waterford is within easy reach of The Comeragh Mountains, and is just a short trip from beautiful Blackwater Valley, but there is also plenty of see in city centre. One of the most famous attractions remains, of course, is Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre. City centre, near to Tower Hotel. Reginald’s Tower, now a Visitor Centre, dates back to the twelfth century, is the oldest urban civic building in Ireland. Christ Church Cathedral has been at the city’s heart since the tenth century – the Vikings built Waterford’s first church on this site. The current eighteenth century cathedral is filled with Waterford history, and has regular concerts and recitals. Museums The Edmund Rice Heritage Centre tells the story of the Christian and Presentation Bothers, while the Waterford Museum of Treasures has a thousand year old treasure trail. Happier in an organised tour? Jack Burtchaell’s Waterford City Walking Tours (on level ground) cover a millennium of history – in a mile of city. Waterford is a good destination for foodies –well, it is home of the blaa, a distinctive soft bun. Aside from its many recognised and rated restaurants, Page 66 Senior Times March 2015

Waterford has an annual Festival of Food in April. The region also has regular farmer’s markets - Waterford city’s food and craft market is on Saturday mornings. Top rated city centre restaurants include the atmospheric cellar style of La Boheme, and also Bodega. Check hotel restaurants as well. Why not take in some of the beautiful countryside and coast around Waterford city? A fifty minute trip on Express Bus 40 or 4 takes in Dungarvan, the bustling market town and medieval port. Take time to explore the local restaurants. Nude Food is noted for organic style dishes, The Tannery for its high quality – plus value, thanks to its Easy Evening Menu. Fishing port Dunmore East, at the mouth of Waterford Estuary, is just a short trip, so make time for some local food - The Spinnaker is a landmark. Some of Waterford’s major and most beautiful attractions are difficult to reach by public transport. If you decide to treat yourself, call A Rural Experience, a Kilkenny based company, which can arranges pick ups where best suits you. If you’re travelling in a group, you could cover the spectacular UNESCO Copper Coast, Mount Melleray Abbey, Lismore Heritage Centre and Lismore Castle Gardens in a day trip, with coffee, lunch and entry included. If you’re alone or part of a couple, with notice, they could try to `match’ you for a full car trip. Tel: 056 7727 590 Take time for more city sightseeing, or a short trip to an inland market town, such as Kilmacthomas. You could also use the options to take a different route home. Try the train to Dublin, take a local bus to Wexford and then the Dublin train up the East Coast, or just return by a different bus route.

MORE INFORMATION Waterford Tourist Office, 41, The Quay, Waterford Tel. 051 875823 www.discoverireland.ie www.discoverwaterford.com www.buseireann.ie www.irishrail.ie www.spraoi.com www.waterfordintlmusicfestival.com www.aruralexperience.com Take in The Tower Hotel in the heart of the city The Tower Hotel and Leisure Centre, Waterford is located in the Heart of the City with 132 Bedrooms, including wheelchair accessible rooms, Smart rooms and 3 luxurious river-view suites. All our excellently appointed rooms have FREE WIFI, Tea/Coffee Making facilities, telephone, Multichannel TV and Hairdryers. We can offer Complimentary Car and coach Parking to guests on-site. The Tower Hotel and Leisure Centre has three dining options. The Lara Restaurant offers our residents delicious evening meals while the Bistro Restaurant has a la carte and set menu options, offering diners a true taste of Waterford. The Adelphi Riverside Bar serves food daily from 12.30pm to 9.30pm, whether you fancy a coffee and homemade scone, or local fish and chips. The bar has entertainment every Friday and Saturday night. The award winning Hotel Leisure Centre has a 20m swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steamroom, sauna and plunge pool and we offer a range of services in our 2 Treatment Rooms. The Hotel is just minutes’ walk from 3 National Museums as part of The Viking Triangle, The Waterford Crystal Visitors Centre, and The Theatre Royal. Waterford offers excellent shopping and www.seniortimes.ie

d l foo l a c o L tifu eau b n i es plac

9th-12th April 2015

Tours & Trails Demos & Dinin g Plenty o f chat & a grea t big Market

S e e our event s, t ic ke t s & a c c o m mo d a t i o n o ff e r s o n :

Wes tWa t e rfo rdFe st iv a l o f Fo o d . c o m

WATERFORD

GOLDEN YEARS BREAK 3 nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast Valid Midweek September - June FROM

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GROUPS CATERED FOR Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply. The Mall, Waterford. T +353 (0)51 862300 E reservations@thw.ie www.TowerHotelWaterford.com

restaurants and we are ideally located on the riverfront just minutes from the Bus and Train stations and just 90 minutes’ drive from Dublin Cork or Limerick. Further afield the spectacular Copper Coast boasts the best beaches, from Tramore and Woodstown, all the way to Bunmahon and Ardmore. Within 20 minutes’ drive the dramatic Commeragh Mountains, which offer many different walks, breath-taking scenery and unspoiled landscape.

Golden Year Specials March & April

If you are travelling with a group, or happen to be organising a group, allow our experienced team help. We can easily organise, station pickups, day-trips, nightly entertainment, and special interest activities to suit your group. So whether you enjoy bridge, golf, indoor bowls, poker, cards or crafts, we can put together an itinerary to suit. Our team would be delighted to arrange some group activities e.g. table quiz, bingo, art demonstrations, ballroom dancing, flower arranging, singsongs, exercise classes, or history talks. Treacys Hotel: quality on the waterfront

3 nights DBB from €129pps 4 nights DBB from €155pps 5 nights DBB from €175pps May/ June/ September/ October 3 nights DBB from €139pps 4 nights DBB from €165pps 5 nights DBB from €185pps

Terms & Conditions: Valid Sunday-Thursday Only Offer includes Tea/Coffee & Scones on arrival €20 credit for Spirit Spa (min spend €60) Offers Include main course, dessert, tea/coffee

Treacys Hotel, Spa & Leisure Centre Waterford is a quality three star heritage hotel that combines modern comfort with quintessential Irish style, featuring spectacular Waterford Crystal chandeliers and rich oak panelling. The hotel is ideally located on the waterfront in historic Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city centre. This prime location on the quay is a mere five minute walk from the bus & train stations making it an excellent base for exploring our medieval city or soaking up the beauty of the wider Munster region. The hotel also boasts 163 guest bedrooms, thoughtfully designed with comfort in mind. Our state of the art Spirit Leisure Centre comes fully equipped with a modern gym, 20m heated swimming pool plus Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room-each complimentary for all our guests. At Spirit Beauty Spa, enjoy some R’n’R in one of our 6 treatment rooms or simply immerse yourself in our newly installed hot tub and thermal suite. Whatever your reason for visiting Waterford, be sure to treat yourself at Treacys! Food Festival celebrates its 8th year Celebrating its 8th successive year, the West Waterford Festival of Food returns from Thursday the 9th to Sunday the 12th of April, making the sunny South East that little bit brighter with fabulous food and wine, a host of engaging events, pop-up restaurants and much more, with fun for all the family! The coastal town of Dungarvan and the surrounding countryside will once again welcome some of Ireland’s finest chefs, food producers, stall-holders and all round lovers of fine food.

€10 single supplement applies

Treacys Hotel, Spa & Leisure Centre 1 Merchants Quay, Waterford. Tel: +353 (0) 51-877222 Fax: +353(0) 51-877229 Email: sales@thwaterford.com Web: www.treacyshotelwaterford.com

Page 68 Senior Times March 2015

Focusing on the rich family tradition of food on the island, the West Waterford Festival of Food 2015 shines a spotlight on some of our home grown heroes and the generations of families who continue to produce, cook, sell and run some of Ireland’s greatest and best-loved restaurants and food businesses. With over 70 events, designed to ensure there’s something for everyone, there’s some work to be done to plan a trip to West Waterford Festival of Food. But visitors can expect to visit food producers on a Bus Bia, forage for seaweed or in the woods, learn about 50 Shades of Tae or enjoy Afternoon Tea in Lismore Castle. This wonderful feast of food and fun will be even more mouth-watering than ever! For bookings and enquiries contact 058 21433 or visit www.westwaterfordfestivaloffood.com

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Security

Cork prepares for three-day Easter Festival

Ireland’s only independent safe deposit box security Sentinel Vaults is Ireland’s first and only independent safe deposit box facility inside an original bank vault and offers a number of services, including safe deposit boxes, document safekeeping and a mail receiving service. Sentinel Vaults is discreetly situated among embassies, financial institutions and other reputable businesses on the prestigious Waterloo Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. The facility is open 7 days a week and secure VIP parking is available. Sentinel Vaults is manned onsite by highly trained staff and the facility is monitored 24/7 by Chubb Security. Our original bank vault has been upgraded, reinforced and fortified using the latest technology in security and construction, with consultation by Chubb Ireland. The underground vault surpasses standards set by any other bank vaults, along with Sentinel Vaults’ sophisticated 6 Level Security System, making it one of the most secure vaults in the world. Sentinel Vaults has had to pass strict compliance, due diligence and security audits to become Ireland’s only safe deposit facility with the backing of the International Safety Deposit Association. Prices Safe Deposit Boxes Small (3”x 5”x 24”) : €199 Medium (5”x 5”x 24”) : €399 Large (3”x 10”x 24”) : €449 Extra Large (5”x 10”x 24”) : €649 Jumbo (10”x 10”x 24”) : €1,149 Super Jumbo (16”x 17”x 19”): €2,200 Document Safekeeping A4 sized pouch : €125

A3 sized pouch : €169

Mail Receiving Service €199 * All prices are based on 12 month rental and are inclusive of VAT.

For more information please call 01-667 8370. Contact Details Sentinel Vaults St. Martin’s House Waterloo Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 01-667 8370 info@sentinelvaults.ie

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Cork Racecourse Mallow is one of Ireland’s premier horse racing courses. Located just outside Mallow, at the crossroads of Munster, the course provides options for all visitors, from VIP corporate boxes, 4 course restaurant packages, social packages & and discounted group entry. To find out more call 353-22-50207, email info@corkracecourse.ie or www.corkracecourse.ie/events to book directly online Or check out www.racinghomeforeaster.ie Easter Saturday sees the first of 3 days of superb racing action get underway with a full Flat card on offer. Punters can feel the excitement start to build ahead of the 3 great days of what Horse Racing in Ireland has to offer and Cork Racecourse welcomes people from far and wide to enjoy it all with them. Easter Sunday, the busiest day of the 3 day race meeting, with thousands of hopefuls adding lots of glamour as the racecourse hosts Best Dressed Day with thousands of euro worth of prizes on offer for the most stylish lady and gent on the day. Mahon Point Shopping Centre were the most recent sponsors of Best Dressed Lady, with a €1500 gift card up for grabs for the stylish winner on the day! Barry’s Menswear Mallow meanwhile have the men in their sights, with a €500 voucher on offer for most dapper gent! Not forgetting the little ones , there is plenty of FREE entertainment laid on for them including an Easter Egg hunt, a mobile farm, face painting & lots more. This meeting of course hosts a full National Hunt card and kicks off around 2.00pm.

Senior Times March 2015 Page 69

Legal affairs

Enduring power of attorney explained Do you or does someone close to you have Alzheimer’s disease, senility, dementia or memory loss? Then you may need to consider ‘enduring power of attorney’. Solicitor Aisling O’Leary explains What is an Enduring Power of Attorney? An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) is a legal document that allows you (‘the Donor’) to appoint one or more trustworthy persons of your choice (‘the Attorney’) to look after your personal and financial affairs if, at a future time in your life, you are deprived of the mental capacity to do that for yourself. The powers you give to your attorney can be general or specific or subject to conditions or restrictions. How do you create an EPA? The EPA instrument contains a number of statements required by law that have to be completed. You must notify your attorney, who must sign a statement that he/she understands the duties and obligations of an attorney and the requirements of registration. You must notify at least two persons (neither of whom can be the attorney) that you have executed an EPA. Your solicitor must ensure that you understand the effect of creating the EPA, that you are not under any undue Page 70 Senior Times March 2015

pressure from any third party, that the instructions are given freely by you and sign a statement to that effect. Your G.P. must also sign a statement verifying that you have the mental capacity to understand the effect of creating the power of attorney. When and how does and EPA come in to effect? The EPA can only come into force when it has been registered with the Registrar of the Wards of Court. The attorney should only apply for registration of the EPA if you lose or are losing mental capacity. Prior to making such an application, a medical certificate should be obtained to the effect the donor is becoming incapable by reason of a mental condition of managing his/her own property and affairs. The attorney must serve a Notice of Intention to apply for registration on the donor and the notice parties and the Registrar of the Wards of Court. Can an objection be made to the registration of an EPA? The donor and the notice parties may, within five weeks of the date of notice of intention to apply for registration, lodge a notice of objection in the Office of Wards of Court. Where this is done the Powers of Attorney Act stipulates that the court shall neither register the EPA nor refuse the application, until it has made such enquiries as it thinks appropriate in the circumstances of the case. There are a number of grounds for

objection including that the donor is not or is not becoming mentally incapable. Post registration, does the attorney report to the Wards of Court Office? The attorney is not required to keep the Wards of Court Office informed of the actions he/she takes on behalf of the donor but is obliged to keep adequate accounts of the donor’s property and affairs and to produce the accounting records to the Wards of Court Office if required. The High Court has a supervisory role in respect of the EPA. Once it has been registered, an application may be made to the court by the donor, the Attorney, or any other interested party for an order for directions with respect to the management or disposal of the donor’s property or affairs by the attorney. The attorney should notify the Registrar of Wards of Court if the donor dies or recovers. Can an EPA be revoked? You can revoke an EPA at any time before an application is made to register it. Once it is registered, an application would have to be made to the High Court to have it revoked. Enquiries/Queries Aisling O’Leary is a partner with Ernest J Cantillon Solicitors. If you have any queries, contact Ernest J Cantillon Solicitors, 39 South Mall, Cork on 021 4275673. Email: info@cantillons.com www.seniortimes.ie

Outings

Enjoy the country in the city Letitia and Naomi Overend grew up and remained living at Airfield for all of their long lives. They both were actively involved in the farm and their extensive gardens as well as their many charitable pursuits. Airfield in Dundrum, Dublin is a charitable organisation established by the Overend Family in 1974 for educational and recreational purposes. Dublin’s only 38 acre working farm, the estate also includes gardens, a restaurant and heritage experience offering visitors a wonderful opportunity to enjoy and learn about food, farming and the natural world in a natural and relaxed environment. History of Airfield The Overends were a comfortable middle class Dublin family. Trevor Overend, a solicitor, bought Airfield as a summer house in 1894 but decided to make it his family’s permanent home several years later. Both his daughters Letitia and Naomi grew up and remained living at Airfield for all of their long lives. They both were actively involved in the farm and their extensive gardens as well as their many charitable pursuits. As a family they had always been concerned with the welfare of others as far back as the early 1900s. An eight year old Naomi organised a fundraising fete at Airfield in aid of the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children. At the turn of the century Dublin had the worst death rate in the British Isles with problems arising from overcrowded tenements, poor sanitation and a lack of nutritious food. In response to this the Overend family provided pasteurised milk for the first “clean milk” depot which supplied inner city families with a safe milk supply. During the Great War the Overends also extended the capacity of their food gardens to help combat food poverty.

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The Overends were also instrumental in establishing the Children’s Sunshine Home in 1924, now the Laura Lynn Foundation, which was then a convalescent home for children suffering from rickets and other diseases caused by malnutrition and poor housing. Airfield Today Airfield’s mission today is to inspire people to refresh their connection with food and the land it comes from by using its farm, gardens and natural surroundings to provide a range of enjoyable experiences and opportunities for active learning. Highlights of activities visitors to Airfield can enjoy include: Heritage experience: an interactive exhibition and tours of the Overend family home that brings the world of the Overend sisters to life. Garage: the new interactive display garage provides visitors to Airfield with access to the cars including Letitia’s 1927 Rolls Royce and Naomi’s Austin Tickford. Ornamental gardens: The Walled Garden and Greenhouse reflect the sisters’ passion for plants and the gardeners are always on hand to answer any gardening questions. Kitchen garden: visit Airfield’s extensive food gardens and see where much of the fresh food that goes directly to the kitchen at Overends restaurant is produced. Farmyard: home to the famous Airfield jersey cows which visitors can see being milked every morning at 10.30am. The farm is also home to sheep, donkeys, goats, pigs and hens. Woodland Walks: Enjoy a walk around Airfield and see over 2000 native trees which have been planted in recent years to provide important wildlife corridors and improve the habitats of the estate’s bird and insect populations. Overends: finish off you visit by enjoying the best which Airfield has to offer in Overend’s restaurant. With much of the menu coming from food grown on site, it is the ultimate field to fork experience. For more information call (01) 9696666 or visit www.airfield.ie www.seniortimes.ie

RESPECT RELIABILITY AND SERVICE

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Health

More research needed into ‘the neglected arthritis’! Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent type of arthritis, affecting a large number of younger as well as older people, but, as Dr Barry Sheane argues, more research is required to find a ‘cure’. The human body can succumb to many different types of arthritis, from inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, to crystalline arthritis (e.g. gout), to connective tissue disease arthritis (e.g. lupus or SLE). However, osteoarthritis (OA) is overwhelmingly the most prevalent type of arthritis not only in Ireland but worldwide. It has been shown that in certain populations, 17% have symptomatic knee OA, in other words, OA of the knee that causes pain and reduced ability to perform daily tasks. That percentage is almost 1 in 5 people! Osteoarthritis is often referred to in lay terms as ‘wear-and-tear’ arthritis, ‘arthritis of old age’ or ‘degenerative’ arthritis. The misconception that OA is a disease of the ‘elderly’ is contradicted by the fact that 70% of sufferers are under 65 years of age and still in, or eligible for, employment. With such a common condition in our midst, the expectation is that scientists and doctors are working in droves to find a cure or even a treatment for OA, as they are currently doing for cancer. This expectation is fortified by the fact that a patient with symptomatic knee OA has been shown to have the same quality of life as someone with metastatic breast cancer. Unfortunately, the reality is very much different. While internationally there is a core group of researchers examining the epidemiology, the underlying causes and potential treatments for OA, this group pales in significance to the number of scientists engaged in research of the other much less prevalent arthritides, like rheumatoid arthritis, and further still to cancer research. There are many reasons for this disparity. Among them is the absence of a medication that can heal the OA joint

Page 74 Senior Times March 2015

and the absence of a ‘biomarker’ or a blood-based product whose level can be measured and used to guide drug development and research into the underlying cause(s) of OA. The availability of joint replacement with a prosthetic implant (most commonly performed in the knee and hip) resigns many doctors and patients to perhaps pursue sub-optimal treatment of their OA condition. Unfortunately, knee and hip replacement are a reflection of the collective failure to adequately treat OA before it gets to the stage where the joint has ‘failed’. Knee and hip replacement is major surgery. Ignoring all of the potential intra- and post-operative complications that can befall the patient, the outcome of a return to a full, active and pain-free life, while the experience of the majority, is not that of a significant minority. Joint replacement should not, therefore, be considered a ‘treatment’ for OA. The treatment currently offered to patients with OA by the health professionals dealing with the condition is, essentially, palliative care, in other words treatment that will help soothe the symptoms of pain but without actually attempting to stop the progression of OA or preventing the need for joint replacement. Internationally respected groups such as the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) have published their recommendations on how best to treat OA. These recommendations were made after giving careful consideration to all of the available scientific literature relating to OA. The authors of these recommendations readily acknowledge that the evidence itself is lacking in volume and quality, which relates back to the relative paucity of interest in OA by researchers in general. As a result, most of the treatment recommendations could be considered palliative. The exception to this is overwhelming support the international groups give to weight loss (in the overweight and obese) and exercise as the most important

treatment available for knee and hip OA. The recommendation for exercise does not exclude those of advanced age, or the moribundly obese. If you are 75 years of age and have been overweight for 20 years, then good news! You are not exempt from pursuing this course of treatment. There is strong evidence to show that the effect of exercise and weight loss have the same effect on pain reduction as commonly prescribed pain-killers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol, while significant improvement in physical function is also attainable. Exercise, unlike medications, has a much better side-effect profile, and is a much safer treatment than pain killers. How do patients pursue a successful exercise and weight-loss regimen despite having severe pain in their joint(s) which is only exacerbated by activity? How can the medical community address the failure to prevent the progression of OA to the ‘end-stage’ or joint failure? Do doctors need to apply a fresh approach to the treatment of OA? The answers to these questions will be addressed in future issues of Senior Times throughout 2015. Dr Barry Sheane is a specialist with the Sport Surgery Clinic.

For more information, contact: Sports Surgery Clinic, Santry Demesne, Dublin 9. Tel: (01) 5262371. Email: rheumatology@ sportssurgeryclinic.com www.sportssurgeryclinic.com www.seniortimes.ie

Win an overnight stay with dinner at the 4 star Clarion Hotel, Cork

Hotel Reviews Ireland, in association with Senior Times, is delighted to offer two lucky readers the opportunity to win a fabulous treat at the Clarion Hotel Cork in Cork City

An evening with Shay Healy and friends.

www.clarionhotelcorkcity.com 021 4224948 The Clarion Hotel Cork is Cork's premier 4 Star City Centre Hotel and is superbly located overlooking Cork's famous River Lee and facing the inspired architecture of City Hall. The award winning Clarion has 198 beautiful bedrooms and is just a 5 minute stroll from the shopping, entertainment and premier business district. To enter, simply answer this question: What province is the Clarion Hotel Cork located in? Email answers to: sales4@clarionhotelcorkcity.com

On behalf of the Dublin Neurological Institute With the RTE Concert Orchestra conduction by David Brophy National Concert Hall, Dublin, March 21st Special guests The Rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;N Roll Kids - Paul and Charlie Tickets â&#x201A;Ź20. Book now at (01) 4170000

Or post to: Hotel Reviews Ireland/ Senior Times Competition Sales & Marketing Office Clarion Hotel Cork Lapps Quay Cork City Deadline for receipt of entries is 25th April 2015. First correct entry drawn is the winner

Health

Fighting chronic diseases remotely RediCare officially recently launched its chronic disease prevention and management clinic in Cork.

RediCare provides doctor led prevention and management services to people who are overweight or hypertensive, or who may have high cholesterol, pre-diabetes or diabetes. RediCare interventions are evidence-based, monitored lifestyle change programs backed by clinical research. The interventions which typically are 1216 weeks in duration are delivering very impressive results. Recent clinical data, which was presented at the Royal Academy of Medicine Ireland , showed blood pressure reducing by an average of 14.5% with an average weight loss of 19.43 Lbs over a 12 week period. The interventions are based on research and recommendations of the National Institute of Health (NIH) America. Commenting on the results, RediCare Doctor Barra O'Tuama said, there is a clear link between weight loss, increased exercise and blood pressure reduction. ‘The RediCare results are impressive as the blood pressure reductions were achieved in many cases without the need for blood pressure medication’. “I would say, the current GP service delivery model is very stretched and probably under resourced to focus properly on prevention and management of chronic disease” says Dr O Tuama, who is a specialist sports medicine physician and a family doctor. Page 76 Senior Times March 2015

Looking at a simple example, taking a patient 45 years of age, who is c. 15kg overweight and has high blood pressure develops chest pain and presents in A&E with query cardiac problems. This patient may have seen a GP in the prior 3-5 years, the patient was most likely told he/she was obese, had high blood pressure or high cholesterol and was strongly advised to lose weight, take exercise and make lifestyle changes. While there was a clinical need for significant behavioural medicine and intense lifestyle change, the current delivery model does not resource traditional GP practices to offer heavily monitored, intense behavioural change programs to their patients which focus on disease prevention. RediCare is addressing this need and has developed a platform to deliver behavioural medicine and lifestyle change programs remotely and from its clinic in Bishopstown Health Centre. The RediCare platform allows a doctor and health coach to gain deep insights into a patient’s adherence and behaviour, by remotely monitoring on a daily basis what each patient is eating, what exercise they are taking and how much weight they are losing. This is a new area of medicine, “we never had access to this type of detailed patient data before” commented Dr O Tuama. What gets measured gets done

and gets treated. Adherence and accountability the key to success Adherence monitoring and accountability is the Key to success, says Andrew Sheppard, MSc RediCare’s lead health coach. Commenting on the program delivery, Andrew explains that each patient undergoes an initial doctors physical examination and has bloods taken to assess cholesterol, lipid Profiles, A1C and other key health markers. Once patients are on an intervention, we monitor each clients adherence to their plan every day by remotely tracking their daily weight loss progress and their activity levels. We precisely track what they are eating which is very important for the treatment of Hypertension and High Cholesterol, we have full visibility on our client’s adherence to our treatment plan. Vital biometrics including blood pressure are checked at regular intervals during the program. Each patient is held accountable to their health coach on a daily basis which increases patient adherence and results in significant improvements in patient health For more information on RediCare weight loss and chronic disease prevention and management services visit www.redicare.ie or call 021 487 6362 www.seniortimes.ie

Travel

Luxury you can afford

The opulent reception area at the Kempinski

at the Kempinski of Estepona. Hire a car and venture further afield to Sevilla, Granada or Malaga and take in the sights and sounds of these beautiful and historic cities. With over 300 days of sunshine per year, mild winter temperatures and a welcoming simile from the team at the Kempinski Hotel Bahia, you are guaranteed to arrive as a guest and leave as a friend. One of the luxuriously appointed bedrooms

Located on the shores of the Mediterranean just outside Estepona on the Costa del Sol you will find the Kempinski Hotel Bahía a five star hotel belonging to the world famous Kempinski Hoteliers. Built in 1999 the style is Andalusian and the atmosphere is unashamedly friendly to all who arrive in its lobby. Open all year round this delightful hotel has 127 rooms and 17 suites, even when it’s full to capacity you will never feel that it is overcrowded due to the well laid out architecture. The spacious sub-tropical gardens flow down to the beach and the three outdoor swimming pools (one of which is heated during the winter season) give all guests an opportunity to find a little space of their own. The Lobby bar and terrace are perfect for a coffee, place to sit and read, or sip a sun set cocktail after a hard day on one of the many golf courses close by. All guests have access to the Kempinksi Spa and Fitness Centre, indoor pool, steam and sauna room as well as the relaxation room. Pamper yourself with a massage or beauty treatment in one of our six treatment rooms. www.seniortimes.ie

The hotel has three key restaurants open during the spring and summer, in the winter the Alminar Wine & Steak House hosts most of our guests with its excellent and varied menu. From late March onwards La Cabaña del Mar (the cabin on the beach) is open and serves the finest and freshest fish caught in the Mediterranean. La Trattoria is our outdoor Italian restaurant also opens during the spring and serves excellent Italian food with a lively atmosphere. Early evenings in the Lobby bar will be filled with music as our resident pianist will play from March to October five nights a week. Breakfast is an extravagant buffet at El Mirador Restaurant, choose from a fully cooked breakfast or opt for a more Mediterranean selection, no guest ever leaves feeling disappointed with the variety and range of delicious foods on display. Make use of our bridge tables which are available for our guests. Swim in the indoor pool, take a stroll along the beach, pick up a daily paper from the gift shop or simply relax on your private terrace, book a few rounds of Golf via our Golf Concierge, go hill walking along the well-marked out routes around the campo

The hotel is just outside Estepona and it is possible to take a brisk walk into town, however to make the most of your visit to this area it is recommended to hire a car.

Senior Times magazine, in association with the 5 star Kempinski Hotel Bahía, can offer our readers a fabulous low season rate to stay over the coming months. Simply contact the hotel by email or phone and mention Senior Times magazine. Kempinski Hotel Bahía Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 159 · 29680 Estepona / Marbella · Spain Tel: 0034 95 280 9500 Email: justine.haughey@kempinski.com Visit us on www.kempinski.com/marbella

Senior Times March 2015 Page 77

Pets

Elizabeth McCollum-Ryan MVB MRCVS answers your pet questions

Ask the vet I live in the country and recently bought a new pup for company. He’s into everything and sniffs around the ditches and hedges and yesterday I found him playing with a dead mouse. Now I’m wondering about rat poison. I don’t lay bait myself but there are farms close-by and I’m sure they might. I’m terrified of him picking up rat poison or any other poison for that matter. How could I stop this, or how would I know if he had picked up poison? Quite often owners come into the surgery thinking their animal has been poisoned, and usually, thank goodness, they have not been. These days, in winter, rat poison is the most common poison affecting pets, though it’s not so long ago strychnine was used to bait foxes by putting it in dead sheep. It was a horrible substance, causing animals to die painful deaths with muscle spasms that made their legs extend fully, while their bodies contorted. We used to inject them so that they would throw up their stomach contents, then anaesthetise them and keep them under the anaesthetic until the poison passed through the body. It was an effective cure if caught early enough. Rat poison is widely used and it’s difficult to stop an inquisitive dog coming in contact with it if it’s not properly and safely laid down in pipes and tubes. The original rat/mouse poison used to be warfarin, and though rat poisons have been rarefied over the years, they still Page 78 Senior Times March 2015

have the same mode of action, that of preventing normal blood clotting so that the animal bleeds internally. Usually the first sign of rat poison toxicity is bleeding from the mouth or anus. A client brought in a dog recently with a history of vomiting fresh blood, and also passing runny black faeces. This would indicate that the animal had come into contact with rat poison and was bleeding in the stomach, vomiting some and digesting the rest which turned black during the digestive process, hence the black poos! With an injection and tablets he made a good recovery, but remember that the amount ingested and the speed with which it is detected and treated is vitally important. So if you see unusual bleeding from your pet, that isn’t an obvious injury, it’s advisable to get him/her checked out immediately by your vet. My cat is long-coated and licks herself a lot. I help by brushing her regularly, which she loves. But sometimes she goes off her food and vomits and I have to take her to the vet. The last time the vet had to give her an enema and said she was badly blocked with hairballs. Is there any way I can stop this happening? It’s frightening to watch and I hate to see her suffer. Hair balls are common in long-coated cats, indeed in any cats. Their natural instinct to wash themselves means they tend to ingest hairs, which are indigestible. However it is normal for cats to vomit from time to time which

removes these hairs. Sometimes they become a problem in the stomach or intestine, and may encourage constipation episodes which could lead to blockage. Any blockage of the intestine is potentially serious or even fatal if not treated. The cat will come in with a variety of symptoms including a history of vomiting, off food, and trying to pass faeces unsuccessfully. Correct diagnosis is important, as there are many conditions with similar symptoms, and many different causes of blockage. But with the history and after clinical examination your vet will decide if x-rays or scans are needed. When the diagnosis is made the treatment differs depending on the severity of the blockage. Laxatives and enemas are the treatments of choice and in most cases these do the trick. Surgery may be necessary if the blockage is long-standing or become very impacted, like concrete. Cats may be prone to constipation for various reasons and because hairs are found in the impacted faeces the cause may be wrongly attributed to them, and an underlying cause missed. So do get your cat checked out if you are worried. There are several pastes on the market, which claim to discourage the formation of hairballs, but it is advisable to consult your vet before feeding them to your cat. www.seniortimes.ie

My dog has had a small soft lump (about the size of a grape) just in front of his hind leg for a few months now. Recently it has started to get bigger, and it’s getting bare as if there is no skin on top of it. I rang my vet about it and he said that he could do some sort of test on it. But why won’t he just operate and take it off? I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s exactly what your vet does when he has examined your dog! But all ‘lumps’ must be assessed properly. You’d be surprised at the many ways in which lumps are assessed – Is it hard or soft? Where is it? Is it possible there are several more that have not been detected? How old is the dog? Is it male or female? Is the lump getting bigger quickly? Is it attached to underlying tissues? These are some of the thoughts going through your vet’s mind as he examines the lump! After the lump has been examined your vet will palpate your pet’s abdomen to look for any internal abnormalities. Then, most likely he will decide to remove it or not. He may take a sample of the tissue inside if he thinks it is necessary, or may send the entire lump away for classification. There are many types of tumours – some benign fatty ones that are often seen in older dogs may be just left alone, others are potentially malignant and they and a large area around them will be removed as soon as possible. It depends what cells the tumours are made of, and this what your vet is talking about when he mentions testing. Knowing the type of tumour your pet has will give a true indication of the likely outcome of the treatment. I’d advise you to take your dog to your vet sooner rather than later. f you have any questions for our vet, send them to: Ask The Vet, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Or email: john@Slp.ie

Have you thought about who will look after your dog when you’re gone?

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www.dogstrust.ie

Dogs Trust is on hand to ease the worry. The Dogs Trust Canine Care Card scheme is a fantastic free service that will guarantee you peace of mind, knowing that Dogs Trust will care for your dog if you pass away before they do. If you pass away and have registered as a Canine Care Card holder, Dogs Trust will arrange to bring your dog or dogs to their Rehoming Centre. Once your dog is in the care of Dogs Trust they will receive a full medical and behavioural assessment in order to get the best possible home for him or her. They will then try to find your dog or dogs new owners whose lifestyle and experience match their needs. If, in the unlikely event they can’t find your dog a home, they will look after him or her for the rest of their natural life. To find out more about how Dogs Trust can arrange to take care of your dog in the event of your death, please fill out the coupon in this weeks edition of Senior Times and return it to Dogs Trust by Freepost so that they can send you your free Canine Care Card. Alternatively, you can contact their team on 01 879 1004.

Travel

There’s more to Cavan than fishing..

An Cabhan is an old Irish word meaning ‘The Hollow’ – and as so often in folklore, it really does say a lot about the place. People, food, lakes, mountains and a certain serenity are here in spades and the County has a marvellous series of calming and mysterious waterways. Cavan is known as fishing country, and rightly so, its well-stocked waters have been attracting German, French and English anglers for decades, but there is, of course, more to Cavan than that. The hills and mountains are alive with poetry and heritage, and none more so than mystical Cavan Burren Park near Blacklion in the West of the County. Here you’re free to enjoy a special undiscovered landscape which has evolved through the various ice ages. Take time in the Park’s information centre, which imaginatively displays Cavan Burren’s endless story or enjoy one of four marked walking trails (one of which is multi-access) through dramatic and breathtakingly beautiful landscapes. If Cavan's land and water is pure, its produce must be too. And this is a county with some of the finest food in Ireland. In recent years Cavan has begun to make a name for itself in culinary delights and the Taste of Cavan Food Festival every August is the perfect showcase for a myriad of the country’s best food producers. Another festival worth keeping an eye out for is the Cavan Walking Festival every May. The festival promises a week of varying trails, rambles and hikes all led by local trained guides who take the walker on a journey into the local heritage, geology and archaeology of the area in which you are walking. If history is your thing, the new World War 1 Trench Experience at Cavan County Museum, in Ballyjamesduff is a must – see. Proving a winner with adults and kids, it’s the largest WW1 Trench exhibition Ireland or the UK and is a brilliant way to lose an afternoon and experience life in the trenches. The Trench is located to the back of the beautiful Georgian building that houses the museum, along with tea rooms and gift shop. It also must be noted that County Cavan works hard on making the county accessible. Multi-access trails are in place across the county and key visitor attractions such as Cavan Burren Park and the Museum are designed with accessibility in mind. Cavan is also unique in Ireland in delivering online access guides to over 500 public buildings and spaces across the county (available at www.disabledgo.com). These efforts have not gone unnoticed and the County has picked up two significant awards in recent years. Cavan town was the 2013 winner of the EDEN (EU Destination of Excellence) Award for Accessible Tourism and in 2014 the County won a World Responsible Tourism Award for work in this area. The local Chamber of Commerce and County Council have also worked with local businesses in 2014 to make Cavan town an ‘Age –Friendly Business Town’. So all in all, Cavan is an exciting, enticing, mysterious and scenic county. One that must be explored at your leisure and one where you’re sure to receive a warm and friendly welcome. For information on County Cavan visit www.thisiscavan.ie

WineWorld

Price hikes, but bargains can still be found

Mairead Robinson recommends some ‘best value’ wines.

At this stage everybody knows that Ireland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe in which to buy a bottle of wine due to us having the highest rate of excise duty in the EU. Last December’s budget saw another €1 slapped on a bottle resulting in 53% of a bottle costing €8 going to the government in VAT and excise. With calls to increase the price of alcohol to help control teenage drinking, it is the wine lovers around the country who enjoy a glass or two with their dinner who are feeling the pinch. If you are on a pension or fixed income, you will certainly have noticed how enjoying your wine is costing you more over the past few years as the government top up the taxes. However, one positive result for many of us now is the occurrence of price wars and special promotions that many of the multiples are engaging in. If you keep your eye on the wine section of your local supermarket, you can certainly find the occasional bargain. I have already mentioned some of the gems to be found in Aldi and recently I have noticed some great value in Dunnes Stores. Of course it is not just the price of a bottle of wine that is of interest, but the quality of the wine in that bottle. Generally cheaper wines give bad value, as most of the price is used up in taxes. It is only when you find good wines on promotion, that you can get a real bargain. Page 80 Senior Times March 2015

There is a super new New Zealand wine exclusive to Dunnes Stores which has just come on the market called Haulashore from Nelson – a region that produces some of the best Sauvignon Blanc on the South Island. This wine has really great pure tropical fruit flavours and a long finish. Enjoy with chicken and fish dishes and served slightly chilled. This is a quality wine from a family winery that will put you in a summer mood as you make your way through our Irish Spring! Haulashore also produce a pretty zippy Pinot Grigio, not a grape generally renowned for flavour, but I was surprised with this one which has aromatic quince flavours and quite a depth of flavour. This is perfect to serve with a mixed seafood platter. These wines should be rolled out to all Dunnes Stores around the country this spring so check out your local branch, and while normally priced at €14 it is on an introductory promotion at €11. Well worth picking up a bottle at this price. We talked about Italian wines recently, and a brand that is loved throughout that country is the Tavernello, which has been voted Italy’s number one brand according to the volume of sales from outlets around Italy. The Sangiovese Rubicone has a fresh fruity bouquet, an intense flavour and a crisp dry finish. It is a pleasant easy-drinking wine which pairs well with food, particularly Italian dishes such as spaghetti meatballs, lasagne, steak etc. Their white wine is Garganega Pinot Grigio Della Venezie from the north-eastern region of Italy. Once again it is pleasant wine that can be enjoyed on its own and also pairs very well with food. It should be served well chilled with spiced white meat like chicken, fish and seafood and salads. Both of these Tavernello wines are normally priced at €10 but can be picked up at the moment in Dunnes Stores for just €8. www.seniortimes.ie

At the Active Over 50s Show in Cork on 7th and 8th of March we are tasting these wines, so if you are fortunate enough to get along, you can sample them there. For those times when you would like a glass of wine but do not want to consume much alcohol – it might be at lunch during the day time for example – it is worth considering the low alcohol wines available on the market now. The attractive Light Lips label is easily recognised on the shelves, has an alcohol level of just 5.5% together with 30% less calories than regular wines, and is priced very reasonably indeed. The Pinot Grigio is fresh and zesty, and the delicate Rose made with Californian Zinfandel is perfect for a summer barbeque. These wines are often on offer from just €5 a bottle, so well worth picking some up for those summer days ahead. Particularly popular is their Sparkling Pinot Grigio, which is perfect if you want the bubbles but want to keep it light at the same time. I have seen this on offer, also at Dunnes Stores for as little as €6.50. Moving back to where we started, New Zealand is continuing to produce some fantastic wines, so keep an eye out for the Huia Pinot Noir from Marlborough and also the Huia Sauvignon Blanc. You will find these wines in select off-licences nationwide, and are perfect for that special occasion. Special occasions are a great reason for breaking out the Bordeaux, and one of my favourites is the Chateau Timberlay Bordeaux Superieur – a wonderful blend of Merlot with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. An absolutely beautiful wine that will really make your barbeque into a feast! It is always worth splashing out a little from time to time to savour something really outstanding. In the mean time keep the eye open for those special promotions to grab a bargain. So continue to enjoy your wines, life is really too short for a bad bottle!

Oveja Negra are the ‘black sheep’ from Chile, wines with character and personality, intriguing wines that challenge you to be yourself!’ Available at all good independent wine off licences.

Opinion

Cartoons by Paul Steele

Every action has a slow re-action Jim Collier Over 50 years ago in London I joined a high class men’s tailoring company called Hector Powe as a production assistant. Shortly after they provided training for me to become a work study engineer. In work study and the office equivalent O & M (Organisation & Methods) we were required to observe working procedures and to come up with new ways to improve productivity and standards while creating the opportunity for the staff to earn bonuses. This work was very much pro-active, always thinking of new and better ways to improve standards as well as productivity. This taught me to be always pro-active in my later working years in Dublin and to always encourage others to do the same. It never ceases to amaze me that so many of our politicians appear to operate mainly by being reactive instead of being pro-active. In the last few weeks this has never been more apparent. Because they now believe that the writing is on the wall for the coalition in the next election, they have been scampering about endeavouring to come up with soul mates in an effort to create alliances with which to contest the next election. Where were they earlier on during all the austerity measures if they thought they would be better off in partnership?

Reaction! Where were they before the man called Jonathan died on the street near the Dail? It was hypocritical that they all came on board as soon as he died: we all knew of the dire shortage of beds for the homeless?

Reaction! Where were they all, including Fine Gael and Labour, before the hospital ‘Bedlam’? Leo Varadkar admitted, he knew that after Christmas the problem would peak?

Reaction! Where were they all before the further revelations about the water quality, Page 82 Senior Times March 2015

while children and elderly were/are being poisoned by the lead pipes, when they were wasting millions on consultants instead of on leaks and water quality?

special meeting in Brussels. We invited all our MEP’s to attend our presentation, but unfortunately they were all too busy to do so, the other participating groups were more successful.

Reaction!

Our report pointed out that social and other conditions in Ireland were far superior to those in the countries we visited, with the exception of health and caring facilities which were superior elsewhere. We also came to the conclusion that Ireland was definitely the best country to grow old in!

Of course there has to be reaction by our leaders/public representatives, when they do not have the ability to anticipate what is obvious to so many concerned people. Perhaps a few pointers to areas where the next serious issues may arise might be no harm! Farm Safety, cut backs in finances are occurring; Road ‘safety’, it’s getting worse; the so-called ‘Fair Deal’ is inadequate; elder abuse has been getting more prevalent. Primary care.. promises, promises! Home Improvements Scheme to allow seniors to stay at home is under financed. Watch this space!

Are we the real heroes? Christine Lagarde’s remarks recently that were obviously designed to praise the Irish people, went down like a lead balloon. As we all know we were the ‘reluctant heroes’ who had the austerity measures imposed on us against our will. Perhaps we have turned the corner, but the scars mental and physical remain and many older people will never see good times again. In 2006, I and five senior colleagues from Fingal went on a fact finding mission to France, Poland and the UK primarily to compare social conditions and facilities for older citizens, within each of those states with those at home and senior representatives from each of those areas likewise visited here for the same purpose. This was an EC funded scheme, each visit took 4/ 5 days and we worked extremely hard to obtain information by attending seminars, information sessions, meeting politicians, young people voluntary groups, visiting nursing homes, etc. and compiling the information gathered into a report that we later presented to a

Fast forward 10 years and we have a completely different situation. If we were to compile a similar survey now I have no doubt that we would say ‘Ireland is the worst country in which to grow old’, especially for those who have to rely on the social pension, health and caring services, etc. I meet seniors every day who are barely surviving, who are worried sick as to how they will pay property tax, water charges, prescription costs, and most of all, afraid of becoming ill and having to leave their homes. I would love to be writing about happier things. If I were doing so today, it would not include the standard of living, particularly for those in need of caring and health services.

The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Senior Times www.seniortimes.ie

Investment

Careful on the Costa.. After the recent economic meltdown, the Costa del Sol is once again a top destination for international property buyers. But buyer beware! Spanish lawyer Bornico Lucas advises Property is one of the few areas where consumer laws do not generally apply. Therefore, in the event of any issues arising after the purchase, it is often impossible to sue the estate agent or the seller, or to otherwise undo the transaction. This is particularly relevant on the Costa del Sol, where there have been cases of properties lacking the relevant permits or having other issues in respect of title. As a result, it is essential for international buyers to instruct an independent lawyer to protect their interests prior to paying a deposit or entering into a contract. Â Know your specific challenges and needs as an international buyer Although it is advisable for all buyers to instruct an independent lawyer before buying a property on the Costa del Sol, a Spanish buyer will generally face less legal risks than an international buyer. For example, he will possess better linguistic skills and familiarity with local practices in order to raise relevant enquiries to the seller, banks and public registries. In addition, the needs of international buyers are more complex than those of Spanish buyers. For instance, the former may want to avoid Spanish inheritance laws or may not intend to become tax domiciled in Spain. Choose the right lawyer. Your choice of lawyer should not solely be determined by how much he is charging. Although fees should not be excessive (and should generally be capped in respect of most conveyances), it is a grave error to simply instruct the cheapest lawyer without considering other factors. Any international buyer should make sure that his lawyer possesses the following attributes: Independence. A lawyer who is appointed or recommended by the estate agent or the developer will not fully represent your interests. This will not only be counterproductive, but will ultimately harm your position, as the lawyer may not reveal Senior Times March 2015 Page 83

Industries Hall, Royal Dublin Society Society, ociety y, Dublin Fri 16th/Sat 17th/Sun 18th Oct 2015

Back ck T To o Our Past The Irish family/social history history, oryy, heritage and an traditions experience

Back To Our Past is the world’s pre-eminent event for showcasing Ireland’s past, heritage and traditions while also providing visitors with a unique opportunity to trace their own family roots, their local and national history y.... all at the same time... all under one roof! Now in its sixth yearr, Back ack To Our Past has been a huge success from Day One, providing an unbeatable marketing tool for: • Genealogy services, resources and products • Museums, art galleries, heritage centres and historic attractions • Antique, jewellery, antiquarian books, costume, uniform, coins, medal specialists • History/heritage travel specialists • Further education and study courses and much, much more...

Interrested Interested e in exhibiting? exhibiting? Contact the the organisers...

www.backtoourpast.com www w.backtoourpast.com .bac . S&L Pr Promotions omotions Ltd., Unit 1, 15 Oxfor Oxford d Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, Ir eland Ireland Tel: T e el: 00 353 (0)1 4969 028 02 Email: info@slp.ie

serious liabilities that may prompt you to ask for a discount or to walk away from the deal. Your lawyer should be a real lawyer. Unfortunately, there are numerous unregulated individuals on the Costa del Sol who claim to be “legal professionals”, “conveyancers” or “paralegals”. It is always prudent for international buyers to only instruct real lawyers who are registered with the local bar and covered by all applicable professional insurances. You should receive clear advice in English. It is not uncommon some local lawyers on the Costa del Sol to hire English-speaking paralegals or secretaries in order to liaise with international clients, as they may not speak English themselves (even if their website and literature claims otherwise). This should be avoided as your lawyer must be able to understand you and explain complex legal issues clearly and directly. Your lawyer should specialise in advising international nationals. It is simply not enough for a lawyer to speak English. You should instruct a lawyer who is knowledgeable of all the legal and tax issues that will affect you as an international buyer with regards to the purchase and thereafter. In essence, your lawyer should be capable of becoming your long-term advisor. Your lawyer should be familiar with local practices and procedures. It is not necessary to instruct the lawyer whose office is closest to the property that you intend to purchase. However, your lawyer should have experience and be based on the Costa del Sol to effectively liaise with the relevant registries and parties to the transaction. All costs should be made clear from the outset Before proceeding with a purchase, your lawyer should inform you of the transaction costs due on completion (e.g. notarial fees, legal fees, transaction taxes and disbursements), as well as ongoing costs applicable thereafter (e.g. service charges and taxes such as council tax, rubbish collection fees and nonresident owner´s tax). Do not make an offer or pay a deposit without consulting your lawyer. You should never make a firm offer or pay a deposit without first consulting your lawyer. As a general rule, you should also ensure that the funding is in place. However, in the event that a deposit is necessary to take the property off the market, your lawyer should properly advise you of the www.seniortimes.ie

risks and insist that the transaction is conditional on financing, so you will not be in breach of contract or lose the deposit if your bank refuses or delays financing. A site viewing is a must. Although it may be tempting for some international buyers to make an offer on a “discounted” property listed on a website without incurring the time and hassle of flying down to the Costa del Sol, this option is not advisable under any circumstance. Prior to making an offer, a buyer should become aware of the facts and have a face-toface meeting with his lawyer. It is not always necessary to instruct a surveyor. However, a site viewing may reveal relevant issues, such as construction defects, incongruences of the title deeds or the presence of occupants at the premises. Look at the big picture. Most properties on the Costa del Sol (and in particular those purchased by international buyers) form part of communities or urbanisations with communal gardens, swimming pools, parking, etc. Therefore, prior to purchasing a property in a community, you should ask to inspect the common areas and the status of the community as a whole. Your lawyer should at the minimum confirm that the property in question is not in arrears in respect of the community fees (i.e. the service charge payable by owners). Moreover, a prudent lawyer would also analyse the minutes of the latest meeting of the general assembly of owners, to ensure that there are no major issues affecting the community. Lucas Bornico is a Partner at BF Solicitors (Bornico, Farquharson & Associates), an Anglo-Spanish law firm composed of Spanish lawyers (Abogados) and English Solicitors registered as EU lawyers with the Spanish Bar Association. BF Solicitors specialise in advising local expats and international clients on the Costa del Sol. Their partner-led practice is able to provide a comprehensive service in respect of property, tax, wills & inheritance, wealth management, cross-border commercial & corporate transactions and yacht sales & registrations. Head Office: Av España, 146 - 3°, 29680, Estepona (Malaga), Spain www.bfsolicitors.com / Email: lucas@bfsolicitors.com / Tel: +34 952 000 031 (Spain) / +44 (0)20 7442 5810 (UK) Senior Times March 2015 Page 85

Outings

Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre a ‘must see’ this season in the Kingdom Situated on the banks of the River Lee, Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre provides a window on the diverse and spectacular Tralee bay Nature Reserve. Situated beneath the backdrop of the beautiful Slieve Mish Mountains the centre offers stunning views overlooking the estuary of the greater Tralee Bay area from both the visitor centre and the 20metre viewing tower. A most beautiful place for a group visit offering close views of nature, especially wetland birds, and a wide variety of wetland habitats to explore. It is an idyllic spot to escape the hustle and bustle of the City for a walk or to indulge in an afternoon of bird watching or just to take a relaxing guided nature boat tour thorough the wetlands habitat. This newly opened, unique visitor attraction with an eco – friendly visitor centre is the perfect destination for a variety of groups, from keen birders and wildlife enthusiasts, photographers or conservation and environmental groups through to those simply seeking a relaxing day out or those simply wanting a lunch stop in pleasant surroundings. Groups can browse in the Gift Shop for mementoes of their visit. They can also enjoy a meal / light lunch or delicious home-made scones in the lakeside Café or make use of our picnic facilities. The Tralee Bay Wetland Centre is a beautiful place to visit all year round with the landscape and wildlife changing constantly with the seasons. Take in the panoramic views from the 20 metre high observation tower, cruise through the wetlands marsh on a guided boat tour and enjoy the informative talk from one of

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the centres resident Ecologists in our audio visual room, starting for as little as €4.00 per person.

Great day trip or short break Tralee is only 25mins drive from Killarney, 90mins from Limerick, and 1hour 45mins from Cork City. Access to Tralee Bay Wetlands is via the N21, N22 > N21 or N18 – N21. Tralee is served daily by train from Dublin Huston to Tralee Casement Station. Tralee offers a whole host of accommodation with a number of the major hotels within walking distance of Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre, Fels Point being its closest neighbour. Fels Point currently have some excellent package and overnight options available to the over 50’s market and more info can be found on their website www.felspointhotel.com Check out www.tralee.ie for more information on accommodation in the area. Within walking distance from the Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre, is the Manor West Retail Park, offering a selection of department stores all of whom offer the ideal shopping destination and solution for all your gifts and needs! Lots of other things to see and do during your stay or trip to Tralee. Why not also include or visit the Kerry County Museum, Blenerville Windmill and Ballyseedy Garden Centre or take on an evening show at SiamsaTire.

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Advice

Know Your Rights Advice from the Citizens Information Service

I am about to start working part-time on a schedule that involves working one week on followed by one week off. I have been told that this could cause problems with social insurance records because of when the tax year starts. Can you explain why this is? Each year, the Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution week starts at the same time as the tax year on 1 January. This means that the PRSI contribution week can differ from the usual Monday to Friday working week. In 2015, 1 January fell on a Thursday. This means that the PRSI contribution week this year starts each Thursday and ends on the following Wednesday. As you work part-time, you need to be aware of how this may affect you, particularly in the area of social welfare entitlements. If your working week is the same as the PRSI contribution week, starting on Thursday and ending on Wednesday, and you work every second week, then you will not have a PRSI contribution for each week that you are not working. This could affect your entitlement to social welfare payments including the State Pension (Contributory) which is based on the average number of annual PRSI contributions you have paid since starting work. To make sure you have the full 52 PRSI contributions you must work at least one day in each contribution week of the year. For example, if you work Monday to Friday every second week in 20I5 then you will be working when the PRSI contribution week starts on Thursday and so will have a contribution for www.seniortimes.ie

that week. You will be off work when the next contribution week starts on the next Thursday but will be working again before it ends on the following Wednesday, so you will have a contribution for that week also. Because you are working at least one day in each contribution week you will have all your PRSI contributions paid. Any work pattern where you work at least one day in each Thursday to Wednesday period will ensure that you do not miss paying a PRSI contribution. I have just noticed that my passport is out of date and I am going on a skiing holiday in 2 weeks. Will I be able to renew my passport in time before I travel? The time it takes to renew a passport can vary, depending on how you make the application. The Passport Office recommends sending your application using An Post's Passport Express service. In general, this guarantees that you will get your passport within 10 working days, but it may take longer at busy times of the year. Check passport.ie for current turnSenior Times March 2015 Page 87

around times. The standard adult passport costs €80 through Passport Express, with a processing charge of €9 – a total charge of €89. You can hand in your completed application at any An Post office.

is to take effect. The notice must be in writing. Emails, text messages and phone calls are not valid forms of notice.

The Passport Office no longer accepts applications submitted by regular or registered post from applicants living in Ireland and it is not possible to apply online.

Threshold, the national housing charity, publishes detailed advice on how to deal with rent increases, including a list of tips on dealing with your landlord. You can contact Threshold for advice on your particular situation by calling 1890 334 334 or through their website, threshold.ie.

Applying in person at the Passport Office costs €95 and is only recommended if you are due to travel in less than ten days. In this case, you can use the Passport Appointment Booking Service, passportappointments.ie. There is an additional urgent fee of €55 if you need your passport issued in 3–5 working days. It is not usually possible to issue a passport in less than three days unless immediate travel is required due to the death or serious illness of a family member or because you need emergency medical treatment.

The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) deals with disputes between landlords and tenants, including disputes about rent reviews. If there is any dispute about the amount of rent being proposed, either side can refer the dispute to the PRTB. If the landlord has given you a valid written notice of the rent increase, you must contact the PRTB with your dispute before the date that the new rent comes into effect or within 28 days of getting the notice, whichever is later. There is no time limit if the notice is not valid.

You can get a passport renewal application form at any Garda station or An Post office. It is not available online.

You must continue to pay your current rent until the case has been determined by the PRTB.

To avoid forgetting to renew your passport in time, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides a Passport Reminder Service, which sends you a reminder email before your passport is due to expire. You can register for this service at passport.ie.

I am unemployed, married with three children and getting Jobseeker’s Allowance. I would like to get back to work. I have heard there is a new payment to help with this situation. The Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) gives financial support to people with children who were getting jobseeker’s or one-parent family payments and who either take up employment, increase their hours of employment or become self-employed. The scheme is not yet operational but applications for the scheme are being accepted from 5 January 2015. No payments will be made until April 2015 and all eligible claims will be backdated to the date of application. If you qualify for the scheme you will get a weekly payment for up to 2 years. You will be paid the equivalent of any Increases for Qualified Children that were being paid on your jobseeker or one-parent family payment (up to a maximum of 4 children) for the first year in employment. Half of that amount will be paid weekly for the second year.

I have been renting an apartment for over a year and my landlord phoned me last week to tell me that he is increasing my rent. Does he have the right to do this? The amount of rent payable for a property is agreed between the landlord and tenant at the start of a tenancy. If you are living in private rented accommodation, under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, your landlord must follow certain procedures if he wants to raise the rent. Your landlord has the right to review the rent once a year. A rent review can result in an increase or reduction of the rent. Unless the accommodation has changed substantially, it cannot be reviewed more often than this, or during the first 12 months of the tenancy. Your landlord must give you at least 28 days’ notice of the amount of the proposed new rent and the date from which it

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You can combine time on a jobseeker’s payment with time spent on education, training or employment schemes to meet the eligibility requirements. To qualify, you and all members of your family (including your adult dependant) must sign off all social welfare payments. The Back to Work Family Dividend cannot be paid with any other primary social welfare payment – with the exception of Child Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and Family Income Supplement (FIS). The Back to Work Family Dividend is not taken into account in the means test for FIS. You can contact your Intreo centre or local social welfare office to get more information on the scheme. Know Your Rights has been compiled by the Citizens Information Service which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, 0761 07 4000.

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“THE BEST DAY”

For fun, ﬁshing, heritage, festivals, walks, fabulous hotels and award-winning restaurants, visit Cavan in 2015. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll ﬁnd here!

Meeting Place DUBLIN WIDOW NS, 70s, kind, educated (‘I’m told I’m attractive), seeks honest, caring widower for friendship, companionship for the Golden Days! Varied interests: outdoors, current affairs, reading, cinema/theatre, quizzes, travel, and game for a laugh. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A1 DIVORCED CORK LADY WLTM gent 65-75 for companionship. Interests include archaeology, walking, dancing and adventures. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A2 DUBLIN NORTHSIDE WIDOWER, early 70s, full of life with many and varied interests. NS, SD. Spring approaching and need a lovely lady to hold my hand! Discretion assured. Seeking friendship and possible relationship. ALA REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A3 SINCERE MIDLANDS LADY. 63. SEPARATED, seeks male for companionship and friendship. Varied interests include walking, theatre, concerts, travel and reading. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A4 WELL EDUCATED NORTHSIDE DUBLIN MAN, 66, divorced with church annulment. Very honest, 6ft, seeks a genuine lady for friendship and possible relationship. ALA. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A5 SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN PROFESSIONAL LADY (64) WLTM genuine, unattached gent for friendship, possible relationship. I am petite, considered to be a good conversationist and very feminine. I have travelled extensively and am interested in the arts, history, science, theology and current affairs. Also enjoy walking and reading. GSOH, NS, SD. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A6 TIPP LADY WLTM LADIES aged 60-75 from Limerick, Clare Tipperary area for outings and days out and for a having a chat. Interested in crafts, reading, and arts. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A7 EDUCATED, ATTRACTIVE SOUTH EAST MAN, 66, divorced, no family and no ties WLTM sincere lady 50-75 for mature relationship. Very honest, genuine, respectable, kind and caring. Enjoy walking, reading, current affairs, travel, good conversation, theatre, sport, keeping fit and active. 6ft in height, NS, SD with GSOH. All genuine replies welcome. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A8 SOUTH EAST FEMALE (60) with an outgoing, positive personality, WLTM genuine gent for friendship and possible relationship. NS, SD with many interests, including walking, travel, dining out and bridge. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A9 KERRY/LIMERICK BASED LADY, 60s, returned emigrant would like to hear from similar males and females for friendship, travel, socialising. NS. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A10 SINGLE PROFESSIONAL, SOUTH DUBLIN LADY, mid 50s, good looking, slim, 160cm, enthusiastic, university degree, interested in Page 90 Senior Times March 2015

walking, ballet, ballroom dancing, theatre, yoga, healthy lifestyle, WLTM A single professional, caring man with similar interests, 5563, NS, SD, for friendship, companionship, leading to possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A11 MIDLANDS MAN, RETIRED PUBLIC SERVANT, EARLY 60s, WLTM an interesting lady for friendship and travelling. Widely travelled, no ties, enjoys walking, fishing, cycling and outdoor activities and travelling. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A12 WIDOWED MIDLANDS LADY, 60s. NS, SD, GSOH, enjoys good company, music, dancing, walking, reading, foreign travel and weekends away in Ireland. WLTM gentleman with similar interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A13 SINGLE SOUTH DUBLIN LADY,mid 50s, good looking professional, interested in ballroom dancing, hillwalking, ballet, theatre, yoga, healthy lifestyle, WLTM a single professional man with similar interests, aged 57-60, fit, NS, ND and DGOH, for friendship and companionship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A14 WIDOWED DUBLIN LADY, 60s, NS, SD, attractive, active, fit, with outgoing personality. Enjoys walking, music, theatre and dining out. WLTM educated, sincere gent with GSOH for friendship and companionship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A15 DUBLIN MAN, LATE 50s, returned emigrant, WLTM men and women with similar experience who may be interested in meeting and possibly to form a group. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A16

WICKLOW-BASED LADY, 60s, returned emigrant, would like to hear from emigrants of similar age, with a view to friendship or perhaps forming a Returned Emigrants Association? REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y2 SOUTH DUBLIN LADY, attractive, with outgoing personality, likes outdoors, walking, theatre, travel, dining out, WLTM sincere, active, unattached man in his 60s for companionship and perhaps deep friendship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y3 SINCERE CAVAN WIDOWER, young 67, NS, ND, presentable, kind and caring. Seeks gentle, caring lady soul mate with no ties. Interests include country life, walking, nature, reading, dining out, weekends away etc. Photo appreciated and exchanged. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y4 WIDOWED DUBLIN LADY, 60s, NS, no ties, would enjoy company of man of similar age or older. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y5 ATTRACTIVE CORK LADY, 64, semi-retired WLTM kind sincere gentleman with common interests for friendship, travel and the simple things in life.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y6

DUBLIN WIDOW, EARLY SIXTIES, but don’t look it, WLTM caring widower for friendship and socialising. Interests include reading, gardening and eating out. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A17

NORTH WICKOW WIDOW, 64, interested in travel, walking, eating out, cinema, gardening etc. WLTM gentleman of similar age with similar interests.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y7

NORTHSIDE DUBLIN LADY, 39, Libra, welleducated and travelled, smart, kind and caring, enjoys good conversation, dining out in decent restaurants, cinema and theatre. WLTM a man with GSOH and similar interests for romance and maybe more. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A18

PROFESSIONAL GALWAY LADY seeks honest and caring male companion (single or widower) fifties or early sixties for friendship. Interests include reading, walking, some gardening, cinema, travel etc. NS, SD, GSOH. WLTM man in Galway area of similar age and interests.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X1

FEMININE DUBLIN LADY, EARLY 60s, welltravelled, semi-retired, fit, fun and engaging. WLTM a kind, laid back, easy going gentleman who has sound values and principles..and a wee twinkle in his eye! Would like to hear from you! REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A19

60 YEARS YOUNG DUBLIN WOMAN seeks male ballroom dance partner to attend social dances in Dublin area. Having attained bronze level in both international standard and Latin dances. I seek a partner who leads well; a plus if you also dance the Hustle REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X2

INDEPENDENT DUBLIN LADY WLTM professional retired gentleman 70 plus. Love island hopping in the Summer, sun, sea and sand. Many interests include travel, dining out and good company. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A20

ATTRACTIVE, EDUCATED WIDOW, 65, interested in gardening, music, reading, arts, animals, nature etc., would like to find a pen friend or/and a friend to enjoy good things in life.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X3

DUBLIN GENTLEMAN, 60s, WLTM lady for friendship/companionship. Interests include golf, bridge, dancing and reading. ALA REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y1

LONELY REFINED EDUCATED 65 year old man seeks female soul mate anywhere in Ireland. Love theatre, literature, cinema, walking. Tall, grey, handsome with GSOH. NS. Like a glass of wine.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X4 www.seniortimes.ie

ROMANTIC LADY. Kind and caring, divorced, no ties. Enjoys walking and socialising, travel, cinema, theatre and bridge. I am NS, SD and WLTM a gentleman Late 60’s with similar interests for friendship and companionship in the Dublin area. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X5 SOUTH SIDE DUBLIN MALE, 61, NS, SD, slim; dress well; have GSOH; very active. Like classic/traditional music, hiking to country side; travelling; dining out in decent restaurants. Would like to meet lady with good dress sense who can hold a decent conversation and has GSOH. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X6 MIDLANDS WIDOWER, 60’s, non-smoker, social drinker, sincere with GSOH, interests include music, cinema, par-3 golf and gardening, would like to meet attractive petite lady for friendship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X7 FEMININE, ATTRACTIVE SOUTH DUBLIN, 47 year old female looking to meet a kind caring man in late 40’s to 60’s. I am well educated and a good conversationalist. I enjoy travel, art, swimming, having fun, eating out and lots of laughter. Looking to meet someone well educated and cultured who values someone special in their life. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X8 PERFECT GENTLEMAN 67, Dublin, digital, active, cheerful, sharing, caring, positive, respectful, vibrant, house, car, fully single, full of life, love and laughter. Seeking similar lady, to share the joyful wonder of life. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X9 ATTRACTIVE 51 YEAR OLD professional woman in County Louth, NS, GSOH, interested in life and all it has to offer! Enjoys music, literature, cooking, theatre, driving to name but a few. WLTM a gentleman in the same age group with similar interests, a GSOH and a positive outlook on life. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X10

INTERESTED? If you are interested in meeting someone of the opposite or same sexsend your advertisement to: Meeting Place, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Or email:john@slp.ie IMPORTANT Ensure you give your approximate age and the area you live. Also ensure you include your postal address for those not on the Net. Deadline for receipt of advertisements for the next issue is 22nd April 2015 PLEASE NOTE Each reply to an advertisement must also be accompanied by a plain, stamped envelope so that we can insert your reply and forward to the advertiser. Ensure that the individual box numbers are discreetly marked in pencil on the envelope. Correspondents submitting advertisements, or replying to advertisements by email MUST also include their postal address for those not on the Net

DUBLIN WIDOW, recently retired, professional, varied interests, films, music, outdoor life and travel. WLTM sincere gent and hopefully end up as Soul mates! REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X11 WILD ATLANTIC WAY MAN seeks lady for weekends away, theatre, cinema, country walks, eating out and frequent travel to the West from anywhere in Ireland. Refined, educated and house trained 64 year old. Tall, grey and handsome with GSOH. ALA. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X12 SINGLE LADY 58 from East Europe, attractive, warm personality, many interests. WLTM honest caring gentleman 58-68 for genuine lasting relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X13 69 YEAR OLD IRISHMAN just back from working abroad, seeks female partner 63 to 73 for company, perhaps romance. Loves theatre, cinema, walking and talking. Friendly and easy-going. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X14 HI I’M A 52 year old woman who would like to meet men in the Dublin area aged 50-55 for friendship, my interests are reading, music and dining out. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X15 GALWAY MAN LATE FIFTIES. Interests include walking, reading, farming, travelling and gardening. WLTM woman of similar age and interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X16 DUBLIN SOUTHSIDE FEMALE aged 52 WLTM males or females for friendship, companionship or socialising. My hobbies are walking, gardening, swimming, travelling and dancing. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X17 NORTHSIDE DUBLIN MALE VEGETARIAN, 63, interested in meditation, walking, nature etc. NS, ND, WLTM similar males and females for friendship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X 18 DUBLIN WOMAN, 50, INTERESTED IN WALKING, travelling, cinema, cooking and meeting new friends. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X19 ATTRACTIVE NORTH CO DUBLIN LADY, (60) with outgoing personality, NS, SD with many and varied interests WLTM respectable gent who would appreciate and treat her nicely. Age range 50s to early 70s REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W1 MATURE LADY (60) WITH OUTGOING PERSONALITY would like to match up with lady or gent with a view to spending the coming winter (long term) in the Canary Islands to escape the unpleasant Irish winter. Would suit someone interested in peace, relaxation and friendship. Age 55 or over. NS, SD preferred. REPLY YO BOX NUMBER W2 WEST OF IRELAND MAN EARLY 60s WLTM sincere lady for friendship/relationship. I am genuine, honest, caring. I like music, walking, DIY, sport, animals and country life. ALA. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W3

ATTRACTIVE, ARTICULATE NEW YORK WOMAN EDUCATIONIST, early 60s, within Dublin catchment area WLTM a cultured, refined man with no ties. My interests are wide and varied and include a love of life, good conversation, comedy, theatre, travel, reading and the arts. My life is a tapestry of colours and sharing experiences makes it more enriched. Are you the complimentary other half? REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W6 LATE 60s CO GALWAY WIDOW. Interests include walking, cycling, country driving, gardening and travel. WLTM a late 60s widow. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W7 WEST OF IRELAND PROFESSIONAL LADY, semi-retired, single, NS, SD. Enjoys walking, travel, cinema, theatre, golf, weekends away, dining out, WLTM refined gentleman for friendship and companionship from any part of the country. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W8 RESPECTABLE SOUTH DUBLIN GENTLEMAN, 70, generous and interesting, WLTM lady for shared mutual enjoyment. Discretion assured and expected. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W9 SOUTH CITY DUBLIN MAN, LATE 50s, MANY INTERESTS, including travel, cinema, reading, cycling, dining out WLTM lady with similar interests for friendship and perhaps more. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W10 NORTHSIDE DUBLIN LADY, EARLY 60s, NO TIES, has GSOH, WLTM single, refined, caring gentleman. NS, SD, loves country life, nature, and the simple pleasures of life. Interests include hill-walking, classical music, art and reading. I have some hearing difficulties. Perhaps if you are reading this and you are also in a similar situation you might like to get in touch. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W11 SOUTH DUBLIN WOMAN WLTM professional gentleman, 70 plus, widower, separated, divorced, single. Like all the finer things in life as well as antiques, fishing, beach combing, weekends away etc. TV addicts and smokers need not apply.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W12 SEMI RETIRED TIPP LADY, well-travelled, no ties, very sincere, kind and caring. WLTM a gent of around 60 who is active, fit and has sound family values to share interest in the arts, keeping fit, good conversation. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B1 MIDLANDS GENT, GSOH, SD, NS, no ties, 65. Interests include walking, reading, DIY, g ardening and travel. WLTM a lady, 55-65, with similar interests, for relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B2

GAY FEMALE NS, LATE 50s, Munster area WLTM same for friendship/companionship. NS only REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W4

RETIRED DUBLIN LEGAL SECRETARY, 72, 3rd level education, art qualification, many interests, WLTM educated gentleman for outings, companionship and friendship REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B3

DUBLIN NORTHSIDE WIDOWER, 65, many and varied interests, seeks lively Dublinbased lady for dining out, travel, cinema, walking etc., and of course for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W5

SLIGO SINGLE WOMAN dancing enthusiast, mid 60s, WLTM male dancing partner to attend sequence, ceili, old-time, social dancing classes and events in the North West and surrounding areas. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B4