Senior Times Magazine - September/October by SeniorTimes Ireland

Issue 107 September - October 2020

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007 hits 90 Sean Connery’s monumental milestone

Good and bad behavior in the big houses Profile of writer Molly Keane The Great Book of Ireland: A modern day Book of Kells

A new move Introducing the Senior Times bridge column

Biking the Creenways A guide to the growing choice of routes

PLUS: History - Creative Writing - Competitions – Beauty – Travel – Wine - Recipes - Health - Meeting Place and much more...

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Issue 107- September - October 2020

Contents 10

6 News:

007 hits 90: Profile of Sean Connery as he makes a milestone

Dublin Dossier: Pat Keenan on happenings in and around the capital

Is downsizing a good move?: 48 Mairead Robinson, with personal experience, investigates

Good and bad behaviour in the big houses: 10 In the latest of her literary travel profiles Lorna Hogg relates the life and times of writer Molly Keane

Northern Notes: Debbie Orme’s stories from north of the border

The Nathaniel Hones, the Caryatids and the Elgin Marbles: 14 Random thoughts on cultural vandalism by Eamonn Lynskey

Western Ways: George Keegan on happenings in the arts, heritage, travel and food on the Western Seaboard

Bridge: Introducing the new Senior Times bridge column hosted by Michael O’Loughlin

Wine World:

Motoring : Breda Corrigan test drives the new Mazda CX-30

On the Greenways bike trails: Lorna Hogg features many of the routes which are opening all over the country

What should I do when a loved one dies?: A guide to the probate process

Meeting Place:

Crossword:

Crafts:

Mary’s Musings: 22 Mary O’Rourke on W B Yeats, cocooning, back to school, the US election and much more. Trish’s Irish cookbook: How to eat well and lose weight

Creative Writing:

Midnight Finish: Dermot Gilleece on the colourful and eccentric golf history of a Nordic nation

Publishing Directors: Brian McCabe, Des Duggan Editorial Director: John Low Advertising: Willie Fallon Design & Production: www.cornerhouse.ie Contributors: Lorna Hogg, Dermot Gilleece, Maretta Dillon, Peter Power, Matthew Hughes, Mairead Robinson, Eileen Casey, Debbie Orme, Connie McEvoy, George Keegan, Michael O’Loughlin and Pat Keenan.

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News Now Sage report reveals family carers ‘going above and beyond the call of duty’ The current Carer’s Allowance system urgently needs ‘new oversight’ because a ‘small minority of recipients’ are ‘blatantly abusing’ it, Sage Advocacy has warned. The report highlights that many dedicated family carers, who receive Carer’s Allowance payments, not only provide excellent care but ‘go above and beyond the call of duty’. However the Providing Care to Vulnerable Adults Living at Home: Need for More Oversight of Carer’s Allowance System report also details in depth how the current system is susceptible to abuse. The Carer’s Allowance system costs the tax payer in the region of €1.2 billion annually. Research suggests there are an estimated 375,000 carers in the country - but only one in five receive a Carer’s Allowance payment. Michael Cahillane, Sage Advocacy’s regional co-ordinator for Kerry & Cork West who compiled the report, believes the current lack of oversight can lead to the ‘financial abuse and maltreatment’ of people who have been assessed as needing full-time care.

Almost half of Ireland’s top attractions are ‘not completely wheelchair accessible’

Sage Advocacy is recommending that a number of new initiatives be introduced to address the current lack of oversight of the Carer’s Allowance system. These include: • Mandatory standardised regulation should be established. • A monitoring process should be put in place from the beginning of the granting of Carer’s Allowance with the prior knowledge of both the care provider and the care recipient. • Training and education should be provided to Carer’s Allowance recipients at the outset and on a regular basis. • A proper monitoring and reporting structure should be in place ensuring that a link person is available to the vulnerable persons (care recipients) as required. • Garda vetting of Carer’s Allowance recipients should be mandatory. • A transparent complaints process should be available to both care recipients and care providers. • Training and education should be provided to Carer’s Allowance recipients at the outset and on a regular basis. For further information please contact: T + 353 (0)1 536 7330 M+ 353 (0)87 173 8762

LETTER

How do I get a travel insurance refund?

A report has reviewed the accessibility of over 40 of Ireland’s most visited attractions, and has concluded that 40 per cent of them are not completely wheelchair accessible. The list of attractions comes from Fáilte Ireland’s list of most visitedattractions (both free and paid) in 2017, and sees the likes of the Cliffs of Moher, Dublin Zooand the Book of Kells in its ranks. Many of these tourist attractions are found in places with uneven ground and historical steps, such as Glendalough site and Blarney Castle, making them incompatible with modernisation, but many others have simply not modernised their facilities to meet the needs of all visitors.

I wonder if you could include the following in the next edition of Senior Times as I feel that other pensioners like myself are in a similar position. In January this year, I booked a short break with xxxxx travelling to the South of France in October. I paid the deposit of 200 Euros plus 79 Euros travel insurance they recommend. Because of the pandemic, my GP advised me in April or May not to go so I duly cancelled the holiday. I was well within the time frame to do so. xxxx told me that they do not give refunds so I accepted a voucher for the 200 Euros paid. They advised me to contact my insurance company for a refund of the 79 Euros.

Others still only have partial accessibility, such as the National Museum of Ireland Archaeology, Kildare St, which allows guests with wheelchairs and scooters to visit only one ofits floors. The report was compiled by Olympic Lifts.

When I contacted my insurance company they had no record of me anywhere on their system (which was worrying). After repeated efforts to get the details of the insurance policy xxxx they finally admitted that I was covered

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under a group policy and gave me the details. On returning to my insurance company they said that they do not give refunds but that they would give me a voucher for 79 Euros. However xxxx then informed me that they do not accept these vouchers from my insurance company so what do I do? As I paid the 79 Euros to xxxx with my deposit, I feel that they must be responsible for what happens afterwards. Does anyone have any advice? Name and address given

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Hospice Coffee Morning returns for its 28th year

To register to host a coffee morning on Thursday 24th September, or on a date that suits you, go to www.hospicecoffeemorning.ie or call 1890 998 995. Hosts are provided with a Coffee Morning Pack containing Bewley’s coffee, posters and invitations free of charge. Remember, every cup counts!

Together for Hospice, which consists of fundraising representatives of Hospice and specialist palliative homecare services throughout the country have launched this year’s Hospice Coffee Morning together with Bewley’s. The campaign is celebrating its 28th year and Hospices nationwide together with long-standing partner Bewley’s, are calling on the Irish public to host a coffee morning on Thursday 24th September to help raise vital funds for their local hospice. This year due to COVID 19 restrictions, coffee morning hosts are encouraged to host socially distanced or virtual coffee mornings to ensure the safety of attendees and that government guidelines* are adhered to. It is hoped that this year’s events, whether held in small groups in homes or virtually with colleagues and friends, will raise much needed funds for hospices across Ireland, to meet growing demands for the services.

78% of people are keen to travel this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic Ferry company Stena Line has undertaken a huge survey of its customers to gauge attitudes towards this year’s potential travel destinations and preferred modes of travel. 84,309 responses were received from 11 countries across Northern Europe. Positive sentiment towards car and ferry travel in Europe and neighbouring countries is apparent after COVID-19. It is no surprise that the ability to breath fresh sea air, freedom to move around, and adhering to social distancing is a priority. A summary of the main findings are below: When choosing a destination the trend is to stay in Europe (44%) or visit a neighbouring country (42%). Only 1% said that they will avoid travel completely. Almost two thirds of the respondents (65%) said they would consider ferry travel over air travel in the wake of COVID-19. When choosing a mode of transport the public are most likely to choose to travel by car and ferry, and less likely to travel by air, coach and by train. About the survey: The online survey was sent via email in the end of June 2020, to over 1 million Stena Line travel customers in eleven countries in Europe that had engaged with Stena Line the past 12 months.

National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh ‘on track’ to deliver Strategic Plan by year end The National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, Ireland’s largest dedicated orthopaedic hospital, is on track to deliver on its 2018-2020 Strategic Plan as anticipated by the end of the current year, according to the 2019 Annual Report. Last year marked the second year of the three-year strategy, which saw the hospital make significant progress in the delivery of stated priorities and by the end of 2019 and the

The public can support Hospice Coffee Morning Together with Bewley’s on Thursday 24th September 2020 by: 1. Hosting a Virtual Coffee Morning 2. Hosting a Socially distanced Coffee Morning with a small group of family or friends 3. If you can’t host or attend a coffee morning, please consider making a donation to your local hospice 4. Text COFFEE to 50300 to donate €4 (Text costs €4. Hospice Coffee Morning Together with Bewley’s will receive a minimum of €3.60. Service Provider: LIKECHARITY. Helpline: 076 6805278.) Journalist and broadcaster, Sharon Ní Bheoláin, officially launched this year’s campaign

hospital remained ahead of schedule in terms of goal implementation. Some of the achievements outlined in the 2019 report include: waiting lists for total hip and knee replacements were reduced from 12 months to 6 months; a 77% reduction in scoliosis waiting lists due to the introduction of a Rapid Access Scoliosis Service; and due to a 4% increase in demand for surgeries, the fifth theatre was operational during certain intervals. Over the past two years, significant progress has been made across the objectives outlined in the 2018 – 2020 Strategic Plan. These include: Service development - 15% increase in activity in two years - Spinal fusion programme has expanded with 86 surgeries completed in past two years - First public hospital in Ireland to adopt a two-surgeon approach to scoliosis surgery - First public hospital in Ireland to perform Same Day Discharge for Total Hip Replace ment patients - Expanded the Sports and Exercise Medicine Programme and established links with Sports Ireland Institute - Appointment of Clinical Director in 2018

Survey reveals knitting is the most relaxing hobby The most relaxing hobby with the lowest heartbeat measured is knitting - with 65 beats per minute and voted by 93% respondents in a UK survey. Knitting can decrease your resting heart rate to 18.75% whereas, the ‘pedal to the metal’ hobby biking can increase it up to 118.75%! In last place is riding a bike with 175 beats per minute and 29% of people saying it is the most relaxing hobby. Top five most relaxing hobbies to take up this

4 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

are: knitting, fishing, blogging, calligraphy, and painting. The Fitbit data was collected by 357 British people between the ages of 20 – 30 years wearing a Fitbit while completing 20 various hobbies given. The data was collected over a few weeks and revealed which soothing task most relaxes our heartbeats.

Rents rose 1.2 per cent this year Average monthly rents rose by an average of 1.2% in the year to July, according to the latest Daft.ie Housing Market Report released today. The new monthly report gives key figures on the health of both sale and rental markets, with figures for the sales market showing prices on average unchanged in July compared to a year ago. The average listed sale price nationwide in July was €259,733, while the average monthly listed rent was €1,412. Rents in Dublin are largely unchanged, yearon-year, having risen by just 0.2% in the last 12 months to July. In the rest of Leinster and in Munster, rents have risen in the last year – by 3.3% and 2.7% respectively. In Connacht and Ulster, however, rents are 0.6% lower than a year ago. In the sales segment, prices have risen in both Dublin (+1.2%) and the rest of Leinster (+2.1%) in the last 12 months, but have fallen elsewhere in the country – by 2.8% in Munster and by 2.5% in Connacht and Ulster.

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Age no handicap as Sean Connery plays his way to 100 On the occasion of Sean Connery’s 90th birthday, Aubrey Malone spotlights the life - so far! - and extraordinary times of our favourite James Bond The Name is Connery, Sean Connery ‘Sir’ Sean is 90. Shaken but not stirred by the milestone, cinema’s best 007 by a mile celebrated it in the Bahamas with Micheline Roquebrune, his Moroccan-born artist wife of 45 years.

Sean Connery with Micheline Roquebrune, his Moroccan-born artist wife of 45 years.

He lives with her in the exclusive part of New Providence Island. Nearby is a beach, a marina and a golf course. A house without a golf course nearby is, to Connery, like a house without bricks. Films were always a sideline to getting his handicap down. Didn’t he once say, ‘I go from being Arnold Palmer to Lilli Palmer’? He was born Thomas Sean Connery in 1930 in a small flat in Edinburgh. There was no hot water and no bathroom. The communal lavatory was outside. For years he had only gas lighting.The Thomas and Sean came from his Irish grandfather. The street was called ‘the street of a thousand smells’ because of all the factories in the area. His father worked in one of them. His mother was a cleaning woman. ‘I didn’t know I lacked anything,’ he said, ‘because I had nothing to compare it with.’ Connery fought his way out of the poverty trap by doing everything he could – milkman, lorry driver, lifeguard, coffin polisher, artist’s model. He started a regime of body-building in the fifties and entered a Mr Universe competition in 1953, coming a very respectable third. He even had a try-out for Manchester United. Matt Busby thought he had potential on the field. Connery said no because a footballer’s career was too short. ‘He could be retired at 30,’ he claimed. He had a respectable stage career that’s often overlooked in biographies of him. Shakespeare was a paragon for him. He did a creditable Macbeth once. Ibsen and Pirandello were other heroes. He was also a fan of our own James Joyce. He played some forgettable screen villains before being chosen by Lana Turner to appear opposite her in the 1958 feature AnotherTime, Another Place. In between scenes he had a set-to with her gangster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato. Stompanato thought they were having an affair. He visited the set one day and waved a gun in Connery’s face, telling him to stay away from Turner. Unperturbed, the fiery Scot flattened him with a right to the nose. He was advised to lie low for a while. Stompanato knew some Very Bad People. Lana’s daughter Cheryl would subsequently stab him to death after he beat Lana up. There was a rumour it was Lana herself who did it, letting Cheryl take the rap. 6 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Not many stars have colourful back stories like this. For most people, Connery began with Bond. Ian Fleming, his creator, wasn’t in favour of him playing him at first. ‘I’m looking for Commander James Bond,’ he said, ‘not an overgrown stunt man.’ Connery was 6ft 2in. Fleming thought he looked more like a bricklayer than the champagne-and-caviar hero he was supposed to be playing - and more likely to be swilling pints than Dom Perignon ’57. He also thought his accent would come against him. He spoke like his mouth was full of marbles. How was he going to play the role – in a kilt? He later amended that view, even giving Bond a Scottish father in You Only Live Twice. Connery’s view of Fleming was that he was ‘a terrible snob but great company.’ In Dr No, his first outing as the refined spy, he shared the screen with Ursula Andress. She emerged from the sea in ‘that’ bikini. Her surname was amended to ‘Undress.’ Some viewers thought her shoulders were as big as Connery’s. The film became a sensation, going all around the world. It made $6 million in America alone. In Japan it was translated as ‘No Need For Doctors.’ The phenomenon had begun. Britain was turning from grim black and white into glorious Technicolour. It was the era of the Beatles, Christine

Profile

In familiar pose as agent 007

He played some forgettable screen villains before being chosen by Lana Turner to appear opposite her in the critically successful 1958 feature Another Time, Another Place.

With Janet Munro in the 1959 ‘Oirish’ comic melodrama Darby O’Gill and the little people

Keeler, Julie Christie. Angry Young Men had gone for their tea. The spy had come in from the cold.

to talk about. Juvenile or not, he’d liberated Britain from the grey fifties. He said You Only Live Twice was ‘positively my last appearance’ as Bond in 1967. ‘Never again,’ he snarled. No longer would he don the smart suits and the toupees, no longer mouth the silly one-liners as he sent villains to their happy hunting grounds.

Bond became a brand. Men wanted to be him and women wanted to bed him. ‘At the height of his fame,’ Diana Dors opined, ‘He could have had any woman he wanted. From what I could tell, he did.’ He was an aspirational figure for full-blooded men who drove fast cars and dated fast women. The gadgets were impressive too, if juvenile. Boys with toys. Connery had more money than he knew what to do with. The factory worker’s son said, ‘I’m not used to it. I still go around the house turning off all the unused lights.’

With ex-wife Diane Cilento

He married Diane Cilento in 1962. The films came thick and fast as the sixties progressed. From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice. In between he did ‘important’ work. With each outing he said he was becoming more and more fed up of Bond. But it was Bond people wanted

He always professed to hate 007. ‘I’d love to kill him,’ he said once. The role was ‘a cross, a privilege, a joke, a challenge – and as bloody intrusive as a nightmare.’ He told an interviewer who identified him with it: ‘The important thing to get across is the fact that one was functioning reasonably well before Bond, and that one is going to function reasonably well after Bond.’

The performances he preferred were those where he didn’t have to go to bed with women who were trying to kill him or flash contrived gadgets at demented villains trying to take over the world. He was wonderful in many of them – The Hill, The Molly Maguires, Zardoz. But of course everyone primarily associated him with 007. No matter how many Bonds came after him, he was the barometer. Roger Moore admitted, ‘Sean’s the real Bond. People think I’m his stand-in.’ Moore may Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 7

Profile

With Michael Caine and director John Huston on the set of The Man Born To Be King

Sean Connery at 90 and reputed to be worth £100 million

have had the urbanity but Connery had the wit. ‘Roger comes in the humour door,’ Connery said, ‘I go out it.’

on him. He projected his grief onto the role of a near-psychotic police officer in the role. The film died at the box office but he didn’t mind. When people were queuing around corners to see him as Bond it was almost a novelty to make a film nobody went to.

Off-screen he wasn’t too humorous at all. ‘I’m a Celt,’ he said, ‘I’m moody.’ He refused to go around with a ‘Welcome’ mat around his head. If people didn’t like him, that was their problem. The marriage with Cilento rumbled on throughout the decade. They were a glamorous couple, living off his astronomical earnings. He was sometimes tagged with being tight with money. It wasn’t a subject he enjoyed talking about. In 1965 he’d said, ‘I never ask anybody what they earn and I don’t tell anybody what I earn. I want all I can get. I’m entitled to it. I don’t believe all that stuff about starving in a garret or being satisfied with artistic appreciation only.’ Whatever sentimentality he had seemed to be reserved for the country of his birth. He had matching tattoos that said, ‘Scotland Forever’ and ‘Mum and Dad.’ He was back as Bond in Diamonds Are Forever in 1971. Never again? Think again, Sean. The money was hard to resist. Cilento divorced him two years later. He had to give her a large slice of his fortune in their settlement. She deserved it. She’d helped him enormously when he was trying to find the best way into Bond. He liked to talk about a group of men in Hollywood who belonged to a group called Divorce Anonymous: ‘It works like this. If a member of the group starts to feel the urge to end their marriage, they send over an accountant to talk him out of it.’ Cilento said she left him ‘after he bashed my face in with his fists.’ It was a startling quotation that stopped people in their tracks. They started to join the dots about his temper. An interviewer had once asked him how he felt about the fact that Bond roughed up women. His reply was astounding: ‘I don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong with hitting a woman although I don’t recommend doing it the same way that you’d hit a man. An open-handed slap is justified if all other alternatives fail and there’s been plenty of warning.’ Was he from the Stone Age? Things got weirder when he said, ‘One of the appeals Bond has for women is that he’s decisive. By their nature women aren’t. “Shall I wear this? Shall I wear that?” Then along comes a man who’s absolutely sure of everything and he’s a godsend.’ He didn’t add, ‘Especially if he administers the open-handed slap.’ But you felt he might have. The comments haunted him over the next few decades. How did he survive them? Only Connery could have. If remarks like that were associated with an actor today it would no doubt spell the end of his career. His talent helped him survive. People talk about the many blockbuster films he made but there are also many unheralded ones like Sidney Lumet’s downbeat thriller The Offence in 1973. It was rumoured to have been inspired by the death of his father, a man who had a huge influence 8 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

‘Artistic appreciation’ also fed into other roles he made when he wasn’t being Bond, like The Man Who Would Be King (1975) with his good friend Michael Caine, and Robin and Marian (1976). ‘It was supposed to be called The Death of Robin Hood,’ he said, ‘but Americans don’t like heroes who die.’ By now he was married to Micheline. He’d met her as far back as 1969 when things were going badly with Cilento. She was a year older than him and equally passionate about golf. More importantly, she had little or no interest in movies. She said she fell in love with him at first sight but both of them were married to other people at the time. Connery made a comeback as Bond in Never Say Never Again in 1983. The title was suggested by Micheline. She thought it would be fun considering his promise never to don the famous tux again. It was. More importantly, it made him a fortune. Again. An Oscar followed two years later for a supporting role in Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables. There were those who thought he’d never come within an asses’ roar of Hollywood’s greatest accolade. Those who associated him more with Darby O’Gill and the Little People than Macbeth had to think again. The following years threw up some strange role choices. In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) he played Harrison Ford’s father despite being only twelve years older than him. In Family Business in the same year he was Dustin Hoffman’s father despite being only seven years his senior. He was entitled to feel hard done by. Was he seen as being older because he was going thin on top? Barbara Carrera, who played Fatima Blush in Never Say Never Again, told him he looked better without a wig. Kevin Costner asked him to do a cameo in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991. He was given $500,000 for just five lines of dialogue and a single day’s work. He donated the money to some worthy causes he was affiliated with. People accused him of making the donations as a tax dodge. He exploded in anger. Would he ever outgrow the image of the tight-fisted Scot? He was voted The Sexiest Man Alive in 1999. His reaction was classic Bond: ‘Are there sexy dead ones?’ In 2006, the year of his retirement, he received the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award. In his acceptance speech he said, ‘Making movies is either Utopia or shovelling s**t uphill. Tonight I propose we put down our shovels and remember the good times. ‘ He’s reputed to be worth £100 million today. Not bad for an overgrown stunt man.

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Good and bad behaviour in the big houses In her latest literary-themed excursions Lorna Hogg visits locations connected to the Anglo-Irish writer Molly Keane A first novel at seventy-six. This dream for literary publicists took a new course when at the 1981 Booker Awards, the short-listed, mature writer of Good Behaviour, Molly Keane, revealed herself as M.J. Farrell, established author and playwright in the 1930s. But of course, Molly Keane was always full of surprises, and her shrewdly observed and wickedly parodied accounts of her Anglo Irish background were just part of her talent and joie de vivre. Molly Nesta Skrine was born in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, on July 29th 1904, into an Anglo Irish family, which in 1912 moved to Ballyrankin House in Co. Wexford. Her English ex- diplomat and cattle rancher father, and somewhat undemonstrative poet mother were typical parents of their class, background and generation. They hunted and socialised, leaving their children to be cared for by nannies – who were expected to turn out accomplished, well-mannered young ladies. Molly’s two sisters were sent off to boarding school in England. She refused to join them, and was sent to The French School in Bray, where she started her experience of the ‘delicate art of exclusion’. Horses and riding became treasured interests. Young ladies of Molly’s background were expected to be good and fearless horsewomen, as well as socially active, perfectly dressed at hunt balls, charming and ideally, beautiful. However, their world was fading fast. In 1921 her parents were taken outside their home by the Black and Tans, and on a summer evening, watched as it was burned to the ground. Molly’s circle may have been long on style – but was becoming short on money. However, second hand riding boots were tactfully ignored, as her enthusiasm for life and fun in general and riding in particular, allowed Molly an escape from home. She regularly visited friends, including Sylvia and John Perry, from Woodruff, in Co. Tipperary. The house would later inspire her book Mad Puppetstown. Tuberculosis A spell in bed with suspected tuberculosis gave her time to try writing, in order to overcome boredom and isolation. Her initial effort, The Knight of Cheerful Countenance, written under the name of M.J. Farrell, (which was inspired by a local pub), brought her £75 from Mills and Boon. It is said that she promptly spent most of it on a party for her friends at Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel. Of course she could never have used her own name – observing later that ‘to be seen reading a book, let alone writing one, would have been a cause for alarm’ Even worse, men would have been afraid of her. 10 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Molly Keane, centre, at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre in 1961 for the production of her play, Dazzling Prospect, with co-author John Perry, Margaret Rutherford, Sir John Gielgud, actor and director Richard Leech. Photograph: Dermot Barry

Molly and daughters Sally and Virginia in the early 1950s

In 1950, Molly and family moved to Ardmore, to live in Dysert, a cottage with magnificent sweeping views out over the sea.

Woodruff was also the place where Molly met her great love and future husband, the tall, blond and good looking gentleman farmer Bobby Keane. The couple were instantly smitten with each other, and for the next five years, carried on a passionate secret affair, with some ‘living in sin’. Intelligent and supportive, he was not threatened by her writing, (which by then was paying for her evening dresses for those hunt balls), and encouraged her. Molly’s farce, Spring Meeting; was written in collaboration with John Perry, who was also an actor in in London. It was directed by John Gielgud, and proved highly successful. The American run helped to pay for her 1939 honeymoon with Bobby, whom she married in 1938. The next eight years were idyllic. Molly lived at Belleville, near to Cappoquin, with Bobby, later joined by daughters Sally and Virginia. She hunted, tended the garden, visited friends and wrote –between 1928 and 1956, Molly had eleven books published. In London, she developed a glittering lifestyle, attending publishers’ parties, co-authoring plays and enjoying the theatrical world of rehearsals and post theatre parties. Molly’s social circle was impressive, ranging from Lord Charles Cavendish, a son of the Duke of Devonshire, (whose Irish residence was Lismore Castle) and his wife Adele Astaire, (sister of dancer Fred Astaire) through to Irish author Elizabeth Bowen, and actress Peggy Ashcroft. It was a short idyll. In 1946, Bobby was taken ill in London with a burst duodenal ulcer and rushed to hospital. The next day, he was pronounced dead. Molly found that she could not continue living with memories at Belleville. The grieving young family moved on, living in rented homes over the next few years, as Molly struggled to come to terms with her new life. However, grief and a poor reception for a 1961 play dimmed her enthusiasm for writing. Over the next decades, she set about creating a new life, taking care of her young daughters. In 1950 they moved to Ardmore, to live in Dysert, a cottage with magnificent sweeping views out over the sea. Molly concentrated on domesticity, and her friends remained loyal and supportive over the decades. When in 1980, she showed actress Peggy Ashcroft the draft of a manuscript which had lain in a drawer for years, she was encouraged to submit Good Behaviour to a publisher. It opened a new phase of her life and a new literary and social scene. Russell Harty became a friend, and there were TV appearances and openings, and a whole new social scene. Good Behaviour and her next

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Among Mollie’s wide circle of friends were Adele Astaire, sister of the more famous Fred, actress Peggy Ashcroft and novelist Elizabeth Bowen

book, Time after Time were both filmed for television and brought Molly’s trademark wit, sense of black comedy and observant eye of an insider to a wider audience. Her observations did not spare herself either. She recounted an occasion when she glanced at a window pane to see an old woman looking back in. To her shock, she realised that it was herself. ‘You see, it all happens on the outside. Inside, one doesn’t change.’ Nor did her good manners or generosity. Journalists’ interviews usually involved tea in china cups and platefuls of dainty crustless sandwiches. Later on, Molly’s famously strong cocktails appeared, along with equally impressive observations. At an interview, I asked her to define good behaviour. The answer came back in a flash. ‘Never telling all, keeping a smiling face when things are going against you, consideration, good manners, punctuality and never boasting.’ She never forgot the rules she parodied. Molly Keane died on April 22nd 1996, but her legacy and memory lives on, helped by a biography, written by her daughter, Sally Phipps. Molly also became a member of Aosdana - ‘people of the arts,’ in 1981. Her legacy also remains at her Ardmore home, Dysert, which has become an arts centre. Courses are held there, along with writers, retreats, readings and masterclasses and it sponsors a Molly Keane Creative Writing Award. The Molly Keane Centre Those who feel that they `have a book in them’ are lucky to live in Ireland. They are well served with writers’ groups, literary festivals, courses and conferences, covering the wide range of literary topics and publishing methods which exist to-day. From on-line and self-publishing, to writers co-operatives, and subject matter ranging from crime and children’s books, to local history and biography, there is plenty of choice, plus support, available for hopeful authors. A course or writers’ group can often be the best way to start for those who are not overly confident about their skills – or choice of subject matter. Potential writers can gain support and also inspiration and guidance in bringing their work to publication standard. When such a course takes place in the old home, under the care of one of her daughters, of an internationally famed author and playwright – atmosphere and inspiration are guaranteed. The Molly Keane House, at Dysert, in Ardmore, is now a Writers’ Centre, holding courses, gatherings and festivals, and based in the house where Molly wrote ‘Good Behaviour’ which brought her international achieved fame, a second time around. The House holds a range of events – from writers’ retreats to workshops and masterclasses and readings. If you would like to know more about what is available, then check the website. Next up (lockdowns allowing) is a Workshop with Writer in Residence Alison Driscoll, on October 24th, which focuses on early steps in a writer’s career, and planning your work. www.themollykeanehouse.com The houses in Molly Keane’s life People belong to houses – not the other way around’, Molly Keane Molly Keane achieved world-wide fame for her black comedies set in 12 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

the world of the declinging status of the Anglo Irish. She knew their mansions well – from parties, hunts, and visits to friends, and drew inspiration from them for her writing. Claverton Manor, Bath, Somerset, England. Molly was born at Ryston Lodge, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, but spent time as a toddler and in childhood at the Bath home of her Skrine grandparents, Claverton Manor. The magnificent 1830s house, with views over the beautiful Limpley Stoke Valley, is on the the site of a sixteenth century house. It is now the home of The American Museum in Bath. Ballyrankin House, Co Wexford The Georgian mansion was Molly’s home from the age of twelve and she loved its beauty and grounds. It was where, as a bored teenager confined to bed, she started to write. In 1921, during the War of of Independence, on one summer night, her parents were ordered out, and the house was burned to the ground. Until her old age, Molly often visited the ruins and grounds. French School, Bray, Co Wicklow Molly refused to attend boarding school in England, as her sisters did, and spent her school days at The French School, in Bray, which had been set up in 1864 by a French woman, Madame de Mailly. Academically, it was not as highly regarded as such schools as Alexandra College in Dublin. It attracted slightly `less wealthy’ Protestants – a fact which added to its snobbery. Molly felt out of place at the school, and had few happy memories. She was in her last days at French School when Ballyrankin was burnt. Woodroof, Clonmel, Co Tipperary Molly became close friends with the children of the house, Silvia and John Perry, and spent considerable amounts of time there. Woodroof became almost a second home when she left school. This might have been helped by the fact that like most young girls, her mother’s wariness about its milieu added to its attraction! Its friendly, caring hosts, plus the sophisticated atmosphere and wide range of guests attracted her. She would later co-author a play with John Perry. Belville House, Cappoquin, Co Waterford. This was Molly’s much loved marital home, where she lived with her much loved husband Bobby and daughters Sally and Virginia. Her writing allowed breaks in London, but she loved to work in her garden, as well as hunting and visiting her many local friends. After Bobby’s death, her memories of happier days there, plus its maintenance costs eventually led her to sell it. Dysert, Ardmore, Co Waterford After some years of renting and finding a new life for herself after the death of her beloved husband Bobby, Molly moved to the cliff top cottage with beautiful sea views, and set about making it a comfortable home. She looked after her daughters, cooked and visited friends old and new. She also found her writing inspiration again, and there are pictures of her tucked up in bed, manuscript in one hand, with her much loved little dog Hero, under her arm. She lived there for over forty years, as a fulfilled and loved member of the community.

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Michael O’Loughlin has enjoyed teaching bridge for over 40 years; his book, “Bridge: Basic Card Play” is available from the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland (01 4929666), price:E10.

Bridge

Introducing the Senior Times bridge column by Michael O’Loughlin We are often asked, why is contract bridge so avidly enjoyed by so many people?’. This question is usually raised by someone who has never learned the game, but whose interest has been piqued by friends or relatives who have been bitten by the ‘Bridge Bug.’ It is not surprising that the game is highly appealing, because it combines so many fascinating features. Some of which are: Social A game of bridge involves communication and cooperation with your partner and interaction with your opponents. There’s a special camaraderie amongst bridge players that develops from the social setting and the game’s emphasis on teamwork, ethics and sportsmanship. Skilful A player who has learned well will win more often than one whose technique is inadequate, for bridge is first and foremost a game of skill. It is sufficiently demanding to provide a challenge to all; it requires such abilities as reasoning, memory, and planning. Yet anyone who is willing to invest some time and effort can learn to play, and you need not be an expert to find enjoyment. Chance On some occasions, you will be dealt powerful cards and will reap the benefits--if you can apply the necessary skill. On less fortunate occasions your opponents will be blessed by the goddess of chance and will hold considerable strength, and you will have to combine your skill with whatever good cards you do possess to try to turn defeat into victory. The interplay of skill and chance is one of the most appealing features of bridge. The personal element Taking into consideration the behaviour patterns of your opponents is yet another intriguing aspect of bridge. For example, some opponents consistently overvalue their cards,

and you can let them climb out on a limb and cut it off behind them; others tend to undervalue their cards and should be left strictly alone. Also, the care of partners is particularly important. In bridge, you have a partner to assist you in the battle against your two opponents, and partner’s habits must also be kept in mind. Thus, a close decision would be resolved differently opposite an aggressive partner (who often announces unpossessed strength) than with a conservative partner (who always turned up with something in reserve). A highly unusual action that might be justified with a clever partner could be extremely foolhardy with one less imaginative. Bridge involves “playing the people” as well as playing the cards. Uniqueness In bridge, exact situations are virtually never duplicated. The reason for this is that there are no fewer than 635,013,559,600 possible hands, so you are most unlikely ever to see the same one recur twice in your lifetime, even if you play every day. Thus, every situation will offer something unique. Certain general principles, however, are useful in many different situations, and their mastery is rewarding to serious students of the game. Fun Of all the reasons to learn the game, the most important is that it’s just fun to play. A lifelong pursuit No matter how many years you play, the learning process will never end. Bridge also caters to all physical conditions and disabilities, so players can actively pursue their pastime throughout their entire lives. Stimulates the brain One of the best ways to practise the ‘use it or lose it’ advice for maintaining mental sharpness in older age. Research has shown that regular bridge playing improves reasoning skills and long- and short-term memory. A bargain All you need for a bridge game is a deck of

16 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

cards and three other people. You can play at your local club, where you’ll enjoy a threehour session of bridge for just a small outlay. Without even leaving home you can play on the internet.

Getting started: for absolute beginners Bridge (short for Contract Bridge) is a trick-taking card game played by 2 pairs. Each pair forms a partnership and plays against the other pair. Each player sits at one side of a square table facing his/her partner: NORTH

WEST

EAST

SOUTH

To designate each of the four players it is convenient to use the four cardinal points of the compass: North, South, East and West. North and South play together as partners and their opponents are the partnership made up of East and West. The partnerships may be pre-arranged or may be decided by drawing cards: the two players who pick the highest cards become partners. Similarly for deciding who is the dealer. The pack of 52 cards may be dealt in advance (pre-dealt): each player taking his hand of 13 cards from a pocket or else the cards are dealt one at a time face down, clock-wise, starting on dealer’s left. If the cards are dealt at the table, then, the player on dealer’s left shuffles and the player on dealer’s right cuts. Easy way to remember: knife and fork: knife on right cuts. Dealer completes the cut and deals one card at a time starting on their left.

Bridge Both partnerships are trying to win tricks for their side. How are tricks won? Let’s suppose each of the 4 players, in turn, plays a Diamond. Then, whoever plays the highest Diamond wins that trick. The cards are ranked – from the highest to the lowest – as follows: Ace – King – Queen – Jack – 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2. For example, if West plays the ◆ 2, North the ◆ 9, East the ◆ K and South the ◆ A, then South wins that trick. One player commits his side/partnership to winning a certain number of tricks.

For novice-intermediates Opening 1NT Some open 1NT with a Balanced Hand and 12 -14 points; others open 1NT with a Balanced Hand and 15 – 17 points. What matters is that you have partnership agreement and that you inform your opponents. However points aren’t everything. Bridge is about winning tricks. Points are but a guide to trick-taking, not a gospel. Let’s assume you have agreed with your partner to open 1NT with a Balanced Hand and 12 – 14 points. Now consider these three hands: Hand a)

Hand b)

Hand c)

♠ Q 10 8 ♥ K J 10 ♦ A J 10 9 5 ♣ 10 9

♠ J 5 3 ♥ A J 2 ♦ KJ2 ♣ Q732

♠ AQ2 ♥ KJ2 ♦ AJ2 ♣ 7 5 3 2

• Hand (a) is superb – a good five-card suit in a hand replete with intermediates, i.e., tens and nines. This hand is clearly worth at least 12 points. You should open 1NT. • Hand (b) on the other hand is really grotty – no intermediates, no sequential high cards, and

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett playing bridge.

the barren 4333 shape. This hand is not worth 12 points and you should not open 1NT, rather pass.

tracts because there are fewer options available: issues such as ruffing and whether to draw trumps do not arise.

• Hand (c) is a very poor 15 for the same reasons as (b) is a poor 12 – barren shape, no intermediates, no sequences. Your hand is worth only 12-14 points and you should downgrade and open 1NT.

1. Try to analyse the Opening Lead. Usually it will be 4th highest – so you can use the Rule of 11: subtract the card led from 11 and this will give you the number of cards higher than the card led which are in the other 3 hands (the 3 hands apart from the person who led). For example, suppose West leads the 6; 11 – 6 = 5; therefore, there are 5 cards higher than the 6 between North’s, South’s and East’s hands. On occasion, this can help Declarer to place every significant card in the suit led:

If someone says, ‘You can’t open 1NT with (say) Hand (c) because you’ve got 15 points’ (as though you’re in some way cheating), reply that you are allowed open anything you like and that you have used your judgement.

AQ95

How declarer plays a no trump contract Many people are frightened of playing in NT – without the security blanket of a trump suit. Whilst it is true that NT contracts can fall apart (typically, if the opponents can run a long suit), they are generally easier to play than suit con

(West) KJ86

43 (East) 1072 Declarer

Three copies of Michael O’Loughlin’s best-selling Bridge: Basic Card Play to be won! Senior Times, in association with Michael O’Loughlin and the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland are offering three copies of Bridge: Basic Card Play in this competition. To enter simply answer this question: there are a huge amount of possible hands in bridge. What is the first number of the total? Send your answer to: Senior Times, C/O Box Number 13215, Rathmines, Dublin 6, Ireland. Or email: john@slp.ie The first three correct numbers drawn are

the winners. Deadline for receipt of entries is 30th October 2020 Michael O’Loughlin has enjoyed teaching bridge for over 40 years; his book, Bridge: Basic Card Play is available from the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland (01 4929666), price: €10. ‘There are numerous books written on how to learn bridge. Many of them use plenty of words and say very little that would be clear to a beginner’s mind, whereas Michael O’Loughlin in his Bridge: Basic Card Play deals with the subject in a crystal-clear style’. George Ryan, The Irish Times, 2013

Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 17

History

The Conjuror by Nathaniel Hone Hone the Elder (1718-84), depicts a figure resembling Sir Josuah Reynolds (17231792), the famous English portraitist, whom Nathaniel the Elder represents as pointing to prints resembling works by Michelangelo and other famous artists.

The Nathaniel Hones, the Caryatids and the Elgin Marbles Random thoughts on cultural vandalism by Eamonn Lynskey During the Good Old Days before Covid19 put a halt to our gallops I attended an exhibition of Nathaniel Hone’s paintings at our National Gallery. Nathaniel (1831-1917) was a scion of that Hone family that includes his great grand uncle, the painter, Nathaniel Hone the Elder (1718-1784), and the painter and stained-glass artist Evie Hone (18941955). Among the younger Nathaniel’s paintings on show, all of them very engaging, one in particular caught my attention: a landscape depicting the famous caryatid monument in Greece in which the six female figures (the ‘caryatids’) act as pillars to hold up the entablature overhead. The artist does a fine job in showing the monument in all its ruined beauty. It is indeed a wonderful artifact and makes a compelling subject for any artist, and especially one as accomplished as Hone in conjuring up the beauty of classical Greece. But it was the gallery note beside the picture that arrested my attention almost as much as the painting. It

informed me that although Hone had painted six figures, only five were in situ by the time he arrived in Greece. One can only assume that, as an artist, his sensibilities would not allow him to break the symmetry of the classical design and so perhaps that was the reason why he performed this sleight of brush. But what happened to the missing caryatid? Subsequent excursions on Wikipedia (long may its name be praised!) told me that she had ended up as an ornament in the garden of the Scottish Lord Elgin, having been ‘appropriated’ by him in 1801, the year that he had his men hack off half the frieze from the nearby Parthenon. He claimed he had received permission but that is seriously in doubt. Subsequently he sold the pieces to Great Britain and they were deposited in the British Museum where they have been on show ever since as ‘The Elgin Marbles’. It is argued that Elgin did us all a favour in removing these ancient artifacts, thereby saving

18 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

It is argued that Lord Elgin did us all a favour in removing these ancient artefacts, thereby saving them from the ravages of erosion. However Elgin’s dreadful act remains one of the most iconic examples of imperial rapaciousness

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History The Elgin Marbles in situ in The British Museum,London. But for how long?

The Parthenon, Athens from where Lord Elgin ‘removed’ his celebrated marbles them from the ravages of erosion. Certainly it is true that they had suffered from the weathering of 2500 years. There is also the sad fact that some stonework from the Parthenon and the monument complex around it had been carted away as building material. The site was indeed in an increasingly perilous physical condition by 1801. However, since Greece has now the ways and means of overcoming these difficulties there should be no refusal to its request (made many times over the years) that these important cultural artefacts be returned to where they belong. Furthermore, the contention that Elgin was primarily concerned about the physical state of these architectural treasures wears thin when we consider that he attempted to remove a second caryatid and, when technical difficulties arose, tried to saw it in pieces. The statue was smashed in the process and its fragments scattered. It was later restored by the Greek authorities. Elgin’s dreadful act remains one of the most iconic examples of imperial rapaciousness, but is only one in a sad litany. I was stunned when I saw the great ornamental urns in Beijing’s Forbidden City still bearing the marks left by the British occupying forces after they had scraped off the gold coating. In fairness, I should add that the British were not alone in having engaged in ‘cultural vandalism’. Think of the depredations inflicted on the Inca temples by the Spanish. And as for the argument that

Caryatids by Nathaniel Hone the Younger (1831-1917). Photo © National Gallery of Ireland ‘those times were different times, with different attitudes ’ – that ‘excuse’ does not lessen the horror. But back to Nathaniel Hone. He was a member of a prominent Anglo-Irish family that arrived in Ireland with Cromwell and which over the centuries produced men and women gifted in several walks of life, including the production of fine artwork. But it was Nathaniel’s ancestor, Nathaniel Hone the Elder (1718-84), that came into my mind while I was viewing the caryatid painting. I hurried down to the Irish Rooms to view again his large canvas, ‘The Conjuror’, which he painted in London in1775, during a period of intense rivalries in the art world (when was there ever a period without?). ‘The Conjuror’ depicts a figure resembling Sir Josuah Reynolds (1723-1792), the famous English portraitist, whom Nathaniel the Elder represents as pointing to prints resembling works by Michelangelo and other famous artists. It is a satirical picture and clearly implies that Reynolds was engaging in plagiarism, as

20 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

its title suggests. It was a canvas that involved Hone the Elder in a good deal of controversy at the time, not least because by other careful inclusions he managed to cast aspersions on other aspects of Reynolds’ character. It is obvious that the elder Nathanial was more than miffed at such apparent ‘borrowings’ from the works of others and wanted to make a point about people who might be stealing other people’s work. No doubt the younger Hone shared the strong disapproval of his ancestor in this matter, as would most artists. Perhaps he also may have felt instinctively that he should repair the damage done to the classical Greek monument by restoring the stolen caryatid, thereby rescuing something of its former splendour? An idle conjecture on my part I know, but one which I like to believe. It certainly presents a more pleasing picture than the thought of the Lord Elgin attempting to saw a second caryatid into sections for transport home to sell to the British Museum.

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Mary’s Musings In her latest observations Mary O’Rourke reflects on cocooning, the mountain of books she has read, Boris and Brexit, not to mention the US election and the Joe Biden/ Kamala Harris challenge to Donald Trump...

I decided that my favourite poem of all I had read and re-read was W.B. Yeats’ The Lake Isle of Innisfree.

Hello to all the readers of Senior Times. It is good to be writing again for this fine magazine. I haven’t spoken with any of you since the lockdown in March/April and all that has happened since. I hate bringing up past things if they were not happy ones, but really the lockdown was particularly severe for people of my generation. First of all, let me say, we were told we were being ‘cocooned’. I have an aversion to that word being used in this context; we were not being cocooned, we were being locked down. ‘Cocooned’ evokes a feeling of comfort, being cared for, wonderfully intimate, etc – all beautiful, caring words. That is not how we were feeling when we were told we couldn’t go outside our front door and we couldn’t have anyone call on us, or call on anyone else. It was quite horrible in every respect. Yet, despite it all, there were times when I enjoyed myself in my own back garden. Firstly, we had terrific weather. If you remember back, there was day-long sunshine, morning to night, and lovely warmth right throughout April-May. I have a decent back garden, not lavish in any way but a good size, and I was able to pull out my chair every day and sit outside to revel in the sunshine and put all unwelcome thoughts away.

The overriding impression I have of that time is of the birds. They were so busy, wheeling around in the sky above me, forever going somewhere, usually with a bevy of wings whirring and song bursting out of them. Oh, it was so good, and it was so loud and so enjoyable. I had never heard birdsong quite like it, and I guess it is because I was alone and able to absorb it. For the birds, they were full of ‘This is spring and we are here’. I fancifully thought that yes, COVID was nasty and a part of all our lives, but somehow the Lord above gave us good weather to combat it. So, what did I do sitting out in my back garden? Well, I took to reading poetry – out loud. I sourced old poetry books I had, including my Soundings compendium from long ago when I taught English. I revelled again in the beautiful words written by so many wonderful poets. After many weeks of so doing, I decided that my favourite poem of all I had read and re-read was W.B. Yeats’ ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’. So every day when I sat out, I would recite that in a good loud voice. I didn’t seem to disturb the birds; they kept carolling and wheeling around, and I had the satisfaction of hearing my own voice saying those lovely words. My son came every evening, bringing me food for the day and the morrow, and I had a few

22 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

In the meantime, despite all of the carry-on, we have had the return of over a million children to school. There is no doubt that going to school is an essential part of every young person’s life. I have no doubt whatsoever that the children and students of Ireland are better off in school where life can continue as near normal as possible.

words with him. He has four lovely children. I couldn’t talk with any of them, but one or two of them would come with him each evening and they would stay outside the window and wave in at me and blow kisses. It was the best we could do, but it was so paltry compared to the usual chat we made and the hugs we had together. Now, that was a very difficult time of lockdown. Apart from indulging in and reading poetry, I also read a few very good books which I hope you might enjoy sharing with me now. That was one good thing that I could do during lockdown, both reading and writing. So what books did I read? Well, the first one was Michael Heney’s fine book The Arms Crisis of 1970: The Plot That Never Was. This was enthralling, forensic and detailed, and demanded my full attention while I was reading it. I was fascinated, of course, even though I was not in national public life at the time, but I did know many of the dramatis personae and was able to place the events as they happened. It’s a really good read, and later I did a written review of the book for the Sunday Independent. I believe it is getting good sales. The next big book I embarked on was 1691: A Novel by Joe Joyce. This is a book about the Williamite and Jacobite war in Ireland, but we learn much of what went on behind the scenes.

Mary’s Musings

I so hope that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can pull it off, but my instinct tells me that it is not going to be that easy to vanquish Donald Trump.

The war occupied three years in Ireland, and this book is about the middle year, with all the battlefields laid bare: the Boyne, Mullingar, Ballymore, Athlone, Aughrim and on down to the Treaty of Limerick. But we don’t just get a review of each battle; we get what went on in the conversations between Patrick Sarsfield, the lead general on the Jacobite side, and Baron de Ginkel on the Williamite side, and all of the other generals, the dispossessed of Ireland who roamed over all the battle scenes, and all of the various happenings and conversations which make up the book. It is an enthralling read, again one that demands terrific attention, which I gave it. Later, I did a review of this book too for the Sunday Independent. I believe it also is enjoying good success, and I am glad of that. My next ‘big book’, which I am now perusing, is The Tale of a Great Sham by Anna Parnell – yes, Anna Parnell who was a sister of Charles Stewart Parnell and who wrote her book in 1909. She later died in 1911. Margaret Ward has written a 40-page introduction to this updated version of The Tale of a Great Sham. The book would be worthy of reading if only for the introduction. The book is riveting and goes into the period of the various land wars and the actions of the English Prime Minister William Gladstone and all of that time between 1880 and 1900. Again, it is well worth reading, and I am glad it is occupying me right now. Of course, there is no cocooning or lockdown at the moment, though the situation with regard to the coronavirus is essentially a very serious one. We are at a very important juncture right now, and how we behave and how we continue to keep the country open, and yet at the same time strive to halt the spread of the virus, is a very difficult task. In writing all of this, I don’t at all mean to be

gloomy; in fact I think Ireland is doing very well in the circumstances. But it needs continuous vigilance and support from all of us. Of course I can go out and round about now, and I do so. We can call to friends, but in limited numbers, and it is important that we keep the rituals of socially distant engagement, of hand cleansing, and of the various essentials which we have got used to. So we’ll keep all that up. In the meantime, despite all of the carry-on, we have had the return of over a million children to school. There is no doubt that going to school is an essential part of every young person’s life. I have no doubt whatsoever that the children and students of Ireland are better off in school where life can continue as near normal as possible. We have a government at last, rocky though it may seem, with its threesome in charge – Micheál Martin (FF), Leo Varadkar (FG) and Eamon Ryan (GP). But somehow, we are proceeding and life has a semblance of normality. Imagine, Brexit is still occupying the airwaves and the lines of the newspapers, and the highest of minds in Brussels, London and here, as the talks continue with Sir David Frost in the UK and Michel Barnier in Brussels. I had thought that Boris Johnson might have softened his cough, so to speak, with the ills of coronavirus rampant throughout the UK, and that perhaps he would be more inclined to look kindly on getting a trade deal through before the end of this year, 2020, which is the transition period. But no, he seems quite determined that the UK is going to stand on its own, take on all its hoped-for new associates all over the world, do its trade itself and not be hampered, as they think, by rules and regulations from Europe. For us here in Ireland, a trade deal would be the best outcome of the talks, even though it would be difficult to implement it and live by. But it would be vastly better than having the UK exit

24 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

I had thought that Boris Johnson might have softened his cough, so to speak.

with no trade deal whatsoever. It is extremely serious, and of course will only add to the economic wasteland we are facing as the coronavirus continues, when it is so important that Ireland continues its economic plan of sustenance to the Irish people. There are just under eight weeks to go until we have the American election to choose a new president. The two combatants, as of now, are Donald Trump for the Republican Party and Joe Biden for the Democratic Party. As I write now, it appears to me, against all the odds of the huge pandemic in the US, that Donald Trump could yet reign supreme. His bluster and bravado can pay off in stressful circumstances. He is continually announcing that only for him, it would be so much worse. I feel that Joe Biden has gained by having Senator Kalama Harris as his running mate. She is a good legislator and very much a frontliner. I so hope that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can pull it off, but my instinct tells me that it is not going to be that easy to vanquish Donald Trump. The first debate between the two is to be on September 29. I remember so well from Hillary Clinton’s book that, after she lost the election, she said she was always sorry she didn’t wheel around and confront him on the stage when the two were debating and Donald Trump took to the ploy of following her every step around the stage, and in a way mimicking or mocking her. She wished she had turned around and said “Why are you following me? Stop that hateful habit you have adopted”, and stood up for herself. She just regrets that she didn’t do so. Anyway, we have so much more to talk about, but for now I’ll say Slán. I hope you’ll continue to keep well and that we’ll continue to talk with one another. Slán tamall.

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Food

Trisha’s Transformation is published by Gill Books, priced at €19.99.

Beat the bulge and still indulge When Trisha Lewis stood on the scales in February 2018 and saw 26 stone on the display, she knew she had hit rock bottom. In her new book Trisha’s Transformation, the popular Instagram star and professional chef shares her moving story, her lessons learned, along with 60 delicious recipes which have kept her fuelled and motivated to beat the bulge. In the book, Trisha speaks about her childhood and growing up on a dairy farm in Limerick where she was one of nine sisters. Her instant sibling-community would stay with her every step of the journey, from childhood bullying, to backing out of being a bridesmaid, from milestones missed to WhatsApps left on “read”, they were by her side through it all. On writing the book and sharing her recipes Trisha says, ‘I wanted to help anyone who may have been in my position and show them that you have never gone too far. The recipes in the book are simple, tasty, and cost-effective. I picked them because I find the food you need to eat in the typical diets boring and unsustainable. I would like to lose weight, but I do not want to lose flavour’. Since that day in February 2018, Trisha has lost 8 stone and each day, she is changing her life for the better. Trisha Lewis is 32 years-old, from County Limerick. In February 2018, she tipped the scales at 26 stone. Since then, she has successfully lost eight stone. Having studied Professional Cookery in CIT, Trisha is now Executive Head Chef at Jacobs on the Mall in Cork City. Her passion is food and she’s always believed you can lose weight without losing flavour. Trisha is now on a mission to overcome obesity in the most public way possible – documenting her weight-loss journey on her Instagram page, @Trishas.transformation. With over 108,000 Instagram followers – lovingly known as her Transformers.

BAKED POTATOES WITH A CHILLI CHICKEN FILLING

Trisha Lewis reveals her delicious recipes in this new cook book Use a sharp knife to prick your spuds all over then score with a cross on the top about 2cm deep. Sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with olive oil, massaging everything in with your hands. Pop into the microwave for 3 minutes on full power, turn over and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes. Pop onto a tray and crisp them up in your preheated oven for 12 minutes. To make your filling, sauté the onion and garlic in a pan with the oil until soft, and then add in your chicken, mushrooms and red pepper. When your chicken is cooked, bind the mix together with your sweet chilli sauce. Remove the potatoes from the oven, cut open and scoop in the hot filling. Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley and serve.

HUMMUS

This is a great dip to have in the fridge. You can either use it as a snack with some crudités or you can toast some pitta bread and have it as your lunch. It is vegan friendly, high in protein and a great substitute for mayonnaise. 1 400g tin of drained chickpeas 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp lime juice 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp paprika salt and black pepper 10g tahini 4 garlic cloves Pop all of your ingredients in a blender and mix

FETA, BROCCOLI, HAZELNUT AND TOMATO SALAD

This dish is a favourite of mine because you just cannot beat having a nice baked spud! This recipe has everything going for it – it is quick and simple, the mix can be ready in the fridge and double up as a filling for a wrap, you can make it in advance and kill two lunches with the one stone! Serve with hummus on the sidefor a more substantial meal . 2 baking potatoes, washed, sea salt, olive oil, salt and black pepper For the filling: 2 tsp olive oil 1 onion, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 skinless breast of chicken, chopped 3 button mushrooms, sliced 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced 4 tsp sweet chilli sauce

To garnish: fresh parsley, chopped Preheat your oven to 200˚C.

26 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

This colourful, nutritious salad is ideal for a quick lunch on the go. It is really tasty and can be eaten on its own, as a side to a more substantial dinner, or you can big it up with some cooked chicken or salmon. 5 minutes preparation, 15 minutes cooking time, Serves 4 Vegetarian & Gluten free 1 head of broccoli, broken into florets 50g hazelnuts, blanched (no skin) and crushed

Food 2 beef tomatoes, sliced 50g feta cheese 2 tsp cream 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil salt and black pepper Preheat your oven to 200˚C. Prepare a bowl full of ice-cold water. Pop a pot of water on to boil and once it comes to the boil add in ½ tsp of salt, followed by the broccoli. Once the water starts boiling again take out your broccoli with a slotted spoon and pop it in the bowl of cold water to stop it cooking. Pop your hazelnuts on a small baking tray and put in the hot oven for a few minutes to roast (you’ll need to watch them like a hawk as they burn really quickly!). In a bowl, mix your feta cheese with a fork – add the cream until it has the consistency of a paste. Once you have the broccoli, nuts and tomatoes ready, pop them onto a plate, top with the feta and drizzle over your olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper. This will store in the fridge for 2 days.

thing well. Add in your onion, celery, carrots, garlic and baby potatoes. Bring to the boil, then add the tarragon. Simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Stir in your frozen peas until heated through, then season with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls, with some more fresh tarragon sprinkled on top.

CHICKEN TIKKA WITH BASMATI RICE

BERRY AND PEANUT BUTTER OATS

Being honest, I don’t really like oats in general but they make me feel so good I had to make them work for me. So I added some extra ingredients – who doesn’t like berries? I’m happy to say it is absolutely delicious now! I am just set up for the day with this nourishing bowl. 35g oats 50g frozen raspberries 40g fresh raspberries 15g 100% peanut butter

150ml full fat milk 60g fresh strawberries,hulled and halved 20g fresh blueberries

Put your oats and milk in a pot and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously until thickened. Add in your frozen raspberries and cook until soft and heated through. Tip into a bowl and scatter over your fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, then spoon the peanut butter on top.

CHICKEN AND TARRAGON BROTH

This is a lovely winter warmer perfect for either lunch or dinner. You can remove the baby potatoes and serve with rice if you would like to change it up. olive oil 2 chicken stock cubes 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 10 baby potatoes 50g frozen peas salt and black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 700ml water 1 stick of celery, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped a bunch of fresh tarragon, chopped (reserve some for garnish)

Heat a stew pot on the hob and sear your chicken in some oil until turning golden. Crumble in your stock cubes and pour in the water, mixing every 28 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

I love to make this fragrant takeaway favourite at home for lunch or dinner. You can prepare it all in one pot and it will suit the whole family as the spice level is moderate! This is gluten free Preparation: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Serves: 2 75g basmati rice olive oil 2 onions, diced 2 tsp frozen garlic (or 2 garlic cloves, chopped) 2 tsp frozen ginger (or a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped) 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced ½ tsp ground coriander ½ tsp turmeric ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp cracked black pepper ½ tsp curry powder ½ tsp garam masala 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 75ml light cream To garnish: 3 tbsp natural yoghurt, a handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped Start by putting on your basmati rice to cook according to packet instructions. Heat a medium-sized non-stick pan and add some oil. Sauté off your onions, garlic and ginger until softened. Add your chicken pieces and stir fry until cooked through. Add in the diced red pepper and stir to combine. Next tip in all your spices and lightly fry so that the fragrances get released. Add in your tomatoes and simmer lightly for 5 minutes, then finish by stirring through your cream. Serve with the rice, and garnish with some natural yoghurt and fresh mint.

Fab 50’s Getaway

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Located off the M50 on the outskirts of Dublin the hotel is easily accessible. Castleknock Hotel has been awarded the Fáilte Ireland Safety Charter as well as being the first hotel in Ireland to receive the Hygiene Assured Mark. With our Fab 50’s Getaway, pack your bags for a peaceful two, three or four night break and escape! Let our dedicated team take care of you with a three-course meal each evening, breakfast each morning, healthy lunch on a day of your choice, 30-minute facial and more! Available from €162 pp for a two-night experience, for more information or to book call 01 640 6300 , email reservations@castleknockhotel.ie or visit www.castleknockhotel.com.

FOUR TWO-CD SET OF MOZART’S MUSIC TO BE WON! Senior Times, in association with Naxos Music, the world’s largest producer of classical music recordings, are offering four two-CD sets of Mozart’s music in this competition. Lasting over two hours the CDs comprise many of Mozart’s most popular works which he wrote mostly in Salzburg, where he was born, and Vienna where he died. To enter simply answer this question: Where was Mozart born? Send your answer to: Senior Times Mozart Competition, PO Box Number 13215, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Or email john@slp.ie The first four correct answers drawn are the winners. Deadline for receipt of entries is 30th October 2020

Creative Writing Eileen Casey

The Great Book of Ireland: A Modern Day Book of Kells Some years ago, in association with The Riverbank Arts Centre, County Kildare, I engaged with their notebook project. Each artist received a moleskin notebook to fill with creative inspirations. I used photographs, the imprint of my daughter’s mouth (using lipstick) onto a napkin, some fabric. Above all, however, the beauty of the notebook was that each page was to be handwritten, a personal intimacy that adds to a poem or a piece of prose. There’s just something magical about seeing what emerges from an artist’s mind directly onto the page through the pen. Which is by way of introducing The Great Book of Ireland, our modern day equivalent of the Book of Kells.

Sebastian Barry

On 20th August last, RTE showed an indepth documentary, directed by Alan Gilsenan, on the conception and bringing to birth of a book that is quite simply outstanding in every regard. Never is it more fitting to feature this tome. Beset by a global pandemic, this book is a reminder that the future does exist, that hundreds of years from now, this legacy will provide a feast for the senses but also, will interpret the artistic landscape at such an important segment in our history. In a physical sense, the book is a visual delight. 250 vellum pages (510 by 360 by 110mm). Vellum is difficult to work with and contributors were given just one chance with their page. In total, it brings together 121 artists, 143 poets and 9 composers. Each contributor gave of their work freely and each inclusion is in the ‘hand’ of the author. What is truly awe inspiring about this great work of art is the number of people who worked so cohesively to bring it to being. Editors Theo Dorgan and Gene Lambert were responsible for making contact with the writers and artists but more than that, having a vision for how the book should look. Everything was to be (and is) of the highest quality, right down to the wooden box, made from elm

wood, which houses the book. The amount of planning that went into each detail is testimony to Dorgan and Lambert’s finely tuned sensibilities.

30 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Initiated in 1989 by Theo Dorgan, who was then Director of Poetry Ireland (situated in Mount Street at that time), the idea behind the book was that it would raise much needed

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Creative Writing

The Great Book of Ireland not only features Eavan Boland’s, poem ‘The Achill Woman’ but also, words from ‘The Black Lace Fan My Mother Gave Me’

Seamus Heaney

funds. Lambert was associated with Clashganna Mills Trust, a charity that strives to enable independent living for those with disabilities while Poetry Ireland, although in receipt of public funds, was also committed to self-financing via fundraising. As it turned out, although languishing in a bank vault for ten years, the book eventually sold to UCC in 2012 (a showpiece to open the university’s Boole Library) for one million euros, a sum that enabled Poetry Ireland to purchase its new premises in Parnell Square East, Dublin. Money and help came from many philanthropic sources. The caretaking of the book is in the capable hands of Crónán Ó Doibhlin. Chief Librarian at UCC, John Fitzgerald said that the acquisition of the book enabled it being “preserved, promoted and displayed in perpetuity on behalf of the Irish people”. The documentary gave lots of behind the scenes insights, adding to the narrative which already existed. For example, The Great Book of Ireland contains Samuel Beckett’s last poem ‘Da Tagte Es,’ from his 1932 collection Echoes Bones. Beckett died two weeks after writing in the book. Tom Hickey, one of my all-time favourite actors (who could ever forget his bravura performance in The Gallant John Joe by Tom McIntyre) read the poem. Paula Meehan’s reading of ‘Child Burial’ is quite simply stunning. The poets who read their work in the documentary (Derek Mahon, Brendan Kenneally, Paul Durcan, Sabastian Barry among others) flesh out the work not only by the ‘living’ word but through insight into background details surrounding the writing of the work. Meehan’s poem is by way of an anti-hex for her sister’s pregnancy. The poet imagining the worst thing possible (the death of a child) strives to create a spell preventing such tragic circumstances. Meehan makes the point also that Dorgan (who is the love of her life) was very keen to include women poets, which at the time often wasn’t the norm. Brendan Kenneally’s ‘I see you dancing father’ clearly reveals the bonds of father/son relationships and how, in the words of the poet, “you never forget your father, especially when he’s no longer here’. Sebastian Barry, current Laureate for Irish Fiction, read his poem ‘The Wood Pigeons’, a poem written out of a golden summer spent with a brother 13 years his junior. The poem evocatively captures an already growing sense of separation and indeed, the author has since not seen or heard from that brother in over ten years. Derek Mahon’s ‘A garage in County Cork’ shows the poet sitting in shadow in what possibly is a garage, staring out into sunlight, an effective atmospheric backdrop to his poem which imagines a change through decay. The garage, once so modern and functional, is now representative of the antiquities of the past. The idea behind creating a handwritten book goes back as far as 1974 when Dorgan visited the British Museum and saw a book of hand 32 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Ted Hughes

written poems accompanied by images. But it wasn’t until 1989 that the ball started rolling, the 11th of June to be precise when Seamus Heaney and John Montague were the first two to make their mark on the vellum. The art work throughout is the work of each individual creative, their own unique vision marrying with the words. Pauline Bewick’s distinctive style is present. The documentary shows the artist in her beloved County Kerry, a landscape which is integral to her work. Following a medical episode, Bewick refers to an area of her brain as a ‘dark egg’ and out of that space her work emerges. Bewick is as vital as ever, surrounded by images that are newly hatched from ‘the dark egg’ of her imagination.’ Northern visual artist Rita Duffy is responsible for the images on Ciaran Carson’s poem (‘The Irish for No’). While she marvels at the enterprise, she’s not sure what will be left behind in terms of her art, she’s still “busy creating, still in the flush of making it happen.” The Great Book of Ireland contains musical and choreographic scores, elements which make it truly inclusive in terms of representation of our wealth of talent. How to marry the text with visual art, how to create a dialogue rather than a flat side by side monologue arrived via Design Consultant Trevor Scott, S.D.I. (sadly no longer with us) and Denis Brown’s calligraphy throughout. Denis was the youngest calligrapher (and first Irishman) to be a fellow of The UK Society of Scribes and Illuminators. His work blends imagery and text in ways that provide balance, as in yin and yang, bringing chaos to calm. Poet Biddy Jenkinson describes writing on the vellum as “the pen attaching itself to the page.” A bi-lingual poet, Jenkinson describes writing a poem as being no different than ‘digging for gold’ and that beyond the bread and butter world of the everyday, sometimes you can “glimpse something from the corner of your eye.” Unfortunately, many poets have departed this world since contributing to the book. Ciaran Carson, Seamus Heaney, the magnificent Eavan Boland, who passed away as recently as this year. The Great Book of Ireland not only features her poem ‘The Achill Woman’ but also, words from ‘The Black Lace Fan My Mother Gave Me’ surround the edges of the cover “The blackbird on this first sultry morning,/in summer, finding

Health

New research report launched by the Alzheimers Society of Ireland The Alzheimer Society of Ireland launched findings from a new research report, Caring and Coping with Dementia During COVID-19, which highlights the withdrawal of vital dementia-specific supports and services in recent months has led to an increase in major stress, anxiety and burnout in homes affected by dementia. The report highlights that 86% of carers are concerned about a decline in their loved one while 58% of people with dementia report feeling “lonely”, “isolated”, “trapped” and “confined”. The ASI has continued to support people with dementia and their families throughout the pandemic with our Home Care, Dementia Advisers, National Helpline and Online Family Carer Training have remained open. The ASI has also implemented new ways of providing ASI supports remotely to our clients: Expansion of National Helpline which offers a 1:1 call with a Dementia Nurse Alternative Activity Therapy for people living with dementia and their family carers who availed of day care prior to COVID-19

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Social Calls and Activity Engagement Calls (with Activity packs) on a weekly or biweekly basis Online Support Group for Family Carers to provide support and information to family carers The ASI has developed some tip sheets and a number of factsheets to help support people with dementia and their families in a challenging and rapidly changing situation including information on activities, changes in behaviour as well as tip sheets for people with dementia and supporting people with dementia in the community. More information is available at www.alzheimer.ie. For more information on the services and supports available through the Alzheimer Society of Ireland call the National Helpline on 1800 341 341. Our Helpline is open Monday to Friday 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm or visit www.alzheimer.ie.

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Creative Writing buds, worms, fruit, feels the heat. Suddenly she puts out her wing – the whole, full, flirtatious span of it.” When the book is opened, out flies a blackbird. Another miraculous element of the book is that it is housed in a box made from Elm wood which was taken from WB Yeats’ estate at Thoor Ballylee. It’s probable that the Nobel Laureate actually touched the tree from which the box is made. Two poems from English poet Ted Hughes together with poems from USSR, USA, Romania, Czechoslovakia, the Caribbean and Italy underlines the cosmopolitan nature of Irish art and writing today. In 1991, The Great Book of Ireland was accepted by the Dublin 1991 European City of Culture Committee as a central project, because it reflects the true wealth of the arts in Ireland. In many respects, it is a time capsule, a canvas for hopes, dreams, aspirations at a particular place in time. For now, the last word goes to Theo Dorgan; ‘We are servants to the book, we honoured the people who gave their work.’ Dorgan hopes that the book will be as relevant in a thousand year’s time as it is now. That it “shows us who we were, who we are and who are yet to be”. UCC intends to develop a Treasures Gallery in its Boole Library to display The Great Book of Ireland. The Treasures Gallery will provide for public display and interpretation of a variety of artefacts.

Culture Night 2020 Covid-19 has certainly changed the landscape of Culture Night 2020 (18th September). Glorious afternoons dipping into museums and arts centres, evenings attending readings and exhibitions with no thought for exceeding audience numbers: all that freedom is gone for now alas. However, most counties are exercising creative dexterity and doing things differently, scaled back perhaps but none the less effective. Offaly Arts are showcasing artists in the settings of beautiful arts buildings throughout the county via the medium of film. To this end, it’s my pleasure to appear in The Tin Jug Studio segment, a wonderful relaxing place to paint or write. Situated in Birr, my home town, it’s always a pleasure to visit The Tin Jug. Rosalind Fanning, painter/writer is no stranger to organising culture night events. Over the years, she’s organised workshops and exhibitions in the studio and also offers accommodation in her beautiful home, Brendan House (conjoined to The Tin Jug Studio) to facilitate those who want to experience a stay akin to being far from the madding crowd while in close proximity to the amenities a bustling midland’s town can offer. For example, the visual pleasures of Georgian buildings, an accessible castle gardens and a welcoming community, among so many other attractions. Each year, Offaly County Council supports a bursary (through an application and assessment process) for a writer to have a residency in Brendan House/The Tin Jug Studio. For a reasonable rate, writers are free to book space outside of the residency, even for periods as short as three days. Rosalind is married to Derek Fanning (born into a publishing dynasty) who is himself a talented author, sculptor and classically trained singer. Brendan House is distinctive for the colourful prayer flags adorning the front of the house while inside offers a glimpse into what gracious turn of the century living must surely have been like. Each room is a sensual joy, exquisite in composition and objet d’art. The house is filled with antiques, books and objects with stories. Apart from an old oak table, there is a 500 year old carved chair – a Bishop’s seat which was a gift to Rosalind’s father from a family friend in Banagher and which came from the Clonfert diocese. There are documents in frames which are several hundreds of year’s old, ink scribed on vellum. While in the style of bygone years, the house is comfortable with modern amenities throughout. 34 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

The Jug Studio

I’m delighted to feature in the film with established visual artists such as: Hazel Greene (a speciality is her watercolours painted on silk), Jock Nichol and Rosemary Langtry. Wonderful, exhilarating artists all. Also included is actor Darragh O’Toole (currently Conor Tyrell in TV3’s ‘Red Rock’). For Information on The Tin Jug Studio, visit www.tinjugstudio.com/bedandbreakfast-birr-ireland.html For information on Culture Night 2020 visit https://culturenight.ie/aboutus/

The drawing room at Brendan House, where writers on residencies come to sit and relax and chat over a glass of liqueur or wine, at the end of a day’s writing or research. They are also welcome to use the writing desk at any time.

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Senior Times l January/February 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 63

Urgent Covid-19 Appeal

The Irish Blue Cross was founded in Ireland in 1945 and is largely responsible for assisting over half a million disadvantaged pet owners keep their pets healthy throughout the decades. Our team of dedicated vets and nurses promote the importance of responsible ownership and educate owners on the benefits of regular vaccinations of pets, neutering and microchipping. In 2019, The Irish Blue Cross received over 20,000 visitations through the Inchicore small animal clinic and 10 mobile veterinary outreach clinics operating in the heart of various Dublin Communities.

Pets need our help. Now, more than ever, we need yours too. All donations towards The Irish Blue Cross’ on-going work are always welcome. To find out how you can support, call 01-4163032 or email paul.halpin@bluecross.ie

This year has proved very challenging for the Charity. However, The Irish Blue Cross continues to operate and deliver essential veterinary services throughout Covid-19, helping countless sick and injured pets. Now, as the fleet of mobile clinics are getting back on the road, The Irish Blue Cross needs the publics support more than ever, to meet a big surge in demand for its charitable work. This is the Charity’s 75th Anniversary year and sadly all planned fundraising events and celebrations have been cancelled because of Covid-19. Instead, supporters are being encouraged to simply make a donation to support the charity’s work, or to consider leaving something to the Irish Blue Cross in their will. In 2019, the charity was in a position to carry out extensive refurbishment of its Inchicore Clinic made possible by the generosity of just one very loyal supporter who left a significant gift to the Charity in her will. The newly laid out reception area, consultation rooms, isolation unit, all with increased capacity have proved a great asset to staff, patients, and clients during this pandemic year. Those benefits bestowed through one major act of kindness for animal care will be far reaching. During the Covid-19 Emergency, many vulnerable people are in self-isolation, cocooning or living alone. Some are lucky enough to have pets to keep them company. Pets can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health. Pets also provide valuable companionship for older adults. During Covid-19 this is more important than ever. The Irish Blue Cross must continue to play its important role in providing care for sick pets where it is most needed. Pet owners are heavily reliant on the charity’s services and without them they would have no alternative support. It is crucial that The Irish Blue Cross’ work is supported in helping all those worst impacted by Covid-19. The charity also operates a horse ambulance service that attends all Irish racecourses, working closely with racecourse veterinary surgeons to assist and save injured racehorses.

‘To the small animals in need, I leave..’

Remembering a charity in your will is a kind and generous gesture that costs you nothing in your lifetime. But your kindness will make a difference forever. Once loved ones are looked after in your will, consider how else you can help.

Create your legacy and make your love for pets live on. For more information on how you can make a lasting difference, contact us today.

15A Goldenbridge Industrial Estate, Inchicore, Dublin 8 Tel: +353 1 4163032 www.bluecross.ie

Creative Writing

every year in Ireland.

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ages, with outbreaks occurring almost every year. Flu symptoms come on suddenly with a fever, muscle aches, headache and fatigue. This is different from a cold which is a much less severe illness compared to flu. A cold usually starts gradually with a sore throat and a blocked or runny nose. Symptoms of a cold are Up mild to 500 people generally compared to flu.die from flu

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Flu is predictable. In some instances, flu can be severe and can cause serious illness and death. Serious breathing complications can develop, including pneumonia and bronchitis, to which older people and those with certain chronic medical conditions are particularly susceptible. Hundreds of people die from flu each winter.

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• all those 65 years of age and over

• those with long term medical conditions e.g. heart or lung disease

• all frontline healthcare workers including carers

Vaccination should ideally be undertaken in September or early October each year. Flu vaccines have been with a than chronic health condition. used for more 60 years worldwide and are very safe. Flu vaccine contains killed or inactivated viruses and therefore cannot cause flu. It does, however, take 10-14 days for the vaccine to start protecting you against flu.

Talk to your GP (doctor) or ne is The vaccine and consultation are free from your GP or Pharmacy, to those within the recommended pharmacist today about getting groups. people the flu vaccine. More information is available from your GP or pharmacist.

www.hse.ie/flu provides details about flu vaccination, along with answers to any questions you may have about flu.

Pneumococcal vaccine If you are over 65 or have a long term medical condition you should also ask your doctor about the pneumococcal vaccine which protects against pneumonia, if you have not previously received it. You can get the flu vaccine at the same time as the pneumococcal vaccine.

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089

Why do you need flu vaccine? Flu isn’t just a cold

Flu can cause pneumonia and bronchitis and can make chronic health conditions worse.

Flu is serious

Up to 500 people die from flu every year in Ireland.

Flu vaccine protects you

You should get the flu vaccine if you: • are 65 years and older or • have a chronic health problem such as heart or lung disease or • are pregnant

Flu vaccine protects others too

You should get the flu vaccine if you are a healthcare worker or a carer or if you live with someone with a chronic health condition.

Flu vaccine is free for people at risk

Talk to your GP (doctor) or pharmacist today about getting the flu vaccine.

hse.ie/flu Public Health Advice Order Code: HNI01089

Health

What you need to know about the flu Influenza (flu) virus infects your lungs and upper airways, causing a sudden high temperature and general aches and pains, headache, weakness and exhaustion. Symptoms can last for up to one week. You may need to stay in bed until your symptoms get better. Flu affects people of all ages. In some people flu can cause serious complications such as pneumonia. How serious is flu? The Flu virus is an unpredictable virus.

· People aged 65 years and over · Pregnant women · People (adults and children) with long-term medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, liver, kidney disease, cancer, chronic lung disease including COPD, or neurological diseases · People whose immune system is impaired due to disease or treatment including cancer patients

If you are healthy you will usually recover in 7 days. But Flu can be severe and can cause serious illness and death.

· Persons who are obese who have a body mass index (BMI) of over 40

Complications of flu include bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections and rarely acute encephalopathy (swelling of the brain).

· People with Down syndrome · Residents of nursing homes and other long-stay institutions

Serious complications of flu are more likely if you have a chronic medical condition or if you are aged 65 years or older. Pregnant women are also at increased risk of flu complications. In Ireland, between 200 and 500 people, mainly older people, die from flu each winter.

· Healthcare workers · Carers and household contacts of people at medical risk of the complications of flu · People with regular close contact with poultry, water fowl or pigs

Every year, around the world, flu causes between 3 and 5 million cases of severe disease and up to 646, 000 deaths. At risk groups Flu is more severe in people aged 65 years and over, pregnant women, and anyone with a long-term medical condition. The HSE is urging people in at-risk groups to get the flu vaccine.

· Flu vaccine is also recommended for children aged 2 to 12 years for the 2020/2021 influenza season. The difference between a cold and the flu Flu symptoms come on suddenly with a fever, muscle aches, headache and fatigue. A cold usually starts gradually with a sore throat

FLU VACCINATION SERVICE Book online mccabespharmacy.com

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You’re Amazing. Let’s keep you that way!

28/08/2020 10:27

Health and a blocked or a runny nose. Symptoms of a cold are generally mild compared to flu.

SYMPTOMS

SEASONAL FLU

COLD

Fever

High fever lasts 3-4 days

Rare

Headache

Prominent

Rare

General aches, pains

Usual; often severe

Slight

Fatigue, weakness

Can last up to 2-3 weeks

Quite mild

Extreme exhaustion

Early and prominent

Never

Stuffy nose

Sometimes

Common

Sneezing

Sometimes

Usual

Sore throat

Sometimes

Common

Chest discomfort,

Common;

Mild to

cough

can become severe

moderate;

hacking

cough

How flu is spread If you are carrying the virus, you can spread it by coughing or sneezing. This can happen from 1-2 days before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after symptoms develop. Flu can survive on worktops and objects, especially in low temperatures and low humidity. You can get flu by touching a surface with the virus on it and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose. The virus can live on a hard surface for up to 24 hours and a soft surface for around 20 minutes.

Dermot Gilleece observes the colourful and eccentric golf history of a Nordic nation

Golf

Finland’s splendid Linna course, about 100 kilometres north of Helsinki.

Midnight Finnish! Every sane golfer knows that their great game was invented by Cuchulain up there in the Cooley Mountains all those years ago. Then the Romans tried to claim it for themselves, along with the Dutch and, of course, those inferior celts from north of Hardian’s Wall, the most brazen copyists of all. Now, it emerges that the Finns, of all people, also attempted to get in on the act. Apparently it’s not enough that Mikko Ilonen should have wiped the eyes of our brave amateurs by capturing the West of Ireland title at Enniscrone in 1999, only to return 15 years later to win the Irish Professional Open, no less, at Fota Island. Just think of it, in every club he visits, the bold Mikko will be able to boast a double that only elite Irish practitioners such as Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have managed to achieve. As it happens, a popular story around golfing circles in Helsinki, concerns two young reindeer herders, Paarvi Tuulvitskoog and Olaaferinn ‘Ollie’ Ruukinaanaluu, who took to batting around a frozen herring with a finely polished antler. The idea was to see which of them could slide the slippery kipper into a far-off, empty vodka bottle in the fewest number of strokes. They called their game ‘paar en fisken’, which means hit the fish. Or ‘paar’ for short. When the lads discovered that the Scots had been playing a similar game for some centuries past, however, they immediately sold their animals and moved to Glasgow where they became besotted with the royal and ancient pursuit. The upshot of this episode was that paar, or golf as it soon became known, found a permanent and revered place in Finnish sports consciousness. Indeed it led to the founding of the Helsinki Golf Club in 1932. A likely story, I hear you mutter. Whatever the truth of these antler-waving antics, golf in Finland can have a fascinating side to it. One of the most intriguing of its 160 courses is the Green Zone GC, located directly on the border with Sweden. The result is that roughly half the holes are in either country. At one time, clubhouse attendants were only too happy to supply visitors with stamped customs forms. Especially interesting is the fact 42 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

As Noel Coward might have observed, mad golfers in Finland go out in the midnight sun. And this was July 12th, about a month later than the ideal time of year for such an exercise.

that the short sixth hole actually traverses the international boundary and time-zone. Which means that your fourball could tee off in Finland at 12.50pm and putt out in Sweden at noon. Having visited the scene of midnight golf on a trip to Reykjavik for the European Junior Championship in July 1981, I was delighted to be given the opportunity of actually playing in such conditions, 26 years later. That was when I found myself looking down the fairway of my final hole into gathering gloom. It was still possible to make out the desirable landing area for a drive, between bunkers right and left, about 220 yards away. Further into the distance, cars with their headlights on were approaching from the clubhouse area, down a road skirting the left-hand side of the fairway. On the right was Lake Katuma, which is frozen from mid-December until late March. Now, its gently-lapping waters were accompanied by birdsong. At eventide? Well, that would be stretching things insofar as my watch told me it was now 11.50pm. By the time I reached the green, it would be the witching hour on Finland’s splendid Linna course, about 100 kilometres north of Helsinki.

Apparently it’s not enough that Mikko Ilonen should have wiped the eyes of our brave amateurs by capturing the West of Ireland title at Enniscrone in 1999, only to return 15 years later to win the Irish Professional Open.

As Noel Coward might have observed, mad golfers in Finland go out in the midnight sun. And this was July 12th, about a month later than the ideal time of year for such an exercise.

He went on: ‘You get a lot of Finnish visitors to Ireland because we like your people. Our way of living is very close to the Irish. Like you, we have a friendly country. That is also what we’re trying to sell.’

Over recent decades, Scandinavians have become increasingly interested in Irish golf. Now, Finnish players such as Illonen want to reverse the process. Prior to Covid-19 and its impact on air travel, Linna, near Hameenlinna and within easy reach of Helsinki Airport, was accessible through a variety of airlines including SAS, Finnair and British Airways. Ryanair flew into Tampere Airport, 80 kilometres away. Flights by Aer Lingus directly from Dublin, commenced in October 2007.

Five minutes’ walk away was the four-star Vanajan Linna Hotel, a former hunting lodge were golf packages of bed and breakfast and a greenfee, were a very modest €130. Generally, the price of golf was very competitive by Irish standards and I was informed that the target months were June, July and August, when the weather is generally at its most appealing.

As the only Irishman in that group from 13 years ago, I wasn’t surprised to find myself assigned to the Ballybunion Suite in the Linna clubhouse, which also boasts the Oakmont, Muirfield and Carnoustie suites. A sauna attached to the bathroom was a reminder of the local lifestyle. The course, which stretched to a muscular 7,244 yards off the back tees, followed an undulating route through plentiful birch and pine trees. As we set off at 7.0pm, Pekka, our Finnish guide, confessed to being apprehensive about the weather, having just endured three days of torrential rain. He needn’t have worried. It was a glorious evening, prompting him to conclude that if doctors diagnosed with the same accuracy as meteorologists, half their patients would be dead. Among his stories was an almost inevitable reference to Finland’s most celebrated composer, Sibelius, who apparently lived part of his life in the Linna area and was inspired to compose his best-known opus, Finlandia, while looking over the countryside from a viewing tower in Aulanko, about a 10-minute drive away. Linna, where Ilonen was the touring professional, represented an overall investment of €14.5 million, which would be considered decidedly modest by Irish standards. Incidentally, the developers had to establish, through the absence of animal droppings in the winter snow, that the area did not have any flying squirrels, an endangered species unique to Finland. Why the interest in Irish tourists? ‘If someone had asked me that question three years ago, I wouldn’t have had an answer,’ replied Petri Peltoniemi, managing director of Linna Golf. ‘But we’ve since had hundreds of Irish people here. We wouldn’t dream of trying to compete with the Algarve or the Costa del Sol in numbers, but a big attraction, as you’ve discovered, is that you can start golf at 7.0 in the evening and finish your round. And you can still play until 10 in the evening in September.’

Of the courses within a 30-minute drive of the hotel, the 36-hole Kytaja development overlooking Lake Kytaja, was especially impressive. With a golf season squeezed into six months from May until October, the Finns faced a difficult battle in promoting the game among their own people, much less in attracting tourists. Still, I remember silently admiring the efforts of a country which once had the courage to go to war with its mighty, Russian neighbours.

Finland’s 9 hole Arctic Club

Finally, it would be a serious omission to talk of golf in Finland without mentioning the nine-hole Arctic Club. Though it wasn’t on my itinerary, I was assured that it was well worth the trip inside the arctic circle, as the name suggests. Down in Enniscrone back in 1999, I remember talking with Mikko Korhonen, an 18-year-old from Helsinki, who lost to Garth McGimpsey in the opening round of the West of Ireland. In the course of our chat, he enthused: ‘In the middle of June, the light is good enough to play 72 holes in one day, which I have done.’ Ah for the energy of youth. I didn’t have the nerve to tell him that even then, on the gentle, tree-lined terrain of Clontarf GC, I found 18 holes to be as much as I could manage. Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 43

Dublin Dossier Pat Keenan on happenings in and around the capital

Life and death on Baggot Street

The best part of my working life was spent in and around Baggot Street, They were mostly good times, good memories. It is only recently I discovered a darker side. In all those good years I danced at Zhivagos to the sounds of Abba, it was where many of my love stories began, some ended there too. They were the days of hopeful business meetings, of ‘happy-hour’ drinking with good and bad company, of extended lunch hours in snug basement cafés, sometimes business related, sometimes romantic.

Baggotsrath Castle was previously on a site that today would be the junction of Waterloo Road and Baggot Street, about where The Waterloo and Searsons pubs now stand.

This was the Baggot Street I knew. But before it was named Baggot Street in 1773 it was known as Gallows Road, a very different place. You might say it was where lives ended. The street was named after Sir Robert Bagod, then the presiding judge of the Court of Common Pleas, one of the Dublin Four Courts. He built Baggotrath Castle on a site that today would be the junction of Waterloo Road and Baggot Street, about where ‘The Waterloo’ and Searsons pubs now stand. The castle, said to have been the best fortified in Ireland, became embroiled in many battles during the years of English Civil War and was finally left in ruins following the Battle of Rathmines in 1649. And that’s how it remained until it was demolished and removed in the early 19th century by Dublin Corporation to facilitate the extension that today is Baggot Street Upper. Interestingly, the name Baggotrath still exists.The laneway from Baggot Street Lower down along the side of Tescos Supermarket leading to Fitzwilliam Lane is Baggotrath Place. In my heydays, the entrance to Zhivago was down here. Gallows Hill stood ominously on a mound of ground on what today would be the corner of Fitzwilliam and Baggot Street Lower - roughly opposite where Larry Murphys pub now stands. In medieval Dublin it was a place of execution. In 1705 Joshua Dawson, the man that gave his name to Dawson Street, hired a well known ‘priest hunter,’ Edward Tyrell, to catch priests on the run for not signing up to an act renouncing James III’s claim to the English throne. In a twist of fate Tyrell himself was hanged here for 44 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

the crime of bigamy and was later strung up on Misery Hill. This was a common practice, corpses of the executed were usually carted over to Misery Hill and left there to rot and decay as a warning to other would-be lawbreakers. Misery Hill is still there - more on this later. Two of Robert Emmet’s followers were also hanged on Gallows Hill in 1803. Emmet himself was executed in front of St.Catherine’s Church on Thomas Street. But perhaps the strangest and most notorious execution here was that of Dorcas ‘Darkey’ Kelly in 1761. She ran the Maiden Tower brothel in Copper Alley, off Fishamble Street. The notorious Sheriff of Dublin, Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton, and probably a client, accused her of witchcraft. She had accused him of fathering her baby and demanded his financial support. She further accused him of killing her baby in a Satanic ritual at the Hellfire Club up on Montpelier Hill in the Dublin mountains. Luttrell countered with the accusation that she killed their baby. The body of the baby was never found.

Dublin Dossier

The remains of the building which is said to have housed The Hellfire Club

Founder members of The Hellfire Club - a place of many legends and urban myths, of debauchery, occult activities and even the odd appearance of the Devil himself. This group portrait hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland. It was painted by James Worsdale, also a member, and shows Simon Luttrell on the extreme right.

Simon Luttrell. Drawing by Pat Keenan

Simon Luttrell who lived in great style in the family home at Luttrellstown Castle in Clonsilla, was also founding member of The Hellfire Club - a place of many legends and urban myths, of debauchery, occult activities and even the odd appearance of the Devil himself. A portrait of the Hellfire Club founders hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland. It was painted by James Worsdale, also a member, and shows Simon Luttrell on the extreme right. Later Dorcas was convicted of killing one of her clients, the shoemaker John Dowling and it later emerged that she may have murdered at least five other men whose bodies were found in the vault under the brothel. This may even have led to her other claim to infamy as Ireland’s first serial killer.

In 1761 she was partially hanged and then publicly burned alive on Gallows Hill. The Maiden Tower brothel closed and after her execution she was mourned and waked by prostitutes in Copper Alley which led to some disorder. Thirteen of the ladies were arrested and sent to Newgate Prison, now demolished, it was located at ‘Little Green,’ St. Michan’s Park. Darkey Kelly’s today Today the wonderfully atmospheric Darkey Kelly pub in Fishamble Street is more or less on the same place. The owner Nathy Towey, a huge whiskey enthusiast himself, has an Irish whiskey bar with a staggering 144 Irish whiskeys. The place is recommended for lovers of Irish music and culture, with live performances every day of the week. Generally all the musicians are from the local area representing a line probably doing back the oldest times in this, the oldest part of Dublin. Great craft beers, stouts and all served strictly to current pandemic restrictions. Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 45

Dublin Dossier Misery Hill is still there Misery Hill survives to the present day. The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and Facebook European Headquarters give their addresses as Grand Canal Square but they could have used Misery Hill, the street address they both share. For some reason they chose not to. In the 13th century the tidal waters of the River Liffey came up to College Green and Townsend Street, in Irish that translates to Cnoc na Lobhair, hill of the lepers. There are tales of ships berthing here beside a Leper’s Hospital. Lepers and other incurably diseased would wait for ships to take them to the coast of Galicia and the trek to places like Santiago De Compostela, desperate for a miraculous cure. Zhivagos..’where loves stories began..’ In the 1970s Zhivagos night club took up the two floors above floors above H. Williams supermarket (now Tesco) at 15 Baggot St Lower. The entrance, under the watchful eye of retired Garda Sargent ‘Lugs’ Brannigan, was down Baggotrath Place the laneway which leads down to Fitzwilliam Lane and another club of the time, Barbarellas, which from memory regularly featured bikinied go-go girls splashing about in a pool. It is now McGrattans bar and restaurant. Remembering Zhivago Night Club brings back many happy memories for me. Not only did I get to dance the nights away but I earned good working at creating their rather risqué newspaper and magazine ads. Throughout the 70s and early 80s I enjoyed a wonderful working relationship with the owner Pat Gibbons. They were happy days that sadly ended on November 13, 1984 when the chartered Gulfstream Rockwell Turbo Commander light aircraft on its way to France to collect the first bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau wine that year crashed into the hills of the South Downs near Eastbourne, England. All nine people on board tragically died. Sadly my good friend Pat Gibbon was on board along with Niall Hanley, editor of the Evening Herald; John Feeney, an Evening Herald columnist; Kevin Marron; editor the Sunday World; Tony Hennigan, diary editor of the Irish Independent; Cormac Cassidy, Cassidy Wines; Francois Schelbaum, manager of the SandsHotel, Portmarnock, Pat was also a part owner here too; restaurateur Arrigo Chichi and the pilot, Jack Walsh of Flightline Ltd. Other weird Dublin street names Hangman’s Lane, now Hammond Lane at the back of Arran Quay was another place to die at the end of a rope in medieval Dublin. Dirty Lane which was renamed Bridgefoot Street and Murdering Lane which became Cromwell Quarters and was changed again to Old Kilmainham. Another f amous Dublin district called Monto was short for Montgomery Street is now Foley Street. Sir Arthur Brabazon, Earl of Meath had a Dublin street named after him - Cuckhold Row. It wasn’t the most flattering of titles, A complimentary ticket for in medieval times a cuckhold would where love stories began refer to the husband of an adulterous wife, the origins lie with the cuckoo, a bird famous for laying its eggs in another birds nest. They later unsportingly ruined it by actually renaming it Brabazon Street. 46 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Darkey Kelly pub entrance Fishamble Street. (Photo supplied by the current owner Nathy Towey)

Savings plans that go the distance

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Housing

Is downsizing a good move?

Mairead Robinson draws on her own experience to detail how ‘downsizing’ can work for you. So you get to a stage in your life when you have an ‘empty nest’ and you find that not only have your children moved away, but they have suddenly become the parents and you the child! It amazed me when my daughter first suggested I sold our large house and bought somewhere nearer to public transport and made provisions for when I was less mobile and independent! Indeed I was quite taken aback at the notion that I might be an ‘old lady’ although she insisted that it was opportune to move while I was still active and mobile and able to forge a new life for myself. And so after mulling around the idea for a year, I decided to put the house on the market. Now my house was very large, nearly 3,000 sq. ft. and included three bathrooms and six bedrooms, plus over an acre of a garden and was full of character and charm, however it was in a very rural location, situated just off the Ring of Kerry. So it was not going to be for everybody, but it was going to be perfect for a family who wanted to relocate from city living to a beautiful place and avail of a scenic quality of life together with most mod cons including super fast broadband. So that is what happened – a young family from Dublin came to view it and appreciated all we had done with the renovation of the Old Schoolhouse thirty years ago, and saw the potential to bring it forward for the next thirty years. And that left me with the quandary of what to buy, where to move to, and how to secure my finances for the future. 48 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Like most of us when we become grandparents, I liked the idea of being closer to the little ones, but while they can be scattered in various locations between different families, we also want to maintain our independence and quality of life. So I wanted a smaller house, close to public transport and services - having lived in a more rural location previously and I also wanted to be closer to both my children and their families. For myself I wanted to have a warm cosy house together with a small garden that was both light-filled and modern. House prices are an ever changing nightmare, and it seemed to me that during the year that my house was on the market, prices locally were going down (they blamed Brexit), while prices closer to the city were on the rise (housing and rental crisis). But the whole idea of downsizing is to release equity, so it was important to find the right house in the right area and at the right price.

Speed up your blood flow Ginkgo biloba is a traditional herbal medicinal product used to alleviate the symptoms of poor blood flow in conditions such as cold hands and feet. To get the desired effects, it is essential that you choose a product with a documented content of active compounds.

Warm hands and feet again A thermo-graphic camera can be used to test ginkgo biloba's ability to improve circulation in the hands. When the test subject takes ginkgo biloba, their hands become significantly warmer in the minutes right after they have been cooled down in very cold water.

Your bloodstream carries oxygen and nutrients to every single part of your body – from head to toe – to ensure that all your body functions work properly. However, the flow of blood through the smallest capillaries can decrease for various reasons, and that may cause problems like cold fingers and toes.

35° C 30° C 25° C

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35° C

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30° C 25° C 20° C 15° C 10° C 5° C

Cold hands and feet? This problem may be a result of having poor blood circulation, and the solution could be tablets with ginkgo biloba. Every inch of the body depends on a wellfunctioning blood supply that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells. As we humans age, our blood circulation becomes less efficient, leading to problems like cold hands and feet. Supports your blood circulation It stands to reason that ginkgo biloba is so popular among older people. The active compounds in the extract dilate your blood vessels, helping your blood to flow more easily through them.

What is ginkgo biloba? Ginkgo biloba is a plant extract made from the leaves of ginkgo biloba, an ancient temple tree that is also known as maidenhair tree. The extract contains a variety of biologically active compounds. Two specific compounds – ginkgoflavone glycosides and terpene lactones – are particularly well-documented and have been shown to support good blood circulation and good cognitive function. Today, thanks to scientific research that has delved into

the underlying mechanisms of these active ingredients, it is possible to manufacture high-quality extracts that deliver the exact same amount of active compound with each tablet. Ginkgo-Biloba Pharma Nord represents this new generation of pharmaceutical-standard ginkgo biloba products that have become increasingly popular, namely among the elderly.

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Ginkgo-Biloba Pharma Nord has a high content of active compounds: The high content of active compounds makes it possible to obtain the desired effect with 1 tablet twice a day. Traditional herbal medicinal product used to alleviate the symptoms of poor blood flow in conditions such as cold hands and feet, exclusively based upon long-standing use. Always read the leaflet.

Tel: 01 899 1650 • Fax: 01 885 3893 ireland@pharmanord.com • www.pharmanord.ie

Housing

This can prove easier said than done, as the old saying location, location location is key to how quickly and easily you will sell your house. If you are out in a rural area, as I was, it is certainly going to be a longer wait for the right person/people to come along. And then looking for a house in a more urban area will also mean that the price can be substantially higher. It is best to register for property alerts, for example on daft.ie, so that you will be the first to see properties as they come on the market. I also advise going to view as many as you can, make notes on what you like and don’t like, and also take note of how you feel. You need to get the “I can be at home here” feeling. Of course it is impossible to tick all the boxes, but try to make sure that the important ones are covered. These might be the garden, downstairs bedroom/bathroom, proximity to public transport and family etc. Also take note of the BER, and checkout the heating system, to ensure you are comfortable with that. It can be helpful to use the same solicitor for both the selling and the purchase of your home, get him/her to keep you informed of the conveyance progress and of course agree a fee for both transactions. Remember that in addition to the legal fee, there will be other charges, the largest of these is the 1% stamp duty you will need to pay on the purchase of your new home. Also make sure you are aware of what is included in the sale and what is not, as you may end up spending a lot of money on renovation. If releasing equity is not the most important factor in your move, you may be able to enjoy spending some money refurbishing and redecorating your new home, and even modernizing it to add a sun-room for example, as I did. Get a good engineer, architect and builder, and ensure that you agree prices before you start. I found the renovation the most exciting part of the process, as like many of us, I had been living in a house barely changed for decades. Seeking out contemporary style and comfort was a real joy! Forging a new life for yourself in your 60s can be challenging, but also full of fun and adventure. You can keep your costs down by using an on-line estate agent such as www.auctioneera.ie - a fixed price estate agent, rather than a high-street agent, you can save thousands in agent’s fees. Another important tip is to think carefully before you put your furniture and ‘bits and pieces’ in storage. If you are paying for this, it can be a substantial charge, or if like me you have a good friend with a large empty 50 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

garage, it will only cost you the transporting to your new home. But here is the real warning – you may well find, as I did, that most of your ‘old stuff’ will neither suit nor fit in your new house. And you might like to go for a completely different style of décor, so try to be a little ruthless when it comes to de-cluttering and keep only what you absolutely cannot bear to be without. A final piece of advice, the amount of paperwork now necessary for selling and buying a new home can be daunting. So, you may find that the whole process takes weeks or months longer than anticipated. Start getting the paperwork in order as soon as you decide to sell, so that when the deal is to be done, it can be done more swiftly. Since the ‘lockdown’ and the impact that Covid-19 has had on every aspect of our lives, the housing market is more buoyant than ever. With virtual viewings the norm, it is vital that you get a good agent who will ensure that your house will be viewed by the maximum amount of people. Likewise with viewing your prospective new home, get good advice and use the experts. It is a major move, and you want to ensure that you get it right. So you may decide to move to an apartment (remember there will be annual service charges), or to move abroad where the climate might suit you better, but be sure you won’t miss family and friends too much. Or like me you might want a smaller house in an urban location closer to family. So, six months into my new address, and am I pleased with the move? The answer is a resounding yes. I love my new house and the decorating and renovations are exciting and fun. While it is a major move to downsize, it can be the start of the next chapter of your life. Perhaps the best move you ever made!

Cold hands and feet are a thing of the past

Pharma Nord has introduced Ginkgo-Biloba, a preparation for preventing and treating cold hands and feet, which is a problem that bothers many people all year round. If you are one of those people, who constantly has icy cold fingers and toes, you will be glad to know that you can do something about the problem. Ginkgo-Biloba Pharma Nord effectively helps prevent and treat cold hands and feet. The product is available without prescription from pharmacies nationwide. The essential blood supply Cold hands and feet are linked to poor circulation. The hands and feet are also called extremities, and it can be difficult for blood to pass through the tiny blood vessels – or capillaries - that carry oxygen and nutrients to these tissues. Cold limbs, however, are not the only problem that is linked to poor circulation.

Health

Highly important for the brain The brain, for instance, accounts for nearly 20 percent of the body’s entire oxygen consumption, so it is not difficult to imagine how important it is to have a well-functioning supply of blood to the head and brain. All of our cognitive functions rely on an adequate of blood, oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells. People with impaired cerebral blood supply typically experience problems like · · · · ·

Failing memory Poor concentration Dizziness Headaches Tinnitus (humming or high-pitched noise in one or both ears)

You can read about Ginko-Biloba here: www.pharmanord.eu/products/ginkgo-biloba

Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 51

Northern

By Debbie Orme

Notes

NI ladies saw the positive side to lockdowns.. OK, so it’s been a really worrying, stressful time. We’ve all done brilliantly to keep ourselves and others safe, and it’s good to see things starting to return to a ‘new normal’. But, can I tell you a wee secret? I’ve actually loved lockdown and I’ll tell you why... Like most women, I’ve been on the treadmill of work/life balance for a long time. I’ve promised myself on so many occasions that I’ll ‘get around to’ various things ‘when I have time’. Well, lockdown certainly provided that time, didn’t it? Once lockdown was announced, I made myself a ‘lockdown list’. Everything went onto it. From baking banana bread, to learning Spanish, to clearing out cupboards that I hadn’t seen the back of since who knows when, my list meant that I was never stuck for something to do. I walked for hours, I exercised, I read, I ticked things religiously off my list. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt on top of things. I switched my tutoring from travelling to see kids to chatting to them on Zoom (which was handy enough considering two of them are in Hong Kong!) and I absolutely loved this new way of working. Now, as lockdown ends, all I’m left with on my ‘to do’ list is to finish my 1000-piece jigsaw (hillside in Sorrento, hundreds of houses don’t even go there!) and learn Spanish and we’re good to go! And, as I discovered recently, I wasn’t alone in loving lockdown... As owner of a busy beauty salon, 40-year-old Donna Foster is used to regularly working late nights and at weekends. As with most other business owners, Donna was initially concerned about the effect lockdown would have on her business, but then took the decision to look on this period as an opportunity to do all of the things that she hadn’t had time to get round to recently. ‘I really love what I do,’ she says, ‘but since we had no choice in this matter, it was simply a case of making the best of a bad situation and turning it into a positive experience. I have to say, I absolutely loved it! For a start, I got to spend a lot of time at home with my family. We’re all so busy these days that it’s getting more and more difficult to just sit and enjoy a chat with the kids or with my hubby, so I love the fact that I had so much precious time with them. I got to take long walks in the evening with my daughter Danielle and we really appreciated what was around us. ‘It was also great cooking new dishes for the family without a time limit. We were actually able to sit around the table for hours on end, eating and sharing stories. No one was running out or rushing about. I think we were very lucky with the weather too and it was great to be able to sit out in the sunshine with my husband, Hudson, and a lovely gin and tonic. During lockdown, I also made regular phone calls to my mum and dad and was able to take the time to really listen to them. ‘We also took the opportunity to get a lot of work done around the house. All of those wee jobs that you never seem to get around to were all done, as was a great deal of painting and decorating. 52 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Beauty salon owner Donna Foster was initially concerned about the effect lockdown would have on her business, but then took the decision to look on this period as an opportunity to do all of the things that she hadn’t had time to get round to recently.

‘Lockdown also gave me time to think about what I needed to change in my business with a clear mindset. One of the things that I really loved was that I started doing online facials with my clients through Zoom and I absolutely loved it – and so did they! We had great fun. ‘Although lockdown was initially scary and alarming, I appreciated the fact that there were no demands on my time. It also made me realise that I have all that need on my own doorstep and for that I will be eternally grateful!’ Another of the province’s business women not only capitalised on the opportunity that lockdown provided to spend more time with her family, but also found that she had more time to think about where life was to take her next. ‘Even though I was working probably more than ever as our clients were making use of our online mentoring service,” says Sonya McAllister, who set up a weight loss club franchise just over eight years ago. ‘I really enjoyed it because I was able to be at home with my family. I was far less stressed than I have been for a long time and I feel so much stronger mentally than I was prior to lockdown. They say that every cloud has a silver lining and, while lockdown was a time of anxiety and alarm, it definitely gave many of us the opportunity to step out of the constant grind and take stock. ‘Lockdown gave me much more time to think and I loved the fact that my work practice changed and took me in new directions. Since my groups couldn’t meet up, we, like many others, crated online membership groups. In addition to mentoring group members throughout Northern Ireland and even some in the United State, I was able to hold cooking demos. I loved the fact that I – and everybody else – was able to see

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Location: 5km south of Mullingar on N52 1hour from Dublin, M4/N4 Exit 15 Sat Nav: Latitude/Longitude 53.4761, - 7.3552

edere House, Gardens & Park Sat Nav: Latitude/Longitude 53.4761, - 7.3552

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Opening Times of your empty nest and go on an 7days a week all year round from 9.30am adventure of your own. Contact: Seasonal closing times apply Seasonal closing times apply Belvedere HouseFine Gardens & Park, Mullingar, Co. WestThe estate has a fascinating Victorian Walled Garden, with one of Ireland's finest collections of Catoca Food and Giftware th rare and special plants. The naturalistic designed 18 century parkland, punctuated with meath. Great food, great service, great location. Catering for all Admission Rates Romantic Follies includes the largest in Ireland; “The Jealous Wall”.Rates Admission your special occasions and corporate events. Tel: 044-9349060 Adult €8. Student/Senior €6. Child €4. Adult €8. Student/Senior €6. Child €4. www.catocafinefood.com ThisVisitor magnificent 160 acre Lakeside estateand boasts a fully restored Georgian Villa built in 1740 by Within the welcoming Centre is a Licensed Restaurant Gift Shop and there info@belvedere-house.ie Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children) €23. red Georgian Villa built inServices 1740 by Family Ticket (2Robert adultsRochfort + 2 children) are also 4 outdoorthe children’s play areas & many picnic areas on the for estate. famous Architect Richard Castles – later€23. Lord Belvedere. www.belvedere-house.ie Each additional child €3. er Lord Belvedere. Parking Each additional child €3. Free car parking available on site www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park Whether you are part of a gardening group, historical society, school tour, active retirement The estate has a fascinating Victorian Walled Garden, with one of Ireland's finest collections of Catoca Fine Food and Giftware family gathering or group of of friends, a visit to Belvedere is a superb day out withth a neassociation, of Ireland's finest collections Catoca Food and Giftware rare and special plants. The Fine naturalistic designed 18 century parkland, punctuated with difference. Great food, great service, great location. Catering for• all entury parkland, punctuated with food, in great service, location. Romantic Follies includesGreat the largest Ireland; “The great Jealous Wall”. Catering for all Wall”. your special occasions and corporate events. your special occasions and corporate events. www.catocafinefood.com Location: Within the welcoming Visitor Services Centre is a Licensed Restaurant and Gift Shop and there www.catocafinefood.com estaurant and Gift Shop and there 5km south Mullingar on N52 • are also 4 outdoor children’s play areas & many picnic areas on theofestate. n the estate. Parking 1hour from Dublin, M4/N4 Exit 15 Parking • Free car parking available on site Whether you are part of a gardening group, historical society, school tour, active retirement Free car parking available on site ety, school tour, active retirement Contact: association, family gathering or group of friends, a visit Belvedere is a superb day out with a • SattoNav: Latitude/Longitude vedere is a superb day out with a difference. Belvedere House Gardens & Park, Mullingar, Co. West-53.4761, - 7.3552 Contact: meath. Newpark Hotel, Castlecomer Rd, Belvedere House Gardens & Park, Mullingar, Co. WestKilkenny, Ireland Contact: Tel: 044-9349060 Contact: Opening Times meath. Belvedere House & Gardens & Park, Mullingar, Co. Westinfo@belvedere-house.ie Belvedere House Gardens Park, Mullingar, Co. West-7days a week all year round from 9.30am Tel: 044-9349060 Contact: T: +353 56 776 0502 s & Park, Mullingar, Co. WestContact: www.belvedere-house.ie Mullingar, meath. Co. West-meath. info@belvedere-house.ie Belvedere House Gardens & Park, Mullingar, Co. West-Seasonal closing times apply E: reservations@newparkhotel.com Belvedere Gardens & Park, Mullingar, Co. WestContact: Contact: House Contact: Contact: Tel: 044-9349060 www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park Tel: 044-9349060 044 9338960 www.belvedere-house.ie meath. meath. Belvedere House Belvedere Gardens House Belvedere & Belvedere Park, Gardens Mullingar, House House & Park, Gardens Co. Gardens Mullingar, West& Park, &Rates Park, Co.Mullingar, WestMullingar, Co.Co. WestWestinfo@belvedere-house.ie info@belvedere-house.ie Admission www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park Tel: 044-9349060 www.newparkhotelkilkenny.com Tel: 044-9349060 meath. meath. meath. meath. www.belvedere-house.ie www.belvedere-house.ie Adult €8. Student/Senior €4. info@belvedere-house.ie See belvedere.ie for €6. dayChild admission info@belvedere-house.ie Tel:restored 044-9349060 Tel: 044-9349060 Tel: Tel: 044-9349060 www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park ide estate boasts a fully Georgian Villa built in044-9349060 1740 by www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children) €23. www.belvedere-house.ie tickets, Covid 19 restrictions & edere-House-Gardens-Park www.belvedere-house.ie Location: stles for Robert Rochfort – later Lord Belvedere. info@belvedere-house.ie info@belvedere-house.ie info@belvedere-house.ie info@belvedere-house.ie se-Gardens-Park Each child €3. www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park moreadditional information. www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park 5km southwww.belvedere-house.ie of Mullingar on N52 www.belvedere-house.ie www.belvedere-house.ie www.belvedere-house.ie Location: ctorian Walled Garden, with oneM4/N4 of www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park Ireland's finestwww.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park collections of 1hour from Dublin, Exit 15 www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park Catoca Fine Food and Giftware 5km south of Mullingar on N52 naturalisticLocation: designedLocation: 18th century parkland, punctuated with Great food, great service, great location. 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Northern Notes

Says Sonya McAllister, who set up a weight loss club franchise just over eight years ago. ‘I really enjoyed it because I was able to be at home with my family. I was far less stressed than I have been for a long time’.

friends online. I think we needed that interaction for the sake of our mental health.’ ‘Lockdown certainly gave me an insight into what retirement will be like,’ laughs hairdresser, Jane McTaggart. ‘I certainly couldn’t say that there was a moment that I was bored or that I didn’t enjoy. My time was my own and I wasn’t constantly working to my ‘to do’ list. I love my work, don’t get me wrong, but this period gave me the chance to plan my day around myself. I was able to experiment with baking and followed the Isolated Chef lessons online. My hubby loved the new, creative dishes that he was getting and I loved working with ingredients that I’d never used before, such as new spices. ‘I also spent a lot of time in the garden, planting out. The weather certainly helped in that respect. Having said that, like most people, I think I’ve

‘Lockdown certainly gave me an insight into what retirement will be like,’ laughs hairdresser Jane McTaggart.

reached a point now where I can’t wait to get back to work. It’s like I had a period of ‘me time’ when I could indulge my own interests and get caught up on things, but I certainly missed the interaction with the clients.’ ‘Neither I nor my staff are worried about going back in in the slightest. We’ve got our personal protection equipment and are all geared up to go. If Facebook is anything to go by, we’ll have plenty of clients at the doors! ‘I actually think my business will run in a more controlled manner than before since there will be less pressure to fit everybody in. I know that everybody is going to need a bit of a ‘pick-up’ after all of this so we are going to do ‘before and after lockdown’ packages where we will supply the client with photos of themselves to compare with how they looked before lockdown. These are new times, so it’s time for new ideas!’

New pop-up park is bringing a splash of colour to Belfast city centre. The space at Cathedral Gardens was officially unveiled recently by Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Frank McCoubrey, following a £300,000 makeover to create a new landscaped area and family-friendly zone. It’s the first multifunctional space of its kind in the city centre and features new lighting and fun equipment including a giant spinning ‘hamster’ wheel, outdoor musical instruments, a swinging bridge, and colourful mushrooms on a carpet of rainbow grass. New seating and ‘bendy’ benches have also been installed as well as picnic tables, to encourage people to relax and linger in the colourful new surroundings. ‘I’m so pleased to see the finished project,’ said Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Frank McCoubrey, ‘and I hope it will be enjoyed by people and provide a welcoming place to stop with a coffee, or for families to enjoy a picnic. What’s really special about the park is that it’s been designed for kids, by kids, and I really think that’s fantastic. ‘We talked to play workers and children about what we should include in the park and they provided us with a wish-list. We took that feedback on board, and it has shaped the design of the park and the equipment we’ve installed – we even delivered on the unicorn grass.’ 54 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

at the n Frank McCoubrey, pictured Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderma City ast Belf in s den Gar at Cathedral opening of the new pop up park ities and one mun Com for ent artm Dep Centre with Danny Byrne from new facilities. of the first children to enjoy the

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Northern Notes

NI house buyers opting for rural and homes with bigger gardens Countryside and semi-detached homes with larger gardens are attracting house buyers due to coronavirus, according to a mid-Ulster estate agent. Company director, Olga McAteer, from Co Derry firm McAteer Solutions says the pandemic is influencing buyers in favour of out-of-town properties and homes with plenty of outdoor space. ‘We have seen bidding starting to reappear with new buyers bidding against each other and properties moving into sales,’ Olga told Northern Notes. ‘We forecast house prices to increase in the coming months. Upward trends see buyers preferring countryside or semi-detached properties with larger gardens, and looking to socialise more at home due to Covid-19. ‘With mortgage lending rates at an all time low interest rate, stamp duty levy at zero up to £500k on purchase along with the market being well priced, people are definitely house hunting,’ she said. ‘The market started to move pre-Christmas and moved more again in the early part of the year due to interest rates dropping to an all-time low. Prices froze during the coronavirus lockdown and now buyers are looking to move.

Company director Olga McAteer says the pandemic is influencing buyers in favour of out-of-town properties and homes with plenty of outdoor space.

Rural houses with large gardens are now eing favoured by Northern Ireland buyers... 56 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

‘We have seen a queue for rental properties across Northern Ireland. We are also seeing a trend of employees breaking away from large employers to start up their own businesses. ‘It’s been a busy and uncertain time for our clients, but it has also been a fascinating time, with some amazing insights into the changing face of society, community and business and how people are adjusting their lives during this pandemic.’

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Western Ways George Keegan on what’s happening in travel, the arts, food and entertainment along the Western Seaboard

Connemara ponies a new attraction at Kylemore Abbey Kylemore Abbe, once a private castle transformed into a Benedictine monastery and girl’s school run by the Order of nuns, has been one of the jewels along the Western Seaboard for many years. It has become a must see tourist attraction mainly it has to be said by overseas tourists. During 2019, 550,000 visitors crossed the small bridge linking the car park with the Abbey grounds, but this year due to Covid-19 it’s a completely different story. Now Irish holidaymakers are discovering not only the charm of the building and grounds but the peaceful and stunningly beautiful area region that is Connemara. On a visit in mid August I was surprised at the numbers of people walking around the 1000 acre estate, proving an Irish Staycation is in full swing. It was a fine sunny day and the formal flower section of the walled garden was ablaze with colour. Social distancing I should add was evident everywhere with marked paths all around the grounds. The story of the Abbey’s foundation, walled garden and Neo Gothic church has been well documented in recent years not only in this publication but in many other outlets. This time around there were two main reasons for my visit, the opportunity to see a new herd of Connemara ponies and have a look at the fully restored and refurbished Visitor Experience Centre inside the Abbey. The Connemara ponies The management team here are continually seeking new attractions to bring in more visitors and in 2019 the idea to acquire a herd of the world renowned Connemara ponies became a reality. It has since proved to be a major success story. Connemara ponies are Ireland’s only native breed and they evolved in this part of the country. The breed was originally used for ploughing, bringing in the turf, or drawing seaweed from the shore, so are noted for being sturdy, surefooted and agile. They are also known for their kindly temperament and placid nature so are ideal for being introduced to family visitors with children who are allowed to pet them in the open air paddock beside the Garden Tea House. Many children around the country will have owned a Connemara pony. On arrival I met Conor Coyne executive director at Kylemore who told me the brood mare had produced her first foal, a colt, at Easter during the lockdown and was named Peaceful Pascal. The following day a 58 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

The Connemara ponies have proved to be a major success story at Kylemore. Connemara ponies are Ireland’s only native breed and they evolved in this part of the country.

second foal, this time a filly, arrived and very recently the third was born. The stallion he said was from a recognised stock. The gestation period for a foal he explained is 11 months on average and within a few minutes of being born it will stand up to suckle its mother. Conor’s enthusiasm for developing more outdoor attractions around the estate is very evident. It is hoped to extend the number of trails and pathways, perhaps construct a new picnic area and develop amenities so people may enjoy the large variety of birds. The main aim is to extend the time visitors spend here. ‘The past few months have given us time to pause and think about the way forward’, he says. A new trail from Letterfrack to Kylemore around the foot of the Connemara National Park now in the planning stage he considers to be another important development. ‘We have a very good relationship with the National Park’, he points out. Recently during an effort to control the spread of rhododendrons a previously unknown old boathouse was discovered by the lakeside. It is currently being restored as yet another Kylemore Abbey attraction. On 2nd& 3rd of October the Druid Theatre Company will include Kylemore on a 15 venue tour around the region. There will be outdoor performances in the grounds centred on Lady Gregory. New exhibitions centre The opening of a new multi million Visitor Experience in June of last year relates the story of the many generations of people who worked, studied and prayed inside the walls of the 1868 building. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Benedictine nuns arrival.

Health

Is your heart telling you something?

To coincide with International Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week, heart and stroke charity Croí urges people over 65 to have a stethoscope exam at least once a year The call comes against a backdrop of low public awareness of heart valve disease which can lead to death within two years of severe onset if not diagnosed and treated. Heart valve disease is a common, serious but treatable disease. The chances of developing the condition increase with age, especially after 75 years, with estimates suggesting that 13 per cent of people over that age will experience heart valve disease. There are over 2.7 million people across Europe age 65 and over thought to have heart valve disease with this figure set to rise to 20 million within the next two decades due to changing age demographics. International Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week is an initiative of the Global Heart Hub, an international alliance of heart patient organisations from around the world. Full information on the week can be found at www.croi.ie/ valveweek. Ignoring symptoms Irene Gibson, Croí Director of Programmes and Cardiovascular Nurse Specialist, is urging people over the age of 65 years to take the opportunity of International Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week to remember, at least once a year, to ask their doctor to listen to their heart with a stethoscope: ‘We know that the outcomes for people who are not treated for heart valve disease are stark. More than half of those with severe aortic stenosis – the most common form of heart valve disease – die within two years of developing symptoms if not treated. We also know that some of the symptoms such

as breathlessness, feeling older than our age, tiredness and weakness, are often ignored and dismissed as simply age catching up with us’. ‘Listen to Your Heart’: your heart valve disease questions answered • What is heart valve disease? The heart has four valves responsible for the flow of blood in the body. Heart valve disease is where one or more of these valves is diseased or damaged, giving rise to a narrowing of the valve (stenosis) or causing leakage (regurgitation), meaning the heart can’t pump blood effectively. There are four types of heart valve disease – mitral and aortic regurgitation, and mitral and aortic stenosis, with aortic stenosis being the most common. • What causes it? The causes of the disease can be due to various reasons including abnormalities at birth (congenital heart disease), a previous infection such as rheumatic fever, damage to the heart arising from a heart disease or a heart attack, or wear and tear due to ageing. • What are the symptoms? Symptoms can include chest tightness or pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, swelling of hands or feet, dizziness, fainting and difficulty exercising. However, some mistake symptoms as part and parcel of getting older, while for others there can be no obvious symptoms at all. • How is it diagnosed? Diagnosis is initially by using a stethoscope to listen to the heart for

a heart murmur. If a GP hears a murmur, the patient will then be referred to a cardiologist for further tests. People over 65 years are urged to have a stethoscope check every year. • How is it treated? There is a range of effective treatment options, including medication and surgery to repair or replace the diseased valve. If left untreated, heart valve disease can unfortunately give rise to heart failure, stroke, blood clots and heart rhythm abnormalities. About Croí Croí, the Irish heart and stroke charity, is based in Galway and is one of the founding members of the Global Heart Hub, the international alliance of heart patient organisations, aimed at giving a voice to those living with heart diseases and their carers. Croí, which was established in 1987, is leading the way nationally in cardiovascular disease prevention and is a strong proponent of early detection, diagnosis and treatment. You can follow the latest updates from Croí on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @croiheartstroke

Croí Heart & Stroke Centre Moyola Lane Newcastle Galway Tel: 091 544310 Email: healthteam@croi.ie Web: www.croi.ie

The Victorian walled garden at Kylemore Abbey

One of the key features of this exhibition is a new entrance and courtyard area. Entering this part of the Abbey you will first encounter the Welcome Room laid out to reflect its origin as the Abbey kitchen. Space does not allow for detailed descriptions of the rooms along the tour. However mention must be made of two rooms dedicated to the origins and early years of the Benedictine Order and the girl’s school, plus the sumptuous drawing room and beautifully refurbished dining room. Another room which impressed me was the Mitchell Henry Library complete with clever talking portraits of a conversation between himself and his wife Margaret. There is also an armchair with hidden audio where you can sit and listen to proceedings in the English Parliament at that time. The interpretive company ‘Bright’ from Edinburgh with writer Laura Murtagh were responsible for the portrait sequence.

It was particularly interesting to discover the family are still in touch through the great great grandchildren. With their assistance many artefacts and stories were acquired. In fact Mark Mitchell Henry travelled from the United States to join Sr. Maire Hickey OSB, Mother Abbess at Kylemore Abbey for the official opening last year. Several local families also contributed items for the collection. One of the leading participants for the project was Eithne O’Halloran, the Abbey and Gothic Church Manager a former pupil at the Abbey and Joanne Smyth one of the guides was the historic interiors consultant. Full time archivist Dr.Damien Duffy was also closely involved. Anyone touring around the West and feeling the effects of the prolonged lockdown should head for Kylemore without delay to enjoy the excellent facilities on offer.

Exciting new exhibits at Galway Museum Galway City Museum located at the Spanish Arch close to the city centre has re-opened its doors to the public with a major exhibition named ‘Monument’ presented by Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture with the museum, as part of the year’s cultural programme. Jointly curated by Eithne Verling and Sybil Curley it focuses primarily on the stone forts of the Aran Islands and Dún Aonghasa in particular. Cultural artefacts on display have been specially loaned by the National Museum of Ireland and include never seen before material from archaeological excavations at Dún Aonghasa during the 1990’s. As the main focus is on the Islands the theme of the exhibition centres on their past, present and future, from the prospective of outsiders looking inwards and the Islanders looking outwards. Subjects covered include costumes, personal grooming and jewellery. There are showcases containing Island photographs from times past plus a short film of a Curragh being constructed.

Part of the new attraction at Galway Museum . Subjects covered include costumes, personal grooming and jewellery. There are showcases containing Island photographs from times past plus a short film of a curragh being constructed.

display. These works will be added later to the museum’s permanent collection. Noted cartographer and illustrator the late Tim Robinson (1935-2020) who produced detailed maps of the islands is also included. On one wall is an enlarged version of his original 1970’s maps of the three islands.

There is also a small cinema space showing a 15 minute film shot by Colm Hogan capturing with aerial footage the unique nature of the physical and cultural landscapes of the 3 islands.

Monument is described as a multidisciplinary exhibition, “our vision for the exhibition blends digital, physical and tactile experiences to tell this story in a manner that we hope will entertain, inform and delight audiences of all ages” commented co-curators Eithne and Sybil.

Several of Ireland’s most respected craft makers were commissioned to create contemporary works in response to both the large stone monuments and the artefacts on

The exhibition was originally planned to open last February but had to be postponed due to Covid-19. It will now run until sometime in 2021. I was really impressed with this exhibition which

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gives an excellent insight into the history of the islands and the inhabitants. Admission is free but tickets should be booked on line. Opening hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10am to 5pm, but be aware of a lunch break 1pm-2pm. The Corrib: Myth, Legend and Folklore is the second new exhibition also on the ground floor and features specially commissioned art work by Sadie Cramer exploring the old myths and stories about Lough Corrib which is connected to Galway Bay by a short powerful river. After enjoying this exhibition visitors are encouraged to bring with them a specially designed brochure so they can walk to the sites associated with the stories told. www.galwaycitymuseum.ie www.kylemoreabbey.com www.discoverireland.ie www.wildatlanticway.com

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Wine World

Chateau Puynard and the Irish-Bordeaux connection

Wine producers have not escaped the ravages of Covid-19 with vast quantities of grapes having to be destroyed or used for industrial purposes. Thankfully Mairead Robinson can report on a good news story from Bordeaux.. Just before last Christmas, I wrote an article on the future of wine. Having attended a world conference on this very topic, the main concern was of course global warming and environmental changes. What nobody could have possibly predicted was the arrival of Covid-19 a couple of months later that has changed the world so profoundly. The world of wine has not escaped the negative impacts of this dreadful virus and I was especially sad to read about what was happening in Spain. It should have been a great year for Spanish wine: a bumper crop of grapes resulting in millions and millions of extra bottles for consumption at home and abroad.

But with Covid-19 leading to a catastrophic drop in wine sales, the Spanish government is offering growers subsidies to destroy part of this year’s record grape harvest. Faced with over-production in a shrinking market, €90m is to be spent either on destruction or on the distilling of grapes into brandy and industrial alcohol. Lower limits have also been set on the amount of wine that can be produced per hectare – and have already been imposed on makers of cava, Rueda and Rioja This year’s grape harvest is expected to produce 43 million hectolitres of wine, compared

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with 37 million in recent years. Even without Covid, this exceeds the combined domestic and international demand of 31 million hectolitres, but, to make matters worse, restaurant sales have fallen by 65% and exports by 49% since the start of the pandemic. It is so

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Wine World depressing to hear that so much of this year’s harvest is to be destroyed. Added to that bad news, is the decision by Australian wineries to end the tradition of free wine tastings. The tradition of offering free tasting to visitors had resulted in turning thousands of Australian people’s taste to wine from beer, and has also been a wonderful tourist attraction. However, the impact of Covid-19 again has resulted in a re-think from winery owners as their profits plummet. So in the midst of all the worry about the wine industry, there is nothing as welcome as a good news story with an Irish twist. And so I was delighted to hear about this Irish Bordeaux connection. The Chateau Puynard story is one of a couple following a passion to continue to create great wine, along with a love for the Bordeaux region of Blaye. With experience in the retail wine trade in London, Andrew and Naomi Murtagh embarked on this cross-water adventure in partnership with Naomi’s father, Eugene. In 2016, after exchanging keys on the 18th-century Chateau in the village of Berson, the family began to make quality Bordeaux wine. Following plenty of hard graft and significant effort, it has now become what they call ‘a healthy serving of mental and physical stimulation, reward and satisfaction.’ Through organic viticulture and improved farming techniques, Chateau Puynard is dedicated to crafting wine from the right bank

of Bordeaux that reflect the vineyards in which they are grown. They focus on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, two grapes that reveal the geography and geology of the Right Bank - clay and limestone. The Chateau has had a seven-generation history of winemaking and Andrew and Naomi carry this legacy into the future with their commitment to the environment. Since November 2017, all their vineyards are in the process of achieving organic certification by Ecocert. The goal is to grow the healthiest grapes the land will produce, in order to create the best wines that speak of the Blaye region. Here in Ireland we have three of their excellent wines available Chateau Puynard Traditional, which retails at €21 - €22, Chateateau Puynard The Steps, retails at €25 - €26, and the outstanding Chateau Puynard Prestige which retails at €40 - €41 2016 and 2017 vintages of Chateau Puynard Traditional are excellent examples of classic Bordeaux. Despite challenging draught conditions in 2016, the sandy-clay and clay-lime soils protected the vine from these drought conditions by holding the water in the soil, where more sandy soils would have caused the vines to shut down. The free-run wine was then aged in stainless vats without oak to promote the excellent fruit quality. The blend is 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, with plenty of red and blue fruit balanced by good acidity.

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The Steps 2016 were sourced from 2-hectare, clay-limestone soils, which were particularly well adapted to the hot drought during the summer of 2016. Carefully hand-picking the grapes in small crates from 35 year old vines, then carefully sorting the grapes once they are in the winery. The grapes were then cold soaked for 3 days and further macerated for 28 days to extract the excellent colour of the berries in this vintage. For 15 months, the 70% of the wine was fermented in new French oak, the remainder in vat, to give structure to a wine with excellent volume, chewy tannins and a long finish. Thankfully, the higher yields in 2016 balanced the highly concentrated fruit from the summer, and giving an elegant and balanced wine. From 40 year old vines, the Chateau Puynard Cabernet Sauvignon Prestige 2016 is the best expression of the quality Cabernet Sauvignon from clay-limestone vineyards in Berson on the right bank of Bordeaux. A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the ripe and rich fruit is well-matched to the time it spent in 100% new French oak. The intensity of the fruit and quality of the tannins allows this wine to be drunk now or age for 5 to 8 years for further development. Only 1200 bottles produced. These are outstanding Bordeaux wines, which deserve to be shared with the best of friends and excellent food. They are available in good independents, including Redmonds – Parting Glass – Blackrock Cellars and La Touche.

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Motoring

A stylish new crossover Japanese car manufacturing giant Mazda has just launched their All-New CX-30 (compact crossover/SUV), a brand-new addition to the super-stylish Mazda family. Compact on the outside and spacious on the inside, it has the flowing beauty of a coupe, and the bold toughness of an SUV, with refined quality in every area. It takes the sense of togetherness you feel only with a Mazda to a new level, creating a unique oneness between car and driver. Everything about the new Mazda CX-30 has been designed for a more relaxing and stimulating experience, for both drivers and passengers. Through studying human sensory characteristics, the quietness of the cabin has been greatly enhanced, by reducing both noise generation, and improving insulation. Dynamic and responsive Mazda’s new-generation ‘Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture’ harnesses a human’s inherent balance ability, so that the car feels like an extension of your body. Together with the latest Skyactiv diesel and petrol engines, it delivers intuitive control for a uniquely dynamic and responsive drive. At 4,395mm long and 1,540mm tall, the CX-30 is 7cm shorter and 10cm taller than the Mazda3 hatchback on which it is based, while the boot space on offer is an impressive 430-litres when the rear seat backs are in place, and up to 1,406-litres when the rear seats are folded flat. The five seat Mazda CX-30 sits between Mazda’s CX-3 and CX-5 SUV’s in terms of size, while an outstanding array of safety features ensure that the CX-30 is one of the safest compact SUV’s on sale. Generous trim levels There are five trim levels to choose from in the new Mazda CX-30 – GS, GS-L, GT, GT Sport, and GT Sport SL. Standard equipment across the entire range is impressive, with even the entry-level GS model coming with 16in alloy wheels, LED Headlights, Auto Foldable & Heated Mirrors, 8.8in TFT colour centre display, multimedia commander, power window (front and rear), leather steering wheel, manual air conditioning, 7 inch TFT meter set (digital dashboard), window projector head up display, automatic lights and wipers, G-Vectoring control plus smart city brake support (SCBS), blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition (TSR), lane departure warning and lane leep assist, smart brake support - front MRCC – (Mazda radar cruise control), rear parking sensors, high beam control, alarm and immobiliser, AM/FM/DAB Radio with USB and eight speakers, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay™ / Android Auto™, and satellite navigation. 66 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Breda Corrigan tests the Mazda CX-30

Motoring

manual gearbox is available as standard across the range, with a smooth 6-speed automatic transmission available across the petrol and diesel engine line-up. ‘Sculpted’ exterior and interior

Engine and transmission options

The exterior of the Mazda CX-30 is ultra-modern, but also beautifully sculpted and minimalist, while the overall design is simple, yet enchanting. The signature sculpted grille greets you at the front of the CX-30, and leads into a sweeping, sophisticated body shape. The cabin of the Mazda CX-30 is exceptional, to say the least. The sound dampening experienced within the car can be partly attributed to the high-quality materials found literally everywhere. The touch and feel of the knobs and buttons exhude a premium composition, while the leather seats are soft yet supportive, with no change in comfort between the front and rear seats.

fuel consumption figure of 5.9l/100km on a combined driving cycle, while annual road tax is just €190. With a fuel tank capacity of 51-litres, this translates into a potential 864km’s from a single tank of petrol. The CX-30 drives every bit as good as it looks, with direct steering, dynamic handling characteristics, and an excellent suspension set-up, while the car’s terrific chassis ensures that the new CX-30 is a relaxing car to drive too. Mazda’s engineers have a enviable reputation for injecting a sporty side into every model they produce, and the new CX-30 is no exception on that front.

Test car The CX-30 comes with a choice of one diesel and two petrol engines, with the petrol engines badged as Skyactiv-G or Skyactiv-X. Producing 122PS (120bhp) and 180PS (178bhp) respectively, both petrol engines are equipped with Mazda’s new ‘M Hybrid’ system, with electric drive technology to improve environmental performance and driveability. The diesel engine in the CX-30 is badged Skyactiv-D, and it produces 116bhp for a perfect blend of performance and fuel eficiency. All models throughout the CX-30 range are in a front-wheel-drive format, with 4-wheel-drive optionally available in GT Sport, and GT Sport SL specifications in Skyactiv-X engine guise. A slick six-speed

My test car was a new Mazda CX-30 2WD Skyactiv-X GT Sport SL model, which was finished in stunning red crystal metallic paintwork for maximum impact, and head-turning appeal. Among the additional features that this range-topping model has as standard are a 12-speaker Bose® sound system, adaptive LED headlights, front and rear signature lighting, and rear privacy glass, along with striking 18in alloy wheels, sumptuous leather seats, and a steering wheel heater. Producing 178bhp (180PS), and 224Nm of torque, the Skyactiv-X engine can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 8.5-seconds, and achieve a top speed of 204km/h (where permitted). Equally impressive is a WLTP

Verdict and pricing Overall, the all-new Mazda CX-30 blends sophistication, and stylish good looks with a sporty prowess, making it one of the most desirable compact SUV’s on the market. Pricing for the all-new Mazda CX-30 starts at just €29,495 (ex-works), while my test car specification is priced from €37,965 (ex-works). All Mazda passenger cars come with a 3-Year /100,000km warranty, and a 3-Year European Roadside Assistance package for total peace of mind motoring.

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Travel

On the greenway bike trail The 42km Great Western Greenway is the longest off-road walking and cycling trail in Ireland. The Greenway is a traffic free cycling and walking trail which follows the route of the renowned Westport to Achill railway which closed in 1937. greenway.ie

Lorna Hogg features some of the cycle greenways which seem to be appearong all over the country We are lucky to live in a country in which it is possible to keep fit whilst enjoying beautiful countryside – and thanks to the growth of cycleways, what better way is there to enjoy the views than by bike? The variety of available greenways, tracks and gradients is as varied as the range of scenery – and they are just the places to relax and enjoy socially distanced breaks. From riverside boardwalks to tracks across bogs or forest parks; from hairpin mountain climbs to reclaimed railway routes this country is the ideal place to `get on yer bike..’ The first thing to consider is your fitness level – and realise that there is a cycle track for everyone. Do you happily cycle on public roads, or prefer smooth tarmac traffic free greenways, ? Do you enjoy the challenge of mountain inclines – or forest paths? Are you familiar with mountain bikes, classic roadsters – or do you feel most comfortable with the basic bikes of childhood? Next – how do you want to travel? Do you want to bring your bike with you, via the train or on your car, or hire at your destination? Are you looking for a day’s outing, a short break or to train for some serious cycling trips? Do you want to go alone or with a family member or partner? Is cycling the main consideration, or do you want to combine it with sightseeing? What follows is a selection of some of the options available all round the country. The Boyne Greenway This is a 2 km track, including sections of pleasant boardwalk, greenway and cycletrack, along the south bank section of the river and canal, running from Drogheda to the Battle of The Boyne Centre at Oldbridge. Perfect for cycling `newbies’, it takes you to the entrance of Centre, at Oldbridge House. Once there, you don’t have to be an history buff to the enjoy the displays, the battlefield site – and the excellent cafe. Pre-booking for the tour is necessary. bestwalks.ie discoverboynevalley.ie battle of the boyne.ie The Carlingford Greenway Part of the Great Eastern Greenway, its 7 kms of old railway track provides a moderate cycling challenge, running from Omeath to Carlingford. 68 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

There are truly beautiful views in this legend rich area, including the myth filled Cooley Mountains, from where legendary Finn McCool tossed the Cloughmore boulder across the Lough to Rostrevor Forest Park. An added attraction is the ferry, (check website for details) with a 15 minute trip from Greenore to Greencastle. www.carlingfordloughgreenway.ie www.carlingfordferry.com The Newry Canal Greenway The 29 kms route covers the old railway line from Portadown to Newry. One ideal stretch for visitors is the 2 kms Portadown to Scarva route, along the old canal, built to carry linen and coal for export. Start from Portadown, which has train links, and cycle through the peaceful unchanged canalside countryside to Moneypenny’s Lock, Craigavon, Another mile takes you to Scarva, which has 4 train connections per day on the Portadown/ Newry line. cycleni.com Arthur’s Way A flat and scenic rural route, it takes in the history of Arthur Guinness and the story of Guinness, over its 16 kms in Kildare. The trail starts at the junction of the rivers Liffey and Rye, at Leixlip. It then moves to Celbridge, where Arthur learned the brewing trade from his father, and is of course, also home to Castletown House. The Lyons Estate is en route, as well as Hazelhatch, where the Guinness barges started for Dublin. The trail ends at Oughterard, where Arthur is buried. The route takes in footpaths and tracks, with short spells on roads. Whilst county lockdown has ended at time of going to press, check latest details before travel. www.intokildare.ie Waterford Greenway This 46 kms route, is based on yet another old railway – the defunct Waterford to Dungarvan line. Divided into six sections, ranging from 3kms to 13 kms, it is justifiably popular, for its views and also old railway structures. The Kilmeaden section passes by Mount Congreve, one of Ireland’s most beautiful gardens, famed for its spring blooms. The Greenway has spendid views, eleven bridges and three viaducts, and railway buffs love the `spooky’ 400m tunnel at Ballyvoyle, on the Durrow section. waterfordgreenway.com

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Travel Lough Boora Discovery Park, Co Offaly The Discovery Park offers 22kms of trails of differing challenges, taking in the wide open spaces, with lakes and wetlands of this previously commercially developed bog, near to Tullamore. There are cycling, angling and bird watching possibilities, with several routes, almost all of which are open to cyclists. The tracks are gravel, and there are wide open spaces to enjoy,th splendid views over to the Slieve Blooms. Check the website for details – e.g. one way walking system and limited bike hire and toilets loughboora.com The Cavan Lakes, Killykeen The Killykeen Forest Park juts out into Lough Oughter and is about five miles from Cavan town. The Family Cycle Trail of 3 kms, is excellent for a quiet ride, especially for `starter’ cyclists, who are rewarded with forest surroundings of conifer and broadwood. Cycle through magnificent autumn colour or spring green, with squirrel or birdspotting potential. www.coillte.ie Muckross Park grounds, Killarney National Park The magnificent lakeside and mountain scenery in Killarney, draws international tourists, including cyclists. However, whilst there are superb cycle trails in the area, they can be challenging. If you want to experience the views – on a gentle gradient or on the flat, then the 10 kms of cycling around Muckross House in Killarney National Park is an ideal and popular choice. Enjoy views of lake, mountain and ancient forests, on the anti-clockwise trail – and to add to enjoyment, the beautiful Muckross House and an excellent cafe are on hand. The Park and facilities were open at time of going to press, - however, check for latest details. killarneynationalpark.ie muckrosshouse.ie

Competition results from the last issue

Portumna Forest Park, Co Galway The 10.50 kms Bonaveen Cycling Trail in the park, is rated as `moderate’ and is one kilometre from the town of Portumna. It allows a chance to pass through conifer forests, with ash and beech `patches’ and also along the lakeshore, including the Bonaveen Point section. You will have good views out over Lough Derg. There is a good variety of trees also to be spotted here – and if you’re very lucky, perhaps glimpses of a red squirrel or fallow deer. Sadly the Park suffered damage during the recent Storm Ellen, so check coilte.ie for opening details. irishtrails.ie greenway.ie osi.ie cyclingireland.ie

Making the grade Gradings for cyclists usually run from 1-5, and are useful when checking trails suitability. 1. You are unused to any exercise, or cycling, especially with modern bikes. 2. You are an occasional cyclist. 3. You are a regular cyclist, used to flat surfaces. 4. You are a regular cyclist, familiar with gears and modern bikes, and familiar with steep gradients. 5. You are a regular cyclist, familiar with a variety of surfaces and climbs, and participate in various cycling events. Check the websites before travel as lockdown requirements and recent storm damage may have altered openings and facilities.

Crossword Tom Burke, Clonsilla, Dublin 15 Marie Murphy, Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny Adele Trapnell, Killiney, Co Dublin Marie Porter, Buncrana, Co Donegal James O’Riordan, Dublin 7 Three copies of Donegal Table Harriett Warren, Borris, Co Carlow Maureen Lawlor Celbridge, Co Kildare Mary Mohan, Caherlistrane, Galway Alice Taylor competition James Killeen, Limerick Anne Mackey, Ballintemple, Co Cork Kathleen Finnegan, Waterford Eileen McGrath, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny Deirdre Maloney, Nenagh, Co Tipperary Three copies of The River Shannon, Ireland’s Majestic Waterway Cathal O’Connor, Cork Chris Boylan, Dublin 24 Mary Walshe, Dundalk Falls Hotel competition Michael McDonald, Terenure, Dublin 6W Four copies Mozart double CD Philomena Ryan, Dublin 4 Margaret Carr, Cork Frances Dolan, Dublin 6 James Kiernan, Sligo

70 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

MUSEUM HOUSE | GARDENS & TRAILS CAMPING | CHILDREN’S ADVENTURE www.westporthouse.ie

located on the 400 acre Westport estate

Legal

What should I do when a loved one dies?

A guide to Ireland’s probate process Daireann Gibson advises Thinking about what will happen when a loved one dies is a topic that older people often prefer to avoid. This is natural and understandable to a large degree, but it is also an instinct that can lead to many people being unprepared for what to do when the worst happens, creating additional confusion and complications at what is already a stressful time. With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to pose a real danger to public health, the Law Society of Ireland has noted a significant surge in the number of individuals seeking to make wills, suggesting that these issues are currently at the forefront of people’s minds. Having a valid and upto-date will in place is certainly a wise move - but for maximum peace of mind, it is also important to make sure you understand what you need to know when administering the will of a family member or loved one.

· When the person dies, the executor must apply to the Irish Probate Office for legal permission to start executing the will. This is known as a grant of representation, or most commonly a grant of probate · The grant of probate will authorise the executor to start the process of administering the estate. This means the assets of the deceased can be collected together, divided up and dealt with according to the contents of the will, while meeting all necessary legal obligations It is important to follow all of the steps carefully, taking expert advice from a solicitor when you are unsure about any of the details. If you make a mistake during the probate process, it can result in significant legal confusion, which could result to a number of negative outcomes: · There may be delays in the distribution of your loved one’s estate

In order to make this sometimes complex subject easier to understand, the legal experts at Gibson & Associates have created a new guide to Ireland’s probate laws to help you understand exactly what needs to happen when you are selected as the executor of a will. Here, we will explore some of the key points to remember, and give you a clearer idea of how the process works.

· The beneficiaries of the will may not receive the inheritance chosen for them

What are the basic steps of the probate process? If you have never handled any of the legal issues that come with writing or executing a will before, you may not understand the purpose of the probate process or how it should be handled. This can create significant legal complications when a loved one dies, which is why it is vital to at least have a strong understanding of the basic principles.

· As the executor, you could be held personally and financially liable for legal claims made against your loved one’s estate

In the simplest terms, the principle of probate works as follows: · Before someone dies, they should create a legally binding will to lay out exactly how their money, property and personal belongings collectively known as their estate - will be divided up after they die. The will should also include details of who will be responsible for looking after their family after they are gone · As part of the will writing process, the writer will specify one or more individuals to take responsibility for administering the will, ensuring their intentions are carried out according to the terms they have requested. Those nominated individuals are known as the executors of the will 72 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

· The wishes of the deceased may end up being ignored or overruled · Legal conflicts could arise over the details of the will

All of these outcomes will create significant extra complication and stress at what will already be a distressing time for you and your family, which is why it is so vital to get this right first time. What are you responsible for when administering an estate? As the executor of a will, it is your duty to handle the probate process from beginning to end and ensure all of the beneficiaries receive their inheritance in a timely manner. In order to achieve this, you will need to fulfil the following responsibilities: · When the person dies, you will need to obtain the original will and a copy of the person’s death certificate, in order to provide proof that the probate process can now begin · You will need to comprehensively review all of the assets and liabilities of the deceased person, in order to work out what is owed, which prop erties need to be transferred, what taxes should be paid and any other steps that must be taken

Legal

“ If you make a mistake during the probate process, it can result in significant legal confusion, which could result to a number of negative outcomes” · You must submit the documentation to either the Central Probate Office in Dublin or your local District Probate Registry, to obtain a grant of probate. It will be necessary to pay a fee before you can receive this · Finally, you must gather all of the assets of the estate and pass them along to their intended recipients. This process will include calling in any outstanding debts owed to the deceased, paying off debts or taxes owed, covering the cost of the funeral and compiling the final accounts of the estate It’s important to take a comprehensive approach to all of these steps in order to make sure you have covered everything. Here are some of the questions you should be asking: · Have you reviewed all of your loved one’s assets thoroughly, including their bank statements, building society books, insurance policies, saving certificates, shares, stocks and title deeds? · Do you know who will inherit their financial, property, digital and physical assets? How will any business or commercial assets be handled, and what will happen to any property jointly owned by the deceased with another person? · Who will become the legal guardian of children under the age of 18? Do you know how your loved one’s cohabitants or civil partners will be cared for? · Are overseas properties or assets included in the will? If so, do different laws apply to these? · Has the deceased left behind any outstanding debts? From which accounts are these to be paid? Are there any tax relief measures that might apply? By keeping all of these responsibilities in mind, you should be able to execute the will effectively and without delay, minimising the risk of any problems arising. How long does the probate process take? It is not possible to give an exact estimate for how long the probate process will last, as the timescales involved will always depend on the complexity of the circumstances. However, you should always bear the following benchmarks in mind:

within one year of the date of death. If this does not happen, legal action may be taken against you as the executor of the estate With this in mind, it is always best to take action on executing a will as early as possible, in order to avoid the risk of any costly delays. What happens if a loved one dies without a will? If your loved one has not left behind a legally valid will, the usual probate process does not apply, and their estate will need to be divided according to the laws of the Succession Act. In these cases, you will need to apply for a grant of letters of administration to gain permission to administer the estate, rather than a grant of probate. When there is no will, your loved one’s assets must be distributed to their next of kin, according to a predetermined list of priorities, favouring the closest living relatives. This may mean that certain members of the family are left out, or that some of their assets are claimed by the government. As such, dying without a will means that the wishes of the family may not be able to be carried out as intended. If you are in this position after the death of a loved one, it may be best to seek expert legal advice to weigh up your options. How can solicitors help you to manage the probate process? As this guide demonstrates, the probate process can often be quite complex, with a lot of legal requirements to consider and actions that must be taken to avoid additional delays, costs and conflicts. As such, if you are selected as the executor of a will, it is highly advisable to secure the services of a professional probate solicitor to guide you through it. Your solicitor can provide you with crucial advice on the legal obligations you need to meet, helping you to complete the associated paperwork and applications, and to meet all of the deadlines you are set. If any delays or complications do arise, your lawyer can also assist you in overcoming them as efficiently as possible. Although probate solicitors will generally need to be paid a small percentage of the value of the estate in exchange for their services, the benefits of doing so are significant - so much so that most people will consider hiring a solicitor to be an essential part of the probate process.

· It can take between three and six months to get a grant of probate approved, depending on the size of the estate and the amount of paperwork you provide

By keeping these details in mind and working with your legal team to make the right decisions, you can put yourself in the best possible position to make sure your loved one’s estate is handled in accordance with their wishes. Knowing what to expect will give you the peace of mind to know what to do when the unexpected occurs - as well as helping your family to rest easy, knowing they will be properly looked after, no matter what happens.

· Beneficiaries of the will are legally entitled to receive their inheritance

Daireann Gibson is Managing Partner at Gibson & Associates LLP

74 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

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76 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

ROMANTIC GENTLEMAN, 39, DUBLIN, never married, country origin. House, car, walker, DIY, artistic. Seeks female soulmate, share joy of living, kindness of giving. Daily celebrate with romance, caring, support, laughter, fun, woodland walks, inspirational talks, lake water lapping, herons flapping, sunny lands holding hands, happy days, Atlantic bays, scenic drives, for your high fives. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B13 CARING DUBLIN GENT, 67, SINCERE, KIND, WLTM lady for relationship. Interests include travel, music, writing. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B14 DUBLIN GENT, LATE 60s, NEVER MARRIED. Seeks female soulmate to share joyful living, romantic surprises and the wonderful adventure of a loving relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B15 QUIET GALWAY GENT NS ND. Interests include sport and keep fit, all types of music. WLTM lady 50-75 for friendship and perhaps more. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B16 KIND, SINCERE CLARE LADY, NS. Varied interests. WLTM gent 60-70 with good values, NS medium build into social dancing, music, particularly C&W, walking, animals, gardening. Interested in gents from Co Clare and Galway. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B17 RETIRED FRIENDS GROUP. Are you retired but not tired? Still got a zest for living? Group forming in Midlands but open to all regions. Replies invited from those with broad range of interests, including travel, films, theatre, sports etc. All suggestions welcome. Replies to include email/mobile. Whatsapp where possible. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B18 LADY BOOKWORK MUNSTER, 52 into art/literature, cooking, gardening, animals, country life and walking. If you’re done with being lonesome and would like to find someone special, I would love to hear from you. WLTM a sincere and honest man with zest for life. Waiting for your reply. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B19 DUBLIN PROFESSIONAL FEMALE EARLY 60s. RC, No children, never married. Main interests are ballroom dancing, theatre, GAA, concerts, classical music, charity work and travelling. WLTM Irish professional RC, NS, gentleman 65-75 with similar interests, especially dancing and travelling for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B20 RESPECTED DUBLIN MALE NATURIST 60 (looks younger) single, WLTM nice lady 45-70 to join naturist club and to travel abroad on naturists holidays. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B21 ATTRACTIVE MIDLANDS LADY 60s, outgoing, positive attitude to life. Interests include

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her feelings. Let’s chat and see whether there is some common ground. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A6

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DUBLIN SOUTHSIDE WIDOW late 60s, sincere, young at heart, good appearance, fit and active, GSOH. Interests include theatre, concerts, golf and country breaks. WLTM sincere, well-presented, refined, educated, outgoing gent. Age range preferably early to mid-70s to share interests and enjoy life with. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A7

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TIPP LADY, 60s, NS, SD, GSOH, WLTM kind gentleman who likes walking, dancing and travel. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A5

OFFALY WIDOW LATE 60s, GSOH, classy and loves rock and roll.WLTM male companion for chats, dinners or listening to music. Would also be interested in meeting a female for friendship with same interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z4

OFFALY MAN 60, slim and single, usual interests WLTM a reasonably slim lady 50-70 with a relaxed outlook who is not afraid to show

RETIRED, RETURNED IRISH EXILE WOMAN, attractive, cheerful, unpretentious, NS. WLTM independent male with positive attitude to share

SOUTHSIDE DUBLIN WIDOWER, EARLY 70s WLTM a nice romantic lady 50s-60s for visits to cinema, theatre, and meets for coffee. Only romantics need reply. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z7 DUBLIN PROFESSIONAL LADY, EARLY 60S, RC, no children, never married. Inter-ests include ballroom dancing, theatre, GAA and other sports, classical music, charity work and cultural travels. WLTM tall, Irish professional RC, NS gentleman 65-75 with similar interests, especially dancing and travelling, for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z8

TO PLACE AN ADVERTISEMENT If you are interested in meeting someone of the opposite or same sex, send your advertisement, with four stamps (which is the average reply rate) enclosed in the envelope, to: Meeting Place, Senior Times, PO Box 13215, Rathmines, Dublin 6 Or email: john@slp.ie

IMPORTANT Ensure you give your approximate age and the area you live, noting your interests. The advertisement should not be more than 60 words. If you are replying to the advertisement via Senior Time’s email, ensure you include your postal address for those not on the Net. (Only Senior Times will have these details). Deadline for receipt of advertisements for the next issue is 30th October 2020.

TO REPLY TO AN ADVERTISEMENT Each reply to an advertisement should be enclosed in a plain, stamped envelope, with the box number marked in pencil so that it can be erased before being forwarded to the advertiser. Send these envelopes in a covering envelope to the address , above, so that we can forward them to the advertiser. There is no limit to the amount of advertisements to which you can reply, provided each one is contained in a plain, stamped envelope. Ensure you give your approximate age and the area you live. For those submitting their advertisements by email ensure that you also supply Senior Times with your postal address so that we can post replies from those who have replied by post. (Only Senior Times will have your postal address).

Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 77

Five copies of the best-selling Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way to be won! Senior Times, in associaiton with the O’Brien Press, are offering five copies of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way in this issue’s crossword competition. Take a stunning photographic journey down Ireland’s Atlantic coast from Donegal in the north to Cork in the south. This beautiful new book showcases the west coast in all its wild beauty: dramatic views, abundant nature and wildlife, lighthouses, harbours and quaint seaside villages, as well as heritage, history and people. The Wild Atlantic Way is a fully signposted route along the west coast of Ireland that brings visitors to some of Ireland’s most spectacular scenery. This stunning new book, from Clare-based photographer Carsten Krieger, contains over 200 wonderful photographs capturing Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way in all its rugged glory.

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78 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Send your entry to: Crossword Competition, Senior Times, PO Box 13215, Rathmines, Dublin 6 Deadline for recept of entries is 18th October. The first five correct entries drawn are the winners.

Crossword Crossword Number 107 by Zoë Devlin

ACROSS

DOWN

1 5 8 11 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 27 29 30 32 34 35 37 40 42 43 45 46 47 48 50 52 54 57 60 62 64 66 67 68 69 71 72 75 78 79 81 83 84 86 87 90 91 92 93 94 95 96

1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 24 26 28 29 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 41 44 49 51 52 53 55 56 57 58 59 61 63 65 70 73 74 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 85 86 88 89

Foolhardy, bold or rash (8) Mama ___, member of the Mamas & the Papas (4) Midland county for a lay-off? (6) Jeers, mocks, shows derision (6) 365 islands here in Co Mayo, they say! (4,3) US university & cathedral in 37 Down (5,4) Is there a nicer aloe in this Co Derry town? (9) Company emblem or device (4) Unlawfully distilled Irish whiskey (6) Instructions, precepts or doctrines (9) Diagrams of parts of earth’s surface (4) Make worse or less effective (6) For instance, one living in Geneva (5) Town in Alabama, centre of protests in 1965 (5) Child of one’s spouse by former partner (7) Fishing port at mouth of Co Cork’s river Bandon (7) Chop or split wood (3) Awakening .. stimulation .. incitation (7) Male member of a royal family (6) Calamities or plays such as ‘Hamlet’ (9) Behave .. such as performers in ‘Hamlet’ (3) Racehorse .. stolen & never recovered (7) Italian lake or guardian of the peace (5) Climb or measure (5) Are lenders of this delicate build? (7) George Eliot’s weaver ‘___ Marner’ (5) People of one country on Iberian peninsula (7) Bragged (7) Lead singer of the Pogues, ___ MacGowan (5) Brief periods of rain (7) Smallest components .. of moats? (5) Rushed or hastened as did 43 Across (5) Dry red wines from Bordeaux (7) Be ill or unwell (3) Be persistent .. hang on (9) Seamus ___ ’95 Nobel prizewinner (6) Absent .. lacking (7) Primate who might copy? (3) Jumper .. but not over hurdles (7) Expert users of bows and arrows (7) Divide 50/50 (5) Pieces of furniture with writing surface (5) Doctrine believed to be of importance (6) Island - Napoleon’s first exile (4) You can hear a crane moan here in the west? (9) Public speaker found in a laboratory? (6) Present or acquisition (4) Can you order oats for these bullfighters? (9) US state or playwright ___ Williams? (9) Windy City in Illinois (7) One who writes books (6) Island republic in eastern Mediterranean (6) Short musical composition with words (4) Can men roost at RTE’s HQ in Dublin? (8)

Can a caller remember? (6) A spiritual leader of Christian church (9) Returns of tennis balls in high arcs (4) 3rd wife of Henry VII, Jane ___ (7) One of the Liffey’s quays in Dublin (5) Detectives or investigators (7) 44th US president, Barack ___ (5) Estates held for life (9) Former Irish politician, ___ Creighton (7) Bottle stopper found in Munster? (4) ‘___ child is loving and giving’ (6’1) Felt hats of the wild west (8) Spiritual beings such as Gabriel (6) Shuts (6) Chinese city, also known as Beijing (6) Astonishment .. stupefaction (9) Island republic - capital Reykjavik (7) Marriage partners (7) Sports equipment for gliding on ice (6) Prepares for publication (5) Responses or replies (7) Performer such as Pierce Brosnan (5) Carry with difficulty (3) Go in pairs to this French capital (5) Flesh-eating mammal needing rain cover? (9) Hard currency for singer Johnny ___? (4) Overwhelming slide of snow (9) Elongated fish .. found in high heels? (3) Can an eel step up to this tall, pointed tower? (7) Consciousness or cognisance (9) Town in 8 Across or Ethiopian currency (4) Disintegrate .. decompose (5) Feeling of wonder or admiration (3) 4th president of Ireland, ___ Childers (7) Informal, vulgar language (5) US city of jazz, New ___ (7) Dresses worn by Hindu women (5) Fortified, dry, sweet wine of Jerez (6) Defoe, Day-Lewis, O’Donnell or O’Connell? (6) Point at a target (3) Tweetie Pie’s enemy .. the cat (9) Gilbert & Sullivan’s operetta - a make do hit? (3,6) Off SW coast, ___ Island, with a naval tie? (8) Late night spot with entertainment, food & drink (7) Public or private ___, its part of society (6) Quality of being incorruptible and straight (7) Dealers in fabrics and clothing (7) Agitated .. disturbed .. jolted (6) US comedian, one of four brothers (7) 12th c. Archbishop, St Laurence ___ (1’5) Sisters of your father or mother (5) ___ Welles, US actor/director of ‘Citizen Kane’ (5) Egg yolks, oil & vinegar or western county? (4) Prescribed selection of foods (4) Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 79

Crafts

Connie McEvoy creates a project from old greeting cards

Creative with cards

While amusing myself during some long cold/lonely winter nights of mid- January 2020 I found my collection of old Christmas greeting cards again, some of which I have admired and used as inspiration while designing and constructing various handcrafts for years. This one attracted my attention as my Mother was born on August 22nd 1920 and was looking forward to celebrating her 80th birthday then as well as having made it to the new millennium. She never was in favour of birthday parties but had made it clear during new millennium celebrations in January that an exception was to be made for her 80th when she hoped to celebrate on the double. Sometimes when she spent holidays here she liked to pass the time (if it was raining) browsing through the cards also and let it be known that this 1892 card was her favourite because the handshake was a symbol of great friendship/ affection and peace to her way of thinking, as due to the fear of another scourge consump-

tion in her childhood days hugs were very seldom given. Having finished my embroidered section of the McEvoy/Kelly family tree that she had commissioned me to work by March 2000 I decided to design, work and construct a keepsake for her 80th birthday incorporating the handshake of her favourite old card and roses her favourite flowers on the front cover of the project. Inside this cover I have worked a double pocket for envelopes on the left side and on the right side a stay for a writing pad and a stamp book pocket. When the outside cover was finished to my satisfaction work was started on the construction of a cover for the photo album that would be set into the worked front/outside cover. The album cover was constructed from the same materials and the colour scheme was continued throughout the entire project, four photographs of some of us in childhood years representing the four seasons and four tiny appropriate floral motifs adorn the covers. Spring and Summer on

80 Senior Times l September - October 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

the front section and Autumn and Winter on the back section. She was delighted with her keepsake gift, kept it for a while then gave it back to me for safe keeping in case anything might happen to it! Mam passed away on May 31st 2010 having lived life to the full-in fact she drove her car Betsy to Clonegal and Bunclody regularly and sang in the choir at the vigil Mass each Saturday evening right up to her last days with us. I wonder how she would have felt about being cocooned, no sign of peace/handshake, wearing a mask and having to adhere to social distance rules? The fabrics used in this project include brocade, calico, silk and satin, some lightweight wadding was used in order to enhance the quilted area.

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Senior Times Magazine - September/October

Articles inside

Meeting Place

What should I do when a loved one dies?

Northern Notes

Crafts

Crossword

On the Greenways bike trails

Motoring

Is downsizing a good move?

Dublin Dossier

Midnight Finish

007 hits 90

Good and bad behaviour in the big houses

Mary’s Musings

Bridge

News

The Nathaniel Hones, the Caryatids and the Elgin Marbles