Mary’s Musings

In her latest observations Mary O’Rourke comments on the new Swedish President, considers Emanuele Macron’s chances in the 2022 French Presidential election and looks forward to reading the much-publicised biography of Charles J Haughey

I hope you can reflect on those wondrous words from Derek Mahon and that they will act, in some way, as a balm and a salve on your bruised soul in the lead-up to Christmas. I hope that Christmas will bring some new books to the readers. I am going to concentrate in this edition on the recent biography of Charlie Haughey by Professor Gary Murphy. It is a biographical giant of a book, all of 690 pages, simply called Haughey. Professor Murphy is Professor of Politics in Dublin City University, and he has penned a most thorough and exhaustive account of Charlie Haughey’s life, warts and all.

How should I not be glad to contemplate the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window and a high tide reflected on the ceiling? There will be dying, there will be dying, but there is no need to go into that. The poems flow from the hand unbidden and the hidden source is the watchful heart. The sun rises in spite of everything and the far cities are beautiful and bright. I lie here in a riot of sunlight watching the day break and the clouds flying. Everything is going to be all right. (Everything is Going to be All Right – Derek Mahon)

Hello to all the readers of this fine magazine, Senior Times.

I’ve started my piece with that wonderful poem by the late Derek Mahon. I think it is needed in this age of huge uncertainty, particularly in the light of the new Omicron variant of Covid which has emerged. Yes, everything is going to be all right. In the meantime, we press ahead.

I recall that when I wrote my last piece for Senior Times, I had thought it was the Christmas edition and I wished everyone a happy Christmas. Now I find I’m going to repeat myself, but what harm: a very Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year to all the readers of Senior Times. I hope you can reflect on those wondrous words from Derek Mahon and that they will act, in some way, as a balm and a salve on your bruised soul in the lead-up to Christmas.

Yes, there is a new Covid variant, Omicron, but we don’t know enough about it yet, so we’ll just keep listening, keep cheerful, and above all, continue to observe the normal health rules. In the last edition, you may remember that I spoke about the new joined-up university between Athlone and Limerick, the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). Now we have news of another new university, again based on water. The previous one, TUS, was based on the joint River Shannon locations. This latest one is called the Atlantic Technological University, and it comprises the Galway-Mayo, Sligo and Letterkenny Institutes of Technology which have come together to gain university status.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, has announced that it this new university is due to be established this coming April, subject of course to the legislative process being completed. This means that current students of the three institutes who graduate in the academic year of 2021-22 will do so with university qualifications. There will be more than 20,000 students and over 2,000 staff when all is up and running. So, the River Shannon and the Atlantic Ocean will be forever remembered in these two fine institutions.

Imagine, by the time readers get to peruse this edition, we will be at Christmas Eve with, hopefully, all of the family together and a relative type of jollity and enjoyment ahead of us.

I hope that Christmas will bring some new books to the readers. I am going to concentrate in this edition on the recent biography of Charlie Haughey by Professor Gary Murphy. It is a biographical giant of a book, all of 690 pages, simply called Haughey. Professor Murphy is Professor of Politics in Dublin City University, and he has penned a most thorough and exhaustive account of Charlie Haughey’s life, warts and all.

If you can request from someone who loves you one book for Christmas, nominate this one. You see, it will keep you going – you know those in-between days between Christmas and the New Year, when you don’t know what to do with yourself, perusing these pages will mean a lot to you.

Over a recent weekend, the book was reviewed by Colm Tóibín in The Irish Times, Alan Shatter in the Irish Independent, Bertie Ahern in The Sunday Times, Shane Ross in

I have been reading recently of the upcoming French general election for the office of president, due to take place in April 2022. There will, of course, be many entrants, among them the current president Emmanuel Macron himself, who is viewed to have had a fair to good presidency What country and person holds the record for serving the shortest term as prime minister? It is Sweden, where Magdalena Andersson has now become Sweden’s prime minister, for the second time in a week. Her previous stint ended after just seven hours, but in another vote in parliament recently, she mustered enough support to reclaim the premiership.

the Sunday Independent and Matt Cooper in the Business Post. Each one of the reviewers is full of knowledge and has their own personal view of Charlie Haughey, with their individual slant on his personal life, his legislative life and all of the in-between communications he had with various people which were to become the subject of later tribunals.

All of the reviewers are in concert on one point: that Professor Murphy has done exhaustive work on the various Haughey papers which he was given by the family to compile this book. They are also quite in awe of his scholastic and academic qualities, but above all of the way he has traversed the various lives lived by Charlie Haughey.

I am getting the book in the next few days and it certainly will keep me busy over the Christmas period. When I have it fully perused, I will pen my own review.

Anyway, I hope in some way you can lay your hands upon it and enjoy it.

I have been reading recently of the upcoming French general election for the office of president, due to take place in April 2022. There will, of course, be many entrants, among them the current president Emmanuel Macron himself, who is viewed to have had a fair to good presidency; Marine Le Pen, who we have yet to hear from; and of course the newcomer to the race, Michel Barnier. Brexit. We always liked the way he spoke up, his demeanour and the forceful way in which he expressed his opinion. So we look forward to that French election, and it sure will make a change from the Irish elections.

What country and person holds the record for serving the shortest term as prime minister? It is Sweden, where Magdalena Andersson has now become Sweden’s prime minister, for the second time in a week. Her previous stint ended after just seven hours, but in another vote in parliament recently, she mustered enough support to reclaim the premiership.

Ms Andersson, leader of the centre-left Social Democratic Party, is Sweden’s first female prime minister. She is 54 years old and she is set to run the country for the next ten months before elections that will be fiercely contested by the centre-right Nationalist Party, who argue that the Social Democrat-led government of the past seven years has done little to stop Sweden turning into a hot spot for gang crime, including shootings, etc.

Ms Andersson’s first attempt to become prime minister ended in chaos. Hours after being named premier on a Wednesday, she lost a parliamentary vote on the budget that she herself had written as finance minister, and then her coalition government collapsed and she resigned. She is now going to lead a minority one-party government.

She remarked recently: “Somebody must be prime minister in this country and there does not seem to be an alternative.” Let’s hope that on this occasion she will have success for the next ten months. In the meantime, it’s good to have another female prime minister. We have yet to reach that milestone here in our country. Meanwhile, I am coming to the end of my allotted space (including poetry). So, I will end again with the last line of the above poem by Derek Mahon: Everything will be all right.

In the midst of the new Covid variant, try to keep even-tempered with a modicum of cheerfulness for the season ahead of Christmas and the New Year.

Again, I would like to wish all of you a happy few days with your own family, and to keep some faith in the medical outcome to the health situation we are now facing. In spite of everything, continue to observe the health rules, and keep trying to do good to yourself and to others. Remember, “Everything will be all right.”

In the meantime, slán tamall agus Nollaig Shona daoibh go léir! Mary O’Rourke

Grandparents Matter

Becoming a grandparent is one of the most exciting times in life. Seeing your child becoming a parent, and welcoming a new member into the family brings with it a time of new beginnings and relationships. Grandparents can play a significant, positive role in the lives of grandchildren, at all stages of their development. In the 2020’s, grandparents are playing an increasing role in grandchildren’s lives. Today, you may spend longer being a grandparent than you did as a parent.

As a grandparent, you can have a long-lasting influence and effect on your grandchild’s wellbeing, both emotionally and physically. But the positive impact isn’t all one way. Grandchildren can also add significantly to the quality of your life, giving it a sense of purpose, and protecting against loneliness and depression. You will help shape the person your grandchild becomes, but they will also change you for the better!

Grandparents can be the “one good adult” that every child needs in their life through providing love, validation, acceptance and unending support. These attributes help a grandchild cope and grow up to be independent, happy and healthy. Research by Professor Ann Buchanan, University of Oxford, showed that a high level of Grandparent involvement increases the wellbeing of children. So garden, bake, read or travel with your grandchild, it benefits you both!

Grandfathers, as well as grandmothers, can play a significant role in nurturing the life of the developing grandchild. Research shows that many grandfathers are very connected with their grandchildren and aim to be more caring and involved than was the norm in previous societies. Your grandchild will grow up with a positive male figure who is affectionate and communicative if you spend time with them, benefitting them for life.

As a grandparent you can be a role model to your grandchildren, giving direction and encouragement while nurturing their strengths and talents. What your grandchild observes you doing and how you live and cope with life, can create expectancies. 61% of Irish drinkers cited "coping" as a reason for drinking (Drinkaware Barometer 2021). Children observe behaviour and learn from it. How do you cope with stress or uncomfortable feelings in your life? You are a teacher to your grandchildren, influencing what they think and do.

If you drink to a harmful level or have a problem with alcohol and your grandchild is exposed to this on a regular basis, this can negatively influence a grandchild mentally, physically and emotionally. Capaldi et al (2018) reminds us that maladaptive behaviour, including substance abuse, can be transmitted across generations. Research shows that the greatest influence on a teenager’s decision to drink or not to drink is their immediate community, parents and other influential adults, including grandparents. As a grandparent it is important that you know that your attitude to and behaviour around alcohol impacts grandchildren and how they are going to relate to alcohol in the future. If you drink in front of your grandchildren do so responsibly.

As a key influencer in your grandchild’s life, you can assist their transition to adulthood by having open, honest conversations about the ups and downs of drinking. It is important that grandchildren understand the effect of alcohol, and your and their family’s expectancies around it. You as a grandparent can be a very positive influence in grandchildren’s lives as a teacher, guide and nurturer. Enjoy the wonderful experience of journeying with them, while exercising flexibility, patience and commitment and never forgetting it requires huge responsibility.

At Drinkaware we believe that alcohol should have no place in childhood.

If you as a Grandparent would like more information or resources to help you have a conversation about alcohol with your grandchild, please visit drinkaware.ie or email martha@drinkaware.ie.