Senior Times magazine - March/April 2022 by SeniorTimes Ireland

Issue 116 March - April 2022

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Paul McCartney approaches the big Eight - 0

Kate, a safe pair of hands

Profile of the evergreen Beatle

The rise and rise of a favourite Duchess Coming clean on recycling What you can and can’t put in your bins

Returned to their rightful owners Looted artworks going home

New venue for Derry Clarke Michelin chef takes on Temple Bar

Cakes and bakes from granny’s stove Old time recipes that never fail

PLUS: News, Bridge, History, Competitions, Wine, Beauty, Health, Travel, Meeting Place And Much More..

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Issue 116 - March - April 2022

Contents

News:

Paul McCartney approaches 80: Aubrey Malone profiles the evergreen Beatle

Returned to their rightful owners: Eamonn Lynskey discusses the restitution of looted artworks

George Bernard Shaw, Nobel Laureate and Oscar winner: In her latest literary ramble, Lorna Hogg visits some of the places associated with George Bernard Shaw

Bridge tuition hosted by Michael O’Loughlin: Calling all beginners and intermediates!

Coming ‘clean’ on recycling: Lorna Hogg attempt to explain what you can and cannot recycle

A milestone for Kate, a ‘safe pair of hands’: Lorna Hogg traces the upward trajectory of Kate, Duchess of Cambridgeshire as she turn 40

Golf: Dermot Gilleece remembers Ireland’s most successful amateur, Joe Carr, who would have been 100 this year

Still going Strong: Veteran blues singer Rob Strong is still performing at 75

Poetry: Six poems by Anthony O’Halloran

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, Pat Keenan Michael O’Loughlin and Eamonn Lynskey.

68 Guess the year: Another teaser from Gerry Perkins

Advice on how to prevent and live with COPD:

A new challenge for Derry Clarke: Mairead Robinson talks to the Michelin Star chef as he prepares for a new venture in Dublin’s Temple Bar

Dublin Dossier: Patrick Keenan reports on happenings in and around the capital

Wine World: Celebrating organic ‘corkers’

A writers’ paradise in Co Mayo: Eileen Casey re-visits the Heinrich Böll cottage on Achill Island

Western Ways: George Keegan reports from the Western Seaboard

Cosmetics and beauty:

Northern Notes: Debbie Orme reports from Northern Ireland

Meeting Place: How to meet people from the opposite and same sex

Crossword:

Crafts:

Senior Times does not necessarily endorse or agree with the views and claims made in articles and advertisements.

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News Now HIA survey shows private health insurance ‘not value for money’ Research carried out by Kantar Millward Brown on behalf of the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) has shown that PHI (private health insurance) is deemed as a necessity rather than a luxury, but it is not viewed as value for money. Only 27 per cent of people believe that it is good value for money, which is an 8 per cent decrease on 2019 statistics as they felt premium price increases are’ unjustifiable’. 53 per cent of the respondents now claim to have PHI, which is up 5 per cent on the 2019 survey data. The research has also shown that insurance has been relinquished more among the female population, rather than men. The perceived lack of value may be behind a significant increase in those who have switched (35 per cent) compared to previous surveys (19 per cent). However, most consumers still do not switch, and most will only switch once. One in four people have considered switching cover but haven’t followed through due to fear of losing benefits, loyalty to their insurer as well as respondents saying that is it both ‘difficult’ and ‘very difficult’ to switch. In comparison to the 2019 data, over half of the respondents have not changed cover and have left their level of cover the same as they are satisfied with their current provider, it has been discovered that, on average, savings of up to 30 per cent would be required to encourage consumers to consider switching. Further results from the survey revealed:

• The main reason 42 per cent of the respondents no longer have PHI is that is it too expensive and they cannot afford the high rates on premiums. • Research has shown that 60 per cent of the survey’s respondents have not heard of Lifetime Community Rating, with half of those who took part in the survey saying that the Lifetime Community Rating scheme would not attract them to take out private health insurance.

• Most of the respondents who take out PHI believe one of the main benefits of having it allows you to skip queues, therefore not needing to avail of health services in the public sector.

The full results of the HIA Consumer Survey 2021 can be found on the HIA website www.hia.ie

• 63 per cent of consumers view public health services in Ireland as inadequate with a severe lack of access and longer waiting lists.

You can also compare plans by calling call the consumer helpline on 1850 929 166 to find out about the health insurance options available to you.

Valencia named the healthiest city in the world New for 2022, the study also looks at other aspects such as: number of toilets per 100,000 inhabitants, health spending, percentage of the population with access to health care and the prevalence of mental and substance use disorders

Valencia has once again been named the healthiest city in the world according to Money.co.uk. Crowned consecutively for a second year, the study evaluates how cities prioritise the health of its locals and visitors through several key factors. Analysing what contributes to a healthy lifestyle, seven distinct areas were taken into account during the study, including: obesity levels, life expectancy, pollution levels, health care, safety, crime rate and hours of sunlight. 2 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

Excellent health care Valencia holds a large proportion of industry health care specialists who work in centres equipped with some of the ‘most advanced instruments and technology in the sector’. Leaders in Oncology, the city is currently awaiting the opening of the Instituto Valenciano de Oncología (IVO), named for two years as one of the 50 best cancer centers in the world. The study indicates that the average life expectancy of a Valencian is 83.5 years. The quiet lifestyle, combined with a healthy Mediterranean diet, low levels of pollution and crime rate, make the quality of life ideal for maintaining good health.

Mary O’Rourke Mary O’Rourke is indisposed and unable to contribute her column for this issue. We, and we are sure, our readers, wish Mary a speedy recovery and look forward to reading her column in the next issue

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New research could signal a breakthrough for a number of cancer treatments There’s new hope for people diagnosed with oesophageal, gastric and colorectal cancers as Breakthrough Cancer Research (Breakthrough), University College Cork (UCC) and Cork University Hospital (CUH) have announced new cancer research that has unlocked why some cancers are drug resistant, which has led to a new chemotherapy treatment incorporating Lithium. This breakthrough could improve the outcomes for (approx.) 3905 people who are diagnosed in Ireland every year with these diseases, which are responsible for almost 1750 deaths annually.

of breath, along with poor growth and weight gain in spite of a good appetite. Over time people with CF accumulate significant damage and scar tissue in their lungs which leads to end-stage lung disease requiring a double lung transplant if possible. www.65Roses.ie.

Incognito 2022, Ireland’s Biggest Online Art Sale in aid of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation

Blackrock Clinic’s new robot offers ‘more precision and accuracy’ for joint replacement surgery

The research, which was funded by Breakthrough and led by Dr. Sharon McKenna at UCC, has found that adding lithium to the chemotherapy regime blocks the cancer cells’ ability to repair the internal damage normally inflicted by chemotherapy. This makes the chemotherapy more effective and reduces the risk of the cancer returning again. Lithium has been used before as a mood stabiliser in the treatment of neurological disorders – but not in chemotherapy, so this is a novel concept that is being tested in a Phase I clinical trial. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer related death in Ireland (1010 annually) and there are more than 2819 new cases each year. Oesophageal and stomach cancers have two of the lowest five year survival rates at just 24 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.

Olympians urge people to rise to the challenge for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland’s 65 Roses Day In a challenge fit for an Olympian, Natalya Coyle and Arthur Lanigan O’Keeffe are urging the people of Ireland to go for purple and undertake a 65 Roses Challenge for Cystic Fibro sis Ireland’s 65 Roses Day on Friday April 8. The husband-and-wife team are asking people to take up any 65-themed challenge – from walking 65,000 steps, to running 6.5k, or cycling 65k, the sky is the limit. Full details on the 65 Roses Challenge, or to donate, can be found at www.65Roses.ie . For the first time in three years, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland’s annual fundraising appeal will once again see the country come up roses for 65 Roses Day. In a show of flower power, volunteers will be out in force selling purple rose pins in towns and villages the length and breadth of the country, as well as in shopping centres and Dunnes Stores outlets. People with CF experience a range of symptoms including frequent lung infections, persistent coughing, wheezing and shortness

Supporting Jack & Jill Families All funds raised through Incognito will go to support Jack & Jill’s in-home specialist nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care for children with highly complex and life-limiting medical conditions under six years of age. This includes children with brain injury, severe cerebral palsy, as well as those with a genetic diagnosis or a neurodevelopmental condition yet to be diagnosed. To date, Incognito has raised a total of €625,000 which equates to a total of 34,722 hours of care – and a lot of support for the 412 Jack & Jill families who are in communities right across Ireland. For more information, visit www.jackandjill.ie

The Blackrock Clinic has introduced a new precision robot for joint replacement surgery, in a move which could have a ‘major impact’ on how such surgeries are performed in the coming years. Stryker’s Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery device is said to offer advantages over traditional surgery as its software is individualised to allow more accuracy during a joint replacement procedure. One of the mystery painting to be auctioned

Incognito 2022, Ireland’s biggest online art sale that sees artists donating their art ‘incognito’ for a great cause, will take place this year on Thursday, April 21. What’s different about Incognito, unlike other art sales, is that the buyer has no idea who the artist is until after the sale closes and the mask drops, when the artist’s name is only then unveiled. Now in its sixth year, with over 1,500 artists taking part, not just from Ireland but internationally, the €60 price for each postcard-sized artwork supports the work of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation and translates into home nursing care hours for 412 children with highly complex medical conditions around the country, including end-of-life care. For the buyer, of course, this may also be a very shrewd investment decision too! Among the leading Irish artists taking part in Incognito 2022 will be Mick O'Dea, Peter Curling, Ange Bell, Adrian Shane, Martin Gale, Maria Levinge, Helen Steele, Sylvia Parkinson-Brown, Martin Mooney, Sheila McCarron, Bridget Flinn, Ruthie Ashenhurst, Una Sealey, Maser, Vincent Devine, Mark Thompson, Shane O’Driscoll, Abigail O’Brien and Robert Ballagh. Some surprise celebrity guest artists are also on board for Incognito 2022 – art lovers and Incognito fans are encouraged to keep an eye out on Jack & Jill and Incognito social channels for updates.

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Mr. Niall Hogan, a consultant in orthopaedic surgery, is the first of a team of surgeons at the Blackrock Clinic who has used the new robot. He believes that the technology could play an important role in the surgical field in the coming years, thus benefiting patients and surgeons alike. ‘Performing knee surgery using Mako helps ensure there is less dissection and therefore less trauma to the soft tissues, and what we have seen so far in Blackrock is very positive in terms of patient recovery and knee range of movement post-operatively. ‘Not only is the device more accurate than traditional techniques during surgery, it allows surgeons to pre-plan procedures and deliver that more personalised care to the patient. As more surgeons are trained in the use of this type of robotic system for joint replacement, an ever-greater number of surgical procedures will likely be robot-assisted, not just for knee surgery but other joints too’. Similar equipment is already used extensively in the UK within the National Health Service and major medical institutions, and research published in the British Medical Journal has stated that ‘robotic-assisted TKA surgeries are more capable of improving mechanical alignment and prosthesis implantation when compared with conventional surgery.

Profile

Macca closes in on eighty Aubrey Malone chronicles the life and times of Paul McCartney, the Peter Pan of Pop When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now, Will you still need me Will you still feed me, When I’m 64. It was way back in 1967 when Paul McCartney wrote these words. He was 25 then. 64 must have seemed ancient to him. Now it probably sounds like a whippersnapper. He will be eighty on June 18. John Lennon died at 40 in 1980 so it’s double figures on his old buddy. He hasn’t lost his hair but it’s a bit snowier. ‘Will you still feed me?’ I’m sure someone will. Paul could afford to have his dinner flown in from China any day of the week with all the money he has. His fortune was estimated at £730 million in 2015. Does he look 80? Okay, so he’s not going to be asked for an ID card to get a pint in a pub but he still has that baby face. What’s his secret - a relaxed temperament? Affability? An unwillingness to get ruffled no matter how many occasions inform against him? Maybe the surprise is that he’s still around at all after all. Eighty isn’t young for anyone, least of all someone who’s been stomping across the world for the past six decades. He may not have smoked as much pot as Bob Dylan, or drunk as much whiskey as any of the Rolling Stones but neither has he lived like a monk.

Paul was always the ‘nice’ Beatle, the most uncomplicated one. He never had Lennon’s street cred. If you look at interviews of the Fab Four today you’ll see Lennon being contentious, Ringo pulling faces, George looking intense and Paul well Paul being just there. He’s the type of guy you could bring home to your mother. In fact you could bring ‘Sir’ Paul home to the Queen Mother. It probably comes as no surprise to us to learn he sang in a church choir as a boy. The debates still go on about who was the real genius of the Beatles. Who was the best songwriter? Get out your notepads and compute whether Lennon or McCartney wrote the most Number 1s. Who had the most covers made of their compositions? (I believe there have been over 2000 of Yesterday - a McCartney song – so that ends that debate.). Is this what it’s about or does it go deeper? I think of Paul as a pop star and John as a

rock one. John looked more the business in the leather, didn’t he? Check out any footage of that time and you will see what I mean. Their first manager Brian Epstein cleaned them up just as if Colonel Parker cleaned Elvis Presley up. ‘Elvis died after he came out of the army,’ Lennon said. Maybe a bit of Lennon died after Epstein got hold of him. The Cavern was riotous. That to me was real Beatlemania. When they got into their smart suits and became uniform mop heads, they turned into the world’s first boyband. Especially with those banal lyrics about wanting to hold hands and telling us, all we needed was love. Later came the maturity with songs like Norwegian Wood, She’s Leaving Home, Eleanor Rigby, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude, etc. etc. By then the group that caused teenage girls to faint had all but disappeared. It must have been sad for Elvis to watch them on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1966. He Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 5

Profile

Paul with his fellow Beatles promoting their final album Let It Be

had been filmed on it from the waist up ten years before. The Beatles were filmed from their fringes down. And still the girls screamed. Epstein died in 1967. His death spelled the end of the ‘old’ Beatles. By now he’d outlived his usefulness for them and he knew it. The boys now wanted to become men. He was like a father whose children had grown up almost without him noticing it. He took to pills and overdosed. Usually it’s the singers that go that route rather than the manager but Epstein had other problems. A gay man in a homophobic world, he was lonely. Lennon knew him better than McCartney. Lennon knew everyone better than McCartney. There was even a rumour they’d had a fling. People used to say, ‘John will try anything.’ McCartney was more straight (laced). Paul took more control of the group afterwards. He was the main man behind the TV movie Magical Mystery Tour. It flopped. That seemed to say something to people. Would Lennon have made a better job of it? By now the gloves were off between them. Epstein had kept their rivalry under wraps while he was around. Now, like any family that’s lost their dad, they fought more openly. They were still producing good work. Today The White Album is regarded as one of their most versatile. At the time it wasn’t seen as anything. Why? Because it wasn’t your typical Beatles album. But who cared about

such terms anymore? It should have been about the music now, not the brand. The end of the decade saw the end of the Beatles as well. Making music had stopped being fun by now. And with this quartet, fun was a huge part of what they were about. You didn’t hear too much about the Maharishi or all that psychedelic stuff either. Were they becoming – whisper it – normal? The common wisdom is that Yoko Ono broke them up. It was hardly that simple. Lennon was ready to leave anyway. Not many people liked Yoko. That seemed to make John groove to her all the more. McCartney went into a depression. Why wouldn’t he? The past decade had been a rollercoaster. Now he had to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. He couldn’t spend it thinking about yesterday. (Or ‘Yesterday.’) He tied the knot with Linda Eastman and she pulled him out of it. Linda wasn’t any more popular with the public than Yoko was. Could she sing? Could she play an instrument? Maybe it didn’t matter. She was company for Paul on stage. And on the farm he bought when he was with Jane Asher in the mid-sixties. Lennon was more agitprop, doing bed-ins and love-ins like an overaged hippie. But he went ‘native’ too, baking his own bread with Yoko. Marriage hadn’t been on the horizon for McCartney up to now. It didn’t usually work

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for pop stars. Managers liked the fans to think things like, ‘Any day now, Paul will give it up for me’ even if they knew in their hearts he was more likely to fly to the moon. It was what kept the pot bubbling over. And the tills ringing. Now there was nothing to lose. He cut a few albums in the seventies but nothing to pull up trees. Never mind. Better half a career than none at all. Linda got him into vegetarianism and animal rights. With her he also formed a new band, Wings. The public didn’t like it any more than they liked her. ‘What would you call a dog with wings?’ went the (sick) joke. Answer: Linda. He did his best to avoid doing Beatle material but that very avoidance made you aware of it all the more. You couldn’t help thinking: Poor Paul. He’s never going to be able to re-heat the soufflé.’ He proved us wrong with albums like Red Rose Speedway, Band on the Run, Venus and Mars. By the mid-seventies he’d started to insert some old Beatles tracks into his sets. ‘For old time’s sake,’ he explained. Or was it because he was running out of new material? Mull of Kintyre came along in 1977. Those who were attracted to the cute Paul now loved him even more. Those who didn’t went the other way. They said, ‘It should have been sung by Cliff Richard.’ By the end of the seventies Wings had become flat in the same way the Beatles had by the end of the previous decade. Then something happened that changed all of our worlds. Lennon was gunned down

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Paul McCartney with his wife Nancy Shevell

in cold blood on a New York street for no better reason than his assassin, a pathetic nobody called Mark Chapman, wanted to become famous. It was the most absurd murder in music history. Or history period. We all remembered where we were when it happened just like we did when JFK or Elvis died. Lennon had been producing some seriously good music since the Beatles folded. His post-Beatle career had taken off in a more exciting way than McCartney’s had, leading to much kudos from the music press. Dying as he did made him even more admired. Premature death was always a good career move for pop stars. Ask Elvis. McCartney was asked for his reaction to the killing. He was caught off the hop and said the worst thing he could have, ‘It’s a drag.’ The comment totally trivialised what happened. It made him out to be jealous of the attention his old friend was getting. Their rivalry was extending beyond the grave, becoming posthumously toxic. He said the comment came out the wrong way, that he meant he was depressed about the killing. Nobody really believed him. When you’re explaining you’re losing. He went through a bad time for the next few years. Arguments about who was the ‘real’ leader of The Beatles got re-cycled, with Macca usually coming out second best. ‘It got so bad,’ he sighed, ‘I almost felt guilty for not having died.’ As always, music came to his rescue. He recorded like there was no tomorrow, trying every new format he could think of. Sometimes it even worked.

In 1982 he had a hit with Ebony and Ivory, duetting with Stevie Wonder in a way that reminded you of the old Lennon/McCartney collaborations. We needed to remember it wasn’t always bad between them. Three years later he starred in a movie, Give My Regards to Broad Street. It wasn’t much better than any of the Beatles films he’d made but that wasn’t the point. It did what they did, i.e. sold an album. Live-Aid gave him a different kind of profile in 1985. With Linda he’d become involved in a lot of causes. Bob Geldof now provided him with an even bigger one. Four years later he showed his generosity again. The profits from Ferry Across the Mersey were donated to the Hillsborough disaster fund. Ends of decades always seemed to spur him on to reinventions. This one was no different. In 1989 he went on the Paul McCartney World Tour. He was nearly fifty now. It was too late to stop. His experiments with orchestral music at the start of the nineties truck many people as smacking of desperation. It’s better to draw a line under it. For the rest of the decade he kept as busy as he’d always been, showing the energy of people half his age as he bopped his way around the globe. Every day of his life, it seemed, he was either in a recording studio or on a stage somewhere. The Peter Pan of pop, forever young. But then tragedy struck. Linda died of cancer in 1998. He was distraught. Theirs was a marriage made in heaven. They’d had three children together and he’d adopted a fourth that Linda had before she married him. ‘We were just a boyfriend and girlfriend having

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babies,’ he said. It was a hundred times worse than the end of the Beatles. Who was going to pull him out of his depression this time? He thought Heather Mills would. He married her in 2002 but it was a disaster. If Wings was the poor man’s Beatles, Heather was the poor Paul’s Linda. Make that rich Paul. She fleeced him in the divorce courts in 2008, pocketing the kind of money that would probably pay off the Gross National Product of some South American country. Paul didn’t mind. What was fifty million quid between friends? He had a licence to print money now, hadn’t he? He moved in with Nancy Shevell the following year and married her in 2011. By all reports she made him as happy as Linda had. Who could begrudge it to him? In 2018 he returned to The Cavern, playing there for the first time in over half a century. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Since then he’s continued to produce music and do the odd live gig too. In between he makes himself available to those who queue up to touch the hem of his garment. Retirement? Don’t make me laugh. He doesn’t know the meaning of the word. Legend, guru, humanitarian, memoirist, savvy music scholar, author of an uncountable number of supersonic hits, all around nice guy, seriously talented guitarist, dependable husband, big-hearted father and grandfather, affable interviewee. Only sainthood awaits.

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Health

Lions Clubs fight diabetes Lions Clubs in Ireland have produced The Silent Assassin, a comprehensive booklet on Type 2 Diabetes It is packed with useful information on Type2 Diabetes, covering its prevalence, risks, symptoms and what happens when diagnosed. The publication is part of a wide-ranging Type 2 Diabetes Campaign undertaken by more than 2,000 members of Lions Clubs in Ireland. The campaign also includes intensive social media posting and pr activity by Lions at local level. In undertaking the campaign, Lions in Ireland are joining1.4m members of 44,000 Lions Clubs throughout the world who are dedicated to fighting the condition known as ‘The Silent Assassin’.

Ann Ellis, District Governor, Lions Clubs International, promoting healthy living as part of Lions Diabetes Awareness campaign.

Lions are undertaking an extensive information campaign, through a wide spectrum of media, to make people aware of the growing incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Ireland. Projects include the presentation of apples and vegetable seeds to school children as a symbol of healthy eating, the distribution of information leaflets and a bookmark, public relations activities and posts on social media. The World Diabetes Day Campaign is undertaken in the context of new research which indicates that the number of people with Type 2 Diabetes in Ireland could double to more than 410,000 in the next 15 years unless a population-wide, comprehensive campaign is put in place. The research, commissioned by HSE modelled the current growth in Type 2 Diabetes, often linked to being overweight or inactive, and the possible measures used to control it. The researchers said that ‘a prevention programme, based on the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, is estimated to result in a reduction of between 2,000 (0.5per cent) and 19,000 (4.6 per cent ) in the number of prevalent cases of diabetes in 2036 resulting in substantial health and quality of life benefits’. Ann Ellis, District Governor of Lions Clubs in Ireland, stressed the importance of this initiative. ‘Diabetes is the 8th leading cause of death in the world. It is estimated that worldwide more than 460 million people have

A Lions Clubs social media posting

Diabetes, and this number is growing’, she said. ‘Lions can pay an important role in arresting the spread of the condition by increasing awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle in staying free of Type 2 Diabetes’ The worldwide Lions Signature Project aims to specifically address the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Eating healthily, increasing the level of physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight, all play a role in preventing or delaying the onset of Type 2 Diabetes. A quick, easy and free test can indicate the degree to which people are at risk of

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contracting Type 2 Diabetes. To take the test visit: Diabetes Ireland www.diabetes.ie/are-youat-risk-free-diabetes-test/ Diabetes UK (NI) www.riskscore.diabetes. org.uk/start Further information from John O’Donovan (diabetes@lionsclubs.ie) 087 2866310 Frank Corr, District PRO, Lions Clubs International- fcorr100@gmail.com 086 8274710

Art History

Returning to their rightful owners

Eamonn Lynskey discusses the restitution of looted artworks

Typical of the many thousands of Benin bronzes: They are part of an estimated haul of two to three thousand items, including plaques and sculptures in brass or bronze, as well as jewellery and other pieces dating from the thirteenth century onwards.

The National Museum of Ireland announced in April 2021 that it plans to return 21 bronze artworks which came into its possession shortly after they were looted from the African city of Benin by British forces in 1897. These artworks, known as ‘The Benin Bronzes’ are part of an estimated haul of two to three thousand items, including plaques and sculptures in brass or bronze, as well as jewellery and other pieces dating from the thirteenth century onwards. They were created by the Edo people of the Kingdom of Benin in what is now Nigeria. The Hunt Museum in Limerick is also considering the return of a Benin ceremonial piece – an ivory and lead leopard’s head – thereby joining the many other institutions world-wide which have pledged the restitution of stolen Benin artifacts.

This change in attitudes with regard to restitution has led to a new optimism among those concerned to unravel colonial and other lootings of artworks and their return to their rightful owners. In the case of Benin, Nigeria for decades has requested the return of these cultural objects but with very little positive response. However, in recent years numerous European museums have moved towards the repatriation of these exquisitely-wrought works which are central to the history and identity of the region’s Edo people. Other encouraging developments in repatriation have seen the United States last year (2021) return some 250 antiquities, worth an estimated $15 million (€13 million), to India after an extensive investigation into the operations of a stolen-art network. The Manhattan District Attorney has said that the theft of these antiquities ‘serves as a

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The Hunt Museum in Limerick is ‘considering’ returning this Benin mask

potent reminder that individuals who maraud sacred temples in pursuit of individual profit are committing crimes, not only against a country’s heritage but also its present and future’. These restitutions and declarations of intent to give back what was stolen are welcome. On the other hand, if a claim for restitution is contested, legal matters can get very

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Art History

complicated and the process may end up being stalled for years, or may even fail. A Los Angeles judge ruled in 2016 in favour of the Californian Norton Simon Museum over the ownership of two German Renaissance masterpieces (valued at $24 million in 2006) that were seized by the Nazis in World War II. The complainant began legal proceedings in the 1990s, alleging that the paintings were seized from her father-in-law, a Dutch art dealer, after he and his family fled Holland to escape the Holocaust. During the escape he died in an accident on board ship. When, after the war, the artworks were returned to Holland the dealer’s widow did not seek their return because she thought that the Dutch government would eventually return them to her. In the absence of her claim, the Dutch government in 1966 returned the paintings to George Stroganoff-Scherbatoff, a descendant of Russian aristocrats. He claimed that the paintings had been seized from his family after the Russian Revolution in the 1920s and had ended up in Holland, having been sold to the Dutch dealer by the Russian Government in 1931. The judge found that this return of the works to StroganoffScherbatoff was a valid legal transaction by the Dutch government and furthermore that, because there was no claim for restitution for the works after the war, the claim by the deceased dealer’s daughter-in-law must fail. There was an appeal, but in 2018 the U.S. Federal court validated the 1966 sale by the Dutch government to Stroganoff-Scherbatoff and he in turn sold them to the Norton Simon in 1971. This is but one illustration of how attempts at restitution can fall victim to the intricacies of legal recourse. There are many more Peoples defeated in war are at the mercy of the victors and such mercy is usually in short supply. As well as the often-horrific cost in human lives, which of course must come first to our thoughts, very often there is also the looting of a people’s heritage by the invaders. None of the European ‘Great Powers’ come unblemished out of the tawdry history of imperial theft in their 19th century ‘Scramble for Africa’ and the 20th century has provided further examples of spoliation. The people who are killed cannot return, but their looted heritage is often thrust into the headlines many years later. The discovery in 2013 in a Munich apartment of 1500 artworks collectively worth up to €1bn was an extraordinary event by any standard. As well as being a reminder of the wide-scale looting carried out during and after World War II, the discovery was also a poignant reminder of the former owners’ probable fate. The apartment’s tenant, the son of an art dealer favoured by the Nazi regime, had kept the paintings (by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Klee,

This Benin bronze cockerel was returned by Jesus College, Cambridge, one of the first institutions to do so

Munch and others) hidden since he had ‘inherited’ them from his father after the war. The complicated process of tracing ownership is still ongoing. While the looting of artworks in that war by the German Third Reich and the Soviet Union was on a massive and organised scale, the service personnel of the United States were also guilty of a good deal of pilfering. The opportunistic and random nature of these individual thefts make them difficult to trace. Robert M. Edsel, chairman of the Monument Men Foundation (an international task force of officers and scholars responsible for the tracking down and restitution of stolen art works) is well aware of the traumatic circumstances that soldiers found themselves in during the hostilities. These events may have clouded their judgement ‘but they knew what they did was wrong. We just have to hope the heirs will come forward now that they’re discovering these things as the veterans die off’. And indeed, numerous stolen articles have been returned by those who inherited them. Of all the war-time looting ever carried out, the punitive expedition by British forces against the city of Benin and its people in 1897 must rank as one of the most atrocious acts of savagery ever perpetrated (and this in a very crowded field). No record exists of the number of people killed but the

14 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

total is thought to have been substantial, especially given that it was an era when black lives mattered little, or not at all. Estimates of the number of precious objects looted vary between 2,500 to 3,000, including over a thousand metal plaques and sculptures now collectively known as the Benin Bronzes. These ‘punitive expeditions’ were attacks on local peoples to instil fear and were mounted after a pretext was found (or manufactured). The result for Benin City in February 1897 was that it was laid waste, its people slaughtered and its treasures stolen, though in fact the looting was something of a fortuitous sideshow because the real reason for the attack was that this city-state stood in the way of British expansion in the region. Shipped back to Britain, the Benin ‘war booty’ found its way into many British and other museums, Ireland included since it was then part of the British Empire. In his recent book The British Museums (Pluto Press, 2020), Dan Hicks, Professor of Contemporary Archaeology at Oxford University, estimates that royal artworks and other Bruno Lohse was a German art dealer and SSHauptsturmführer who, during World War II, became the chief art looter in Paris for Hermann Göring, helping the Nazi leader amass a vast collection of plundered artworks. During the war, Göring boasted that he owned the largest private art collection in Europe

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Art History

sacred objects looted from the Royal Court of Benin ‘are now dispersed across more than 150 known museums and galleries, plus perhaps half as many again in unknown public and private collections globally’. Investigators are hampered by a lack of documentation that might enable them to trace where many of the objects have ended up. Tracing their present location is also difficult due to the enormous number of items stolen by individual soldiers and the length of time which has elapsed since the theft. However, despite these difficulties restitution should be possible of those artifacts which were ‘officially’ taken by the British army in February 1897; and there certainly is no doubt about the party to whom these treasures should be returned. As regards concerns raised about safety and safekeeping in their new location, a new museum is being built in Benin City, The Edo Museum of West African Art, which will have climate control and storage systems similar to those of Western museums. The museum is expected to be ready by 2025. Undoubtedly, it will take that length of time to complete the restitution formalities. As mentioned above with regard to the Norton Simon case, these formalities can be formidable. Many museum acquisitions are defended on the grounds that they were purchased through legitimate trade on the art market and these claims have to be examined closely as to provenance and circumstance. This often leads to years of litigation. Other justifications for the taking of artworks can include it being considered as ‘war reparations’ – a defence offered by Russia for the taking of valuable artifacts (and whatever else it

could lay hands on) in the aftermath of WWII. There is no doubt that the Russian people suffered terribly at the hands of their invaders during that war but, as the old cliché has it, two wrongs don’t make a right. The short answer to any argument that attempts to justify the retention of other people’s property is simply that, if these items were stolen, then whoever has them in their keeping has no right to them and – legal difficulties notwithstanding – is under a moral obligation to return them. It is therefore heartening to see Ireland among the nations finally willing to return this stolen property to its rightful owners, following the example of The University of Aberdeen which became the first institution to agree to the full repatriation of a Benin bronze sculpture in March 2021. The British Museum, holders of the largest trawl of these treasures, says it is ‘committed to active engagement with Nigerian Institutions concerning the Benin Bronzes’ so perhaps someday it may return them. Perhaps someday too it may reverse its ongoing

16 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

This Matisse painting was one of thousands of works of art found in a Munich apartment

shameful refusal not to accede to the many requests from Greece to return the frieze which was ripped from the Parthenon by the English Lord Elgin over two hundred years ago. In the area of art restitution, we must always live in hope.

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‘Safe pair of hands’ Kate hits forty

Lorna Hogg follows the upward trajectory of the Duchess of Cambridgeshire

Kate, Duchess of Cambridgeshire wearing the Order bestowed upon her by the Queen - as a Dame of the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

Kate Middleton celebrated her fortieth birthday in January – a decade after joining the British Royal Family. She may now be Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge, third most popular British Royal – but to many, she remains, and will remain just – ‘Kate.’ This says much about how the international public has taken her to their hearts. She was the Girl Next Door, polite and shy, with no intriguing scandals, from an ordinary hard working, middle class background. Kate shopped on the High Street. She was close to her family – and apparently just wanted to be a wife and mother, with the man of her choice. So how has ‘Waity Katie’, as cynics dubbed her during a ten-year courtship, survived and thrived in a role which has tested so many other Royal wives to their limits? Kate has a quality shared with the ultra-feminine Queen Mother - inner steel. In just a few years in the spotlight, she has learned her role, and created her own style. In short order, she has had to learn how to make speeches, and deal with the press. She has had to combine approachability and consideration for others with a sense of guardedness - and to live out the trusty Royal motto `Never Complain, Never Explain.’ Now, in a new era after Prince Philip’s death, as Kate takes on more public and official duties - how will she take her place in the wider world as a senior British Royal and national public figure? The Queen has remarked that she has to be seen to be ‘seen to be believed,’ and one

requirement for Royal ladies is that they look the part. It is a tough call in our democratic age. Kate has succeeded, like former First Lady Michelle Obama, by mixing and matching couture, from designers such as Alexander McQueen and Catherine Walker, with High Street favourites such as Zara and L.K. Bennett. Eagle-eyed journalists noted that during Kate’s and William’s first Irish visit in 2019, her wardrobe contained a Reiss raincoat that had first appeared a decade ago, as well as a green silk dress from top designer Alessandra Rich, and a coat from Alexander McQueen. Kate also proved she has good instincts – winning hearts when she also sported an Irish designed Dubarry jacket – instantly noted by the delighted crowds. She knows that her official role is as the `Support Act’, rather than the ` Main Attraction’. Kate is the perfect team player, laughing and joking with Prince William, the pair easily working the crowds on walkabouts. They have neatly overcome the problem which caused such dissent between Prince Charles and Diana – groans from the waiting crowds, when their side of the street was not favoured by the Royal of their choice. William and Kate neatly start their `meet and greets’ from different ends, and cross in the middle, allowing them to meet the full range of waiting crowds. It’s an approach highly popular with dense crowds- and Galway city was no exception during their Irish visit. Royal and First Ladies become known for their charities and interests. Kate has become involved with childhood development and youth charities, under the umbrella of Early

Years. She joined with Princes William and Harry, to form ‘Heads Together’. Their work and interests could be said to be taking Princess Diana’s ground - breaking concerns to the next level. Many of William and Kate’s wide range of charities also work to help depression sufferers and mental health in general, and also encourage sport. It is essential to the job that leading Royals are good communicators. Kate was initially overawed by the media interest. She later told one journalist that she had found by the experience of her engagement press conference scary - to put it mildly. However, she quickly had to come to terms with the reality of press intrusion – topless pictures, from a long lens, were taken whilst she was on a private holiday with Prince William. Her first attempts at speeches were somewhat stilted, but she has patiently persisted, and is now fully at ease using all media forms – from video to podcasts and Zoom. She was relaxed and happy making roulades with Mary Berry on a TV Christmas show, and displaying her Chelsea Flower Show garden design on TV. We don’t yet know how many languages Kate can speak – these days, many royal ladies speak several fluently, and attend international conferences. Yet these days, we expect more from Royals - a touch of individuality, a spark - to inspire, to set them apart from their role. Queen Maxima of the Netherland won acclaim for a charity swim in a Dutch canal and Crown Princess Vic-

Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 17

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Lovely hurling..Kate and William during their recent visit to Galway

toria of Sweden undertook basic army training. Kate and William have become known for their friendly and light hearted but competitive spirits. From canoe races in Canada to rowing in Germany, they have publicly tested out each other’s cookery, sprinting and quarry abseiling skills, - plus, of course, some light hearted football and hurling in Galway! We also like to see leaders ‘keeping it real,’ and Kate remains a hands on mum. She does the school run, and regularly turns up for school coffee mornings and events. She and William also took their children on tours when they were younger – complete with a few embarrassing tantrums! They don’t like to break family routines - Prince William is keen to try to be at home every evening, to read his children their bedtime story. The couple are also sensitive to public mood. Last summer, when some other Royal members continued to fly in private jets, the family took a budget £73 flight up to their Balmoral summer holiday – and were snapped by an eagle-eyed member of the public. Kate’s master stroke, however, has been in taking pictures of her children for birthdays, anniversaries etc. – a touch that has been since copied by some other royal families.

One of her most powerful assets is, of course, Kate’s ability to follow the Queen Mother’s example and be `absolutely oyster’ - silent and discreet. She and Prince William have a circle of utterly loyal close friends, some from childhood, in Norfolk and London. Kate also has a small circle of her own pals, many from school and college days, and they are equally discreet. No room for ‘tell all’ books here. The fact that, unlike some other Royal ladies, she has largely retained a loyal business and household staff – or ‘team’ as she likes to call them, speaks volumes about her. The Duchess of Cambridge has put in the ground work of her role. She has proved to be a `safe pair of hands’ – and the Queen has shown her appreciation – Kate now has the Order of the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victoria Order. The Queen has also loaned her some serious pieces of jewellery from the Royal Collection. Over the past decade. Kate has created the background for a new generation of Royals to grow up. She has set out her interests and developed her role. We now wait to see if she will join some international charities and causes, as many European Princesses and current Queens have done. The world is her oyster – and it is now a case of less ‘Waity Katy’, and more ‘What Katy did Next’.

18 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

Kate, Duchess of Cambridgeshire at yet another formal unction with Prince William. She knows that her official role is as the `Support Act’, rather than the ` Main Attraction’.

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Proper impressive and no mistake

Continuing her literary travels around these islands, Lorna Hogg’s latest subject needs no introduction: Dubliner George Bernard Shaw, one of the most influential and successful dramatists of the 20th century but forever associated with his creation, the flower girl Eliza, in Pygmalion

Nobel Prize winner, writer, critic, political activist, vegetarian, early Anti-Vaccer - and author of over sixty plays, he was one of the most influential dramatists of the twentieth century; George Bernard Shaw – or Bernard Shaw, as he liked to be known -- was born on 26th July 1856 at 3, Upper Synge Street, Dublin. Irony was a feature of his work - and also his life. Hailed as a great Irish writer, he may have been born into the then Protestant Ascendency, but his was an impoverished branch. His early home life was unconventional and unhappy, and he departed Ireland early for twentyseven years, and never returned to live here. He retained his British citizenship after Irish independence and lived in England for most of his adult life, challenging its values and political beliefs, as much as he did the Irish variety. He would claim that complete Irish independence was ‘impractical’ but met Michael Collins, and was impressed by him - and also received the Freedom of the City of Dublin in 1946. Shaw grew up in a lower middle class family, 20 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

the son of George and Lucinda Shaw. His mother was close to the family lodger, musician George Lee, with whom she, Shaw and his sisters Lucinda and Èlinor Agnes, eventually moved to Hatch Street. The young boy disliked it even more. He left school at fifteen, and self-educated, whilst working for a time in a firm of land agents. In 1862 his mother and Lee along with his two sisters, left Ireland for London. Shaw joined them in 1876, from the Dublin home shared with his father, upon hearing that his sister Agnes was dying of tuberculosis. Shaw’s early London years were filled with his attempts to get work, and also his interests in political movements and societies. He lived with his mother, and developed an interest in Fabianism, Marxism and Socialism. By the 1880s, however, his life had changed. He finally found work as a newspaper critic, insisting that ‘all great art needs a message.’ He also had his first serious love affair with an older married woman, Jane Patterson. It lasted for eight years.

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Shaw’s magnificent Arts and Craft style house at Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire is set in prize-winning gardens. Both are open to the public.

Shaw was unafraid to pick controversial topics for his work –and to strip away hypocrisy. Arms and The Man (1893) satirised the concepts of love, honour and class. Mrs. Warren’s Profession (1893) took a look at the hypocrisy around prostitution. whilst Candida (1894) focused on a young woman’s choice of romantic love - for unconventional reasons. Financial success came during the 1890s - the £2,000 in royalties from The Devil’s Disciple (1897) finally allowed Shaw to give up work as a critic and become a dramatist. Local politics At this time, Shaw, interested in various political philosophies, became involved with local politics. However, the inevitable increase in workload damaged his health, and he suffered serious illness. He was nursed back to health by wealthy Anglo Irishwoman, Charlotte Payne Townsend, who had apparently once proposed to him. She suggested that the most practical solution would be for her to move into the house to care for him. Shaw, concerned at how her suggestion would appear, now agreed to marriage. So, in 1898 the pair entered a union, largely believed to be of companionship, to silence any gossip. He retained his London flat, but his marriage also prompted a move down to the idyllic Hertfordshire village of Ayot St. Lawrence. There, he purchased a beautiful house, re-named it Shaw’s Corner - and got in touch with his inner gardener. The new century brought him major success as a dramatist. John Bull’s Other Island, (1904) about an Englishman’s Irish experiences, opened at the prestigious Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square. It was said that on opening night, King Edward VII laughed so much that he broke his chair. However, the Abbey Theatre in Dublin was too nervous about the play’s political slant to stage it here. Shaw, however, insisted that he focused upon the ‘the real old Ireland’ whilst modern Irish dramatists presented the New Ireland’s view of the New Ireland. 22 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

An Oscar and Nobel Prize for literature

None of this prevented his growing friendships with such figures as Lady Gregory, and Synge. By now, Shaw’s plays were attracting international interest. Man and Superman (1902) was staged in New York, and Major Barbara (1905) and The Doctor’s Dilemma (confirmed his status. However, Pygmalion (1912) remains one of his best-known plays, ironically thanks to the change in emphasis brought about by the later film My Fair Lady. The two versions presented different futures for flower girl Eliza, whose life was changed by learning to `speak proper.’ In Pygmalion, Eliza walks out on Professor Henry Higgins, and creates a new life for herself. She realises that he would never see her as she had become. In the later film version, My Fair Lady, love conquers all. In his personal life, Shaw had become quite the romantic - flirtatious and appreciative of women, especially actresses. Unsurprisingly, his relationships with women were complex. His appreciation seems to have been mainly emotional and platonic, involving impassioned letter exchanges. Ellen Terry was one such, and he was also said to have had a love affair – again, much by written word, with his stage Eliza, played by the famous actress, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, which lasted several months. Politics remained a strong concern. He became interested in the Fabians, and he also took out a share in the magazine The New Statesman. However, few were surprised when in 1925, Shaw finally found himself travelling to Stockholm to receive his Nobel Prize for Literature. It says much about the man however, that he arranged that his prize money should sponsor a new Anglo-Swedish Literary Foundation, to translate Swedish works into English. In the 1930s, his focus moved to travel – he and Charlotte visited South Africa, New Zealand, Hollywood and New York. He continued to write,

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Unique achievement in the 1930’s: An Oscar for his screenplay for the film adaption of Pygmalion and a Feet up at home. Irish Times photo

despite a spell of ill health, and also moved with the times; working on film screen plays for both Pygmalion and St. Joan. He also had the chance to see some of the acclaimed stage acting greats e.g. Ralph Richardson, Laurence Olivier and Sybil Thorndike, take on his creations. New venture Ever prepared to consider new ventures, he developed an interest in the Malvern Literary Festival, and was a regular visitor in his later years. His presence there drew considerable public, and press, interest. Shaw did not cultivate this and could be quite dismissive with enthusiastic local journalists. The festival often coincided with his birthday, and he became somewhat irritated by questions of how it felt to be growing older. On the day one enthusiastic young journalist asked how it felt to be seventysix, Shaw promptly asked him how he would like to be continuously questioned about his feelings around his age. ‘Oh, I don’t expect to live that long’ was the reply. `’That’s all very well, but you never can tell. The worst may happen ' was Shaw’s reply, to the delight of the crowd.

He died aged ninety-four, on November 2nd 1950, after falling out of a tree he was pruning – having recently completed his play Why She Would Not. One obituary by the Times Literary Supplement pointed out that he was ‘no originator of ideas rather an insatiable adopter and adapter’. Some might say that he was a visionary. In 2018, a New York stage production of My Fair Lady finally reverted to Shaw’s original ending – as his Eliza finally declared to Higgins that she could ‘do very well without you!’ No 3, Upper Synge Street Dublin, is under renovation, and is expected to become an artists’ residence. Shaw’s Corner, in Ayot St. Lawrence was left by Shaw to the National Trust, and its Shavian treasure trove house and beautifully maintained gardens can be visited.

On the street where he lived: No 3, Upper Synge Street Dublin, is under renovation, and is expected to become an artists’ residence. 24 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

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The Ombudsman and complaints about public services Ombudsman Ger Deering says that complaints can be used to improve the delivery of public services. In most cases, services provided to older people by public bodies such as government departments, local authorities and the HSE, and by private nursing homes, go well. However, when things go wrong you may have to make a complaint to that body. If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint you can then contact the Ombudsman.

If we decide you have suffered and the public service provider has not taken steps to put this right, we may ask the provider to:

The Office of the Ombudsman provides a free and impartial service for dealing with complaints about most providers of public services. The Ombudsman is independent of government.

Usually, we handle complaints by discussing the problem with the public service provider and looking at the relevant files. If necessary, we do a detailed investigation.

What can I complain to the Ombudsman about?

What the Ombudsman cannot examine

• look again at what it has done • change its decision • offer you an explanation, an apology and/or money (we do not always seek compensation or indeed receive it even if we do request it)

The Ombudsman can examine complaints about:

People sometimes contact us about things we are unable to deal with. The Ombudsman cannot look at complaints about:

• decisions you consider to be unfair and that affect you in a negative way

• clinical judgement, such as decisions on treatment or diagnosis

• a failure to give you clear reasons for decisions

• employment

• a failure to communicate with you on time

• complaints where the law provides for a right of appeal to a court

• providing you with incorrect, inaccurate or misleading information and

• the complaint is, or has been, the subject of legal proceedings before the courts

• a failure to deal properly with your complaints How will the Ombudsman deal with my complaint? First, we check that we are allowed to handle your complaint. We may ask the public service provider you have complained about to send us a report. We may examine their files and records and ask them questions. It can take time to gather the information we need. Next, we will decide if: • your complaint should be upheld

When should I complain to the Ombudsman? Before you complain to the Ombudsman, you must first complain to the service provider whose action or decision has affected you. In some cases there will be a local appeals system which you should use. If you have complained to the service provider and are still unhappy, then you can contact the Ombudsman.

• you have suffered because of the action or decision of the public service provider

26 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

You should submit your complaint within 12 months of the action or decision that has adversely affected you. However, even if more than 12 months has passed, we may still be able to help if there is a good reason for the delay. How do I complain to the Ombudsman? The easiest way to make a complaint to the Ombudsman is through our website: www.ombudsman.ie You can also write to us at: Office of the Ombudsman, 6 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, D02 W773. Or call us if you need any help at 01 639 5600

Have you a complaint about a public body? If so, the Ombudsman may be able to help. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about providers of public services such as: • • • • •

government departments local authorities the HSE nursing homes education bodies

You must have tried to resolve your complaint with the public body before contacting the Ombudsman. If you are unhappy with the response then you can complain to the Ombudsman: Online: www.ombudsman.ie In writing: 6 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2. Call us if you need any assistance at 01 639 5600. The Ombudsman cannot take complaints about consumer matters, financial services, private pensions or An Garda Síochána.

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Isolation and loneliness do not care what age we are

The past two years have thrown all we know about the world into disarray. We were told to stay at home and to stay away from family and friends. For some they were advised not to go outside at all. Since Covid-19 arrived in Ireland, uncertainty became our new normal. We all needed to adjust and learn to manage this uncertainty in our own way. The uncertainty was compounded with restrictions being lifted and reintroduced over the past 24 months. We had to get used to a cycle of change throughout the months which undoubtably increased stress, worry and anxiety for everyone in Ireland and the world. For people in the older age bracket the restrictions imposed were severe, over 70’s were asked to cocoon, directed to stay indoors, curtail social visits from friends and family and halt outdoor exercise. Many of these activities shaped the daily routines of people and their quality of life prior to the pandemic. Isolation and loneliness do not care what age we are, they can affect any person at any stage of life. However, for those aged 60+ isolation was imposed in an effort to protect them from Covid-19. The Irish Longitudinal Study on aging (TILDA) found that 1 in 10 adults aged 60+ and older felt they lacked companionship during the pandemic and 30% felt lonely at least some of the time with 37% reporting low levels of life satisfaction. The Drinkaware annual Barometer survey 2021 found that the primary motivation for people aged 65 and older for drinking was for enhancement (to get a buzz, to get drunk, because it is fun). While some people turned to alcohol to decrease feelings of boredom, this can have unintended negative consequences, and now that restrictions have been lifted, it is important to take stock of habits that might have formed during the pandemic. Have you increased the amount you drink? Or have you increased the frequency of your drinking? Over the past months many of us have been forming new habits, some might be healthy habits that would be beneficial to maintain.

The TILDA study found that 45% of those aged 60+ increased their DIY and or gardening during the pandemic. But other less positive habits may have formed including increased frequency of drinking alcohol, or increased volume of alcohol consumed. Remember it is never too late to break an unhealthy habit to protect your health and well-being and keeping up with positive habits that you started during the pandemic will help with the adjustments that will arise in the coming months, as society reopens. There will be new feelings of stress and worry about restrictions lifting. It may be a good idea to think about whether alcohol is affecting your mental well-being at this time and if you would like a change. Some key questions to ask yourself are: •

Am I drinking to change my mood?

•

How is my mood the day after drinking?

•

Is drinking alcohol affecting my sleep?

The reopening of society is a positive step, but it may increase worry and stress for some. After months of being directed to limit social interactions, some might find it difficult to be social again. Drinkaware provides public health resources, covering mental health and coping strategies, measuring cups and information and advice on how to cut down/out alcohol. All are available on the website, drinkaware.ie and can be delivered straight to your front door, free of charge. If you are concerned about how your relationship with alcohol changed during the pandemic or are worried about the reopening of society, there are supports here for you, visit drinkaware.ie to find out more.

For more information visit: www.drinkaware.ie or contact info@drinkaware.ie 28 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

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WEDDINGS

The Hardiman is an iconic landmark, perfectly positioned overlooking Eyre Square, in the heart of Galway City. A hotel steeped in history and romance, with a warmth of character that’s woven into its very walls, this Grand Old Lady is the epitome of effortless charm and timeless elegance.

All of our 103 guest rooms, including 19 luxury suites, combine authentic, immersive historical character with exceptional modern comfort.

For over a century and a half, this Grand Old Lady has played host to so many special occasions. It’s a spectacular setting for an unforgettable day.

Our rooms in the Main House boast charming traditional décorative touches, reflecting our rich history and heritage. The design takes full advantage of the high Victorian ceilings and impossibly tall windows. Rooms in our newer wing are decorated in restful, natural colours and textures.

Your dream wedding may be an intimate, candle-lit dinner with close family, or an opulent ball, surrounded by everyone you know and love. Perhaps it might be something in between. Whatever you are planning, it would be our great privilege to help you bring that dream to life.

Part of the fabric of Galway since 1852, The Hardiman has played host to many notable guests and countless special occasions, offering generous hospitality with a familiar, easy charm that makes our guests feel right at home.

We know that every moment is precious. We’re here to make sure that each one is as perfect. Every member of our team is devoted to ensuring that you and your guests have the best day imaginable.

T H E T R E AT M E N T RO O MS This beautiful, intimate space comprises a superb outdoor Canadian hot tub, indoor jacuzzi, plus a sauna and steam room. It’s the perfect place to relax, unwind and re-energise, while stimulating the senses from top to toe. Our team of qualified beauty therapists can assess your wellbeing needs and help you choose the perfect treatment from a menu, including mud or seaweed body wraps & baths, indulgent massages and a range of facials. The Fitness Centre at The Hardiman is available to residents and guests, with exercise machines, interactive training programmes and motivational activities.

+353 (0)91 564 041 info@thehardiman.ie thehardiman.ie

091 564 041 info@thehardiman.ie thehardiman.ie

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

Calling all Novices – Intermediates!

(4). Open 1♥ and rebid 2♣ , showing your 5 ♥– 4 ♣ shape. Note: The only time you would be forced to break the Rule of Six would (4). Open 1♥ rebid , ,showing 545♥– 44shape. ♣♣shape. Note: (4).(4). Open (4). 1♥ Open and rebid 1♥and and 2♣ rebid , 2♣ showing 2♣ showing your 5 your ♥– your 4♥– ♣ shape. ♥– Note: shape. Note: 1♥ rebid 2♣ , 2♣ showing your 5many Note: (4).Open Open 1♥and and rebid ,to showing your 5♥– 4♣ ♣shape. Note: be if partner responded 2♦ your 1♥ as insist on such The only time you would be forced totothe break the Rule ofofwould Six would The only The time only you time would you be would forced be to forced break break Rule the of Rule Six would Six The only time you would be forced to break the Rule of Six The only time you would be forced to break the Rule of Six would “reverses” (rebidding 3♣) guaranteeing 16+ points (my view is would be if partner responded 2♦ to your 1♥ as many insist on such be be ifbe partner bepartner if partner responded responded 2♦2♦ to2♦to your 2♦ to 1♥your as1♥as many 1♥ asinsist many oninsist such on such if ifpartner responded your 1♥ many insist on responded to your as many insist onsuch such that 14+ is okay, but perhaps not fewer. You would have no “reverses” (rebidding 3♣) guaranteeing 16+ points (my “reverses” “reverses” (rebidding (rebidding 3♣)3♣) guaranteeing 3♣) guaranteeing 16+ points 16+ (my points view (my isview view “reverses” (rebidding 16+ points (my view is “reverses” (rebidding 3♣)guaranteeing guaranteeing 16+ points (my view is isis alternative but to repeat your Hearts in spite of the lack of a sixth that 14+ isisbut okay, but perhaps not fewer. You would that that 14+ 14+ that is okay, is14+ okay, but perhaps but perhaps notnot fewer. not You fewer. You would would You have would have nohave have nonono no that 14+ isokay, okay, butperhaps perhaps notfewer. fewer. You would have card. However, whenever you open one of a suit and partner alternative but to Hearts inof spite ofoflack the ofof aasixth alternative alternative butbut to repeat but torepeat your repeat Hearts your inHearts spite in spite the lack the of lack alack sixth sixth alternative repeat your in of of a asixth butto to repeat your Hearts inspite spite ofthe the lack of sixth The Rule of Six: When you bidalternative and repeat you open one ofyour aHearts suit and partner responds responds cheaply inwhenever the lowest available suit, you will always be card. However, you open one of a suit and partner the same suit, you shouldcard. normally have six (+) cheaply in the lowest available suit, you will However, card. However, whenever whenever you open you one open of of aone suit of and aand suit partner and partner card. However, whenever you open one a asuit partner card. However, whenever you open one of suit and partner able to employ the Rule of Six. cards in that suit. Avoid repeating a five-card always bethe able to employavailable the Rule of suit, Six. you will always be responds cheaply in lowest responds responds cheaply cheaply in the lowest in the available lowest available suit, you suit, will you always will be always responds cheaply in the lowest available suit, you will always bebe be responds cheaply in the lowest available suit, you will always suit whenever possible. able to employ the Rule of Six. Remember: “When you bid aofsuit twice, sixtwice, cardssix are nice”. able to to employ able to employ the Rule the of of Six. Rule Six. able the Rule able toemploy employ the Rule ofSix. Six. Remember: “When you bid a suit

by Michael O’Loughlin

Exercise: You open 1♥ and partner responds cards are nice”. Remember: “When you aa♠twice, suit six cards are nice”. South Deals K six 8twice, Remember: Remember: “When you “When bidbid you abid suit bid twice, suit twice, cards six are cards nice”. are nice”. Remember: “When you abid six are Remember: “When you asuit suit twice, sixcards cards arenice”. nice”. 1♠ . What do you rebid with these hands?

Vul None ♥ KJ3 South Deals South Deals South Deals ♠ K South Deals ♠ ♦8♠K7K 8♠5♠8K South Deals 2K88 Vul None ♥ K ♠7 3 ♠A Q ♠Q 7 ♠J 7VulVul None Vul ♥ K JK3A None ♥♣♥ J♥ 3J K Vul NoneNone K 38J6J343 K ♦ 7 ♦ 7♦5♦7257 25♦ 275522 ♥ J 5 4 3 2 ♥ A J 8 5 3 ♥ A J 7 6 4 2 ♥ A J 9 8 7 ♠ 10 ♣♣ ♣A 8A 6K ♣K K 8A4A 68K4K ♣AN 68486644♠ Q J 9 2 ♥ 10 9 ♥8 6 5 4 2 uA Q 2 uJ942 u K42 u K2 ♠♠10 W E ♠ 10 10 ♠ ♠1010 ♠ Q J 210 ♠ J♠ 9♠JQ2Q ♠9Q Q 9J2J9922 9863 N NSN NN More♦Q ♣AQ6 ♣94 ♣Q4 ♣ A 9 6 4 ♦ A♥ J10 9 tips players can be foun ♥ 8 22 ♥ 10 9 10 ♥ 10 9 ♥♣♥10 ♥ 8♥6♣8♥5Q ♥ 24586for 6845610 24652544Intermediate J 99 95 3 ♠ W WWEW W E E EE ♦ Q 10 ♦ A J 9 8 6 3 ♦ Q♦ 10 Q 10♦10Q 10 ♦Q ♦ J♦A9A J8♦9J689A368J36938 6 3 (1) (2) (3) (4)♦ A S♠ SAS7 6SS 5 4https://www.andrewrobson.co.uk/andrew/tip 3♣ Q♣10 ♣♣ QQ10 10 Q 10 ♣Q 10 ♣ J♣9♣J59J♣ 3♣ 59J35J9395533 ♥A Q 7 / (1). This is a trick question because it would ♠ A 7 6 5 4 3 More tips for Intermediate players can be ♠ A♠7♦A 75467♠456A345734635 4 3 ♠6K A be a mistake to open this hand 1♥! For what found at: ♥ A Q 7 ♥ A♥Q Q2♥ 7 A7 Q 7 ♥77A Q ♣A could you rebid over 1♠? Far better to open the ♦ K 4 ♦ K♦ 4K 4 ♦4 K 4 ♦K hand 1NT – showing a balanced (yes – 5332 ♣ 7♣27♣ 27♣2♣7722 is a balanced shape) hand with 12-14 points – getting your hand off your chest in one go and painting a clear picture of your hand for your partner. Also after opening 1NT you do not need to find a rebid. Additional benefit: After you open 1NT, your opponents cannot overcall cheaply at the one level.

West

North

East

South

(2). Open 1♥ and rebid 2u – showing your five ♥ – four u shape.

1♠South West North East West North West East North South East South West North East South West North East South Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ (1) 1♠ 1♠1♠ 11♠♠ PassPass 4♠ (2) END Pass 2(1) Pass Pass Pass 2♣Pass Pass Pass 2♣2♣ 2♣ 2♠ 2(1) 2♠♠(1) (1) Pass2♣ Pass ♠2♠(1) Pass END 4 ♠ (2) Pass Pass END END Pass END 4 ♠ 4 (2) ♠ (2) 4 ♠ (2) Pass 4♠ (2) END

guarantees six(+) Hearts.

West discarding. The 4-1 trump break is a blow yahoo.com What is RealBridge? but nil desperandum, declarer turns to Clubs.

(4). Open 1♥ and rebid 2♣ , showing your 5 ♥– 4 ♣ shape. Note: The only time you would be forced to break the Rule of Six would be if partner responded 2u to your 1♥ as many insist on such “reverses” (rebidding 3♣) guaranteeing 16+ points (my view is that 14+ is okay, but perhaps not fewer. You would have no alternative but to repeat your Hearts in spite of the lack of a sixth card. However, whenever

• See and speak to your partner and opponents - j She crosses to the ♣AK and ruffs the ♣4, bridge. East discarding a Heart (ruffing a loser• would • See and everyone speak to yourat partner Connect with the and table. Bid and play be bad – and losing – bridge). She leads the opponents - just like face-to-face bridge. afterwards to learn from the post mortem. ♥7 to the ♥J and ruffs the ♣6 (East throwing • Connect with everyone at the table. Bid and another Heart). She leads the ♥QIftoyou the ♥K go over the hands afterwards wish to play try and RealBridge for free, just to email me: and now leads the ♣8, a length winner. East learn from the post mortem. michaelolough@yahoo.com can ruff but away goes the u4. All the defence win is West’s uA and East’s two trump tricks. If you wish to try RealBridge for free, just 10 tricks and game made. email me: michaelolough@yahoo.com

https://www.andrewrobson.co.uk/

(1) Guaranteeing six (+) cards (1) Guaranteeing six (+) cardsinin Spades. Spades. andrew/tips_for_intermediates/ (3). Open 1♥ and rebid 2♥. You would have North(2)now Northknows now knows aboutthe the eight-card (2) (1) about eight-card Spade fit. Guaranteeing six (+) ininSpades. (1)(1)(1) Guaranteeing Guaranteeing (+) cards six (+) incards cards Spades. Spades. Guaranteeing cards ininSpades. Guaranteeing six(+) (+) cards Spades. opened 1NT with a 5-3-3-2 shape and (1) 12-14 Spadesix fit. six Free bridge emails points; you would have opened 1♥(2) and rebid (2) North now knows about the eight-card Spade On our deal West leads the ♥10 against 4♠. Declarer carefully wins Free bridge emails: If you wish to receive three times (2) (2) North now North knows now about knows the about eight-card the eight-card Spade fit. Spade fit. (2) North now knows about the Spade fit.fit.fit. North now knows about theeight-card eight-card Spade NoTrumps with a 5-3-3-2 shape and 15+ On our deal West leads the ♥10 against 4♠. emails which include lessons, videos & week quizzes, If you♠KA, wish to receive three times per free please theOn ♥Aour to preserve ♥KJ as dummy entries and cashes the West deal West leads the ♥10 4♠. Declarer carefully wins points; you would have introduced a second Declarer carefully wins theagainst ♥A4♠. to preserve OnOn our deal On our West deal leads West the leads ♥10 the against ♥10 4♠. against Declarer 4♠. Declarer carefully carefully wins wins deal West leads the against Declarer carefully wins Onour our deal West leads the♥10 ♥10 against 4♠. Declarer carefully wins bridge emails which include lessons, videos & michaelolough@yahoo.com suit (or supported Spades) with five ♥s♥A andto preserve ♥KJ as dummy entries and cashes thecashes ♠KA, the ♥KJ as dummy entries and cashes the ♠KA, West quizzes, please email me: michaelolough@ thethe ♥A ♥A to the to preserve ♥A preserve to preserve ♥KJ ♥KJ as as dummy ♥KJ dummy as dummy entries entries and entries and cashes and the cashes the ♠KA, ♠KA, the West West ♠KA, West the ♥A to preserve ♥KJ as dummy entries and cashes the ♠KA, West four cards in ♠, u or ♣. Ergo 1♥ – 1♠– 2♥100%

30 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

What is RealBridge?

Getting started: for absolute begin

It is often asked, "Why is Contract Bridge so avidly enjo

Bridge

Getting started: for absolute beginners Bridge (short for Contract Bridge) is a trick–taking card game played by two 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 4 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 becoming partners. Similarly for deciding who is North, South, East or West and who is the dealer: may be agreed or may be determined by picking cards. The pack of 52 cards may be dealt in advance (pre–dealt): each player taking his hand of 13 cards from a pocket. Alternately, the cards may be 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 the cards and the player on dealer’s right cuts. An easy way to remember is: knife and fork: knife on the right cuts. Dealer completes the cut and deals one card at a time starting on her left. 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.

Bill Gates & Warren Buffett sit down to play bridge For example, if West plays the u2, North the u9, East the uK and South the uA, then South wins that trick. One player commits his side/partnership to winning a certain number of tricks.

who has to try and win a certain number of tricks (on this occasion, South) the opportunity to ask for a recap of the bidding and the meaning of any particular bid, if they wish.

Following this Clarification Period the opening lead is turned face up. North now places all &this Warren Buffett We’llBill see Gates later how commitment or sit down to play bridge her cards FACE UP on the table for all to see. contract is arrived at. For now, it’s important to North arranges her cards from the highest to play some hands and get a practical feel for the lowest, in suits, in columns, facing towards the game. her partner, South. For the duration of this deal South makes the decision as to which card to The most obvious way of winning tricks is with For anyone who is interested, I’ll be running a Bridge Absolute Beginners Course from play each time from the North hand, as well as high cards. If you were dealt this hand: ♠A32 of May 2022 in The Falls Hotel, Ennistymon, Co. knowledge of Bridge re to playNo fromprior her own hand. ♥A32 uA32 ♣A432 you would feel confident which cardClare. of winning 4 tricks withcontact your four the Aces.hotel The real expected. Please for details or email me:take michaelolough@yahoo.com Since North does not any part in the play skill in Bridge is developing/promoting extra of the cards, she is known as the DUMMY tricks, i.e., winning tricks with the small cards, on this deal. It is South’s job, on this deal, to winning tricks with 2s and 3s. marshal her combined resources i.e., the cards in his own hand + those in Dummy. South There are surprisingly few ways of winning has declared that she is going to win 9 tricks: tricks: therefore, on this deal, South is known as the One way is by FORCE: DECLARER. How she has become Declarer and how she has set the target of 9 tricks we Forcing out opponents’ high card(s) in order to establish/promote winner(s) for yourself. If you will see later when we consider the Bidding also known as the Auction. have KQJ, then play one of them in order to force an opponent’s Ace: you have given one After the uQ has been led and North (Dummy) trick in order to get two in return. has spread her cards face up, South (Declarer) Example : should make a plan. How is she going to win ♠A32 9 tricks? She counts 6 top tricks i.e. tricks that ♥K63 she can win straight away, without giving up uA42 the lead: ♠AK, ♥AK and uAK. But where are ♣Q1052 the other 3 tricks to come from? The only possible source is the Club suit. She sees that if ♠Q10 ♠J9754 she gives an opponent 1 trick in the club suit i.e., ♥J974 ♥Q108 ♣A then she will have set up 3 tricks in the Club uQJ108 u973 suit for her side. Accordingly, as soon as she ♣A87 ♣6 wins the first trick she immediately sets about knocking out the ♣A while she still has control ♠K86 of the other three suits. ♥A52 For anyone who is interested, I’ll be running a uK65 ♣KJ43 Bridge Absolute Beginners Course from the 1st – 5th of May 2022 in The Falls Hotel, South’s target is to win 9 tricks. West (the Ennistymon, Co. Clare. No prior knowledge player on South’s left) is required to lead the of Bridge required or expected. Please first card. West initially places the lead she contact the hotel for details or email me: selects face down. This gives the leader’s michaelolough@yahoo.com partner (on this occasion, East) and the player

Agatha Christie and Bridge

Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 31

Bridge

Agatha Christie and Bridge Agatha Christie, (1890 – 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End since 1952. The Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies. Christie was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family in Torquay, Devon, and was largely home-schooled. She was initially an unsuccessful writer with six consecutive rejections, but this changed in 1920 when The Mysterious Affair at Styles, featuring detective Hercule Poirot, was published. Her first husband was Archibald Christie; they married in 1914 and had one child before divorcing in 1928. During both World Wars, she served in hospital dispensaries, acquiring a thorough knowledge of the poisons which featured in many of her her wn for writera kno an English novels, short stories, and plays. Following her offered reward of £100 for any verifiable A Christmas Tragedy - Gladys Sanders plays 6) was e revolving Agatha Christie, (1890 – 197 thos arly icul part , ons ecti coll y marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan in signs of the author. stor bridge with their friends, the Mortimers, on the rt sho 14 and els te the 66 detective nov and Miss Marple. She also wro 1930, she spent several months each year on day she wasfict murdered. ional detectives Hercule Poirot ed in orm around perf n bee has ch whi , digs in the Middle East and used her first-hand she was spotted Mousetrap Several accounts report that play, The runningwas ld's long–estas the wor istie Agatha (1890 1976) an English known her in casual Chr lists ordsother Rec knowledge of his profession in her fiction. Christie, among things –for engaging However, the most prominent example is ss World–writer nne Gui The 2. 195 e sinc End st two theonWe ing sold more than 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving els hav Cards the Table ion writer of all time, her nov conversation and playing bridge. Apparently g fict(1936): best-sellin She remains the most-translated individual the topic of the missing writer came up around Mr. Shaitana, a flamboyant party host is muraround fictional detectives wrote the copies. Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Shey,also ion bill on, Dev qua author. Her novel And Then There Were None the bridge table. dered in full view of a roomful of bridge players. Tor in ily fam ass e-cl world's longest-runningwas play, The Mousetrap, which has been performed in iddl er-m upp lthy wea a born into is one of the top-selling books of all time, with He was man of whom everybody was a little initially an unsuccessful writer with Chraistie was Records lists Christie as She led.that thesold. West End since 1952. Guinness World e-sc hom ir the ely larg AffaOld was approximately 100 million copies Christie's She eventually found at the Swan afraid.and So, when heThe boasted tohoo Poirot he d in terious n The Mys 0 whe 192was nge having cha this but ns,theher best-selling fiction ofanreje all time, novels sold more than two d secutive ban stage play The Mousetrap holds the world Hotel in Swan Road, Harrogate, where she had considered artctio form, detective hus conmurder t sixwriter firs Her ed. lish pub was rot, Poi e Hercule detectiv es, featuringabout record for the longest initial run. It openedcopies. at checked in under the pseudonym Theresa had some accepting a re at Stylreservations befo d billion chil one and had married in 1914Neale, istie; theyprivate ld Chr s, Cape the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End of aned eccentric South party was invitation to view Shaitana’s ensariefrom Archiba l dispAfrican in hospita rs, she serv Wa rld Wo both ing Dur 8. Christie was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family in Torquay, Devon, 192 began as an absorbLondon on 25 November 1952, and by Sepher Town. collection. Indeed, g in what of y man divorcin in ured of the poisons which feat dge wle kno h oug thor tember 2018 there had been more than 27,500 x a ing evening of bridge was to turn into a more Ma ng st and was largely home-schooled. She was initiallymar anriag unsuccessful acquiri e to archaeologi writer with Following her plays.Poirot and stories, performances. The play wassix closed down in The hofficial story, supported by doctor’s Affair redangerous game Hercule dle shortaltogether. Mid novels, in the digs on r consecutive rejections, but this changed in 1920 when The Mysterious yea eac ths mon eral nt sev speeach 1930, she of March 2020 because of the coronavirus panports fess andion herin husband Archibald Christie, was tries toMa deduce of the in character llowanthe ion. fict her pro of his dgewas at Styles, detective Hercule Poirot, published. Her first brought husband knowle t-hand firstheir demic and reopened in May 2021. More thanfeaturing that she suffered from amnesia on by four suspects analysing bridge tactics d her use East andby n There And The el nov Her or. Archibaldand Christie; they married in 1914 and had one child before auth al 30 feature films are based onwas her work. severe stress, causing her to forget her identity the way they fillthe in their scorecards. vidu indi ted nsla t-tra mos 100 imately She remains approxname. time, with all ofand assume another ing books divorcing in 1928. Wer During both Wars, she served in hospital dispensaries, the top-sell one ofWorld e is e Non Bridge is played (and often used as a plot deTo read Cards on the Table: acquiring a thorough knowledge of the poisons which featured in many of her vice) in several stories by Agatha Christie. It is It’s obvious that she was a bridge player a https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/agnovels, short stories, and plays. Following her marriage to before archaeologist often used so that one character is the dummy good ten years the publicationMax of Cards atha-christie/33660-cards_on_the_ta(The partner of the declarer. Dummy's cards in 1930, on the Table. ble_sb.html Mallowan she spent several months each year on digs in the Middle are placed face up on the table and played to Cards on the Table: East and used To herlisten first-hand knowledge of his profession in her fiction. by the declarer. Dummy has few rights and She never spoke of her disappearance again. https://www.youtube.com/ may not participate in choicesShe concerning the the watch?v=q-LTleA5_XM remains most-translated individual author. Her novel And Then There play of the hand). This meansWere that dummy can is one Yearwith 1926 approximately 100 To watch Cardstop-selling on the Table: books of allThe None of the time, leave the table while the other three players It can be said that 1926 was a rough year for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xidremain seated for the rest of the hand – so, the ItKMJkb0 Agatha Christie. It was the year when she finger of suspicion points at dummy. found out that her beloved husband Archibald was cheating on her, shortly before her Agatha Christie notoriously disappeared for Agatha Christie mentioned or wrote about disappearance – with a woman named Nancy eleven days during 1926: Her car, a Morris bridge in about a dozen of her novels between Neale – Neale, the same surname that Christie Cowley, was found abandoned after what 1924 and 1976, the most notable being: used when checking into the hotel. looked like a crash. Her suitcase was found with it. She’d left no indications that she would Four and Twenty Blackbirds - George Lorrimer Later, she married Max Mallowan, an archaebe going anywhere and didn’t leave a note. was playing bridge at the time of the murder. ologist, and they were happily married until An immediate search was started for the This was his alibi. Christie’s death. She famously said that it was mystery author. Newspapers published Death on the Nile - Simon Doyle played bridge photographs in the hopes that someone would an advantage to be married to an archaeolowith his wife and Mr Pennington, before being gist: “The older I become, the more interested report back with good news, and law enforce shot in the leg by Jacqueline de Bellefort. in me he becomes”. ment was put on high-alert. One newspaper 32 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

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Recycling

Coming clean on recycling We’re all getting into recycling now - do you know your compostable from your bio-degradeable? What used to be a minority preference has become a nationwide concern. It is set become more so, but just how much do you really know about how to re-cycle effectively, and just as importantly, avoid spoiling your collections? Studies show that a heartening 98 per cent of Irish people are ‘in favour’ of recycling, and 22 per cent of our plastic waste is recycled – top EU score. A great starting point but bear in mind that under EU law, 50 per cent of our plastic waste will have to be re-cycled in 2025, just three years away. Statistics suggest that up to 30 per cent of what we put in re-cycling bins cannot be recycled. Also - less can be more - putting the incorrect material into the bin could lead to spoilage, the load being

refused, and sent to landfill. Another mistake to avoid is unknowingly tossing in items, e.g. wire coat hangers, which can break the recycling machinery, whilst old clothes can wind their way around machinery. We all think that we know just what can be safely recycled, but changes in ‘allowed items’ do occur. One easy way is to go back to your ABC s, and automatically think of: A for Appropriate, B for Bio-degradable, C for Clean, D for Dry and E for Empty Of course, learning how to use more and more of less and less is increasingly about also learning how to re-purpose and/or re-use in

34 Senior Times l March - April 2021 l www.seniortimes.ie

everyday life. This brings wry smiles to faces of many of the older generation. Many can remember mothers routinely washing and ironing summer dresses, before carefully putting them away for the next year. Broken items were often mended or re-purposed, or passed on, or donated. Now, we’re completing the circle, as it becomes cool to repair, re-use, re-design and renovate. It all starts, however, with what goes into your bins – or in some cases, should not. What the recycling industry want to find in your green bin– clean, dry and loose, please. Newspaper, aluminium and steel products, such as food and drink cans. Cardboard, cereal boxes, newspaper, magazines, card sleeves on food products, brown paper, egg

Recycling

cartons (clean!) loo roll centres, and greeting cards - without foil decoration. Since the new acceptance procedures in September 2021, you can also include soft, bubble plastic wrapping - ‘squishy’ plastic, which can be compressed in your hand, e.g. frozen vegetable bags, pasta bags, cereal bags. plus the once infamous bubble wrap. What they want to find in your brown bin Vegetable peelings, fruit skins, bread, rice, out of date food products, food scraps, egg and dairy products without wrappings, dead flowers, hedge cuttings, compostable packaging such as takeaway food containers and coffee cups but make sure they have the EN 13432 or the Cre label:

Batteries and WEE can be returned to retail outlets selling similar products. You can locate all retail centers, civic amenity sites and bring banks nationally by using the waste services locator on www.mywaste.ie Steel hangers – which can cause breakages in sorting machines. So do broken glass and needles. No Styrofoam, dirty tissues or used paper towels, or toys either. Light bulbs or Pyrex dishes or drinking glasses, all of which have been through complex manufacturing. Most of these items are however accepted at Civic Amenity Sites. Liquid in any container – whilst it might not contain any contaminant, it could leak out onto a recyclable product such as card or paper, making it unfit for purpose, and also risking the potential of the entire load. Recyclable material – which has been stuffed tightly into a cardboard box, or a plastic bag – confuses the machines. Instead, place everything loosely in the bin.

What they don’t want to find in your green bin and why? Soiled plastics, with oil, food stains or attached/ dried marks. Used nappies, which contain contaminants. Don’t put in clothes, shoes, electronics, or batteries either’ There are now special bins for all of these at recycling centers. If you don’t have a suitable local one, think about setting up a community variety. Bring glass bottles and jars to your local bring bank.

Think again about cutting up your old credit cards and tossing them into the recycling bin. Whilst plastic, the raised numbers can be covered by a substance which is not recyclable but you can dispose of these in the general waste bin. Cotton wool – it expands and picks up contaminants easily Ceramics, which may have been heat treated. Styro Foam packing plus ‘pea nut’ plastic packing. Mirrors – especially no broken ones.

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Half full aerosol containers, which could leak and spoil. Used soiled Pizza boxes – any clean parts of the cardboard can be torn off and placed in the recycling. Small amounts of food-soiled cardboard can go in the food waste bin. CD's. Window glass or frames, or electronics. Ash bags, or decaying food. What and how you can recycle at work? Start to use filtered home water, stored in bottles brought from home and stored in the office fridge, to cut down on plastic waste. Cut down on disposable plastic cups by storing china/ glass mugs on a shelf. Print on both sides of documents. Cut down – or out, introductory pages/end comments, plus memo notes. Organise a bin for food waste – and avoid using other bins for its disposal. What can be re-purposed? Pots and glass jars. With removal of labels, thorough washing and stylish cork bung stoppers, they can become storage jars of differing sizes. Old wooden towel rails can create handles for wooden boxes to become mobile books stands. Trays can become small tables, when legs from an unwanted/separated/ broken item of furniture are added.

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Recycling

Give re-purposed tables and sets of drawers a new lease of life by spraying, painting, covering with fabric or wallpaper offcuts polishing. Clothes can develop a new lease of life – coats can become jackets, dresses can lose their sleeves to become pinafore dresses. Small size, lightly used men’s shirts can be fitted to suit women and given new collars to update them. Old photo frames can be sprayed, and updated with new glass to update them. Old sheets and blankets are welcomed at many cat and dog shelters. Computers can yield parts for re-use, or be updated for re-use. What contribution can you make in your local area? Check which stores now have a plastic disposal facility at checkpoint facility - Lidl has just introduced them in most stores. This allows you to peel off plastic coverings, pop your hygienically stored food straight into your shopping bag – and re-cycle instantly. If you have no local facility, why not think about starting a Terra Cycle point? They allow recycling of clean biscuit, cracker and cake packaging. The same idea goes for a glut of fruit – Falling Fruit has a similar scheme. Many retailers such as Boots, The Body Shop and L’Occitane accept used cosmetic

packaging for recycling via Terracycle. Why not work with local schools to fill a gap in local collections? Jumbletown.ie has plenty of used bins, to start you off! Do you live in a neighbourhood with fruit producing trees, which often unpicked, just drop and rot? Falling Fruit has as scheme to use this fruit, as does Urban Harvest. Check whether there is an electrical recycling facility – go to www.weeeireland.ie/ household-recycling/where-can-i-recycle/ Recycling is vital – but can only deal with part of our waste, so innovation is important. Why not try to involve children, with a ‘Plastics Party’ challenge? They are becoming popular in the States, with no straws, balloons. disposable cups, cutlery or wrapped food allowed. Try a school or community project, involving – Eco Bricks. These utilise collections of plastic bottles, stuffed full of clean and dry non recycleable/de-gradable plastic, which is then turned into fun furniture. Start to think long term – and if you are still pondering the difference between biodegradable and organic material - both will break down and ultimately de-compose in the earth. Compostable items however, also help to fertilise and maintain soil health. So, if you are a garden owner, why not invest in a real Christmas tree, which can be re-planted outside each year after use – and is surely the ultimate in re-cycling!

38 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

Useful websites www.repak.ie www.mywaste.ie www.gov.ie/en/publication/climate-action-waste www.donedeal.ie Jumbletown.ie www.reuzi.ie www.weeirreland.ie www.fallingfruit.ie www.urbanharvest.ie www.livinglightlyireland.com www.epa.ie www.ecological.ie

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Birma carries COVID-19 vaccines to a remote health post in Nepal where she works as a support staff.

Peter Power, UNICEF Ireland Executive Director explains their ‘Get a Vaccine, Give a Vaccine’campaign As Executive Director of UNICEF Ireland I have long been inspired by the incredible support people in Ireland show to children around the world. The generosity and connection our donors have for people that they do not know, and will never meet, pushes us forward each and every day. So when the pandemic broke out and UNICEF was asked to lead the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in a massive global effort, I didn’t doubt people in Ireland would join us. However, the sheer scale of the response has blown all of us at UNICEF Ireland away. Ireland’s incredible response In June 2021, we launched our ‘Get a Vaccine, Give a Vaccine’ campaign. Our campaign started out with a simple idea. When you get a vaccine, you can give one to people in some of the world’s poorest countries. Ever since, the response from the Irish public, including people from every county, has been extraordinary. By the end of 2021, over three million deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines to some of the world’s poorest countries had been donated by people in Ireland. A truly remarkable number. UNICEF is proud to be playing such a critical role in this historic achievement. As the largest purchaser and distributor of vaccines in the world for many years, our systems were made for this operation. Before the pandemic, UNICEF procured and delivered over two billion vaccines for children throughout the world each year, and we have now doubled that capacity for the COVID-19 response. Our efforts mean that millions of healthcare workers and vulnerable people in some of the world’s least developed countries have received the protection they need. However, we all know there are so many more people we need to reach. A question of fairness Even as we entered 2022, with Ireland’s vaccination rates well over 70%, rates in low-income countries were still as low as 9%. That is just not right and it is clear that people across Ireland understand that. They get that we are all in this together, and there should be fair access to these lifesaving vaccines. For everyone. Everywhere. In any operation of this mammoth scale there will always be challenges, and vaccines supplies have been restricted for many of the countries 40 Senior Times l March - April 2021 l www.seniortimes.ie

who need them the most. At this time in the pandemic, more than 80 per cent of the world’s vaccines having gone to G20 countries, while millions of people, including healthcare workers, in low-income countries are still unprotected. According to UNICEF, in Africa vaccine inequality has been particularly highlighted, where on average only 9 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. On average, only 4 per cent of people in low-income countries have been fully vaccinated compared to 71 per cent in highincome countries. UNICEF’s stance is clear: no one is safe until everyone is safe, and no child is safe, until everyone they rely on is safe. The world can not end this global pandemic one country at a time, and the emergence of the Omicron variant is another stark reminder about the importance of ensuring fair and equitable vaccine access across the world. That is why UNICEF is putting huge resources into delivering COVID-19 vaccines to the most vulnerable families, health workers and high-risk people on the planet. So far our teams have delivered one billion COVID-19 vaccines to over 144 countries across the world. UNICEF aims to deliver 3 billion vaccines by the end of 2022. The amazing journey of COVID-19 vaccines Vaccines are amongst the greatest advances of modern medicine. They have slashed child mortality rates in half, saving millions of lives. Each year, UNICEF helps vaccinates half the world's children against preventable diseases, and UNICEF is honoured to now be at the forefront of tackling the pandemic through its critical role in the vaccine rollout. Because no one is safe until we are all safe, UNICEF teams are working around the clock to ensure everyone around the world has equitable access to life-saving vaccines. Here are some of the key steps: From the warehouse From its network of humanitarian hubs around the world, UNICEF is coordinating delivery of COVID-19 vaccine doses to more than 140 countries, including humanitarian settings and war zones. To date, UNICEF has shipped more than one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to 144 countries.

Planes, trains and automobiles In the last few weeks of 2021, UNICEF was shipping an average of 10 million COVID-19 vaccines a day to countries all around the world. This is the fastest immunisation effort in history. UNICEF uses its vast logistics infrastructure to ensure vaccines arrive just as countries are ready to roll out their vaccination campaigns.

Reaching the most remote people Once the vaccines finally make it to their destination, doses are delivered to those who need them most, no matter where they live. UNICEF supports local authorities to build vital cold chain infrastructure which keeps vaccines safe as they are transported and stored across countries. Getting vaccines in arms The last step is working with local health workers to make sure vaccines safely reach everyone who needs them. In 2022, UNICEF, and its partners, aims to reach 70% of the population in some of the world’s poorest countries. COVID-19 vaccination heroes Kwame in Ghana Sometimes a picture doesn’t need much explanation. The joy and relief on the face of retired farmer, Kwame Kwei says it all. Kwame was one of the first people in Ghana to get his shot of COVID-19 vaccine in March 2021.

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Golf

Dermot Gilleece celebrates the life and career of Ireland’s most decorated amateur golfer

Joe Carr breaks 100

As a career amateur with the financial resources to play in all the leading events, Joe Carr amassed 40 championship wins, including three British Amateur titles.

Joe Carr celebrates his 81st birthday with his great friend Jack Nicklaus

Joe Carr was born 100 years ago on February 18th. It is a notable centenary, not least for the fact that he remains comfortably the most decorated player in the history of Irish amateur golf, even though he stopped competing as far back as the 1970s.

to talk about his late, lamented friend. The Bear recalled how, on his own Open debut at Troon in 1962, the draw had him out at the tail of the field, with a marker. And he explained how Joe had gone to the Royal and Ancient, pointing out that this was no way to treat the reigning US Open champion.

Against this background, it is not surprising that he rubbed shoulders with the truly greats of the game. Nor that he was the first Irishman to compete in the US Masters, which he did in 1967 when he was some way past his best.

Still, he performed well enough to make the cut, which he did again the following year. Indeed in 1967 at Augusta National, his playing partner happened to be the defending champion, Jack Nicklaus, who failed to make the cut. Which lent a certain piquancy to a visit by the Golden Bear to the Open Championship at Royal Troon in 2004, a month after Carr had passed from us. Though it was a brief visit, he was nabbed by BBC television which gave him the opportunity

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Needless to remark, the draw was amended, due to Joe's intervention. And Nicklaus made a very significant point of this in 2007, when introducing Carr’s posthumous induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

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Golf When I later met up with him at that Troon Open, his thoughts were still dominated by the remarkable man from Sutton. And he wasn’t simply being polite. The fact is that on learning of Joe's death, Nicklaus took the trouble of sending flowers to his second wife, Mary. Earlier, when informed that Joe was ill in the Mater Private Hospital, he made a point of phoning him on February 18th, his 82nd birthday, to wish him well. These gestures by golf’s greatest champion, reflected the extraordinary impact Joe had on people, wherever he went. This was especially true of America, where his warmth and quintessential Irishness made him hugely popular, notably on visits for Walker Cup matches between the elite amateurs of the US and representatives from Britain and Ireland. As a nation which places a huge premium on winning, Americans responded to the way Joe could project the image of tough competitor and jovial sportsman in equal measure. And it was the latter persona which prompted Baltimore sports journalist and commentator, John F Steadman, to write a glowing assessment of him when he visited that city as non-playing captain of the visiting Walker Cup team in 1965. Steadman wrote: ‘Whether he's striding the fairway or retiring to an obscure corner of the locker room, the magnetism of Joe Carr draws the crowd. People are attracted to him. They listen, they learn, become fascinated and go away enlightened and delighted. Carr has remained an amateur golfer, but he could have handled himself with the pros without any fear or stigma of embarrassment. ‘He laughs easily and is the epitome of masculine charm and good nature. He says his native Ireland has everything that makes for pleasant living and adds that he doesn't expect any argument. 'We have hunting, fishing, golf and good things to drink,' he says. 'If Ireland had weather, we would be over-populated in six months. When Bob Hope was in Ireland to play golf, he advised they should put an umbrella over the whole country.' ‘There was another time when Joe was invited to play a round with President Dwight D Eisenhower (at Portmarnock). It was necessary that a golf cart be furnished for the President because of his heart condition. But Joe says that there wasn't a single golf cart in all of Ireland. 'Finally, a friend of mine arranged to borrow an open Rolls Royce from nearby Sutton and we got on with the game,' said Joe in his delightful manner of speaking.; Steadman concluded: ‘The man is a sterling gentleman and golfer who is endowed with a wealth of Irish wit and wisdom.’ It is hardly surprising that two years later, Carr was presented with the Walter Hagen

On hearing of the death of his great friend, Sir Michael Bonallack – seen here driving off at St Andrews with Joe Carr and Jack Nicklaus in the background --remarked that Joe's timing had been superb, right to the end. For he passed away at 6.45pm on Thursday, June 3rd, just as his fellow past-captains of the Royal and Ancient were assembling for pre-dinner drinks at a function in St Andrews to mark their club's 250th anniversary.

Award. Instituted by the American golf writers, it honoured the personality who, in their view, had done most to further Anglo-American golf. It was an especially precious award to Carr, given that he had enjoyed the experience of playing with Hagen in California, albeit when the great American was some way past his best. It also made a very notable double with the Bobby Jones award, which he had earlier received from the US Golf Association for outstanding sportsmanship in golf. On hearing of the death of his great friend, Sir Michael Bonallack remarked that Joe's timing had been superb, right to the end. For he passed away at 6.45pm on Thursday, June 3rd, just as his fellow past-captains of the Royal and Ancient were assembling for pre-dinner drinks at a function in St Andrews to mark their club's 250th anniversary. It was a week in which the Old Course played host to the British Amateur, as it had done back in 1958, when Joe captured the title for a second time. Nowhere meant more to him. Indeed when his wife, Dor, gave birth to their fifth child shortly after that victory, he was christened Gerald, Andrew. The first name was after the distinguished English player and official, Gerald Micklem, and the second was self-explanatory. Mention of Gerald or Gerry, who sadly is gone from us, reminds of me of a hilarious moment at Sutton GC where Joe's many friends and relations gathered after his funeral. There on the balcony of the new clubhouse, Gerry recalled an incident which typified Joe, the inveterate gambler. It had happened some years previously when Joe and his good friend and golfing companion, Teddy Firth, were standing outside the old clubhouse, betting on three-balls as they came up the ninth. The idea was that looking back

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to the tee and noting the players' swings, you would predict their combined score for the testing par four. In some cases it might be 5,5,4 _ a total of 14 strokes _ or in the case of a particularly hot trio, the total could be as low as 11 or 12. Joe was assisted in the exercise by the younger eyes of Gerry, who could identify players, even at a distance of about 400 yards. But as things transpired, his eyes weren't as sharp as those of Firth, who was well ahead in bets won. Eventually, an increasingly desperate Joe turned to his son: ‘Who have we now, Gerry?’ ‘There's nobody else, pop,’ came the reply. ‘The last three-ball is in.’ With that, Joe happened to see two seagulls standing in the middle of the first fairway. ‘Fifty quid the one on the right takes off first,’ he said to Firth. The bet was struck. With that, the seagulls began to shuffle positions, darting from side to side. And to the delight of a large contingent of fellow Sutton members, the two punters began to argue as to which was which. Eventually, one of the gulls took to the air; Joe claimed it was his, and Firth graciously deferred to his illustrious colleague. It may seem facile to suggest that we will never again see the likes of Carr on the golf courses of this fair land. But it is nonetheless true, for the simple reason that the game has changed out of all recognition from his day. As a career amateur with the financial resources to play in all the leading events, he amassed 40 championship wins, including three British Amateur titles. By the end of the 1970s, however, the amateur game was giving way the emergence of the professional era. Yet Carr’s achievements were such, that he would continue to live long in the memory.

Fr. Aengus Finucane.

The Irish Catholic looks at a rich and varied life lived in the service of others and of God.

r. Finucane was ordained as a Holy Ghost Priest in 1958. In his first assignment in Uli, Nigeria, Fr. Finucane found himself involved in the bitter civil war between Nigeria and Biafra. Following Biafra’s attempt to secede, this widespread conflict had displaced millions. What’s more, there was a blockade of food, medicine and basic necessities by the Nigerian authorities. At the height of the crisis in the summer of 1968, it was estimated 6,000 children died every week.

An Irish effort In response to the Biafrans’ terrible plight, Concern Worldwide – originally called Africa Concern – was founded and began raising awareness and funds to help those suffering. On 6th September 1968, the 600 tonne, Columcille set sail for Sao Tome – a Portuguese island close to West Africa. The cost of chartering the ship and its vital cargo of powdered food and medicines was all paid for with donations from the people of Ireland. To circumvent the blockade, the supplies were then flown from Sao Tome to Biafra overnight. The following day in Uli, Fr. Finucane was among the Holy Ghost priests who would help distribute the life saving supplies. With his commitment and that of the Irish public and priests, this operation grew into one flight a day for 11 months. Fr. Finucane was deeply committed to helping the poorest of the poor. So after leaving Biafra, in 1972 he became Concern’s Field Director in Bangladesh after its war of independence from Pakistan – the war had left

millions in desperate need of food. The period after Fr. Finucane’s time in Bangladesh was particularly testing. In Thailand’s Kampuchea refugee camps he saw the desperation of Cambodians who had fled the Khmer Rouge’s genocide. And in Uganda the horror of HIV in Kampala, where even in the best hospitals one third of the children born were HIV positive. Fr. Fincane worked tirelessly to alleviate suffering, and recognised his responsibility to help the poor and underprivileged. Concern appointed Fr. Finucane as its Chief Executive in 1981. During his 16 years as the head of the charity he was ‘on the ground’ during many of the world’s worst disasters. These included the 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia and the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Relinquishing his post in 1997, Fr. Finucane became Honorary President of Concern Worldwide US. He held this post until his death on 6th October 2009.

Fr. Finucane′s legacy Fr. Finucane is the cornerstone behind much of what Concern has become today. It was he who expanded its aid work into 11 countries and dramatically increased its fundraising. Tom Arnold - Concern’s CEO from 2001 to 2013 - says: “There can be few Irish people of his generation, or of any other generation, who have contributed as much to improving the lives of so much of humanity. “He inspired a whole generation of Concern overseas volunteers.” Fr. Finucane continues to inspire as his legacy still influence’s Concern 12 years after

Do as much as you can, as well as you can, for as many as you can, for as long as you can.” – Fr. Aengus Finucane

Photo: Jason Kennedy / Concern Worldwide.

“I would really love to meet everyone that is behind this support so I could thank them in person.” – Yona Lambiki away. There was nothing for his family to eat, let alone any to sell.

Help for now and the future

But thanks to Concern’s generous donors and Yona’s hard work he is now able to look after his family again. Yona immediately received a vital cash transfer from Concern. With this he bought food and other basic necessities his family needed to be safe and free from hunger.

Will Fr. Finucane inspire you too? There’s a way you, just like Fr. Finucane, can leave the world a better place. And help improve the lives of families like Yona’s both now and for future generations. How? By leaving Concern a gift in your Will. When you leave a gift, your legacy lives on – helping for years to come. “I know that this is a very personal decision. But I assure you, gifts in Wills have had a phenomenal impact in reducing

The devastation of climate change Today one of the primary causes of acute food insecurity are weather extremes. Climate change is increasing hunger levels and pushing even more people to the brink of famine. With multiple famines predicted, there are currently 41 million people teetering on the edge of starvation. Extreme weather caused by climate change is having a devastating effect on the most vulnerable people in the world’s poorest countries. And these calamitous weather conditions are now more frequent and varied. No sooner has one disaster struck than another arrives. People don’t have enough food for months, sometimes years on end. In Malawi droughts, floods and strong weather patterns are a regular occurrence – placing huge stress on land and crop production resulting in food shortages and hunger. These weather extremes affect an already vulnerable population where 80% source their livelihoods from the land, 71% live below the poverty line and an estimated 20% are living in extreme poverty. People like Yona Lambiki and his family. Yona, a farmer, lives in Nkhambaza village with his wife and five children. He was always able to support his family with the crops and food he grew providing them with a healthy balanced diet. Any excess was sold, with some of the money used to pay for his children’s schooling. But two years ago everything changed ... In March 2019 Cyclone Idai caused devastating floods and loss of life in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The floods completely destroyed crops just weeks away from harvest – food people were relying on for survival. Although his house wasn’t affected, like thousands of others, the crops Yona was about to harvest were completely washed

Crops destroyed by Cyclone Idai. Yona received seeds including maize, tomatoes, beans, three bundles of sweet potato vines and other vegetables to grow so he could, once again, support his family. He also received, fertilizer and a hoe to help him grow his crops. As well as five goats for milk and manure. Like other families in his community, Yona planted the seeds he received in his home garden. What they harvest is used to feed their families, any excess is sold to improve their livelihoods. But Concern do far more than simply give communities plants, seeds and tools. They provide training in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) to ensure long term, inter-generational support. This helps better protect farmers from the ravages of extreme weather like Cyclone Idai. And provides communities with the skills they need to get higher yields from their crops. Farmers like Yona are taught the three principles of a CSA technique called Conservation Agriculture: crop rotation, minimum tillage and the use of mulching and soil cover. In the medium to long term, these techniques increase soil fertility and structure. What’s more, they reduce evaporation, suppress weeds, promote

Photo: Kieran McConville / Concern Worldwide.

Photo: Concern Worldwide.

his death. In 2020 Concern worked in 23 countries, responding to 78 different emergencies, helping 36.9 million of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. Concern’s vision, mission and work continues to strive to end extreme poverty, whatever it takes. The charity believes that no-one should live in fear of not having enough food.

Photo: Jason Kennedy / Concern Worldwide.

“A legacy of incredible humanitarian significance”

diversification, decrease labour and farming costs too. Moreover, the skills learned can be taught to the next generation and the gardens transferred to them, providing support for years – possibly decades – to come. On speaking about the people who support Concern and make our work possible, he said, “I’m so very happy with the support I have received from Concern. My life and family’s life is healthy and can afford everything we could not afford before. I’m so happy and thankful to Concern”.

extreme poverty, hunger and suffering around the world. Today, as the catastrophic combination of conflict, climate change and COVID-19 have plunged so many people into the grip of crisis, your gift will help us to be there in their time of need.” – Dominic MacSorley, CEO, Concern Worldwide Gifts in Wills are a vital source of funding for Concern. Your legacy will help families like Yona’s reverse the many struggles caused by Climate Change … … will provide the tools and knowledge they need to not just survive but help themselves – a gift from you they can pass down for generations. To find out more about how a legacy gives a safe, secure future, please request your complimentary copy of ‘A World Without Hunger’ – Concern’s legacy booklet. You’ll learn of others who desperately needed help, and how legacies from people just like you have done so much. There are also answers to common questions people ask about leaving a gift in their Will. And explains how to get started. Requesting your free booklet does not oblige you to do anything else.

To receive your free, no obligation booklet – in complete confidence – please contact Concern’s Legacy Manager, Siobhán O’Connor. Call 01 417 8020, email siobhan.oconnor @concern.net, or write to 5255 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2

Profile

Rob still going strong after 60 years on the road As the legendary blues/soul singer celebrates his 75th birthday, Paul Holland looks back on the life and career of Rob Strong

A youthful Rob Strong in 1984

The legendary Blues/Soul singer Rob Strong has just celebrated his 75th birthday and has been performing for 60 years in the music business in Ireland. As the title of his recent biography suggests, the Derry born singer is ‘STILL GOING STRONG and continues to play LIVE all over Ireland in 2022. In the early 1970s nobody in Ireland personified the raw energy of rock blues and soul music like Rob Strong. Rob is known as ‘The Godfather of Soul’ but is versatile in singing all genres , especially Rock, Blues, Jazz and Pop . He is regarded by Colm Wilkinson, Brush Shiels and Johnny Logan, as one of the best singers to ever come out of Ireland.

feed, but most families were big those days. I just couldn’t wait to leave school and get myself a job and earn my own money’. Rob remembers how he struggled to meet girls as a teenager ‘When I started going to dances and tried to meet girls, I was quite shy. I remember going to dances in Butt Hall, Ballybofey in nearby Donegal. It wasn’t easy going the whole way across the dance floor, to the other side of the hall, where all the girls were. I had to pick up the courage to ask a girl to dance, only to often be rejected and have to walk all the way back to my friends! I wasn’t great at dancing but I’d throw a few shapes anyway!’

Robert Armstrong was born in 1947 in Derry City, the eldest of nine children to Bobby Armstrong and Sadie O’ Donnell. Due to a chronic housing shortage in the city at the time the Armstrong family moved to the tin huts in Springtown Camp, which was originally a base for the American Navy during The Second World War. The Camp, known as “The Yankee Bases” consisted of 302 tin huts and was situated off the Buncrana Road in the west of the city. After the war, huge numbers of people in Derry were unemployed and many emigrated to England, Scotland or America. Many families in the city lived in squalor in slum tenement buildings and seriously overcrowded terraced homes. In 1946, some of these families were so desperate, that they squatted into the tin huts at one of the camps.

Rob moved to Omagh at the age of 16, where he was to join two of Ireland’s biggest Showbands, The Polka Dots (with Frankie McBride) from 1965 to 1967 and the iconic Plattermen from 1967 to 1974. Both moves were organised by Rob’s lifelong friend and legendary singer, the late Brian Coll. After playing bass guitar with The Polka Dots, Rob progressed to become lead singer with The Plattermen, one of Ireland’s finest ever bands. In 1974/75 he spent a year with Eurovision Winner Johnny Logan in a fantastic band called The Giants and later fronted The Las Vegas Showband with Kelley, Ireland’s top female singer at the time. Rob Strong and The Rockets were hugely popular all over Ireland in the late ‘70s and early ‘80. For almost 40 years he has fronted The Rob Strong Band, which currently feature top class musicians, Sean Behan on lead guitar, Cormac Crowley on drums, Salvatore Urbano on keyboards and Rob himself on lead vocals and bass guitar.

Eventually, some 319 families ended up in Springtown Camp, with many not re-housed for over twenty-one years! After the war, huge numbers of people in Derry were unemployed and many emigrated to England, Scotland or America. Many families in the city lived in squalor in slum tenement buildings and seriously over-crowded terraced homes In his biography Rob recalls how tough things were in Springtown Camp ‘Money was tight in the family, my mother would keep me home from school for a few weeks at a time, so that I could work on a farm, picking potatoes,. Every penny counted, especially with nine children to

Rob’s amazing story is described by Brush Shiels as a ‘phenomenal biography which recalls the whole music scene in Ireland from the 60s to the present day’. The foreword is penned by Barry Devlin of Horslips fame. Joe Duffy‘s Liveline highly recommends the book saying it is ‘a fabulous tribute to the wonderful Rob Strong’. Ireland’s biggest names give fascinating interviews on Rob and the Irish music scene in the ‘60s to the ‘90s

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with household names such as Phil Coulter, Johnny Logan, Colm Wilkinson, Brian Coll, Paul Brady, Don Baker, Paddy Cole, Brush Shiels, Mary Coughlan, Frankie McBride, Pat Shortt, Smiley Bolger, Fr. Brian D’ Arcy, Barry Devlin, his son Andrew Strong and Thin Lizzy original guitarist Eric Bell. They recall many memorable moments of Rob’s career with the overwhelming consensus being that his amazing voice and bass playing have always been world class. Indeed renowned USA Producer, Danny Saber, who has worked with The Rolling Stones, U2,Madonna etc is very interested in making a movie on Rob Strong’s career and the impact of Irish musicians all over the world. Rob’s son, Andrew Strong, achieved worldwide stardom when he starred in The Commitments movie in 1991 and nowadays performs in Scandanavia and Australia. Rob’s daughter, Niamh Strong, has performed regularly with Rob’s band and the youngest in the family, Alex, is proving to be very talented on the bass guitar. ‘Rob Strong is unique. He is incredibly talented. In my opinion he is the best Blues or Soul singer to ever come out of Ireland. His innate gift is his voice and his timing is incredible’ Colm Wilkinson ‘Seeing Rob Strong with the Plattermen in the late ‘60s was a big influence on me. To hear a fellow Northerner sing the soul music I loved so well, gave me a lot of confidence that one day I could find my own voice. Rob is one of the true originals!’ Paul Brady ‘When I think of Rob Strong I think of a big voice doing Bluesy stuff with a raw edge. Rob Strong has a big engine and a great vocal range’ Phil Coulter The Official Rob Strong Biography Still Going Strong includes a FREE CD (Soul Affair by The Rob Strong Band) and is only available online from www.robstrong.ie, at concerts or by contacting Paul Holland on 087 9630375

Open Doors with Your Legacy Peter McVerry Trust is the national housing and homeless charity committed to reducing homelessness. In 2021, we supported over 10,000 people in 28 local authorities across Ireland. After 12 months living in a room in a relative’s house with their young son, Anna and Michael got the keys to their new home in Mayo. With the help of our generous supporters, we were able to give this family the key to a new beginning.

"We were desperate. Having a nonverbal autistic child is a challenge alone, let alone the stress of becoming homeless. We are so grateful, we can now start to feel like a real family.” Anna and Michael

“Our primary aim is to support individuals and families who are homeless into homes of their own, and last year we gave 1,200 people the key to their own door. That key unlocks a new beginning for them; it allows them to rebuild their life.” Pat Doyle, CEO, Peter McVerry Trust

Make Peter McVerry Trust part of your legacy and open doors for people living in homelessness. Call: (01) 823 0776 Email: fundraising@pmvtrust.ie www.pmvtrust.ie CHY: 7256 CRN:20015282 CLG: 98934

Listowel Writers Week

Listowel Writers’ Week 2022 Festival takes place 1st to 5th June 2022

Listowel Writers’ Week, Ireland’s oldest literary festival, is delighted to welcome and showcase the works of writers of all genres from June 1st to 5th 2022. Listowel Writers’ Week is a unique, independent literary event, situated alongside the Wild Atlantic Way, where writers gravitate to the beautiful, heritage town of Listowel for five days – transforming the town into a bustling literary haven where words are gospel. And the festival is looking forward to welcoming visitors back once again after the many interruptions of the pandemic meant it has taken place online for the past two years. “We are ready and eager for the return to our popular haunts this June,” says Listowel Writers’ Week Chairperson Catherine Moylan. “After connecting with so many people online over the last couple of years, we know that there is a huge appetite for the magical atmosphere that Listowel Writers’ Week brings to the town.” This year’s festival features a packed itinerary of topical events and writers. A diverse programme will feature conversations from debut writers, debates and readings and fantastic opportunities to meet with national and international literary stars. June’s festival programme features national and international writers with Paul McVeigh, Kit de Waal and Claire Keegan among those booked to attend already with many more big names to be confirmed soon. The festival begins with the annual Awards Ceremony on Wednesday night which

includes the announcement of the prestigious Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award and the Pigott Poetry Prize. Thursday kicks off with the first of the literary programme of events where Colm Tóibín engages in a morning of conversation around his latest work. This year’s festival programme includes contemporary literature, explorations on poetry, debut literary novels, literary tours and much more. Workshops return once again this year and encompass a broad range of literary learning including creative writing, memoir writing, novel, poetry and song writing. The much-loved morning walks and bus tour provide lovers of the outdoors with the opportunity to visit tourist sites and attractions,. The literary heritage of Listowel and its hinterland can be explored during the bus tour.

enjoy mingling with festival lovers" said Ms Moylan. Plan your visit to Listowel Writers’ Week 1st to 5th June, soak up the festival atmosphere and create great holiday memories with us once again. We’ve a great team who are really looking forward to welcoming you again this year. Keep in touch for updates on www.writersweek.ie. Listowel Writers’ Week is kindly supported by Arts Council Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Kerry County Council, and many sponsors and patrons. Contact: info@writersweek.ie or phone 00353 (0)68 21074 for any queries on events or accommodation.

“We are delighted with the enthusiastic response from writers and artists both nationally and internationally,” adds Ms Moylan. “2022 promises to be a wonderful return to the fun, festivities and fanfare of our June festival. Looking forward to seeing you there!” Although Listowel Writers’ Week had been due to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2020, we plan to make this year’s festival a very special one. The Kerry Group event will mark the celebration of Kerry Group’s 50th Anniversary and their long-standing support of the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year competition, where the prize fund has been significantly increased this year. "There are events to suit all ages - couples seeking a short break, families seeking a fun-filled holiday, and individual explorers who

48 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

Photos by Ger Holland

Date of preparation Jan 2022 ArthAd1 Rev1 Date of preparation Jan 2022 ArthAd1 Rev1

Modern history

Another teaser from Gerry Perkins

Guess the year

World news: Britain votes to stay in the EU – then the EEC – via a referendum. The Vietnam War officially ends. Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Microsoft. The Moorgate tube station crash in London kills 43 people. King Juan Carlos takes over as acting head of state of Spain from an ailing General Franco, assuming full power later in the year. Ross McWhirter, the co-founder of the Guinness Book of Records, is murdered by the IRA. The G6 group of industrialised nations is established. Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, commits his first murder. US President Gerald Ford survives a second assassination attempt in as many years. Patty Hearst – kidnapped publishing heiress turned fugitive – is captured. The former head of the US Teamsters workers’ union Jimmy Hoffa is reported missing. Lord Lucan is found guilty, in absentia, of the murder of the family nanny. Film and television: this year sees the release of such movie classics as Jaws, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Rocky Horror Show opens on Broadway in New York, before the film version The Rocky Horror Picture Show is released. Fawlty Towers airs for the first time. Other films included One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Dog Day Afternoon and Shampoo. Music: Led Zeppelin sell out three nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden in four hours. Face-painted rock band Kiss releases its first live album Alive!, which effectively saves the band’s then fledgling career. Alice Cooper releases his famous Welcome to my Nightmare album. The Netherlands wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Ritchie Blackmore quits Deep Purple and forms Rainbow. The Who release the film version of their rock opera Tommy. Bruce Springsteen releases his classic 50 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

album Born To Run. Queen releases its Bohemian Rhapsody single. Talking Heads plays its first concert in New York. Heavy Metal band Iron Maiden is founded. Peter Gabriel leaves Genesis. Pink Floyd releases its Wish You Were Here album. Elton John’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the first album to enter the US Billboard album charts at number one. Sport: West Ham United win the FA Cup, beating Fulham 2-0 in the Wembley final. George Best lines out for Cork Celtic. Formula 1 champion Graham Hill is killed in a plane crash. Muhammad Ali beats Joe Frazier in the Thrilla in Manila. The West Indies wins the first Cricket World Cup. Derby County become English champions. Bayern Munich beats Leeds United in the European Cup final. In golf Jack Nicklaus wins the Masters and Tom Watson wins the Open. In horseracing, L’Escargot wins the Grand National, while Ten Up wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Arthur Ashe wins the Wimbledon mens singles championship. Czech born Martina Navratilova becomes a US citizen. In GAA circles, Kerry wins the All Ireland Football Championship, with Kilkenny winning the hurling title. Ireland: holds the Presidency of the EEC for the first time. Three members of the Miami Showband are ambushed and killed by the UVF. Former Taoiseach and President Eamon De Valera dies. Charles Haughey returns to the Fianna Fail front bench. Oliver Plunkett is canonised by the Pope. The Birmingham Six are wrongly imprisoned for an IRA bombing in Birmingham. Answer on page 87

Plant a seed and grow your legacy. Leave a gift in your Will to the ISPCA. Leaving a gift in your Will to the ISPCA is a wonderful way to celebrate your love of animals and the unconditional love and companionship they have given you. By doing so, you will be helping to rescue many more animals so that they can take that first step to a happy new life. The kindness and generosity of leaving a legacy gift will have a lasting impact for generations to come. Your gift will ensure that the ISPCA can continue to grow and always be there to protect Ireland’s most vulnerable animals. To obtain your code for the ISPCA’s Free Online Will Writing service or to find out more information on how your legacy can help please visit www.ispca.ie/Legacies or call 087 0512603

ISPCA Free Online Will Writing By making a Will, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that those you care about will be looked after and that your wishes for your loved ones, friends and family will be respected. The ISPCA’s Free Online Will Writing service can be used to make a Will for the first time or to amend an existing one. It’s available at no cost to you and with no obligation to donate.

Weir & Sons profile

A trusted landmark name for

quality

Pat Keenan traces the history and influence of arguably Ireland’s best-known jewellery firm Michael Collins was a regular customer in the early days when the store was just around the corner in Wicklow Street.

The imposing Jewellery Room in Grafton Street store

It is undoubtedly the landmark building of Dublin's Grafton Street and possibly Ireland's best-recognised jewellery store, the go-to place for engagement, wedding rings and luxury watch brands. Just asking my own friends and relations, it was amazing just how many have purchased their rings at Weir & Sons. Weir & Sons unquestionably carry more gold, diamonds, and world-renowned brands than any other jeweller in Ireland. Way back in the early 1860s a young Thomas Weir arrived in Dublin from Scotland and began working for a local jeweller. He was still only 28 in 1869 when he decided to set up his own business. For a short time, he was joined by another Scottish jeweller named Rogers and set up a company on Fleet Street called Weir & Rogers. They manufactured jewellery for the trade. Thomas Weir however had higher dreams and was keenly intent on also opening the retail side of the business and did so, originally on Wicklow Street and later expanded with a move to 5 Grafton Street. Interestingly, there is still a door in Wicklow

Street with 5 Grafton Street written on it. Thomas successfully established the new jewellers. Some years later he was joined by his four sons, Jack, James, Willie, and George. Each of them ran different strands of the business. Today, Weir & Sons is still a family business managed by a fourth and fifth generation. Back in 1943, the family name altered through marriage when Willie Weir's daughter Maigread married Arthur Andrews. And their son David Andrews took over the reins. Today, though semi-retired, he still plays an active part in the day to day running of the business while his son Christopher Andrews is now the Managing Director, daughter Lucinda is Marketing Director and daughter Natasha manages E-commerce. While resting on a firmly established heritage the company continued to evolve and change with the times. The momentous decision to purchase the iconic building outright in 1963 has, says Christopher Andrews, ‘a hugely positive effect on the business over the years’. Today it is literally their cornerstone.

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Dublin landmark: The Weir & Sons store on Grafton Street

In 2005, aptly the year the Dublin M50 motorway was completed, Weir & Sons expanded to open a new store in the largest shopping centre in Ireland, Dundrum Town Centre. Large enough in international terms to be awarded European Shopping Centre of the Year for 2007. Like most businesses of that duration, they had their share of ups and downs. A slump in turnover during the recession years was met face-on by a programme of modernisation, part of which involved the successful launch of the Fashion Room downstairs in Grafton Street. This managed to attract a largely younger clientele with more updated fashion orientated brands. It proved popular in other sectors too, the Over 50s found it easier to find appropriate gifts suitable for their family, friends and perhaps even a treat for themselves. Be that as it may, the high-end luxury brands still remain vital and still have their own unique floor. Other departments within the store include watches, jewellery, silver, leather, antiques, and repairs/services. In these times and especially during the Covid lock-downs E-commerce became increasingly important and the introduction of the Weir & Sons website had a remarkably successful uptake. Particularly for a largely tactile market where people buying jewellery and watches will seldom purchase without actual contact, touching and feeling is so important. It became clear that the online experience differs from person-to-person, some will do their research online and then visit the store to buy. Some visit the store, examine, and handle the items, return home, perhaps discuss and buy online. One way or the other, people are reassured to purchase from an actual well-known bricks and mortar store. In 2019, Weir & Sons kicked off their 150th year of business in style at the Dublin Assay Office in Dublin Castle. A specially commissioned edition silver plate, with the landmark Grafton Street store in the centre in silver gilt, became the very first piece to be hallmarked by the Dublin Assay Office that year. This collector’s Irish silver commemorative plate comes in three sizes:10-, 12-, and 18-inches diameter (prices upon request). Tourism is another important market, sadly interrupted recently by Covid but hopefully returning soon. Apart from the normal flow of visiting tourists, a newer trend includes those arriving in groups from the many cruise liners stopping over in Dublin Port each year. They tend to purchase luxury watches, Claddagh jewellery and Irish silver. Recent times have seen a major increase of Chinese visitors, so Weir & Sons now have several members of staff that speak Mandarin. There are of course many regular Chinese clients who are Irish based. The company is very private and secretive about their customers and rightly so. But we can reveal some older names that crossed

In 2005, aptly the year the Dublin M50 motorway was completed, Weir & Sons expanded to open a new store in the largest shopping centre in Ireland, Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin

In 2019, Weir & Sons kicked off their 150th year of business in style in the Dublin Assay Office at Dublin Castle. A specially commissioned edition silver plate with the landmark Grafton Street store in the centre in silver gilt became the very first piece to be hallmarked by the Dublin Assay Office that year. This collectors Irish silver commemorative plate is still available in three sizes, 10, 12, and 18 inches diameter (price upon request). Pictured from left are Natasha Andrews, David Andrews, Lucinda Andrews and Chris Andrews.

through those doors. Michael Collins was a regular. Grace Kelly, the Hollywood film star with Irish roots who became Princess Grace of Monaco, popped into Weir & Sons in 1960 when she came to Ireland with her husband Prince Rainier. Other Hollywood visitors included Walt Disney and Rita Hayworth. Then there was singer/songwriter Mariah Carey who arrived to borrow some jewellery! She was in Dublin for the 1999 MTV Europe Music Awards at the Point Theatre and felt the need for a bit more jangle to jingle and Weir & Sons came to her rescue. Jacqueline Kennedy visited when she came to Ireland with her husband President John F Kennedy and later again as Jacqueline Onassis. She was Jacqueline Bouvier in 1950 during her first visit to Ireland when she attended the Dublin Horse Show and caught a glimpse of the Aga Khan trophy. The first Aga Khan trophy created by Weir & Sons was donated and presented in 1926 by Aga Khan III. The trophy, known as the 'Nations Cup’ is presented at the show-jumping competition held yearly at the Dublin Horse Show in Ballsbridge. As we all get a bit older some of our most treasured items can fall into disrepair.

Weir & Sons have an in-store team dedicated to repairs on all manner of items. The team includes goldsmiths, engravers, silver polishers and pearl restringing. They will even replace batteries. Their watch and jewellery valuers can assist for insurance and probate purposes and can provide useful advice on how to best care for your treasured items. Also, of interest to the over 50s are male and female eternity rings and gifts for special occasions, anniversaries, births or simply to say, 'thank you'. With regard to diamonds, it is important to note that ethically Weir & Sons is fully committed to never ever use conflict diamonds and strictly adhere to the Kimberley Process insuring all are conflict-free and are fully documented by their suppliers. Weir Style Magazine is distributed with national papers and magazines and is also available to pick up in-store. This year there will be two issues, one mid-summer and one in October. Previous issues can be browsed and future issues ordered at www.weirandsons.ie/ style-magazine-hard-copy/ The main website is www.weirandsons.ie/

Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 53

Fitness

Stretching for flexibility!

Stretching is one of the best and most often overlooked practices for your body because it will help improve flexibility, an essential component of physical fitness. Flexibility can help increase your range of motion, improve your posture, reduce your chance of injury and it can be mentally and physically relaxing.

tip chin to chest and slowly roll down bringing your head towards the floor. Imagine moving one vertebrae at a time as you bring your chest towards your thighs, depending on your flexibility. Once you are folded forward you can clasp opposite hand around opposite elbow or gently press both hands against the floor.

After a full day of work, running around and countless other tasks, some soothing stretches are what your body deserves. Also, after extended time at home from lockdown or quarantine after sickness, stretching is a gentle way to wake your body up and get moving again. Stretching your hip flexors, shoulders, neck and hips can be a perfect way to unwind and relive some tension in your legs/feet, tightness in your lower back or hips or just help overall stiffness. Muscles work in pairs throughout your body. One muscle, referred to as the agonist, contracts to facilitate a movement while the opposing muscle, called the antagonist, relaxes and allows that movement to happen. This concept is called reciprocal inhibition. By applying this principle to active stretching you can lengthen the muscle in a very safe and natural way. Breathing is also a key component in stretching. Breathing through the nose and out through the mouth will calm your body and help slow your heart rate, but do what makes you feel comfortable.

Gently shake your head yes and shake your head no to relieve any tension in the neck. Stay here for 30 to 60 seconds. 2. RECLINED FIGURE 4 STRETCH

5. HIP FLEXOR STRETCH

Lie face up with your knees bent and both feet on the floor, cross your right foot over your left thigh. This might be enough of a stretch. To go deeper with the stretch clasp both hands behind the back of your left thigh and gently pull your leg towards your chest. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on the other side. 3. RECLINED TWIST

Although it’s hard to fit everything in, it's best if you can make a little time for stretching everyday. Stretching should be like brushing your teeth. Just five or ten minutess daily can make a huge difference. The cliche saying 'If you don’t use it, you loose it’ is absolutely true when it comes to flexibility and keeping your muscles loose. A simple stretching habit can be an excellent self care practice. As with all exercises, consult your doctor first, particularly with chronic pain or injury and always stop if you feel sharp pain. Here are a few stretches Annmarie recommends to help ease you into a calm and relaxing state of mind and body. 1. FORWARD FOLD

Start in a kneeling position on a soft surface. Place right leg forward creating a 90 degree angle. Keep your upper body straight slowly push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the upper thigh of your back leg and hip. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Annmarie Murray Am-fitness.ie

Lie face up. Hug knees to chest. From here drop both knees gently over to one side as your torso twists in the opposite direction. Extend your arms fully out to the side. Try keep your upper back firmly on the ground. Try also to keep your hips and knees inline and chest square to ceiling. Hold stretch for 30 to 60 secs and repeat on the other side. Continue to rotate back and forth. 4. CHILDS POSE

Standing, feet hip width apart, shoulders back and chest open, breathe in and as you exhale

overhead in front of you. Hold this pose for 60 seconds.

Start in a kneeling all fours position. Knees are hip width apart. Breathe in and as you exhale gently allow your hips to sit back on to your heels and your forehead to rest on the floor. Try to lengthen your neck and spine by drawing your ribs away from your tailbone and shoulders away from ears. Extend your arms

54 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

PEP GPS Location Tracker When the SOS emergency button on the PEP™ locator is activated, an alarm is sent to the TASK Community Care 24hour monitoring centre, displaying client details and their location. A two-way conversation can then take place. The operator will ascertain the nature of the emergency, enabling them to react quickly to the situation and provide the appropriate response. Suitable for many applications including for those suffering from domestic violence or at risk. CAN BE USED AT HOME OR ON THE MOVE LOCATE LOVED ONES DAY & NIGHT

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Health

COPD Support Ireland – can we help? Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic, progressive lung condition with persistent symptoms of cough and breathlessness. Once called emphysema and chronic bronchitis, it is caused by exposure to harmful particles or gases that are inhaled. COPD Support Ireland are the national organisation supporting and advocating for those living with COPD, established in 2013 by people living with COPD with 33 support groups nationally. Our Vision

“That people living with COPD, live the life they want to live.” Local Support Groups are the heart of our organisation and are always happy to see new members joining. Providing strength training and breathing classes tailored for COPD, they are a safe space where questions can be asked and answered by people who are living with the same condition over a post class cup of tea and chat. We asked Mary to describe her journey with COPD and benefits of joining her local support group. “In November 2014 after months of exacerbations I was diagnosed with COPD, which hit me with a bang. Thanks to my husband noticing a change in my health, I was taken to hospital where I was told I was in respiratory failure. I now live with this disease every second of every day. In the beginning, I had to take up to five medications, four times a day. I could never plan my day or to meet family or friends as I never knew from day to day if I was going to be up to it. Sadly, I missed out on so many Family/Friends Weddings and other occasions. With the help of family, friends, the Drogheda COPD Support group, and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital COPD outreach team, I have learned to live with COPD and manage it through exercise and small lifestyle changes. It has not been easy, but I can now say I mostly enjoy everything I do, even being on oxygen 16 hours a day, something I never thought I would be able say. COPD has changed my life like so many others but with the right support, the hardest tasks become manageable and enjoyable again “ Another member talks about our singing for lung health class and how it’s helped her during COVID-19. “My name is Mary McDonnell, I’m a member of Clare COPD Support group. Approximately 15 years ago, I was diagnosed with COPD. At the time I was scared and felt alone, having to be put on an inhaler right away and worrying

about the possibility of adjusting to life using oxygen. COPD left me exhausted, I was barely able to do my weekly grocery shopping or housework. 5 years ago, I joined the Ennis COPD support group which gave me deeper insight into COPD and helped me realise I’m not going to feel 100% every day, but I can control how I cope with the physical and mental challenges it brings. I felt hopeful. I wasn’t alone. Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, so I joined online SingStrong classes, taking me out of my comfort zone! There are so many benefits, my physical health has improved immensely, and I feel on top of the world. Ciara is so kind and patient, she is a brilliant instructor who understands our needs. Beginning each class with a guided meditation to centre ourselves and relax; followed by stomach breathing strengthening our lungs, posture, and whole body from head to toes. Singing is a fun part of the classes, a new way to practice breathing techniques. It gives us something

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to look forward to, allows us to ask questions, speak on important issues and talk amongst ourselves about our lives. I now feel confident managing my symptoms, which once took over my life, and I feel positive about the future. I enjoy things I didn’t think were possible when I was first diagnosed such as driving, cycling, hill climbing, beach walking and painting. The coping skills I have gained have enhanced my life.” With proper treatment and support we can do much to improve the quality of life of people living with COPD. If you are over the age of 35 and suspect you have the symptoms of COPD, visit your GP for an initial assessment or call the COPD Adviceline on 1800 83 21 46 for more information. If you are interested in learning more, joining your local COPD Support group or receiving a copy of our “COPD & Me Book”, visit our website www.copd.ie, email info@copd.ie or call 086-0415128.

Ennistymon, Co. Clare

Absolute Beginners Bridge with Michael O’Loughlin

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Whist with Marie

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DSPCA Free Will Service Do you have a will in place or are you thinking about making one? When thinking about making a Will we think about the people and the things that are of most value to us. Making a Will can often be our last opportunity to help look after our loved ones and can have a lasting impact for the causes and charities closest to our hearts. Whether you’re a pet owner, an animal lover or someone who wants to leave a legacy that will make a real difference then remember the DSPCA in your Will. The DSPCA have partnered with our legal advisors O’Shea Barry Solicitors LLP offering a FREE Will service.

Escape to The Lake where a wide range of Special Offers await

O’Shea Barry Solicitors LLP is an Irish law firm established is 2007 located at 5 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.

If you want to know more about our Free Will Service call 086 0451 756 or (01) 499 4707 DSPCA, Mount Venus Road, Rathfarnham, D16

www.dspca.ie

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Reservations 064 66 31035

Lake Shore : Muckross Road :Killarney : Co. Kerry : info@lakehotel.com

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A new challenge for Derry Clarke Mairead Robinson meets Ireland’s best- known chef as he plans a new restaurant in Temple Bar, Dublin As part of the Senior Times Food & Wine Podcast Series, I recently chatted to celebrity chef Derry Clarke about his exceptionally successful culinary career over the past thirty years in Dublin. He has been a reality television judge alongside names like Bibi Baskin and Sammy Leslie on RTE 1 reality series Failte Towers, and he has also appeared on other programmes such as The Restaurant, The Afternoon Show and The Panel. Of course he is best known to many of us for his Michelin Starred L’Ecrivian restaurant in Dublin which was hugely popular for thirty one years until it closed its doors in 2020. I asked him how it all began, and if he had always wanted to be a chef when he was growing up. Indeed his family were involved in the food business and his own professional career began at the age of sixteen. He started his career in 1972 with Peter Barry who is best known for The Man Friday restaurant in Kinsale. While Kinsale has often been hailed as the ‘Gourmet Capital of Ireland’ it is fair to say that much has changed over the past forty years. Restaurants have come and gone, but the stunning location of The Man Friday overlooking the harbour and consistently providing fresh local ingredients in contemporary dishes, has been a constant favourite for locals and visitors alike. This Cork town of Kinsale has always been close to Derry’s heart, and over the decades when he is not cooking, he loves to go out in his boat with his family and sailing from Kinsale, taking a simple picnic with them, is something he has been enjoying for many years. When he returned to Dublin from his time at The Man Friday in 1977, he began working in Le Coq Hardi, which was one of the top restaurants in the capital at the time. Working under the renowned John Howard, that is where he cut his ‘fine dining’ teeth and he remained there for four years until he moved on to Le Bon Appetit for the following eight years. And so in 1989 he opened his own restaurant, L’Ecrivian and with his wife Sallyanne at his side, he soon gained Michelin awards, and indeed held a prestigious Michelin Star from 2003 until he closed the restaurant in 58 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

2020. It was here that he gained not just national but indeed international recognition, having been inducted into Food & Wine Magazine’s ‘Hall of Fame’ and been granted a five-star review by The New York Times. The review described his restaurant as ‘superb’ and ‘a good spot to linger’ whilst in Dublin. Of course having such a prestigious award as a Michelin Star can very much be a double-edged sword, and visitors’ expectations are always going to be very high when they see that plaque on the wall. Indeed it can also be extremely exhausting to keep up the very high standard for every meal, every sitting, year after year. Derry confirmed that for some years they were doing more covers every day than any other Michelin restaurant in Europe. I do remember eating there once myself, many years ago, and indeed it was a memorable experience. I don’t know of any other chef, Irish or international, who has consistently cooked in his own restaurant and held a Michelin Star for such a long period of time. Fine dining is hard work, no doubt about it. It is typically more sophisticated and unique than one would find in the average restaurant. We are talking about an upscale meal experience often consisting of several courses. Personally I love to enjoy a ‘tasting menu’ – handing choices over to the chef and enjoying plate after plate of delicious little creations that I would never have put together myself, or even imagined could go so well together. With each course, presented with a flourish by the waiting staff, there will be an accompanying wine to compliment the dish. Of course L’Ecrivian offered tasting menus for years which consisted of stunning plates, for example:- foie gras, Flaggy Shore oyster, roast turbot, sika deer, lime leaf ice cream, cheesecake. Each course was served with four or five of its own accompanying little taste sensations. All of that food was then followed by tea/coffee and petits fours. And indeed accompanying wines. This is an experience that usually takes hours to savour. While I delight in such great foodie experiences, Derry admits that he has moved away from fine dining himself these days. When he and

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Derry Clarke with his wife Sallyanne

Sallyanne go out to dinner they often share a starter and dessert he explained, and they just focus on a main course each. It is very understandable given the incredible service he has offered for years, and to be honest, it is a much healthier way to eat these days. He is also a big fan of eating locally sourced food and in season products. That is indeed very much the contemporary approach these days, with air miles flying out-of-season fruits and vegetables into Ireland not looked on as a good idea with global warming being a big current issue. Also, as we agreed, there is something exciting about waiting for a particular season to arrive and enjoying fruits and veggies for the months or weeks that they are fresh. Indeed it reminds me of eating from my father’s garden when we were children. What an abundance of vegetables and fruits we were fortunate enough to enjoy. During all time that Derry and Sallyanne ran L’Ecrivian, I am sure many a famous name had dined there, but Derry is tight-lipped about giving away any celebrity or political gossip! I did ask him about any interesting incidents – without giving out names – that he remembered from those years. He mentioned one young man who had arranged to propose to his girlfriend just before dessert, and so in front of the whole restaurant he got down on bended knee and produced the diamond ring. Unfortunately, the girl declined the request to become his wife and said ‘No! I am sure there is a lesson there to be very sure of getting a positive response when making such a public gesture. But you can’t help but feel sympathy for the poor man. Did he still pay for her dinner, I wondered, and had either of them the stomach for dessert after that? Talk about paying for dinner, Derry had another anecdote about two ‘friends’who came for dinner, and had agreed to split the bill. However just before finishing the leisurely meal and wine, one of the pair made a hasty exit, leaving the other very embarrassed diner to apologise as he didn’t have enough cash to cover the whole bill! Of course Derry and his wife Sallyanne who managed front-of-house were sympathetic to the poor guy and it all got sorted out. So much for the past, but what does the future hold for this talented chef? Well he is certainly not going to rest on his laurels, or even sail off

Derry Clarke with a heavyweight line-up: Catherine Fulvio, Kevin Dundon and Jamie Oliver

into the sunset with Sallyanne to enjoy a well earned retirement. Indeed Derry is opening a new venture called Eliza’s Bar & Restaurant in Temple Bar in Dublin. This will not be a fine dining venture, like L’Ecrivian, as times have changed and people’s choices have too. As Derry explained that a much less formal and fussy dining experience is the contemporary choice, together with a preference for small plates, and sharing platters. It will be very interesting to see what is on offer at Eliza’s and I am looking forward to visiting when next in the capital. While not retiring from the culinary scene, Derry is however taking a step back and while he will be managing every aspect of the new venture, he is putting one of his well trusted chefs at the helm to do the cooking every night. I have no doubt that Eliza’s, like its predecessor L’Ecrivian, will make its own very special mark on the Irish dining scene in 2022 .

Listen to Mairead Robinson in conversation with Derry Clarke in the Senior Times series of podcasts sponsored by Doro Phones and Expressway. To listen visit seniortimes.ie and click on ‘podcasts’. Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 59

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

A special 2022 Bloomsday

Molly Bloom by artist Aidan Hickey www.moli.ie/ The 'Painting Ulysses' exhibition by artist Aidan Hickey is open now until June 30 at the James Joyce Centre, 35 North Great George’s St, Dublin 1.

Is there any other city in the world that sets aside a day each year to commemorate and celebrate events that never actually happened? Bloomsday June 16 is such a day and this year will be special. Joyce fans from Ireland and around the world will again re-enact that supposed Dublin day in James Joyce’s Ulysses, a day in the life of novel's central character Leopold Bloom as he makes his way across the city, following each of the novel's 18 episodes, named with characters from Homer's 'Odyssey'. The plot also roughly follows that of Homer’s epic. Ulysses is famously a book people start but never finish. Most find its intricacies and length daunting, but be grateful that while Homer's 'Odyssey' spans ten years, Joyce's Ulysses just takes a day, all be it a long one. Joyce himself acknowledges this: ‘I’ve put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant’. And adds ‘that's the only way of insuring one's immortality.’ As usual, on the day many will dress up in full Edwardian garb, flowing dresses and flowery hats, bow ties and straw hats, and they will attend readings and dramatisations from the novel and meander through the city - more than likely, a pub crawl. Half a century ago celebrating the 50th anniversary, writers Brian O’Nolan,aka Flann O'Brien, poet Patrick Kavanagh and artist/writer John Ryan tried to retrace Bloom through the city, unfortunately too drunk, they failed. Beware, it can still happen! The first official full-scale Bloomsday event was in 1977, a healthier one billed the

'The Bloomsday Run'. Whatever became of that? Romantically, June 16 was the day James Joyce went on his first date with his then wife-to-be, Nora Barnacle. The build-up is already underway. On February 2 in Paris, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the publication of the novel Ulysses in 1922. It was already causing shockwaves. The year before it had been serialised in the Little Review, a small literary magazine in the US edited by two liberal-minded women. It seems that it was the 13th episode, Nausicaa, that triggered backlash from the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. This resulted in a much-publicised New York Court case in February 1921 leading to a conviction for publishing obscene material and was followed by the confiscation of the magazine's offending issue. By the way, despite the notoriety of our literary censorship laws Ulysses was never banned in Ireland. (The 1967 film with Milo

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O'Shea was for being 'subversive to public morality') When the book was first published, Ireland was just a fledgling state with few laws to begin with and anyway, it seems it was never imported nor offered for sale. Despite never being banned, it did have a certain reputation. Customs officers regularly and routinely confiscated copies. The very first copy of the Shakespeare and Company first edition of Ulysses now resides on display in the Museum of Literature Ireland at the UCD Naughton Joyce Centre, 86 St Stephen's Green, Dublin. www.moli.ie/ A 'Painting Ulysses' exhibition by artist Aidan Hickey is open now until June 30 at the James Joyce Centre, 35 North Great George’s St, Dublin 1. Download the full catalogue at www. jamesjoyce.ie/ Also, marking the centenary, ANU, Landmark Productions and MoLI presents 'Ulysses 2.2' - a year of creative responses each of the 18 episodes on that fictional day in the life of Leopold Bloom. www.ulysses22.ie/

Cash in the attic: why a spring clean could be

one of the best financial decisions you make

With spring just around the corner, you might be planning to give your home a good deep clean. If you’re feeling particularly brave, you may even declutter neglected areas such as the attic.

Whether it’s a vintage video game or an old trinket that looks like something you’d find on TV shows such as Irish Pickers or the Antiques Roadshow, your attic could be home to some hidden gems. You never know, that treasured childhood toy could – just maybe – be worth big money. Using their expertise in growing money, Raisin Bank looked at some of the items that could be worth the most money now. So before you roll your eyes at the prospect of spring cleaning, it’s worth remembering that a good declutter could bring in some unexpected cash.

Old Irish coins could be worth a pretty penny Have you stumbled across some old Irish coins during your spring clean? If so, you may be pleasantly surprised by how much they could be worth. They might not have bought you much at the time, but old coins have increased in value since the Euro replaced Irish money back in 2002. According to Ireland Coins, the rarest Irish coin – the 1943 florin (2 shilling) – could fetch at least €7,600, while the 1985 20 pence coin has been valued at around €6,500. Although not quite as valuable, both the 1931 and 1961 editions of the Irish half crown are also great finds. The coins, which were designed by Percy Metcalfe, may now be worth up to €600.

Rare whiskey proves its worth

Sports memorabilia for the win

Do you have an old bottle of whiskey hidden at the back of the drinks cabinet? If so, you might want to think twice before pouring yourself a glass. Rare whiskeys can sell for incredible prices, with some bottles going for over a million euros due to their age and heritage. According to the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index, rare whiskey has increased in value by a rather mind-blowing 564% over the last 10 years.

If you’re a keen sports fan, you may find some value in memorabilia you’ve kept hold of over the years. Old match programmes, signed footballs and signed shirts for example, have been sold for around a hundred euros. Sports medals especially if they’re more than 100 years old - can fetch hundreds or even thousands of euros. Back in 2015, a 1912 GAA football all-Ireland gold medal sold for €6,400, after a valuation of between €2,000 to €3,000.

One Irish whiskey collectors’ set sold for an eye-watering $2 million (€1,766,400) in 2021, making it the world’s most expensive collection. Made by The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. in Dublin, the aptly named ‘Emerald Isle Collection’ is the oldest and rarest triple-distilled Irish single malt in the world. While it’s unlikely you’ll have a multi-million bottle lurking in the loft, it’s worth checking whether you do own any alcoholic beverages that may have increased in value. Bear in mind, however, that not all whiskey pays off and there are a large number of fakes on the market. In a study by the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, a third of supposedly vintage Scotch whiskey bottles were found to be counterfeit or not distilled in the year stated.

Uncovered a small fortune? While it might be tempting to think collectables will always pay off, that’s not necessarily the case. Sometimes our attic collections hold more sentimental value than cash value. However, if you are lucky to unearth a small fortune in your attic (or you have a lump sum of money already) you’ll need to think about what to do with your cash. The most assured way to protect and grow your funds is with a Fixed Term Deposit Account. Raisin Bank offers Irish savers the opportunity to compare competitive interest rates from a range of European banks. Plus, there’s no risk to your capital as deposits are protected under the EU-wide harmonised regulation on deposit guarantee schemes.

To find out more and access competitive interest rates from across Europe, visit www.raisin.ie/seniortimes

Dublin Dossier

Award-winning Epic Museum well worth a visit

It was President Mary Robinson that popularised the concept of an Irish diaspora, that Irishness was not just confined within our shores but spread across the world. Emigration, plaguing us since the early Middle Ages, would be the term more likely used. Estimations are that perhaps 10 million people born in Ireland emigrated. That included the 8.5 million escaping the Great Famine between 1845 and 1852. Most, the poorest crossed the Irish Sea to Liverpool and onward to other English cities. Almost 5 million more crossed the Atlantic on infamously names 'coffin ships' to the United States of America. The relentless drip of emigration continued which today adds up to a massive Irish diaspora. An estimated 80 million people worldwide claim some Irish descent. Over 36 million Americans claim that Irish is their primary ethnicity. After Britain and USA, Australia estimates 30 per cent of their population have Irish ancestry, resulting from the 400,000 Irish settlers, both voluntary and forced, arriving between the 1790s and 1920s. Smaller but significant amounts arrived in destinations all over the world, across Europe, North and South America. the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. So it was fitting that in 2016 the former president Mary Robinson officially opened the EPIC Ireland interactive visitor centre in a former 19th century warehouse in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). It was also fitting that EPIC museum was the brainchild of former Coca-Cola chief executive Neville Isdell, who emigrated, aged 10, from Co Down with his parents to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in the mid-1950s. He joined Coca Cola South Africa and made it up the ranks in Australia, Europe, India, Middle East etc, etc up to Chair and CEO of Coca-Cola Company.

Your tour is organised into four basic themes. First is migration, arrivals and departures that have shaped Ireland. Second is the motivations as to why so many people left Ireland over centuries: famine, war, living conditions, absences of opportunities and freedoms of choice. Third examines their migrational influences, what Irish people did overseas and how they contributed in their newly adopted homelands. This theme is truly astounding hundreds of names in almost fields of life. Nine of the signatories of the American Declaration of Independence were of Irish origin. At least twenty-five presidents of the United States have some Irish ancestral origins, including Barack Obama, JFK of course, even George Washington. Names pop up like Che Gue vara, Walt Disney, Muhammad Ali, Chilean liberator Bernardo O'Higgins; a notable military diaspora in all kinds of conflicts; ‘Ireland was an inexhaustible nursery for the finest soldiers’ said Field Marshal The 1st Duke of Wellington, the Dublin-born 'Iron Duke' .The MacMahon family in France including Maréchal The 1st Duke of Magenta, the second President of the

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Third Republic. Actors on stage and screen. sportsmen and women. You have to see - the names go on and on. The fourth theme allows visitors to share their own stories of Irish connections and influences throughout the world. And visitors can explore their own family backgrounds with the help of genealogists based on site at the Irish Family History Centre. The Epic Museum won the 2021 World Travel Award for Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction, the first Tourist Attraction in Europe have won that title three years in a row. The Epic Museum The CHQ Building, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1 www.epicchq.com/

The crutches that help the injured to walk

A new generation of nurses, doctors and midwives, trained to care for the most vunerable. 1 in 6 projects are funded by legacies.

A gift in your will can heal and save lives. To request your free brochure with more information please return this coupon, visit msf.ie/legacy, or phone Ruth on 01-2815184. Yes, please send me a legacy brochure Name: Address: Town:

Registered Number 464033 Charity Number CHY 18196

Photo: Omar Havana, Nepal, 2015

THIS IS YOUR LEGACY.

County: Eircode: Send to: Ruth Hanahoe, MSF, 9 Upper Baggot Street, Freepost F4763, Dublin 4

Dublin Dossier

New Visitors Centre opens at the Custom House It is the longest-serving purpose-built government building in Ireland, it took ten years to build and when opened in 1791 it became the headquarters of the Commissioners of Custom and Excise. Not surprisingly it was called The Custom House. The name stuck even though in more recent times it became the headquarters of local government in Ireland. Along the way it also gathered a fair share of history. Now it shares its 230 year of rich history through many interactive exhibits in the Custom House Visitor Centre. The new Visitor Centre occupies the entire central area of the building. The exhibition chronologically takes us through the years from Dublin in the late 1700s through to the present times giving an authentic experience of being inside one of the Dublin’s most iconic buildings through momentous times in Irish history, the 1916 Easter Rising, the birth of the Irish Free State, the declaration of the Republic and the Civil War, Seen as a stronghold of British rule in Ireland, it was targeted and burnt by the IRA in 1921 Later the government of a free independent Irish state committed to fully restore the building. It was completed in 1928. The building itself is described in detail. One exhibit shows us some of the fine decorative stonework carvings by Edward Smyth,

particularly noteworthy the carved heads of 14 Irish river gods. Another exhibit tells of the controversy surrounding the building of the Customs House itself. Dubliners may now love their iconic Customs House but this was not always so. Exhibits show an anger in Dublin toward James Gandon’s plans and tells of firebrand James Napper Tandy, ironmonger and elected member of the City Assembly, a champion of the Dublin poor and the man that

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stood between Gandon and his new Custom House. He famously led what the power that be called a Dublin 'rabble' (ie. aggrieved Dublin workers) onto the building site, more than once bringing the development to a standstill. Heritage Ireland have a useful website at www.heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/ custom-house-visitor-centre/

Rachael Craven MSF Anaesthetist In Yemen Talks About Her Experiences that, you can’t just rush into the operating theatre with the first wounded people who arrive. If I was at home dealing with the aftermath of a large traffic accident, there would be pre-hospital triage performed by ambulance crews and I could be confident that we had the resources and capacity to conduct multiple surgeries at the same time. But in a conflict zone such as Yemen, you don’t have those resources or capacity.

"When you are working as a doctor in a conflict zone, one of the things you learn is how to manage a mass casualty incident. This is when a large number of severely wounded people who have been caught up in an explosion, a shooting or a blast all arrive at your hospital within a short period of time. When I was last at MSF’s hospital in the Yemeni city of Aden, we had to treat upwards of 50 people in the aftermath of one explosion. In a situation like

The aftermath of an explosion is generally chaos. There are no ambulances, there is little communication from the scene and the first people to arrive at the hospital are often the least badly injured, as they’ve managed to walk or get a passer-by to help them. Whether I was in Syria or Libya or Yemen, if one or two people came in with blast injuries, in the back of my mind I would always be thinking that more were on the way and that they would probably be in worse shape. Having that knowledge meant that in Aden we could prepare for what was coming once the wounded began to arrive. We worked as a team to triage patients, we ensured that those who went into theatre first

were the most badly injured, and we were able to save as many lives as possible. Sharing that knowledge and training the teams you work with is central to the way MSF operates. I was in Yemen to provide teaching in intensive care for the junior doctors at the hospital, most of whom hadn’t been able to finish their training because of the conflict. We’re an emergency organisation and we are good at that. But we also focus a lot of attention on training and mentoring local staff and introducing medical protocols in the places where we work. It’s a way for us to stand in solidarity with the people we work with and invest in their – and their country’s – future. It’s work that will continue to save lives long after MSF has left. Leaving a gift in your will is a way for you to stand with us and ensure this vital work continues. Internationally, gifts in wills fund a sixth of our lifesaving work. If you can, please support MSF in this special way." Thank you, Rachael

Wine World

Check out authentic artisan wines

Mairead Robinson discovers some really interesting wines with their own individual stories.

Most of us who enjoy good wine are particularly interested in organic or artisan wines. A wine that is made with care, particularly from a single vineyard and a family tradition is always more appealing than wines that are manufactured from bulk grapes bought in from multiple growers. Often when on holidays abroad we have tasted great local wines, and wondered why we can’t find such wines in Ireland. Last year I came across a company called Wines With Stories which deals exclusively with artisan wines with provenance from small, single vineyard producers.

Sherril Soliman is the founder of www. wineswithstories.com and she is passionate about wine. Her philosophy is that authentic, artisan wines with provenance always have stories, whereas commercial wines, produced on an industrial scale never do. She believes that it's a great filter when selecting wine from a restaurant menu or at a wine store and encourages people to ask what the story is behind the wine. If there isn't one, she says, then don't risk buying a commercial wine, that's generally propped up with high levels of Sulphites and other chemicals to cover bad wine making. She feels that the UK and Ireland

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Wine World

are awash with commercial wines, due to the high rates of excise duty in both markets putting pressure on pricing. Based in Belfast, her website offers an extensive range of particularly good wines from small producers which can be delivered anywhere in the thirty two counties. Her journey to becoming a wine importer began when she returned from Venice – where she met and married her husband – and was shocked at the quality and high prices of wines available in her home town having enjoyed excellent wines from local producers in Italy. She decided to begin importing wines that had no market outside of Italy. While Italy dominates their collection, they now also stock wines from South Africa and Germany, among other countries. You can see their full range on the website and get prices in both sterling and euro – they deliver throughout the UK and Ireland. You can also read the stories behind the individual wines, which is quite fascinating. Some of the really great wines that I have tasted from their range are detailed below, and the website will give details of packages and offers that make wineswithstories.com stand out as

one of the top on-line wine delivery companies I have come across in the last couple of years. Their quality / price ratio would be very difficult to beat. And the good news is that they are growing and expanding so that the great range of wines they offer can only get better. Alturis Cabernet Sauvignon:- From Friuli Venezia Giulia, a wine region on the border with Austria and Slovenia known more for its white wines, this is an outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon and has been rated as the 3rd best red wine of Italy. A steal at just €15.95 Their Alturis Ribolla Gialla is a gorgeous white wine, perfect for summer lunches. Vallepicciola PievastaI from Tuscany meanwhile will seriously impress you as one of the Super Tuscan with the ‘wow’ factor. Again you would expect this wine to cost at least twice the price. I tried the 2018 which is ready to drink, even though its considered young. The Sanagiovese grape adds to the ageing potential and it evolves beautifully in the bottle. While you are at it, the Vallepiccola Pievasciata Spumante Brut is a stunning sparkler made with 100 per cent Chardonnay grapes.

Bosco Osco Bruno Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir grape) from Vallepiccola is a beautifully smooth silky wine. The colour as you pour it into the glass will impress, and the feel in the mouth is proof that this is truly a fine wine . The 2018 vintage, and drinking beautifully now. Another steal at €30.76 Beatrice Vermentino – another beautiful white wine from Tuscany, perfect with seafood, this organic wine has a brilliant colour, is full bodied and lively and complex on the palate. The above is just a small selection of the range of wines on offer from www.wineswithstories.com You should certainly check out the story behind the Anselmi brand, these wines made by Roberto Anselmi grace the wine list of Michelin restaurants not only in Italy but throughout the world. And finally, if you want to treat yourself to a selection of great wines, choose six, or even better twelve wines, to avail of further discounts. And whether you have decided to drink less wine this year or not, you should certainly decide to drink better wine. As they say, life is too short to drink bad wine!

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Creative Writing

’ s r e t i r A w ise in Mayo parad

On a return visit, Eileen Casey is once-again enthralled by the Heinrich Böll cottage, and its ongoing importance in the artistic life of Achill Island.

Achill Island: the Heinrich Böll cottage is situated at Dugort, on the northern tip.

In 2008, I was lucky enough to receive an artist’s residency on Achill Island, at the Heinrich Böll cottage, situated at Dugort, on the northern tip. I never forgot the sheer, unrivalled beauty of the place, the sound of the Atlantic a soothing lullaby, majestic Croaghaun or Sliabh Mór mountains. Sparsely populated (2,569 in 2011), it’s a nature lover’s paradise. For those who simply cannot survive without the lure of shopping and the buzz of people, Westport is only 50 minutes away and Castlebar, about thirty minutes further on. My first visit to Achill was during autumn, a season when fuchsia bushes tumble over walls and fences. Over the years I’ve visited with family during summer months when the island’s winter sleep is woken by summer sunshine and holidaymakers. Shops, hotels, bars sightseeing tours, water sport activities; open for the season and summer Achill is very different than winter Achill. This year, I was there again in Heinrich Böll cottage in the February month of yellow furze. The cottage, purchased by Mayo County Council from the Böll family (2003) has undergone a complete refurbishment. Helped by the German Parliament, necessary upgrades were undertaken and if the cottage was comfortable before, it’s now exceptionally accommodating. Underfloor heating, bright airy workrooms, all the mod cons in kitchen and bathroom, make staying at the horseshoe shaped cottage, pure joy. A very vibrant committee, instrumental in organising literary events, help ensure the cottage’s ongoing importance in the artistic life of the island. 68 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

Heinrich Böll first visited Ireland’s largest island (87 per cent peat bog) in 1955. Like painter Paul Henry, he fell in love with the landscape and until his death in 1985, he lived periodically in the cottage.

Over the years, the island itself inspired artists and writers such as Heinrich Böll, Graham Greene and Paul Henry. Poet John F. Deane (born on the island) is a frequent visitor. Tall cliffs, blue flag beaches, a gorgeous beach at Keem Bay and Keel (the island’s main village) make staying here very attractive. Not to mention the island’s historical narratives. A deserted village at Slievemore is a haunting memorial

Creative Writing

President Mary Robinson officially opened the cottage in 1992.

The cottage which has recently been extensively refurbished

to a sad past. Set at the foot of the south facing slope of Slievemore Mountain, it consists of almost 100 stone dwellings set either side of an old pathway. Mystery surrounds its lack of a proper name. Why was it deserted poses an unanswered question. Continuing research during an annual Archaeological Field School greatly enhances current understanding about the area. potato ridges clearly visible under the top layer of grass, provides an insight into how life was lived in former times. Walking tours from Achill Heritage Centre include a visit to the old Bunnacurry Monastery, site of a Franciscan settlement, an important part of Achill’s ecclesiastical heritage. The site was donated by George Henry Moore of Moore Hall, County Mayo. In 1852 Reverend John McHale, Archbishop of Tuam ordered five men to go to Achill in September 1852 to convert the islanders from the Protestant religion. St Thomas’ Church of Ireland is situated just down the road from the cottage and having attended a service there, I can honestly say I felt most welcomed. Surfers come in summer from all over the world, to ride giant incoming waves. There’s a unique cultural element to Achill also. The island boasts five pipe bands. Scoil Acla summer school for music, arts and language is much looked forward to. Art galleries and gift shops provide opportunity to possess original prints, paintings pottery or sculptures. When acclaimed painter Paul Henry (born in Belfast on 11th April 1876) spent a two-week holiday on the island, its rugged nature changed his life forever. He tore up his return ticket to London and made Achill his home. Its influence on his work is clear to see in paintings such as Launching the Curragh (1910-1914) and A Donkey Carrying Seaweed (1912). The National Gallery of Ireland hosted the largest ever exhibition of Henry’s work (2003) which prompted a surge of interest in Achill. The visitor’s book at the Heinrich Böll cottage is testimony to the many artists from all over the world who’ve stayed here. 2022 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the first residency in March, 1992. On that occasion, Heinrich’s son René performed the official opening ceremony. On August 4th of that year, the cottage was visited by President Mary Robinson. How did it all begin? In 1955, German writer Heinrich Böll visited Ireland’s largest island (87 per cent peat bog). Like Paul Henry, he fell in love with the landscape and until his death in 1985, he lived periodically

in the cottage. Letters to family back in Germany (respectfully framed and hung on the cottage walls) dated 1955 tell of his delight in the island and how it had more inhabitants than first imagined (200 or so). He wrote about island ways, how a truck with groceries came weekly and that a big loaf of bread could be purchased for the cheap price of 65 pfenning. A pound of butter was 2.20DM and a half pound of tea, 1.80DM. Heinrich mentions a difficulty with the installation of an electric stove although electric lighting worked. Böll was born into a Catholic family in Cologne in 1917 and was an independent force in post-war Germany. President of the International PEN group, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1972. Although a pacifist, he was conscripted and wounded four times. In 1957 he wrote Irisches Tagebuch (Irish Journal) which was translated into English 10 years later. This journal was instrumental in bringing German visitors to Ireland, particularly Achill. After his death, his wife Annmarie and sons René and Vincent agreed to allow the cottage in the secluded village of Dugort to be used as an artist’s retreat. Funding for the residency comes from Mayo County Council and the Arts Council provide assistance in recent years. While the Böll family naturally felt sad at parting with the cottage (the site of so many happy years of family holidays), there was the recognition by them of the importance of preserving Heinrich’s legacy in creating the residency and also, a heritage site. There was also refurbishments to be done. The cottage was sold to the Achill Heinrich Böll Committee for £100,000. Poet Paul Durcan stayed at the cottage for a month residency, during which he wrote much of his collection ‘Greetings to our friends in Brazil’. Durcan referred to the cottage as ‘an ex-soldier’s house on the side of the big mountain’. Photographs of Heinrich Böll abound in the cottage, depicting him as a beret wearing individual, the ubiquitous cigarette in hand. The residency scheme was initiated by Clodagh King (now deceased), poet John F. Deane, Jack Harte and Tom McNamara. Since then, artists from Russia, Japan, Ecuador, Switzerland, the US and Germany have come to the cottage, seeking solitude, inspiration and above all, time to write and reflect. Among the Irish participants have been writer Anne Enright, sculptor John Behan and poet Macdara Woods, who until his recent death, gave workshops that were acclaimed by all who intended. Having featured in one of his workshops myself (many years ago), I can certainly vouch for kind but steady encouragement and a nurturing, inspirational atmosphere. Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 69

Creative Writing

Explore the beauty of Kerry with a walking weekend at The Rose Hotel

Heinrich Böll’S writing room in the cottage. Photo Eamonn Lynskey

I’ve enjoyed the privacy and comforts of the cottage immensely and would recommend application to artists and writers keen on having this private yet valuable experience. Walking to The Silver Strand nearby in early morning has been instrumental in getting creative juices flowing. Meeting no-one but sheep along the way and hearing seabirds call to each other over a restless Atlantic. Even place names on the island are conducive to poetry; Bunnacurry, Dooega, Shraheens, Belfarsad, Currane, Dooagh, Polranny, Tonregee. Pure poetry. The island boasts two writing groups and I was privileged to visit one of those groups during my stay. The Achill Writers’ Group meet on a fortnightly basis (maintained throughout the pandemic restrictions on zoom). Their headquarters is St Thomas’s Hall, a community base attached to the local Church of Ireland congregation. That said, the group is nondenominational and open to all. On the day of my visit, a warm welcome was on the agenda. These writers hadn’t seen each other for a while and their delight in human contact being resumed, was clearly evident in warm smiles and lively greetings. Coffee, tea and a plentiful supply of snacks ensured everyone was armed for the readings to come. The theme for that particular session was ‘Atlantic’ and the meeting was chaired by Martina, one of the group’s members. Each writer takes a turn to chair a meeting, a system that works really well and ensures new energies at each session. The various approaches to this constant watery presence was very unique. Pirate adventures, voyages, trips to various parts of the island, stories from the other side of the Atlantic abounded. It was lovely to hear the merge of voices. Writers from Canada, The Netherlands, Ireland and Germany made for a truly international gathering. Atlantic. The following piece by Doubtsje Nauta is an example of an original take on a constant presence in the lives of the islanders that isn’t always benign: (excerpt) We encountered her waters daily when living on the coast of Achill Island. Although uninvited, she came twice to visit. She crawled under the doormats and over the thresholds, shared some philosophical thoughts under the dining table, checked the contents of the kitchen cupboards, kissed the soft carpets in every room, had a peek behind the skirting and waved goodbye when the moon pulled her out. Our house was left in tears. Applications for a residency at the Heinrich Böll cottage is accepted in September each year when details appear on The Arts Council site and Mayo County Council. The Heinrich Böll weekend takes place from April 29th – May 2nd, details available nearer the date. 70 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

Escape, discover and explore the Kerry landscape on our annual Mount Brandon walking weekend at The Rose Hotel, Tralee this April. Taking place over the weekend of April 22nd and 23rd, check in on Friday evening, after a delicious breakfast on Saturday morning guests will join Wild Water Adventures on a guided walk up Ireland’s 9th highest mountain, Mount Brandon. If you enjoy walking and history then you’re most certainly in for a treat. This beautiful and challenging Mount Brandon walk offers a dramatic ascent up through the glaciated valley with its series of paternoster lakes and the sheer valley walks while experiencing the wonderful views of the Dingle Peninsula. On your return to the hotel, hang your coats and walking gear in the hotel’s drying room before enjoying a drink in the warm and welcoming Dott’s Bar and dinner in the Park Restaurant with seasonal menus reflecting the best of Kerry from executive head chef Odran Lucey. The Mount Brandon Walking Weekend package costs €199 per person and includes two nights’ accommodation, breakfast each morning with dinner on one evening or your choice, guided walk, packed lunch and transport to and from hotel. To book or for further information please contact The Rose Hotel, on 066 7199100 or visit www.therosehotel.com

Please help the Irish Red Cross to be there for vulnerable people in crisis here in Ireland and across the world. This is Fidelma Kelly, an Irish Red Cross supporter, author and elderly carer. Fidelma was kind enough to leave a gift to the Irish Red Cross in her Will and wanted to share her experience with others. “It’s an extremely important thing for every individual to make a Will. I made my first Will when I purchased my first home and have amended it twice since. The process was neither difficult nor expensive; I just booked an appointment with a solicitor and was guided by their expertise. The Irish Red Cross are like first-responders. They do not have the time to fundraise on each and every occasion a humanitarian disaster strikes. If my legacy gift can help to mobilise immediate resources for people in terrible crisis – that is a legacy I am proud of.” From the bottom of our hearts we thank supporters like Fidelma for putting thought into action and helping us to provide crucial humanitarian aid to people who need it most.

Legacy gifts are a remarkable choice and the Irish Red Cross is grateful to anyone who leaves a gift, large or small. Human tragedies occur. We know that we are far from a world with no conflict or disasters, natural or man-made. In Ireland, growing social isolation amongst vulnerable groups mean more people are likely to need our help. And the Irish Red Cross will always be there. That responsibility has been with us for over 70 years and it will be with us in the years to come.

Call or email Donya to avail of a Free Will-making service The Irish Red Cross have partnered with LawOnline (www.lawonline.ie) to offer a free Will-making service. This is a simple and easy to use service which allows you to create or amend your Will for a significantly reduced price. To receive your voucher code, or to have a confidential conversation and get answers to any questions you might have, please give our legacy lead, Donya, a call on 01 642 4649 or email her at danvari@redcross.ie Charity number: CHY3950

Registered charity number: 20005184

Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 71

The wisdom of age

Passion, love, curiosity and hope, rarely grey There is a part in the film “Belfast” where Ciarán Hinds, who plays Pop, says to Judi Dench’s, Granny, “When people see you’re grey, they don’t think your heart ever skipped a beat”. But of course it has. Falling in love, being disappointed by love, or having your heart broken are all human experiences we go through in life. And the older you get, the wiser your outlook and perspective on matters of the heart, tends to be. This goes for most life experiences. But when ageism seeps in, people stop seeing that passion, love, curiosity and hope, rarely grey. Generally speaking, music, fashion, culture and other generational experiences have always grouped us within our own age-based tribes. The last two years of living through the pandemic have possibly been more divisive to generations than anything else we have experienced. At the beginning, we shared our collective fears, hopes and our love for each other, but as it dragged on with no end in sight, we all got various degrees of lockdown fever. Divisions widened, older people were collectively seen as being vulnerable, and to be

excluded from society, while younger people were seen as being selfish, and antisocial in their struggle to stay away from their friends. As we see signs of our old normal coming back, maybe it’s now time to regroup, time to remind ourselves how vital and necessary our older and younger generations are to our society. What better way to do this than by telling our stories. When we share our stories we find out what unites us. We find connections and we find new tribes. It also reminds us of who we are, what we feel, and what we think. When we offer support and advice, we share our stories, and we relate our experiences of resilience to each other. We can remind others that their pain is not new pain, and that it’s surmountable. In the process we find new connections. In “Do/ Story/ How to tell your story so the world listens” by Bobette Buster, it’s mentioned that in a recent ground-breaking study for children, the single best predictor of children’s emotional health and happiness is story. The more a child knows their family’s story, in other words the obstacles that were overcome in order to survive and thrive, the

72 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

“stronger a child’s sense of control over [their] life, the higher [their] self-esteem’. Sharing who we are, our collective humanity connects us. It is a healing experience, and it can bring us fun and friendship. I’m making an online video project, and am looking for older people who are willing to offer advice, support and hope to teenagers who ask for it. I’m looking for contributors to offer guidance based on their wisdom and their human experience. People of different age groups can both teach and learn from each other, and their conversations have the potential to create and develop entirely new ways of solving problems. If you are interested in taking part, you will be filmed answering the issues posed by various teenagers, unknown to you. It’s not professional advice I’m looking for, but if you’re willing to share your gathered wisdom in the hope that it will give someone else support, I would love you to contact me at askmeproject2022@gmail.com. Karen Moran

Back to our Past www.backtoourpast.ie

Conference, Event & Collectables Fair

The genealogy and family/social history event www.backtoourpast.ie

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

Two poetry trails worth exploring in County Galway

Locations at which poems are placed on the Galway City Trail include Salthill promenade and the Claddagh

I was quite surprised to learn there are just two dedicated poetry trails in the Republic of Ireland and both of them are located in County Galway. One can be found in Galway city and the other adjacent to the Connemara National Park. There are a number of trails in Northern Ireland. Recently I visited the trail in the delightful village of Letterfrack right in the heart of Connemara. If you travel there along the N59 between Westport and Clifden be prepared to enjoy what must be one of the most picturesque roads on the Western Seaboard passing along the Killary Fjord. Just before reaching the village make sure to allow time for an extended stop at the quite stunning Kylemore Abbey and Gardens. Dark history Sadly however Letterfrack was not always as you see it today. It is in fact a village with a very troubled history, starting with the Great famine, followed by the establishment of St.Joseph’s Industrial school. The village was originally founded in 1849 by a Quaker family from England. They built a large residence and alongside it a children’s school. In 1884 the property was sold and before long became the Infamous St.Joseph’s Industrial School for boys. Almost three thousand passed through here during its 86 years of existence (1888-1974). Many of these children suffered terribly from physical and sexual abuse and general 74 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

neglect. Close to 150 of the children died while attending the school. During my walk around the poetry trail I came across a graveyard where many children were laid to rest. At the top of the plot stands a monument with a cross and on the ground tiny heart shaped memorial plaques have been placed , each with a child’s name and age some as young as 12 years. These crosses were erected by past pupils of the school. Just standing there and reading the inscriptions was an extremely moving experience. After 1974 everything took a turn for the best. Members of a local community group formed a development company named Connemara West Plc. They decided to purchase the school building and encouraged the Government to take on the farm area and some mountain lands for a National Park. In 1984 Connemara Environmental Education & Cultural Centre (CEECC) was founded by three local school teachers. The idea was to raise environmental awareness and provide heritage education at both local and national level. The small group set about organising a number of annual festivals in the village which include the very successful ‘Sea Week’ featuring walks, art exhibitions, art classes and music events, held each October.

Opening doors for people impacted by homelessness across Ireland As the national housing crisis shows no sign of ending, the work of Peter McVerry Trust has never been so vital. In 2021 the housing and homeless charity, founded by Fr Peter McVerry, supported over 10,000 people in 28 local authorities across Ireland. Pat Doyle, CEO, explains how they are working hard to give the most vulnerable in our society a place to call home. “Our primary aim is to support individuals and families who are homeless into homes of their own, and last year we gave 1,200 people the key to their own door. That key unlocks a new beginning for them; it allows them to rebuild their life.” Since the charity was founded in 1983, their vision has remained resolute – an Ireland that supports all those on the margins and upholds their rights to full inclusion in society. The past two years have been particularly challenging. Pat explains, “Since the onset of the pandemic we have worked with more people than ever before, ensuring we protect and support those in our care to the best of our ability. “Unfortunately, the fundraising environment has been incredibly challenging. Last year, legacy gifts – generously left to our charity by supporters – provided a much-needed lifeline to enable us to continue vital work across our services.” The charity is best known for their shortterm homeless services and operate over 40 services across Ireland for men, women, couples and families. Their purpose-built family hubs offer families a private and supportive environment – enabling them to move on from homelessness. Over the past 38 years the charity has expanded their services to include addiction and recovery services, housing services and education. They provide addiction support through residential and community detox services and currently run two Learning Centres, which provide a safe learning space for students who were excluded from or didn't fit into mainstream education.

Pat adds, “We’ve invested extensively into prevention services – catching someone before they fall into homelessness. And for those who are already homeless, we have a number of housing services that provide pathways out of homelessness.” Peter McVerry Trust is Ireland’s largest provider of Housing First services. Originating in America, the programme provides rough sleepers with their own accommodation as well as specialised support services. The results speak for themselves, Pat says, “Housing First has been incredibly successful in helping people who are particularly vulnerable to not only secure but retain housing. In Ireland, we’ve seen an 86.8% tenancy sustainment rate – it’s making a fantastic impact in the communities we work in across Ireland.” Historically, Peter McVerry Trust was concentrated in Dublin but the charity now operates in 28 local authorities across Ireland. The charity’s national headquarters are located in Dublin and they have regional offices in Cork, Limerick, Louth, Kildare and soon to establish an office in Galway in 2022. Pat says, “Fr Peter McVerry was living in Ballymun when he set up the charity and he wanted to address the needs of vulnerable children living in the inner city. As the organisation has grown, the need for our services has expanded far beyond Dublin and we now work in communities across the country. “Homelessness is often hidden – it’s not just the person sleeping rough on the streets. It’s the families living in a bedroom of a relative’s house. It’s the young woman who cannot leave an overcrowded family home. Or an older man sleeping on a friend’s couch after a separation. We see it all and, thanks to our kind donors, we’re working tirelessly to reduce homelessness and protect the most vulnerable in our communities.” To find out more, get involved or kindly donate, please visit www. pmvtrust.ie or call 01 823 0776. Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 75

Western Ways On my visit I met up with Leo Hallissey former principal of the local school, now a Director of CEECC. Leo showed me around the village and brought me along the trail. Speaking to him I realised immediately how dedicated he is to improving the village and his great optimism for its future. “We have been constantly engaged over the past 40 years on a voyage of restoration”, he told me. “Its best described as moving from a period of great darkness and cruelty to a place today which has become full of kindness, creativity and a place strangers are welcome”. Setting up the poetry trail The year was 2014 and the 30th birthday celebrations of CEECC were scheduled to take place in the month of October. As part of these celebrations it was decided to open a Poetry Trail. Nine poets were commissioned to write works celebrating the importance of place. They were given licence to write freely and in the end produced work which as Leo points out may sometimes be tough, but always honest and beautiful. While some poems are general in nature, others are site specific dealing with the troubled history. The locations for the poems were divided into different areas around the village – three in the heart of the village, three in the Connemara West Centre and the remainder in the Connemara National Park. This gives the option of three starting points. The trail is marked with the letter ‘P’ and an arrow which reminded me of signs along the Camino walking routes. All the poems are on plaques which were designed by Sven Habermann of Conservation Centre Letterfrack which provides restoration of furniture. This highly skilled work including projects for the national museums. Plaques consist of larch wood mounted on original Blue Bangor roof slates from the Industrial school. Poems by President Higgins President Michael D. Higgins launched the Poetry Trail on the 17th October 2014. The CEECC then invited him to contribute a poem to be placed along the trail A year later he presented ‘The Prophets Are Weeping’, which was his first poem since becoming President four years earlier. The location is a secret so the challenge for those taking the trail is to discover it. In a book describing the poetry trail the President states that he wrote this poem just after he had seen the Yazidis people, a very ancient early set of believers driven from their mountains on to the road in Northern Iraq, hoping they might eventually be relieved by Kurdish forces. The final verse of the poem reads: The prophets are weeping, For the words that have been stolen, From texts that once offered, To reveal in ancient times, A shared space, Of love and care, Above all for the stranger. In a recent comment to Senior Times the President said he has fond memories of Letterfrack. The other nine poems on the trail are Before you leave Letterfrack (Eva Bourke) , Winter View from Binn Bhriocáin (Moya Cannon), Waystation (Theo Dorgan) , Letterfrack (Michael Gorman), Glimpse ( Rita Ann Higgins), Companion Pieces (Paula Meehan), April in Rusheenduff (Joan McBreen), Show Day (Mary O’Malley) and Cloigini/Bells ( Louis De Paor.)

The stunning Connemara landscape surrounding Letterfrack

Letterfrack, a centre for learning Leo Hallissey says the village has become a centre for learning. The former industrial school now houses three local community organisations, Connemara West Plc, Forum Connemara and Connemara Community Radio. There is also Galway - Mayo Institute of Technology which is the national centre for furniture design and technology in partnership with Connemara West. They also run teacher education programmes. The village has indeed become a centre of excellence with some 500 people involved in education. On the edge of the National Park you will find the Visitor Centre with a restaurant and close by the AV theatre used for audio /visual presentations in five Languages. It seats 50 people and is used as well for holding a range of cultural events. Further along is Ellis Wood known locally as the Bluebell Wood complete with rustic path, waterfall etc. New signs have been erected to help with identification of the trees which is a good idea. Sadly the posts the signs are mounted on leave a lot to be desired. Letterfrack gives the first time visitor a feeling of being a vibrant place full of activity, even with Covid-19 still around. Last year a new community bookshop Books at One opened in the original Quaker workshop which later became a forge during the school years. It is the home of publishers Artisan House. Leo Hallissey describes the shop as “another Light in the road from darkness”. The Galway City trail The city of the Tribes has a trail of 25 different bronze and limestone plaques all dotted around the city and suburbs each with a piece of writing about the location in which it is placed. The trail dates from 2005 and is organised by Kenny’s Bookshop and Galway County Council in conjunction with Cúirt International Festival of Literature. Every year a new plaque is added to the trail. The most recent addition is named Vortex by Gerard Reidy and was unveiled by award winning novelist and short story writer Mike McCormack last September. In the work Gerard describes his arrival in Galway for the first time as a student in UCG. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony he pointed out that as the poem celebrates water, being placed along the river really is an apt place for his piece. ‘It is a homage to the city, to the energy and the people and vibrancy that’s here’. The plaque is situated close to Jury’s Inn hotel. Other locations at which poems are placed include Salthill promenade and the Claddagh. Writings featured include Seámus Heaney, W.B. Yeats, Moya Cannon, Walter Macken and Rita Ann Higgins. Three of the texts are written in Irish. Visitors to the city can go on a self - guided walking tour taking with them the excellent brochure of the route which is available at Kennys Bookshop or the tourist office. Useful websites:

A book and CD is available from publishers Artisan House with all the poems and a summary of the work by each poet. On the accompanying CD the poets read their poems with music composed by Conor Keane featuring 40 young players and their music teachers from around the area. It was launched in June 2017 by Theo Dorgan poet and broadcaster. 76 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

www.ceecc.org/letterfrack-poetry-trail www.connemaranationalpark.ie www.culturalconamara.com www.kennys.ie/galway-poetry-trail www.galwaytourism.ie

Childhood stops for seriously ill children. At Barretstown we Press Play.

Leave a gift in your will & help children living with serious illness. Leave behind a little magic! Ensuring we can be here for future generations can be your legacy, by leaving a gift in your will. Whether it is a modest sum of money, or a small percentage, every gift will help bring magic into the lives of children living with serious illness.

Barretstown offers free, specially designed camps and programmes for children and their families living with serious illness. When looking after your loved ones in your will you can also be there for children living with serious illness.

Your care and compassion for others can live on through a life changing legacy gift. By remembering Barretstown in your will you can make sure that every child with serious illness can experience the magic of camp.

Healing doesn’t just happen in hospitals and laughter may very well be the best medicine Barretstown Founder, Paul Newman

We can help you succeed in making this gift. For more information, please contact Clare Martin on 045 864 115 or email clare.martin@barretstown.org If you choose to leave us a gift in your will we would love to hear from you.

Registered Charity Number 20027759

! h g u o n e t o n s i e c n

Cosmetics and beauty

Do you ever wonder if you are getting the full benefit of your serums and moisturisers? We often spend quite a lot of money on products to improve our skin quality, to smooth wrinkles and achieve a healthy glow. And certainly there are some excellent products out there, and more come on the market regularly as the industry continues to research and innovate. But the sad reality is that many of us are not getting the full benefit from these products. The reason is that we do not cleanse sufficiently, and so the skin is not able to absorb the creams. As the first step in any skincare routine, cleansing is considered the most important. Our skin faces constant stress from make-up, pollution (fine pollution particles or heavy metals), impurities (sebum, metabolic residue) and mask-wearing which weaken it. Skin must therefore be thoroughly cleansed in the morning and evening, in order to prepare it to absorb moisture and essential ingredients from serums and creams that follow. And the new trend hitting the beauty world is called Double Cleansing. So what is it? Simply put, double cleansing (a technique that became popular in Japan and South Korea before catching on in Europe and North America) 78 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

Mairead Robinson shares the new trend of getting the most out of your skin care products – Double Cleansing.

involves using two different types of cleansers, one right after the other. The most common practice is to wash your face with a pure oil, oil-based liquid cleanser, cleansing balm, gentle face scrub, or cleansing cloth and then follow with a regular, water-soluble cream, gel, or lotion cleanser that is suitable for your skin type. The oils work differently from the surfactants found in regular facial cleansers, such as the cream cleansers that most of us use regularly. It is true that the more make-up you wear, the more thorough cleansing regime you will need, but I do strongly recommend using a separate eye makeup remover, as the skin around the eyes is particularly sensitive and all traces of shadow and mascara should be gently removed from around the eyes. It can also be helpful when hoping to get the most out of your skin products, that you stick to a brand that you know and trust and that suits your skin type. A new brand that I have been using recently is called SkinicanK whose range includes a Revitalising Cleanser, Advanced Eye Repair, Advanced Calming Serum, Advanced Time Delay Day Cream, and Advanced Restoring Night Cream. And their star product is Retinol Power Balm, which I highlighted in a recent article on the use of Retinol. They have both a Level 1 and Level 2 depending on your familiarity with the wonder-ingredient that is retinol. Find out more

Cosmetics and beauty about this fabulous cosmeceutical skincare brand at www.skinician.com Alternatively, if you are one of those people who feel you just don’t have the time, energy or incentive to spend a lot of time and different products on your skin care, there is a new product on the market that may well interest you. Developed by Frances Prescott the Tri-Balm 3 in 1 signature cleansing balm reduces your skincare routine in just one simple step. Cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise at once maximising time, space and packaging. It might sound too good to be true, but I can assure you that this product is the perfect skincare aid to bring with you when travelling. It eliminates having to weigh yourself down with bottles and tubes, and it is kind to the environment also. It contains a blend of botanical oils, starflower and oats to effectively cleanse and remove impurities and make-up, including stubborn mascara. Pumpkin seed enzymes gently exfoliate to smooth and brighten the skin and natural hyaluronic acid locks in moisture. Discover more and shop at www.francesprescott.com And finally when talking about new products and innovation in the world of skincare – we have all heard of collagen and how post-menopause our skin quickly loses it. Studies show that women’s skin loses about 30% of its collagen during the first five years of menopause. After that the decline is more gradual. Women lose about 2% of their collagen every year for the next twenty years. Many of our skin care products contain collagen-boosting ingredients to help fill wrinkles and firm the skin tone. But in recent years there has been a trend to take collagen as a supplement. I recently came across a brand called Absolute Colagen which is the UKs best-selling daily collagen supplement and the most concentrated collagen drink on the market. It is a marine collagen which is also enriched with Vitamin C and is formulated to deliver results for hair, skin and nails. You can learn more about collagen, this new product and you can also purchase on-line at www.absolutecollagen.com Together with the collagen oral supplement, they also have a fantastic collagen boosting serum, Maxerum. This is a collagen-boost

ing powerhouse packed with four superstar ingredients for your skin which together will fill wrinkles, firm the skin and rebuild the skin from the inside out. It also contains Bakuchiol, a plant-derived retinol alternative and a powerful antioxidant. This super collagen booster serum should be applied morning and night, after cleansing and before applying your moisturiser. The serum costs €29.99 or €26.99 when you checkout with a new collagen subscription at ie.absolutecollagen.com Samples Available! I have some 30ml samples of the collagen boosting serum to give away to the first two readers who email me at mairead.seniorbeauty@ gmail.com and tell me why they would Absolutely love to try Absolute Collagen boosting serum. More news on skin care in the next issue, where we will be looking at the benefits of vitamin C in keeping your skin youthful and hydrated, and other happening news and developments in the world of skincare.

GOLEN YEARS MIDWEEK BREAKS Enjoy a midweek break in Tralee, our Over 55’s breaks include Bed/Breakfast & Dinner each evening and complimentary Tea/Coffee & Scones on arrival.

2022

PACKAGES 2 Dinner, B&B

Jan-March & Nov-Dec

April

May, June & September

July & August

October

€145pps

€150pps

€170pps

€190 pps

€150pps

€213 pps €28 per night

€232.50pps

€252 pps

€213 pps

3 Dinner, B&B €207pps Single Room Supplement

To book call 066 7199100 or visit www.therosehototel.com The Rose Hotel, Dan Spring Road, Tralee, Co. Kerry. V92 HKA4. Email: reservations@therosehotel.com

Health

COVMPAQ - new launch from Phytaphix a multiaward winning and 100% Irish nutrition company Phytaphix (pronounced fight a fix) is a 100% Irish and multi-award nutrition company based on the expertise of their founder Dr. Conor Kerley. Dr. Kerley is an Irish doctor of nutrition, award winning nutrition researcher and lecturer in food innovation. Phyt means plant in scientific language and Phytaphix products are based on natural, plant based ingredients. Phytaphix have just launched their second product, COVMPAQ. Immunity + much more COVID-19 has really brought forward the importance of good immune health. But imagine a scientifically formulated nutrition product which could support immunity but also reduce tiredness as well as support psychological health, muscle function and the nervous system. Imagine no more! COVMPAQ has been granted not one but 6 health claims from the European Food Safety Authority regarding immunity, reduction of fatigue, psychological health, as well as normal function of muscle and the nervous system! COVMPAQ in numbers • 1 patent • 7 plant based ingredients • 50+ human studies • 20+ countries • 60 capsules per bottle COVMPAQ: Pure ingredients and powerful formulation COVMPAQ contains 7 plant based and scientifically proven ingredients including • Curcuminoids from turmeric spice; same amount as found in 44 teaspoons of curry powder • Organic vitamin D3 from marine algae; same amount as found in 10 glasses of super milk • Vitamin B12 from Irish mushroom; same amount as found in 8,000g steak • Magnesium from an Irish Sea Mineral complex; same amount as as 53 broccoli florets • Piperine from black pepper; same amount as as 42 sachets of black pepper • Ashwagandha, the most important herb in Ayurvedic medicine • Quercetin – a powerful nutrient, called a polyphenol flavonoid – same amount as 8.4 million cups of tea! Science led Over 50 human studies support the 7 plant based nutrients in the COVMPAQ formulation which have been shown to help support immune health including reducing fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore muscles and tiredness. 80 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

100% Irish Phytaphix are proud to be the ONLY nutrition company that is: • 100% Irish owned • 100% manufactured and packaged • Contains Irish ingredients • Founded by an Irish doctor of nutrition Trust There is so much choice when it comes to nutrition… but who and what to trust? Why not support an Irish, scientific and award winning nutrition company!? Dr. Kerley’s interest in health come from his own diagnosis of multiple sclerosis aged 16 in 2003. This diagnosis inspired him to become interest in heath and nutrition and he earned his degree in human nutrition and dietetics at Trinity College before completing his clinical doctorate with the School of Medicine at UCD with Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown and the National Children Hospital at Tallaght. Kerley then worked in Washington DC and Australia. His research has been published in leading medical journals, leading to numerous awards. Phytaphix products are suitable for adults and children and are packaged in fully recyclable materials. Despite being a new company, Phytaphix have won 6 awards including the 2021 World Food Innovation Awards. In addition, Phytaphix have over 100 5-star reviews! Phytaphix are offering 25% to all Senior Times Readers! Simply enter the code: Senior Times25 on our website or call us for assistance. Further information and contact Available from selected pharmacies nationwide as well as https://phytaphix.ie/ Contact Phytaphix directly via social media or email hello@phytaphix.ie or call 0831458796

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! r e tt u B & d a Bre

Food

Champ Boxty Boxty exists somewhere between the realms of pancake and rosti, and the variety of potatoey textures shows off the spud as an all-rounder. Granny’s recipe uses an emerald fleck of chives, which brings out the provincial flavours of Ulster’s well-loved champ. Serves 4 450g raw potatoes 450g plain flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp chopped chives 450g leftover cooked, mashed potatoes 350ml (approx.) buttermilk 2–3 tsp butter, for frying and serving • Peel and grate the raw potatoes, then place a small pile onto a square of kitchen paper and lift by the four corners to create a sack around the spuds. Squeeze the kitchen paper over a bowl to extract some of the starchy juice from the potatoes and repeat with the rest of the grated batch. • Leave the liquid for around 10 minutes, until the starch has settled in a white paste at the bottom of the bowl and separated from the brownish water, then gently pour off the water and stir the starch back into the grated potatoes. This will add crispiness when cooked. • Place the flour, baking soda, salt and chives in a bowl, then toss in the grated spuds and mix thoroughly with fingertips. Add the mashed potatoes and mix well, then beat in the buttermilk a little at a time until a loose, clumpy batter forms. • Melt a notch of butter in a frying pan or griddle on medium-high heat. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan and spread to round, shallow bales. Fry for 4–5 minutes on each side until crisp and golden. • You can pile the boxty onto a plate in a low oven to stay warm while the rest of the batch cooks, then serve while hot.

Apple Rice Pudding This was Granny’s staple dessert. After dotting individual pots with stewed apples, she would ladle the rice on top and leave the batch by the open window to cool in the breeze. That is until one day the cat snuck in the window to cruelly take a click from each pot! Sadly, there was no dessert that night, and the cat was persona non grata for a day or two. Serves 4 82 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

For the apples: 500g cooking apples 50g sugar For the rice: 100g pudding rice 1 litre milk 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp cinnamon, for dusting

Recipes from Bread and Butter – Cakes and Bakes from Granny’s Stove by Ciara McLaughlin Published on 28th February by The O’Brien Press.

• Peel, quarter and chunk the apples, then add to a heavy-based saucepan and sprinkle in the sugar. Cook over a medium heat for 10–15 minutes, until they stew to a soft appley slush. Dollop the stewed fruit into the bottom of 4 individual bowls or jars and set aside to cool. • Add the rice, milk and sugar to a heavy-based saucepan. • Bring the contents to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and stir continuously to avoid patches sticking to the bottom. • Continue cooking the rice on the hob for a further 30 minutes, stirring constantly until it is thick and soft to bite. • Top each bowl of stewed apples with a snowy mound of rice pudding and finish with a light dusting of cinnamon.

Batch Loaf Making bread may seem daunting, but Granny’s recipe had to be simple so that batches could be baked daily to save a five-mile trip to the local shop. Naturally, it’s now become the norm to buy a loaf, but the seductive scent of a doughfilled oven might give you an appetite for baking your own. This recipe makes four loaves together in one tin, giving the traditional torn sides and crusty top. Makes 4 450ml tepid water 10g fast-action dried yeast (1½ sachets) 650g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting 10g salt 35g vegetable oil • Place half of the tepid water (about the temperature of your hand) into a small bowl and add the yeast. Stir the liquid and leave to settle for 8–10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. • Sift the flour into a large baking bowl and stir in the salt and oil. Pour the yeast liquid into the bowl then gradually add the remaining water, mixing well until a smooth dough forms. You might need a little more or less water to bring the dough to a consistency where it just has the slightest stickiness.

Food • Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use the heel of your hand to knead for at least 8 minutes, until silky and elastic. Alternatively, use a mixer with a dough hook. Lightly oil a bowl, then drop the dough into the bowl and cover with a damp tea-towel. Leave in a warm place to rise for 1½–2 hours, until doubled in size. • When the bread has risen, give it a punch to knock the air out, then divide into four equal pieces and form each into a ball. • Line an 8 inch/20cm square deep tin with baking paper. Set the dough balls in the bread tin, close together so they can join snugly in the oven. • Sprinkle their tops with a decent pinch of flour, then cover with a teatowel and leave on the worktop to rise again for around 45 minutes. • Preheat the oven to 260°C/240°C fan/Gas Mark 10. When the oven is hot, fill a separate tray with boiling water and place in the oven as the bread goes in to make steam that will give the bread a nice crust on top. • Bake for 35 minutes, then turn down the heat to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 6 and bake for a further 10 minutes, until the tops are dark and crisp and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped. • Remove from the oven, slide the loaves from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool. When ready to use, tear the bread into individual loaves and cut into ridiculously thick slices.

Lemon Coconut Slices Before the days of exotic holidays, this blend of coconut and lemon was the closest taste of the tropical. The traybake can be sliced into dainty squares of buttercupyellow that capture the sweetness of the summer season. Makes 16 – 20 For the pastry: 75g butter 150g plain flour 3–4 tbsp water For the topping: 50g margarine, 100g caster sugar 2 eggs, 100g coconut 2 tbsp lemon curd • Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 4 and line a baking tray (about 7 x 11 inches/18 x 28cm) with baking paper. • To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, then add the water, mixing with a knife until a dough is formed. Wrap the dough in baking paper and place in the fridge to chill while you prepare the topping. • For the topping, cream the margarine and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then add to the mixture and beat until smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon to stir in the coconut until the mixture is softly scrambled. • Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about ½cm thick, then use it to line the baking tray. • Dollop on the lemon curd and spread evenly, then smother on the final coconut layer and give the tray a shake to help it settle evenly. • Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, then cover with baking paper and bake for a further 15 minutes, until the coconut has lightly toasted. • Allow the tray to cool completely before slicing into zesty bite-sized squares.

‘All in One’ Raspberry Pudding My sister Niámh is renowned for baking the best sponges with the least effort. Her ‘all in one’ method of throwing everything into the bowl makes light work of whipping up the fluffiest sponge so that baking this impressive dessert is a doddle. Don’t worry if you get some drippage when tipping the pudding upside down – it will only add to the temptation of all that garnet goodness. Serves 6 – 8 For the fruit: 50g butter 250g raspberries 100g caster sugar For the cake: 150g butter, softened 150g caster sugar 3 eggs 200g self-raising flour • Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/Gas Mark 5. • To prepare the fruit, melt the butter in a saucepan then chuck in the raspberries and sugar and allow to heat until just starting to soften. • Pour the fruity mixture into the bottom of an ovenproof flan dish (about 9 inches/23cm round). • To make the pudding, beat the butter, sugar, eggs and flour with an electric mixer until deliciously thick and creamy. Layer the mixture over the fruit until all traces of raspberry are submerged. • Bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes, until the sponge springs back when touched. • Allow to stand for a few minutes, then press an upside-down plate tightly against the top of the dish and give the cake a deft flip upside down. Carefully slip off the dish to reveal the mountain of raspberry lava on top. Recipes by Ciara McLaughlin from Bread and Butter

Four copies of Bread and Butter to be won! Senior Times, in association with the publishers, O'Brien Press, are offering four copies of the book in this competition. To enter simply answer this question: How much butter is required for the lemon coconut slices? Send your entries to: Bread and Butter competition, Senior Times, PO Box 13215, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Or email to: john@slp.ie Deadline for receipt of entries is April 27th 2022. The first four correct entries received are the winners. Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 83

Health

As we get older, our joints get older with us

Throughout life, our joints are subject to constant wear and tear. Arthritis is the most common joint related issue in the western world. There are more than 100 types of arthritis and joint-related conditions. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It occurs when the cartilage wears away, bone rubs against bone, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. Several nutrients help ease the pain associated with arthritis. Other nutrients lubricate and rebuild cartilage. Some of the most important nutrients for our joints include fish oil, glucosamine, chondroitin, ginger, antioxidants and a compound called ‘methylsulfonylmethane’ or ‘MSM’. Despite the necessity of these nutrients for healthy joints, foods containing them are few and far between. Why are these nutrients so important and how do they work? Glucosamine and Chondroitin Glucosamine is a compound which occurs naturally in our bodies. The function of glucosamine is to help develop and maintain cartilage in our joints, which helps our joints to move more freely and without friction across each other.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) MSM is a compound that is very high in sulphur which acts as a building block for healthy joints. Research from high quality studies have found that MSM is effective in improving joint pain, swelling and wellbeing in those who suffer from osteoarthritis. This is due the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects which MSM has on the joints. The sulphur within the MSM plays a role in creating collagen and glucosamine, which are crucial nutrients for healthy joints.

There is lots of evidence to support the beneficial effects of glucosamine supplementation for our joints, including reducing pain in those with osteoarthritis. It may also help to slow the progression of arthritis and maintain a normal amount of space between joints. Chondroitin acts similarly to glucosamine and is a component of cartilage. Research has shown that supplementing with chondroitin can help prevent the breakdown of cartilage, as well as helping to rebuild and repair.

Antioxidants Antioxidants also play a crucial role in maintaining bone and joint health. The following antioxidants are specifically associated with improved joint health:

Fish Oils and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Consuming one to three grams of fish oil per day can help reduce joint pain, tenderness, stiffness and swelling. This is because omega-3’s can help keeps joints supple, by lubricating them. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids have the potential to strengthen our joints by increasing vitamin D absorption, which increases bone density and protects against osteoporosis.

Vitamin E: Protects cells from oxidative stress and therefore can reduce inflammation in joints.

Ginger Root Extract Studies have found that ginger may be as effective in reducing jointrelated inflammation as ibuprofen. Ginger may also be useful in patients with long term joint pain, in addition to acute joint issues such as postsurgery inflammation. This is due to the anti-inflammatory compounds in ginger which act similarly to COX-2 inhibitors found in pain and antiinflammation drugs. 84 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

Manganese: Helps to form connective tissue and maintain healthy bone. Copper: Maintains healthy connective tissue, in addition to regulating the nervous system.

Selenium: Helps to regulate the immune system which can play a role in modulating joint inflammation. Sona JointPlan is a food supplement containing naturally sourced glucosamine, chondroitin, omega-3 fish oil, in addition to ginger extract, MSM and antioxidants such as copper, manganese, vitamin E and selenium. The unique formulation in JointPlan helps to guard against joint deterioration, maintain supple and flexible joints and reduce inflammation. Unlike non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), long term supplementation with JointPlan does not produce unfavourable side effects, which makes JointPlan the preferred remedy for those suffering with osteoarthritis.

HappyTails from the ISPCA ils from the ISPCA HappyTa

Across Ireland, pets continue to give great joy, companionship and unconditional love to their owners and families and are loved and to their love ISPCA ionalthe cared for in return. Often, the animals rescued haven’t had the best start in life, so it’s especially wonderful when they and unconditby onship Across Ireland, pets continue to give great joy, compani in return. Often, the animals rescued by the ISPCA cared for loved andnew andaare owners too getandtofamilies go to loving home. So here are some ‘HappyTails’ of just a few of the many animals rescued in the last year because new y wonderful when they too get to go to a loving haven’t had the best start in life, so it’s especiall the last year in rescued animals many the of ofhome. theSokindness of the ISPCA’s many supporters, volunteers, donors and adopters. few a just of here are some ‘HappyTails’ rs, volunteers, donors and adopters. because of the kindness of the ISPCA’s many supporte

Bobby Rocket

m and when he was abandoned wi th hi s Mu Bobby Rocket was a few months old needed painful skin rashes and sores that si bl i ngs. Mum was unde rwe i ght wi th arasites p r o f d e t a e ci nated, mi cro-chi pped, tr veterinary treatment. All were vac s. spayed before goi ng to lovi ng home and when old enough, neutered or

Bobby Rocket was a few months old when he was abandoned with his Mum and siblings. Mum was underweight with painful skin rashes Whesores n Lilly w as reneeded and that scued sheveterinary had large patreatment. tches of rawAll redwere skin anvaccinated, d much of her coat was gone, possi bly from a chemi cal burn. Li lly w as told reatenough, ed with anneutered tibiotics to micro-chipped, treated for parasites and when p r e v e n t i n f e c t i o n a s w e l l a s s k i n s up p l e m e n t s . T h a n kfully she made a full covery and i s now happy i n her new home. orrespayed before going to loving homes.

Lilly

When Lilly was rescued she had large patches of raw red skin and much of her coat was gone, possibly from a chemical burn. Lilly was treated with antibiotics to prevent infection as well as cued from a dark and resrecovery refull onies wea her pmade he and five otshe pregnant when sThankfully i a was Fskin supplements. and is now fi lthy shed wi thout adequate food, beddi ng or venti lati on. Fi a was very nborn foal was i n dange r . Thank ful ly, thi s l ovabl e mare her uhome. happy t andnew ghher nderweiin u saf el y del i vered a gorgeous, heal t hy f oal.

Fia and Dee

Fia was pregnant when she and five other ponies were rescued from a dark and filthy shed without adequate food, bedding or ventilation. Fia was very underweight and her unborn foal was in danger. Thankfully, this lovable mare safely delivered a gorgeous, healthy foal named Dee. Dee had a wonderful first Summer in the fields at our National Animal Centre. Sadly, many animals suffer cruelty or neglect, others are left homeless to fend for themselves. Year round, ISPCA Animal Welfare Inspectors respond to calls, bringing animals to the safety of our rescue centres. Rescue is just the first step for these animals, it's the beginning of a journey to a new and happy life in a loving home. Every act of kindness, helps make a difference. Visit www.ispca.ie, email ispca-friends@ ispca.ie or call 087 0512603 to find out more. You can make a difference Kind donations and gifts in Wills help to fund the ISPCA’s work. Many people put off making their Will or amending an existing one, but it’s easy to do. You can use the ISPCA’s Free Online Will Writing service or contact your solicitor directly. You can include any cause you care deeply about if in a position to do so. Even leaving a small percentage to a favourite Charity will greatly help in future years. For more information visit www.ispca.ie/legacy or call 087 0512603.

Tank and Ted met after they were rescued from separate Tank and Ted met after they were rescued from separate hoardi ng si tuati ons. remely for s extlasted and Ted wa onths sted for mskin lasevere that a fectionhad severe skin inTank Tank had asituations. hoarding infection that nervous of pe opl e . T he y be came e ach ot he r’ s ‘ support dog’ as t he y re cove re d. . s e m o h w e n r i e h t n i ed settlextremely appily now hTed months was nervous of people. They became Both are and each other’s ‘support dog’ as they now happily Year for themselves. to fendare are left homelessBoth othersrecovered. or neglect, suffer cruelty animals Sadly, many round, ISPCA Animal Welfare Inspectors respond to calls, bringing animals to the safety of our rescue settled in their new homes. and new a to journey a of beginning the it's animals, these for centres. Rescue is just the first step happy life in a loving home. Every act of kindness, helps make a difference. Visit www.ispca.ie, email ispca-friends@ispca.ie or call 087 0512603 to find out more.

INFO BOX Please To report cruelty, neglect or abuse to an animal, please contact the ISPCA National Animal Cruelty Helpline in confidence on You can make a difference put off making their people 0818 515515, helpline@ispca.ie, visit our website Many work. helps to fund the ISPCA’sor gifts in Wills andemail Kind donations will or amending an existing one, but it’s easy to do. You can use the ISPCA’S Free Online Will www.ispca.ie to report online Writing service or contact your solicitor directly. You can include any cause you care deeply about

The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) is Ireland’s largest animal welfare charity working to prevent cruelty to animals, to promote animal welfare and to relieve animal suffering. Together with the ISPCA’s affiliated members, thousands of animals are rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed each year.

Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 85

Our vision is that every child with a serious illness should be able to enjoy their childhood. Barretstown helps rebuild the lives of children affected by serious illness, and their families, by providing life changing therapeutic programmes in a safe, fun and supportive environment. When a child is seriously ill, their life becomes about everything they can’t do anymore, and they can stop feeling like a regular child. Even when they physically start to get better, the psychological scars of their illness, or that of their siblings, can remain, eroding confidence, diminishing self-esteem and coping skills. Barretstown empowers and encourages each child to step out of their comfort zone and rebuild their confidence through our medically endorsed therapeutic programmes. They start to discover the magic of being a child again. Barretstown offers therapeutic programmes at our unique residential site in Co Kildare, and in hospitals and schools throughout Ireland.

Since opening our gates in 1994, Barretstown has served 75,000 children and family members. One of the most powerful and lasting ways you can support children living with serious illness is by considering leaving a gift in your will. All gifts left to Barretstown in wills, no matter how big or small the amount, will be combined into the Magic Fund. This Fund is a vital source of income for Barretstown, allowing us to bring more campers to Barretstown and to invest in vital capital projects we would not otherwise be in a position to undertake. Leave behind a little magic. Ensuring Barretstown can be here for future generations can be your legacy. Your care and compassion for children will live on in Barretstown. We are grateful for every legacy gift. Whether it is a modest sum of money, or a small percentage, each gift will help bring magic into the lives of children living with serious illness.

“There is something only those who go to Barretstown understand: camp magic. The best of humanity is felt here. It is my honour and privilege to pay it back and pay it forward to a camp and country that holds a piece of my heart and soul, by leaving a legacy.” Brenda Eng, Med Shed volunteer nurse and legacy donor

WALKING FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND FUN, FRIENDSHIP, FITNESS Join the launch at SeniorTimes LIVE! in the RDS on the 23rd and 24th April

Win a two-night stay and a dinner for two at the fabulous Oriel House Hotel, Ballincollig, Co Cork! Make sure you can say

‘see you there’

If you are apart from friends and family, the smartphone is the best way to say hello. But sometimes you can’t work the apps that let you stay in touch.

Senior Times, in association with the Talbot Collection, are offering a two-night stay for two people with breakfasts, plus one dinner, at the Oriel House Hotel and Leisure Club, Ballincollig, Co Cork.

Vodafone believes that everybody should be connected.

The Oriel House Hotel & Leisure Club is located in Ballincollig, in Co Cork. The hotel is a mere 10 minutes’ drive from the heart of the city styled with a unique mix of old and new, luxury and relaxation. Located within walking distance of Ballincollig Regional Park and Ballincollig Shopping Centre, with extensive amenities of retail stores, bars, restaurants, and a multiplex cinema.

That’s why we set up The Smartphone Support Line for Older People – a service for people on any network, designed to help older people get smartphone savvy and keep connected.

Make sure you can stay in touch. Freephone

1800 111140

To enter, simply answer this question: Which collection is The Oriel Hotel part of? Send your answer to Oriel Hotel Competition, Senior Times, PO Box Number 13215, Rathmines, Dublin. Or mail to: john@slp.ie. The first correct answer drawn is the winner. Deadline for receipt of entries is 20th April 2022

9am to 6pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays)

Terms and conditions apply

Oriel House Hotel | Ballincollig, Co. Cork,

Tel: +353 (0)21 4208402 | E-mail: aoife@orielhousehotel.ie| Website: www.orielhousehotel.ie

Competition winners from the last issue and seniortimes.ie 1

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Two night stay at The Hardiman Hotel, Galway Diane Sugrue, Limerick Three copies of Eat Well and Age Well Sorcha Seoighe, Oranmore, Co Galway Ber Russell, Cork Theresa Stapleton, Tipperary Town, Co Tipperary

Crossword: Four copies of Bog Treasury Poetry Lilian Webb, Naas, Co Kildare Geraldine Gardeiner, Dublin 4 Margaret Mugan, Castlerea, Co Roscommon Norah OConnor, Killorglin, Co Kerry

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Guess the year: 1975

Northern

By Debbie Orme

Notes

The ‘oldest clown in town’ When many 61 year olds are only thinking of retirement and putting their feet up, one 61 year old is still having a blast as the ‘oldest clown in town’! Paul, ‘Bucky’ Taylor - otherwise known as Bucky The Clown - has is still working as a clown across Northern Ireland and indeed has just finished a three week stint at the popular all-human circus, Tumble Circus, in Belfast’s Writers’ Square. But performing under dazzling lights and generating big laughs is a far cry from his humble beginnings as a struggling engineer in London, when he was made redundant along with his best friend John. After touring the east coast of Australia, the pair returned to find London prices making living there almost an impossible task. ‘We got back to London and I couldn’t afford to live there anymore and John suggested we try Belfast,’ Paul told Northern Notes. ‘I’d been persuaded to become a mature student, and when John suggested Belfast, I began studying anthropology,’ he explained. ‘At that time I was approached to help set up a juggling club.’ A chance encounter with a lady called Margaret Eno, who was looking for four people to join a juggling club at Queen’s University in Belfast, was the inspiration for Bucky’s circus involvement. ‘We started the Queen’s juggling club in the early 90s and it’s still going big time. They meet every Tuesday and it’s been the neutral space for all. The juggling club led us into Belfast Circus and all the other circus stuff that has gone on here.’ Bucky draws his inspiration to develop his array of characters from the late Rob Torres, one of the world's most successful clowns and from figures in the comedy scene. ‘I suppose years and years of watching Monty Python and the Young Ones and being very lucky to live in London when the comedy scene hit, I always saw Tommy Cooper, Morecambe and Wise, through to Alexei Sayle, and the like. I think I’ve always been a bit eccentric.’ At the beginning of his career in Belfast, Bucky was a trainer with Circusful, formally known as Belfast Community Circus School, teaching circus skills to the next generation of Circus entertainers. Now, he’s a performer on their professional roster and also spends his time performing as a clown doctor for children with life-limiting conditions, a role he has been performing for 17 years. During his early days as a clown doctor, Bucky was accompanied by the legendary Jos Houben, an internationally acclaimed leader in Comedy and Physical who was sent by the French Theatre de Complicité to brighten up hospital visits. Bucky visits children’s wards and hospices as his character ‘Dr Clueless’ with partner ‘Dr Muddle’, wearing a stripped back version of his usual clown attire. ‘It’s unbelievable,’ he says. ‘We go everywhere from the hospices to hospitals. We come into the wards in the morning, and we make offers of play on the wards.We don’t wear make-up, just red noses and white coats. We use our skills. ‘Obviously I have my circus skills and juggling and slapstick, but basically it’s just an offer of play and if the child takes it up great. The job is hardcore as you could be dealing with kids with broken arms and legs but, over the years, it’s been very rewarding.’ Despite the emotional toll that comes in such a role, Bucky feels it is worth it for the children and their families. ‘It’s the best job in the world,’ he says. ‘You put the nose on and go out through the door. You leave the 88 Senior Times March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

Bucky in final act

world behind. You leave everything at the door. Then when you come off, you take the nose off, disinfect it and that keeps you sane. ‘You do see some pretty awful stuff and there’s been a lot of children that we’ve got to know. ' ‘You build up a relationship with a child over the years, particularly with the cancer side of things or head injuries. Often the end is really amazing and often it’s not so amazing. You lose a child but you get to know the families, the staff, and everyone involved.’ Without the early training and support from Circusful, Bucky believes he wouldn’t have achieved half of what he has done throughout his career. ‘I have to mention Circus School as they’ve facilitated a lot of our early training. We had training from the top notch clowns in France where they came and did our first early workshops with the first group of clown doctors. ' ‘I’ve also been privy to workshops with Rob Taries, the street clown. It’s been fabulous. I love the madness of it,’ he says. ‘It looks like chaos, but you’d trust the team at Tumble Circus with your life – it’s mad. They let me do what I want, be an idiot and let me off the reins. It’s the only non-scripted anarchic place I could inhabit. They might complain about my lack of underwear but, other than that, I have free rein.' From his first tentative steps in Belfast, Bucky is firmly rooted in the Northern Irish capital and proud to be a part of the internationally-recognised Circusful. ‘I stay here for my kids and the buzz,’ the 61 year old explains. ‘Belfast is small and the community looks out for each other. It’s tight knit. Everybody around the world knows about the Circus School. John and I do a lot of travelling and you meet people and they all know about the circus in Belfast.’

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Northern Notes

Care for carers’ project launched

and help boost the profile of tourism in Northern Ireland. I have no doubt that the addition of the Strangford Lough Viking Festival to the festival programme for 2022 will create new and exciting reasons to visit Portaferry and Strangford.’ With the main activity taking place in Portaferry and Strangford, from Thursday 24 - Sunday 27 March, the festival will highlight the strong Viking links rooted within Strangford Lough and showcase a wide range of experiences and entertainment for all ages. Portaferry and Strangford will see Viking camps, open 10am-4pm Saturday and Sunday, with re-enactors telling the Viking story and showing how they lived in the area more than a thousand years ago. They will also be displaying their full-sized replica long ships both on land and water, with sailors from the “Vikings” TV series discussing their adventures. Demonstrations will include blacksmithing, woodworking, pottery, weaving, jewellery making, birds of prey and Rune Reading. Visitors can try their hand at axe throwing, archery and spear throwing and hear “Skalds” tell Viking sagas, participate in children’s treasure hunts and see fierce warriors do battle.

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke (centre) launches the Care for Carers Project

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke (centre) launches the Care for Carers Project. Derry City and Strabane District Council have launched a free virtual programme of activities and awareness sessions to help carers improve their physical and mental health. The Care for Carers Project is supported by the Public Health Agency (PHA) and delivered in partnership with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and the Western Health and Social Care Trust. The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke, welcomed the programme and urged carers to consider accessing the resources. ‘Carers are often so busy looking after someone else that they can neglect their own health and wellbeing which can exacerbate an already challenging environment,’ he said. ‘This programme will encourage carers to take some well-earned time away from their role to relax and focus on themselves. There are lots opportunities to develop news skills and connect with new people through group activities so I'd encourage carers to get involved by accessing the online programme.’

Councillor Mark Brooks (second left) and Councillor Cathy Mason (centre) help launch the Strangford Lough Viking Festival.

For full festival details, log on to visitardsandnorthdown.com or visitmournemountains.co.uk

Mayor joins 100th birthday celebrations for Tillie Virtue

Access and Inclusion Co-ordinator at Council, Caitriona Doherty, explained more about the initiative. ‘The aim of this project is to provide an online platform where carers can socialise and empathise with each other, while focusing on their own self-care,’ she said. ‘There is a wide range of engaging, educational and fun workshops, activities and information sessions available. Carers will be given the opportunity to take part in Tai Chi, photography, cookery workshops and arts and craft workshops among other activities." If you are a carer and would like to find out more information about accessing the project, visit www.derrystrabane/inclusion or contact inclusion.culture@derrystrabane.com.

The Vikings are coming! Ards and North Down Borough Council and Newry Mourne and Down District Council have announced the launch of the Strangford Lough Viking Festival, which is being held from 24-27 March ‘We are delighted to support this exciting new festival,’ said Ainsley McWilliams, Regions Manager at Tourism NI, who are funding the festival, ‘which will explore the Viking links within Strangford Lough as well as showcase a wide range of authentic experiences and entertainment suitable for everyone. Events like this are crucial to our local economy 90 Senior Times March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

100 up: Tillie Virtue

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has made a special presentation to a Coleraine resident who marks a milestone birthday this week. Councillor Richard Holmes visited Tillie Virtue at her home ahead of her 100th birthday which took place on Friday 11 February 2022. Born in County Tyrone a century ago, the mother of seven has three daughters and four sons who all live in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Germany. Her husband Bobby passed away over 20 years ago. ‘I would like to thank Tillie and her extended family for inviting me to be a part of her 100th birthday celebrations,’ the Mayor said. ‘I was delighted to offer my good wishes on behalf of the Borough. I greatly enjoyed my chat with her, a truly amazing lady who is much loved by her family and friends. I hope she enjoys continued good health and contentment.’

Meeting Place NOTE: When replying to advertisements give only your telephone number and/ or email address. Do not give your postal address.

bridge, reading, music and travel. WLTM likeminded gentleman mid 60's to late 70's, for companionship and to share common interests REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K8

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ARE YOU IN LIMERICK OR SURROUNDING AREAS? Are you interested in social interaction and 'meet ups' with other retired people for coffee and chat, dining out, shows, days and breaks away etc REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K9

TIPPERARY MAN 6ft, WLTM a woman around my own age for friendship, maybe more. I am a retired professional and widower, GSOH. I lead an active life NS SD. Interests and hobbies include meeting friends, eating out, current affairs, sports and outdoor activities. My children are grown up and living in Dublin. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K2 SOUTH EAST FEMALE, 58, WLTM tall male who enjoys the theatre and garden. I’m interested in friendship and possible romance. I am 5 foot 7 and have English accent. Reading, theatre, sea and garden are things I enjoy must. Good sense of humour important. If anyone would like to meet up I would be delighted to hear. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K3 ATTRACTIVE WIDOW late sixties, living in Dublin, NS, SD, GSOH, enjoys playing golf, bridge, reading, music and travel. WLTM likeminded gentleman mid 60's to late 70's, for companionship and to share common interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K4 SINGLE PROFESSIONAL WOMAN 60s,NS, SD, enjoys reading, walking, foreign travel, the arts and good conversation WLTM an educated, active, refined, kind man with GSOH aged 59 - 69 with similar interests for friendship/ relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K5 SOUTH DUBLIN WOMAN M 59, independent, straight-talking, fit, outdoors type with own unique sense of style, seeks company of like-minded professional man circa 60 to enjoy exchanging views, sometimes walking my dogs, watching sport, dining out, occasional weekends away and holidays. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K6 SOUTH DUBLIN LADY 70s, WLTM ladies/ gents for friendship, Love to dance, meet for coffee, Chat, walk, and have a good laugh. This lady is fun with a good sense of humour and would like to meet likewise. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K7 ATTRACTIVE WIDOW late sixties, living in Dublin, NS, SD, GSOH, enjoys playing golf,

SOUTH CITY CORK GENTLEMAN, single, mid 60’s, sincere, friendly, respectful, well educated, tall, athletic and considered attractive WLTM a tall lady with similar characteristics/interests for friendship/romance and long term relationship. Interests include cooking, swimming, walking, gardening, reading, dancing, music and travel at home/abroad. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K10 NORTH MUNSTER RETIRED WIDOW, warm and caring with a positive and youthful outlook enjoying varied interests & exploring new ones, WLTM a NS genuine, caring, sociable gent early 70s who has a GSOH to explore common interests and share life's adventures. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K11 FUN LOVING CO WEXFORD LADY fifties, young at heart, would love to meet similar ladies for fun days out and general socialising. Interests include brisk walking, good music, travelling, eating out ,coffee and chats . REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K12 PROFESSIONAL RETIRED DUBLIN MAN, 70s, WLTM nice lady from Dublin or surrounding area. ND, SD. Various interests and like to travel a lot. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K13 NORTH KILDARE LADY, 70s, NS, SD. Interests include country walks, nature, wildlife, theatre, historic buildings, and travel.WLTM gent with similar interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K14 DUBLIN GENT, 60, WLTM lady of similar age from the capital or surrounding area. Enjoy the simple pleasures such as weekends away, concerts, eating out etc. If you’re a lady who likes a laugh and is a genuinely happy person we might get along great! REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K15 KILDARE MAN 65 suffering from recent bereavement wishes to find a sympathetic lady to talk to. Interests include painting in oils. Have a large house with a room to accommodate a lady. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K16 ‘HAPPY IN JEANS’. Co Meath lady, 65, WLTM gent roughly same age for coffee, or lunch and a chat. I like the seaside, going for walks and a

little dancing. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K17 CLARE MAN MID 60s, single, no ties. Kind, sincere and caring, very socialable. NS, SD, love traditional and C&W music, gardening and going to events. WLTM down to earth, caring, honest lad in her early 60S with similar interests and from the same area or adjoining counties for friendship and possible relationship.. REPLY TO BOX K18 CAVAN MAN 72 WLTM lady 60-70 from Cavan or surrounding areas. Live in the country and like most kinds of music, Interests include indoor and outdoor events, outings, dining out, dancing, theatre, cinema. . I’m honest and since and if you are a nice genuine lady please get in touch. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K19 ROMANTIC, SHARING, CARING DUBLIN CHAPPIE, 72, single never married. Interests include watercolour painting, art history, woodland walks, seeks commitment with positive lady. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K20 DUBLIN GENT 60s, medium height. Enjoy reading, walking, cosy nights in, eating out etc. WLTM lady from Dublin or surrounding area with a view to a long term relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K21 DUBLIN WIDOW/FORMERLY FROM MEATH Mid 60's, interested in meeting gentleman with a good sense of humour for walks, coffee, chats, and craic. I also like movies, theatre, concerts, travel, reading, music and art. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K22 NORTH WEXFORD GENT MID 60s, looks younger, slim, NS, SD. WLTM a lady 50s to 60s. My interests are walking, reading travel, eating out, long drives, current affairs and concerts. So ladies get in touch for loving friendship/relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T1 NORTH DUBLIN LADY LATE 60s would like to hear from other ladies interested in sun holidays in 2022. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T2 PLAIN JANE FROM LEINSTER but attractive in many ways. GSOH, educated, young at heart. WLTM a personable, refined, educated gent, preferably a widower, for friendship and chats. Age range 70s-80s. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T3 DUBLIN GENT 60 YEARS YOUNG. Young at heart, healthy, well presented, fit and attractive with positive attitude. WLTM lady for discreet romance. Looking for a lady who would like to share a swashbuckling adventure with fun and laughter. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T4

Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 91

DUBLIN MALE 60, SEEKS MALE TRAVELLING COMPANION 50-70 for holidays in Thailand when the time is right. Enjoy the lovely weather, beautiful beaches, fantastic food, great night life and gorgeous, friendly ladies. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E20 SOUTH EAST FEMALE, 58, WLTM A gentleman who perhaps enjoys champagne and strawberries. I’m interested in friendship and possible romance. with taller man. I am 5 foot 7 and have an English accent. My interests include reading, theatre, and gardening. Good send of humour important. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E21 SOUTH WEST DUBLIN LADY MID 50s seeking kind, sincere, single/widowed gent aged 55/65 as a soulmate/companion. Passions include golf, animals, especially dogs, and wildlife. Love nature, country walks, gardening, eating out and many other things. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E22 INTERESTED IN MAKING FRIENDS? I'm female and in my 70s and live in Dublin area. Like to travel keep fit read. I do some voluntary work and like singing with church choir. Like to meet with friends regularly for coffee or maybe a drink. Would be great to meet someone with similar interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X1 DUBLIN MALE NATURIST 60 (Look younger) single, WLTM with a nice broad-minded, uninhibited, mature lady to join a naturists club and travel abroad on naturists holidays REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X2 WELL PRESENTED, slim, active Meath lady in her 60s NS, SD, WLTM outgoing slim gentleman with a GSOH, who enjoys walking, golf, travelling, theatre and dining in or out for companionship, hopefully leading to a long term romance. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X3 PROFESSIONAL LADY, 60s, divorced, Dublin area, slim, attractive, 5ft 3in WLTM professional gent taller than 5ft 5in. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X4 SINCERE, OUTGOING, YOUNG AT HEART, caring widow, retired, Limerick based professional, who enjoys current affairs, the arts, good conversation, scenic rambles especially by sea and sand and holiday breaks at home and abroad WLTM genuine, warmhearted, sociable, unattached gent in early 70's who is NS and has a GSOH to share post - Covid happy times with. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X5 MALE UCD GRADUATE 1966 SEEKS a female partner around my age (76) to eat out with, walk every day and go away for short breaks. I love theatre and films and classical concerts. Dublin-based. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X6

KILDARE MALE EARLY 70s, fit and healthy. WLTM a lady 65 to early 70s for dancing, eating out, country music, travel home and abroad, walks etc. for friendship and maybe more. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X8 RETIRED PROFESSIONA LEINSTER LADY, 61, single enjoys the arts and theatre in Dublin area. Interest include travelling, learning Spanish, reading, walking, singing, gardening and growing vegetables. Kind, positive and gracious, seeks like-minded gentleman for friendship and perhaps a relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X9 RETIRED PROFESSIONAL WIDOW 60s, Galway and surrounding areas, interested in travel, walking, books, day trips, weekends away, eating out, coffee etc. Interested in meeting like-minded people for social meet-ups. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X11 KERRY-BASED LADY, 56, WLTM a man close to my own age to share the simple joys of life like sea-swimming, walking and the outdoors. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X12 SOUTH WEST DUBLIN LADY MID 50s seeking kind, sincere, single/widowed gent aged 55/65 as a soulmate/companion. Passions include golf, animals, especially dogs, and wildlife. Love nature, country walks, gardening, eating out and many other things. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X13 DUBLIN LADY 70s NS, SD, GSOH, WLTM gent for companionship. Relationship who enjoys country walks, drives out of town and cosy evenings by the fire. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X15 SLIGO LADY, DIVORCED, grown-up family, medium build, NS, SD, GSOH. Interests include country music, dancing, reading, travel, walking, good conversation. WLTM nice gent 60-65 for friendship, possible relationship, willing to travel to meet up. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X16 CO KILDARE LADY UNATTCHED 64, tall, attractive, educated, many interests including travel, weekends away, cinema, theatre and reading. Very outgoing personality with positive outlook on life. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X17 GENT LATE SIXTIES interested in forming a mixed social group in the Dublin area for walking, eating out, etc. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X18 CO TIPPERARY WIDOW medium build, NS, SD, GSOH. Interests include all music genres, the arts, reading, walking good conversation, travel. WLTM a nice sincere gent 60=70 for friendship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X 19

92 Senior Times March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

NORTH CO DUBLIN WIDOW 67, 5ft.5, GSOH. Enjoy walking daily, reading, dining out, music, travel home and way, current affairs etc. WLTM kind, caring gentleman in similar situation with GSOH for friendship/relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X20 LADY MID 60s Kildare/Dublin border, NS, SD, GSOH, fun loving, enjoys the craic, considered attractive, average height, slim build, very friendly, good conversations, stylish. Interests include music, nature, concerts, day trips, weekends away. WLTM gent mid-60s to mid-70d from anywhere in the country. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X21

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Four copies of much-praised historical novel to be won! Senior Times,in association with the publisher Poolbeg Press are offering four copies of Lives Apart by Anne M. McLoughlin in this issue’s crossword competition. Lives Apart is a tale of emigration from Ireland to America after the famine. Set in County Clare, Boston, San Francisco, and Nova Scotia it explores sibling relationships and how a disastrous action can reverberate through the lives of the extended family. It also looks at the experience of emigration, both for those who had the courage to venture across the Atlantic and those they left behind.

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Send your entry to: Crossword Competition, Senior Times, PO Box 13215, Rathmines, Dublin 6 Deadline for recept of entries is 10th April 2022 . The first four correct entries drawn are the winners.

Crossword Crossword History

Number 116 by Zoë Devlin

ACROSS

DOWN

1 5 8 12 6 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 32 34 36 40 41 42 43 47 48 49 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 63 64 67 69 70 73 74 75 76 79 81 83 84 87 88 90 91 92 93 94

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Season of Easter and daffodils (6) Is this girl’s name an issue? (5) Break into pieces or former Fine Gael politician? (7) Essayist, Charles ___ or young sheep? (4) Prank played on day after 31st March! (5,4) A mad retort for this large Netherlands city? (9) Pungent sauce made of red hot peppers (7) Jonathan or small bird noted for rapid flight (5) More than is needed or late edition of newspaper (5) Motorway in German-speaking country (8) I also like this midland county (5) Outer covering of seed (4) Alter or cause to change (6) Season when the leaves turn brown (6) Does Pa dish out pesticide to kill these bugs? (6) Person such as Neil Armstrong (8) Publication such as ‘The Irish Examiner’ (9) Rays of light from the sky (8) Consume food (3) Don’t debase the floor of the ocean! (6) Easter Rising leader, ___ Connolly (5) Tomato juice cocktail for the army, Old Boy! (6,4) Disdain, contempt .. for your corns? (5) Promote, upgrade or raise up (7) Damascus is the capital of this country (5) Surmise or believe to be guilty (7) Relating to European country or Pa’s shin? (7) Play such as ‘Juno & the Paycock’ (5) Ship’s officer in charge of dining arrangements (7) Limbless scaly reptile (5) Sailing boats with two hulls (10) Compulsory contributions to state revenue (5) Former Taoiseach, familiarly known as ___ (6) Soluble substance for colouring fabric or hair (3) Unknown individual (8) Relating to the sky (9) Conserve or maintain, or even jam? (8) Our upper house, ___ Éireann (6) Coldest season of the year (6) Narrator or person who works in a bank (6) Thaw or unfreeze (4) Author ___ Lessing or movie star, ___ Day (5) Aromatic shrub with mauve/blue flowers (8) Latin-American ballroom dance (5) Deep opening in the earth’s surface (5) Musical composition for voices & orchestra (7) Chemical used to kill rodents or insects (9) Position or job in an organisation (9) The Occident (4) Day connected to pancakes! (7) Item written into a record or diary (5) Unit of money in Israel (6)

Allows or tolerates (7) I let in water into this small cove (5) Retail merchant who sells foodstuffs (6) Answer to a problem (8) Arranged in many parts, as in TV dramas (10) Where the river widens into the sea (7) Rain containing ice (5) Assistance or help (3) The Brothers Grimm’s small hero (3,5) Old Testament’s great-grandmother of King David (4) Print slanderous statements against someone (5) Italian fascist dictator, Benito ___ (9) Small rolls of soft bread (4) Equine creatures (6) Manservant in charge of the table (6) Female steward on a plane (7) Born Salzburg, 1756, Wolfgang ___ Mozart (7) Aggressively ambitious and forceful (5) Capital of Finland (8) Ceremonial procession of marching people (6) They serve on juries (6) Person trained to travel as 32 Across (9) Lanes lead to this Boyne valley castle (5) Republic in northeastern Africa (5) One who relies on another for financial support (9) Is there an alarm team at your old school? (4,5) Could be ___ the Great or ___ Graham Bell? (9) Coming or going, it’s a Co Meath town! (5) One who might dwell in Athens (5) Excited anticipation of approaching climax (8) For keeping the feet warm (5) Wooden stick used in camogie or hurling (6) One who pursues a sport as a pastime (7) Aroma .. fragrance (5) Discourages or dissuades (6) Highest mountain peak at 8,849 metres (7) Food from heaven? (5) Plant with stinging hairs (6) New York Stock Exchange lives here (4,6) Reshuffle or put into a new order (9) Nickname of New York city (3,5) Largest producer of cognac (8) Persuade, lure or entice away from duty (6) Pate or meatloaf baked in earthenware casserole (7) Deliberately vague or ambiguous (7) Young lads (6) Astute, intelligent, chic (5) Common flower that grows in lawns (5) Let’s be clear! This is the banner county! (5) Tailless cat from the Isle of Man (4) Creator of ‘Bambi’ and ‘Pinnochio’___ Disney (4) Divot or piece of turf (3)

Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie 95

Crafts

Connie McEvoy marvels at a natural work of art

An Easter ‘Chick’ As I was taking a stroll on Termonfeckin strand a while ago I was pleasantly surprised to find this piece of drift wood, it seemed an appropriate find as I was sure it resembled the head of a sea bird and as I carefully carried it home many interesting ideas sprung to mind regarding how it might be put on display. It was carefully washed and left to dry for a few days but as no workable or functional display ideas surfaced it was put in a ‘safe place’ and forgotten about completely until it was deemed safe for senior citizen passengers to go on our jaunts to Drogheda after the January 2021 lockdown had ended.

to be collected and taken to Drogheda on Minty’s Flexibus,( Local Link, Louth, Meath & Fingal bus) when an egg shaped white stone caught my attention. Realising that there was an outline of a baby chick to be clearly seen on it I picked it up, cleaned it on the grass verge of the lane and shouted Eureka! After waiting for such a long time I will now be in a position to utilise the piece of driftwood that had been in storage (waiting for something to turn up like Mr Micawber!). During lockdown sessions I tried to keep my brain active working on articles for Senior Times and although I had something else in mind for the March/ April 2022 issue I hope that this project will be equally appropriate.

There I was standing on some pebbles and stones that had recently been put in a pothole on Tubbertoby Lane while waiting anxiously

Having found a marble that fitted perfectly in the cavity where the bird’s eye should be I stuck it in place using super glue and the same

96 Senior Times March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie

procedure was followed when attaching the chick stone. This natural work of art was placed on a foam pad covered in some blue silk fabric and put on display in a presentation box of two Churchill Alex Clark mugs (Rooster & Hen) that was an Easter gift I received from a family member a few years ago and had spent some time in the attic because I thought that it might have potential! The twinkle of his eye is my favourite caption for the finished masterpiece. I am extremely grateful to the photographers who have made this project possible for me to finalise this article. Thank you Helen and Adam McEvoy and Ronan Hand and I hope that the Easter Bunny is generous when the time comes. Connie McEvoy.

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Senior Times magazine - March/April 2022

Articles inside

Crafts

Crossword

Meeting Place

Cosmetics and beauty

Veteran blues singer Rob Strong is still performing at

Northern Notes

Western Ways

Dublin Dossier

A writers’ paradise in Co Mayo

A new challenge for Derry Clarke

Advice on how to prevent and live with COPD

Guess the year

Poetry

Coming ‘clean’ on recycling

News

Paul McCartney approaches 80

Still going Strong

George Bernard Shaw, Nobel Laureate and Oscar winner