SeniorTimes Magazine July/August

Costa de la Luz

Seville

Punta Umbria

A morning orientation walk in Islantilla or Punta Umbria

A half day excursion to the Moorish town of Niebla, famous for its medieval walls A full day excursion retracing the steps of Christopher Columbus A full day excursion to Seville

Sorrento Coast, Pompeii & Capri

Flights from Dublin to Naples

7 nights on the Sorrento Peninsula

A full day excursion to the Island of Capri

A full day excursion to include a morning walking tour of Sorrento and an afternoon visit to the Pompeii excavations

A full day excursion on the magnificent Amalfi coast by boat, to include stops in Positano and Amalfi with entrance to The Cloister of Paradise included

Flights from Dublin to Pisa or Bologna

7 nights in Montecatini, a beautiful town built around its mineral water springs

A full day excursion to Florence

A full day excursion to Pisa and Lucca including tours of each city

A full day excursion to Siena, followed by a visit to San Gimignano

Highlights of Andalucia

/ Half board

Flights from Dublin to Malaga

nights in Loja and 3 nights in Granada

half day walking excursion of Antequera

full day excursion to the World Heritage city of Cordoba

A full day excursion to Granada including a visit to the Alhambra Palace and Fortress

A full day excursion to Seville

Dubrovnik Discover

Flights from Dublin to Dubrovnik

7 nights in Dubrovnik

A city excursion of Dubrovnik’s walled Old Town, with entrance to the Franciscan Monastery and City Cathedral included

A full day boat trip to the Elaphite Islands

Full day excursion to the island of Korcula to include a drive along the scenic Peljesac peninsula and a tour of Korcula’s Old Town

News Now

Government urged to ban vapes

Mark Murphy, Advocacy Manager of Environmental Health and Tobacco for the Irish Heart Foundation, said that only a comprehensive ban on all forms of disposable e-cigarettes would deter youth vaping, and help prevent another generation of young people from becoming nicotine addicts.

Ireland's national stroke and heart charity is urging the Government to introduce a complete ban on all disposable vapes without delay.

The call from the Irish Heart Foundation comes as the Minister of State for Public Procurement, eGovernment and the Circular Economy, Ossian Smyth, announced plans to launch a public consultation on disposable e-cigarettes.

Responding to this announcement, Mark Murphy, Advocacy Manager of Environmental Health and Tobacco for the Irish Heart Foundation, said that only a comprehensive ban on all forms of disposable e-cigarettes would deter youth vaping, and help prevent another generation of young people from becoming nicotine addicts.

‘The arrival of disposable vapes on the Irish market has resulted in an explosion in youth use, meaning it is more than likely that the official rate of teenage e-cigarette current use will have increased from the 2019 figure of 18.1%,” said Murphy.

‘E-cigarettes are not harm-free and negatively impact adolescent brain development, and these devices’ disposable nature means there is an enormous environmental cost.

‘The combination of appealing fruity flavours, an affordable price, bright colourful packaging, and insidious online marketing targeting young people, makes disposable vapes highly attractive for children and teenagers. '

‘There is simply no place for disposable vapes in Ireland. They are fuelling teenage vaping while damaging our planet at a time when we are in a climate emergency.'

Ryanair launches Cork-Seville service

Pictured, from left, at Cork Airport, celebrating the new Ryanair service to Seville were Reuben Lopez Pulido, Director, Spanish Tourism Office; Sara Rivero Lopez, Media Manager, Spanish Tourism Office; Tara Finn, Head of Aviation Business Development, Cork Airport; Kathryn MacDonnell, Travel Trade Manager, Spanish Tourism Office and Berta Casalinas, Spanish Tourism Office.

Ryanair are bringing Cork to within 2.5 hours flight time of one of Spain’s most captivating cities with the recent launch of its new Seville service.

Rubén López Pulido, Director at the Spanish Tourism Office in Ireland added: ‘Seville is the capital of Andalucía and is a city that really leaves its mark beyond the the grandeur of its monuments, the charm of areas such as Triana or the scent of jasmine in its squares while Spanish guitar music resound and echoes along its street’s.

The ten Spanish destinations direct from Cork Airport are the six to mainland Spain (Seville, Malaga, Alicante, Valencia, Girona, Reus), three to the Canary Islands (Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria) and one to the Balearic Islands (Palma de Mallorca).

Largest and fastest ferry newcomer launched on the Irish Sea

Irish Ferries’ Oscar Wilde, the largest and fastest cruise ferry on the Irish Sea and aims to live up to the famous Oscar Wilde quote’“I have the simplest of tastes. I am always satisfied with the best’. The ship has an impressive capacity of 2,080 passengers, 134 well-appointed cabins, and ample space with over 2,380 lane meters for cars, coaches, and freight vehicles.

With service starting just in time for the peak summer season, the vessel will service the Rosslare and Pembroke route with twice-daily sailings, offering an elevated experience connecting Ireland to the UK. Irish customers can sail directly to Wales, a place of natural drama, with beautiful beaches and mountain walks, rich history, and culture to explore, as well as epic national parks

The route is also a gateway to the rest of Britain with the car – Windsor and Legoland can be reached in under 4 hours - thus avoiding security queues, luggage limits, cramped journeys, and excessive car hire costs.

The ten Spanish destinations direct from Cork Airport are the six to mainland Spain (Seville, Malaga, Alicante, Valencia, Girona, Reus), three to the Canary Islands (Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria) and one to the Balearic Islands (Palma de Mallorca).

Music Network latest round of the Music Capital Scheme

A total of €349,150 in funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has been granted to 76 awardees which will potentially benefit over 5,000 musicians based throughout Ireland.

Established in 2008, the Music Capital Scheme is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and managed by Music Network. The Scheme has enabled many thousands of musicians across Ireland to develop their musical potential and participate in the performance of live music, performing in genres including traditional Irish, classical, folk, jazz, electro-acoustic, rock and pop. Commenting on the initiative, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD said: “I would like to sincerely thank Music Network for managing the Music Capital Scheme once again. This funding allows so many deserving organisations

Projects for older communities win digital awards

Dublin, Donegal and Mayo based projects have been recognised for their efforts and commitment to digital innovation for older communities across three categories at this year's .IE Digital Town Awards.

Clara Clark from Blackrock, Co. Dublin, who founded Cycling Without Age in Dublin in 2017, was awarded the Digital Local Hero Award and secured a prize fund of €3,000. Cycling without Age (CWA) is a sustainable, voluntary initiative using specially designed trishaws to take people unable to cycle for free, slow-cycling spins, piloted by

Members of the Blanchardstown Brass Band celebrate their Music Capital Scheme award with Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD.

and individuals to receive the support they need to purchase musical instruments and, as a former music teacher, that is such a wonderful thing to be a part of.

The Scheme provides funding for the

purchase of musical instruments across three categories - Award 1 provides funding to non-professional music and community groups, Award 2 is for established professional musicians while Award 3 supports emerging professional musicians.

Music Network latest round of the Music Capital Scheme.

volunteer pilots. Since the foundation of CWA, Clara has spent countless hours promoting and developing the organisation so that it can provide senior citizens and those with disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy and freedom of cycling.

the mundane to the important – from watering flowers to medication times; creating shopping lists; and making video calls or participating in an online singing circle.

A total of €349,150 in funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has been granted to 76 awardees which will potentially benefit over 5,000 musicians based throughout Ireland.

Established in 2008, the Music Capital Scheme is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and managed by Music Network. The Scheme has enabled many thousands of musicians across Ireland to develop their musical potential and participate in the performance of live music, performing in genres including traditional Irish, classical, folk, jazz, electro-acoustic, rock and pop.

Ardara’s Decreasing Isolation – Increasing Connectedness, Co. Donegal was commended in the Newcomer category. After broadband was installed in the sheltered housing complex in 2022, all 29 apartments and the public areas were provided with a smart screen/ speaker Amazon Echo. This has opened a world of opportunity to residents, particularly as it uses voice activated technology which is easier for older residents than typing. Residents use it for viewing funerals, wedding and church services online; to set reminders from

Foxford Alzheimers and Community Trust CLG project, Co. Mayo was recognised in the .IE Digital Town Awards 2023

The awards were created by .IE, the national registry for .ie domain names, Digital Town Awards offer a prize fund of €100,000 which is split across several categories.

In total, 22 town and community digital projects were recognised at this year’s .IE Digital Town Awards 2023 – winners and runners-up across the seven main categories, three special category winners and one overall prize winner.

Open the door to the digital

world.

Discover how the internet can enhance your life with Hi Digital courses.

In partnership with

To sign up or get more information, visit hidigital.ie

star approaches 80 Raging Bull

Long-time fan Aubrey Malone traces his journey with Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro, the acclaimed film star who’s going to be 80 on August 17, visited the Aran Islands as a young man. It was 1962.He came here in search of his Irish ancestry. His paternal grandmother was an O’Reilly from Tipperary.

“I hitched from Dublin to Galway,” he said, “and took the ferry to Aran. Some people gave me blankets for sleeping outside their house. They were very friendly. I had breakfast with them the next morning.”

When De Niro played a gangster with Irish roots in the Netflix film The Irishman in 2017 he made more efforts to trace his Irish ancestry but alas turned up nothing.

It’s hard to believe he’ll be 80 this year. I’ve always thought of him as part of my generation rather than a previous one. Maybe that’s because he was no spring chicken when he became a household name. Not many people realise he made nearly a dozen low budget films before he struck gold with Taxi Driver in 1976.

I first saw this Martin Scorsese classic at the Cork film Festival that year. I remember Godfrey Fitzsimons, the Irish Times film critic, walking out at one stage. He couldn’t take the violence. I didn’t have that problem – I was too mesmerized looking at De Niro.

A year later I saw New York New York. This was a film in which De Niro learned to play the trombone to a high level for his role. It was the first sign of how dedicated he was, something that would be apparent in so many other films in subsequent years.

In 1978 I saw The Deer Hunter at a late night movie. I’d been out for a few drinks with a friend beforehand. The drink made

me woozy and I couldn’t stay awake. Even so, I was aware I was watching something very special. Was it as good as I thought? I kept telling people about it the next day but I couldn’t go into too much detail on account of having nodded off.

The next night I dragged my two brothers along to it again. We all agreed it was one of the most powerful films we’d ever seen. It annoyed me when some critics of it gave out about the fact that Russian Roulette wasn’t practiced in World War II as director Michael Cimino depicted in it. It wasn’t meant to be a documentary; it was art.

My next experience of De Niro was Raging Bull. I was walking down O’Connell Street in Dublin one day in 1980 when I saw it advertised and I wandered in. I didn’t know a thing about it at this stage. It was well on when I took my seat. Joe Pesci, who played De Niro’s brother in the film, was jiggling the switches of a TV set in the scene that was on. De Niro, playing the boxer Jake La Motta, was barking at him from a chair.

Even then I could see that the film was unbelievably good. I sat captivated in my seat as it progressed, De Niro getting so far inside the skin of his character it was almost scary. I watched it

Robert De Niro in Raging Bull for which he won an Oscar

WITH LUTEIN, MESO-ZEAXANTHIN AND ZEAXANTHIN

MacuShield Original + and MacuShield Original chewable contain B2 and MacuShield Gold contains zinc, both help to maintain normal vision

to the end and then sat through it all again. In those days you could do that. I staggered out onto the footpath afterwards as if I’d just gone ten rounds with La Motta. My man had produced another gem.

In the following months I kept hearing people talking about all the weight De Niro put on to play the boxer in his later years. No more than those who talked about the Russian Roulette aspect of The Deer Hunter. I felt this was a distraction from what we should have been talking about: a new genius had arrived in Hollywood, someone who could finally replace Marlon Brando as the greatest actor of his time.

In fact Raging Bull was a kind of homage to Brando’s Oscarwinning role in On the Waterfront. De Niro won an Oscar for his role too, his second. His first was for playing the young Don Corleone in The Godfather: Part II in 1974. How amazing that both stars won Oscars for playing the same person at different stages of his life. It cemented them even further in my mind.

Almost everything De Niro did in the early eighties turned to gold. In 1981 he was impeccable playing a priest with Irish roots in Ulu Grosbard’s brilliant (and grossly under-rated) True Confessions. He got every mannerism of his character so perfectly I wanted to watch the film over and over simply to marvel at him.

I flew to London in 1983 to see him in King of Comedy Having heard from some sources that the film wasn’t going to get a commercial release here, I had to see it so I tied it in with a trip to that city. I wasn’t disappointed. The film flopped at the box office but posterity has come to see it as an inspirational foray into the life of a fan – and let’s remember “fan” is short for “fanatic.” It was a black comedy par excellence and another rich collaboration with Scorsese, who was becoming like De Niro’s celluloid Siamese twin by now. He’d also worked with him on the cult classic Mean Streets in 1977.

De Niro followed this with another sensational film, Sergio Leone’s marathon Once Upon a Time in America. It had been in gestation in Leone’s mind for a decade and justified that amount of time. I couldn’t take my eyes off De Niro in it.

When he appeared in a middle-of-the-road romance the following year I was a bit stunned. What was he doing in a film so predictable? Falling in Love was the first of his films that

disappointed me. It was the first time I’d seen him in anything that didn’t jump out at me with its originality. He followed it up with another forgettable role, a loopy one in Terry Gilliam’s dystopian Brazil in 1985. Then came The Mission, a fine film but not really a De Niro one. Was the honeymoon over?

He recovered some ground playing a devilish character in Angel Heart in 1987, having fun trying to “possess” Mickey Rourke. He also played Al Capone that year in The Untouchables. I didn’t really go for this. For the first time I thought De Niro overacted, something I never thought I’d see with him. He’d been such a master of nuance up to now.

In 1988 he went down a road I never wanted to see when he played a comic role in Midnight Run. Another comedy caper followed. He hammed things up for Neil Jordan in a remake of a 1955 movie, We’re No Angels. It seemed as if he was taking his foot off the gas, settling for easy options.

People went wild over his performance in Goodfellas in 1990 but this was never one of my favourite De Niro films. It’s featured prominently in many “Best Films of All Time” lists over the years but it did very little for me.

I preferred his more subdued performance in films like Awakenings (where he played a catatonic character) and Guilty By Suspicion, where he was a blacklisted writer in Hollywood at a time of the communist witch-hunts.

In 1991 he appeared in another remake, Cape Fear. Again, as in The Untouchables and Goodfellas I thought he overdid the “tough guy” aspect of the part. This time he was a psycho into the bargain.

He chewed the scenery. The make-up was also overdone. At times it was as if he was trying to get his tattoos do his acting for him. I was more afraid of Robert Mitchum. Mitchum achieved more with less effort in the original version of the film in 1962.

For the next few years I attended De Niro films with a kind of “so so” attitude. I couldn’t say there was anything poor about Night and the City, This Boy’s Life or A Bronx Tale but I felt my love affair with his talent was ending. He was becoming just another serviceable actor, not someone whose every film had a “Must See” tag attached to it.

In King of Comedy. The film flopped at the box office but posterity has come to see it as an inspirational foray into the life of a fan.

Image: The Blasket Centre – Ionad an Bhlascaoid Mhóir, Co. Kerry, Co. Chiarraí Credit: Valerie O’Sullivan

In 1994 he went down another inadvisable route, playing “The Creature” in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. God forbid, I thought, that he would ever become gimmicky. But then, just as I was losing faith in him, he turned in an incredible performance in Heat. The famous 6 minute, 17 second café scene in this with Al Pacino - his main rival for “Best Actor of his Time” by now - should be videotaped by anybody who wants to see the secret of great acting. It’s here – practiced by two greats at the top of their game.

De Niro gave another marvellous performance the following year in The Fan, taking up where he left off in King of Comedy all those years before to play a deranged obsessive. Afterwards, though, he slumped back into what I saw as a routine set of performances in films like Cop Land, Jackie Brown and the insufferable Wag the Dog, surely a contender for one of the worst films of all time.

In 1998 he made another low budget run-of-the-mill thriller, Ronin. Then came more comedies - Analyse This and Meet the Parents. By now he’d improved as a comic from the forgettable turns in Midnight Run and We’re No Angels but so what? I didn’t want to see him becoming a comedy actor at the expense of the brilliance that turned me on to him in the first place. I felt the same about Brando when he tried to ham things up in The Countess from Hong Kong - and failed miserably.

De Niro and Brando appeared together in The Score in 2001. It was a union I’d looked forward to for over twenty years but

the film was lame. Sadly, I have to say I’ve had similar feelings about most of the films De Niro has made in this millennium, especially the comic sequels like Analyse That, Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers. In ventures like this he seems to have his eye on franchise dollars rather than anything else.

Over the last twenty years, putting it bluntly, he’s been making far too many films. Their quality has suffered as a result. He says he needs the money to support the luxurious lifestyle of his estranged ex-wife, Grace Hightower, but surely he’s rolling in it now, not only from his acting but also the grosses from his production company, Tribeca.

I’ve always advocated people going out to do what they love at any age. I wouldn’t want my hero to sit at home watching footage of films made long ago while he feels he still has something to offer the industry but it makes me sad to see a man who pushed the envelope so often in a raft of masterpieces descending to rubbish like Dirty Grandpa and the like in his so-called “golden years.” The bull no longer rages. Robert – is it not time to get your P45 and put the feet up?

It's not as if he would have nothing to do. He’s just fathered a child, as has his friend Al Pacino. He’s three years older than De Niro at 83. Some people are saying this is unfair to the children in question because of the age discrepancy. One wit quipped, “It’s not such a bad idea – they’ll both be in nappies at the same time!”

With Al Pacino who recently celebrated his 83rd birthday.

Robert De Niro in a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show

Dublin Cemeteries Trust:

Serving communities throughout Dublin and Ireland

Dublin Cemeteries Trust operates five cemeteries and crematoria. These include Glasnevin (Ireland’s National Cemetery), Dardistown, Newlands Cross, Palmerstown and Goldenbridge.

The Trust is the largest provider of burials and cremations in Ireland and it also provides an integrated Headstones & Memorials service to the bereaved.

The exceptional team at Dublin Cemeteries Trust guide people through their personal experience of death and bereavement whilst also supporting them as they deal with the passing of a loved one.

Pre-Planning Your Final Journey

Increasingly, people are deciding to plan their funeral well in advance – often many, many years in advance.

Pre-planning a funeral is an extremely thoughtful and positive thing to do. You can take heart knowing that your loved ones are aware of your wishes, and they’ll take huge comfort in celebrating your life in exactly the way you wanted. Making decisions at a hugely emotional time can be difficult.

Aoife Watters, CEO of Dublin Cemeteries Trust, said: “during the pandemic, we found that people started thinking about death in a different way, and we saw an increase in the numbers of people purchasing graves as part of a planningahead process, either for themselves or for their family. Over half of the graves acquired by families and individuals in our cemeteries are now advance purchases, where they are planning ahead for the future.”

How to approach pre-planning

Some of the questions people typically think about when putting together an end-of-life plan include the following:

What kind of service would I like?

Would burial or cremation be the preferred option?

Is there any particular music I would like played?

Is there anything I would like read out?

In the case of cremation, what should be done with the ashes?

Where will I write down my wishes and who will know where to find them?

professionals are available to guide and support you as you seek to plan ahead for your own preferred grave location, or as you honour, celebrate and remember your recently-deceased loved

Cemeteries Trust, we’re here to help you. You can have a look at a short video on the Trust’s website where we take you through the experience: www.dctrust.ie/location/glasnevin.html

You can contact one of Dublin Cemeteries Trust’s locations across the city and our team will arrange an appointment to meet and show you all of the options available in one or more of the cemeteries.

Our team are happy to answer any questions you might have over a cup of tea or coffee.

To contact Dublin Cemeteries Trust: Email: graveavailability@dctrust.ie

Phone Numbers:

Glasnevin & Goldenbridge: 01-882 6500

Newlands Cross: 01-459 2288

Dardistown: 01-842 4677

Glasnevin Cemetery

Travelling with Expressway and your Free Travel Pass has never been easier.

Free Travel Pass holders may now reserve their seats online at expressway.ie for just €2 per trip.

When booking tickets, make sure to select ‘Seat Only Reservation – Free Travel Scheme’. Then simply enter your payment details, no need for your Free Travel Pass number! Travel without a booking is still welcome if we have room on board, but priority boarding will be given to those with a reserved seat. Seats may also be reserved at ticket machines in stations. Please remember to bring your Free Travel Pass when travelling.

BOOK NOW AT EXPRESSWAY.IE

North to Alaska!

Eamonn Lynskey recalls the frenzy of the Klondike Gold Rush

Poet Robert Service was not a prospector. Born in 1874 in the UK, he was a seasoned traveller who found himself in Whitehorse in 1904, a town less than ten years old which had been a major staging point for prospectors en route to the Yukon and the Klondike gold fields.

‘There are strange things done in the midnight sun. By the men who moil for gold..:

I cannot remember when I first read Robert Service’s poem The Cremation of Sam McGee. It was sometime when I began to drift away from Enid Blyton’s Famous Five stories. That poem was just right for me at that time because it combined all the adventure and derring-do that young people are fond of.

And the subject! — The tragi-comical fate of Sam McGee’s remains, of course; but there was more in the poem for me than just that. It was my entry into the world of the Klondike Gold Rush and the tales of the fortunes made, and the fortunes not made, by the men and women who went prospecting for the precious metal in the far-off treacherous reaches of the Yukon Territory, many of them risking everything they had. Robert Service’s poetry was an introduction to an era of the nineteenth century American West that fascinated me then – and still does.

The poet himself was not a prospector. Born in 1874 in the UK, he was a seasoned traveller who found himself in Whitehorse in 1904, a town less than ten years old which had been a major staging point for prospectors en route to the Yukon and the Klondike gold fields. Here he met veterans of that time and listened to, and took notes of, their yarns. His work is a fascinating entry into the spirit of those times, and better than many abstract historical accounts.

And what times they were! In the early 1890s George Carmack and his Native-American brother-in-law Skookum Jim had been prospecting in the region for some time. Like many, they were making good gains, though nothing extraordinary. However, August 16, 1896 changed all that. In a small tributary of the Klondike River called Rabbit Creek, they made their big discovery. The creek was later renamed Bonanza Creek, and for the very good reason that it contained gold. In huge quantities.

Carmack lost no time in registering his claim next day to four strips of ground along the creek and the news of his discovery

also lost no time in circulating among the other prospectors in the area. By the end of that month (a mere two weeks) every inch of Bonanza Creek had been claimed by other miners. Later, newer sources of gold came to be found further up the creek, with lodes far richer than even those found by George Carmack and Skookum Jim.

Because of the times that were in it, it took nearly another year before the news spread further. The full story of the discovery only emerged by the middle of 1897 when the first boats left the area carrying the newly discovered gold. When Tom Lippy and his wife Salome arrived back in San Francisco aboard the Excelsior in 1898 they brought with them gold valued, according to the Chicago Tribune, at "not less than $200,000” which is equivalent to over $7 million dollars today. Their Klondike neighbours Clarence and Ethel Berry also struck it rich, arriving back with a similar enormous fortune.

It had not been acquired easily. The Berrys had spent many months mining but with limited success until one evening Clarence heard a chance remark let slip by George Carmac in a local saloon about his gold strike on Bonanza Creek. Clarence immediately hurried to stake the claim that was to make him and his wife millionaires.

It was the arrival of these vast fortunes in San Francisco that got the ‘Klondike Stampede’ underway. In the words of the Johnny Horton ballad popular in the 1960s, it was ‘North to Alaska! We’re goin’ north, the rush is on!’ And in the relatively short period between summer 1897 to summer 1898 it is estimated that about 100,000 people set out for the Yukon and the Klondike goldfields situated just inside the Canadian border with Alaska.

It was possible to sail to the Klondike from Seattle via the Alaskan coast and then to proceed onwards up the Yukon River, but this way was very expensive. By far the most of the prospectors made the journey on foot up the dangerous and difficult trails from the Alaskan coast towns of Dyea and Skagway, determined to make their fortune.

Seattle in the 1890’s . It was possible to sail to the Klondike from Seattle via the Alaskan coast and then to proceed onwards up the Yukon River.

The Natural Way

Why Choose BioActive Q10 from Pharma Nord?

• The Original, Best Selling Q10 Brand in Europe

• Patented Formulation for Exceptional Absorption & Effectiveness

• Official Reference Product of the International Coenzyme Q10 Association

• Product of Choice for the Ground Breaking KiSel10 and Q-Symbio Scientific Studies

* With vitamin B2 that contributes to the body’s energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue

Order here: www.pharmanord.ie/webshop or from your local pharmacy or health food shop.

Find us on social media:

For any inquiries, email ireland@ pharmanord.com or call (01) 899 1650.

But not all fortunes were made from actual prospecting. A lot of money was made, not from sifting the gold upstream, but from the downstream economic opportunities created by the gold-rush. Men like Frederick Trump, a German-born American barber, businessman and speculator in real estate in Seattle made his fortune, not as a prospector, but by opening a restaurant and saloons in the aforementioned Whitehorse, one of the principal towns on the way to the goldfields. (And, yes, Frederick was an ancestor of a politician well known at present in the United States and beyond).

Many decisions to join the rush were made on the spur of the moment. Men like John Nordstrom bought a newspaper in Seattle one Sunday morning in 1897 and read of the great discoveries in the Klondike. By Four o’clock he was on his way up north and, after many hardships, returned three years later with enough money to set up a shoe store, a venture which eventually grew into the Nordstrom luxury department store chain now headquartered in Seattle.

It would be hard to exaggerate the difficulties of the whole venture and many hopefuls came very unprepared for the harshness of Alaska and the Yukon. Of the 100,000 or so who set out for Klondike only about 40,000 arrived. The journey, mostly on foot with pack animals, was fraught with danger. Many a prospector froze to death or disappeared in an avalanche. So many horses died that one route, the White Pass Trail, was soon renamed Dead Horse Trail. Adding to the difficulties was the load that each adventurer had to carry. The Canadian authorities insisted that those crossing the border from the United States must have a minimum of supplies to ensure survival for at least two years. This was the so-called ‘ton of goods’ (clothing, food, equipment) which had to be hauled along treacherous approaches such as the infamous Chilkoot Pass where many a would-be prospector came to grief.

Wherever there are people, the essentials of food and shelter are needed, and there is also always a demand for entertainment, especially when a prospector comes to town after a week’s (or a month’s, or several months’) privations of working in the harsh conditions of the Yukon. His pouch of gold dust had to go somewhere and for many that meant that entertainers like Kathleen Rockwell were more than prepared to help him spend it. Kathleen was an American dancer and vaudeville star who became famous as "Klondike Kate" when she arrived in the Yukon territory in 1899. Her flirtatious dancing and singing helped many a hard-working goldminer to forget his hardships, at least for a time.

As the rush continued, the primitive mountain trails previously made by miners trekking towards the modest gold finds of earlier years became the main highways for the hordes of would-be get-rich-quicks who descended on the Yukon in those frenzied years of 1888-89. Boom towns sprang up in places that had been little more than a few shacks clustered together at the side of mud-paths. One of the biggest, Dawson City, grew from a population of just 500 in 1896 to about 30,000 by 1898 and its rapid growth was mirrored in places like Circle City (despite its name, originally a small log-town), Skagway and Dyea, each of which became important trading posts for those on the way to the goldfields. All were ‘tough spots’ with dire reputations for drinking, gambling, gunfire, murder, and prostitution.

Then there were the working conditions once the actual goldfields were reached. The Yukon weather system is one of the harshest on the planet, many times harsher than most of the arrivals would ever have known. Probably the easier prospecting was from the rivers and streams. There one could set up along the banks and build a sluice-box to sift the gold. Away from water, holes had to be dug and fires lowered into them to melt the permafrost before getting to (it was hoped) the seams of gold. Working day after freezing day beside sluices, down holes and in tunnels took its toll.

As mentioned, the poetry of Robert Service is wholly redolent of the spirit of those years. But Robert wrote of the Klondike some ten years after the event and had no experience of it himself. By contrast, the works of Jack London and the Irish writer, Micí MacGabhann come straight out of the goldfields during the heady days of the rush.

Jack, working as a hired labourer, got little gold from Klondike but his writings based on his Klondike experiences, particularly books like The Call of the Wild and White Fang, subsequently brought him great literary fame. Micí MacGabhann worked his own claim and his emigration memoir Rotha Mór an tSaoil was published posthumously in 1959 and translated into English by Valentin Iremonger in 1962 as The Hard Road to Klondike. In it he describes in unadorned prose the harshness of the conditions under which the gold was found. Micí was one of the lucky prospectors who made enough money to return to Ireland and buy a house in his native Donegal.

‘Klondike Kate’: Her flirtatious dancing and singing helped many a hard-working goldminer to forget his hardships, at least for a time.

Dawson City grew from a population of just 500 in 1896 to about 30,000 by 1898

Motives for trekking the hazardous trails of the Yukon were various. Many were prepared to try their luck and willing to take risks – gamblers at heart. But others were driven by the dire economic prospects at home. The 1890s saw bank failures and financial panics (1893 and 1896) in the United States, which resulted in unemployment and economic uncertainty. So it was that, besides those with a natural bent for adventure, many others saw the goldfields as providing a way out of personal financial disaster.

There was also the ever present ‘fever’ factor: people hurrying to do something they saw many others doing, and being caught up in the moment. There are always schemes which promise to make people rich and always plenty of people to get involved in them. In 1720 it was the South Sea Bubble. In our own time there was Bernie Madoff. Schemes like those cannot rival the lure of the Klondike Gold Rush, but the principle is the same: when there is news of great riches to be made and (it seems) everyone else is getting in on the act – nobody wants to lose out. So it was that so many people set out for a part of America of which, up to the time of their going, most had next to no knowledge or very possibly had never even heard of. There were many who made rich. But many, many, more did not, especially in the later years of the rush when there was still enough magic about Klondike to draw people into the Yukon, but not enough left of the great seams of gold that were first found. Some there were who set out to seek their fortune who were never heard of again.

The effect of the rush on the indigenous peoples of the Yukon, as elsewhere with European expansion, was catastrophic. These communities, the Koyukon, Tlingit, Tagish and Han of north west America, had already had extensive contact with Europeans since the early seventeenth century through the fur trade. The Hudsons Bay company, incorporated in England in 1670 to seek a northwest passage to the Pacific, had rapidly developed into a commercial company trading with local peoples. This trade was of benefit to both Europeans and local tribes and had taken many years to develop. By contrast, the Gold Rush, which at its peak lasted about two years, did not develop as much as explode, sweeping away everything in its path, including the delicate balance between the local peoples and outsiders.

At first there were some short-term gains, opportunities to earn money by acting as guides and porters, but as the rush

gathered momentum the trails became well-known and soon pack mules and horses eventually replaced local help. To make room for the unprecedented numbers of prospectors arriving, and in line with the then Canadian Government’s policy of dealing with the problem of any indigenous populations who might in the way of progress, the usual colonial measures were adopted, including wholesale relocation, as with the Han people who were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands to a reservation. By then, the desecration of their traditional hunting grounds by the incoming crowds had left them, and other indigenous peoples, on the margins of starvation.

Some of the biggest beneficiaries of the rush were the towns fortunately sited on the routes to the goldfields. The small town of Seattle found itself strategically placed to take advantage of the commerce generated by prospectors who were looking to buy provisions and equipment on their way to seek their fortunes. Many traders in Seattle and other towns made as much money – and more – as most of the prospectors who passed through.

As to George Carmack and Skookum Jim, the men started the rush, it seems the fever never left them. Although both had more than enough money to settle down, they continued to prospect, George at various sites in California and elsewhere, and Skookum Jim in the Klondike. In later years Jim founded a Trust Fund to help the indigenous people and is remembered by them today as a great benefactor.

The Seattle of today is very different from the 1890s Seattle of muddy streets and wooden storefronts. But business is as brisk as ever in The Emerald City of the north west USA. And if ever you find yourself there, you are sure to want to visit its famous sights such as the iconic Space Needle and to take a stroll around its fabulous Pike Place Market. But for an unforgettable step back in time you might also visit the city’s Klondike Gold Rush Museum. There you will find photographs, artifacts, and detailed personal histories from that torrid time when people came from all over America to endure the savage climate of the Yukon in hopes of making their fortune.

Note: This article is much indebted to the writings of Robert Service, Jack London, Micí MacGabhann, the Klondike Gold Rush Visitors’ Centre in Seattle, and the extensive account on Wikipedia.

A typical team of Klondike gold miners

Jack London worked as a hired labourer, got little gold from The Klondike but his writings based on his Klondike experiences, particularly books like The Call of the Wild and White Fang, subsequently brought him great literary fame.

10 things to do in Croatia

A Croatian holiday delivers an intriguing blend of history and culture along the Adriatic coast. Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe and a top sun destination.

Boasting rugged mountain terrain, rustic towns, and turquoise waters, this stunning little country is must-see. Check out our selection of some of the top activities to do in Croatia.

1. Take a Dubrovnik walking tour

Often referred to as the “Pearl of the Adriatic”, when you visit Dubrovnik, it's is one of the most astounding and beautiful cities you are ever likely to see; with its stunning hillside location, shiny limestone cobbles, red tiled roofs, medieval architecture and azure sea water lapping at its old city walls. At night the town is buzzing with activity, it’s a great time to sit with a drink outside one of the numerous bars & cafés and watch the world go by. Game of Thrones fans will instantly recognise this as the setting for King’s Landing and you can easily book a Dubrovnik Game of

Thrones tour, where you can learn more about this popular series and visit its filming locations.

2.

See Ston wall, the longest in Europe

About an hour’s drive from Dubrovnik is the town of Ston, which is famous for its preserved 15th century walls and is referred to as the ‘European Great Wall of China’ as it’s the second longest in the world. It’s also famous for its salt mines and Ston oysters.

3.

Discover Roman ruins

Croatia has some remarkable ancient Roman sights. In Split, you’ll find Diocletian’s Palace. Located in the Old

Town and dating back to the 3rd century, these Roman ruins could be considered a town in itself. Measuring around 30,000 square metres and home to over 3,000 people the Palace is the heart of Split with many shops, restaurants, bars, narrow cobbled streets, impressive arches, and stone columns for visitors to explore. The amphitheatre in Pula was built in the 1st century, around the same time as the Rome Colosseum, and was used for gladiator fights. It’s one of the largest in the world, very well preserved and is the last remaining Roman amphitheatre to still have its towers. The former Roman colony of Poreè is also rich in history and features classic Romanesque architecture as well as stunning Venetian gothic palaces.

4. Explore the national parks in Croatia

There are eight incredible national parks to explore in Croatia. Krka Park, a few kilometres northeast of Šibenik was declared a national park in 1985 and is

Split

Ston wall

Dubrovnik

named after the river that runs through all 35,000 acres. Visitors can choose to take a boat ride through the park and enjoy the breath-taking views of the spectacular waterfalls.

it stands proud in white dressed stone and is the location for many music and cultural events. Another sight of the town is Šibenik Cathedral, a beautiful UNESCO Heritage Site.

6. Experience Croatian food

Croatian cuisine is based on great tasting, locally produced ingredients, seasonal vegetables, seafood, and fruity olive oil. There are many great restaurants in Croatia with fresh fish, stuffed veal, roasted lamb, pheasant, and pork featuring heavily on menus however, vegetarians are also well catered for. Dumplings, goulash, gnocchi pasta, herbs and spices feature on menus across the region. Traditional dishes not to be missed include smoked ham and cheese and seafood lovers will find it hard to resist dishes like Dalmatian octopus salad, black squid ink risotto, shellfish and grilled sardines. Prsut, a tasty air dried ham, is often complemented by slices of sheep’s cheese, while black squid ink risotto is another mouth-watering favourite. Try “Pod pekom”(‘under the lid’); a dish involving meat, vegetables and herbs slow-cooked in a special pan with a tightly fitting lid, in an outdoor oven.

7. Unwind in Istria

Istria, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea, is an incredibly beautiful region of Croatia. Rolling green hills overlook the lush valleys and sparkling sea, with little towns perched on the hilltops above. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner. The Phoenicians and Greeks introduced grapevines to Istria. Today, numerous high-quality wines are produced on the Peninsula, thanks to its fertile soil and sunny hillsides.

8. Discover the capital, Zagreb

Elaphite islands

unforgettable experience, it may not be suitable for some people who are not quite ready to spend days or even weeks at sea.  However, there are plenty of enjoyable short boat trips in Croatia to experience. If you’re staying in Dubrovnik, then you can easily visit Lokrum Island. This Island is a densely wooded nature reserve with an interesting botanical garden and the remains of a Habsburg fortress. The boat trip to Elaphite Islands is undoubtedly one of the highlights for people visiting here too. As well as enjoying the unspoilt islands by sea, you will disembark a couple of times over the day to enjoy a stroll around these largely uninhabited islands. Why not take a boat trip to the unspoilt ‘golden island’ of Zlarin and Krapanj, the smallest island in the Šibenik Archipelago.

10. Explore Rovinj

To reach this charming Croatian town, it’s best to take a boat tour to experience the ‘Blue Pearl of the Adriatic.’ It’s also referred to as ‘Little Venice’ as it’s characterised by tall houses, narrow paved streets, and small squares.

Croatia offers the perfect combination of natural beauty and rich culture, with its stunning coastline, pristine beaches, picturesque villages, beautiful islands, sunny weather, delicious food, and rich cultural legacy of historic sights.

Visit www.travedepartment.com and check out their full range of guided group holidays where you can go and experience their Croatia tours for yourself.

Less well known than the famous cities of Dubrovnik and Split, the pretty seaside town of Šibenik lies on Croatia’s north Dalmatian Coast. One of its highlights is St. Michael’s Fortress. Due to its immense height, the tower is visible from everywhere in the town. Erected among the buildings of the old town, 70 meters above sea level, the fortress was ruined and rebuilt several times until the beginning of the 15th century.  Today

One of the oldest cities in Europe, Zagreb is a colourful city rich in history and culture. Zagreb has more museums per capita than anywhere else in the world, which is why it’s often referred to as 'the city of museums’.

9. Get a taste for island hopping in Croatia

Whilst sailing around the Croatian Islands, there are over 1,000, is an

Travel Department have over 25 years’ experience creating holidays for the curious, you can be sure that with Travel Department, your holiday is in good hands, and you can book and travel with confidence. Visit traveldepartment.com to find out more or call (01) 6371615 to speak to a member of their team.

5. Visit Šibenik

Šibenik

Krka Park

Friends in all places..

Lorna Hogg lists some of the numerous ‘friends ‘ groups around the country covering a wide range of interests

Friends - people we can all rely upon, even more so when help is needed. Illness, life changes, home moves and even retirement, show us how much we need our friends. Often unsung, and in the background we need them - not only our own lives, but also in society. Fortunately, Ireland has plenty of Friends who provide care, support and back-up, ranging from health care and the Arts, to charities and animal welfare, plus working with the challenges of our society and times.

There is another aspect of course – becoming a Friend of a cause dear to your heart is a good way to get to know new people, to become more involved with the community or develop interests. Shared goals help to produce shared lives. So, whether it’s through fund-raising, dog walking, cat sponsoring, volunteering for fund raising walks, washing up dishes at fund raising events or answering phone calls – all round, it really is `rather nice to have Friends’.

A friend in need..

Friends of the Coombe. ‘Engages with hospitals, clinics and patients and supporters,’ to aid funding which cannot be given by the hospital or any other source – specialist equipment, funded education and training and research’. It sounds

complex, and these Friends have indeed used some innovative thinking to raise funds for equipment and care. But of course, the innovative thinking doesn’t have to be medical – they also come up with bright and practical ideas. Don’t think, however, that the fundraising is always in the tens of thousands of euro.

One of the most heartwarming donations came from a taxi driver, in gratitude for the support after the birth of his delicate baby granddaughter, who is now a happy, healthy little four year old. He, meanwhile, plans to do some more fund raising – on the next Dublin Marathon.

www.coombe.ie

Trinity College Dublin’s Library Long Room is an internationally acclaimed destination as the home of the Book of Kells – plus some other priceless volumes. So, it is unsurprising that The Friends of the Library enjoy attractive concessions

Friends of the Elderly

Quite simply – these Friends bring friendship and companionship to the elderly. Many older people live alone –which is good in terms of independence. However, what is not so good is the fact that too many often feel isolated. Happily, the Friends of the Elderly aid older people to feel connected to a wider community, by helping to alleviate loneliness. They take a highly practical approach - with a programme of Home Visitations, Friendly Call Service, Social Club – and Day Trips. The aim is to generally alleviate loneliness amongst isolated older people in Ireland. The challenges are varied and solutions often highly creative – ranging from dealing with caller shock at receiving a large electricity bill – through to effective decluttering and neighbourly `garden shares’! They also have a strong fund raising programme.

friendsoftheelderly.ie

Festival Friends

Music and theatrical fans are particularly well served in Ireland, with a wide variety of festivals. The Blackwater Valley Opera Festival offers Friends packages for all tastes in Ireland’s summer opera season. Unsurprisingly, and in keeping with most opera, seats are not cheap. There are, however, several packages available, and also plenty of opportunities to volunteer – ideal for those who love backstage atmosphere. The settings are spectacular – e.g.- Lismore Castle, and Castlemartyr - the main challenge is the Irish weather!

blackwatervalleyopera.ie

Irish National Opera is all about access for all to high quality opera – often in a venue near to you. Its style includes thought provoking modern takes on traditional opera, and they are also starting to work with Virtual Reality Community Opera. The INO offers its Friends some intriguing choices – with backstage and behind the scenes tours, Master classes, and studio performances. They travel the country on tours, so keep an eye out for nearby performances.

www.irishnationalopera.ie

The Wexford National Opera Festival is internationally acclaimed, as well as being famed for its inclusion of some of the lesser known operatic productions. It started in 1951, when a local group of opera lovers set up a performance in their local theatre. Unsurprisingly, it attracts now attracts international visitors as well as regular followers, and is an established, glamorous social occasion on the international musical calendar. Expect some top rated treats as a Friend, along with plenty of glamour and wonderful music.

www.wexfordopera.com

The Crawford Art Gallery in Cork, is housed in the city’s old Custom House, dating from 1724. It holds some 3,000 works, with 18th century Irish and European sculptures, with casts from the Vatican Museum. It now has a loyal and well served group of Friends. They enjoy a wide range of exhibitions, events, talks, previews and private tours. crawfordartgallery.ie

The Blackwater Valley Opera Festival

The Crawford Art Gallery

The National Concert Hall

Wexford Opera House

Want to learn something new?

A warm welcome awaits you at Dublin City University -Ireland's first Age-Friendly University.

Did you know you can choose from a broad range of modules offered under the AFU programme without the need to take exams or assignments?

In addition, the Lifelong Learning Programme offers a selection of customised modules such as Geneaology, Life Writing, English, Histor y, Botanical Art, Choir and more...

There are also opportunities to engage in contributing to research, social, cultural and wellness programmes, attend guest lectures and engage in intergenerational exchange.

If you would like to hear more about how to get involved in DCU's Age-Friendly programmes come along to the "Taste of DCU" on Friday, 1st September from 9.30 - 4 pm where you can experience being a student for the day, take a tour of the campus and hear more about the work of the AFU.

For more information visit: dcu.ie/agefriendly/news

E: afuinfo@dcu.ie

T: 00 353 1 700 5454

Friends of The National Gallery

Gives you free entry to all paid exhibitions, members-only lectures and events, plus exclusive discounts to the gallery shop and café.

Nationalgallery.ie /friends

Trinity College Dublin’s Library Long Room is an internationally acclaimed destination as the home of the Book of Kells – plus some other priceless volumes. So, it is unsurprising that The Friends of the Library enjoy some nice invitations, along with their efforts to ensure that the collections, and aims of the College Library, continue to prosper. Friends can enjoy a variety of lectures, after attending Commons (traditionally the students’ evening meal) in the magnificent Dining Hall. There are some nice treats as well, with private views of Long Room Exhibitions, and occasional summer visits to other noteworthy Libraries, such as those in Rome, Prague and Bruges.

tcd.ie/library

Action Ireland Trust. Marian Finucane has left a splendid legacy - the Trust has proved that true Friends need no job titles. Her work in Lesotho has helped to educate, mentor, and increase skills in the community. In 2006, after a visit, she and her partner/future husband John Clarke, were so influenced by the poverty and lack of life chances that they set up a cooperative and schools for communities in the Eastern Cape. Its guiding philosophy was that self -help is the pathway out of poverty. They renovated a hospital and extended a school – amongst other developments. Foster homes, childcare, orphanages and schools helped to keep children not only alive, but thriving. Marian died in 2010 – but her astounding work goes on, with volunteers from the Action Ireland Trust. info@actionirelandtrust.ie

Friends of the Earth

Fuel, energy and poverty are now increasingly commonplace concerns, and the decades of warnings of groups like Friends of the Earth are starting to have some effect. They campaign for faster climate action, and a fossil free future, plus an end to plastic - and Irish Friends are fully involved. Volunteers aim to create community energy schemes, as well as continue waging the war against plastic.

Friends of the Earth has a public profile which is often linked to young people. However, older Irish Friends have their own particular agenda – and many are especially interested in bold climate action. This reflects the concerns of many of the over 60s - including carbon emissions, the future costs of retrofitting full home insulation in the often poorly insulated current housing stock, plus, of course, the extent and frequency of public transport.

friendsoftheearth.ie

These are merely, of course, a few examples of the wide range of associations and groups in Ireland, where Friends are needed and welcomed. Spend some time on the internet to learn about numerous other ‘friends’ groups. This is merely a ‘snapshot’ of what’s out there We need them - to volunteer, to put in the unpaid hours of help, to listen, donate, to fund raise, to sponsor, care and encourage, and give the practical assistance. Which goes to show that at every level – we really all do need friends.

Friends of The National Gallery gives you free entry to all paid exhibitions, members-only lectures and events, plus exclusive discounts to the gallery shop and café.

Dining Hall - Trinity College

DCU established the Ten Principles of an Age-Friendly University (AFU)  in 2012 and leads a global network of over 100 universities representing Europe, South East Asia, North and South America and Australia.

Despite being a "young" university, DCU's commitment to increasing age diversity is evident in the number of older people on campus. It is not unusual to see AFU participants meeting between modules in the Helix for coffee or taking advantage of the DCU Sports Centre Active for Life Programme. There are events and activities on an ongoing basis open to all who wish to take part in educational, research, social and cultural opportunities and make new friendships.

For those considering a course of study to experience university without committing to a four-year programme, it is possible to undertake a single module from a selection of undergraduate programmes without the need complete assignments or take exams. It is a perfect option for those curious about a topic who want to keep their minds active and engage in a learning experience. This audit option provides participants with a student card, email address and library access. With over 150 modules to choose from, there is plenty of variety and the opportunity to experience intergenerational engagement with the traditional student cohort. These programmes run from September to December and January to April and are modestly priced at €100. One can also choose to take these modules for credit which cost €500 which is ideal for those who need an accredited module for their work.

A Love of Lifelong Learning Programme runs concurrently during the academic year and offers modules in Music, Genealogy, Life Writing, History, English, Botanical Art and specialist modules. DCU lecturers deliver these 6-week programmes and are very popular with older people. They not only offer a learning experience

but also help participants understand how to navigate around the university and experience different lecturing styles. There is also a social aspect to both programmes with seasonal get-togethers, and cultural visits.

John Mullins served in the Garda Síochána for 37 years and joined a DCU music appreciation course as part of the Love of Lifelong Learning programme. Not having had the opportunity to go to university, he was delighted to be on campus, interact with the students and lecturers, and found the experience incredibly uplifting. During the course, John played music with his classmates and extended his knowledge about the history and construction of music. He made lifelong friendships and often went for a meal together after the class with the other participants.

When Catherine Clancy first heard about the AFU, she was inspired to join the life writing programme and signed up to improve her writing skills. It was the impetus Catherine needed to write her memoirs as a legacy for her grandchildren. “I also made new friends and opportunities to engage in research projects in the university” said Catherine.

Michiel Drost said “DCU’s AFU scheme has enriched my life and opened up new horizons for me - I signed up for a photography course. Every Wednesday morning for eight weeks. A number of different teachers, all very knowledgeable on their subjects, delivered the lectures. It was not just an instructive occasion but also a very social affair as the students compared cameras and notes.  A few months later I enrolled for one semester of the philosophy module on an audit basis for one hour three mornings a week.  Our lecturer Dr. Ian Leask, delivered the subject in a very engaging fashion, always drawing the students into the mind-set of the philosopher. One of the lectures about Michel Foucault’s book “Discipline and Punish – The birth of the Prison” introduced me to the former penal colony

for young offenders in Mettray, near Tours in France where the cult writer Jean Genet spent some of his teenage years. I went to visit the place. "

There are unlimited opportunities to engage in DCU under the AFU programme, whether it is to continue the lifelong learning journey, contribute to research, wellness social, and cultural opportunities so why not give it a go?

We have regular social and cultural events, visits to sites of interest as well as a choir and a dedicated Coordinator and support staff

Join us on Friday, 1st September, for the annual "Taste of DCU" to hear more about the range and breadth of courses and other activities we offer in DCU. It provides an opportunity to visit the campus, meet with DCU staff and students and experience lectures and workshops on various subjects. The event is free, refreshments will be provided, and more seasoned participants will be on hand to share their Age-friendly University experiences.

Register here for the Taste of DCU event. Visit our website www.dcu.ie/agefriendly or contact us at afuinfo@dcu.ie

Prof. Alex Kalache, Director of the Institute of Longevity Brazil and DCU President Daire Keogh at last years event

Michiel Drost AFU Participant at last years event

Join us on Friday, 1st September, for the annual "Taste of DCU"

Radisson

Tue 12th & Wed 13th September 10am – 4pm Daily

FEATURING: 50 displays, demonstrations and exhibits covering health, hobbies & pastimes, painting workshops, personal finance advice, cooking demonstrations, internet tuition, musical entertainment, holidays, rights and entitlements, further education, recruitment and volunteering. ADMITS

Come along and improve your Digital Skills with:

The turns

Julian Vignoles on publishing his first novel at 70

Ageing is a big theme in the writing project I began during the Covid lockdown. I started my (just-published) novel, Tides Go Out thinking, ‘I may be a getting on in years, but if young people – like Sally Rooney, Eimear Ryan or Naoise Dolan – can do it, why not a senior like me?’ Doing it adeptly – as our flock of young, mainly women novelists have done - was the challenge. Whether I succeeded is for others to judge. Anyway, for starters, my themes are different to theirs. My characters are older, battered by life, more set in their ways too. But they’ve been there in life; like Joni Mitchell, they’ve earned their stripes, they’ve defied the advances of time.

The cognitive process is central to the novel; both in the declining brain functions of the Alzheimer’s Disease sufferer, Con, and the way memory of something in her past troubles his wife, Fiona. Both are in the 60s, raised children and had successful careers. But the past lingers around them; they keep secrets from each other – and, in a sense, from themselves.

Con is no angel, of course. He has had an affair for years with a Danish woman. Now, because of his condition, he can only remember it vaguely:

‘Looking down the Lee, something makes him recall an evening walk by the harbour in Copenhagen, a ferry to Stockholm manoeuvring close by, a ship’s horn sounding, swirling water, salt in the air, the romance of the sea calling. He was with somebody – Fiona? No, her hair was different, her aura mysterious. A lover..?’

The scene fades, and Con continues his stumble around Cork. Like me (to some extent), Con dwells in the musical past; he loves Rory Gallagher, and memories of the great guitarist’s performances can flood his damaged brain. Later, he imagines he’s Van Morrison in The Last Waltz, kicking the air with abandon, shouting ‘Turn it up!’ Remembering musical moments is something we can all revel in, and it fascinated me as I developed Con’s character. I had read enough about the disease to know about the belief that music can bring solace to a melting brain.

Fiona, Con’s wife has her own complications, and reflections that trouble her. We meet her in her local church, adding a special, secret prayer to her thoughts. Who is it for? What is the origin of her devoutness? She knows the Catholic faith that she adheres to is in decline. Yet, she looks to it for help in reconciling something from her young life. Now, she has another revelation to cope with; evidence of infidelity by her husband. When she leaves the protection of the church, she must face the cold and sleet – and her troubles.

At another point in her life, she seeks and finds a comfort memory, the day she climbed Croke Patrick with her mother:

‘Throngs of people, feet sliding on loose stones, all humanity here, some barefoot – practicing a traditional route to penance. She and her mother spoke gently to each other as they climbed, exchanging a breathless word here and there.’

Fiona is bright. She seeks answers to her husband’s health situation, she reads books about dementia, and startles Con with her questions. But for all his decline, his erratic behaviour, her confronting his Danish lover, Fiona still can’t stop loving him.

We all struggle against memory loss; we can all get tangled in a web called memory. I was attracted by the dilemmas people of a certain age have, the reflections, awkward memories that

Inevitably, scenes from my own life seep into the characters’ drama.

can trouble them. Issues that are often unresolved as people approach the four score years.

In Tides Go Out, fate in the end must intervene cruelly. Or so I decided as, having forsaken the TV schedule, I toiled well into many nights at my laptop. And inevitably, scenes from my own life seep into the characters’ drama. I experienced much self-doubt. I needed advice along the way, but in the end I realised I had story, a beginning, middle and end. There was enough grey matter still working up there as my 70th birthday approached.

Tides Go Out, by Julian Vignoles, is published by Orpen Press.

Three copies of Tides Go Out to be won

Senior Times, in association with the publishers Orpen, are offering three copies of Tides Go Out in this competition. To enter answer this question: What is the name of the main character of the book?

Send your answers to: Tides Go Out Competition, Senior Times, PO Box Number 13215, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Or email to: john@slp.ie

The first three correct answers drawn are the winners. Deadline for receipt of entries 20th August 2023.

Competition winners from last issue

Opera, Ballet & Classic Music Holidays

Our holidays are designed to provide special and memorable occasions for those who have an interest in, enjoy and appreciate opera, ballet, classical music, art and history. We operate a varied programme of tours to some of the interesting cities in the world.

Our price includes: Return flights, transfers, local guides, accomodation and guided excursions.

Crossword No. 123

Three copies of The Makeweight Bridie Healy

Margaret Cluskey

(a) Bid a higher-ranking four-card suit.

(b) Support with three decent cards in partner’s especially with a shortage in a side suit, i.e., one of the three non-trump suits.

Bridge

Bridge by Michael O’Loughlin

Michael O’Loughlin has enjoyed teaching bridge for over 40 years; his book, “Bridge: Basic Card Play” is available from the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland (01 4929666), price:€10.

(c) Bid the “dustbin” 1NT.

Exercise: Partner opens 1♥ . How do you respond with each of these three hands?

(4) ( 5) (6)

Calling all Novices –Intermediates!

Calling all Novices – Intermediates!

The Rule of 14

by Michael

The Rule of 14

O’Loughlin

(4) 1♠. You cannot bid 2♣, but a one-over-one response is fine with six or more points and a four card suit

The Rule of 14: After partner has opened one-of-a-suit, only respond in a new suit at the two-level when your total high card points added to the number of cards in the suit you intend bidding equals fourteen or more.

The Rule of 14: After partner has opened one-of-a-suit, only respond in a new suit at the two-level when your total high card points added to the number of cards in the suit you intend bidding equals fourteen or more.

(5) 2♥ You cannot bid 2♣ but should prefer 2♥ to 1NT because of holding three decent cards in partner’s suit plus a shortage in a side suit (♠), i.e. ruffing value. Dustbin 1NT is as dustbin sounds: a last resort.

(6) 1NT. Dustbin. This does not show a balanced hand – merely a hand with 6-9 points which belongs nowhere else.

Exercise: Partner opens 1♠ . How do you respond with each of these three hands?

Exercise: Partner opens 1♠ . How do you respond with each of these three hands?

(1) (2) (3)

(1) 2u. Nine points and five Diamonds: total 14. Enough for a “two-over-one” response.

(6) 1NT. Dustbin. This does not show a balanced hand – merely a hand with 6-9 points which belongs nowhere else.

(1) 2♦. Nine points and five Diamonds: total 14. Enough for a “two-over-one” response.

(2) 1NT. Seven points and five Diamonds: total 12. Failing the Rule of 14, you cannot bid a two-over-one. You have to bid something though – with six+ points in case your partner has 19. Respond with the “dustbin” 1NT: the responding bid for 6-9 points hands that do not belong anywhere else.

(2) 1NT. Seven points and five Diamonds: total 12. Failing the Rule of 14, you cannot bid a two-over-one. You have to bid something though – with six+ points in case your partner has 19. Respond with the “dustbin” 1NT: the responding bid for 6-9 points hands that do not belong anywhere else.

(3) 2♠. Whilst you cannot bid a new suit at the two-level (failing the Rule of 14) prefer the supporting bid of 2♠ to the bid of 1NT in spite of the lack of a fourth card in the Spade suit (whilst 1♥/♠ – 3♥/♠ guarantees four+ card support,

1♥/♠ – 2♥/♠ is fine with three card support)

(3) 2♠. Whilst you cannot bid a new suit at the two-level (failing the Rule of 14) prefer the supporting bid of 2♠ to the bid of 1NT in spite of the lack of a fourth card in the Spade suit (whilst 1♥/♠ – 3♥/♠ guarantees four+ card support, 1♥/♠ –2♥/♠ is fine with three card support).

When you, as responder have 10+ points, you will always pass the Rule of 14 because you must have 4+ cards in at least one of your suits; 9 points will pass the Rule of 14 with a 5+ card suit; 8 points will pass the Rule of 14 with a 6+ card suit, etc.

1♥ Pass 1NT(1) Pass

1♥ Pass 1NT(1) Pass

3♣(2) Pass 5♣ End

3♣(2) Pass 5♣ End

(1) Dustbin 1NT – failing the Rule of 14.

Hands that fail the Rule of 14 should (in priority order):

When you, as responder have 10+ points, you will always pass the Rule of 14 because you must have 4+ cards in at least one of your suits; 9 points will pass the Rule of 14 with a 5+ card suit; 8 points will pass the Rule of 14 with a 6+ card suit, etc.

(a) Bid a higher-ranking four-card suit.

(1) Dustbin 1NT – failing the Rule of 14.

(1) Dustbin 1NT – failing the Rule of 14.

(2) Game-forcing bid (a good 18+ points) with 5+ Hearts and 4+ Clubs.

(2) Game-forcing bid (a good 18+ points) with 5+ Hearts and 4+ Clubs.

(2) Game-forcing bid (a good 18+ points) with 5+ Hearts and 4+ Clubs.

Opening Lead: ♠6

Opening Lead: ♠6

(b) Support with three decent cards in partner’s especially with a shortage in a side suit, i.e., one of the three non-trump suits.

(c) Bid the “dustbin” 1NT.

Exercise: Partner opens 1♥ . How do you respond with each of these three hands?

(4) (5) (6)

On our deal, North-South reach the only making game (4♥ has four losers). West led the ♠6 to the ♠AK, declarer ruffing the second round and starting on Hearts. He cashed the ♥A, ruffed the ♥2 (note – not cashing the ♥K), crossed to the ♣J, ruffed the ♥3 with the ♣K (East discarding), back to the ♣AQ, then led out the ♥K95 and ♦A. 11 tricks and game made.

On our deal, North-South reach the only making game (4♥ has four losers). West led the ♠6 to the ♠AK, declarer ruffing the second round and starting on Hearts. He cashed the ♥A, ruffed the ♥2 (note – not cashing the ♥K), crossed to the ♣J, ruffed the ♥3 with the ♣K (East discarding), back to the ♣AQ, then led out the ♥K95 and ♦A. 11 tricks and game made.

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

On our deal, North-South reach the only making game (4♥ has AK, declarer ruffing the second round and starting on Hearts. He cashed the ♥A, ruffed K), crossed to the ♣J, ruffed K (East discarding), back to the ♣AQ, then A. 11 tricks and game made.

More tips for Intermediate players

More tips for Intermediate players can be found at:

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

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

More tips for Intermediate players can be found at: https://www.andrewrobson.co.uk/andrew/tips_for_intermediates /

Free bridge emails

(4) 1♠. You cannot bid 2♣, but a one-over-one response is fine with six or more points and a four card suit

What is Real Bridge?

What is Real Bridge?

(5) 2♥ You cannot bid 2♣ but should prefer 2♥ to 1NT because of holding three decent cards in partner’s suit plus a shortage in a side suit (♠), i.e. ruffing value. Dustbin 1NT is as dustbin sounds: a last resort.

• See and speak to your partner and opponents - just like face-to-face bridge.

• See and speak to your partner and opponents - just like face-to-face bridge.

If you wish to receive three times per week free bridge emails which include lessons, videos & quizzes, please email me: michaelolough@yahoo.com

• Connect with everyone at the table. Bid and play and go over the hands afterwards to improve by learning from the post mortem.

• Connect with everyone at the table. Bid and play and go over the hands afterwards to improve by learning from the post mortem.

(6) 1NT. Dustbin. This does not show a balanced hand – merely a hand with 6-9 points which belongs nowhere else.

If you wish to try RealBridge for free, just email me: michaelolough@yahoo.com

If you wish to try RealBridge for free, just email me: michaelolough@yahoo.com

Getting started: for absolute beginners

About half the time in bridge there is no trump suit. This is called playing the hand in No Trumps. This means that each of the four suit is of equal value when it comes to the play of the cards and that there is no Master suit or Trump suit. For example, in a No Trump situation, if a Diamond card is led, then whichever player plays the highest card in the Diamond suit wins that trick. Each suit has 13 cards in order from the highest to the lowest: Ace – King – Queen – Jack – 10 – 9 –8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2. A “trick” is when each of the four players at the table plays one card. Play always takes place in a clockwise direction.

The most obvious way of winning tricks is with high cards. If you were dealt this hand: ♠A32 ♥A32 uA32 ♣A432 you would feel confident of winning 4 tricks with your four Aces.

It all depends upon the number of cards in this suit that each opponent holds, i.e., how the suit splits/divides. If the five missing cards in the suit split 3/2, you’ll have two extra tricks; if they split 4/1, they’ll still have one Spade card left after you play out the Ace, King, Queen. That Spade of theirs will be a winner. Give them their winner and then you will win the 5th card in the Spade suit. Often in bridge, you have to lose to win.

Another example:

Give them their winner and then you will win the 5th card in the Spade suit. Often in bridge, you have to lose to win.

NORTH 97543 862 SOUTH

Another example: NORTH 97543 862 SOUTH

This may not look very promising. However, if you give the opponents three tricks in this suit, you are likely to end up winning the final two rounds. You’re expecting the suit to divide something like this:

This may not look very promising. However, if you give the opponents three tricks in this suit, you are likely to end up winning the final two rounds. You’re expecting the suit to divide something like this:

♦ 9 7 5 4 3

♦ A Q 10 North West East South ♦ K J ♦ 8 6 2

♦ 8 6 2

Finally, holding: NORTH

Finally, holding:

Finally, holding: NORTH AQ32 K54 SOUTH

NORTH AQ32 K54 SOUTH

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

Here again, make sure that the King is played on the first round of the suit, followed by the Ace and the Queen. Now you are in the right hand, i.e., the North hand to enjoy the winning low card in the suit provided that your opponents hold three cards each in this suit. You are hoping that the opponents’ cards in this suit divide 3/3 and that you will win the 13th card in the suit. You’re hoping for this type of layout:

Here again, make sure that the King is played on the first round of the suit, followed by the Ace and the Queen. Now you are in the right hand, i.e., the North hand to enjoy the winning low card in the suit provided that your opponents hold three cards each in this suit. You are hoping that the opponents’ cards in this suit divide 3/3 and that you will win the 13th card in the suit. You’re hoping for this type of layout:

Here again, make sure that the King is played on the first round of the suit, followed by the Ace and the Queen. Now you are in the right hand, i.e., the North hand to enjoy the winning low card in the suit provided that your opponents hold three cards each in this suit. You are hoping that the opponents’ cards in this suit divide 3/3 and that you will win the 13th card in the suit. You’re hoping for this type of layout:

♣ A Q 3 2

♣ A Q 3 2

♣ J 9 7 North West East South ♣ 10 8 6

♣ J 9 7 North West East South ♣ 10 8 6

♣ K 5 4

♣ K 5 4

After you play out your ♣K-A-Q, your ♣3 will be a winner.

After you play out your ♣K-A-Q, your ♣3 will be a winner.

After you play out your ♣K-A-Q, your ♣3 will be a winner.

It all depends upon the number of cards in this suit that each opponent holds, i.e., how the suit splits/divides. If the five missing cards in the suit split 3/2, you’ll have two extra tricks; if they split 4/1, they’ll still have one Spade card left after you play out the Ace, King, Queen. That Spade of theirs will be a winner. Give them their winner and then you will win the 5th card in the Spade suit. Often in bridge, you have to lose to win.

Another example:

Upcoming Bridge Breaks

New: Bridge break at Improver Level in Knock House Hotel, Co. Mayo, 29th August – 1st September next. Please phone the hotel at 094 9388088 for details.

This may not look very promising. However, if you give the opponents three tricks in this suit, you are likely to end up winning the final two rounds. You’re expecting the suit to divide something like this:

If you wish to receive three times per week free bridge emails which include lessons, videos & quizzes, please email me: just like face-to-face

Also: Bridge Breaks at Improver Level commencing in Knock House Hotel, 29th August – 1st September.

I’m running a Bridge Absolute Beginners Course from the 26th – 30th of November 2023 in The Falls Hotel, Ennistymon, Co. Clare. No prior knowledge of Bridge required or expected.

As a Samaritans volunteer, you’ll help us be there for people when it matters most.

We will train, mentor and support you all the way.

Samaritans volunteer

Eighteen acclaimed gardeners and garden experts to present at Carlow Garden Festival 2023

Expert advice, workshops, gardening displays and food fest events combine to make Carlow Garden Festival one of Ireland’s finest annual garden festivals.

The gardening paradise of County Carlow, best described as one county, one garden, will open its garden and castle gates to gardening enthusiasts for the Carlow Garden Festival of July. This annual festival, organised by

demand to open the festival on Saturday, 29 July. Acknowledged as the highlight of the 2022 festival, this ever-popular duo will present design concepts for an outdoor space, using two previous garden designs they have worked upon as their example. They will provide lots

posted on www.carlowgardentrail.com, of particular note is the visit of BBC Gardeners' World presenter Nick Bailey. His presentation in Duckett's Grove Walled Gardens and Pleasure Grounds on Sunday, 30 July is entitled "365 Days of Colour in Your Garden - Plants, Tips

mountains of Ladakh, where he and his group studied a high-altitude desert flora. Ladakh has some of the greatest glaciers in Asia and these glaciers water the deserts on the mountain slopes and valleys below, giving rise to a rich flora. Seamus will explain how climate change

Nick Bailey visits Duckett’s Grove on Sunday, July 30th.

is threatening this rare eco-system. Altamont Gardens features on the festival programme on the same day with a talk by ecologist Mark Desmond on the rich biodiversity of the gardens.

Shankill Castle and Gardens in Paulstown will play host to a trio of events on Wednesday, 2 August, including a talk by Kitty Scully on essential kitchen garden plants that thrive in the Irish climate; an in-depth foraging walk through the grounds and organic farm of Shankill Castle with Mary and Robert White of Blackstairs Ecotrails; and a three-course feast supper, celebrating foraged, seasonal and local ingredients cooked by Seamus Jordan of Plúr Bakery, to end the day with a relaxed evening of great food and garden chat.

Soil health will be at the forefront of Colm O’ Driscoll’s talk in Burtown House and Gardens on the same day when he will delve into the area of regenerative organic vegetable production, focusing in on the most environmentally sustainable approach to growing vegetables.

Robin Lane Fox of The Guardian delivers an interesting talk on Beauty and Biodiversity in the stunning surrounds of Borris House, arguing the case for an approach which is best served by the traditional craft of gardening rather than declaring war on every chemical and hybrid plant. Later that day Shirley Lanigan delves into herb gardening exploring their long and colourful history at Kilgraney House and Herb Gardens, a beautiful location in which to learn more about their use.

A panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’

Question Time since 2009, and a wellrespected garden designer, writer, broadcaster and lecturer, Matthew Wilson, will give a talk at Altamont Plant Sales on Friday, 4 August on how plants can be used to maximum effect whatever the shape or size of the garden. Using examples of gardens he has designed over the last 20 years, this talk considers the use of plants in relation to materials, place and vernacular, the architecture of plants and the importance of the garden in the wider environment. Gardener, presenter and writer, Alys Fowler, who will be familiar to gardeners for her series, The Edible Garden on BBC will also present at this venue on the Friday, sharing tips on how to redesign a garden sustainably through recycling and reusing.

A final day treat is in store when Fergus Garrett, chosen by Gardens Illustrated as one of the 30 most influential living garden designers and horticultural educators in Britain, visits Huntington Castle and Gardens to talk about the history of Great Dixter, the 15th century manor house and its restoration by the famous arts and crafts architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens. Focusing on border design, planting style, meadow gardening and the importance of a biodiverse garden, he will also discuss the way forward for a sensitive historic garden and estate such as Great Dixter. Marie Staunton, one of Ireland’s top fashion models in the 1980s, developed a huge interest in gardening eventually studying horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens. In a guided tour of Delta Sensory Gardens on Saturday August 5 she explores how gardeners can mix texture and colour to create wonderful and exciting combinations.

year-round garden colour, climate change, biodiversity and foraging. It takes place at one of the loveliest times of the year with the main gardening work in gardeners’ own garden havens completed, giving them the opportunity to down tools and travel to our beautiful county.  The festival brings together, in one location, an unrivalled variety of Irish and UK gardening and environmental experts to share knowledge and information about a host of topics from traditional gardening techniques and design to all the changes that makes gardening such a fun and enjoyable activity”.

“The Carlow Garden Festival caters for everyone from the novice gardener to the garden connoisseur and with special accommodation packages available for the festival, it provides the perfect opportunity to travel around the county to see the many spectacular gardens on the Carlow Garden Trail. Visitors can also partake in the two food fest evening events in Arboretum Home and Garden Heaven and Shankill Castle and savour treats in delightful cafes and tearooms in the many garden locations throughout the county alongside a stunning afternoon tea in Hardymount Gardens.

For more information and to book tickets visit www.carlowgardentrail.com

For a copy of the event brochure call 059-9130411 or download from www.carlowgardentrail.com

Matthew Wilson and Alys Fowler both appearing in a day-long event at Altamont Plant Sales on Friday, August 4th.

Seamus O’ Brien at Hardymount Gardens on August 1st to discuss the gardens of Ladakh.

Let your love of dogs live forever.

When you join Valerie and Rowley and include a gift to Dogs Trust Ireland in your Will, your love of puppies and dogs can live forever. Through this very special gift, you can help create an Ireland where all dogs have a happy, healthy life in their forever home.

TO FIND OUT MORE and request your FREE guide visit DogsTrust.ie/Legacy or call us on 01 879 1832.

“Dogs Trust gives dogs a second chance – with a gift in my Will I can do the same.”

Valerie.

Valerie’s dog, Rowley.

Magnificent Montpelier

Marisa Mackie was charmed by the capital of France’s Herault region

Summer is here, and weekends away to hotter climates suddenly feel very tempting. If you don’t want to venture too far, France is a great option. The South of the country has always been popular with us Irish, and it’s hard to beat Montpelier as a destination.

The bustling, beautiful French city is the capital of France’s Herault region. On my first visit to Montpelier, about a decade ago, I was enchanted by the outdoor cafes, the chic boutiques and the delightful walks along the river. I was staying with my sister, who was studying medicine at Montpellier at the time.

The city is renowned for having the oldest still-active medical school in Europe. It has a fascinating history, and the charms of yesteryear can be found wandering through the pretty, but tiny medieval, cobbled streets.

I returned recently and found Montpelier just as captivating as the last time. After checking into my hotel, I ambled around the main square, enjoying the lovely mild weather. I stumbled across a gorgeous Irish bar called O’ Carolans, and relishing the Friday evening atmosphere, I savoured an ice-cold glass of wine. and immediately relaxed. Ah yes, it was good to be back.

Later on that evening, after changing into more fancy clothes, I met up with friends and we sampled a gorgeous restaurant called Le Petit Jardin www.petit-jardin.com

As the ‘Little Garden’ name suggests, many of the tables were outside, and it was so pleasant to sit under the trees and relax while enjoying great local wines and spectacular food. Gentlemen, if you’re thinking of proposing any time soon, book a trip to Montpellier and secure a table at this very special establishment. It’s so romantic that she’s bound to say yes!

Back to my centrally-located hotel (Hotel d’Aragon), I enjoyed a relaxing bath and put my head down for the night, excited

I

about what the next day would bring. And it certainly didn’t disappoint. Just after breakfast (fresh butter croissants and pains-au-chocolat – ssshhh!), I felt rested enough to enjoy taking in the city’s sights by foot.

I was lucky enough to find an entertaining local tour guide who took me to see the interesting architecture of the town hall. He showed me a fascinating underground Jewish mikvah, which is a ceremonial bath in the old town (it’s possible to book a private visit with the tourist board). The guide also brought me to the cathedral – a truly majestic, magnificent building with twin turrets and breath-taking detailing.

On the tour I also discovered Montpellier’s anatomy museum where human dissections used to take place hundreds of years ago during the winter months (when bodies were slower to decay).

sampled a gorgeous restaurant called Le Petit Jardin www.petitjardin.com As the ‘Little Garden’ name suggests, many of the tables were outside, and it was so pleasant to sit under the trees and relax while enjoying great local wines and spectacular food.

The Champ De Mars Gardens

I was intrigued by all this information. Human dissections? Really? Well, yes, apparently. The only bodies that could be dissected were those of executed criminals, or so I was told. The museum was in fact, closed to the public for many years, but now, not-so-squeamish modern visitors may book a tour via the French tourist office. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if that eerie place was haunted, Enter at your peril!

Montpellier is fairly small for a city, so it’s easy to walk around and you don’t need a car. The trams are frequent and efficient, should you wish to rest your feet. The vibrant, city has a heaving student population, but the students are replaced with tourists in the summer. Many of the streets are pedestrianised, so it is perfectly easy to stroll around. The main square is called Place de la Comedie. This is a favourite meeting hub for people watchers to sit outside the bars and restaurants with a nice glass cool aperitif before dinner.

The nearby Champ de Mars garden is a truly splendid avenue with pretty trees and fountains and is the perfect place for either a morning or evening stroll. This is where you will also find the Museé Fabre [MM1], a spectacular art gallery where I disappeared to for an entire morning to admire the works of amazing French, Dutch, Flemish and Italian painters. I found this place an unexpected treasure and a highlight of my visit. If you appreciate wonderful art, you will be in your element.

Montpellier, as it’s so close to the Mediterranean, enjoys a gorgeous, mild climate. It lends itself perfectly for eating outdoors. A very popular eaterie I stumbled upon was Chez Boris. This gem of a spot for lunch, is located very near the gallery (look out for the red roof!) www.chezboris.com

Now, after all that sightseeing and people-watching, you may just fancy a trip to the beach, and the region is blessed with

magnificent beaches within a short driving distance. You can also get a tram from the city during the summer months. The beaches boast soft, white clean sand. There is nothing stopping you taking a dip in the Med!

Helpful websites include:

www.languedoc.com

www.aerlingus.com

www.montpellier-france.com

Marisa Mackie is the author of Confessions of an Airhostess.

St Pierre Cathedral

Montpelier is fairly small for a city, so it’s easy to walk around and you don’t need a car.

Western Ways

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

Velorail tourism project reaches fruition

The setting up of a Velorail Project in Kiltimagh County Mayo which is the first not only in Ireland but also the UK was thought of by two local and forward thinking people, the late Brendan Killeen and Francis McNicholas both members of the local Tourism Association. That was over ten years ago and it took until 9th June 2023, following many difficulties and setbacks to realise the dream. The idea was popular at the time in several European countries particularly France where it was set up in 2004. Today there are over 50 operators around that country.

Sixty years ago Kiltimagh railway station virtually closed down with the ending of the passenger line. For the following twelve years goods traffic passed through but eventually the station closed completely in 1975. Before too long the building became a derelict site.

At the beginning of the 1990’s Mayo County Council leased the station to Kiltimagh IRD, CLG a local organisation which was formed in 1989 and has since instigated many improvements around the town including, an International Trade Centre, voluntary housing scheme, playgrounds and tidy towns projects. They set about refurbishing the station so maintaining a piece of history for future generations. However the tracks remained disused and became overgrown in many places.

The idea of introducing a Velorail was supported by the County Council and an approach was made to then Minister of Transport Leo Varadkar TD who referred them to CIE/Irish Rail. An agreement was reached to licence 13km of track to the council. Fast forward some to some years later, the lines were repaired all the infrastructure was put in place, statutory issues resolved so the IRD then set about sourcing suitable Rail Bikes.

On a beautiful sunny June summer morning a large number of dignitaries and local people attended the official

opening and unveiling of a plaque on the station building by Michael Ring T.D.

Speaking at the launch Joe Kelly Chief Executive of IRD pointed out that for many generations the Kiltimagh railway station was the avenue by which people from the area emigrated to the UK and USA looking for work and to build a new life. Most never returned. “Some sixty years after the last passenger train came through this station, the Veloril has started to carry passengers once more….. Kiltimagh Station through the Velorail will hopefully become a contributor to economic development and employment creation and sustainability in Kiltimagh”, he said.

The Velorail project involves running pedal powered carriages along a railway line and is an ideal form of exercise for a family or group of friends.

It is suitable for all ages and abilities. As you pedal along the open countryside admiring the stunning scenery there is a great sense of relaxation. The starting point is the station and you will travel either north or south depending on route

is essential to book in advance. Members of staff are on hand to help visitors on arrival and explain the rules and safety issues before they set off. At each of the finish points users are requested to dismount and take a short rest while a staff member rotates the carriage on the track.

The project was delivered by IRD Kiltimagh CLG and supported by Mayo Co.Co., Irish Rail, Dept. of Rural and Community Development and Mayo Local Action Group under the Rural Development Programme LEADER 2014-2022.

The town of Kiltimagh attracts many tourists annually and it’s believed the new Velorail could bring up to 30,000 visitors per year. On a visit you can enjoy taking a trek around Sliabh Cairn, a spot of angling, perhaps a round of golf. or explore the Museum and the Arts Exhibition Centre complete with Sculpture Park. The town has two hotels, the 4 star Park Hotel and 3 star Cill Aodain Court.

The Velorail project involves running pedal powered carriages along a railway line and is an ideal form of exercise for a family or group of friends.

Busy summer expected at Donegal Airport

It looks like it will be a busy summer season at Donegal Airport which is located at Carrickfinn, Kincasscagh just a 15 minute drive from Dungloe and Gweedore. The airport is also only 45 mins from the busy town of Letterkenny. The first passenger services began in 1986 operated by Malinair, a Scottish airline who recognised the potential for carrying relations and friends between County Donegal and Glasgow. Recently Loganair the UK’s largest regional airline announced an increase in its Glasgow service from two to three times weekly for its summer 2023 schedule, between July and September. Flights will be on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile the twice daily flights to Dublin Airport remain very popular. These are operated by Emerald Airlines (Aer Lingus Regional). The early morning departures suit both business and leisure sectors and the growth rate has been significant year on year. The introduction of the ATR 72 turboprop with improved fuel efficiency has been well received by passengers on this route for both comfort and performance.

Flight time is 55 minutes with choice of onward connections worldwide. Passengers arrive and depart from T2 in Dublin and are allowed avail of the flight connections corridor to access their departure gate. Self -connecting passengers with cabin baggage only and valid boarding card for any same day onward flight can also use the corridor without needing to clear immigration and security screen channels at the airport.

A spokesperson for the airport told Senior Times that year to date overall traffic figures show a 17per cent increase on 2022. “Several carbon reductions actions have been taken including both the runway and internal lighting systems being converted to LED, a rainwater harvesting tank for training and airport maintenance, solar panels installed in 2022, electric vehicles replacing ground equipment and public EV charging points in our car park.” The airport is also used by the Air Corps, Marine Search and Rescue Services and private charters.

www.donegalairport.ie

Donegal Airport has one of the most picturesque runways in the world

Summer events and festivals

Another summer of exciting festivals and events along the Western Seaboard. Here is just a taste of what’s on during July and August.

July

Earagail Arts Festival 8th-23rd (throughout County Donegal)

Ballina County Mayo River Moy Week-end 8th & 9th including Salmon Festival 8th-15th and Macnas Community Parade (all part of Ballina 300th anniversary celebrations)

South Sligo Summer School, Tubbercurry 9th-15th (dedicated to music, song and dance)

Galway Film Fleadh 11th-16th

Galway International Arts Festival 17th-30th

Vandeleur Festival, Kilrush, County Clare 21st-23rd (featuring music, exhibitions, fire show, open air cėilí and fashion show)

Yeats International Summer School, Sligo 27th – 4th August

Mary From Dungloe International Arts Festival 29th- 7th August (56th Year)

August

Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal Folk and Traditional Music Festival 3rd-6th (star line up this year in the Marquee)

Grainne Uaile Festival, Newport County Mayo. 4th-7th (free family street event)

Rose of Tralee 18th-22nd not just about selecting the Rose, also street entertainment, outdoor concerts, a circus, funfair and even fireworks)

All Summer Long: Exhibition ‘This is the Modern World’ at the Galway City Museum, Spanish Arch featuring a wide selection of music related posters promoting gigs in the area between 1977 and 1982. Visitors can join in by sharing their own music scene memories in the visitor comments book. Free admission. Runs until 23rd September.

Photo: Oriane Zerah/MSF

A

in your will can heal

to:

Dublin Dossier

Pat Keenan reports on happenings in and around the capital

Slavery, de-naming and re-naming..

Sadly throughout the history of our world slavery has always existed in some form or other. Dublin has experienced its share. There are tales that in Medieval times Gaelic Irish raiders crossed the Irish Sea to Roman Britain and kidnapping and enslaving people including a young St.Patrick.

When Vikings first raided our shores they plundered, pillaged and killed. They enslaved and deported us to foreign lands. They settled here and over several generations assimilating with the native population. With them we built a booming economy here, the central cornerstone of which was slavery and vassalage.

Ivar Ragnarsson, a Viking warlord came from area covering lands in modern Denmark and Sweden, founded a dynasty here and named it Dyflin, an old Norse name derived from 'black pool', in Irish 'Duib Linn' That refers to a black inlet of the River Liffey near where Dublin Castles is today. There they built hundreds of longships and from there sailed down the Liffey into the sea. Navigating across Europe and the Middle East they gathered thousands of slaves and shipped and sold them across the known world of the time. All of which helped shape the city we live in today. Years later another shaping of our capital took place, again associated with slavery. This time when Dublin and the areas surrounding it became the Pale, the seat of British power in Ireland. Indeed the nickname 'Dublin Jackeens' derives from the Union Jack. Now as part of the British Empire we had a renewed relationship with slavery mostly in British plantations. When Britain became the first country in Europe to abolished slavery, many slaveowners continued by purchasing slaves in other European plantations

Black lives matter

Recently the 'Black Lives Matter' movement triggered protests not just in the USA but across the world.

some apprehension. The management of the Shelbourne Hotel on St.Stephens Green took the precautionary measure of removing four neoclassical decorative statues from railings outside the hotel on the possibility they might conceivably be Nubian slaves in manacles. They were later reinstated when art historians agreed that far from being slaves, these 'manacles' were ornate anklets on four aristocratic young ladies.

Then in 2021 Trinity College began what they loftily called an examination of core

decided to dename the Berkeley Library because of George Berkeley's association with slavery. Berkeley was Irish by birth, was educated at Kilkenny College and Trinity College where he was multi awarded BA, MA, Fellow, later lecturer and librarian; took Holy Orders and returned to Trinity to lecture on divinity, later became a Church of Ireland Bishop, Dean of Dromore and Dean of Derry and... bought and sold slaves. Berkeley preferred to be known as Anglo-Irish, he considered the Irish to be a lessor people on a par with 'the negro' In his book 'The

Bishop George Berkeley. In 2021 Trinity College began what they loftily called an examination of core values and two and a bit years later decided to dename the Berkeley Library because of George Berkeley's association with slavery. Berkeley was Irish by birth, was educated at Kilkenny College and Trinity College .

Think Ahead is the easy and convenient way to plan for future needs

Irish Hospice Foundation simplifies Advance Care Planning with Think Ahead

Think Ahead - What is it?

Think Ahead Planning Packs, developed by Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF), are easy to read guides for patients, their families, and caregivers to start putting their affairs in order for their end of life.

With Think Ahead, people can make their care wishes known, appoint somebody to act as their healthcare advocate, keep track of important documents, and more. In the 10 years since Think Ahead was initially launched, it has become a key advance care planning resource for people in Ireland.

Planning ahead can reduce stress or anxiety people may feel when facing dying. Using Think Ahead can also reduce conflict between family members. Over 100,000 people have already received a version of Think Ahead through their GP, at events, or by ordering from IHF.

What’s in the Revised Think Ahead Pack?

My Personal Wishes and Care Plan booklet asks people completing the forms how they would like to be cared for, in the face of illness or injury. They can record where they would prefer to be - at home, in hospital, or hospice; what is important to them - such as having visitors, spiritual or religious beliefs, favourite music; as well as how to care for them. This document also allows patients to keep track of legal and financial information, and for the courageous - what type of funeral and after-

death care they would prefer. My Advance Healthcare Directive booklet guides patients in how to refuse or request treatment for a later date, if some illness or injury means they cannot express their choices and they can appoint a trusted person to make healthcare decisions on their behalf. In the Medical Summary Form/leaflet, patients can summarise what has been detailed in their Think Ahead documents once completed and ask their healthcare team to make a copy for their medical file. This ensures that if the time comes, everybody who needs to know is already aware of a patient’s recorded choices. All are enclosed in a handy folder for safekeeping.

To Learn More

IHF are running events on Think Ahead over the next few months where people can learn how to use Think Ahead packs and start conversations with their loved ones. Valerie Smith, IHF’s Public Engagement Lead knows talking about dying can be hard, “but talking about it can make dying and death less fear-filled, and a better experience for everyone.”

For further information and to order Think Ahead packs: visit www.thinkahead.ie, call IHF on (01) 679 3188 or email thinkahead@hospicefoundation.ie Email valerie.smith@hospicefoundation.ie or call (01) 963 1161 to arrange Think Ahead training for your community.

Valerie Smith (5th from right) at a recent Think Ahead training event.

Querist' written in 1735 he even suggests that slavery in Ireland would be no bad thing.

Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut,USA, has a college residency named for the same George Berkeley and they did their own research on slavery links and turned up some details of Berkeley's American 'missionary project that began when he purchased a plantation in Rhode Island. He named it Whitehall "in loyal remembrance of the palace of the English Kings from Henry VIII to James II." Their report says Berkeley bought “a negro man named Philip aged 14 years or thereabout,” also “a negro man named Edward aged 20 years or thereabouts”. Berkeley justifying slavery on the grounds that it would lead to Christian conversions, announcing he had "baptised three of his negroes" The same Berkeley gives his name to Berkeley University and the city of Berkeley in California.

More recently came the announced rebranding of The Westin Hotel as The Westmoreland was scrapped because John Fane, the 10th Earl of Westmorland was a zealous defender of slavery in London's House of Lords, denouncing all attempts to end the slave trade. So now it will be The College Green Hotel.

Unfortunately College Green itself has several associations with slavery. The front gates of Trinity and very frontage and entry into the college facing College Green was built funded by duty from tobacco, a slave crop. Across the road, the magnificent columned facade of the Bank of Ireland, originally designed as Ireland’s Parliament Building, was built with money from sugar duty - another crop raised by slaves in a West Indies plantations. Now it is a Bank of Ireland branch with a lineage reaching back to the La Touche family. After making a fortune in the clothing industry they established one of the earliest banks in Ireland - the House of La Touche. That merged into several other banks along the way and finally became the Bank of Ireland. The La Touche family came to Ireland as Huguenot refugees. They were involved on the Williamite side in the Battle of the Boyne. Three of the family, William Digges La Touche; Peter Digges La Touche with an address in Dublin at 2 St Stephen's Green and Mary Digges La Touche received over £7,000 (over €1 million today) in compensation for loss of their 404 slaves on three Jamaican plantations. David La Touche was the first Governor of the Bank of Ireland. In 1764 he had enough cash to acquire

More recently came the announced rebranding of The Westin Hotel as The Westmoreland because John Fane, the 10th Earl of Westmorland was a zealous defender of slavery in London's House of Lords, denouncing all attempts to end the slave trade. So now it will be The College Green Hotel.

what is now known as Marlay House and Park in Rathfarnham - named for his wife Elizabeth Marlay, the daughter of Bishop George Marlay. And right up to date - one of Dublin's newest glass walled buildings - La Touche House on Custom House Dock in the IFSC was named after David La Touche by Bank of Ireland.

Other Dublin slave owners

When Britain ended slavery in their colonies with the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, slave-owners in Dublin were deemed eligible for compensation for the loss about four thousand slaves. This estimate is based on the University College London ‘Legacies of British slaveownership’ database. The total of slaves owned may have been higher.

Many applications were rejected, others may have owned slaves in other European owned colonies. Most Dublin slave owners would be Anglo-Irish, aristocrats, certainly well heeled and also factor in that Dublin slave owners included those born-in Ireland or those

The Shelbourne Hotel took the precautionary measure of removing four neoclassical decorative statues from railings outside the hotel - the possibility they might conceivably be Nubian slaves in manacles. Reinstated when art historians agreed that far from being slaves, these 'manacles' were ornate anklets on four aristocratic young ladies.

simply resident in the country at the time.

Much of this was obtained from the website; mylesdungan.com/2020/06/12/ ireland-and-slavery/ - it lists all of recognised slave owners in Ireland.

The legacy and dealing with it

My instincts say let it be history. Trinity also have a stained-glass window commemorating George Berkeley and for that they decided to adopt a retain-and-explain approach which might have been better than denaming. After all when Trinity opened this part of the Library in 1967 they certainly didn't name it because of his status as a slave owner. University's Board and the Trinity Legacies Review Working Group summed up their denaming decision saying 'The denaming does not deny Berkeley’s importance as a writer, philosopher, and towering intellectual figure. His philosophical work will still be taught at Trinity and remains of significant contemporary relevance.'

You might think Misery Hill would be a street begging for a rename and thankfully it hasn't. It was originally undeniably miserable. It fascinated me as a young art student, I pencil sketched it as it was, then later rendered it in ink and water colour.

Sometimes history itself changes names. Four Dublin streets were named after Henry Moore, 3rd Earl of Drogheda, Henry Street, Moore Street, North Earl Street and Drogheda Street became Sackville Street.

Way back in 1884 there were nationalist proposals to have the street renamed but they would have to wait until 1924 when it officially became O'Connell Street. Can't complain here. Daniel O’Connell, was an outspoken and enthusiastic opponent of slavery. Interestingly Edward Sheil, who had two plantations with slaves in Honduras was the brother of Richard Lalor Sheil MP, a supporter of O'Connell on Catholic Emancipation. The Lord Lieutenant Lionel Sackville was also the Duke of Dorset, and Dorset Street is still with us - its old name was Drumcondra Lane.

Townsend Street is interesting in the context of naming and renaming, originally called Lasers Hill, was renamed after the

Lord Lieutenant and General Governor of Ireland, Viscount George Townsend. The street sign on the wall today reads 'Townsend Street', under that it reads 'Cnoc na Lobhair', in English that's 'hill of the lepers'. It retains both names. Nearby Gallows Road, because it incorporating Gallows Hill, renamed as Baggot Street.

You might think Misery Hill would be a street bagging for a rename and thankfully it hasn't. It was originally undeniably miserable. It fascinated me as a young art student, I pencil sketched it as it was, then later rendered it in ink and water colour after seeing it in colour in Educating Rita with poor Rita (Julie Walters) walking down Misery Hill on her way to college (Trinity) Still there today it now contains the European headquarters of Facebook, the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and the 5 star Anantara Marker Hotel. Now so modern and fashionable but for some reason sometimes ignored as the letterhead address preferring the more refined Grand Canal Square.

Dublin Dossier in Senior Times issue 107 Sept/Oct 2020 contains a fuller account of the area: www.seniortimes.ie/

then later rendered it in ink and water colour.

Faith in the future: new miracle innovations could save thousands of lives from climate disaster

A s climate change bring s the wor s t droug ht in 40 years to the Horn of Africa, Concern Worldwide suppor ter s are helping lo c al f armer s use new climate-resilient techniques to save their families and communities from star vation.

In some par t s of the Horn of Afric a , there ha sn’t been a single drop of r ain in three year s D ead cows lie dec aying by the road, overcome by dehydr ation. Across Ethiopia , S omalia and Kenya , the dust-filled pl ains are so bare of vegetation that they don’t at tr ac t any animal s The vill ages are just a s quiet The hustle and bustle of f amilies cooking or working ha s f allen silent Children who haven’t eaten for days do nothing but sit still in their hut s, too tired and sick to move.

It ’s the same dire, drought-r avaged situation across all the countries in the Horn of Afric a Right now, 20 million people are acutely food insecure It ’s estimated one per son dies of hunger ever y 36 seconds And a s climate change c auses more ex treme weather pat terns, exper t s predic t that drought s like these will become even more frequent, and l a st even longer, with deva stating ef fec t s for future gener ations

Living in hunger

Ahmed, a f armer in S omalia , and his children, live on the frontline of the climate crisis He inherited his l and from his f ather who wa s a f armer before him. But with each year that ha s gone by since he wa s a boy, he ha s seen less and less r ain f alling on the f amily f arm. The soil ha s become so dr y that he c an no longer grow the nutritious corn and sorghum that once helped him put food on the table

S eeing his crops wither before his eyes, Ahmed did ever y thing he could to save them, but without water, it wa sn’t enough He had nothing to eat and nothing to sell at the market The pain of hunger began to take hold of his children Even if his f amily were to sur vive the current crisis, he could only wonder how his children would ever live through the more formidable drought s of the future

“With the seeds Concern provided, I was able to har vest a lot more and help my family, it changed ever y thing.”

Communitie s face the threat of ma ss star vation a s the climate cri si s wor sen s

Miracle innovation

It wa s in this desperate situation that Concern Worldwide, Ireland ’s largest international aid charit y, and their generous communit y of suppor ters, were able to provide a lifeline for Ahmed For 55 years, the charit y ha s been helping people from the world ’s poorest communities to build lives free from hunger

In Ahmed ’s c a se, esc aping hunger meant achieving something that seemed impossible to him – finding a way to turn his dust y fields green again despite the onsl aught of the current drought But thanks

Life -saving innovation

For decades, Concern Worldwide ha s been bringing life-saving solutions to people facing the climate crisis The miraculous results have been nothing shor t of life-changing for thousands of families

CROP VARIET Y & DI VERSIFICATION

Drou g ht-re si stant se e d s incre a se the chance of a succe s sf ul crop, eve n in dr y condition s , to prote c t familie s f rom hun ge r

Find

IRRIGATION

Whe n an are a re ce ive s no rainfall , in novative wate r pumpin g sy ste m s

can brin g v ital , e n richin g moi sture to b arre n soil

to suppor ter s who lef t a gif t in their W ill to the charit y, C oncern ha s the resources to build climate -smar t agricultur al progr ammes that c an suppor t Ahmed and f amilies like his They provide the tool s and tr aining that, even in the driest conditions, help f armer s grow nourishing food Together, C oncern and it s suppor ter s were able to provide Ahmed with a wide r ange of drought-resistant seeds, and tr aining on how to grow them. The result s have been nothing shor t of mir aculous – today, his once -barren l and is sprouting thousands of fruit-bearing trees. W ith the income he’s earning from selling the

While the threat of ma ss star vation looms, Concern Worldwide is c alling for more people to help them protec t vulner able families like Ahmed ’s from the hunger c aused by drought and climate change. When people leave a gif t in their Will to Concern, they ’re giving hope to children, families and communities facing future challenges of the climate crisis, by suppor ting this life-saving agricultur al progr amme.

Leaving a legacy of hope for future generations

Siobhán O ’C onnor, from C oncern, advises people who want to leave a gif t in their W ill to the charit y “ The gif t s that our generous suppor ter s

“I am pr oud to k now that , even when I am gone, my suppor t will continue to s ave lives . ”

C olm, who’s leaving a gif t in his W ill to C oncern Worldwide, C o G alway

produce, he c an af ford to feed his children again And when they ’re old enough, they will learn these life - changing skill s from Ahmed, which they c an pa ss on to their own children, ensuring future gener ations live a life free from hunger.

The future threat of climate change

leave in their W ill s have the power to change so much,” Siobhán told us She continued, “ That single ac t of kindness goes f ar beyond helping one f amily protec t themselves from hunger – it lives on through the year s, from gener ation to gener ation, helping the f amilies and children of the future sur vive even the deadliest drought ”

POS

T- HARVEST MANAGEMENT

Whe n crops are har ve ste d , more se cure stora ge te ch nique s can prote c t the m f rom b e in g sp oile d by in se c t s and f un gi late r

Although the future looks brighter for Ahmed and his children, many f amilies are still not safe from climate change The World Bank predic t s that the coming changes in weather pat terns could force more than 10 0 million people into ex treme pover t y by 2030 And by 2050, it may internally displ ace 14 3 million people from countries in Sub -S ahar an Afric a , S outh Ea st A sia and L atin Americ a

out how you can be par t of a world without hunge

If you’d like to request your free brochure to find out more about leaving a gif t in your Will to Concern, please contact Siobhán O’Connor at Concern Worldwide today

Phone: 01 417 8020 E-mail: siobhan oconnor@concern.net Visit: concern net/lega

More and more compassionate people across Ireland are now moving to suppor t Concern’s vision to build a hunger-free world Siobhán explains, “Our community is united by a simple belief that no one should ever have to suf fer the pain of hunger If you share in this belief, I would encourage you to consider joining us today No gif t is too small or big , ever y donation will help build a world free from hunger.”

A

hmed, S omalia

Providing for the physical needs of a loved one

Views expressed are my own, this is based only on my experience, I am not a trained expert or physician...

Our family grew up with the incredible support of a strong single mother. Determined and caring, wise and loving. In her own life had many challenges that she overcame while developing a career as a Therapist and Healer to so many people in Ireland.

It is no surprise that her family were motivated to care for her. A story that is of course not unique to our family – a universal story.

Our mother was diagnosed with a degenerative, progressive and untreatable illness perhaps 7 years ago. She valued her independence and dignity above all else bar her family. The condition was Parkinsons PSP (Progressive Super-Nuclear Palsy).

The medical effects of this condition are relatively fast in its progression and can affect patients with anxiety and the ability to synthesize ideas, perhaps even a feedback loop of condition related anxiety feeding emotional anxiety. This impacts sleep and of course the condition slowly but surely erodes most physical capabilities until speech and swallow eventually decline. It is a challenge for any patient and every family involved. Not unlike conditions of Parkinsons, Multiple system atrophy, Dementia or Alzheimers.

Our loved one was cognisant throughout and that had its blessings and its burdens. It did however allow us to learn much on the journey in caring for our Mum. The feedback we received allowed us to learn and improve in how to support her, knowing that small differences, being thoughtful, really thoughtful could make a huge difference.

The core insights I found on the journey were:

A self-awareness that I knew very little in how to support my family.

That I wasn’t a doctor, geriatrician, neurologist, physio or occupational therapist. The third and final insight was recognising that this is a stressful and difficult time for

family carers, remembering that most families facing this period usually have careers (maybe 2 in a household), and likely to have their own family. This can be limiting and demanding at the same time. People in this position likely feel guilty, that if only they could do more, and even if they do, likely guilty again for not being able to be in two places at once (with their loved one and their own family). There are clearly trade-offs. Each person also realises that the commitment of being a carer, although manageable with the right support, will certainly grow until it finally diminishes. A challenge that will require people to look after their loved ones, ensure they look after themselves, as well as the many loved ones around them as well.

So what exactly is the role of the family member? I found this support role was a multi-disciplinary role. One that I and many others are not always prepared for.

Primarily (and obviously) it is to provide emotional support for your loved one. An area I slowly improved in, if not an area where I had much to learn about myself.

The need to provide broader family emotional support (support for siblings and close family friends), managing boundaries, helping to keep communication clear, managing everyone’s fear and best intentions. Let there be no doubt, this is a frightening time for the any patient, it is also frightening and stressful for all the family, including those friends closest. In many ways the situation has demands on all the family and this period can cause grieving for the loss of a loved one. Everyone faces this period differently. Being patient with this can be a challenge. This is a personal journey, and I am grateful to my wife, my sisters, my mother, and her friends for helping me to become better in that role.

The second area is the becoming a more learned support (what I refer to as Facing the learning curve). Researching and adjusting to the learning curve of a specific (or set of specific) medical condition(s). It also relates to learning how to manage health systems, doctors, consultants and carers. Learning what to expect next and how to be prepared.

We were lucky in that my sister is a doctor and has experience in helping us understand how to maintain a medical history, how to understand medical terms and medications, understand what to ask for and how to ask for it. Even still, the unpractised like myself, will not truly understand the true implications of simple words related to a condition or symptom. Terms like Mobility, Fall-risk, Anxiety, or Dysphagia for example have little meaning until you face them and see them develop up close and first hand.

Thankfully as I gained some better emotional control, I could see and learn from so many around us. From the stage of confusion until a diagnosis, the stage of managing living independently at home, the introduction of visiting home carers, until eventually, relenting to the support (and expertise) of a nursing home during Covid.

Over time you may gain a different understanding of what carers face, you may even have the opportunity to learn how to best support the carers and nurses in a home and be an unofficial part of the care team.

There are learnings throughout: personal emotional development, as well a basic physical practises like learning how to dress someone, how to support and carry someone properly, how to help with eating, drinking, or managing cleanliness. All to support the identity of your loved one, their comfort and dignity. We like to speak of Modern Seniors, an acknowledgement that we too will face the challenges of age too, but also to respect our elders, their journey and experience.

The last aspect of the role of the family carer is to provide for the physical needs of a loved one – Providing for nutrition, clothing, special equipment, treats of gifts that can raise someone’s day. This can also mean being a personal taxi or Uber driver, supporting with Hospital or doctor visits, getting phones or TVs fixed while learning how to gently be your loved one’s accountant and / or lawyer.

What family carer perhaps is challenged with most is headspace and time. In hindsight, time many will rather have spent

one-to-one with a loved one providing the emotional support on the journey, versus time spent shopping and learning about fabrics, name labelling of clothes or focusing on what might be missing.

For me that basic level of awareness of what being thoughtful meant was awoken by the women in Mums life: my wife, my sisters, Mums friends, and her carers and nurses. They would send care packages or bring gifts of clothing with elasticated waists or breathable materials. Fresh underwear, pyjamas or toiletries is a treat and actually needed – like the feeling of sleeping in a bed of freshly made linen. We learned that Mum appreciated it when you remembered to bring her shower gel or toothpaste (and I am embarrassed by

how many times I forgot it as I rushed to visit the nursing home, the shower gel waiting for me at my home on the hall table). I eventually learned she needed not only shower gel but two months’ supply of toiletries with a focus on moisturising products – I needed a service I could order from: one that would research and find the right products, allow me to purchase it at the point of need and awareness, and deliver it for me to my Mum –ideally wrapped with Love and a Bow!

The feeling you have in supporting a loved one is difficult, you always want to do more, but don’t always have the awareness or capability. You are always juggling specific events, new information or your loved ones needs while, at the same time,

trying to maintain your own life, your family and most likely the demands of your career. Its stressful.

My wife Serena and I realised that we still wanted to do more as well – just to make it a little easier for families, carers and loved ones facing this type of challenge. We know that we are limited in what we can do with the very personal and patient specific aspects families face in providing emotional support or indeed learning how to manage a specific condition.

What we felt we could do was provide access and convenience in finding the products and service to help families provide for some of the physical needs their ones have. Needs that when thoughtfully met can make a big difference, raise someone’s day, or build a connection with a thoughtful gift.

Together we worked with experts in aged care to find a range of essentials and gifts that can be ordered and delivered directly to your loved one. Where we curated and found products where we hoped to be thoughtful for families: thinking about Fabrics, Name labelling, Packaging, Layering, Laundry Cycles, Clothing capsules, Electronics and Hand co-ordination / mobility. We continue to research these products each day and welcome product ideas that can positively impact the Modern Senior.

As my Mum would say, “A little and often is better than all in one go”, and we hope in doing so we can build connections with families that are wrapped with love and a bow.

The journey we have been on has been the inspiration for www.alittleandoften.com – We sincerely hope it can make things a little bit easier for loved ones, families and carers.

With thanks - Niall

THE HUMOUR OF DUBLIN

By Des MacHale

Many visitors to Ireland are surprised by our huge variety of accents—from Belfast and Donegal to Galway, from the Midlands to Dublin, all the way down to Cork and Kerry, and not forgetting Wicklow, Waterford and Wexford. But few seem to be aware of our great regional variations in the types of humour we have too—Belfast wit and Galway wit are like chalk and cheese, while Cork humour and Dublin humour could be from different planets.

The late, great and much lamented Niall Toibin, a Corkman exiled in Dublin, and one of the finest comedians and mimics this country has ever produced, matched only perhaps by the legendary Jimmy O’Dea and Maureen Potter, always maintained that the essence of Dublin humour was indignation. A Dubliner is never happy unless he or she is indignant about something. He used to tell the story of a Dubliner passing a fire brigade practice who accidentally got drenched by a fire fighter’s hose. Indignantly, he shouted, 'Yez wouldn’t do it to me if I was on fire’.

One of the great Dublin comic stereotypes is the two auld wans, frequently  female, on a bus and their hilarious conversations, which are quite serious to them, but very funny to us. They are  guaranteed authentic of course, because we have all overheard them ourselves. Here are a few choice examples.

First auld wan:  I’m thinkin’ of shavin’ me legs.

Second auld wan: They say it’s a great way of losin’ weight.

First auld wan: I had a meal in McDonald’s last week.

Second auld wan: What was it like?

First auld wan: Well, I’ll tell you one thing. He’s come a long way since he had that farm.

This time it is two auld fellas upstairs on a bus.

First auld fella: I was readin’ in de paper de other day about all dem icebergs meltin’ and floodin’  de planet.

Second auld fella: I heard about dat. It’s de greenfly effect.

Back to the two auld wans on a bus again.

First auld wan: I see where Biddy Mulligan has just cremated her fifth husband,

Second auld wan: It’s not fair—some of us can’t get a man at all and other women have husbands to burn.

First auld wan: Me sister is having a lung transplant.

Second auld wan: Oh, I don’t think I’d like that. Imagine swallowing someone else’s phlegm.

First auld wan: Me husband died in an accident in at the Guinness Brewery. He fell into a vat of porter and was drowned.

Second auld wan: Was it a slow and painful death?

First auld wan: I don’t think so, because he got out three times to go to the gents.

First auld wan: How is your son getting’ on in the army?

Second auld wan: Terrific! He joined up only a month ago and already they’ve made him a court marshal. And the other lad too is a model citizen—he’s always helping the police with their inquiries.

First auld fella: Me daughter has taken up the opera and she’s playin’ the caterpillar in Madam Butterfly.

Second auld fella: Maybe someday she’ll be playin’ the biscuit in the Marriage of Fig Roll.

First auld wan: I just love the DART and the LUAS.

Second auld wan: I think they are terrific too, but it will be even better when they circumcise the whole city.

First auld wan: Wasn’t it terrible about Jimmy Byrne?

Second auld wan: Why, what happened to him?

First auld wan: Well, he was workin’ on a building site when a big steam hammer fell a hundred feet onto his chest and killed him stone dead.

Second auld wan: I’m not surprised. All them Byrnes had fierce weak chests.

First auld wan: Me son is paintin’ the house for me this weekend.

Second auld wan: But I thought he was in Mountjoy serving ten years for aggravated assault and battery.

First auld wan: He’s after getting time off for good behaviour.

Second auld wan: It must be a great consolation for you to have such a good lad.

First auld wan: I don’t know what to get my grandson for his birthday.

Second auld wan: Why not get him a book?

First auld wan: Don’t be daft—he has a book already.

Brendan Behan and his family must go down as some of Dublin’s greatest home-produced wits of all time. They had a problem with drink of course, mostly as Brendan said, because they couldn’t get enough of it! He once described the pint in a certain pub as ‘not fit for washing hearses’. Regarding himself as a drinker with a writing problem, Brendan Behan probably left more genuine humorous quotations behind than any other Irish writer, except maybe Oscar Wilde, but Behan’s quotes were always more down to earth and explosively funny. Here are just a few of them:

Shakespeare is dead, James Joyce is dead and I’m not feeling too well myself.

There is no bad publicity except an obituary notice.

People never actually swim in Dublin Bay; they are merely going through the motions.

Critics are like eunuchs in a harem. They know exactly how it should be done; they see it done every night, but they cannot do it themselves.

We had a bath in our house but thank God we never had to use it.

When I was a kid I wanted to be a policeman, but they found out my parents were married.

Cork people would steal the cross from behind Jesus’s back and leave him hanging in the air.

The first item on the agenda of every Irish organisation is ‘the Split’.

Kilbarrack, over by Howth, my father always maintained, was the healthiest graveyard in the country, with the sea air.

America is the land of permanent waves and impermanent wives.

I am a communist by day and a Catholic after it gets dark. When I am healthy, I am not at all religious, but when I am sick, I am very religious.

I have never seen a situation so bad that a policeman could not make it worse.

Even on his deathbed, Brendan Behan’s wit did not desert him. To the nun who was looking after him, he smiled and said, ‘Thank you sister, and may you be the mother of an archbishop’.

Finally, let me share with you an original story  I first heard from the great Hugh Leonard which we both felt encapsulated the essence of Dublin Humour:

There was this man living in a high rise apartment in the suburbs of Dublin and he was so holy that he was known as Blessed Barnabas of Ballymun. After he died, all the residents felt that he should be declared a saint so they chartered a plane to Rome to petition the Pope for him to be canonised as Saint Barnabas of Ballymun. The Holy Father graciously granted the deputation an audience and listened carefully to their petition.

‘Blessed Barnabas was a really holy man’, said the chairwoman, ‘he attended mass every morning of his life, did an awful lot of good work in the community, and gave away all of his possessions to the poor’.

‘Very good’. Said the Pope, ‘but before he can be elevated to sainthood, there must be evidence of a miracle. Has there been any evidence of a miracle due to the intercession of Blessed Barnabas?’

‘Yes, your holiness,’ said the chairwoman, and a little Dublin lad stepped forward to speak.

‘Well, one night,’ said the chiseller, ‘Blessed Barnabas went into a pub where there were lots of bad men smokin’ cigarettes and drinkin’ pints of porter. Blessed Barnabas said loudly, ‘This is a nest of vipers and a den of iniquity’, and he went over and pulled the cigarettes from their mouths and plunged them into their pints of porter’.

‘Very good’, said the Pope, ‘but where is the miracle?’

‘Jaysus’, said the little lad, ‘it’s a miracle he wasn’t killed’.

Des MacHale is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at University College Cork, He is an author and speaker on several subjects, including George Boole, lateral thinking , puzzles and humour and will be speaking on the Cork sense of humour at the 50 Plus Show in Cork on the 12th and 13th of September.

Get on the

Wine World Winetrail...

Mairead Robinson suggests checking out the great wine route holidays available

Have you had enough of sun holidays, and done the ‘costas’ so many times you are almost a local as you return year on year? Are you looking for something different now like so many people who are searching for a themed holiday which involves learning new things and enjoying a totally different experience? Some of the themed holiday breaks involve painting, walking, historic trails, sailing, art, cycling, learning a new skill and many more from yoga to museums. But if your passion is enjoying wines and discovering new grape varieties, blends and vintages, then a wine trip could be the holiday for you this year.

As a wine writer, I have had the privilege of visiting many wineries all over the world, and I must say it is something that I never get tired of. From large operations, to small family run wineries, each has its own attractions and the world of wine is a constant source of interest and delight. For the past few years the main issue that vineyards are having to deal with is global warming, and harvest times coming earlier each year. This presents a real dilemma as if the grapes are harvested too soon, they will be ‘green’ and will pose a real challenge in the winery to convert them into good wine. Conversely, if the grapes are left too long on the vines and allowed to become over ripe, the result will be a wine that is too high in alcohol and will

have none of the subtle tones and flavours that a good wine should demonstrate.

So if you embark on visits to wineries and vineyards, you can learn so much while enjoying tasting the wines and discovering new grape varieties and blends. All over Europe, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, there are wineries that offer tasting visits and also accommodation. You can plan your own route or alternatively you can embark on an organized one. If you don’t fancy driving yourself as you visit and taste wines, and you are keen to meet like minded people, enjoy local cusine and

have the whole holiday organized for you, there is a new option from operator Sunway who have just launched its newest escorted tour in Bordeaux, wine capital of the world! Its an ideal tour for people who seek an introduction to the wines of Bordeaux and the region. You can enjoy French cusine, visit the old town of Bergerac and enjoy the company of like minded people. Flights, accommodation, tours, food, wine transfers and the services of a tour guide throughout and everyone gets a free case of wine delivered to their door on their return from the holiday. How bad! More details on www.sunway.ie

Sunway offer wine and food walking tours

Besides France, Portugal is also very popular for wine tourism, and I have embarked on visits to the east of the country – Alentejo – which is only a two hour drive from Lisbon airport. It is a wonderfully unspoilt part of the country, the wines are big and beautiful, and there is an excellent choice of fabulous accommodation for you to choose from. Of course the beautiful town of Porto is always worth a visit and the traditional Port houses offer fascinating historic tours of the big names we are all familiar with – Cockburns, Sandeman, Grahams etc.

From Porto you can travel north either by train or car, to the heart of the Douro wine region and explore the picturesque hills and valleys of Northern Portugal. Following unpaved roads you can travel from village to village, pausing for picnic lunches and visits to local wine estates where you can sample the award-winning wines. There are organized walking

holidays, charming accommodation, and Portugal is always excellent value for money.

If you would like to embark on a wine tour holiday, it is worth checking out if there is a wine club near where you live. These clubs often organize a couple of trips each year, and friends of mine – two sisters in their 70s have been enjoying these holidays for many years now. They have visited France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal several times and always to a different region. So ask around, this is a fun way to travel.

Looking to further afield, one of my favourite wine tours was to Chile when I visited Vinos de Colchagua some years ago. Here the wines and the people, cusine and countryside are all beautiful. And unlike much of the wine regions in Europe, the terroir is natural and unspoilt. Checkout the wines from Casa Silva in your local wine shop for a taste

of the gorgeous wines from Colchagua. I have also enjoyed the wine trails in the Napa Valley in California, as well as the Mendosa Valley in Argentina. Many of the wineries offer accommodation as well as tastings, so you can relax and stay overnight after your wine tasting and dinner.

Finally if you are not planning on travelling too far afield for your holiday, you can look no further than Waterford City, whose history is all about importing wines from Europe and they can organize tastings for you in their historic museums. The recently opened Wake Museum is certainly worth a visit, and to steady your nerves after all the talk of death and the hereafter, a glass of Waterford Whiskey will steady your nerves! More about the whiskeys of Waterford in the next issue, meanwhile this is a good time to pour yourself a glass of your favourite tipple, and plan a great summer holiday!

Golf

Dermot Gilleece recalls a Cork golfer’s dramatic ‘Deadliest Catch’ rescue

Fore - man overboard!

It is 10 years since James McCarthy lost his remaining keepsake from the 2007 US Open. And it happened in highly dramatic circumstances when he was being rescued from near-death in freezing Alaskan waters. Here might have been a real-live episode of the TV series, Deadliest Catch, with a Corkman centre stage.

The native of Ringaskiddy was swept overboard in 2013, while fishing in the Gulf of Alaska. Fortunately, his brother Peter managed to haul him to safety after a 20-minute battle for survival which culminated in an air-lift to hospital. Later, in emphasising the importance of golf in his life, he recalled to his sister, Katrina, during a phone call to Cork, an interview he had done with me.

After a two-year flirtation with professional golf while based in Las Vegas, McCarthy drove 3,700 miles to Kodiak, Alaska in 2005 to join Peter, deep-sea fishing. Two years later, he was

contacted by US Open qualifier, Michael Berg, a former colleague on the minitours, asking him to caddie at Oakmont. That’s where he told me his fascinating story.

I learned that there were three fishing McCarthys in Alaska, Peter, James and John 'just like the apostles,’ James remarked with a smile. When asked if their work resembled the TV series Deadliest Catch about Alaskan crab fishermen in the Bering Sea, he replied: ‘Yeah, we're pretty close to that stuff, except our boats are half the size. It's tough, especially in winter. Freezing. Bleak.’

According to Katrina, his rescue led to a stay in hospital where he had to recover from lung damage. In the process, he had to part with his remaining memento from the US Open, when a logoed T-shirt was cut from his body. In November 2005, McCarthy reluctantly accepted that he would have to call

an end to a two-year flirtation with professional golf. So it was that with his dog Murphy by his side, he left the bright lights of Las Vegas and headed for decidedly chillier climes to resume a hazardous life, deep-sea fishing in Kodiak, Alaska.

The mini golf tours had been good, but he had dreamed of bigger things. There had been two, failed attempts at local qualifying for the US Open but with a third apparently out of the question, everything changed. After a phone call from a former tournament colleague, he was bound for Oakmont, Pennsylvania. He would live his US Open dream, walking inside the ropes, though instead of swinging clubs, he would be carrying a bag of them as Berg's caddie. Memories of teenage golf at Rafeen Creek in Cork, might well have been from another world.

‘I remember that drive from Vegas,’ he mused, as we talked under a burning

Kodiak Island is located in the Gulf of Alaska, 250 miles south of Anchorage. Interestingly, it is known as Alaska's Emerald Isle, where Kodiak City has a population of 6,273. As a break from fishing, McCarthy turned to golf at public courses in the area and improved to such a degree as to gain a US Golf Association handicap of two.

Care for all animals with 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 will always be there to protect Ireland’s most vulnerable animals.

To find out more information on how your legacy can help or to claim your code for the ISPCA’s Free Online Will Writing service please visit www.ispca.ie/Legacies or call 087 0512603.

ISPCA Free Online Will Writing Service

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.

Rescued from an illegal puppy farm, these adorable pups were in a filthy shed with no bedding or natural light. Their tiny bellies were bloated because of worms. Both were very underweight. They are now in new forever homes.

It is 10 years since James McCarthy lost his remaining keepsake from the 2007 US Open. And it happened in highly dramatic circumstances when he was being rescued from near-death in freezing Alaskan waters. Here might have been a real-live episode of the TV series, Deadliest Catch, with a Corkman centre stage.

sun on the practice ground at Oakmont. ‘I covered the 3,700 miles to Anchorage in less than four days, in a Toyota Corolla.’ Sensing my disbelief, he smiled and went on: ‘I've a heavy foot. Up the Alaska-Canadian highway in the middle of winter. No cops. Drop the hammer as fast as you can go. At one point I was driving in 10 inches of snow and if I stopped I'd have frozen. So I kept trucking.’

Back in Kodiak, he went fishing again with his brother, Peter. And while we talked, I soon understood how his player, Berg, had been attracted to McCarthy's fun-loving adventurous nature. As in the name of his dog _ ‘I called him Murphy because he's black with a white head, just like a pint of stout.’ With sunglasses and a neatly-groomed goatee, he looked very much a model of the modern caddie. Golf and fishing. ‘For one of them you put on nice clothes; for the other you're covered in you know what,’ said the Corkman with a thin smile. His native accent was still there, though softened appreciably by an American overlay.

‘My home in Cork was where the ferries are,’ he went on. ‘And though I played a little golf, fishing was my thing. At 16, I went to the fishing school in Greencastle, Co Donegal and a year later, in May 1994, I was off to Alaska to join my brothers. John, the eldest, was running a boat in Kodiak.

‘It's tough, especially in winter. If we get days we can fish, we go. Freezing. Bleak. Minus 10 with a wind-chill sometimes bringing it down another 15. It's really tough on the women. At least we men can go out to work, but they're stuck in the house on their own.‘But it doesn't bother me. I've always been a loner. Anything I've ever done, I've done it

alone. And with three guys on a 58-foot boat, you can get away from each other. When two guys are sleeping, the other is watching the wheel.’ Kodiak Island is located in the Gulf of Alaska, 250 miles south of Anchorage. Interestingly, it is known as Alaska's Emerald Isle, where Kodiak City has a population of 6,273. As a break from fishing, McCarthy turned to golf at public courses in the area and improved to such a degree as to gain a US Golf Association handicap of two. And for three years he saved money for a grand plan. Late in 2002, the time had come to execute that plan.

‘After eight years, I had got tired of fishing and moved to Vegas where club jobs at Rhodes Ranch and later Dragon Ridge gave me free golf while allowing me work on my game. By the start of 2004 I felt I was ready. So I turned pro. ‘This led me into mini-tours covering North and South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. For an entry-fee of $400, we played for up to $10,000 in threeday tournaments while first prize in a four-day event could be $20,000. I met Mike Berg in the second tournament of the year. There was a group of eight of us including a few Canadians, some Americans and a lone Paddy. We became friends; roomed together and had fun.’ Back in Kodiak, his perspectives changed once more. Tired of working for other people, he and his brother Peter bought their own boat for $300,000 in June 2006. ‘At 58 foot by 19 foot wide, it's the smallest trawler in the Kodiak fleet,’ he said. ‘We painted her bright yellow, so she'd get noticed.’ All the while during idle hours at sea, he kept in touch by mobile phone with his friends from the Dakotas Tour.

In early June 2007, McCarthy was on

the second tee of the Bear Valley course in Kodiak when Berg called and asked if he'd caddie for him at Oakmont. His reaction was to book a flight to Anchorage that night. Next morning, he flew to Minneapolis, rented a car and drove to Berg’s home.

On the following Wednesday, the final practice day at Oakmont, McCarthy and Berg talked with predictable optimism about the task ahead. Of a brutally difficult examination, especially on the greens. Tougher than anything either of them had known. As Berg said: ‘I don't know how you can prepare for something like this, except by going to Augusta. And I haven't been able to get there yet.’

On Thursday morning, the big test was at hand. In the event, Berg struggled in a round of 81 which contained 35 putts, two double-bogeys and seven bogeys. ‘It was a lot, lot tougher than we expected,’ McCarthy admitted. ‘Mike was nervous and he wasn't helped by the wind. You couldn't tell which way it was blowing. But there's always tomorrow.’

Friday brought an admirable recovery, though it wasn’t quite good enough. After a second-round 75 for 16 over par, the pals from the Dakotas Tour departed the scene, justifiably proud of their effort. ‘ It seems a pity to have to part with this’ said McCarthy of the top-of-the-range Lexus 460 which was at their disposal for the week. Still, there would be some wonderful memories for the dark winter nights in Kodiak. He had made it to the US Open not knowing that another, potentially life-changing experience, lay in wait for him.In circumstances a lot more frightening than anything the slick greens of Oakmont could threaten, he was fortunate to escape with his life.

of cruelty cases being encountered by the ISPCA at this time. There is now more than ever an urgent need for the public to get behind the ISPCA to provide a safe haven for those animals that need our care and a chance of a good life in a loving forever home.”

Donation to help the ISPCA save all animals that are in pain or suffering during this time of crisis can be made online at www.ispca.ie/donate or by calling the ISPCA directly on 043 332 5035.

With unprecedented numbers of animals being abandoned, abused, or neglected than ever before; the ISPCA full capacity. The charity needs help to cope and has asked Ireland’s community of animal lovers to urgently come together and support their National Emergency Appeal, Stop the Pain

To report cruelty, neglect, or abuse to an animal, please contact the ISPCA. Na<onal Animal Cruelty Helpline in confidence on 0818 515515, email helpline@ispca.ie or visit www.ispca.ie to report online

With unprecedented numbers of animals being abandoned, abused, or neglected than ever before; the ISPCA’s rescue centres and kennels are at full capacity. The charity needs help to cope and has asked Ireland’s community of animal lovers to urgently come together and support their National Emergency Appeal, Stop the Pain.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the market for dogs exploded with puppies being sold for large sums of money from farms. But now that people are back disappeared. Some people can simply no longer care for their dogs and are attempting to hand them into dog pounds, abandon them or, even worse, chain them to fence posts and simply walk away. While across the country, dogs that were kept for breeding are now seen as disposable and are abandoned or locked away in dark boxes. Many are cruelly left to starve without adequate food or water. The sheer number of animalsspecially dogs – being abandoned or in need of rescue is overwhelming. At the same time, many who were thinking of getting a pet, did so during COVID, so rehoming of animals already in rescue centres has slowed down at the same time.

The Irish Society for the Preven2on 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.

have been at the forefront of cases of abandonment or cruelty since the pandemic. With more animals expected to be rescued, the financial strain on the ISPCA is expected to escalate further.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the market for dogs exploded with puppies being sold for large sums of money from both legal and illegal puppy farms. But now that people are back at work, the demand for dogs has disappeared. Some people can simply no longer care for their dogs and are attempting to hand them into dog pounds, abandon them or, even worse, chain them to fence posts and simply walk away. While across the country, dogs that were kept for breeding are now seen as disposable and are abandoned or locked away in dark boxes. Many are cruelly left to starve without adequate food or water. The sheer number of animals - specially dogs – being abandoned or in need of rescue is overwhelming. At the same time, many who were thinking of getting a pet, did so during COVID, so rehoming of animals already in rescue centres has slowed down at the same time.

The result is a national crisis in animal welfare. The ISPCA remains committed to helping every animal in need and has not turned away any distressed or neglected animal. To accommodate the growing number of animals rescued, the ISPCA has been forced to install temporary facilities and utilise private kennels, leading to substantial additional costs and a huge financial burden on the charity.

During the first quarter of 2023 alone, the ISPCA have rescued almost seven hundred animals which is an 80% increase of animals in care. Consequently, their centres have reached maximum occupancy levels. To meet the demand, the ISPCA has estimated annual costs will rise by over €500,000 solely to house dogs in temporary facilities and private kennels. Dogs

Dr. Pete Wedderburn, the veterinary surgeon, journalist, and trustee of the ISPCA, emphasises the urgency of the situation: “The pandemic may be over, but its impact is going to stay with our pets for some time into the future. The most significant impact is the large number of cruelty cases being encountered by the ISPCA at this time. There is now more than ever an urgent need for the public to get behind the ISPCA to provide a safe haven for those animals that need our care and a chance of a good life in a loving forever home.”

Donations to help the ISPCA save all animals that are in pain or suffering during this time of crisis can be made online at www.ispca.ie/donate or by calling the ISPCA directly on 043 332 5035.

To report cruelty, neglect, or abuse to an animal, please contact the ISPCA National Animal Cruelty Helpline in confidence on www.ispca.ie to

(ISPCA) is Ireland’s largest animal welfare charity working to relieve animal suffering. Together with the ISPCA’s affiliated members, thousands of animals are rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed each year.

Vet and ISPCA Trustee Dr Pete Wedderburn pictured with Eri ca Cody Andrea Hayes and Rosanna Davi son

The ISPCA is appealing to people across Ireland to help them keep their promise to never leave an animal in pain or suffering.

Kim, pictured, was sealed in a wooden crate, without light, water or any contact with the outside world and forced to breed litter after litter before being rescued by the ISPCA.

Kim, above, was found sealed in a wooden box. She was heavily pregnant and without water in this lightless prison. She is now safe and getting all the love and comfort she deserves.

More than a quarter of heart failure patients in Ireland (26.9%) feel abandoned after being discharged from hospital, new data showed

And three quarters say their psychological needs to help them cope with the chronic disease are not being met, according to the Irish Heart Foundation research.

The charity is met a delegation of TDs and Senators in Leinster House on Tuesday (June 27th) to express alarm over the “persistent under-prioritisation in care” - as one patient claims many feel invisible.

‘The needs of heart failure patients in Ireland’ survey paints a grim picture of post-hospital care.

It reveals that 74% said their psychological support needs are not being met, half are failing to get the cardiac rehabilitation they need, while almost 40% of working age patients have neither a medical card nor GP visit card.

“Heart failure affects people of all ages and stages of life in Ireland, a large proportion of whom can be of working age, but unable to work or having to work part time,” said Clare-based Pauline O’Shea, 50, who was diagnosed 11 years ago.

“People in my situation have been invisible and we need to be recognised; there are thousands like me, who went from a two income household, to one, but still face mortgages, bills and medical costs and have dependants to support.

“The least we deserve is a medical card once diagnosed with heart failure.”

Heart failure occurs when the organ stops working as well as it should and finds it more difficult to pump blood around the body efficiently.

There are more than 10,000 new cases in Ireland every year and at least 90,000 people are living with the condition.

Over a third (36%) experience a five-year mortality, higher than for most cancers and it accounts for an estimated 7% of all in-patient bed days in Irish hospitals.

Heart failure patients in Ireland 'abandoned' - survey

and help cut excessive mortality and hospital readmission rates;

* Medical cards for all heart failure patients, removal of prescription charges and an assessment of the economic impact of the condition on patients;

* Expansion of services to tackle the psychological impact of the disease -  currently available in just four hospitals nationwide;

* Investment in practical, social and emotional supports in the community that reduce readmissions and improve quality of life;

*Full access for all patients to cardiac rehabilitation.

Awareness and understanding of heart failure among both the public and policymakers is low, according to Dr Angie Brown, Consultant Cardiologist and Medical Director with the Irish Heart Foundation.

“Awareness and understanding of the condition among both the public and policymakers is low,” said Dr Angie Brown, Consultant Cardiologist and Medical Director with the Irish Heart Foundation.

“This is contributing to a persistent, long-term under-prioritisation of heart failure.

“Although a lot has been achieved, more needs to be done. Our survey of almost 200 heart failure patients reveals a population of all ages, all walks of life and from throughout the country who are struggling amid a variety of unmet needs.”

TD and Oireachtas Health Committee member, John Lahart, who invited the charity to share its report with TDs and Senators, said: “We need to see significant changes in policy and service provision, and the reinstatement of a Deputy CMO role within the Department of Health to mirror their HSE clinical counterpart.”

A Trio(let) of Fine Poetry

Eileen

Casey

reviews some recent poetry collections

‘A celestial credit note,’ a novel idea and just one of the many redemptive outcomes occupying Lynskey’s considerable poetic intelligence. Measured and controlled, language strays into unexpected territory, offering surprise and sensitivity. This Turning Hour and Everything Intent details gratitude for being allowed another day, the beauty of nature awakening evokes the following response, ‘I see/a flake of sunlight slant from branch to leaf./and raindrops wink among the clothes-pegs.’ Yet, for this other day to arrive, ‘night is trembling on the cusp/of morning, blade and bark awakening/and every moment dying towards the dawn’. The poet, in true Blakean tradition, sees the duality of existence.

Eamonn Lynskey

American poet Billy Collins in Introduction to Poetry* writes about the merits and dangers of analysing poetry. Collins requires critics to ‘waterki/across the surface’ allowing for transcendence and transformation but also that magical X Factor (Emily Bishop describes it as hair standing on the back of her neck). However, to Collins’ chagrin, ‘all they want to do/ is tie the poem to a chair with rope/and torture a confession out of it’. I mention Introduction to Poetry as I’m about to delve into three new collections from three respected publishing houses, Salmon, Dedalus and Turas Press. All of these publishers are Irish, all have International status and all are on a level par regarding quality of production and presentation. Also, just to say: no poems were harmed during this review!

A regular columnist with Senior Times, Eamonn Lynskey is a multi-published, award winning poet. His fourth collection ‘Material Support’ (Salmon) `is described as “masterly in its interrogation of the wide spectrum of ordinary – and not so ordinary – experiences and how poetry might address them,” (Fred Johnson). The poems are somewhat concerned with how memory underscores the day to day, a form of osmosis, present and past sliding into each other. Time and its relentless passing looms large, even those hours when the poet is only ‘technically’ living. (Prayer). Prayer is a shock of recognition, how so much time is spent without purpose, ‘all those wasted ages hunting car keys.’ The closing line is supplicatory, ‘Lord, please hear my prayer’. In exchange for such useless waste, the poet seeks

This Janus like ability is also present In The Where, a poem about missing women. Those tragic days are remembered as ‘Unremarkable’ yet ‘a mainstay in its superstructure/didn’t hold - a bolt came loose,/a strut, a fret inched out of place’. While able to inhabit the events preceding the disappearances, before ‘something cloven intervened’, the perpetrator’s mind-set too is explored, ‘And darker than the deed itself/the heart that hides it, will not tell.’ Unusually in poetry collections, Lynskey gives a comprehensive listing of inspirations to guide the reader through individual poems, demonstrating scholarship. Lynskey is a prolific reader as well as writer. These listings, while adding to the reading pleasure, are not strictly necessary. But we learn, for example, that Prayer, mentioned above was composed in a dentist’s waiting room. Ironically, no time wasted after all, the experience resulting in a fine poem. Also referenced are the scaffolding devices, including mythology, philosophy and biblical references, together with other sources; an echo of Eliot’s ‘The Wasteland’. A particular personal favourite is He Walks His Several Cities. There’s more than a Joycean flavour in the notion of an individual traversing the city. This opening poem, lays down the poet’s concerns regarding transitional bridges (both real and symbolic) between ‘past and present/ and then back again’. The poem skilfully negotiates architectural memory, ‘a maze/of little Jewish garment factories/instead of restaurants and pizzerias’. The past, its many excursions, can take him down blind alleys also, a poignant trick of the senses; a realisation ‘he is like a refugee who cannot/shed the memory of what he’s lost’. He Walks His Several Cities is an ambitious poem, peeling back layers of personal and historical memory; back to Burgh Quay. In a companion poem Lesson Street Bridge, Evening, there is a change of mood, an attempt to move on, to: ‘try/to resurrect a semblance of the self -/the lights are green again.’

‘Material Support’ is a collection where the poems more than “waterski across the surface”. Often poignant, sometimes amusing (Lynskey has a wry sense of humour), always thought provoking, the poet’s keen observant eye ensures we gain insights into what it means to be human (and ageing) in an ever changing world.

‘and hold it up to the light/like a colour slide/or press an ear against its hive’, (Introduction to Poetry) Based on this criteria alone, Eithne Lannon’s ‘Everything Gathers Light’ is a feast. For all the senses. In this gorgeous collection, Lannon inhabits the liminal space, literally breath to breath. She distills and decants language, offering meditative maps for mind, body and spirit. With exceptional deftness, in this, Lannon’s second collection, she takes us into a deeply personal interior world, exploring emotional shifts perceived through perfectly balanced siftings of light and shade. Or, once more to use a Blakean comparison, her ability ‘To see a World in a grain of sand’. (Fragments from ‘Auguries of Innocence’).

The Sound opens with ‘This is the moment/you hear it again, along/the forest floor,/deep in the valley/where the walls/of the world open - /mushroom, moss, wood, fungus, old memory’. Lannon uses nature and its myriad contrasts and parallels as conduits for her deep connection with the natural world. These poems aren’t purely exquisite description (which they certainly are) but testimony to a finely tuned awareness of even the minutest shiver of chiaroscuro. Words caress, whisper, detonate wonder, serve as luscious poetic fruit, juice-filled. Ripe. Music fuelled. These poems are symphonies of pattern and rhythm the body recognises as either pulse, breath itself or heartbeat. There’s an urgency here, a commitment, demonstrated in the last line of the collection’s opening poem (The Sound),a call to us that ‘now you hear it. Now.’

For Lannon, physical self is a landscape interchangeable with the natural world. Rowing in Eden writes the body into ancient oak, ‘tongue the sound of rippled rain,’ the body itself is ‘the body of the woods,’ and the poem seduces with phrases such as ‘in the river of your inner life’. This collaboration interpreted

Eithne Lannon

‘through the syntax of skin/so many unhatched mysteries waiting/delicate in their shells’; results in a recognition of ‘the lost alleluias’ and ‘the dark forest of your heart/where the wild birds sing’.

Of ‘Everything Gathers Light’ Maurice Davitt says: “Anchored in the rivers and seascapes of North County Dublin, the precision of the language sets a spark of recognition that is universal, reinforcing the sense that one of the primary ambitions of outstanding poetry must be to take the reader home.”

Davitt is accurate in his claim. ‘Everything Gathers Light’ works as a journey through time, place, memory. Each poem hangs one to another in a seamless way, like the branches of a greening tree. Titles act as spiritual guides, You turn / towards shadow take direction/from light. ‘the body leaves its island’, (Sometimes). There is wisdom here, old soul knowledge, sacred pathways beyond the tangible. In Mysticism for beginners, ‘When the new moon is by itself you can be/ with what has gone’. I find Lannon’s world view comforting, her poems bring consolation. She is aware of adverse forces also and how necessary shadow is. In Homecoming, the flight of an Arctic Tern over the ocean is thus described ‘And though she flies beyond/the unchartered sky, we are brushed/by the same breeze, she and I,/shaken by the same uncertain/winds.’ Homecoming, like all of the poems in this collection, has such awe inspiring descriptions that this reader continues to savour them, descriptions such as ‘in the scalloped shell of dawn, clouds coral-spun/and crumbling. ‘Everything Gathers Light’ is without doubt a necessary bible for lovers of poetry everywhere. www.eithnelannon.com

not a mouse gets dropped into a poem but a tiger (sometimes multiple ones). ‘Flirting with Tigers’ is Barry’s wonderful, life-affirming debut collection. It carries traditional debut material i.e. mother/father poems, homeland, rites of passage and daily life rituals. Jane Clarke hails Barry as “A distinctive new voice in Irish poetry, a poet who evokes people and place in rich sensuous detail.” There’s no argument there. This poet, although delivering her debut, has served her apprenticeship over a number of years, evidenced by her impressive list of acknowledgements. Originally from Penang, Malaysia (now living in Athlone), Barry’s poems are filled with sensory, sensual details. The Breath of the Rainforest, her opening poem, tells of ‘slithering snakes’, ‘The ash glow of the sky’, ’the cinnamon air,’ ‘the echoes of jungle creatures -/tarsiers, toucans, tigers.’ There’s also mention of an encounter with another wild animal, ‘and I am squatting eye to eye with a boar./Its skin is shiny-black, rough and thick,/designed for fighting’. Yet, tigers feature and often. They arrive into these poems, in various guises.

In I Unfold My Own Myth tigers appear as divine forces in unexpected moments of terror. As when ‘one sweltering afternoon, my uncle/a twenty-year-old soldier, surrounded/ by three Japanese from the Imperial Army.’ The tigers rush to her uncle’s aid ‘to send them running for cover’. There are other events evoking tigers (Barry clearly adopts them as her muse and spiritual totem) except for some strange reason in Ireland when ‘no tigers appeared when my brother was assaulted,’ (I Unfold My Own Myth). The tiger however, also provides Barry with poetic inspiration. Thinking of ‘A handsome Malayan tiger,/eyes amber, irises black as burnt clay’ puts Barry in the mood to ‘Turn the pages of my notes,/and write hormonefuelled dreams’ (Music Flows on the Marble Island). In the same poem, she announces ‘I flirt with tigers’, a jungle cat prepared for in the opening domestic scene where ‘Pablo, my tuxedo cat’ is referenced. A memorable phrase among many in this collection, ‘tuxedo cat’ perfectly capturing Pablo’s monochrome markings. Barry’s poems, for all their fluidity, are nicely organic, they converse with each other, creating a medley of mood and atmosphere.

Amy Abdullah Barry

Throughout the collection, evocation of place and people is a particular delight; ‘the snow-robed Himalayas’ (A Himalayan Bus Ride), ‘above me, a zebra dove-singing,’ (At Ferringhi Beach, Penang) and (Delhi), ‘People are sleeping,/their mouths open, swallowing shadows.’ At Grandma’s presents an unforgettable portrait of a woman whose dwelling rests; ‘On stilts, a house above the sea’. Her visiting grandchildren, among whom is Barry, enter into this world ‘shoeless’. When it’s time to leave, ‘After a flurry of kisses,/she stands framed in the open door,/tiny in her floral Nyonya blouse,/Her hair is sun-baked sand, /her curls white-tipped waves.’ Barry’s grandmother is a reminder of older island Irish women long ago, finding independence in their own small spaces, smoking their duidín (clay pipe). In Barry’s grandmother’s case, ‘She blows cheerot smoke/with a regal air.’

Poems from Barry’s adopted homeland are also present. She ably infuses the Irish landscape and neighbourly relationships with memories of her birthplace. In Remedies, she describes the countryside as ‘roaring verdant wild nettles/hymn the air, an invitation to harvest.’ A neighbour’s remedy for arthritis brings Barry to her father (Papa) and his many remedies – ‘cinnamon in boiled water,/to relieve aching muscles,/betel leaf to stop nosebleeds./ginger for a healthy heart,/. The poem closes on a scene where Barry makes familiar food, ‘fried rice,/tinged with chatters/of ginger and scallions.’This dish is not complete without the addition of the ‘steamed nettles’, a charming unification of two distinct but different places. Symbiosis, a desire to find common ground is a recurring theme within these pages. Barry’s poems are undoubtedly love letters to her roots but through the prism of her adopted homeland.

*’The Apple that Astonished Paris’ by Billy Collins (University of Arkansas Press, 1996).

All the above books can be purchased in reputable bookshops or directly from the publishers at the websites below.

www.salmonpoetry.com

www.facebook.com/turaspress www.dedalusbooks.com

By Debbie Orme

Memories of the Randelstown bleach factory

his hometown Randalstown so much that he decided to commit some of his memories to paper. The result is a collection of stories – ‘The Way It Was’. Northern Notes shared in some of David’s favourite memories about his first day at work.

The Old Bleach Linen or carpet factories would have been the usual place to work when schooling was finished, especially if you lived in Randalstown or the surrounding countryside. Almost everyone at that time (1963) had a family relation, who either worked or had worked at the old Bleach. I was no exception, as my grandfather had worked all his life in the factory, as had my mother in her single days, an aunt and uncle who were skilled hand painters and many more of my family connections.

So it was no great surprise when, a week or two past my fifteenth birthday, I found myself caught up in a throng of cyclists and pedestrians at about 7.30am on a cold November morning. Most of the people were working in the Linen Factory, so I had to keep going, past the factory chimney, which looked really huge close up, onwards and upwards to the carpet factory.

My job seemed relatively simple: I was to serve my time as a cropper operator, the cropper being a great noisy machine with lots of rollers and giant cylindrical cutting blades. Its purpose was to trim the different carpet piles, levelling any discrepancy or darning repairs. As one long roll was drawn through the machine, my job, with a huge bent needle and strong cord, was to sew another carpet on, thus feeding the cropper with and endless supply of carpet.

When I think back to those first days it is with a sense of exuberance –particularly as I headed downhill towards the linen factory. I think there were about forty of us on our bikes, so it quickly became a race and, with the pressure off and finding myself in familiar company, I was flying. As we approached the bottom factory at speed, some of the older workers were just pushing their bikes out of the many cycle sheds and leisurely mounting up.

I clearly remember founding a corner in front of the main office block and finding the road almost blocked. It was at that point I lost control and scythed into the unsuspecting mill workers, with me

When, eventually, my bike and I came to a standstill, I was aware of maybe forty pairs of eyes staring at with great disdain and anger. About a dozen people, mostly quite old ladies, had either been tumbled or knocked from their bicycles. I got no solace from my fellow racers, who had somehow missed the melee and were nowhere to be seen.

Some of the men helped the ladies to their feet and checked their cycles, some handbags had been spilled and their contents scattered over the road. I was still being looked at with great scorns, as I stood bewildered and shocked, with my knuckles bleeding and elbows ripped off my new jumper, which my mother had just finished knitting for me. Fortunately, no one was badly hurt.

After the race, I checked my own bike and proceeded slowly, painfully and sheepishly towards the mill walk and town bridge for my first lunch break.

Some of the workers didn’t know me by name, and from that first afternoon until I left the carpet factory some two years later, they called me The Speeder!

Coronation Gardens designed by Diarmuid Gavin

The coronation of His Majesty King Charles may seem a while ago now, but crowds are still flocking to the beautiful Coronation Garden in Antrim, which was created specifically to commemorate this historic occasion.

Located in the beautiful setting of Hazelbank Park, the Coronation Garden has been designed by award-winning gardener Diarmuid Gavin and is a floral tapestry with classical architecture style, planted in a pollinator friendly and sustainable way reflecting some of the great loves of King Charles III.

Officially opened on Wednesday 24 May by King Charles and Queen Camilla, the Coronation Garden is an ornate threefloor pavilion topped by a crown. The garden treats visitors to a musical performance of dancing topiary and spinning conical trees every fifteen minutes.

King Charles III has spent a lifetime promoting gardening and care for the environment having developed his own beautiful garden using sustainable methods and this speciallycommissioned Coronation Garden will adopt the same principles.

Focus on concessionary fares

Smartpass use has the potential to have major impacts amongst our older population and also persons living with a disability.

‘It is important for people to share their views on the proposed changes by either registering for the focus group, or by responding to the Department for Infrastructures public consultation, which closes at 5pm on Thursday 24 August 2023.’

To get as many of the local age-friendly community and persons living with a disability involved in the consultation process for the proposed changes to current concessionary fares, a focus group event has been organised by the Department of Infrastructure.

The focus group will be held to discuss specifically the Proposed Changes to Concessionary Fares and will be held on Friday 23 June from 2-3.30pm in Harbour House, adjacent to the Guildhall, Derry.

‘Transport is an important and integral part of citizens lives to enable them to participate and contribute within society,’ said Ciara Burke, Age Friendly Coordinator with Derry City and Strabane District Council. ‘The Concessionary Fares scheme presents helps people to access continue to work, access training, volunteering, attend appointments, support carers and contribute to the wider local economy, whilst also helping address loneliness and social inclusion. Changes to the current scheme such as raising the age of eligibility and limiting

Transport is identified as one of the World Health Organisations key domains within their framework for developing Age Friendly Cities and Communities, so it is important to get as many people as possible involved in the consultation.

Places are limited and the focus group is aimed at individuals rather than organisations. To register please contact Alexandra Wallace at Derry City and Strabane District Council on 028 7125 3253 or email Alexandra.wallace@derrystrabane.com

The Coronation Gardens in Antrim

Respects paid to former Derry Mayor Pat Devine

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Patricia Logue, recently hosted a special reception for the family and friends of former Derry Mayor and SDLP Councillor, Pat Devine, who passed away recently.

Mayor Logue paid tribute to his dedicated work over the years he served on Council and for his commitment to the people of Derry.

Dog owners urged to exercise caution

From left: Gail McGrellis, Environmental Warden, Ciaran Doran, Environmental Health Manager and Lynne McCullough, Senior Environmental Health Officer with Henry, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross

‘These dogs were subsequently bred with terrier dogs to produce the bull terrier. When bull baiting was outlawed, dogs fighting each other became popular and as these fights took place in ‘pits’, the pitbull terrier came into existence.’

‘Another factor to consider with these dogs is due to their fighting history, they may not show warning signs before an attack that would be observed with other breeds,’ Ciaran added.

Dangerous dog breeds attacking their owners – and others – are increasingly hitting the headlines, so, as a result, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council (CCGBC) is reminding members of the public about the potential dangers of keeping certain dog breeds.

The council aims to raise awareness among dog owners and to remind anyone considering rescuing or purchasing a dog that some breeds carry with them a higher degree of risk, with an attack having a much greater chance of resulting in a fatality.

Since 2020, there have been 21 cases of dogs fatally attacking humans in the UK, with fifteen of these fatal attacks were carried out by bull terriers and bull terrier crosses, including the recentlyintroduced breed known as XL Bullies. Statistics from the USA show that only

six per cent of dogs in the USA are pitbull types, but they are responsible for two thirds of all fatalities.

‘We do not want to make certain breeds of dogs villains or unnecessarily panic the public,’ said Ciaran Doran, Environmental Health Manager at CCGBC, ‘but it is important to understand why certain dog breeds are higher risk.

‘In terms of bulldog breeds and crosses, the simple explanation for the reason they present a higher risk should they attack is because they are physically strong powerful dogs and have a history of having been bred for fighting.

‘Bulldogs are so called because they were traditionally used for the now outlawed sport of bull baiting, where a bull would be tied up in public and packs of dogs set on them until the bull collapsed due to exhaustion or injuries.

‘Many dogs will go through several warning stages before attacking such as growling, barking, freezing still, showing heckles on their backs, licking lips all of which can indicate to humans to back off before an attack takes place.

‘Fighting breeds may not necessarily show these warnings and anecdotal stories of fighting breed attacks show dogs that were perfectly placid one minute and the next carried out a savage attack, seemingly out of the blue.’

‘Dog owners should also research dog behaviour, such as pack mentality,’ Ciaran concluded, ‘and have as much information as possible to allow them to be responsible dog owners who keep safe and happy pets.

‘Finally, all dog owners should ensure they keep their dogs in secure premises to prevent straying and always keep your dog under control in public.’

Know your Feng Shui from your Ubuntu

Lorna Hogg explains

Do you know your Hygge from your Ikigai? Are you in touch with your Ubuntu - or is Feng Shui more your style? Perhaps you think that such philosophies or beliefs are merely trends, or even money traps for the unwary. Yet many are based on thousands of years of ancient beliefs, religious or national customs, and have stood the test of time. So could it be possible that they might offer some relevance to our fast-moving lives?

Feng Shui is now known world-wide, and has become for many, associated with de-cluttering your home. Yet essentially, this ancient Chinese philosophy attempts to help people harmonise energy forces with their own surroundings. The belief behind feng-shui is that everything that physically surrounds you - from house clutter, sharp angles in a room’s layout, blocked doors or windows, to placement of mirrors, plants or ornaments, will reflect back to you, and impact on your life.

The practice of Feng Shui goes back some 6,000 years, and is linked to the idea is that when you change your surroundings, you can clear energy blockages, you open up energy routes.

Hygge ( pronounced hoo-gah) could be described as a way of life, as well as a Danish philosophy. It centres on social connectedness, creating a warm atmosphere, especially in the cold dark days of winter, and enjoying the good things in life with friends. As it is linked with relaxation, cosiness, comfort and conviviality, it is unsurprisingly loved by retailers, and has become associated with candles and snuggling into blankets.

However, Hygge also to some extent reflects a quality in the Danish character. As a small country, Denmark manages to combine efficiency and equality with style, friendliness and substance. Hygge is about warmth, cosiness, friendliness and a sense of belonging, and embracing the mood in the moment.

Ikigal is an ancient Japanese philosophy, and way of life that has infuenced generations. It is regularly remarked how well the Japanese age. Older people are frequently healthy, and socially involved in later years. Ikigai could play a part. Followers aim to follow a healthy diet, have close communities, support groups and take regular exercise. Yet there is more to Ikigai. Ideally, it helps you find your reason for being, your purpose, which in turn gives meaning to your life, joy and well-being.

The egalitarian Swedes have their own philosophy – Lagom. It roughly translates to `just right’ `in balance’ or `suitable.’ Appearing to be what might be considered flashy or boastful is not popular in Sweden. Those people who already believe that `Less can be More,’ or that `Enough is as good as a feast’ will sympathise wth Lagom. Moderation, balance, showing gratitude, listening as well as talking and showing kindness and care to others are also aspects.

Friluftsliv With a literal translation of `free air life,’ this Norwegian belief encourages the importance of the outdoor life. Norwegian children start early, with outdoor time as an important part of school, especially in their early years. Anyone who has seen the beauty of the Norwegian countryside will understand the `friluftsliv’ belief –that being outdoors in the extraordinary beauty of the mountains, midnight sun, fjords and glaciers, is a positive and uplifting experience. The Scandinavians like to point out that ``there is no such thing as the wrong weather – only the wrong clothing.’’ So, hiking, early morning dips (ideally in the open air) Nordic walking, mountain walking, whether alone or with friends, are all popular friluftsliv activities.

Ubuntu received a publicity boost after the recent tour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Africa. The ancient philosophy of Ubuntu is at the heart of the African code of ethics. It supports the view that people fulfil their humanity when they are respectful of other people’s humanity. It received attention during the post apartheid transition to majority rule in South Africa, and was espoused in particular by Archbishop Tutu.``I am a person through other people’ is at the heart of the belief – and shown through unquestioning warmth, openness, participation in community and above all, sharing.

Kindness, tolerance, the ability to `put yourself in another’s shoes’ and forgiveness are all part of ubuntu. Looking outside ourselves for the bigger picture is important - the `golden thread of love’ connects all things. This all helps to gain ubuntu – regarding the self and other as one.

Whatever your views on them, it is ironical that all of these philosophies, whether ancient or comparatively modern, have relevance to our lives today. We now all know that de-cluttering and tidying are good for stress, health and mood. Who doesn’t enjoy a relaxing meal with friends, in cosy surroundings, during a cold, dark winter? Feeling yourself part of a community plus regular socialising help to cut down depression and isolation. The extent of consumer borrowing and debt all around us can be a reminder than less can indeed be more - and doctors regularly tell us that we all need more exercise and time outdoors. So, as we enter a new decade of challenges, is it possible that these old philosophies, customs and beliefs really may have something to teach us all?

Irish Blue Cross Appeal

Please help us save pets like Sparkles

Sparkles is adorable. But her circumstances certainly weren’t. This lovely puppy was found alone, whimpering, and left for dead in an alley. Her face was bloody and swollen. She was unable to put any weight on her tiny paws. Things were looking bleak for Sparkles.

Only for a passer-by hearing her cries in that alley, Sparkles would have died. This kind stranger brought her to our clinic in Inchicore, to see if she could be saved.

Sparkles had puncture wounds on her chin, which was bloody and inflamed, and on her ears. Her paws were mangled. X-Rays revealed that the growth plates on her bones were damaged, which meant that her bones might not fuse together properly, as she was so young. Our vets estimated that she was just four weeks old. Not only was Sparkles in agony, there was a very real possibility that she might never be able to walk properly again.

Poor Sparkles was constantly whining and crying because of her pain and the trauma of her experiences. Our team of vets and nurses put her on a course of painkillers to ease her distress. They then went to work on treating her disfigured jaw and healing her damaged paws. Sparkles’s injuries were so extensive, we kept her under observation for a week, and were able to nurture her back to full health. Thanks to the expertise and care of our vets and nurses, Sparkles made a full recovery.

Our vets and nurses gave the puppy all the aftercare and TLC she needed – including the occasional tickle to her tummy, causing her tail to wag with happiness.

Sparkles stole the hearts of everyone in the Irish Blue Cross, and we were overjoyed that she was well again. However, as she was abandoned, she still had no home.

We were able to find her a wonderful and caring owner, who gave the puppy the name ‘Sparkles’, as she lights up her home.

Continuing Sparkles’s rehabilitation, this new owner treats her with kindness, keeps her comfortable, and gives her the occasional treat.

“I can’t believe that anyone could simply abandon something so beautiful, fragile, delicate. Thank God that stranger found her, and the Irish Blue Cross was able to nurture her back to good health. Sparkles brings me joy every single day, and I cannot imagine my life without her.” – Sparkles’s owner.

Luckily for Sparkles, the Irish Blue Cross team were there to save her life. Today, she’s come through her ordeal, and is living her best life!

We appreciate your donation, however much you can give.

If you decide to go online, you can make a once-off, or a regular monthly donation securely at www.bluecross.ie/donate and you can read more about the pets we help! You can also call one of our team on 01-416 3032 to make donation over the phone.

Have you considered leaving a legacy?

Remembering the Irish Blue Cross in your will is a kind and generous gesture. It costs you nothing in your lifetime but your kindness makes a difference forever. Once loved ones are looked after in your will, consider how else you can help. Let your love for pets live on as part of your legacy, and help safeguard the future of the Irish Blue Cross. To find out more, speak in strictest confidence with Paul at the Irish Blue Cross, on (01) 4163032 or email legacy@bluecross.ie.

‘They feel fear in their feet.’

Author Cathy Kelly describes the stories of the children and families she met living in Turkey’s devastated earthquake zone

Mattresses sit at odd angles in the crumbled remains of an apartment block in the once-bustling city of Hatay, two hours from the epicentre of Türkiye’s February earthquake.

That’s because in an earthquake, a humble mattress becomes a lifesaver. Used at the right angle, it becomes a vital ‘triangle of life’.

As UNICEF’s Sema Hosta, Chief of Communication in Türkiye explains: ‘You create a triangle of life with a sofa or a bed.’

Looking at Hatay’s pancaked apartment blocks and streets where there is nothing to be seen but giant shards of masonry and dust, it’s hard to imagine how anyone escaped the middle-of-the-night earthquake that hit Türkiye on February 6th this year.

At four seventeen am, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and neighbouring Syria.

The massive, once-in-a-lifetime event from the Anatolian fault line lasted less than a minute but to the terrified people living through it, hauling their little ones out of bed, carrying elderly relatives amid the screams as they desperately tried to escape, they say it felt like hours.

Ten hours later, another massive earthquake hit.

Thousands of aftershocks have since shaken the region, so that the younger children helped by UNICEF’s psychosocial support innocently say that no, they don’t feel the fear in their bellies‘they feel the fear in their feet.’

Two months later, Hatay resembles a city after an apocalypse in a Netflix drama.

A pink plastic trike sits in the rubble along with half–open suitcases, dragged by people fleeing and then abandoned.

Torn curtains flutter from wrecked buildings.

An entirely flattened piece of metal turns out, astonishingly, to be the remains of a car.

The people who survived - and some 50,000 people did not - are clinging to life in refugee camps, with nothing but the clothes they fled in.

They’re living in tents, whole families living and sleeping in what is basically a small room - freezing in winter, boiling in summer.

If they’re lucky, they might be in the container city in the repurposed Sutcu Iman University in Kahramanmaras. This means two small rooms, a toilet and shower.

Some 2.3 million people are living in formal camps, with many more living in tents beside houses they are afraid to enter. Syrian people, whose lives have been destroyed by twelve years of war, also suffered from the devastating earthquake.

An estimated 8.8 million people - including 3.7 million children - in Syria were affected. Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, small children who’ve known nothing but war, are now at risk of all the diseases caused by lack of sanitation and healthcare.

The people in Hatay and everywhere hit by the earthquake need some normality. Education for the children - tough when the schools are destroyed and many teachers and their families have left the region.

Children need emotional support to help them cope, to stop the trauma changing their lives internally as sharply as it has changed it externally.

‘’In the first twenty-four hours, you need food and shelter,’ says Sema Hosta. ‘Emotional, or what we call psychosocial support, for children is as vital as air and water.’

I’m with a UNICEF team in Türkiye to see UNICEF’s work

in the crisis and as we leave the city of Gaziantep, we drive through a vast fertile river plain with mountains surrounding it. Tents begin to appear beside houses alongside odd arrangements of debris from people trying to clear away fallen buildings. Closer to Hatay, there are houses with giant jagged chunks ripped from them. People work in the fields where olive trees grow.

And then we reach Hatay itself. A cosmopolitan city founded in 300 BC, it’s the ancient city of Antioch, was a highlight of the Silk Road, and has long been known as a place of culture.

The present day Hatay is so shocking that we all enter a weird fugue state walking round it. Nobody can speak at the sight of the devastation.

Entire city blocks are nothing but crushed masonry and rubble, which is being cleared away. The oldest part of the town is home to a line of twenty dusty diggers which have been trying to make the place safe. Sema from UNICEF waves her elegant arms at the shattered buildings on a street which boasts the remains of an old French colonial hotel. ‘All gone,’ she says. ‘It is all gone.’

At the Orhlani tent camp, there are virtual streets where tents face each other.

One giant bubble tent has been given over to young children with watchful teachers who have been trained in psychosocial support to help and teach. School is a huge milestone in helping children and community after a disaster. Families return when the schools open and there is somewhere for traumatised kids to talk or draw through their pain.

The little ones light up when UNICEF teams come. Small children draw with donated colouring pens. I sit beside them and start drawing. Unicorns and clumsy dinosaurs with happy faces that can be coloured in. Everyone wants one.

It’s a joyous moment because little children can compartmentalise better than their older brothers and sisters. Here and now, we’re drawing.

But at night, they think about what happened. Like the eight-year-old little girl who brushed her teeth, hugged her mother goodnight and woke up to find her best friend had died.

Like the twelve-year-old boy who sits with his mother in a tent and has the ten-thousand-yard stare of someone with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. His mother, father and two siblings escaped alive. But this boy, finely featured and unable to smile, sits in the stifling tent on the single foam divan on which the whole family sleep, and his pain is so visible I want to hug him. I don’t

It’s afternoon in the tented refugee Selam Camii camp and the teenagers in the STEM classroom are working on maths.

These are some of the brightest young people around. The honours students. They’re studying for the Turkish version of the Leaving Cert which takes place in June. They have some English and are amenable to talking.

But ordinary questions are a minefield.

Did you know each other before? Pain flares in most of the teenagers’ eyes. Some did. But they’ve all lost friends. And a lot of hope.

What do you want to do after your exams, I ask.

The answer is shattering: after the earthquake, they live in the now. It can all be taken away in an instant, they tell me. They don’t think of the future.

One tall handsome teenager with the gleam of superintelligence in his eyes wants to study physics in university. We talk briefly about Einstein. Later, on Instagram, he messages me to say - almost with shame - that he won’t be going to university after all. The earthquake has lost that chance. He will have to move to another family in another part of Türkiye and work.

It will take years to rebuild these lives. The complex ballet that is the work of UNICEF, linking up shelter, medicine, sanitation schemes in a country where such things were not needed for many years, and help for children, will all take years.

The rest of the world has moved on. But Türkiye and Syria still need our help. UNICEF’s funding is at about thirty per cent of what they need.

Which means that seventy percent is still waiting to come in. That is why I ask you, as you read this, and imagine the children I met in your mind, to visit UNICEF Ireland’s website and support their work. However, you can.

Without your amazing help, the STEM young people will never be in college, never achieve their potential. And the little ones won’t be given the precious moments they need to find peace, have fun, and just be a child. For Sema and her team in Türkiye, the children are genuinely the future. Education and psychosocial support will mean they have a future.

For more information on UNICEF’s work for children in Türkiye and Syria, visit www.unicef.ie.

MUSIC WITH NAXOS

“Naxos is part of every music lover’s life.” – Gramophone

SELECTED TITLES INSPIRED BY THE SENIOR TIMES CLASSICAL COLLECTION PODCAST

GEORGE ANTHEIL

VIOLIN SONATAS

Brand New to the American Classics Series

Tianwa Yang, Nicholas Rimmer

PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW 8.559937

ALSO AVAILABLE

8.574452

SAINT-GEORGES

VIOLIN CONCERTOS OPP. 2 AND 7

FUMIKA MOHRI & CZECH CHAMBER

PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA PARDUBICE

PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW

VIOLIN CONVERSATIONS

MADELEINE MITCHELL, VIOLIN

PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW

Staying safe in the sun

Mairead Robinson stresses both at home and abroad, it is vital to protect your skin from sun damage.

It is that time of year again, and we have certainly had a real taste of the summer sun these past few weeks. It is actually frightening how many people don’t see the need to protect their skin from exposure to the sun when at home, and they think they only need to do so when on holiday in somewhere like the Mediterranean. I was pretty shocked to learn that recent research from Lloyds Pharmacy shows that only 24per cent of adults claim to apply SPF daily, and Irish males make up a much smaller percentage – only 13per cent.

Everybody should be aware now that SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is vital for everyone and protecting your skin from sun all year around with the proper sun care is extremely important. It reduces your risk of skin cancer, protects you against sunburn, helps you avoid inflammation and redness and can prevent the early onset of wrinkles and fine lines. As women are more inclined to use skin creams that contain SPF, it is often men who are most vulnerable. However the SPF in make-up and foundations is never enough to protect from sun damage. Meanwhile men with

traditionally short hair cuts who spend time out in the garden should wear a hat and apply sun cream, and don’t forget to cover the ears, as they are very vulnerable and painful when burnt.

Many Irish families are good at protecting their young children from getting burnt, however the same care and diligence does not always extend to the

rest of the family. The reality is that we are all vulnerable and we all should be using sun cream, and also reapplying it every few hours if we are spending the day outside either at the beach or in the garden.

The good news is that there are many excellent products out there at very affordable prices to suit every type of skin. From babies and young children, to those with sensitive skin and skin allergies to those who enjoy outdoor sports such as tennis or skiing there are products to suit all, both for the face and the body. In fact current research advises people to apply SPF every day, even when it is not sunny, as the rays can penetrate

There are many excellent skin care products now available when it comes to protecting your skin from sun damage, and one of favourites is Australian brand Bondi Sands. Home to the sand, sea and sun, Bondi Sands are no stranger to the damaging effects of UVA and UVB rays and the importance of protecting your skin with saily sunscreen application. The latest additions to their fragrance free range, including lightweight face products that can be worn alone or under makeup, delivering up to 72 hours of hydration for nourished protected skin. The Australians certainly know how to protect fair skin when on the beach, the barbeque and just out-and-about in the sunshine.

Lloyds pharmacies carry an excellent range of suncare, Solero which is available across 88 of their pharmacies nationwide, and also through the Lloyds

Pharmacy Ireland app. It is highly affordable and high quality, water resistant, fast-absorbing, non-staining and easy to apply. In other words, it ticks all the boxes! It is dermatologically tested and approved and the range offers sun protection for all skin types, so the whole family can stay safe in the sun.

For those with sensitive skin, Eucerin is a key element of their skin care. And when it comes to sun protection, it comes up trumps again. I particularly like their high protection Photoaging Control with advanced spectral technology. I love the fact that this product contains hyaluronic acid, so as well as protecting you from sun damage, is actively anti-aging in helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

And when it comes to protecting the whole family, specifically the little ones, NIVEA is a firm family favourite. Their kids protect and care products are developed specifically for children’s skin. It contains 50+ very high protection and is extra water resistant. Children particularly love the ‘spray gun’ and so will cover themselves and others with high protection moisturising formula specifically for their delicate skin.

Products come in a variety of sizes for the whole family.

And finally when it comes to protecting your skin from sun damage, it is important to remember your nose! There is nothing worse than after you take off your sunglasses, finding you have white rings around your eyes (panda in reverse) and a red nose – not a flattering look at all. Use you lip stick for lips to run down your nose – a tip once given me by a skiing friend who managed to maintain a smooth softly tanned skin despite her travels and adventures.

Since our summer seems to be shaping up pretty much like 2022, it is vital to stock up on lots of good quality skin protection, and remember to reapply every couple of hours, especially after swimming. Ideally wear a hat too. Stay safe in the sun.

Meeting Place

SOUTH DUBLIN WIDOW 70s NS, SD, WLTM sincere gent of similar age for coffee, chats. Interests include cinema, gardening and travel. Have own car and house. Genuine and friendly.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J1

NORTH WEST GENT 73 WLTM a lady of similar age and interests. I am a sincere and honest person. Interests include history, easy listening and classical music, travel, theatre and musicals. NS, SD, divorced many years, tactile, affectionate. So if you would like a relaxed and friendly fun relationship please contact me.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J2

ATTRACTIVE DUBLIN SOUTHSIDE

LADY, 60, seeks tall gentleman from Dublin or surrounds. Attractive gent with car would be great. Generous type preferred for friendship initially. Interests included music and theatre. Under 70s only

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J3

NICE TIPP LADY looking to meet a kind and respectable gent. Interests varied. Age preferably 60-70 to enjoy life together in North Munster area.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J4

GENEROUS SEPERATED CO CORK

LADY, 68. with a zest for life. WLTM a gent of similar age for companionship and possible relationship. Love good conversation over a glass of wine. If you are generous, kind and sincere like me I would love to hear from you. I am cork-based but open to meeting someone from another county.

GSOH, NS, SD.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J5

MID WEST GENT 76, retired professional, own home, no ties. NS, SD, Interests include current affairs, politics, sport. WLTM professional woman late 60s early 70s for friendship and possible relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J6

TIPPERARY LADY no brothers or sisters would like to meet ladies in similar position IN Tipperary or surrounds for chats, eating out etc. Interests include crafts, eating our, theatre etc. Age range 65-85.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J7

DUBLIN LADY, LATE 60s, single, outgoing, GSOH. Enjoys walking, (esp. by the sea), music (all kinds), travel, visiting art galleries, current affairs, entertaining at home & eating out. WLTM gentleman, around same age, with similar interests.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J8

DUBLIN PROFESSIONAL LADY WLTM gent for friendship. Age group 65 to 75. I am divorced and live alone. I like music,

dancing, reading, cinema, theatre, meditation, walking etc.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J9

SLIM FIT DUBLIN GENT in his 70s addicted to YouTube Netflix Spotify TED Talks Keep Fit healthy eating, not a snazzy dresser or a dancer or sports fan. Seeks similar female. ALA. SWALK.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J10

EDUCATED LADY 70s would like to meet somebody for meals out, coffee once a week or walking. Must be a good conversationalist and have an interest in current affairs and events outside of Ireland. Returned emigrants welcomed.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J11

DUBLIN LADY, LATE 60s single, outgoing, GSOH. Enjoys walking, (esp. by the sea), music (all kinds), travel, visiting art galleries, current affairs, entertaining at home & eating out. WLTM gentleman, around same age, with similar interests.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J12

MID WEST WIDOW , retired professional. Young at heart, positive generous caring & having a good outlook on life. Interests include reading, travel, nature & social interaction. WLTM interesting, kind, personable GSOH special gent in 70s.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J13

EDUCATED LADY 70s would like to meet somebody for meals out, coffee once a week or walking. Must be a good conversationalist and have an interest in current affairs and events outside of Ireland. Returned emigrants welcomed.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER N1

SLIM FIT DUBLIN GENT in his 70s addicted to YouTube Netflix Spotify TED Talks, Keep Fit healthy eating, not a snazzy dresser or a dancer or sports fan. Seeks similar female. ALA. SWALK.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER N2

FOREVER HOPEFUL DUBLIN FEMALE, 61, divorced with three adult children

WLTM a gentleman from Dublin. Slim, reasonably fit, young at heart, upbeat and positive/ Semi retired and looking forward to the next phase of my life which would be even better if shared with a partner. Enjoy reading, music and socialising with friends.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER N3

SINGLE DUBLIN GENT WLTM lady. I am 60 and great craic, well presented and adventurous. Interests include walking, weekends away, eating out, concerts and living life to the full. Laughter is the best medicine and timeless and makes dreams

come true. Could we laugh together and make our dreams come true?

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER N4

SINCERE, GENUINE, KIND-HEARTED WIDOW from Midlands, ND, NS, VGSH. Retired, family grown up. Interests include reading, walking, drama. WLTM personable, refined gent, preferably a widower.

Age range 70s-80s

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER N5

RISING SUNSHINE SOCIAL CLUB. Dublin-based over 50s singles club for socialising, weekends away, holidays abroad etc. Interested in joining? Let’s hear from you!

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER N6

DUBLIN WIDOWER 70s . Own house and car, good appearance. WLTM a lady with jolly outlook and good dress sense to accompany me to exhilarating events, holidays worldwide, concerts, cinema. I have a GSOH. SD, NS. I hope ladies replying have the same characteristics so that we bond.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER N7

SOUTH DUBLIN LADY sincere, outgoing, attractive, late 60s WLTM good humoured, honest gentleman mid-60s for companionship/relationship. Many interests including travel, golf, readings, theatres, cinema, foreign languages.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER N8

DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A TRAVEL BUDDY? Connect with likeminded people by joining an established group covering all regions. We facilitate meetings for breaks, walking trips, shows, events etc. Individual and small group partners in travel arrangements at home an abroad enabled. Please include a mobile number and/or email when replying.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R1

TALL SINGLE PROFESSIONAL LADY WLTM single professional Irish gentleman 65-75 for socialising and maybe a relationship. Many interests include ballroom dancing, world travel, going to the concert hall, theatre, eating out, current affairs, GAA, swimming. Must be of generous nature.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R2

MUNSTER LADY, sincere with a positive outlook and having a zest for life, Widowed. Enjoys social interaction, reading, art, dining out, travel, gardening, country and coastal exploration drives and rambles. WLTM a genuine, kind, personable unattached gent NS with GSOH in his 70s to share laughter and interests.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R3

DUBLIN MALE CROSS-DRESSER

WLTM others for chats and possible meetups. Have contacts for clothes. Discretion assured.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R4

WIDOW 67, living in Dublin, originally from Meath. WLTM a nice gentleman who is interested in cinema, theatre, travel, walks, music, coffee and restaurant Dates. A guy with a GSOH like myself would be fun yippee! REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R5

NORTH CO DUBLIN WIDOW, 75., GSOH, NS but happy to have the odd drink and great chats and laughs. WLTM a gentleman who is sincere and loyal, who likes cinema, theatre and enjoys each other’s company. I want to meet that special man –could be you!

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R6

DUBLIN MALE LATE 50s, SEPARATED, NS, SD, GSOH, average height/build. Many interests. WLTM lady of similar age for friendship/companionship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R7

TIPPERARY LADY. SEMI-RETIRED. 65, WLTM ladies and gents for friendship/companionship from Tipperary and neighbouring counties. Interests include gardening, walking, eating out, music and cinema

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R8

GALWAY MAN, 5ft 8in, 12 stone, interest include sport and keep-fit. Would like to hear from other males. Age unimportant. Clergy welcome.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R9

WATERFORD LADY MID 60s, NS, SD, considered attractive, slim build. Interests include all kinds of music, concerts, cinema, the great outdoors, weekends away. WLTM genuine, sincere gent 60s-70s, no ties, for friendship, social outings with view to a relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R10

HELLO LADIES, I’M A 60 YEARS

YOUNG Dublin gent. I’m fun to be with, smart dresser, positive attitude. Interests include eating out, sports and weekends aways. WLTM a lady who would like to add adventure to her life and get up and dance right now! Lets get together—cheers!

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R11

RESPECTABLE CO WEXFORD MAN 73, 6ft, single, no ties, very well presented, young at heart, GSOH, NS, SD. Genuinely seeks long term relationship with like-minded lady anywhere in Ireland. Honesty and sincerity are assured and expected. Age, looks and status are not important but cheerfulness and kindness would make me very happy. Can relocate. Interested include walking, reading, current affairs, sport, good conversation, travel

home and abroad, theater, weekends away and keeping fit/active

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z2

KERRY LADY 55, 5ft 9in, GSOH, stylish. Interests include different music, jazz/blues, classical (not C&W). Also reading, visiting museums, galleries. Animal lover. WLTM a gentleman for friendship, dining out, cosy winter evenings in with good food which may lead to something wonderful.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z3

A SHOT IN THE DARK. I am a north Dublin female. I met a man though Meeting Place about five years ago might be reading this. We arranged another meeting but unfortunately I had to cancel for family reasons. Couldn’t make contact again as I changed my phone number and I lost his number. I am early 70s, petite, short blonde hair. My first name starts with a C. Would love to hear from you again.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z4

DUBLIN GENT, SEMI RETIRED, 70, WLTM, female, all counties welcome. Age flexible. Own house/car. I’m caring, generous supportive.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z5

CO CORK DIVORCED FEMALE, 49. Attractive, kin, caring, romantic, NS, ND. GSOH, no ties. WLTM a genuine, sincere, loyal gent 45-60, NS, ND or SD with no ties, for social outings, dating, regular meet ups with a view to a lasting relationship. Interests include country music, darts, eating out, agricultural shows, romantic trips etc.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z6

TALL SINCLE PROFESSIONAL LADY

WLTM tall, single professional Irish gentleman with a car aged 68-75 for socialising and maybe a relationships, Many interests include ballroom dancing, world travel, concert going, theatre, eating out, current affairs, GAA, swimming. Must be of generous nature. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z7

NORTH EAST WIDOW, 70s, NS. SD WLTM a kind man. Like all types of music.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z8

LEINSTER MAN EARLY 70s, NS, ND. Interests include country life, gardening, travel, cinema, current affairs. Friendly, honest, sincere. WLTM lady of similar age with similar interests.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z9

DUBLIN TRAINED MASEUR, 70, WLTM ladies. All counties, all ages. Free service.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z10

GETTING TO KNOW YOU! Young at heart, 60s, outgoing, North Co Dublin lady WLTM young at heart gent for happiness and to brighten up retirement years. Many and varied interests including cinema, all

types of music, chats over coffee/tea/drink, afternoon drives and strolls in the country, travel home and away.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A1

DUBLIN WIDOWER, 72, 6ft 1in, NS, SD, GSOH WLTM a lady for friendship/companionship. Interests include travel, theatre, music. I am from a bygone are of conversation in a nice restaurant with a glass of wine.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A2

DUBLIN GENT 60 BUT 30 AT HEART, single, excellent health, medium build, presentable. Aversions to baking, walking up hills, camping, history, ballroom dancing and brussels sprouts. Likes tranquillity, enjoying life and adventure. WLTM lady whose glass is always half full and if so a bunch of flowers is on its way.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B2

TO PLACE AN ADVERTISEMENT

If you are interested in meeting someone of the opposite or same sex, send your advertisement, with four stamps (which is the average reply rate) enclosed in the envelope, to:

Meeting Place, Senior Times, PO Box 13215, Rathmines, Dublin 6 Or email: john@slp.ie

IMPORTANT

Ensure you give your approximate age and the area you live, noting your interests. The advertisement should not be more than 60 words.

If you are replying to the advertisement via Senior Time’s email, ensure you include your postal address for those not on the Net. (Only Senior Times will have these details).

Deadline for receipt of advertisements for the next issue is August 22nd 2023.

TO REPLY TO AN ADVERTISEMENT

Each reply to an advertisement should be enclosed in a plain, stamped envelope, with the box number marked in pencil so that it can be erased before being forwarded to the advertiser. Send these envelopes in a covering envelope to the address , above, so that we can forward them to the advertiser. There is no limit to the amount of advertisements to which you can reply, provided each one is contained in a plain, stamped envelope. Ensure you give your approximate age and the area you live.

For those submitting their advertisements by email ensure that  you also supply Senior Times with  your postal address so that we can post replies from those  who have replied by post. (Only Senior Times will have your postal address).

Crossword

Crossword

Number 124 by Zoë Devlin

ACROSS

1 One opposed to war or violence (8)

5 Women’s undies (8)

10 Maybe saints sat with this helper (9)

16 Is this a scariest way of access up and down? (9)

17 An understanding or written accord (9)

18 State in U.S,.site of Grand Canyon (7)

19 Employee in shop who takes in money (7)

20 Playwright of ‘Juno and the Paycock’ (1'5)

21 Bill ___ U.S. of ‘Rock around the Clock’ fame (5)

22 Amble or saunter (6)

24 Somerville & ___, authors of ‘The Irish RM’, (4)

25

Woman’s close-fitting undergarment (6)

27 Coastal county in north Leinster (5)

28

Venomous creature with sting in its tail (8)

32 Playing cards or shovels (6)

34 Viper that can do sums? (5)

36 Young girl or collie dog? (6)

38 Is that Del Boy’s half brother yonder? (6)

43 Fred ___, danced with 52 Down (7)

44 Let’s be clear, it’s the banner county! (5)

45 Ape or emulate (7)

46 Reddish brown of old photographs (5)

48 Cereal grass or trite movie? (4)

49 Daniel ___, ‘The Liberator’ (1'7)

50 Tall perennial woody plant e.g. oak (4)

51 Make Gus ref. beside this Co Clare river! (6)

55 Mariner (6)

56 Mischievous pixies or elves (4)

59 Set a bun aglow in this one-storey house! (8)

61 Labyrinth (4)

65 Laurie Lee’s ‘Cider with ___‘ (5)

66 One who uses an L-plate (7)

67 Respond to something (5)

68

Vegetables with large fleshy yellow or white root (7)

69 Small dark purple plum-like fruit (6)

71 Message or a trip to perform a task (6)

72 Military trainee (5)

73 Game played by Federer or Nadal (6)

77 Sir takes, just like this * (8)

79 Nearby country known in Roman times as Cambria (5)

81 Can a moron be this dark reddish colour? (6)

83 Fruit such as Conference or Rocha (4)

88 Thick sweet sticky liquids (6)

89 Melodies (5)

90 Insect or old-style Volkswagen? (6)

92 Ambiguous or vague (7)

95 Praise or honour someone (7)

96 Car driven by Batman (9)

97 Any celestial body orbiting around a planet (9)

98 Without pretence, truly (9)

99 Town and port in Co 27 Across (8)

100 Pigs’ feet or Del Boy’s family? (8)

DOWN

1 We used to send them when on holidays! (9)

2 Skeleton of a motor vehicle (7)

3 Prohibit or disallow (6)

4 Can you get a mock rash from this national emblem? (8)

6 Leader of the Labour Party, ___ Bacik (5)

7 Can you polish this gemstone with a net rag? (6)

8 Lively traditional dance or roll of film (4)

9 Refined and tasteful in appearance (7)

10 Horn of a member of the deer family (6)

11 Oliver Hardy’s pal, ___ Laurel (4)

12 Faster or more quickly (7)

13 Say sorry (9)

14 Asian kingdom, formerly Siam (8)

15 Account of an author’s personal experiences (6)

23 Singer (8)

26 Promote, lift up or raise (7)

29 Large wading bird with a long down-turned bill (6)

30 Fabric of blue jeans (5)

31 Author of ‘Borstal Boy’, Brendan ___ (5)

33 Small celestial bodies, as editors know! (9)

35 Pour out, as with wines (6)

37 Game bird or 1/4 bottle of wine (5)

39 US film maker, created Donald Duck (6)

40 British actress, Dame Judi ___ (5)

41 Garment that covers the head and face (4)

42 Were there plenty of these spirits on Inisherin? (8)

43 Line of descent or parentage (8)

47 Play by G.B.Shaw, adapted as ‘My Fair Lady’ (9)

52 Dancer, Ginger___, partner of 43 Across (6)

53 Domesticated bovine animals (6)

54 The Lone Ranger’s Native American friend (5)

57 Estate and house of a lord (5)

58 Individual that one is not acquainted with (8)

59 Creature such as 29 Down (4)

60 River and spectacular waterfall in N America (7)

62 Living organisms such as flowers (6)

63 Thin biscuit either side of a slice of ice-cream (5)

64 Norwegian composer, Edvard ___ (5)

70 Time between the morning & the evening (9)

74

75

Magicians, wizards (9)

They’re seasoned minced meat stuffed in casings (8)

76 You’d need an escort for this antecedent! (8)

78 Cold-blooded creature such as lizard (7)

80

Warned or alarmed (7)

82 Do seas flow to this Ukrainian Black Sea port (6)

84

Building or structure with roof and walls (7)

85 White sparkling wine (6)

86 Gusto! Zest or spicy condiment (6)

87 Small case for holding paper money (6)

91 Thick woollen woven fabric (5)

93

94

Greeks could rely on this type of harp! (4)

Child’s toy that’s reeled up & down (2-2)

Crafts A basket case

One wet day a while ago fairly disappointed by the fact that I couldn’t go out to potter around the house and garden, I found myself going through the pages of some old copies of ICAAn- Grianan news quarterlies, Winter 1962-1963 price 6d to be precise.

Contents-Commentary page 3, ACWW Triennial Conference page 5, Keeping House page7, Basketry- page 9, although twelve more courses were listed up to page 39 I was immediately drawn to page 9 to see if my neighbour John Grimes was the person who directed the basketry course that was mentioned.

My oh my I remembered that not only had John Grimes written the article and had supplied drawings of various stages of work in progress when making a basket but there was a photo of him that was taken by a mutual photographer friend Cathal Barr working on a large basket that was taken in the Bruan where all cane-work classes were directed then. Fourteen ladies all eager beginners had travelled from guilds all over Ireland to make baskets under John’s tuition. During the early 1960s Basket making was a very popular craft-necessary in some cases as most country women would sell eggs, butter and other produce on market day countrywide usually on Saturdays so as to save some pin money for themselves as well as helping to pay household bills.

As far as I can remember that photo was taken when John who was a master crafter and sadly no longer with us was directing a course during October 1962. The reason being that one of the students got into the flow of things much faster than her classmates and had finished her basket on Thursday evening a day earlier than was usual, so this meant that she would have nothing to do in class all day on Friday and wouldn’t be leaving An Grianan until after breakfast on Saturday morning.

John Grimes was aware of the fact that I could do cane-work and had made trays during the mid 1950s as did my

Mother when we both were members of Clonegal guild ICA. So having been commissioned to oblige in that predicament I agreed to accompany him to the store together with the student in order for her to choose and pay for the base, canes and beads necessary to make a tray. John advised the lady to decide whether she wanted to make a large, medium or small tray, she opted to make a medium one and we all went to the cupboard where the 1st requirement tray bases were stored together with jars of beads for the side handles. Alas we discovered that the cupboard was almost bare as only three 6 inch circular bases could be found, no beads but luckily a few coils of cane.

That Friday morning time was well spent steeping cane and making two trays that have come in handy as tea pot stands on many occasions since in two homes and the cupboard was replenished on the following Monday.

I will forward photos of a laundry basket, egg basket and a calf muzzle (used to prevent young calves from sucking the navels of other calves in the pen). All made of willow cut from local hedges that John made for us and other farmers. There is also a photo of my emergency workmanship that Friday long ago- the tea pot stand, I can’t find the tray but I know it is somewhere in the attic.

To

With my legacy, I want you to know that you are not alone. There are people who care and who want to see you thrive.