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.

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.’ 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.”

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.