Senior Times Magazine by SeniorTimes Ireland

SeniorTimes The magazine for people who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t act their age

Issue 77 Sept./Oct. 2015 E3.95 (ÂŁ3.20)

A stroke of luck: How one woman survived two successive strokes All that glistens may be gold: Money Doctor John Lowe explains

Car-less in California

Gerry Daly on the valuable role of heathers in your garden

News Review l Creative Writing l Travel l Health Fashion & Beauty l Profiles l Competitions and much more!

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Issue 77 September/October 2015

Contents

News: 2 Car-less in California:: 10 Margaret Franklin has an eventful stay in California, but made the mistake of not hiring a car.. A stroke of luck: 12 Aine O’Connor relates her life-threatening experiences and how she has survived and almost resumed her normal life All that glistens may be gold: 16 The Money Doctor John Lowe explains why now may be a very good time for you to ‘go for gold’ Heathers for autumn and winter colour: 20 Heathers still have a valuable role to play in the garden says Gerry Daly I’ve joined a gym: 22 After retirement Maeve Edwards noticed she was putting on weight – time to take action. Cataracts—a treatable cause of poor vision: 24 Ophthalmic surgeon Richard Comer explains D H Lawrence – at odds with class, culture and country: 26 Continuing her series on literary Ireland and Britain, Lorna Hogg visits Nottinghamshire in the English East Midlands in search of the legacy of D H Lawrence Shooting to kill the cover ups: 30 Author Muriel Bolger discusses the inspiration behind her latest novel Lights, camera, location: 42 Visiting film and TV series locations is an increasingly popular pastime. Lorna Hogg lists many of the possibilities in Ireland Opinion: 48 Jim Collier has some transport issues Creative writing: 52 Coming to terms with difference – the artist’s contribution. Eileen Casey reports on her mesmerising visit to the John Hewitt summer School in Armagh Letters to the editor: 63 Wine world: 65 What’s on in The Arts: 68 Cosmetics: 72 Fashion: 75 Golf: 82 Northern Notes: 84 Know your rights: 88

Meeting place: 90 Sudoku: 92 Crossword: 94 Crafts: 96 FRONT COVER: Joshua Tree National Park, California. See ‘Car-less in California’

Publishing Directors: Brian McCabe, Des Duggan Editorial Director: John Low Editor At Large: Shay Healy Consultant Editor: Jim Collier Advertising: Willie Fallon Design & Production: www.cornerhouse.ie Contributors: Lorna Hogg, Dermot Gilleece, Maretta Dillon, Jim Collier, Peter Power, Matthew Hughes, Mairead Robinson, Eileen Casey, Debbie Orme, Connie McEvoy

Published by S& L Promotions Ltd., Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Tel: +353 (01) 4969028. Fax: +353 (01) 4068229 Editorial: John@slp.ie Advertising: brian@slp.ie Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

News ALONE calls for restoration of benefits and services for vulnerable older people ALONE, the charity that cares for older people in need, is calling on the Government to increase the state pension by implementing the triple lock model which has proven successful in the UK and elsewhere. The triple lock model of pension increases will mean once a year the state pension will be raised in accordance with either the higher of the growth in average earnings, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), or by 2.5%. Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE said, ‘While the pension has not changed since 2009, this does not mean that older people

have not been affected by the recession. Cumulative cuts from continuous austerity budgets has meant those who receive the state pension struggle financially as additional charges, tax increases and inflation effect their weekly income.’ ALONE believes that, in line with the National Positive Ageing Strategy older people should be supported to live in the community. The Household Benefits package and fuel allowance has provided older people who survived on the state pension with the crucial supports to remain living at home. ALONE asks that,

in light of the upturn in the economy, all benefits under the Department of Social Protection are restored to 2009 levels. This will ensure that more older people can remain living in the community which will be of benefit to the older person, society and the tax payer in the long run. ALONE can be contacted on (01) 679 1032 for those who have concerns about their own well being or the wellbeing of a vulnerable older person in the community or visit www.alone.ie.

The MyMind Centre for Mental Wellbeing team celebrate their ninth anniversary and opening of new centre - 7A Store Street, Dublin 1. Pictured are from left, Cesar Sugita, Michelle O’Connor, Carmen Bryce, MyMind CEO Krystian Fikert, Tess Brady and Kristine Brouder. 2 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

DANCING HER WAY THROUGH LIFE Some people have passion. They love what they do and it shows. Mary Lynch from Swords County Dublin has been dancing all her life. At a time of life when most people start to slow down, Mary is still dancing any chance she gets.

ancing comes naturally to everyone, and 64-year-old grandmother Mary Lynch from Swords, Co. Dublin can’t remember a time when she didn’t do it. She’s been dancing all her life. “A day without dancing is a day lost,” says Mary sitting in a sun-drenched conservatory in her beautiful home in Swords. “It keeps me fit and feeling young, I’m dancing four days a week. It’s just what I do, I never think ‘oh no, now I have to go dancing, it’s not like the gym or running, I can’t wait to get to the studio”. Her love of dancing can be traced back to her early years in Dublin’s inner city. Mary is a true ‘Dub’ born to a city that no longer exists, she played in and around the d’Olier street area, she swung from rope swings hung from lampposts, a street culture that has all but disappeared. But it was the old Theatre Royal on Hawkins Street, where The Screen cinema now stands that perhaps inspired her love of dance. “First of all that building should never have been pulled down and all of Dublin should be ashamed,” she says. “The back entrance of the Theatre Royal backed onto the street where I lived, Townsend Street, and that way we were able to sneak in. I remember sitting in the dark one day looking at the dancers, the Royalettes rehearsing. They were show girls and were kicking their legs in the air. Maybe that was the start

of it for me,” Mary recalls. “Ballet was the first thing,” Mary says. “After that there was Irish dancing, and the next thing I remember was disco dancing and roller skating, I would have been married with kids then. Then line dancing came in, country and western… I danced in competitions with that, I danced all over the world with line dancing,” says Mary about all the different styles her dancing has encompassed. “Now it’s ballroom dancing that I love.” Why? “Oh the glamour” she responds immediately. “The glitz and the glamour, I love the costumes, of both the men and the women, the movement, I just love. It’s a close hold with your partner in ballroom. Recently I’ve gotten into Latin dancing, which is great. In Latin you’re always facing your partner”. There is a misconception out there that some people just can’t dance. There are people who won’t dance rather than can’t dance. Mary shakes her head when I mention ‘two left feet’. “There’s no such thing,” she says. “If you can walk you can dance. There’s no such thing as someone who can’t dance. You look at a baby, when music comes on they’ll move with the music, it’s an in built beat that we all have. Dancing is only putting one foot in front of the other. When you put music on children automatically know which style of dance.

Originally published in the Irish Independent

Mary’s dance partner and teacher Noel of Dance Addiction studios in Blanchardstown is another who has been dancing since he was six years old. He breaks the mould somewhat in that he’s also a painter/decorator and to look at him you would never expect that he was into ballroom dancing. However when we see him on the floor with Mary, he is transformed. His movement is fluid, sure and graceful and the two make an incredible pair to watch. It’s just refreshing to see two people following their passion. We live in a cynical age, so much so, that young people often feel they can’t get up on the dance floor without a few drinks. But Mary and Noel are fearless, they dance for themselves and couldn’t care less. That is admirable and more, it’s an inspiration. “I couldn’t not do it. Even if I’m in the supermarket and the music comes on, part of me will be dancing,” says Mary. “I am what I am. The older I get, the less I care what anyone thinks. As long as my heart is beating, I’ll be dancing”.

Retired aviation staff lodge claim against State The Retired Aviation Staff Association (RASA) lodged a claim against the state on behalf of over 700 members that represents retired members of Aer Lingus, Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) and other Aer Lingus or DAA group companies for restoration of reductions of 10% and 20% (depending on original pension levels) made to their retirement pension with effect from 1st January 2015. The claim was later lodged in the Commercial Courts . However the presiding judge deemed that the claim should more appropriately be lodged through the full court system to which it has been duly referred. As these courts are now in annual recess and will not return until October no further outcome will be available until then.

Programme ‘empowers’ older people Life coach David McGrath has designed a 4-week programme called SMILE Sessions with the purpose of empowering older adults to take charge of their own well-being and zest for life. Each session, one hour in length, provides insight into new understandings and practices which have a positive impact on both the physical and mental health of the participant, in an easy-going, interactive way. A free 20-minute introductory session is available by request. A 50% promotional discount is also available for a limited time only. Contact David McGrath at 085 2125420

Keeping up the fight against men’s cancer Blue September sponsored by Vhi is back this September to increase awareness about male specific cancers and is urging men to start facing up to cancer and be more proactive in looking after their health. Now in its fifth year, this important initiative highlights the severity of cancer amongst men, what symptoms they should be aware of and to remind them to get themselves checked! The campaign will run over the entire month continuing the nationwide awareness and fundraising campaign that began in 2010. Blue September sponsored by Vhi is an international initiative co-ordinated in Ireland by the Men’s Cancer Alliance (MCA) which includes the Mater Foundation, Mercy Hospital Foundation and Cancer Care West. The MCA was formed by these charities to create awareness about men’s cancers, the treatments and supports available and to raise funds to create and maintain a number of men’s cancer support initiatives Whisky €18.49 won a Silver Outstanding Medal and overall Aldi took home an impressive seven accolades, including three Silver Outstanding

Limerick native wins Bealtaine/Age & Opportunity creative writing bursary

Blue September’s main incentive is to get Irish men to face up to cancer; to be aware of the risks, to check themselves regularly, and to be proactive about looking after their health. Further information on Blue September sponsored by Vhi, can be accessed at www.blueseptember.ie aim of enabling applicants to fulfil a long held ambition to take a formal writing course, mentored by the MA in Creative Writing programme at the University of Limerick. The bursary was awarded to Limerick native Ainne Fawcett-Henesy whose background is in nursing but who is also a regular contributor to Newstalk Radio on medical matters.

Free autumn gardening classes at Powerscourt Garden Pavilion

Aldi’s own label spirits scoop top international accolades Aldi own-label Cognac triumphed after going head-to-head at the International Wine and Spirit Competition with cognacs over twelve times its price. Aldi’s Chevalier VS Cognac €18.99 underwent extensive blind taste tests conducted by a panel of industry experts at the prestigious International event securing a Silver Outstanding Medal alongside the premium Bisquit VS Cognac, which sells for a staggering €288. The same spirit is no stranger to awards; described as lively, aromatic and packed full of fruity flavours, the cognac also scooped a Silver Outstanding Award at the 2014 International Wine & Spirit Competition. Aldi’s Highland Black 8 Year Old Scotch

around Ireland. ‘The MCA are delighted to welcome back Vhi for the third year to keep up the fight for Blue September 2015’.

Liz Kelly of the Bealtaine / Age & Opportunity Festival with Bursary recipient Ainne Fawcett-Henesy and Joseph O’Connor, Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the BEALTAINE/Age & Opportunity annual festival, in association with the Creative Writing programme at University of Limerick and Listowel Writer’s Week, a scholarship was made available to applicants aged 60 plus, offering the opportunity to participate in the MA programme at UL, which is now entering its second year. The bursary of €3000 (plus partial fee waiver) was initiated to support an older person to undertake the programme led by Professor Joseph O Connor, with the

4 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Powerscourt Garden Pavilion in Enniskerry, County Wicklow is offering four free autumn gardening classes to its customers over the coming weeks. The programme kicks off on the 29th of August with a class on autumn gardening jobs to prepare for successful growth in spring. It’s time to collect seeds from your favourite plants, harvest fruit and vegetables, deadhead plants and flowers and add some winter colour to your garden. The following two talks on the 3rd and 10th of September are an A-Z of everything you ever wanted to know about planting for early spring colour. The final class on the 14th of October will give some ideas for s autumn and winter containers. Each class takes place on the dates above at 11am and is free of charge. More information at (01) 2046009 or visit www.powerscourtgardenpavilion.com/events

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Call us on 1800 250 204 or email: warmerhomes@seai.ie

Travel

Car-less in California Margaret Franklin had an eventful stay in California, but made the mistake of not hiring a car..

the We found that Greyhound bus service is not reliable.

To mark our retirement and to escape the dismal grey and gloomy skies of our Irish summer, my husband and I headed off to California, for a oncein-a lifetime holiday. It was at the end of August; the first time we had ever been able to get away at the start of an academic year. We had booked one week in Palm Springs, in southern California and another at Lake Tahoe, further north, so we flew into Los Angeles, while our return flight was from San Francisco. Being equally nervous about the thought of driving on the ten-lane highways near the coast, and on the right hand side of the mountain roads near our two resorts, we decided not to hire a car, but to depend on public transport.

Coachella Valley

I had already ascertained, from the internet, that there was a Greyhound bus service between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, so we thought that all was well. We duly arrived, rather exhausted, at Los Angeles International Airport, after an overnight flight from Dublin via Chicago and got the first early morning shuttle bus at 5.00 a.m. from the airport to Union Station. So far so

good. We took a subway train from there to downtown L.A. and made our way to the nearby Greyhound bus station. There we found a huge queue (or a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;lineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as they call it over there) of people waiting to buy bus tickets and we found ourselves in sympathy with fellow passengers, complaining that there was only one position available at the desk, to deal both with customer problems as

6 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

well as ticket sales. We eventually made it to the desk, where we were surprised to be asked for photo ID in order to buy bus tickets. Having secured our tickets, we were somewhat dismayed to find that the next bus for Palm Springs would not depart for four hours. However, we eventually boarded the bus and set

off eastwards through the countryside, gradually climbing towards the mountains and the desert landscape. We were too exhausted from the journey to pay much attention to the passing scene, but when we came into the Coachella Valley, we were amazed at thenumber of wind farms we saw. We were even more amazed when we discovered that we were being dropped off in the middle of one of these wind farms, out in the desert, with not a human habitation in sight! It appears that Palm Springs has an airport, but no proper bus station, just a bus stop in the middle of nowhere. There were a couple of taxis waiting at the stop, so we had no choice but to take one. The fare to our resort at the other side of Palm Springs cost more than the bus fare all the way from L.A.! The taxi driver told us that the Greyhound bus company once had a bus station in the centre of Palm Springs, but it tended to attract homeless people, drug addicts and other undesirables and so they re-located the stop to the wind farm, where dropouts were unlikely to congregate. Comfortable resort Our resort was very comfortable and had a beautiful pool, but we discovered that it simply did not cater for people who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drive cars. It was not on a bus route and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offer a courtesy shuttle to downtown Palm Springs. We spent the rest of that first day in the resort, checking out the pool and other facilities. The following day, knowing

was a trip on , e m r o f t gh li h ig The h tramway. l a ri e a gs n ri p S the Palm Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 7

ree Joshua T ark, National p s a which wa fantastic e. experienc

that taxi fares were outrageously overpriced, we set off walking to find the nearest bus stop. The map we were given at our resort was not to scale and did not show all of the streets, so it was not very helpful and we found we had to walk farther than we expected to the nearest bus stop, which happened to be about two and a half miles away. It took us 35 minutes to do it in the heat. We must have picked the hottest week of the summer, with temperatures in the 40s. But we had taken the precaution to put on sunscreen and bring bottles of drinking water. Once on a bus route, we found that the buses were a great way to get around, costing only 50 cent a ride for us seniors! The bus drivers were very helpful pointing out the attractions. We visited the casino and the Agua Caliente cultural museum, where we discovered that Palm Springs is sitting on a huge underground lake, which oozes up to the surface in places, forming an oasis in the desert where palms can grow, though it hardly ever rains. It was home to a tribe of indigenous North American people long before the white men discovered the valley. They are still referred to, rather inaccurately, as ‘Indians’ and they now run the casino and make a good living from it. We learned that in some places, water seeps down through fissures in the San Andreas Fault which crosses the valley. The water becomes heated by the hot mantle beneath the earth’s crust and then gushes up as hot springs, hence the name ‘Aqua Caliente’. It was because of

the renowned healing properties of these hot mineral springs that the place was developed as a spa. It later became a popular winter resort, as it enjoys a warm dry climate, and yet never suffers from a water shortage! Joshua Tree National Park Since we didn’t have a car, our possibilities for exploring the countryside were somewhat limited. However, we were able to book a trip by Hummer, which took us up through a steep canyon to the Joshua Tree National park, which was a fantastic experience. The driver gave us a running commentary about the

8 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

geology of the region and the flora and fauna we saw along the way and kept us and our fellow passengers hydrated by handing out bottles of drinking water regularly from the ice-packed cooler. He also gave each of us a bandana, soaked in the icy water, to hang around our necks to help keep us cool. This was welcome, as the hot desert air assaulted our faces like the heat of a blast furnace as we drove along. Up in the park, it was cooler because of the higher altitude, so we were able to have a little hike on foot and take pictures of the desert

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Whitewater canyon & Lake Tahoe are really beautiful, but we had to book a taxi to get back to the bus station on the day we left. vegetation. Apart from Joshua Trees, there were yucca plants, a variety of cacti and a surprising amount of scrubby plants and shrubs. On the way back, we enjoyed beautiful views of the desert sunset over the mountains. On another day, we went on a tour in a comfortable air-conditioned coach, to a place called Whitewater Canyon, where there was a stream with a trout farm and interesting rocks. We also visited a riparian forest, which gets very little rain, but where, because of the water oozing up from the ground, plants can grow. Finally, we had lunch at a place called Pioneer Town, which was built as a film set during the heyday of the western films and has been preserved as a tourist attraction. The highlight for me, was a trip on the Palm Springs aerial tramway. We were fortunate to have been offered a drive to the base of the tramway by a lady

from Los Angeles who was visiting Palm Springs with her teenage daughter. Otherwise, we would have had to take an expensive taxi. The ‘tramway’ consists of two huge cable cars, which can each take 80 people. One car goes up as the other is coming down and the floor of each car rotates, so that the passengers can see the view on all sides. And the view of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley is really spectacular. Once over the ridge, high above the valley, a real surprise awaited us, as we suddenly found ourselves in the Alpine climate of the Mount San Jacinto State Park, where palms give way to tall pines growing up between weird rock formations and the temperature was about twenty degrees lower than in the valley. We enjoyed a fine lunch in the excellent restaurant and went for a leisurely hike along the shady nature trails. It would take too long to describe the remainder of our holiday. But we found

10 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

that the Greyhound bus service is not reliable. We had to go all the way back to Los Angeles to get a bus to San Francisco, but it was delayed for over two hours. Then the bus from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe was over an hour late. We got there eventually and Lake Tahoe is really beautiful, but we had to book a taxi to get back to the bus station on the day we left. The taxi was 40 minutes late and so we missed our bus. By some perverse law, that particular bus must have been on time! So if ever you plan to visit California, my advice is to hire a car! FURTHER INFORMATION www.visitcalifornia.com Email: web@visitcalifornia.com Aer Lingus flies to San Francisco and Los Angeles www.aerlingus.com

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Health

A Stroke of luck

‘Do I feel lucky? Well do ya punk? Clint Eastwood’s questions in 1971’s Dirty Harry seem an appropriate place to describe how I had a couple of strokes and within three months was well enough to relate the experience to Senior Times readers’. Aine O’Connor relives her life-threatening experiences and how she has survived and almost resumed her normal life.

Aine O’Connor..almost back to full health after her life-threatening experiences

Less fortunate stroke victims, like Cilla Black and the actress/author/ comedian Rue McClanahan (best known as Blanche in the Golden Girls), both of whom died due to a stroke. So the answer is a resounding yes I do feel very lucky thanks. It’s forced a rethink of ‘where we’re at’ for myself and my husband because as my next of kin he had to deal with the phone call from the hospital telling him they had to resuscitate me at that moment and he’d better get into the hospital pronto [if he wanted to see me alive again.] It’s a sobering thought on how close we came to paying for a wake rather than simply having a wake-up call.

The first stroke was in fact what is often referred to even in medical circles as a wake-up call. It was a TIA, which is a Transient Ischemic Attack or a mini-stroke. Happily I was at home when it happened and even more fortunately so was my husband. Having him to tell what was happening to me was a powerful motivator in getting me up the stairs. Friends who’ve known me a long time think that had I been alone in the house or on my own somewhere away from home when the TIA was happening that I would have used whatever energy I found to get up the stairs to tell my husband, to instead phone the ambulance myself. But I’m not so sure. I think that without him, I’d be dead now or severely incapacitated. This isn’t to negate the paramedics, doctors, nurses, and therapists

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Cilla Black, a recent, less fortunate stroke victim

whose combined skills, strength and compassion hauled me back from the point of no return in that fateful 24 hours in May. In the age of mobile phones having a phone handset with big, clearly seen buttons as a life saver may not be relevant to a lot of readers and in fact, once you’re used to your phone and can use it without hesitation the ‘big button’ thing comes a distant second to always having credit on your phone. If you’ve already had a scare you’ve probably sorted out an emergency alert device that you carry with you at all

Ambulances promoting the recent F.A.S.T campaigm

times. But as I’m a bit young to be having a stroke (52 at the time of publication), a stroke wasn’t registering high on my radar, despite having a younger close friend who suffered one late last year. For our fixed landline we have two handset docks: one in the kitchen and another upstairs, so had I been alone in the house and didn’t need to drag myself (I literally did this as my left leg was trailing behind me and my left arm was waving uncontrollably in the air and my speech was slurred and my face half-palsied). If I wasn’t so focused on getting upstairs to tell my husband I would have had to be as equally determined to find my mobile or get to the phone in the kitchen and make the emergency services operator understand what I was trying to say. Thanks to that Act F.A.S.T. tv ad campaign , I knew immediately that I was having a stroke. I was terrified but somehow not paralysed with fear and from the initial seconds when my hand started lifting up into the air like some bizarre schoolchild trying to attract the teacher’s attention I thought ‘this is it, I’ve had it’. But I tried to get to the kitchen sink and got more afraid as the leg dragging behind me wouldn’t cooperate as normal. You may still see a F.A.ST.poster in your GP’s waiting room but if not, it’s (Face…

Arms…Speech.Telephone 999’ .’Has their face dropped on one side? Can they raise their arms? Is their speech slurred? If you see any one of those symptoms you’ve to phone for an ambulance asap’. When I got to the sink and tried opening the tap for water I found I couldn’t close my hand around the cup sitting on the draining board, nor could I clench my hand no matter how much I concentrated.

bed and get dressed so he could call the ambulance. Trying to dress myself gave me another severe shock. I couldn’t do it.

As it happened I started calling my husband’s name and was shocked at how I sounded: like something from a 50s B-Movie horror film. The Thing From The Deep. But the shock of that propelled me from the kitchen to the hall and up the stairs. It was early on a Sunday morning so he was still in bed. Having what sounded like a frantic drunk yelling his name up the stairs had woken him so he was prepared to react fast from sleep to full alertness in less than 60 seconds. And when I said slowly and as coherently as I could that I was having a stroke and needed to get into A&E in Beaumont he calmly told me to sit on the side of the

I couldn’t get my arms around my back in the usual daily way you put a bra on. That was the only time he got flustered that day. Seeing me trying to make sense of the bra made something snap. He tried to take it off me and to put it on me himself (nope, not a good idea when both of you are out of your minds with worry and one of you hasn’t control of her hands). But it was still easier for me to tackle the bra than have both of us trying to fumble with it. It took quite a while and a lot of fierce concentration to get dressed and ready to go out to the ambulance. It didn’t occur to me to stop trying.

Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 13

Probably because he was encouraging me to take each step at a time and supported me all the way down the stairs and down the hill to the fire brigade ambulance that had scrambled to meet the call. The paramedic continued the soothing tones and quick movements my husband had been using to keep me from losing it. Someone on the 999 line had already told Shane to get me to put my hands in the air. He interpreted this by making a gun with his thumb and index finger and telling me to ‘stick ‘em up’. Regardless of how long ago it was that you saw a cowboy movie when someone tells you to ‘stick ‘em up’ you automatically come out with your hands up. We had successfully survived the first 5-10 minutes of having a stroke. The paramedic glided smoothly into the procedure of asking me to resist his pressure in pushing my arms down. He asked me my name and got me to talk to him and focus on the questions he was asking me. The slurring of my speech was gradually receding and the palsy was ebbing away at about the same rate as the terror. In what seemed like no time at all we arrived at A&E in Beaumont Hospital . I had mixed emotions about Beaumont Hospital that pivoted on the facts that it was where my father died (old age, with complications from advanced Alzheimers); and where my own lumptectomy had happened. My emotions now are understandably no longer mixed but wholly characterised by gratitude and relief. The expert team anticipated another attack following the TIA and were ready with the thrombectomy early the next morning when it became touch and go on another stroke and effectively saved my life, and certainly, to my mind, my quality of life: walking, talking, fine motor skills, cognitive function. After I was resuscitated I was admitted to the dedicated stroke ward and miraculously returned to an extraordinary degree of health and fitness. As I was out cold during the second stroke, I had no idea what my husband was going through, the shock and trauma of almost losing your spouse wasn’t something I absorbed until a couple of months afterwards, though I fully appreciated and understood the spirit in which he took care of my every need from clean clothes in the ward to some pretty outlandish bucket list requests once I got home and once I’d gotten to grips with the enormity of the ‘near death’ experience. I got enough of a thumbs up from the hospital physiotherapist initially to be discharged from the ward to our home and my blood pressure results are part

testament to the new regime the physio suggested for me to keep me active and well: I walk briskly in a nearby park everyday and even make good use of the all-weather gym machines that the county council has thoughtfully provided along the paths of the park. I couldn’t do a mini-marathon but I could possibly enter the Danone Big Toddle next year if I keep up this level of training. Stranger things have happened.

What is Stroke? A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells. Brain cells die when they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood or there is sudden bleeding into or around the brain. The symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; or sudden severe headache with no known cause. There are two forms of stroke: ischemic - blockage of a blood vessel supplying the brain, and hemorrhagic - bleeding into or around the brain.

Is there any treatment? Generally there are three treatment stages for stroke: prevention, therapy immediately after the stroke, and poststroke rehabilitation. Therapies to prevent a first or recurrent stroke are based on treating an individual’s underlying risk factors for stroke, such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes. Acute stroke therapies try to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot causing an ischemic stroke or by stopping the bleeding of a hemorrhagic stroke. Poststroke rehabilitation helps individuals overcome disabilities that result from stroke damage. Medication or drug therapy is the most common treatment for stroke. The most popular classes of drugs used to prevent or treat stroke are antithrombotics (antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants) and thrombolytics.

paralysis is one-sided weakness or hemiparesis. Stroke may cause problems with thinking, awareness, attention, learning, judgment, and memory. Stroke survivors often have problems understanding or forming speech. A stroke can lead to emotional problems. Stroke patients may have difficulty controlling their emotions or may express inappropriate emotions. Many stroke patients experience depression. Stroke survivors may also have numbness or strange sensations. The pain is often worse in the hands and feet and is made worse by movement and temperature changes, especially cold temperatures. Recurrent stroke is frequent; about 25 percent of people who recover from their first stroke will have another stroke within 5 years.

What research is being done? The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) conducts stroke research and clinical trials at its laboratories and clinics at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and through grants to major medical institutions across the country. Currently, NINDS researchers are studying the mechanisms of stroke risk factors and the process of brain damage that results from stroke. Basic research has also focused on the genetics of stroke and stroke risk factors. Scientists are working to develop new and better ways to help the brain repair itself to restore important functions. New advances in imaging and rehabilitation have shown that the brain can compensate for function lost as a result of stroke. Stroke kills more than 2,000 people a year in Ireland – a higher death toll than from breast cancer, prostate cancer and bowel cancer combined.

What is the prognosis? Although stroke is a disease of the brain, it can affect the entire body. A common disability that results from stroke is complete paralysis on one side of the body, called hemiplegia. A related disability that is not as debilitating as

14 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Information supplied by The Irish Heart Foundation. Contact the IHF at (01) 6346925/6685001 www.stroke.ie

Mobility Matters

Road Safety Programme

Mobility Matters is a road safety awareness programme for older adult road users. The programme covers topics such as;

• • • • • • •

Vulnerable Road Users Vehicle Safety and Driver Comforts Rules of the Road and Driving Tips Safety Belts and Child Restraints Impaired Driving Mobile Phones and Driving Driver Fitness

The Road Safety Authority provides free training sessions on the programme for trainers / leaders involved in groups for older people. We will visit your area to deliver the training session where you will receive a resource pack, DVD, certificate and ongoing support that will equip you in delivering road safety education to your group.

If you would like to find out more or to book a training session, please contact us on 1890 50 60 80 or by e-mail education@rsa.ie

Personal finance

All that glistens may be gold The Money Doctor, John Lowe, explains why now may be a very good time for you to ‘go for gold’. If the so-called ‘gold bugs’, investors who believe passionately in the longterm value of buying gold, are right, then this could be a good time to add a little glitter to your portfolio. Over the last few years, we have seen massive swings in the price of gold from its all time 1980 high of US$850 a troy ounce - in today’s money, about $2,500 - to its current price of c. US$1092.. the lowest for nearly five years. Bare in mind the gold price in 2011 stood at US$1913 per troy ounce - slightly heavier than avoirdupois ounces - and was expected at the time to go higher. It didn’t but with a Syrian war looming, global uncertainty in the financial markets and a natural desire to stay solvent, gold could be the very commodity to take off. Remember they say it is prudent to have 10% of an investment portfolio in precious metals. There are three sound reasons to believe that prices will soar. Firstly, the growing economies of Asia and the Middle East have resulted in a huge surge in demand worldwide – especially for gold jewellery. For proof one need look no further than global gold jewellery sales, which increased at a very steady pace over the last few years. Secondly, a rising number of private investors all over the world have been

mined in 2011 – 100 tonnes more than the previous highest peak in 2001. What’s more, production is falling by an average of 4% a year and it will take the industry anything up to ten years to increase supply by the required volume. In the past, when demand outstripped supply, the shortfall was met by many of the world’s central banks. No longer. Countries, which had been disposing of their gold reserves, have slowed down sales or even stopped selling altogether. Many central banks, notably those of Russia, Iran and China, are actually now buying bullion.

putting some or all of their savings into gold as a hedge against economic or political instability and, as in maybe the case of Syria, war. When investors feel the future is uncertain (as many appear to at the moment) demand for gold always surges. This is doubtless in no small part due to the fact that the price of gold tends to move in the opposite direction to virtually all other conventional asset classes – making it ideal when investors wish to diversify. Thirdly, the mining industry can’t keep up with demand. Figures show that in excess of 4,000 tonnes of gold were purchased, but only 2,700 tonnes were

16 Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Although I believe that gold prices are likely to carry on moving upward after the recent drops, I would only suggest buying if you already have a range of other investments including shares, bonds and property. Furthermore, I would strongly advise against buying gold coins or gold bars. The idea of owning a little ‘hoard’ of gold may seem attractive. However, gold in all its forms is expensive to ship, store and insure. Instead I would recommend three ways of investing in gold. Gold mutual funds. These offer a cost-effective, convenient and potentially more lucrative way to benefit from any increase in gold’s value. A good example of what a mutual gold fund has to offer is the top-performing Black Rock Merrill Lynch Gold & General Fund has grown well over 1000% since its launch in 1988 up to c. 2006. The bulk of the UK£1,425 million fund is invested in gold mining shares. Obviously, gold

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mining shares rise in line with the value of gold. Your risk is diversified and you can leave it up to the fund manager to choose the best opportunities. There are plenty of funds to choose from and you can pick a fund that matches your own objectives. One fund might aim to track the price of gold, for instance, another to track one of the various market indices such as the FTSE mining index. An alternative option would be to buy a portfolio of individual mining company shares. On the upside this will give you greater control and involvement. On the downside you will have to decide which of the hundreds of different mining company shares to buy. Not my scene. Invest your money in one of the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for gold. An ETF is listed on the stock market and allows you full exposure to the price of gold, without actually having to take delivery of the bullion. The fund buys and holds the gold, while the investor holds ETF shares. The world’s biggest ETF is Exchange Traded Gold (marketed under different names) which holds 431 tonnes of the yellow metal. This is more than the Bank of England’s reserves. Perth Mint Gold Certificate programme

– the bullion is held in Perth Mint, the only mint in the world guaranteed by a AAA-rated government (the Western Australian government). Fee is 2% to 3.9% depending on the amount bought and 1.5% when you sell. Minimum investment is €3,000 but it is safe in every respect. Email me for details. Incidentally, if you are planning to invest in gold it is worth noting that it can be held in self-administered pension schemes (SSAPs or Self Directed Trustsfor company owners, directors and senior executives), which could mean some tasty tax savings depending on your circumstances. Jim Sinclair is an expert on precious metals www.jsmineset.com and stated recently a gold price expectation of US$3,500 per troy ounce and that US$50,000 per troy ounce was ‘not out of the question’. Jim Rogers of Rogers Holdings, another expert American investor is also bullish on the gold price because of the various global issues. Perhaps Shakespeare got it right when he said ‘the golden age is before us, not behind us’!

John Lowe is managing director of Providence Finance Services Ltd trading as Money Doctor, regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and based in Stillorgan Co Dublin.

If he is right, you could be kicking yourself for not getting into the market whilst prices are now relatively low.

Follow John on Twitter (@themoneydoc) Linkedin & Facebook

18 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

He is a Personal Insolvency Practitioner and author of The Money Doctor 2015 ( Gill & Macmillan) For consultations and corporate seminars, call (01) 278 5555 or email consultation@moneydoctor.ie & seminars@moneydoctor.ie

Down Cathedral was built on the ancient Hill of Down in the 12th century. It has some marvellous stained glass windows and has recently been renovated and was officially reopened on last St Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Gardening

Heathers for autumn and winter Although the fashion for planting up beds and banks solely with heathers has waned, heathers still have a very valuable role to play, writes Gerry Daly.

colour

Heathers happily provide a touch of colour during the winter and early spring when few other flowers oblige. And all heathers do not need to be grown on acidic soil — many erica kinds are just as happy in limy soil. As it happens, the main ericas for winter use are the lime-tolerant ones, such as Erica carnea, Erica x darleyensis and Erica mediterranea. Many named varieties of each of these species are available, especially the first two, such as ‘King George’ and ‘Myretoun Ruby’. Varieties of the third species are generally taller and useful where a little more height and size is useful. The other main erica species is the common native bell heather, Erica cinerea, that clothes many a hillside in purple during late summer and early autumn. The slightly later flowering ling heather, with paler pink flowers of open, rather than rounded bell shape, is Calluna vulgaris. Many selections in a variety of colours of both of these plants have been made, some with double flowers. This is a good time of year to select and plant heathers for the garden. The late summer and autumn kinds will be in flower or on the point of flowering and can be selected for the suitability of their colours. The winter and spring flowering kinds can also be planted now, or chosen later when they are in flower. Because of their relatively small size, most heathers are best used at the front of beds and borders, or in gaps between larger plants. They tolerate shade very poorly and it is important to avoid planting in places where they will be shaded by taller plants, or in positions where tree leaves might fall on them. Question: Re-seeding a lawn ‘I have a lot of wear and tear on my lawn due to pets and children playing. What can I do to reduce this, and when?’ This is the ideal time to repair any damage that the lawn might have sustained during the summer months. Wear and tear from games and pets can leave a lawn looking quite shabby. A lightly worn lawn will recover of its own accord as soon as the cause of the wear ceases. But more heavily damaged areas need to be over-sown or even re-laid with sods. In cases of heavy wear, the first step is to spike the area with a digging fork, gently easing back a little on the fork to break compaction. If the grass is very sparse, the soil can be lightly pricked over with a fork and seed sown and raked in. If the grass has completely gone, it might be easier to cut sods from an out-of-theway corner and use these to repair the damage. The corner can then be re-sown. 20 Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Plant spring colour bulbs now

If you want a colourful spring in your garden, now is the time to plant bulbs. There is a great choice of bulbs and they flower over a long period, keeping the garden going from January to May. The sequence of spring bulbs begins with snowdrops and crocuses, runs through daffodils and finishes with tulips. Less well known bulbs, such as scillas, chionodoxas, ranunculus and anemones, make their contribution along the way.

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Health and Fitness

I’ve joined a gym! After retirement Maeve Edwards noticed she was putting on weight – time to take action..

I never thought I’d hear myself say the words I’ve joined a Gym. But that’s exactly what I’ve done. Maybe I should call it a fitness centre instead because the word ‘gym’ conjures up images of young men and women in leisure gear ‘pumping iron’. And that’s definitely not me! I had recently retired from a job where I was on my feet all day. This kept me active and reasonably fit. I thought I’d be able to balance up this loss of activity, with going for long walks every day, but often a walk for its own sake can be avoided. I often walk to the shops, and take a turn along my local sea front, but I wasn’t going as often as I should. It wasn’t that the weight was piling on - there were a few extra pounds – but mainly my body was beginning to feel lethargic and my joints were getting stiff. While I was thoroughly enjoying those heady months of not having to answer an alarm clock every day, I knew I’d have to do something to get active again. It all started with the swimming pool. A friend asked me to join her in the aqua aerobics classes in my local Shoreline swimming pool on a Monday morning. The timing of these classes meant they are mostly attended by retired people. I took to the aqua aerobics like a duck to water, if you’ll excuse the pun. I loved it. There was a session on a Thursday morning as well, so I went to that too. The following week, I signed up as a member, which cost me €380 for the year, a special rate for the over 55s. 22 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

From left, Maeve Edwards, Dallah Hoffman, Eileen Sheehan, Ronnie Corcoran and Anna O’Leary

I loved the ease of the aqua aerobics, the weightlessness of my body, the fun we had. Part of the enjoyment was that no one can see what your legs are doing under the water, unlike an ordinary aerobics class where if you’re doing something in a clumsy way, it’s plain for all to see. Nobody can see most of your body for that matter, so what your legs are doing under the water, is your own business. What we’re supposed to do is follow the series of exercises set by the tutor at the side of the pool, and all to music. It’s a light hearted and good humoured workout and you do as much or as little as you want. And being able to swim is not a requirement, the non-swimmers stay down the shallow end if they don’t like water up past their waists.

Peter Robinson

but I dutifully arrived on a Tuesday morning and after an assessment where my fitness levels were measured, the instructor showed me how to use the treadmill and cycling machines. He was friendly and unassuming and made me feel instantly at ease. He also gave me exercises to strengthen my lower back, where I sometimes suffer a bit of discomfort. And that was it. I was hooked! The treadmill and cycling machines can be set to whatever level you like, and as you walk or cycle, they tell you how far you’ve travelled and how many calories you’ve burnt off. The conversations can be great! ‘How many calories have you burnt off so far on that bicycle, Maeve?’ ‘Half a digestive biscuit,’ I answer to hoots of laughter. Ronnie Corrigan

Following the aqua aerobics class, free tea and coffee are provided. I was too reticent for the first few weeks to join in, but eventually one of the women I got talking to in the pool said: “Come and have a cup of coffee with us – we deserve it!” And I did. And while chatting to these friendly men and women over our cuppa, they told me about the ‘actively retired’ session on a Tuesday morning in the gym. The gym was an area which I thought I’d never venture near,

Another aspect of not working I missed was the lack of a structure to my day. Now I’m gearing my morning around my visit to the gym, followed by a session in the swimming pool. And I don’t always exercise in the pool: sometimes, I just float on my back, look up through the glass roof and watch the clouds pass by overhead. This retirement business is everything people told me it would be. It’s a whole new world. Now, anyone for Aqua Zumba classes on a Tuesday night!

Health

Cataracts – a treatable cause of poor vision Richard Comer, Ophthalmic Surgeon, explains What are cataracts? A cataract is a progressive, painless clouding of the natural lens of the eye. Cataracts block light from entering the eye making it difficult to see. They occur more frequently in the older age group with 50% of people affected over the age of 65. They can also occur in younger patients especially if they present with cases of diabetes, post trauma or in ocular inflammation.

What are the symptoms of cataract? Cataracts usually form slowly and symptoms include; • Vision that is cloudy, blurry or foggy • Glare, particularly with night driving • Reduced appreciation of colours. Colours appear duller and less sharp • Progressive short-sightedness with patients having difficulty seeing distant objects clearly but having better vision for close up tasks such as reading and computer use

How are cataracts diagnosed? A routine eye examination by your doctor or optician can readily confirm the presence of a cataract. Once diagnosed with a cataract the patient needs to be referred to an Ophthalmic Surgeon (Eye Surgeon) if surgery is required.

How are cataracts treated? If your vision can be corrected to an acceptable level with eyeglasses alone then surgery may not yet be required. If however this is not the case, an Ophthalmic Surgeon will be able to advise you on your options.

are discharged home by lunchtime. The success rate of cataract surgery is very high with improved vision and satisfaction ratings over 95%. Cataract surgery is both a safe and effective procedure with a high and long lasting impact on patients’ quality of life.

Cataract surgery involves removing the clouded lens and replacing it with a clear one. It is a painless day case procedure performed either under local anaesthetic (awake) or under general anaesthetic with the patient asleep. It is small incision (<2.5mm) sutureless surgery with a rapid recovery. Typically patients present in the morning and

For more information, contact: Richard Comer, Ophthalmic Surgeon at Bon Secours Hospital, Galway. Tel: (091) 386008. Email: Info@comereyes.com

24 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Serpentine Hall (Anglesea Rd.), Royal Dublin Society, Dublin Friday 9th/Saturday 10th/Sunday 11th October, 2015

Back To Our Past The Irish family/social history, heritage and traditions experience

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Travel

D H Lawrence: ironically the more successful he became, the frailer he grew

D H Lawrence.. ‘at odds with class, culture and country’

Continuing her series on literary Ireland and Britain, Lorna Hogg visits Nottinghamshire in the English Midlands in search of the legacy of D H Lawrence D.H. Lawrence remains one of the world’s best known authors, famed for his once notorious novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover. His work powerfully depicts his belief in the power of both instinct and physical love as a fight back against the encroachment of industry and modern life. Once described as being at odds with his `class, culture and country,’ Lawrence was greatly inspired by his home surroundings, which remain a popular destination for enthusiastic readers. David Herbert Lawrence was born on 11th September 1885, the physically delicate third son of five children in a miner’s family. In the town of Eastwood, ringed by Nottinghamshire coalfields, he grew up the child of an ambitious mother and almost illiterate father in a two up, two down miner’s house. Bright and driven, he was the first boy from the area to win a scholarship to the local grammar school, Nottingham High School, which he attended from 1898 -1901. After school, Lawrence started work, which he came to hate, in a surgical goods factory warehouse. The death of his clever eldest brother Ernest later in 1901, and his own recovery from pneumonia brought him closer to his mother, whose love, ambition and concentration became focused on him. This strongly influenced his later relationships with women. He decided on a new career, in teaching and also started to write. It was at this time that he first met Jessie Chambers and her family, living at nearby Haggs Farm, and who inspired characters in Sons and Lovers. Jessie, perhaps the inspiration for the character Miriam, encouraged his writing – and submitted the manuscript which became his first novel,

The White Peacock.

became a matter of concern in a time Eastwood in the early 1900’s

Lawrence increasingly wrote of the subtleties of the class struggle - between employer and worker, of his parents, his work colleagues and in his relationships with clever, educated middle class young women. In 1908 he left Eastwood to work in London, and entered a new world of literature. It compensated for his uninspired teaching job, but real emotional change came with his illness and death of his mother in 1910, ‘the sick year.’ His manuscript was completed and became Sons and Lovers on its 1913 publication. In 1912 he met the real `other woman’ in his life – Frieda Weekley, the German wife of one of his University of Nottingham professors. The two fell in love immediately, running away to Germany to live on his writings. However, the fact that Frieda lost custody of her children, and the increasing threat of war brought stresses to the relationship. They travelled in Europe before their London marriage in July 1914. Very quickly, the subject of Frieda’s nationality, plus Lawrence’s anti-war stance

26 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

of anti-German sentiment. On holiday in Cornwall, Lawrence was given just three days to leave, due to spying accusations. So began the ‘savage pilgrimage’ during which Lawrence wrote some of his best known works – The Rainbow (1915) and Women in Love. The former was initially suppressed for alleged obscenity. Aaron’s Rod, (1920) named for the biblical character, reflects a mine works official in a trapped marriage, with dreams of being a flautist. It too, caused concern – and editing of some sexual content.

Travels to New Mexico After the war, Lawrence and Frieda travelled to New Mexico, where Lawrence bought a ranch, and also to Australia. His continuing work, ranging from short stories, poetry and criticism to travel writing, broadened to reflect his wider concerns. The Plumed Serpent (1926) explores facism and womens’ role in relationships while Kangaroo (1922) is set against Australian fringe politics. Lady’s Chatterley’s Lover, the story of the love between the `carer’ wife Lady

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Dine in vintage style in the old world charm of the award winning Signal Restaurant. For more casual dining there is the Platform Bar and Lounge and the outdoor patio overlooking the gardens is perfect for Afternoon Tea. To win an overnight stay for two including a 4 course dinner in the Award Winning Signal Restaurant, just answer the following question: What was the Station House Hotel before it was converted to a hotel? A factory A mill A Railway Station Email answers to sales@stationhousehotel.ie Or post to Mandy O’Rorke, Station House Hotel Kilmessan, Co. Meath ww.stationhousehotel.ie Ph: 046 9025239.

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Deadline for receipt of entries is 28th September

You can stay at Eastwood’s The Sun Inn, which featured in D H Lawrence’s work

Chatterley and her husband’s gamekeep er, combined many themes - predominantly the power of sexual love and nature set against industry and contemporary intellectualism. Lawrence likened it to a bomb, perhaps to ‘explode and let in a bit of fresh air..’ It was published privately in 1928, with editions in Florence and Paris. It was only in 1960, after exoneration in a famous 1960s court case under The Obscene Publications Act, that it achieved literary acceptance. Lawrence now had acclaim and acceptance from his literary contemporaries. Ironically, however, the more successful he became, the frailer he grew, weakened by bouts of malaria as tuberculosis took hold. He died on 2nd March 1930. He had managed to offend a broad swathe of opinion. Many from Eastwood were annoyed by his portrayal of the town as dingy, noisy and dusty from nearby pits. He was also accused of facism, racism, pornography and misogynism over the years. Gradually, however, a more sympathetic view has developed of the author, who despite success, felt himself to have been an outsider throughout his life.

The D H Lawrence heritage trails Lawrence countryside is near to Nottingham, or you can stay at Eastwood’s The Sun Inn, which featured in his work. The useful and walkable Blue Line Trail is available online and from the D.H. Lawrence Heritage Centre, Durban House, where the young Lawrence collected his father’s pit wages. It is a short walk from Lawrence’s birthplace, which is now a museum with original family furniture, in Prince’s Street. Nearby are his other childhood haunts – the Congregational Chapel, the

Colliers Wood, part of the D H Lawrence heritage trail

Mechanics Institute and its Library, and the British School. Several sites of Lawrence family homes are listed – including The Breach House, Lynn Croft and Walker Street. Look out over the now peaceful green countryside through The Canyons, or pop into the The Three Tuns Pub, where his father drank. Explore the `country of my heart’ with the useful AA walks guide In the Footsteps of D.H. Lawrence. Start at Colliers Wood, just outside Eastwood. Renovated headstocks mark the site of Brinsley Colliery, where Lawrence’s father worked. Nearby is Vine Cottage, where his aunt lived. Leaving the wood, make for Beauvale Lodge and the track marked Felly Mill. Walk through the wood overlooking Moorgreen reservoir. It featured in both The White Peacock and Women in Love and the tragic drowning accident in the latter had its basis in reality. The site of the old Felly’s Mill lies down the slope. You can then either retrace your steps, back down to Colliers Wood, and continue to Greasley through fields and by waymarks – or follow the signposts along the edges of footpaths through woods

28 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

and fields for a much longer walk down to the B 600 road, and into Greasley. Its church is nearby, featuring in The White Peacock, and as Minton Church in Sons and Lovers. Greasley Beauvale school, at the corner of Dovecote Road, was once Lawrence’s Nottingham High School. Minton Tea Rooms are a must-visit, and don’t miss their walled garden. Visit Teversal, with Lady Chatterley connections, by bus from Nottingham.

Useful websites www.notttingham.ac.uk/dhlheritage/ visitor www.experiencenottinghamshire.com www.thesuninneastwood.co.uk wwww.theaa.com/walks/in-the-footsteps-of-d-h-lawrence-at-eastwood

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Books

Shooting to kill the cover-ups Author Muriel Bolger discusses the inspiration behind her latest novel

Many things can cause our perspectives to become blurred with the passing of years. Other events never lose their focus, the tiniest details, colours and smells, all are capable of evoking memories. I had a very happy and innocent childhood in Dublin, unaware of political tensions, recessions and family break-ups. I thought adopted children were lucky orphans, whose parents had died, but who had been given new homes and families. I didn’t know anything about mother and baby homes or about Magdalene laundries either. Along with most of my peers, the revelations of what went on in these institutions shocked me. But they intrigued me as well. I wondered how did parents feel after they handed their ‘fallen’ daughters over to strangers to take care of the little matter of an ‘inconvenient’ pregnancy?

Were their siblings not affected by such a dramatic and sudden change in their family structure? Was it really possible to go through such a life-altering experience and then pretend that it had never happened? How did these daughters cope or feel about their families afterwards too? They were always described as unmarried mothers, but why was there never any reference to unmarried fathers? That’s a lot of questions – enough to prompt any writer’s creativity. When I started writing Out of Focus, I had only the vaguest idea of where it would lead. I didn’t want or need to do a churchbashing story – the powers that were and still are, have done a good enough job without my help. Nor could I airbrush the reality of how life was not so very long ago at all – where worrying about what the neighbours would say was the only thing that mattered. People mightn’t have

30 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Muriel Bolger: ‘Along with most of my peers, the revelations of what went on in these institutions shocked. But they intrigued me as well..’ talked openly about their feelings, but surely they had them? So I wrote my story – a twelve year old girl from a respectable family, raped, but silenced by fear, and condemned to give birth among strangers before being sent to the home of a foreign diplomatic family as a child minder. Outwardly she gets on with life, but inside she misses her sister and her baby son, whom she had unknowingly seen leave the home with his new parents. The effects span four generations. Now everywhere I go someone corners me and tells me their adoption story and there are parallels in them all. ‘You should have spoken to my auntie, she had a baby adopted and never saw him again.’ ‘My granny was in one of those homes where they found the baby skeletons.’ ‘My sister in law had her baby girl taken from her and is still bitter. They did

meet a few years ago, but it didn’t have a happy conclusion.’ Before I started Out of Focus another friend told me his mother mentioned getting a Christmas card from someone whose name she didn’t recognise. He flippantly replied, ‘Don’t tell me you have unearthed another sibling for us?’ I laughed when he said this and asked ‘does she make a habit of doing that?’ His reply, ‘only twice.’ stopped me in my tracks. ‘They were both my father and mother’s too, one born before they married and the other after. Then they had five of us. They never told us why the second one was given up. My father is dead now, but my mother still refuses to talk about this to any of us.’ Both these children traced them in their thirties The boy, who had had a happy life, integrated easily into his ‘real’ family. The girl, who had been less fortunate, hasn’t. ‘This has caused problems for us all. I meet her occasionally, but I don’t tell the others. It’s not worth the agro.’ They never did figure out who had sent the Christmas card! Another woman, who spent her life in an orphanage, told me she found her mother after 53 years. They met several times and then she told her not to make contact again. She just couldn’t face telling her husband and their children about her past. Now, instead of wondering who she is, this woman knows she has a brother and sister, who know nothing whatever of her existence, and a mother who will never know her grandchildren – by choice. Out of Focus is fictitious, but the stories I’ve heard since writing it could be fictitious too, as improbable and outrageous as they seem to be.

Out of Focus by Muriel Bolger is published by Hachette Books Ireland

WIN ONE OF THREE COPIES OF OUT OF FOCUS

Senior Times, in association with Hatchette Books Ireland, is offering three copies of Out of Focus. Just answer the following question: Where did Muriel Bolger spend her childhood? Send your entries to: Out of Focus Competition, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Or email to: john@slp.ie Deadline for receipt of entries: 25th September

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Health

Vaccination is the only protection Influenza (flu) is a highly infectious acute respiratory illness caused by the flu virus. Flu affects people of all ages, with outbreaks occurring almost every year. Flu symptoms come on suddenly with a fever, muscle aches, headache and fatigue. Most people recover from flu in 2-7 days. This is different from a cold which is a much less severe illness compared to flu. A cold usually starts gradually with a sore throat and a blocked or runny nose. Symptoms of a cold are generally mild compared to flu. In some instances, flu can be severe and can cause serious illness and death. Serious breathing complications can develop, including pneumonia and bronchitis, to which older people and those with certain chronic medical conditions are particularly susceptible. Some people may need hospital treatment and a number of people die from flu each winter. Flu is spread by coughing and sneezing. Anyone with flu can be infectious from 1 day before to 3-5 days after onset of symptoms. This means that you can pass on flu or the flu virus to somebody even before you know that you are sick. Each year the seasonal (annual) flu vaccine contains three common flu virus strains. The flu virus changes each year this is why a new flu vaccine has to be given each year. This year’s flu vaccine contains the Swine Flu strain which is likely to be one of the common strains causing flu this winter. The best way to prevent flu is to get the flu vaccine. The vaccine is recommended for all those 65 years of age and over

Pneumococcal vaccine If you are over 65 or have a long term medical condition you should also ask your doctor about the pneumococcal vaccine which protects against pneumonia, if you have not previously received it. You can get the flu vaccine at the same time as your pneumococcal vaccine. Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) is recommended for those aged 65 years and older and those over 2 years with long term medical conditions. This vaccine protects against 23 types of pneumococcal disease including those most likely to cause severe disease. Pneumococcal disease is a bacterial infection. The bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease live in the nose and throat. A person who carries the bacteria can spread the disease by coughing, sneezing or even breathing. Pneumococcal disease can cause serious illness including Pneumonia, Meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) or Septicaemia (blood poisoning). You only need to get pneumococcal vaccine ONCE after you reach 65. If you received your first dose of this vaccine before you reached 65 years of age you should receive a second dose at least 5 years after the first dose. If you are under 65 you may need a second dose if

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

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Vaccination should ideally be undertaken in late September or October each year. Flu vaccines have been used for more than 60 years worldwide and are very safe. Flu vaccine contains killed or inactivated viruses and therefore cannot cause flu. It does, however, take 10-14 days for the vaccine to start protecting you against flu. The vaccine and consultation are free to those within the recommended groups who have a ‘Medical Card’ or ‘GP Visit Card’. GPs charge a consultation fee for seasonal flu vaccine to those who do not have a ‘Medical Card’ or ‘GP Visit Card’. More information is available GP, Public Health Nurse or pharmacist. www.immunisation.ie provides details about flu vaccination, along with answers to any questions you may have about flu.

34 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

You cannot get pneumococcal disease from the vaccine as it does not contain live bacteria. You can get the flu vaccine at the same time as your pneumococcal vaccine. The vaccine and consultation are free to those within the recommended groups who have a ‘Medical Card’ or ‘GP Visit Card’. GPs charge a consultation fee for seasonal flu vaccine to those who do not have a ‘Medical Card’ or ‘GP Visit Card’. More information is available from your GP or Public Health Nurse. www.immunisation.ie provides details about flu vaccination, along with answers to any questions you may have.

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Health

It’s never too late in life to lose weight Losing just three stone meant James Preston re-gained a life without medication

Piling on the pounds later in life can not only make the over 55s more susceptible to illness, but it can hamper the proper medical treatment of this section of the population. According to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) released in July of last year, nearly four out of five adults over the age of 50 in this country are overweight or obese, with 36% of these qualifying as obese. Motivation Weight Mangement’s 31 Irish clinics nationwide see thousands of people in the third age category some who are still working and some retirees who turn to them for help whether it be to relieve them of the symptoms assocatied with weight gain; to qualify them for surgery, get off medication; or simply to improve their quality of life. 63 year old James Preston, a father of four from Claremorris, Co. Mayo, would be typical of many older gentlemen in that he’d piled on the pounds over the years and now suffered high cholesterol and blood pressure problems. James had been diagnosed with high blood pressure three years ago by a consultant cardiologist and had been told that he would be on blood pressure and cholesterol medication for the rest of his life. This news really shook him. James immediately took action and joined Motivation Weight Management in March 2015 and lost 31Ž2 stone in 3 months. Since then, to James’ absolute relief and delight, he has been given the all clear and no longer needs to take any of this medication as his cholesterol and blood pressure have returned to normal. According to James, “If it wasn’t for a long-time work colleague who encouraged me to do something about my weight I would be on medication for the rest of my life. I looked to Motivation Weight Management for help and was shocked to realise that I was classified as obese and that I had a metabolic age of a 78 year old rather than that of someone 63 years of age. I was really scared by this revelation. James claims, “I can eat anything I want to eat today as my habits and cravings have completely altered. I would have been a typical sceptic about weight loss programmes and whether they could change my habits. I’d been overeating the wrong foods for donkeys’ years, however, now I wouldn’t touch a chip or a burger with a barge pole. Years ago when my wife would give me a salad … I’d think … what I have done wrong? … It was literally a punishment!! Now, I not only eat a healthy balanced diet, I thoroughly enjoy it. The moral of the story is that you really can change and I’ve done it! I can look forward to a future where I don’t need to be taking pills everyday.” James now finds himself with a metabolic age of 48 which amounts to a 30-year drop in his metabolic outlook, while is cholesterol has reduced from 6.7 to just 3.2. According to James, “I can’t explain how much better I feel day to day. My whole outlook has completely changed towards life. I had become accustomed to feeling bad, but now I’ve got a whole new lease of life. In fact, the people around me have not only noticed my happiness but are also getting in on the action. My 37 year daughter who has tried literally everything to lose weight has now joined Motivation and she’s flying it … I’m just delighted to see her getting the same results as me. We even chat about our weight loss together which was unthinkable before now. She has joked that my whole personality has changed for the better!” Consultant GP to Motivation Weight Management, Dr Michael O’Tighearnaigh comments, “As we age, our weight tends to increase and this can be due to a variety of reasons. The third age brings 36 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

James Preston before and after losing three stone

on a more sedentary lifestyle and this, combined with changes in eating patterns, can result in a natural lowering of the metabolic rate. People are often not prepared physically and mentally for the lifestyle changes that retirement can bring.” Dr O’Tighearnaigh continues, “As the body gets older, obesity can have further health implications. As well as the widely documented obesity-related illnesses like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, fatty liver disease and pancreatitis, obesity in old age is also linked to arthritis. Being obese makes it much more difficult to manage and treat these conditions and can mean delays in medical treatment especially where surgical intervention is needed. It is never too late to change and tackle obesity whether someone is 75 or 25 years of age. The overall benefits of shedding the pounds far outweigh the fleeting joys of overeating. According to Senior Weight Management Adviser with Motivation Weight Management, Claire Jackson, “Many of our clients have been diagnosed with an illness that their doctor or consultant is unable to treat until they shed the pounds. One of the most common weight associated problems is hip joint pain which more often than not is alleviated through weight loss. We see clients with diabetes, Hodginkins disease, blood pressure and heart problems and those at risk of stroke.” At the fine age of 74, retiree George Yeates has managed to turn his life around. Having taken early retirement in 2003, George enjoyed life to the full. Like many pensioners who slow down later in life, George gradually piled on the pounds. He enjoyed good health until 2012 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer but recovered fully from surgery. However, in 2013 George began to experience hip trouble and on visiting his consultant, he was told that he needed to lose 2 to 3 stone. According to George, “My hip was in pain and it was down to the excess weight - I had to do something about it! A friend of mine had successfully lost weight with Motivation Weight Management so I turned to them for support in getting me over the line. Really I needed to be re-programmed in how I thought about food and that’s what Motivation did for me.” George got his weight down to a healthy 12 st 6 lbs and now walks 5km per day without a problem and drinks plenty of water. George continues, “I can’t believe the change in me, my outlook and my weight. My hip pain was completely alleviated once I’d lost the 40lbs.” Claire Jackson finishes by saying, “So many of our older weight loss clients manage to completely change their lives and take on a whole new lease of life. Shedding that few extra stone makes such a difference to their outlook, activity levels and overall life enjoyment.” To find out more about the Motivation Weight Management’s approach to weight loss, simply visit motivation.ie.

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RECOMMENDATIONS Walking on the Pastures of Wonder John O’Donohue in conversation with John Quinn

These conversations are alive and include the full engagement of the reader. Indeed those of us who had the pleasure and privilege of knowing John in his lifetime will find ourselves renewing, enjoying, and being further enriched by these conversations as we were by the ones held yesteryear, as though nothing has changed. This is due to the subtle, sensitive, and inspirational translation of the spoken word to the printed page word by Quinn and to the fact O’Donohue, through these conversations, is rediscovering the nature of, not just the inner spirituality of human beings, but the spirituality that is ever-present in the physical world.

IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER LIST

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Small Wonders: Stories of Love, Loss and Letting Go Anne Thurston At times her writing about nature and domesticity evokes that of Seamus Heaney. But, even more importantly, this is a woman's book: that of a mother, grandmother, and wife who has a PhD in spirituality. And she, not surprisingly, draws attention to the graced women in Scripture, to wondrous births, and presents the usually denigrated Martha in Luke's gospel in a new and creative way – as musician or poet.

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Celbridge Manor Hotel/ Celtic Arch promotion

Trad dance and music at the Celbridge Manor Hotel

In the land of a thousand welcomes in the county of Kildare lies the heritage town of Celbridge. Celbridge is famous for many things; it is the birthplace of Arthur Guinness, home to Ireland’s original and largest Palladian country home Castletown House and the famous Connolly’s Folly (The Obelisk). It is no surprise that it plays host to Celtic Arch, reland’s Premier traditional Irish dance and music experience. Celtic Arch is a theatrical show written and choreographed by professionals with an abundance of experience in traditional Irish song, dance and folklore. Celtic Arch offers breathtaking shows of Irish dancing styles from the 4 provinces of Ireland including Sean-nós (Old style), ceili and the famous Brush Dance. Enjoy the traditional Irish music from folk to ballads and trad. Enjoy a sumptuous three course meal while experiencing the true traditions of Irish cuisine. Our head chef hand picks indigenous Irish seasonal ingredients from locally sourced producers to create a banquet fit for a king. On arrival you will be greeted with a genuine Ceid Meile Failte. Your host who will show you to your table and take your drinks order. It is now time to sample some of the famous Irish drinks, perhaps a pint of Guinness, an Irish coffee or the newly brewed pint of the Celbridge Manor craft beer. Dinner is served at 8pm and entertainment begins with a number of exhilarating traditional Irish music styles where audience participation is a must. Once dinner is over the dancers take to the stage to tell you the story of Irish people through the medium of traditional dance. The show embodies all that has made Irish dancing a worldwide phenomenon. Experience one of the oldest Irish style dances, the Sean-nós. -The 38 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Sean-nós dance is characterised by its ‘low to the ground’ footwork, improvised steps, free movement of the arms and follows the music closely. It is traditionally a solo dance and improvised according to the mood of the music. Once the dance show is over, the musicians take to the stage again to finish the night off with a medley of traditional Irish song and tunes. The three course meal and show costs €39.95 per adult and €12.95 per child. The Celtic Arch experience takes place in the Arthur Guinness Hall at the Celbridge Manor Hotel. The hotel is decorated to a very high standard, reflecting the elegance of its inception in the Georgian era. Each of its 66 bedrooms boast space, light and comfort, all rooms are en-suite. As you drive up the tree lined avenue through the arch you will be immediately transported to a world far removed from everyday life. A warm welcome awaits you, wood paneled lobby, log fire, sweeping staircase and light filled atrium. For details on our shows contact Celtic Arch at Celbridge Manor Hotel on 01 6013700.

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IRELAND’S LANGUAGE & CULTURE

Adult Irish Language Courses All learning levels - weekend & week-long

Cultural Activity Holidays • Hill Walking in the Donegal Highlands • Archaeology • Environment & Culture • Digital Photography • Painting & Sketching • Flute & Whistle • Beat the Bodhrán • Irish Harp • Tapestry Weaving

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Lake Shore : Muckross Road : Killarney : Co. Kerry : info@lakehotel.com Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 39

Travel

Lights, camera, location..

Powerscourt Estate has been a long standing favourite. King Arthur has reigned here. Henry V has battled at Agincourt on its acres, The Tudors have plotted, Moll Flanders romped and The Blue Max flew here.

Visiting film and TV series locations is an increasingly popular pastime. Lorna Hogg lists many of the possibilities in Ireland TV and film locations can be one of the most effective draws to tourist attractions - a fact of which stately home owners, tourist authorities and local attractions are well aware. Fortunately, we have plenty right here at home. From Antrim to Kerry and Galway to Wicklow, you can see the location, visit, or even get into the experience of a favourite film show. You can take tea at Father Ted’s, re-invoke the Winterfell spirit with a Game of Thrones archery experience in costume, or even get into some Quiet Man action on location. Dublin is a popular location spot, and atmospheric and historic Kilmainham Jail has proved one of the most popular. It has featured in Michael Collins, In The Name of the Father, The Tudors – and even The Italian Job, The Adventures of Indiana Jones – Love’s Sweet Song and TV’s Ripper Street. The Tudors also used another familiar spot – Dublin Castle, as did Barry Lyndon. One of the most easily recognisable Dublin film locations featured in Educating Rita, which was filmed in Trinity College. More recently, eagle eyed TV viewers might have spotted Stoneybatter and Rathmines’ Mount Pleasant Square as just two sets in the TV series, Foyle’s Law. The Commitments has wide ranging Dublin locations, many on the Northside, including Sheriff St. St. Francis Xavier Church in Gardiner St. and Darndale. On the southside, you can still see the splendid beautifully preserved Palace Nightclub at the Camden Deluxe Hotel on Camden Street, plus Archbishop Byrne Hall, in Synge Street. Co. Wicklow is one of the most popular Irish locations, helped by the presence of Ardmore Studios, and you can even take three ‘film drives’ to popular locations. Powerscourt Estate has been a long standing favourite. King Arthur has reigned here. Henry V has bat40 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

tled at Agincourt on its acres, The Tudors have plotted, Moll Flanders romped and The Blue Max flew here. The Abduction Club schemed and Barry Lyndon faced challenges in the Great Hall of Powerscourt House. Excalibur used Powerscourt Waterfall for fight scenes, as well as Lough Tay. Kilruddery has also been a regular site – Far and Away and Barry Lyndon cameras rolled on the estate. Enniskerry village sported new shop fronts for Rosamund Pilcher’s September, Michael Collins and The Commitments utilised Bray and Angela’s Ashes contains scenes filmed in nearby Greystones. Nearby Russborough appeared in The Abduction Club. Wicklow of course, was also the setting for two very popular TV series – Glenroe and Ballykissangel. The Glenroe Farm near Kilcoole is now a family attraction, and Kilcoole village contains Molly’s, the much filmed Molly Malone pub. Further inland, Avoca was home to Ballykissangel, which also filmed in Enniskerry and Brittas Bay beach. Co. Wexford featured in Saving Private Ryan, and Curracloe Strand doubled for Normandy beaches. In neighbouring Co. Kilkenny, there have been regular film shoots in the popular and pretty village of Inistioge. Maeve Binchy’s Circle of Friends was filmed here, as well as Widow’s Peak. This year, Jim Sheridan’s Secret Scripture was the latest production to make the most of the local views and increasingly experienced extras! Co. Meath: Royal Meath has been a popular choice. Braveheart fought at the splendidly restored Trim Castle, and also at Bective Abbey, which doubled as London. Barry Lyndon utilised Kells as a backdrop and also Waterford Castle,

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Jim Sheridan’s Secret Scripture was the latest production to make the most of the pretty Co Kilkenny village of Inistogue.

Tollymore Forest Park, Rostrevor, was featured extensively in Game of Thrones The Dark Hedges

Huntington Castle in Co. Carlow, Cahir Castle in Co. Tipperary and Kilbrogan Castle in Co. Cork. Co. Galway is best known for The Quiet Man which was filmed in Cong and on the Ashford Castle Estate plus surrounding Connemara countryside. Visitors are well catered for here - you can take day tours, visit the locations and even re enact the action. Leenane was the site for another classic – The Field. Co. Clare wizards really get around, and yes, young Harry has been here, taken on the powers of evil at the Cliffs of Moher, for Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince. He’s in good company – this is Father Ted country. The series was filmed at Glanquin House, between Slieve na Glasha and Mullagh Mor, and near to the Burren. You can take a tour of the house and farm, visit local locations and naturally, have a cuppa that Mrs. Doyle would be proud of. Co. Cork is an understandably popular choice as well. Moby Dick used the backdrop of Youghal and The Wind that Shakes the Barley filmed in Ballyvorney, Bandon and Timoleague. Co. Kerry has long drawn film makers, who were attracted by the magnificent coastlines. For many, Inch Strand was the iconic location in Ryan’s Daughter, David Lean’s masterpiece, which was shot on location down here. Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince film viewers were both spell bound by specials effects on his visit to Lemon Rock. Excalibur utlilised the beautiful Derrynane, and last year, Star Wars faced one of its tougher challenge – the rights of nesting birds on Skellig Michael!

Northern Ireland Thanks to the worldwide popularity of the Game of Thrones series, once sleepily scenic villages and vistas have attracted worldwide tourist interest. Game of Thrones has had a variety of film locations. These can be enjoyed on one day up to three day tours, ranging from 42 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

trips from established coach companies with knowledgeable guides, to self-drive tours with downloaded maps. Start your own trip in Tollymore Forest Park, Rostrevor, overlooking Carlingford Lough. Continue round the coast to Castle Ward, where the seventeenth century farmyard was transformed into Winterfell. (Winterfell Tours offers a variety of tours and experiences in the area – contact Clearsky Adventure 0044 28 437 23933.) Further north, the Causeway Coast leads to Cushendun Caves, (birthplace of Melisande’s baby), up to Fairhead and Murlough Bay. Larrybane hosted several key scenes, while Ballintoy Harbour is another familiar location. Nearby lie the eerily beautiful Dark Hedges, an ancient avenue of twisted trees, and scene of an escape in the series. Downhill Beach, overlooked by the splendid Temple of the Winds, is also on the tour. Recently released, the film Dracula Untold explores the origins of the legend. For this, the Count travelled widely in Northern Ireland – the surroundings of his Transylvanian castle moved to Strangford Lough, and on to Mount Stewart’s beautiful Italian garden. Belfast’s Divis Mountain hosted battle scenes. Tollymore Forest Park, and Scrabo Forest Park also featured, with the Giant’s Causeway doubling as a fictional mountain, in this dark tale of magic and war. Further details www.wicklowfilmcommission.com www.quietman-cong.com www.glenroefarm.com www.fathertedshouse.com www.tedtours.com www.discovernorthernireland.com www.causewaycoastandglens.com www.clearsky-adventure.com www.gameofthrones-winterfelltours.com www.mccombscoaches.com

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Health

Me and my medical ‘adventure’ W T Ahern recalls his recent challenging time in hospital

This illness took me by surprise but on later consideration it should not have. I had not been feeling well for a couple of years before and felt that something was brewing. My symptoms were continuous tiredness, low ability to do things and general weariness. I was put on various tonics and pick-me-ups with no effect. I had good days and bad days and never knew which I would have when I got up in the morning. That Tuesday morning in October was good time and I was full of life, I had just started a course in the College of Commerce the night before entitled ‘ Writing Skills in Journalism. ‘There were 10- 12 people attending including another wheelchair user, it was twenty weeks long, had seven assignments and an exam at the end of it. I had looked up the details of the two text books suggested and recoded this with a view to ordering them and I had printed some materials from the Internet that could be used as background material. The whole project excited me, it would be hard work and I could not wait to get my teeth into it. Our lecturer decided that we should cover a water rates protest meeting to be held in the Metropole Hotel, Cork. The college paid for a taxi into the city and my folk picked me up there afterwards. The room was packed and it was announced that there were over 400 people attending. It was my first experience of such an event and I found the speeches were true to form. Joe Higgins the socialist T.D. was the principle speaker and he said that when the original plan came out twelve years ago that the people had defeated it and that the people would defeat it again this time. The prospect of another austerity budget was mentioned more than once so as part of my research I scoured the papers for articles and reports on this subject as well as the water rates campaign. There were several flyers available outside the hotel and outside the meeting room and I collected them. The Q&A session drew up diverse comments such as a lady who said that she shared digs with three or four students and because she was the only one with an income that her landlord insisted that she was liable for the payment of the water rates. She was told to change her landlord. Another speaker told us that the water meter apparatus was radioactive. All this material was to be hammered into an essay assignment for the next week.

Cartoons by Paul Steele

I got seriously ill and was unable to function and had no interest in anything. I lost control of my bowels and went from uncontrollable diarrhoea to full stop constipation. I could not eat and my poor sister who is my principle carer was driven to distraction trying to tempt me with various tippets. My GP was on twice a day visits for the eight days I was ill at home and all I wanted from him was to be made well. It was decided that I needed hospital treatment and I was taken by ambulance to the Mercy Hospital. I spent the first two days on a trolley in the reception area, then was given a bed, had my first operation to remove a blockage of the bowel and was fitted with a stoma bag. The wound from this operation was very deep and the dressing to be put into it with a tweezers to heal it. This treatment took place every eight hours and was extremely painful. On one occasion Mr. Murphy, my surgeon for this operation was examining me and it was hurting. He looked me in the eye and said ‘ I don’t think that I will be on your Christmas card list this year ‘ Many different methods of relief were tried among which was the use of local anaesthetic which was very good but which had the side effect of delaying healing. The method which finally proved successful was a combination of a large

44 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

capsule and a nasal spray which were taken a half an hour before the dressing change. The nurses always insisted that they see me taking the capsule because they said that I could quite easily sell it to those in the drugs business. I never asked what exactly I was taking. One night the nurse appeared at my bedside and I refused to accept the treatment. She did not know what to do and a doctor was sent for and after some discussion it was decided that missing one dressing change would not matter. Shortly after the night time dressing change was cancelled, the daytime change was reduced to once a day and when the wound healed were stopped altogether. I had many scans and ex-rays while in hospital one of which was an internal examination of the bowels, cancer was discovered and this lead to my second operation which took place in November in the Cork University Hospital. I was told later by my consultant doctor in St. Finbarr’s that all the growth had been removed and that there would be no need for chemotherapy or other such treatments which was great news. I was very ill when this scan was taken but the idea of what a strange way of making a living these medical people had took over my mind. I had to have this scan twice because on the first occasion faecal

DISCOVERING Málaga and beyond Enjoying more than 300 days of sunshine a year, it is no secret that the province of Malaga boasts one of the best climates on the Mediterranean. Located on the Costa del Sol, this wonderful part of southern Spain boasts predominantly clear skies and mild temperatures even in the winter months. Indeed, with average daytime temperatures reaching 15-20ºC between November and February, these are ideal conditions for discovering some of the many cultural features that Andalucia has to offer.

alaga province is made up of more than 100 towns and villages, offering visitors a multitude of charming sights and attractions to explore during their holiday. From the white hilltop villages and rolling Andalusian countryside, to the Alhambra Palace in Granada and the bustling cities of Sevilla and Cordoba, there is something for every taste. You will find guided excursions to many attractions, such as the fascinating caves of Nerja, or the white village of Ronda, where you will find the oldest bullring in Spain and breathtaking views over a deep gorge. If hiring a car, you will never fall short of places to visit! Malaga city itself is a true treasure for culture lovers. An impressive selection of museums and art galleries including

the newly opened Pompidou Centre, the Russian Art Museum and the Picasso Museum are just three of the must-visit attractions this stunning city has to offer. Towering above the city skyline is Malaga’s Cathedral. Built between 1528 y 1782 it’s known by locals as ‘La Manquita’ - which means, one armed – due to the fact that one of its towers was never completed. Shopaholics are spoilt for choice with the new Muelle Uno waterfront shopping centre and the city’s famous Calle Larios, featuring shops with many of the world’s top fashion brands. If shopping isn’t your thing, just take a leisurely walk through the city’s historic centre and enjoy the sights and sounds of this up and coming cultural destination, and a light refreshment or two on the terrace of one of the many watering holes you will find along the way.

WHERE TO STAY

Located on the seafront of Benalmádena Costa, just 20 minutes from Malaga airport, the Sunset Beach Club hotel is the ideal choice for a relaxing Winter break. This 4* resort hotel is open all year round and combines outstanding services and facilities with the convenience of apartment-style accommodation; all rooms have a fully equipped kitchenette, lounge/dining area, and a terrace with table & chairs. If you are looking for that extra bit of luxury and comfort, make sure to check out their new Deluxe Junior Suites. As well as comfortable accommodation, Sunset Beach Club offers a few valuable extras, such as the onsite Leisure Desk. Here guests will find maps, train & bus timetables, information about local markets and attractions, and plenty of ideas about places to go and things to do. They also offer a booking service for excursions, sightseeing tours, car hire, and golf. Open from Sunday to Friday, the friendly staff will be sure to help you make the most of your holiday. For further information and bookings:-

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Sunset Beach Club is located on the seafront within walking distance of shops, bars & restaurants, Benalmádena Marina (voted one of the best in the world), and Paloma Park.

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trust my stomach with such heavy meals as cottage pie or fry’s. I stuck to light meals such as salads which were nice to eat but had no lasting nutritional value. I was starving by the time the 9:30 evening tea came around. I got into the habit of eating four or five sandwiches and putting a yogurt by for later consumption. Here at home I still get hungry at bedtime. Most pf the hospitals had a policy of having no plugs in the wash basins and when I asked the reason most of the staff had no idea and some of them had never noticed. The most satisfactory idea advanced was that someone had decided on a policy of free flowing water. I wonder what will happen when the water rates come in because a lot of these basins were designed without a place for a plug and will have to be replaced. My medical adventure lasted twelve weeks, I was discharged on 2nd February and have suffered no ill effects from my treatments, I have seen my consultant, he was happy with my general progress and made an appointment for three months’ time when the possibility of having the stoma bag removed will be discussed. At the moment I am not thinking that far ahead. When I started to get better and started to think it occurred to me that this was my first extended stay in hospital for fifty years. It was then that I got my feet amputated, learnt to walk and got my freedom. matter blocked the view. I had to have an enema to clear it out. Toilet paper was very scarce on the ward and I had to keep begging until I got enough to clean myself. The wound from this operation took a long time to heal and one of the methods used was that of compression. A disk was placed on the wound which was attached to an apparatus by a tube. This drew off the puss and any other impurities and the whole thing was in a carrying case. It was plugged into the electric power every night and I was attached to it twenty-four seven for about a month. Eventually the wound dried up and I was free. After each operation I had to build up my strength again and get help with such basic things as dressing. I would put on my underpants and trousers and then my limbs so I could stand up. I would then need help to pull these up and on one occasion the attendant doing the job pulled the garments so high and tight that she brought tears to my eyes. I quickly learnt to do this myself. My third hospital was St. Finbarr’s. This was for an intense course of physiotherapy which lasted about nine weeks. The original plan worked out by the physio and me was that I should learn to walk short distances independently with a walking aid. I got so far but my progress stopped

so now this is only used for standing exercises. I was in Finbarr’s over Christmas but was allowed out for the afternoon on Christmas Day. I was still very weak at this time and it took me two days to recover from this outing. On Christmas morning we all woke up to find a gift next to our bed and a card signed by Santa. The amount of work, love and effort that went into this idea must have been great. It was a huge pick-me-up. In all the hospitals I never met a bad humoured member of staff and from the most junior to the most senior the attitude was that we will do it, do not worry. At the beginning my inexperience with the stoma bag often lead to an overflow or a burst bag. I apologised and was assured that it was part of the course and in time learnt to manage. The food was in general basic standard and a central item was instant mashed potatoes which I hate. When the menus came around I would request boiled potatoes and in each hospital it took about three weeks for the message to get through. Another problem I had with the food is that after each operation I was not able to eat much put was given full meals which put me off eating altogether. I requested smaller portions and in time got what I wanted. It took time for me to

46 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

My Biography I am an OAP, an amputee who for the last two years uses a wheelchair to get around, a polio survivor and have Asperger’s Syndrome which is a type of autism. All these make me what I am and even though they have placed a few restrictions on me I have lived a full and satisfying life. I have completed an honours Arts degree in UCC. I studied philosophy and sociology and graduated in October 2012. This was a full time, 24/7 undertaking and left little time for other interests or hobbies but now I am looking forward to developing other ideas to keep the mind/ brain active. I have been writing for many years and have been published in anthologies in this country and in Britain. I write flash fiction, short stories, long stories when I cannot find a ending. I also write rhymed and free verse poetry and have had an occasional article published in the Cork Examiner. My other main interests of the moment are my gran nephew aged seven and my gran nieces aged nine, four and three. I find that watching growing up and developing to be fascinating.

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Hotels THE DIAMOND, DONEGAL TOWN

Up and Coming Events 2015 Sun 10th - 13th May Fri 29th May Mon 8th - 11th June Fri 12th - 14th June Fri 10th - 12th July Fri 28th - 30th Aug Fri 11th - 13th Sept Thurs 16th & 17th Oct Fri 30th & 31st Oct Fri 6th - 8th Nov Fri 13th - 15th Nov Sun 22nd - 25th Nov

Dancing for Pleasure Week Paul Kelly Live – Come & Jive Walking Break Country Music Weekend Country Music Weekend A Taste of Donegal Food Festival Country Music Weekend Jimmy Buckley & Friends Weekend Halloween Celebrations North West Bridge Congress Weekend Country Music Weekend Dancing for Pleasure Week

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Abbey & Central Hotels, The Diamond, Donegal Town, County Donegal Phone:- +353 (0) 74 97 21014 Abbey Hotel +353 (0) 74 97 21027 Central Hotel www.abbeyhoteldonegal.com www.centralhoteldonegal.com

Opinion

New cycling regulations are crazy and potentially dangerous

Jim Collier is a very unhappy road user A few weeks ago I said to myself, at last there is legislation being introduced to penalise those inconsiderate cyclists, who regularly break red lights, cycle on footpaths etc, by issuing spot fines. Now I see that the new measures are far from adequate in dealing with such cyclists, and have even made matters worse by clarifications from Mr Donohue the Minster for Transport. Previously I thought that cyclists were not permitted to cycle on footpaths and that any changes in the laws would penalise cyclists from doing so, and that more serious precautions such as some form of registration and insurance would also apply. Now it appears that cyclists are allowed to cycle on footpaths and will only be subject to the fixed charge system if they are deemed to be cycling aggressively without due consideration for pedestrians. I am aware of many older people who require walking aids to get around and this new regulation will put these at greater risk. This change has been made following consultation with the Road Safety Authority and the Garda. I can understand children under the supervision of parents and other adults, being allowed cycle on footpaths, but other than that it is absolutely crazy. Although the incidences of pedestrians being knocked down and killed by cyclists is quite rare, it has actually occurred but there are many situations where pedestrians have been very seriously injured by cyclists. Cyclists are not required to have insurance or any form of registration, and may well get away Scot free after seriously injuring a pedestrian. The Minister apparently has also indicated that he does not intend to impose any insurance or registration requirements for cyclists. Recently I have encountered a number of cyclists who were both inconsiderate and behaving dangerously toward pedestrians. One incident occurred

when I stopped my car at a red light at a busy junction. Two female cyclists drove through the lights, the very next day two male cyclists did the exact same at this junction in Malahide. While I admire the good work of RSA, especially regarding the recent child car seat safety, and cycling safety literature, I do however believe the cycling literature is particularly one sided as it does not contain an equal requirement for cyclists to also behave in a caring and responsible manner toward other road users and especially pedestrians. The latest report states that one in three of those who died in motor accidents so far this year were not wearing seat belts. It is definitely time for a new initiative on Road Safety especially a new Safe Driving Code. Pedestrians and cyclists are among the most vulnerable road users[ and in some countries constitute over half of all road deaths. Here some basic suggestions for seniors when crossing streets/road: stop, look and listen for vehicles and cyclists; do not cross between parked cars; always use pedestrian crossings or lights when available. And remember jay walking – crossing between or against traffic – is an offence.

Drivers over 70 beware!

When renewing your driving licence you will of course require having a medical examination and a certificate signed by your GP. Although this certificate is valid for two or three years, if you do not actually renew your licence within 30 days of the date of your medical, your application will be rejected and you will require to have the certificate re-stamped and signed again by your GP. This is exactly what happened to me recently. I received notification that my licence was due for renewal and a medical certificate to be signed by my GP, and a list of offices where I could renew my licence.

48 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

The day following my birthday I visited my GP and had the examination carried out and the certificate completed signed and date stamped. I then applied on line at my nearest NDLS office. The first suitable date I could find was 29th of July so I booked this, not realising that it was beyond the 30 days of the medical date. Incidentally, when I arrived at the appointment time there were two clerical staff in attendance and no other applicants. When my application was rejected I protested that this was the earliest date I was given, but to no avail. I was told that I would have been able to just walk in. I asked what the point of requiring advanced booking if you could just walk in. I said that on previous occasions when renewing, before appointments were available, I had to queue for up to three hours. I was told there was nothing she could do and issued me with a customer receipt as proof of the appointment and the medical cert was marked ‘rejected, out of date’. Incidentally on the form it states that it may not be used as proof that I had applied. She told me to come back the following day. When I asked would I have to queue she said no. I returned to my GP and got the cert updated and returned the following afternoon. There was only one of the staff there as the person I had spoken to was on leave and there were about 20 applicants in the queue. I told the waiting applicants that I had been told I would not have to wait and why. When I approached the lady on duty she said I could not jump the queue as some of those waiting had been there for almost three hours. Luckily the kind people in the queue allowed me to go ahead of them. On behalf of drivers aged over 70, I will be drawing attention to the Dept. of Health and the NDLS, a number of issues arising from the above and suggesting certain changes to be made.

Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 49

Outings

In the heart of picturesque Tipperary The resort is located in the picturesque heart of County Tipperary, and is home to one of Ireland’s top-ranking parkland golf courses and full leisure club with 21 meter pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and gym. With 62 bedrooms as well as 20 self-catering apartments and houses, guests enjoy excellent value midweek and weekend breaks throughout the year. Choice of two restaurants onsite. There is also so much to see and do right on the doorstep including Holycross Abbey and the Iconic Rock of Cashel. Why not join us for our October Bridge Break? 18th – 21st October – Just €169 per person. Enjoy 3 nights Dinner, Bed & full Irish Breakfast plus 3 professionally organized evenings of Bridge with our renowned Bridge Director John Ryan. NO Single Room Supplement on this offer

A gem nestling in the Boyne Valley

Nestled in the small rural village of Kilmessan, Co. Meath, the Station House Hotel is a gem in the heart of the Boyne Valley. It offers the ideal location from which to explore all that Meath has to offer. This converted railway station is full of charm and character. Set in 12 acres of woodland and beautiful landscaped gardens, this idyllic hideaway is ideal for a relaxing break. Dine in vintage style in the old world charm of the award winning Signal Restaurant. For more casual dining we have the Platform Bar and Lounge and the outdoor patio overlooking the gardens is perfect for Afternoon Tea. Take a drive and enjoy the wonderful heritage sites and gardens of County Meath. For the more adventurous there is a wealth of activities on your doorstep including horse racing and golf. Renowned for its friendly staff and home from home atmosphere, we look forward to welcoming you to the Station House Hotel.

To Book Call 046 9025239 or email info@stationhousehotel.ie

Armada Hotel, Spanish Point, Co. Clare,

We have a Welcome Reception, with complimentary Tea Coffee & Biscuits each afternoon in the Drawing Room and full use of our Leisure Club facilities.

For details telephone (062) 71115 or email: reservations@dundrumhouse.ie Wonderful holiday memories come in many forms. For some, it’s the buzzy summer seaside holiday that is Spanish Point; for others, the russet-tinged tranquility of an autumn break away at the Armada is just the tonic. The Armada Hotel is located in picturesque Spanish Point and epitomises what the Wild Atlantic Way is all about - vast skies over breathtaking Atlantic views, salt breezes whetting the appetite for an abundance of local seafood, walking the nearby Cliffs of Moher or a short spin to the Burren or Loop Head all make magical holiday memories. Dining in the Armada is a sensory delight as they feature menus and dishes that reflect West Clare flavours and produce from local suppliers. All of their desserts, breads and scones are baked daily in the Armada pantry. Spanish Point is the perfect base for Active Retirement holidays with the beautiful Cliffs of Moher coastal walk on your doorstep and great days out to some of Clare’s greatest attractions to include the Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Loophead, Aran Islands and lovely coastal drives stopping off at Lahinch, Doolin and Lisdoonvarna. You’ll spend wonderful days here with cruising, golfing, walking, sightseeing, caving all on your doorstep and you can look forward to retiring each night to the Armada for a nightcap in Johnny Burkes Bar where you can sample some of their whiskey selections or craft beers coupled with a lively tune or two from the musicians corner ! They have some great value now for Active Retirement Autumn breaks. Check out their website on

www.armadahotel.com or telephone 065 7079000 50 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

The Station House Hotel A gem in the heart of the Boyne Valley

The award-winning Signal Restaurant

Enjoy a relaxing break in the heart of the countryside, only 20 minutes from Dublin. Indulge yourself in our wonderful Award Winning Signal Restaurant and take in some of the ancient heritage sites and gardens on the Boyne Valley Drive. This family run converted railway station is full of charm and character and is the perfect base to explore all that Meath has to offer.

Special packages for over 50’s: • 1 night B&B and a 4 course dinner in the Signal Restaurant- €55pps • 2 nights B&B and a 4 course dinner in the Signal Restaurant- €75pps • 3 nights B&B including dinner on 2 evenings in the Signal Restaurant and Afternoon Tea- €165pps • Single supplement of €25 per night/ Available midweek- Sun to Thurs/ Terms and conditions apply To Book Call 046 9025239 or email info@stationhousehotel.ie Mention Senior Times to receive free Tea/Coffee and Scones on arrival.

Station House Hotel, Kilmessan, Co. Meath

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Are you the one? ActionAid Ireland is looking for just one reader of Senior Times to partner with us and sponsor Sapana, aged 8, in Nepal. By sponsoring Sapana, you will see the difference your sponsorship makes to her and her community in one of the world’s poorest countries. Sapana lives in the Bardiya district of Nepal where ActionAid works to help families gain their basic rights: to food, water, healthcare, education and the means to earn a living. Through child sponsorship we support schools and promote education in the community so children like Sapana can have a brighter future. Following the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal in April, your support is needed now more than ever.

ActionAid Ireland Director Siobhan McGee says:

To sponsor Sapana or to request further information on ActionAid’s work, please call Deirdre or Declan on 01-8787911 today or visit www.actionaid.ie/senior-times

“For just €21 a month, your

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Sapana, aged 8

You’ll get two letters a year from the child you sponsor, and updates from the country to tell you how the money you donate is changing lives. That could be through building classrooms, supplying clean water, delivering basic healthcare and even offering small business training.”

You can change a child’s future for good.

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today? Photo credit: ActionAid

Creative Writing

Creative Writing Eileen Casey

Coming to Terms with Difference: The Artist’s Contribution Dermot Bolger read from his new work Tanglewood

One of the highlights this year (to date) was attending The John Hewitt Summer School in Armagh. Thanks to a bursary awarded from both North and South administrations, I enjoyed a really fine week of literary fare and good company. Ever since that first time I visited JHSS in 2011, I’ve held this literary festival in great affection. Armagh is a fabulous city with lots of interesting landmarks (The Planetarium, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Market Square Arts Centre, to name but a few).I know it’s probably a cliché but trust me when I say, Northerners really are very friendly. They can’t do enough to ensure that visitors have a wonderful time. The JHSS is one of those rare things, it has something for everybody and events are spread from early morning to late evening. Owls and larks take note! Booking into The Charlemont Arms Hotel, a charming 18th century townhouse hotel on Upper English Street, was an entertainment in itself. Barely had I gone through the doors 52 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Eileen Casey reports on her mesmerising visit to the John Hewitt Summer School in Armagh

when a member of staff regaled me with a story concerning John Wayne, how he had dramatically swept into the hotel one night during the fifties (when he was in Ireland filming The Quiet Man). Wayne was accompanied at the time by flame haired Irish beauty Maureen O’Hara (still going strong and still very lovely). Incidentally, The Charlemont Arms, a family run hotel has got to take the prize for great service. It truly felt like a home from home experience. If the view from my window (hotel car park and bus station nearby) was not very scenic, the smiles and courteous behaviour of the staff more than made up for it...not to mention a very comfortable bed! There were a lot of other bursary students staying in the hotel also (from as far afield as Boston, USA) so breakfast was always a pleasant interlude, full of laughter and lively conversation. As well as the full (Northern) Irish breakfast needless to say. When you are attending events from early morning to late(ish)in the evening, bacon and eggs are a great foundation on which to build.

One of the most memorable readings I’ve ever attended came via Londoner Hannah Lowe whose first book of poems (Chick) was shortlisted for The Forward Prize, The Fenton Aldeburgh First Collection Prize and the Seamus Heaney Centre Prize for Poetry, 2014.

The theme for this year’s Festival of Culture and Creativity was Coming to Terms: Learning to live with difference. The forward to the festival programme asked the question if writers could only ‘speak up for their own sort? Or could art help us to see another side, to come to terms with difference?’ The question is particularly relevant in light of events during 2015, events cited as; the continued rise of right wing political parties, clashes between religious fundamentalism and an increasingly secular society. Also to the fore was attacks on freedom of speech, such as the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris this year. There is a shifting demographic in UK and Ireland, there are ‘others’ in our neighbourhoods now: Romanians, Latvians, Africans, Bangladeshis, Somalis, Polish, among others. Is respect our response or are we still stuck in the binary oppositions of 1916, of Paisley vs the Pope, for example? So how can artists contribute to coming to terms with difference? One of the most memorable readings I’ve ever attended came via Londoner Hannah Lowe whose first book of poems (Chick) was shortlisted for The Forward Prize, The Fenton Aldeburgh First Collection Prize and the Seamus Heaney Centre Prize for Poetry, 2014. The poetry is mostly based on her memories of her Chinese/black Jamaican father who is described as being complex and larger than life. He came to London in the late 40’s and scraped out a living by being, among other things, a gambler. ‘Chick’ was his nickname. This collection has been described as ‘unputdownable’ (John Glenday) and I can see why. Ms Lowe’s poems are ‘brimming with sensory detail in their evocations of childhood and coming-ofage, love and loss of love, grief and regret.’ Penelope Shuttle has described Chick, published by Bloodaxe, as ‘an extraordinary debut.’ The poet herself spoke honestly about her initial shame as a child when her black father came to collect her from ballet class. She pretended to the other children that he was the chauffeur sent by her mother. He’d shake his keys/ and scan the bloom of dancers where I hid/ and whispered to another ballerina/he’s the cab my mother sends for me. (Dance Class

from Chick). Of course, as she grew older, she began to be fascinated by her heritage, the strange food they ate and the customs and rituals that her father brought from Jamaica. Her father’s gambling and her mother’s love of jazz music brought a touch of glamour and exotica to her growing up years. One of the visual oddities she remembers from childhood is her father hanging a particular type of sausage on the clothesline to prepare it before cooking. I found Hannah Lowe to be totally mesmerising and I cannot recommend highly enough the book which has proclaimed her one of the 20 next Generation poets. Pulitzer Prize winning poet Paul Muldoon proved equally mesmerising. Whether as a poet or musician (he jammed with members of Horslips, The Holy Ghosts and Paul Brady on a rollicking evening of blues classics, Celtic rock anthems and songs co-written with people such as Warren Zevron and Paul Brady). Born in County Armagh (1951), Muldoon is the eldest of three children. He attended Queen’s University from 1969 to 1973 and remained in Belfast until 1989, working as a radio and television producer for the BBC. He has lived in the United States since 1987, enjoying a glittering academic career. Faber and Faber published Muldoon’s first book New Weather (1973) which was a major coup as he was still an undergraduate. Writing in The Paris Review, Muldoon describes Armagh as being ‘a peasant society.’ However, he is very conscious of coming from a society where storytelling was much prized and praised. During an interview with Muldoon at the Summer School, he remembered an eight year old boy who won a poetry competition that he judged (in Armagh) many years ago. The poem was very simple but effective, describing how a turtle moves, “it goes movey, movey.” As I listened, I couldn’t help but think of my own granddaughter Aoife. At four years of age she’s a natural when it comes to language and imagery...her arms have gone ‘fizzy’ (pins and needles) or if the weather is very hot she’ll say “Nana, the sun has no shadow.” Children always were and always will be natural poets. I’d heard Muldoon mention this young boy previously and as I sat in the packed Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 53

Rita Duffy is one of Northern Ireland’s most groundbreaking artists. reading space at Market Square, Armagh, I couldn’t help but wonder whatever became of that young boy. On Friday, the last day of the Summer School, Alistair Moffat gave a stunning talk about The DNA of a Nation. His delivery was clear and concise and I for one, finally understood how DNA works. ‘Where do we come from is a fundamental question.’ Moffat, (Founder of IrelandsDNA, based in Melrose, Scotland) answered this question admirably, proving that we are in fact descended from Africa! From a simple saliva sample, scientists can trace our genetic ancestry across continents and over many thousands of years. DNA testing provides new insights into the tremendous diversity of our genetic history. For a modest fee, The Fatherline and Motherline Tree can be traced, just two of the many ancestral lineages that contribute to DNA. Throughout the Summer School week, The Thaw Factory Exhibition, a preview of a project for 2016 (a year of remembering wars and revolution) was shown. Rita Duffy is one of Northern Ireland’s most groundbreaking artists. Her art includes themes and images of Irish identity, history and politics, paying homage to magic realism and including elements of the surreal. While she was a student in USA, Duffy met the artist Andy Warhol in a small Montauk grocery store, in 1982. Surrounded as they were by shelves of canned soup and boxes of cornflakes, the artist declared the meeting as ‘inspirational.’ After all, Warhol was the artist who encouraged us to look again at the familiar and created a place in the art world for the concept of multiples. Duffy’s The Souvenir Shop, the produce of which, according to her Artist’s Statement, is an ‘exploration of our shared lived experience, where historical, political and social issues are reworked and presented to the viewer as irreverent.’ Each artefact in The Souvenir Shop has its own narrative and explores ‘the role that cultural production plays in a religiously divided society. Duffy has written labels that are a compilation of text, photographic images or her drawings/paintings reproduced to create the ‘Thaw Factory,’ brand. Tins and jars are released from the larder to question our cultural divisions and reaffirm the commonality of our essential human needs. Some of the commodities are intriguing and shows the breadth of Duffy’s imaginative powers. For example, B-Special Honey: ‘sounds like a term of endearment between lovers? In fact, it has particular historical and political resonance locally. The sweet 54 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Pulitzer Prize winning poet Paul Muldoon proved mesmerising

taste of honey aspires to replace the sour taste of violence and inequality that was synonymous with the B-Special police.’ Another item from The Souvenir Shop is Scrub To the Bone Soap: “an effort towards cleanliness and new beginnings, the removal of dirt is compared to the irradication of sectarianism.” Duffy maintains the purchase of a ‘souvenir’ is part of the power relationship between tourist and local inhabitant. ‘In this project, the power of production has been reclaimed and placed back into local hands. The project explores a local aptitude for the age old craft of growing, making, cooking and sewing. There is a currency today in using what we find to make what we need.’ The Thaw Factory was officially opened by Bill Jeffries, a stalwart member of The John Hewitt Society and, like all of the members volunteering for the week’s events, courteous and helpful. I was fortunate enough to have chosen Mary 0’Donnell’s prose fiction workshop. She is an extremely able practitioner of both poetry and fiction and has many publications which are extremely highly regarded: The Light-Makers, Virgin and the Boy, The Elysium Testament and Where They Lie. The John Hewitt Society is thirty years young and now a by-word for quality literary endeavours. Formed to promote the work of Armagh poet John Hewitt, this year’s Summer School brought to fruition a project which has been some time in the making: the publishing of Northman: John Hewitt, (1907-1987) An Irish Writer, His World and His Times by academic W.J. McCormack. The book was launched by Chair of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Bob Collins. This book contains the complete life of Hewitt and was commissioned by the Hewitt Society. This volume is a much awaited addition to venerating a poet much revered in Armagh and beyond. Internationally respected writer Dermot Bolger also gave a reading from his stunning new work Tanglewood. The novel is set in 2007, when the Celtic Tiger edifice is quietly imploding and concerns two neighbouring Dublin couples who decide to cooperate in building a townhouse on property that straddles both their gardens. However, fault lines begin to manifest within their relationships. Nick Hornby (Sunday Times) describes Bolger as ‘A fierce and terrifyingly uncompromising talent.’ Hearing Bolger read from such a powerful novel was the perfect note on which to end my JHSS experience. Roll on next year! Ireland’s DNA: www.irelandsdna.com Chick by Hannah Lowe (Bloodaxe Books), Tanglewood by Dermot Bolger (New Island)

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Lepicol Q&As How is Lepicol different from other fibre supplements? Irregular bowel movements can be due to lack of fibre in the diet, but increasing harsh fibres can irritate the sensitive lining of the intestines. As we age the microbes living in our gut also change and can lead to uncomfortable digestive problems. Lepicol is a complex food supplement marrying the benefits of two types of gentle fibres and five types of probiotics to re-regulate bowel movements – without irritating additives. It contains Psyllium husks that form a gel and assist bowel movements, soluble prebiotic fibre from chicory to selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of beneficial bacterial species already resident in the colon and five strains of viable bacteria to re-balance the bowel flora. I have diverticular disease and I was told to avoid certain types of fibre. Is Lepicol safe for me to take? Diverticular disease is caused by long term constipation, where small pockets form in the walls of the colon. These pockets can trap large particles like vegetable skin and small seeds, which can lead to inflammation, bleeding, infection and very painful symptoms. A lot of evidence suggests that low fibre intakes are a causal factor of diverticular disease. Unfortunately once you have these pockets the only solution is to prevent their impaction and regulate bowel movements. Lepicol contains a gentle fibre, Psyllium husk that forms a jelly in your gut to regulate bowel movements and reduce the risk of impaction, while probiotic bacteria and prebiotic fibre balance the gut flora, which long term help to reduce irritation and re-train the bowel.

Plus also have added digestive enzymes and soothing herbs to support the whole digestive tract. What is the best way to take Lepicol? I’m on a lot of medications - should I be wary of contraindications? Lepicol has no known contraindications, but as any fibre supplement it can hold on to particles of the tablets, so it is best taken two hours apart from any medications or supplements. To be on the safe side, it is always advisable to double-check with your health care professional. Lepicol can be taken away from meals or added to meals – bear in mind that it does thicken the consistency. The powder is tasteless, it can be mixed into juice or water and taken immediately, or try added to apple juice with cinnamon and let it sit to form a delicious jelly. Lepicol also comes in a convenient capsule form. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day – generally two glasses of water per dose of Lepicol on top of your regular fluid consumption.

I suffer from both constipation and diarrhoea. Can Lepicol be helpful? Due to the nature of the Psyllium husks in Lepicol, it is able to absorb water and form stools during diarrhoea episodes, whilst creating a soft gel and stimulating peristalsis which aids in the smooth passage of the stool during constipation episodes. Irregular bowel movements and IBS symptoms can be sometimes due to the lack of beneficial bacteria, so the added probiotics can address this imbalance. Lepicol is therefore able to help normalise bowel movements. Lepicol 58 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

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Harassment, what can you do “Any person who, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, by any means, including by the use of telephone, harasses another by persistently following, watching, pestering, besetting or communicating with him/her, shall be guilty of an offence” • Non-fatal offenses against the person act. 1997 Harassment can take many forms including: • Physical gestures, touching, following, damage to property. • Verbal abuse, such as, name calling, taunting, shouting, persisting criticism, offensive voicemails, threats or offefbnsive language. • Written abuse, such as, Offensive notes, emails, texts or letters. • Behaviour such as, isolation, non-cooperation and exclusion. • Use of social media A major difficulty is the persistent and ongoing nature of much harassment. While any one incident could be regarded as a minor event, it is the cumulative effect of living day after day with the fear and the anxiety that really affects most people. Another difficulty is that there is often no evidence that harassment has taken place and this means that the Gardaí may find it difficult to take any action, even though you may tell them exactly what is happening. If you are a victim of harassment, you may feel • That nobody is taking the harassment seriously and that something terrible will have to happen before you are believed. • That you have no option but to move from your neighbourhood. • That you have no option but to leave your workplace/club/ social gathering. • Afraid to answer your phone or look at your text messages. 60 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

• Afraid to go away from your home in case any damage is done when you are away. • Anxious and afraid anytime you leave your home. • Worried about the effects on your family. • Afraid that if you report each incident, that the Gardaí will think you are a nuisance or will not believe you. • Afraid that if you report the crime, the situation may get worse for you. What can you do? • Keep a written record of every incident – Write down the time and place of the incident, with as much detail as you remember, and note any person who saw what happened and who may be a witness in any criminal proceedings. • Report the Crime to the Gardaí – Harassment is a crime. It is important that you report it and that you make a statement to the Gardaí about what is happening. Each incident should be reported to the Gardaí. If an incident is serious it should be reported immediately. • Keep all texts, voicemails, emails and copies of any social media postings that would be relevant in an investigation. • If the harassment is via social media, you can report it to the relevant social media organisation. You can also block a person from making contact with you. • Avoid being drawn into a dispute, do not shout back or retaliate. • If the harassment is happening in your neighbourhood, you should seek advice form a crime prevention officer. You can contact your local Garda station to find out the Crime Prevention Garda for your area. • You could also consider installing a camera device to provide evidence of harassment, and as a deterrent to future harassment. Low cost cameras are now available to buy. • If the harassment is occurring in a public authority housing area, ensure that you report it to the County or City Council. Harassment can be a terrifying and isolating experience for all those affected. Remember that you do not have to cope with this situation alone, sometimes it can be helpful to talk to someone who is completely outside of the situation. You can call a FREEPHONE Helpline such as Crime Victims Helpline on 116006. Volunteers at this helpline provide emotional support and give information about other services that can help. Our helpline hours are as follows: Monday 10.00am to 19.30 Tuesday to Friday, 10.00 to 17.00, Saturday 14.00 to 16.00. Further information can be sought on our website www.crimevictimshelpline.ie or by texting 085 1337711 Naomi Gould National Coordinator Crime Victims Helpline 01-4086118

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Letters to the editor Eamonn DeValera had no time for a coalition government describing it as the result of political bargaining for power.

Should a political party be responsible for its election promises? Perhaps I should begin by stating that we are now in our seventh year of austerity. The present government have about eight months left and I do not think that they have either the time or the political will to make the changes that are necessary for a fair and just society. We must look to the next Government for solutions and this brings me to the subject of my letter which has to do with elections. Furthermore, we have a property tax, water charges, and a universal social charge in existence. Also, we have a reduction in pensions and incomes and an increase in the cost of many services. As a result, the next general election will be a very important one. It is a source of constant irritation that politicians and political parties make promises before an election and forget about them afterwards. I wish to state that I am not a member of any political party nor am I affiliated to one. I speak as a neutral observer. However, I would like to see a system in place whereby politicians are legally liable for the promises or pledges that they give before an election. An architect or an engineer who breaks a contract can end up in court. While I have no knowledge of law, I suspect that the architect or engineer has signed a legal contract which makes his or her promise legally binding. I feel that election promises should also be legally binding and politicians who wish to make election promises should also sign legal agreements. Consider a party that enters into a coalition government after election results become known. It may have to compromise with its political partner. However, the promises made initially by that political party have enabled some of its candidates to get elected and the public has no say in whether a party enters into coalition or not. The party may state that they entered coalition, made

compromises and for that reason, could not fulfil all of its election promises. If the possibility exists that they may enter a coalition government, are they in a position to make promises in the first place? I think that a fair answer is as follows. A coalition means a compromise between two or more points of view. There are some issues that a party may not feel too strongly about and they may be prepared to compromise on these. However, there are other issues which I will call red letter issues. These are issues that a party feels strongly about and should refuse to compromise on them under any circumstances. In addition, they should be prepared to pull out of government if the other party in the coalition wishes to make changes that would threaten these red letter issues. Do political promises have any basis in law? Could legal action be taken against a political party for reneging on political promises? I do not know the answer to this question. However, if politicians and political parties are sincere, they should enter into legal commitments so that they are bound by their promises. If circumstances change so that a particular pledge should be set aside, then the reason should be fully explained to the people. If an important election promise is broken, it should be possible to remove a person or political party from office without having to wait five years for this to happen. Eamonn DeValera had no time for a coalition government describing it as the result of political bargaining for power. It was a core value of old Fianna Fail that they only went into government if

they got an overall majority. However, that requirement was dropped when Charles Haughey became Taoiseach and since then, Fianna Fail has participated in coalition governments. People may have their own views on whether a coalition government is a good thing or not. However, with the old Fianna Fail party, people knew where they stood insofar as the party leaders had made clear their views on coalition. I would prefer one party with an overall majority. However, if no party gets an overall majority, then a coalition becomes an obvious solution. Perhaps before a general election when a party is making its promises, it should state if it intends to enter into coalition. The electorate can then decide on the validity of such promises. It is only during an election that the public have any say and the next election will be an opportunity for change. We need more transparency on political promises. I stated earlier that entering a coalition means making compromises. It is important that a party should not have to compromise too much. Coalition seems reasonable enough between two left wing parties or two right ring wing parties. However, a left wing party and a right wing party should not form a coalition as the compromise is too much and the smaller of the two parties may have to forget about red letter issues. Perhaps before an election, each party should publish its manifesto. This should state whether it intends to enter into coalition or not and if so, who it wishes to enter into coalition with. It should also set out its red letter issues. Lastly, when in government, a party should issue a statement every six months informing the public of its progress towards implementing its promises. I would like to hear other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinions on this topic and invite them to respond to my letter. While I feel that politicians should be liable for election promises, I am prepared to study other points of view. Michael J. Walsh, Leixlip, Co Kildare

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Letters to the editor ‘Outrageous’ salaries of RTE Radio presenters

RTE’s token response is that if they didn’t pay these extortionate salaries, these ‘celebrities’ would go elsewhere. Let them! I’m certain that no other broadcasting bodies would pay these salaries, so what’s RTE’s problem? We should all remember RTE’s attitude when they next come back with their begging bowl for more subsidies. Emer O’Callaghan, Cork

I don’t need a free GP Visit Card I surely cannot be a lone voice in my disgust regarding the outrageous salaries paid to ‘celebrity’ RTE radio presenters. I don’t want to mention names but we all know who they are. Some of these salaries are over €300,000, and, if we are to believe reports, one is more than half a million Euro! Surely €100,000 is enough for any of these presenters, or if we want to be generous, €150,000.

ASI Helpline press Senior Times132x190 art.indd 1

Can I introduce a note of dissent regarding the recent announcement that us over 70s are to get the free GP Visit Card. Sorry, I don’t need it ! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sitting on a fortune, or have gilt-edged investments. No, I suspect like thousands of other oldies out there, we are not on the breadline and would prefer the money used for these concessions go to much more worthy

causes such as helping the homeless, those in special need, carers, etc. etc. Dare I say it, there are a lot of selfish old codgers who just want to take, take even though they are perfectly able to pay for things themselves. Of course there are many less fortunate among us and they obviously have to be helped, but I say if you can afford it, pay it! Noel Foley, Limerick

17/08/2015 19:09

Wine World A taste of the Mediterranean

A taste of the Mediterranean Mairead Robinson recommends wines from Spain and Portugal. While I am a great fan of wines from Spain – more of that later – I do feel that much of the time wines from neighbouring Portugal do not get the recognition they deserve. Part of the reason for this is that many of the grape varieties grown in Portugal are indigenous to that country, and are therefore not so well known in the wider wine world. However despite Portugal’s small size in relation to its Spanish neighbour, this country nurses a passion for wine and produces a spectacular diversity of wine styles. Many people when visiting Portugal on holiday are very pleasantly surprised to discover some great local wines and wonder why we cannot find these at home. I would suggest a search in your local off-licence to see what wines you find in the Portugal category, discuss with the owner if possible and start experimenting to discover what you like. There is without doubt great value to be found these days with wines from both Portugal and Spain, with the wonderful Duero River (in Portugal it is the Douro River) running through both countries and offering great wine making terrain. In fact wines from this region are among

the top wines from both countries. In Portugal the Douro region is best known for the production of port while their table wines, both red and white, are considered richly constituted with the reds in particular quite profound with lots of deep, dusty plum flavours. Sogrape Vinhos is a family run company dedicated to promoting Portuguese wines throughout the world and now owns more than 830 hectares of vineyards in Portugal. It was founded over 70 years ago and nowadays the full scope of Sogrape Vinhos is clearly demonstrated by the breadth and weight of its portfolio. At first glance, what immediately stands out is the presence of two major global Portuguese wine brands - Mateus Rosé and Sandeman as well as the prestigious wines of Porto Ferreira and Offley. Added to which are the renowned specialist brands that represent the major Portugese wine regions. Beginning with the most famous Portuguese wine of all, Barca Velha, the pride of Casa Ferreirinha (Douro) and continuing with the elegant wines of Quinta dos Carvalhais (Dão), the vibrant Herdade do Peso (Alentejo), the fresh Vinhos Verdes of Quinta de Azevedo and Gazela, and

the multi-regional Grão Vasco, to name but a few. It is the Alentejo region that we are focusing on for our wine tasting at the Active Over 50s Show in Galway this year, as we are sampling wines from Herdade do Peso along with some wines from the famous Torres brand in Catalonia. Sogrape Vinhos’ first Alentejo wine was released in 1991, produced from selected grapes purchased from producers in the Vidígueira area and vinified in a local winery, hired for that purpose under the guidance of the Sogrape Vinhos winemaking team. Vinha do Monte - a wine that is now synonymous with this region - was the brandname chosen for the launch and paved the way for the 1996 acquisition of Herdade do Peso, also in Vidigueira. The grandeur of the Alentejo and Sogrape Vinhos’ passion for this region drove it to pioneer a project which now gives consumers the best the Alentejo has to offer. These wines are multi-award winning and highly regarded by wine experts as delivering exceptional value and quality. This is best summed up in the quote

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from Robert Parker’s website where the wines are described as:- ‘One thing Sogrape does rather reliably is provide value. This group of wines is chock full of values. Lots of things here seem like a lot of wine for the price. Wineries like Herdade do Peso manage to produce very nice bottlings for modest money. It’s hard to go wrong at this end of the spectrum. Over the years, I’ve seen some really nice values from Herdade do Peso. Starting with the Vinha do Monte white wine we are tasting the 2013 vintage which has a yellow citrus colour with floral fresh aromas and good volume. At 13% it has depth and body and is a great wine for seafood and shellfish. It is also ideal on its own as an aperitif or with light dishes and salads. The Vinha do Monte red wine has an intense and fruity aroma and is also smooth and full bodied with a ripe fruit finish. It is a big wine at 24% alcohol, and is complex and fresh, very characteristic of the quality wine that the Alentejano region can produce. It is

excellent with meat and rich dishes and will store well for a couple of years where flavours will develop further. The recommended price for the white is €14.49 and €15.49 for the red, and both are available at good independent off-licences nationwide. And so back to one of favourite wine brands, the mighty Torres who have done more than any other brand to put Spain firmly on the world stage when it comes to top-class wines. This time we are highlighting two lesser known wines starting with Altos Ibericos a spectacular wine from Rioja that takes its name from Alto Otero, a beautiful place where the winery is situated in the town of Labastida, north of the Iberian Peninsula. made with the tempranillo varietal, is aged for 12 months in oak barrels and for a long time in the bottle. The wine speaks of the land it comes from with aromas of forest fruits and spices. On the palate, it is smooth, elegant and with a long finish. The alcohol content is 13.5% and it is excellent with meat, oily fish, cheeses and of course

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with foods from the region, such as Serrano Ham and tapas. The white wine from Torres that is also outstanding is Verdeo, made with 100% Verdejo grape. It is a young, fresh wine with a pale yellow colour and notes of tropical fruit. It is a very elegant wine, very pleasingto contemporary tastes and is ideal for aperitifs, shellfish, and seafood in sauces. Ibericos sells for €16.49 and Verdero for €13.99 and both wines are available in good independents nationwide. If you have been fortunate to attend one of the wine tasting sessions in Galway Active Over 50s Show, you will have discovered these gems which are sponsored by Findlater Wines & Spirits. If not, I recommend you treat yourself to your own tasting and enjoy some Mediterranean sunshine in a bottle!

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Culture

Dancing again at Lughnasa

Maretta Dillon looks at what’s on in the arts over the next few months

Robert de Niro plays 70 year old Ben Whittaker, the oldest newbie in the office in director Nancy Meyer’s new film The Intern.

The Irish Museum of Modern Art start us off this time with their intriguingly titled new exhibition, What We Call Love: From Surrealism to Now. The very notion of love is taking a bit of a battering at the moment in a world full of crisis and conflict. The exhibition doesn’t promise to deliver all the answers but it does explore how artists have represented love over the years. Heavy hitters on show include: Dalí and Duchamp ; Picasso, Warhol and Yoko Ono. At IMMA from September 12. Can it really be 25 years since the first production of Dancing at Lughnasa at the Dublin Theatre Festival? It can and it is! Brian Friel’s much loved play is back at the festival this year as part of an exciting line up of theatre and performance. Other shows to seek out are a new play from Conor McPherson, The Night Alive, which has already won plaudits on the

New York Stage. Meanwhile, playwright Enda Walsh has teamed up with composer Donnacha Dennehy for a new chamber opera about life, death, duty and guilt called The Last Hotel. While over at The Gate, American favourite Arthur Miller’s tale of illicit desire, A View from the Bridge, gets an outing. Finally, The National Theatre of Great Britain arrives into town with the Olivier awarding winning, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time adapted from the book by Mark Haddon. There’s more stuff to be explored on dublintheatrefestival.com Music Network have, as usual, got a strong line up for the Autumn season which kicks off with the very charming, Zaïde Quartet, a young French string quartet eliciting much praise on the international circuit. They promise an exciting programme ranging from Mozart and Shostakovich quartets to a contemporary Irish work. See musicnetwork.

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ie for more information about dates, venues and booking. The autumn is always a good time for movies so here are two to be going on with. Imagine if retirement wasn’t for you, you’re bored and thinking of getting back to work. Robert de Niro plays 70 year old Ben Whittaker, the oldest newbie in the office in director Nancy Meyer’s new film The Intern. Meyer’s previous features include the wonderful It’s Complicated – so hopes are high. Everywhere from October 2. The stories were circling for a long time about sports icon Lance Armstrong but it took Irish journalist David Walsh to get on with the deep investigative digging. Stephen Frears directs our own Chris O’Dowd as Walsh in The Program. Check it out in cinemas nationwide from October 16. It’s all good….

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Featuring Exhibits, Displays, Presentations & Demonstrations Covering: Health & Well Being • Personal Finance • Home & Away Holiday Breaks • Government & Statutory Information • Hobbies & Pastimes • Fashion & Beauty • Genealogy • Home Security Senior Care • Bridge Workshops • Further Education Free Health Checks Covering: Blood Pressure Checks* • Hearing Screenings* • Dental Consultations* Free: Golf Lessons Product Giveaways • Cash for your unwanted Stamps, Notes, Coins, Jewellery & Watches • Government/Statutory/ Regulatory Advice • Travel Advice • Health Consultations • Bridge Workshops *Limited Availability

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Ben Foster as Lance Armstrong in The Program

Events around the Country / September - October 2015 NINE LIVES Architecture Everyday stories of architectural design and enthusiastic use - nine emerging Irish architectural practices. Until September 27 / National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny Information: www.nationalcraftgallery.ie WHAT WE CALL LOVE: FROM SURREALISM TO NOW Visual Arts What We Call Love explores how the notion of love has evolved within the 20th century. September 12 - February 7 / IMMA Information and booking: www.imma.ie STAR OF THE SEA Theatre A theatrical adaptation of Joseph O’Connor’s sublime story of famine and emigration. September 16 and then countrywide Booking: various venues / www.moonfishtheatre.com CULTURE NIGHT Arts The country’s one night celebration of the arts – everything and everywhere. September 18 / island wide Information and booking: www.culturenight.ie DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL Festival Celebrating new Irish writing, music and dance in a packed programme of worldclass theatre and performance.

September 24 - October 11 Information: www.dublintheatrefestival.com CHAROLAIS Theatre A woman, a man and a really beautiful cow! What could go wrong? September 26 / Visual Carlow. Information: www.gbshawtheatre.ie WESTPORT ARTS FESTIVAL Arts An exciting and innovative programme of events to include music, visual arts, literature, theatre, dance and film. September 30 – October 4 Information: +353 87 7581391/ www.westportartsfestival.com CORK FOLK FESTIVAL Music An annual gathering of some of the finest folk/traditional musicians from Ireland and beyond. October 1 - 4 Information: www.corkfolkfestival.com THE INTERN Film Robert de Niro stars as a 70 year old widower who finds retirement not so interesting and heads back to work. October 2 nationwide ZAÏDE QUARTET Music Daring young French string quartet generating some buzz on the tour circuit visits Ireland in October.

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Music Network have, as usual, got a strong line up for the Autumn season which kicks off with the very talented, Zaïde Quartet,

October 8 - 17 Information: www.musicnetwork.ie THE PROGRAM Film Chris O’Dowd plays Irish sports journalist David Walsh who first investigated cyclist Lance Armstrong’s career. October 16 nationwide WEXFORD FESTIVAL OPERA Music Forgotten artistic gems and masterpieces are brought to life against the backdrop of the National Opera House. October 21 – November 1 Information: +353 53 9122400 / www.wexfordopera.com SPECTRE Film The newest edition of the James Bond franchise returns with Daniel Craig as the main man. October 26 nationwide Finally, if you’d like your event to feature in our list of What’s On please email: events.country@gmail.com

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Cosmetics

Enjoying that autumn glow A favourite time of year for many, Mairead Robinson shares some tips for looking your best this autumn.

While the summer – such as it was – has passed, we can enjoy the best of our weather in the colourful autumn months. This is when nature’s hues of brown and gold invite us outside to enjoy country walks and when holiday destinations offer us better bargains now that the children are back at school! But whether you are spending the time at home or heading off to the Mediterranean, it is very important to remember to care for your skin and use your SPF cream every day. Generally we are not so good at using sun screen unless we feel the burn of the midsummer sun, but it is important to remember that from an anti-aging perspective, as well as protecting ourselves from sun-induced sun damage that we need to protect our skin every

day. While sun rays enhance our feeling of well-being and are also an important factor for the synthesis of Vitamin D which is essential for the bone structure, too much sun and UV exposure can lead to serious skin damage. And now more and more people of all ages are discovering they have an allergy to the sun these days also, and for sensitive skin, this can be a real issue. The most important triggers are free radicals induced by sun exposure from Polymorphic Light Eruption (PLP) and the resulting oxidative stress causes cell damage that results in inflammatory and allergic reactions. Eucerin have developed a comprehensive protection system against sun-induced damage – both in upper and deeper skin layers. This is particularly good news

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for those with sensitive skin. Available in both 30SPF and 50SPF and in oil spray, cream-gel and mattifying fluid for the face, the range of products is especially beneficial for those who find for a number of reasons, they are not getting enough protection from their other sun creams. Now there is some great news for people who like to do their shopping from the comfort of their own home. Superdrug www.superdrug.com – opened its web doors to Ireland from the end of July this year. Irish customers will be able to order on-line and have the products delivered to their door. Alternatively they can be purchased at shops in Wexford, Tallaght, Limerick and Letterkenny. The launch of Health & Beauty Card in Ireland enables custom-

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ers to participate in special promotions and offers. There are currently around six million Health & Beauty card members in the UK and launch offers which new members will be able to enjoy include ten per cent off everything and 50 bonus points when customers register. So now beauty lovers in Ireland will be able to shop online for the first time for products including Superdrug’s own brand range of beauty products and toiletries all of which carry the leaping bunny symbol of Cruelty Free International. You can check out the full range of products on the website. Following on from last month’s anti-aging special where I recommended a large range of great products available to us in the battle against the effects of the ravages of time, I was contacted by a few readers who asked why I did not recommend products for men. What about the men, you said! And while the range is certainly nowhere near as comprehensive as it is for women, there are a growing number of products specifically manufactured for men, and the demand is certainly on the increase. While the more conservative males might be slow to follow the likes of David Beckham along the ‘metro sexual’ path, most men now look for something

more than a quick shower and shave. So following on from deodorant, the next step is moisturiser – a man’s best friend! And the new Nivea Men Cream is a no-nonsense, all purpose moisturising cream. With a fresh, masculine scent this cream is suitable for face, body and hands and has a light, non-greasy formula that absorbs super-fast leaving well moisturised and healthy looking skin. Available from September this year, the 150ml tin costs just €5.00 So, there is no excuse at all now men! Always interested in new products coming on the market, I was delighted to discover the latest offering from Vichy. Following on from the popular Idealia Serum, Vichy have just launched their Idealia Skin Sleep. This is a real miracle product which will plump up your skin while you sleep and so you wake up with rested features and a fresh complexion no matter how many hours sleep you have. Night creams are so important, and a good one is probably the most valuable item on your bathroom shelf. One thing I especially like about this one is how the gel balm is light and luxurious and feels like silk on your skin. It is easily absorbed and is the ﬁrst night

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product clinically proven to stimulate all the skin’s deep sleep mechanisms, to ensure no matter how many hours sleep you have the skins nightly functions will remain at their optimum. This is a great product for poor sleepers and for those who take a lot of flights, which are so hard on our skin. Finally, another great new product aimed at those of us who have found an alarming amount of brown spots on our skin – a real sign of aging. Our friends at Nuxe have just launched Splendieuse, a product designed to tackle all pigments including dark spots, age spots and blemishes. The name Splendieuse comes from the French words for splendid and radiant, which is exactly how it aims to leave your skin! It comes in cream, fluid, serum and a mask and like all products from the Nuxe brand, it has natural floral extracts at its base. These lovely products are available in pharmacies nation wide from mid-September. With such a great range of new cosmetic products becoming available for both women and men, there really is no reason why we can’t all have a youthful glow! Do send your queries and comments to me at mairead.seniorbeauty@gmail.

The old maxi dress is back! Mairead Robinson checks out what is trending on the catwalks this autumn. The predictions for this autumn – which were announced last spring, such is the way of the fashion world - have trended towards ‘lots of fabric’. This is actually very good news, especially for those of a certain vintage or size, as it translates as long and flowing. The old maxi-dress and skirt is back, and loose tops with a shawl can make for a very stylish and weather-appropriate look this season. For everyday wear, loose trousers can be substituted for the long skirt and natural fabrics, such as cotton or silk look best. Regarding colours and patterns, obviously we all go for the colours that suit our own skin tone, but I was pleased to see some warm browns especially in the classic leopard print that brings brown/black and cream together. This is a pattern loved by so many celebrities and one that can inject glamour into any outfit. I like that it is suitable for most ages and sizes also, and has a certain timelessness about it. This means that you might already have some tiger-print at the back of your wardrobe from a few years ago, and anything you invest in this season will still be good to wear for years to come! You will find this ‘feline’ look available in coats, dresses, bags, shoes and jackets as well as skirts and dresses. And you could also add a touch of seasonal style to a plain black dress with a leopard print belt. Always remember to dress according to your own size and shape, and it is vital that you feel comfortable in what you are wearing. The most fabulous outfit will not look good on you if you don’t feel good in it!

Shift dresses are back in fashion!

If you are at a loss what to wear, try a fitted jacket and a straight skirt – it is nearly always foolproof and always look smart for a formal occasion and will suit most shapes and sizes. There are women who love to wear skirts and there are those who swear by the practicality of pants – especially nowadays when most women of all ages will choose trousers/jeans for their everyday wear. However the skirt is still the most acceptable for a formal conservative occasion, unless you have chosen a well fitted trouser suit. The trick is to find the right

skirt for you. The two key shapes are simple, tailored A-line or a body-skimming pencil skirt. The latter does depend on a fairly flat tummy, so if you need a little help in that area and a ‘spanx’ will not do it for you, best not go for the body skimmer. The most versatile fabrics for the autumn/winter tropical wools and wool crepes. Remember that any skirt that hits the widest part of your calf will shorten and thicken your leg. The most flattering length for just about any leg hits mid-knee. Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 75

J D Williams folk blouse and top

With long skirts being in vogue this season remember that this is a great way to hide a heavy leg! If you are tall, you can wear it skimming the floor with flat shoes or ankle-length with boots. This is a great look, and most important, it is a comfortable one too! Shorter ladies are better off with three-quarter length skirts over tall high-heeled boots. The long skirt can look sleek without sacrificing height if you keep the volume under control. For evening wear, the long skirt’s most flattering shape is an A-line. Unless you are very tall, avoid long, frilly peasant skirts or anything else with too much volume. Bias cut skirts are feminine and are serious effective figure smoothers. Regarding delicate fabrics such as chiffon or lace, these are best over a controlling base. If your skirt doesn’t have a lining that smoothes over your curves, then invest in a slip that does. Generally the A-line skirt looks good on most people, and will boost your shape best. It is a blessing for both curvaceous and boyish figures. And remember that a finger-tip length layer – 76 Senior Times l July-August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

jacket, tunic or cardigan – over a skirt in a fluid fabric worn with high heels is a great proportion-adjuster for women with large hips. So as always when keeping an eye on the season’s latest trends, the trick is to adapt these to your own style. There are some lovely shapes and patterns out there for Autumn, both in the high street stores and in exclusive boutiques. So find what suits you, be comfortable as well as smart, and enjoy.

Set sail from Belfast with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is returning to Belfast in Autumn 2015, with three exciting cruises on board its 804-guest Black Watch. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ships are ideally suited to the traditional cruise guest, the Fred. Olsen experience is very much a ‘home-from-home’ feel. All four ships offer a friendly and welcoming ‘country house’ atmosphere, where friendships are forged with fellow guests and crew alike. Fred. Olsen ships offer a relaxed and informal style of cruising, yet retain those aspects that make a cruise such a ‘special’ form of holiday, such as dressing for the formal dinner evenings. Operating four smaller, traditional, more intimate ships – Balmoral, Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch – Fred. Olsen is to cruise right to the heart of hundreds of destinations worldwide, ‘bringing the world closer to you’.

- Black Watch’s 14-night W1519 ‘Morocco, Portugal & The Canaries’ cruise, ex Belfast on 24th October 2015. Prices start from €1,429 per person. Discover pretty villages, intoxicating souks and beautiful gardens on this fantastic sailing. There’s a chance to visit magical Marrakech, a city packed full of Moroccan charm and character; explore the National Park of Garajonay on La Gomera; and wander around beautiful gardens, bursting with colour, in Tenerife and Madeira.

Fred. Olsen offers guests from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland the chance to take a cruise so much closer to home – from ‘right on their doorstep’ – which enables them to start their holiday in a relaxed, stress-free way…ready for the warm Fred. Olsen welcome that our guests have come to expect from us!

In 2016, Fred. Olsen will also be offering two exciting cruises from Belfast aboard Boudicca, they are:

Fred. Olsen’s three cruises from Belfast in 2015 are:

Discover quintessential fjordland and inspirational scenery on this scenic cruise, packed with awe-inspiring sights from beginning to end. Sail along both of National Geographic’s top-rated Natural World Heritage Sites; marvel at the Hellesylt Waterfall; see the spectacular Strandafjellet and Jotunheimen mountains; and visit Skjolden, perfectly positioned at the end of the world’s longest fjord.

- Black Watch’s 16-night W1527 ‘Scandinavian Capitals’ cruise, ex Belfast on 30th September 2015. Prices start from €1,639 per person. On this fantastic exploration of the Baltic, guests will visit six capital cities, plus impressive St. Petersburg in Russia. Enjoy an overnight stay in stunning Stockholm; discover the medieval streets of Tallinn; and explore extravagant palaces and cathedrals in the popular St. Petersburg. There is also the opportunity to enjoy a daytime transit of the Kiel Canal too. - Black Watch’s eight-night W1518 ‘Discovering Spain & France’ cruise, ex Belfast on 16th October 2015. Prices start from €819 per person. Explore La Rochelle’s arcaded streets and ancient houses; take a tour from Getxo to the beautiful city of Bilbao, full of architectural gems; discover the UNESCO-listed Santiago de Compostela Cathedrals, from La Coruna; and visit the historic bay of Lorient, home to a great collection of museums. A holiday packed with treats! 78 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

- Boudicca’s nine-night D1613 ‘Norwegian Fjords’, cruise, ex Belfast on 23rd July 2016. Prices start from €1,479 per person.

- Boudicca’s 12-night D1614 ‘Madeira, Portugal & the Canaries’ cruise, ex Belfast on 1st August 2016. Prices start from €1,949 per person. Encounter lush gardens, historic cities, salt flats, golden beaches, mighty mountains, volcanic wildernesses and architectural delights, all in less than two weeks. Highlights of this exciting summer cruise include; Lanzarote’s incredible Timanfaya National Park; magnificent Mount Teide, the highest peak in Spain; and Oporto’s many wine cellars, where guests can sample the finest Port – the tipple named after the city. For further information, please see the website at www.cruisescapes.ie or alternatively contact Cruisescapes on Tel. (1) 294 1000 or email: book@cruisescapes.ie

THE IRISH TIMES HOME DELIVERY SERVICE A NEWSPAPER TO YOUR DOOR BEFORE 7.30AM THERE’S NO DELIVERY CHARGE AND HOME DELIVERY CUSTOMERS CAN AVAIL OF A RANGE OF GREAT BENEFITS.

TELEPHONE: 0818 464465 EMAIL: Info@newsdelivery.ie www.newsdelivery.ie

Home_Delivery_gloss_277w.indd 1

19/02/2015 15:16

Motoring

New Volkswagen Touran launches in November

The latest generation of Volkswagen’s Touran MPV goes on sale in Ireland this November. The popular people carrier was first launched in 2003, and since then, some 1.9m have been sold globally. The latest generation model has been heavily revised, not only in terms of styling, but it has also grown significantly. The new Touran is 130mm longer, 41mm wider and has a 113mm longer wheelbase than the model it replaces. It does, however, sit fractionally lower at -6mm. With a total of 47 storage areas, the Touran is purpose-built for families and sitting alongside the Golf SV and the Sharan will form the basis of a threestrong MPV line-up in Ireland. With emissions and fuel economy so important, weight has been reduced by up to 62kg, and together with a host of cleaner engines, this adds up to 19% better fuel economy depending on the engine you choose. There are five- and seven-seat options for the Touran, but for the Irish market, Volkswagen are going to offer the Touran as a seven-seat version only. The rearmost row of seats can however fold flat

to offer a generous 663-litres of luggage space when the extra seats are not in use, 48-litres more than the previous generation Touran. Significantly, there are ISOFIX points in all five rear seats of the Touran. For Ireland, there is a choice of three engines, one petrol version, a 1.2-litre 110 PS (175Nm of torque) unit mated to a five-speed manual transmission, which is capable of returning up to 5.4 l/100km and has low-emissions of just 126g/km. This model is likely to be chosen by those buyers who don’t do larger mileage and primarily use their Touran for urban use. Buyers that do more mileage may prefer one of the two diesel offerings. The 1.6-litre 110 PS (250Nm of torque) diesel is likely to be the largest-seller and this comes with a choice of a 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG automatic. The manual version is capable of fuel economy figures of 4.4 l/100km and 116g/km CO2 and with the DSG version this is even more frugal, returning up to 4.2 l/100km and with lower emissions of 111g/km. At the top of the range for Ireland is the 2.0-litre TDI with 150 PS (340Nm of torque) and this despite the additional power can manage to return equally impressive fuel economy figures to the 1.6-litre, with 4.4 l/100km possible and a CO2 figure of 116g/km in the 6-speed manual and 4.8 l/100km

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possible and CO2 figures of 124g/km from the 6-speed DSG automatic. Specification for the Irish market has yet to be fully finalised but highlights will include Front Assist and Volkswagen’s City Emergency Braking system as standard on all models. All models will get Air Conditioning and Bluetooth and buyers who move up from Trendline to Comfortline will gain 16” alloy wheels, cruise control with fatigue detection and a leather multifunction steering wheel. At the top of the range, the Highline model will feature Adaptive Cruise Control as standard, 3-zone climate control, 17” alloy wheels and folding mirrors. Pricing, too, has yet to be finalised but the model will start from €29,715 and the best-selling 1.6-litre 110 PS diesel model will start from €31,715. The new model will go on sale in November, in time for the 161 registration and full pricing and specification will be released prior to this.

Home Instead Senior Care Hosts Free Dementia Care Workshops to Mark World Alzheimer’s Month Groundbreaking programme will be offered across the country to help family caregivers look after loved ones. Starting September 2015 during World Alzheimer’s Month, Home Instead Senior Care will host a series of FREE dementia care workshops for families involved with the care of a person with a dementia. Across Ireland almost 40 education workshops are planned in the run up to World Alzheimer’s Awareness Day on September 21st. The purpose of the workshops is to support family caregivers when it comes to understanding dementia and providing care at home for a loved one.

· · · · ·

Helps the person living with dementia remain safe and calm at home Encourages engagement Helps minimise symptoms Honours who the person was earlier in life Supports the entire family

“The workshops we are offering families are the same kind of training our professional caregivers receive. We want to support family caregivers, help them better understand this condition and encourage them to care for themselves while also caring for loved ones,” says Ed Murphy, CEO and Founder of Home Instead Senior Care in Ireland.

The Home Instead Senior Care network assembled the top experts in Alzheimer’s disease across the globe to develop this new training and support programme for family caregivers. Entitled ‘CARE: Changing Ageing Through Research and Education’, it is a first-of-its-kind education programme that addresses current and future needs by offering family members unrivalled dementia care, training and support.

“Through this education programme, we are demonstrating our commitment to providing the highest level of care to the whole community. Families want to ensure that their loved ones with dementia are safe and stay involved in life. Perhaps most important, the dignity and worth of the person with dementia will be assured through the provision of care personalised to the individual.”

Rather than focusing on the diagnosing and symptoms of the disease, the CARE programme focuses on the care and dignity of the person with dementia. This relationship-centred approach enables the provision of individualised care that:

For further dementia care, support and advice visit: HomeInstead.ie/Alzheimers-Disease and download Home Instead’s complimentary resource guides or call 1890 930 013 to book a dementia care workshop.

Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 81

Golf Nearly breaking ninety Dermot Gilleece talks to Pete Dye, the enfant terrible of American golf course architects who celebrates his 90th birthday this year

Teeth of the Dog. ‘The Man Upstairs built 10 holes, which meant I had only to build the other eight,’

Given that most of us tend to mellow with age, it’s unusual to find an 89-year-old radical but Pete Dye is such a man. The enfant terrible of American golf-course architects will, in fact, be 90 in December and continues to rail against the notion of golf as an elitist sport and the stubbornly high cost of green-fees on both sides of the Atlantic. The man who has been given millions to design some of the game’s most dramatic courses, has lived to see extraordinary success in his creation at Whistling Straits. Though it came into existence as recently as 1998, it has staged the US PGA Championship on three occasions, most recently in mid-August. And it is set to play host to the Ryder Cup in 2020. Yet the layout which has meant most to him is little known in these parts though it has gained the distinction of generating huge revenues for its local community. ‘It’s the one I did in the Dominican Republic,’ he said. In the Casa de Campo complex, Dye actually designed three courses, Dye Fore, The Links and the world-renowned Teeth of the Dog. ‘The Man Upstairs built 10 holes, which meant

I had only to build the other eight,’ he continued of his favourite. ‘But what really warms me is that there wasn’t even a paved road when I went down there; now, 50,000 people have jobs as a result of golf.’ Environmentalists, who can be a lot more extreme than Dye when promoting their particular viewpoint, might do well to consider such factors before condemning golf course developments in this country, though some were unquestionably ill-conceived during the Tiger years. As the designer proved when transforming a Florida swamp into the Stadium Course at Sawgrass, and featureless land on the shores of Lake Michigan into the amazing, Whistling Straits, golf and nature can be made to work extremely well together. Yet he claims the game is becoming too costly, largely because of an unrealistic emphasis on the condition of courses.

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Pete Dye: ‘The game is becoming too costly, largely because of an unrealistic emphasis on the condition of courses’.

‘While the spread of golf in Ireland has been unbelievable, it is also true that where you were once paying modest green fees, the cost is now sky-high in certain establishments,”’he said. ‘I hate to see this happen, not only in Ireland but in the United States as well. Average green fees should be from $35 to $50 dollars at the most. But here’s the problem: rising costs have to do with the way we’re maintaining courses nowadays. I’ve been screaming about this but nobody appears to be listening.’ He explained: ‘It seems like everybody these days is talking about green speeds. I heard talk of a green speed of 12 [on the Stimpmeter] during the PGA at Whistling Straits. Ben Hogan won the US Open at Oakmont in 1953 on the fastest greens in the history of the United States and if they had a Stimpmeter at the time, those greens would probably have measured about five or six.

‘Augusta National have a lot to answer for. With a budget that would choke a mule, they present their course in superb condition for the Masters each year. And every greens’ chairman from Milwaukee to New Orleans is looking at it on TV and wants to know why his own greenkeeper can’t do the same. So, like any self-respecting employee, the greenkeeper does it to keep his job and maintenance costs soar.’ Warming to the subject, Dye went on: ‘When you cut greens low, you eliminate grain which should be part of the game of golf. The 18th green here [Whistling Straits] is about 18,000 square feet and not a blemish on it. No heel marks, no brown spots, no poa annua [meadowgrass]. It’s so doggone true that if the ball is set on the correct line, it’s going to go in. In those conditions, I’d expect players to shoot the lights out.

Whistling Straits commands a place among the world’s great courses as a Major championship venue, only six years after its official opening

Carne at Belmullet, one of Pete’s favourite courses in Ireland

‘Professionals have a harder time putting on greens of seven or eight than they do on the really fast ones. On slow greens, you could have three different speeds, downgrain, up-grain and cross-grain, to contend with. With mowers now costing $20,000, there’s no question but that you could slash maintenance costs if you reduced the speed of greens. It’s like everything else in golf. The demand comes from club members and their officers looking at the big events on television.’ Typical of the ambitious designer, Dye found a patron at Whistling Straits with especially deep pockets. This is businessman Herb Kohler, who takes particular pride in flying the Irish tricolour from a flagpole on the magnificent, cut-stone clubhouse. Which would make you wonder what is behind the well-publicised, overt Irishness of a stunning, 36-hole golf complex on the shores of Lake Michigan? And why had this son of an Austrian father and Dutch mother, called the second 18 the ‘Irish Course?’ ‘Why the flag?’, Kohler exclaimed, answering my question with a hearty laugh and another question, just like a Kerryman might do. ‘Why the Irish flag right in the middle, sir?,’ he repeated. ‘It’s there every day as a tribute to the wonderful spirit in your land. Wonderful spirit. Unfortunately I have no Irish heritage, but we’re not trying to copy or borrow from you. We just wanted to have people feel that Irish spirit here, in our part of Wisconsin. You will never see a Scottish flag here. Nor a Japanese one. It will always be the Irish flag.’ ‘Before we set about this project,’ he

went on, ‘Pete Dye and myself went to your country many times and saw all the leading links courses. Probably 25 in all. Always links. There were visits to Lahinch, Ballybunion and to my number one, Royal County Down. Another of my favourites is Carne, at Belmullet.’ Pausing to deliver another of his regular, hearty laughs, he added: ‘I tried like hell to buy Carne but they wouldn’t sell it to me.’

the highly-acclaimed western starring his friend, Kevin Costner.

He then talked of his joy at seeing Whistling Straits gradually take shape before rapidly commanding a place among the world’s great courses as a Major championship venue, only six years after its official opening. And when I remarked on the visual impact of its dramatic changes in elevation, he explained: ‘We tried to make this as true as possible to a genuine links, especially in its look. Only nature, of course, could have given us the real thing.’

Keenly aware of the nature of the man, Pete Dye knew how to push Kohler’s buttons in pursuit of an extraordinary development covering more than 500 acres. They fought and argued over spiralling costs, yet the owner couldn’t be happier with the handiwork of his notoriously non-conformist architect. ‘Absolutely, and then some,’ he insisted about a layout which was so brilliantly conceived that there has been no need to add even one extra yard by way of coping with to-day’s so-called ‘bombers’.

An imposing figure with grey hair and a neatly-trimmed grey beard, Kohler combines the bold skills of an entrepreneur with a sensitivity born of a life-long love of the arts. Indeed as a one-time actor, he had a speaking role in Open Range,

He has been able to indulge his love of golf through a highly successful business as the manufacturer of bathroom and toilet fittings. And a favourite line around Whistling Straits concerns a woman passer-by who insisted on telling the owner: ‘Mr Kohler, I want you to know that I sit on you every day.’

‘For me,’ said Kohler, ‘Whistling Straits is magnificent. And the real bonus is to watch the joy of people seeing it for the first time.’Just so.

Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 83

Northern

By Debbie Orme

Notes

A shed load of solutions to help mental health problems..

Pictured are the men from The Steeple Antrim Shed, which recently won the Community Champion award from the South Antrim Community network. This award is ‘in recognition of the valuable contribution to an exemplary illustration in creating opportunities to build capacity or bring innovative ideas to the community.’

There’s no doubt that Northern Ireland has a bigger problem with mental health issues than many other regions of the UK or Ireland. One worrying statistic that is regularly highlighted is the fact that so many males are affected but don’t seek help. The mental health of the province’s young men is often affected by social problems, while older men tend to be reluctant to access services due to the ‘stigma’ involved, or due to the perception that they are geared towards the needs of women. 84 - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 84 Senior SeniorTimes Timesl lSeptember July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

For all of those reasons it’s good to note that the international Men’s Shed initiative is starting to gather pace across the region. Born in the sweaty heartlands of Australia and already a successful enterprise in the South, Men’s Sheds bring together men to share their skills, ‘have a laugh’ and a cup of tea, while working on practical activities of their choice. Planned activities include joinery, gardening, art, photography and computers. Described as a place for men to be themselves, to work at their own

pace, to exchange ideas and learn, members support each other, forming friendships and membership is free. Now in their 52nd anniversary year, Action for Mental Health NI (AMH) has provided life-changing services across NI and the organisation was recently awarded a major grant from the Big Lottery Fund, which is being used to establish Men’s Sheds projects in Downpatrick, Antrim and Enniskillen. I recently travelled to the Armagh Men’s Shed and met some of the men there, who told me what the Shed had brought to their lives.

..And Ards and North Down launch Chi Me initiative

Sixty-two-year-old Jimmy Murphy, suffered from severe depression following a heart attack in 2004. With the support of the Men’s Shed, however, he now enjoys a wide variety of activities, ranging from wickerwork to calligraphy. ‘Men don’t talk face to face about their feelings and emotions,’ he told me. ‘They tend to talk shoulder to shoulder and don’t really ask for help when they have problems. This can result in some men drinking more, or suffering from isolation even though they might be married and have a family. This can lead to a downward spiral of inner loneliness and ill health. Men’s Shed will give men a safe and busy environment to try new things and make new friends. ‘ Facilitator, Stiofan MacCléirigh told me of the benefits that the Shed brings to the lives of the local men. ‘With more than 30 years’ experience in the community, I’ve seen at close hand the difficulties that can be faced by men, particularly as they get older,’ Stiofan told me. ‘The Irish Men’s Sheds Association has obviously been very busy over the last few years setting up around 130 Sheds but the North is certainly very active now. Our Shed received funding from the lottery and this allowed us to run a variety of classes, such as joinery, digital photography, healthy eating and also to facilitate courses in important issues such as mental health and dementia awareness training.’ I have to say, that in observing the men at the shed and speaking to them, it’s clear that the Shed presents them with what one described to me as a ‘purpose for getting out of bed in the morning.’ Many of them are men who have retired over the last few years and have simply found it difficult to fill their day. ‘As you get older,’ one of them, Dessie, told me, ‘you certainly have a tendency to do less and you’re more likely to become lazy. This can very easily lead to depression and inertia. You can also find that your self-worth starts to decrease, so coming to a place like this can be the first step in rebuilding that self worth. It’s a matter of simply having a place to go to. It’s also true though that if I hadn’t started coming to the Shed, I wouldn’t have met these guys!’

And, speaking of mental health issue initiatives, Ards and North Down Borough Council has also become one of the first local authorities to deliver a pilot scheme of ‘Chi Me’ to help residents with mental health issues improve their well being. Nearly 20 members of Action Mental Health (AMH) recently participated in the free four-week programme that is based on the centuries old Chinese practice of Tai Chai. The class combines deep breathing and relaxation with controlled, gentle movements to quiet and focus the mind. Besides helping to improve mental wellbeing, potential health benefits may include improved heart function and normalised blood pressure. Chi Me is also particularly useful for those with diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and osteoporosis and people recovering from cancer or cardiac illness. Participating in the class can also improve strength, flexibility, balance and co-ordination. ‘Almost anyone can take part in Chi Me,’ said Mayor of Ards, Alderman Alan Graham, ‘even those with conditions that may exclude them from other forms of exercise, as it is very low impact and places little pressure on your bones and joints. Plus no expensive exercise gear is needed; the class can be done wearing comfortable, loose clothes and trainers.’ One of the AMH clients taking part, David Hanna, outlined that this was the first time for him to try something like this. ‘I found Chi-Me very relaxing and great for both the mind and body.’ Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 85

Bollywood comes to Botanic Gardens!

Mela, Northern Ireland’s largest multi-cultural festival takes place at the Botanic Gardens, Belfast shortly

Homegrown residents and tourists will both be able to explore the sights, sounds and smells of the world at Mela later this month, when Northern Ireland’s largest multi-cultural festival and unique global get-together takes place at Botanic Gardens in the city’s south side. Tens of thousands of people will be able to enjoy international music, dance, food, fashion, cuisine and lots of community celebrations. Highlights of this year’s Mela include:

World Food Market & Global Souk: The Mela will bring you on a literal food journey around the world. From India to China, from Thailand to Poland, from Spain to Mexico, the World Food Market has a little something for everyone resulting in a cultural culinary experience you will never forget. Treat your taste buds with hot exotic curries, Polish sausages, Chinese noodles, Spanish paella, Japanese Sushi and everything in-between!

King of the Dhol Drum: A celebration of the North Indian Dhol drum is the theme bringing together an exciting series of drum-believable performances. In addition to a spectacular opening procession with a 16ft high Dhol drumming puppet, there’ll also be a special performance by festival favourites Virtue Dholis.

For more information on the Mela visit discovernorthernireland.com

World Culture Showcase: The World Culture Showcase promotes local arts, artists and communities living in Northern Ireland. This year’s show stopping line up will include African and Spanish music from local groups Magwere and Los Dramaticos; dazzling dance displays from China and Mexico; cultural showcases from the local Russian, Bulgarian, Philippine, Latin American, Lithuanian and Polish communities; and an exciting mix of Celtic arts, language and traditional music from An Droichead; and of course all the Bollywood and Bhangra you can dream of with performances from festival favourites Ankhile and the South Asian Dance Academy. The Garden of Live Flowers in The Fantasy ForestA stunning new show created by the Foundation of Indian Performing Arts & Circus Raj from India. The show invades public space to re-imagine the classic story of Alice through the Looking Glass. Journey into the Mela’s Fantasy Forest to see Alice entering The Garden of Live Flowers, with a stunning cast of stiltwalkers in spectacular costumes, full of humour, surprise and wrapped up with lively music from the heart of Rajasthan. Little Bollywood Brand new to the Mela comes the fabulous colourful world of Little Bollywood. Led by the South Asian Dance Academy and early years specialists, this dazzling dance experience allows both adults and kids to explore relaxation and movement that’s guaranteed to have everyone wiggling their fingers and bouncing in their babygros. 86 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Both World Wars and the legacy of events such as the Battle of the Somme and VJ Day remain uppermost in the minds of many of the North’s eldest residents. The last few weeks have seen military servicemen commemorate their colleagues who fell during both wars. In East Belfast, Norman McKeown, a resident of Somme Nursing Home, is pictured with his invitation for a Civic Lunch at Belfast City Hall on 2 September to commemorate VJ Day. Belfast City Council is now appealing to World War 2 veterans from across the city to come forward and be VIP guests. Those who wish to be included on the City Hall guest list for the civic lunch should contact lordmayorsoffice@belfastcity.gov.uk or telephone 02890 270486. Local councillors Trevor Cummings and Noelle Robinson, meanwhile, visited the Somme in early July to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the battle, laying a wreath at the Ulster Tower, Thiepval on behalf of Ards and North Down Borough Council, in memory of those who lost their lives in the conflict.

World War commemorations In East Belfast, Norman McKeown, a continue resident of Somme Nursing Home, is pictured with his invitation for a Civic Lunch at Belfast City Hall on 2 September to commemorate VJ Day.

Know Your Rights...

Advice from the Citizens Information Centre I’ve heard that young children can now visit the doctor for free but that they have to get a GP visit card. How does my daughter get a card for my grandchild? From 1 July 2015, children under the age of six are entitled to free visits to a GP (family doctor) that is taking part in the free GP care for children under six scheme. All children aged under six who live in Ireland or who intend to live in Ireland for at least one year are eligible. To get a GP visit card for children aged under six, your daughter must register her child. To register, she will need: • Her Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) • The PPSN of each child • Her choice of participating GP She will be sent her child’s PPSN when she registered their birth. If she does not have a PPSN for her child, contact Client Identity Services in the Department of Social Protection on Lo-call 1890 927 999 or email cis@welfare.ie. If the baby is under two months of age and doesn’t have a PPSN yet, she can register and leave the PPSN blank and the HSE will write to her separately to get it. She can get a list of GPs who are taking part in the scheme at gpvisitcard.ie. The list also tells her whether her chosen GP accepts online registrations. If they do, she can apply online at gpvisitcard.ie. If a GP doesn’t accept online registrations, or if she prefers to use a paper form, she can download the registration form from gpvisitcard.ie, bring it to the GP to sign, and then send it to: GP Visit Card – Under 6s, PO Box 12629, Dublin 11. The child will be included in this scheme until the end of the month of their sixth birthday. The expiry date is shown on the 88 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

card. She will be notified approximately three months before it is due to expire. The card covers free GP visits, including home visits and out of hours, urgent GP care. It does not cover visits to hospital emergency departments. What is the new Eircode? In 2015 all residential and business addresses in Ireland will be given a unique new Eircode. Residential addresses include every address where post is delivered. Individual Eircodes will be given to each house on a street, each flat in an apartment block, both units in a duplex unit and each house in a rural townland. Eircodes will also be given to commercial addresses such as office buildings, shops, bars, hospitals and public buildings and each unit in a shopping centre or business park. An Eircode is a unique seven-character alpha numeric code. Each Eircode will consist of a three-digit Routing Key which will identify the area and a four-character Unique Identifier for each address. For example: A65 F4E2 The Routing Key is the first three digits of an Eircode. The first character will always be a letter, followed by two numbers (except for D6W). The letters are not linked to a county or city name – except for postal districts in Dublin which will have their current post codes transferred into a Routing Key format such as D03, D12, D15, D22. The same Routing Key will be shared by several towns and townlands. The Unique Identifier is a group of four digits and comes after the Routing Key. Each Unique Identifier is different and unique to your home or premises. They are not in sequence. This is to avoid the situation where a new building is created be-

tween two existing ones, and the code sequence would be broken, requiring all Eircodes in the area to be changed. You do not need to change your address, an Eircode is simply added to the end of your address. The use of Eircode is not mandatory, however, it is likely that organisations will ask you for your Eircode, especially those delivering goods or services to your address.

Your Chance to Win a BioXtra Hamper Worth €500!

You should have been sent a letter in July 2015 informing you of the Eircode for your address and how to use it. Following the launch of Eircode in early July, you can also find or check an Eircode using the Eircode Finder which will be available at eircode.ie.

I am moving back to Ireland after living in France for some years. Am I allowed to bring my dog with me? There are strict controls about importing pets into Ireland to ensure that diseases such as rabies are not introduced. The EU system of Passports for Pets allows cats, dogs and ferrets to travel between EU member states. If you are moving to Ireland or coming on holiday (or any other non-commercial movement where there is no sale or change of ownership) you may bring your dog with you. Your dog must have an EU Pet Passport. These are available from private veterinary practices. The Passport certifies that the pet is travelling from an eligible country, is identified by an implanted microchip and has been vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before travel. Dogs coming from countries other than the UK, Finland or Malta must be treated against tapeworm between 24 and 120 hours before travel. The time and date of treatment are entered on the passport. Treatment for ticks is not compulsory but it is advisable to get it at the same time as the tapeworm treatment. Airlines registered with the Department may choose to carry pets complying with the Pet Passport regulations. Compliant pets may travel on any ferry. The pet must travel with its owner or with a person acting on behalf of the owner (unaccompanied pets cannot travel to Ireland under the EU Pet Passport System). The operator of the airline or ferry company is legally obliged under the Pet Passport (No 2) Regulations 2014 to notify the arrival of the animals to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine by email at least 24 hours before the journey to petmove@agriculture.gov.ie. Further information is available from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (agriculture.gov.ie/pets/) and from the Citizens Information Centre below. Know Your Rights has been compiled by Citizens Information Service which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Information is also available at citizensinformation.ie and from Citizens Information Phone Service 0761 07 4000 or telephone Freephone 1800 989898

We want to hear your story! Tell us how you are living life to the full and be in with a chance to win a BioXtra hamper of personal care products worth €500. Dry mouth can be a life limiting condition and is often described as a “nuisance” by sufferers. It can affect your speech, appetite and your ability to taste and enjoy your food. Ageing is one of the major causes along with diabetes, hormonal changes and certain medication. So why not tell us about how you are living life to the full and be in with a chance to win this wonderful hamper! Tell us about something extraordinary you did recently, how active and busy you are since retiring; maybe some volunteer or charity work, grandchildren, a new hobby you took up? Skydiving! Anything that breaks down the stereotype that people are ‘set in their ways’ when they get older. Send your entry by post or e mail to the address below. We will publish some of the replies (with your consent) and pick and announce a winner in the next issue of SeniorTimes magazine.

Send your entries to SeniorTimes BioXtra Competition Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Or email info@slp.ie The hamper of Pamex personal care products to the value of €500 includes: Bioxtra for Dry Mouth Alflorex Precision Biotic for digestive health Dermatonics Heel Balm Total Shaving Solution Herbacin hand cream Kin B5 Mouthwash and Toothpaste Carmex Lip Balm

Meeting Place CORK LADY MID-60s, sincere and good sense of humour. Enjoys dancing, animals and good conversation and people with a good sense of humour. WLTM sincere single or widower teetotaller gent with a good sense of humour. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M1 KERRY LADY EARLY 60s, NS, occasional drinker, would like to correspond with honest, caring and respectable person for friendship and companionship. Many interests, including reading, walking, gardening, wildlife, cinema, current affairs etc. Told I am a good humoured and caring person. All genuine replies welcome. Discretion assured and expected. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M2 DONEGAL WIDOWER, LATE 50s, WLTM woman, 50-65, from North West for friendship and perhaps more. Wide range of interests. SD. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P1 KERRY LADY EARLY 60s, fit, sincere, outgoing, loves nature, travelling, dancing and fishing. WLTM sincere man for friendship and companionship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P2 ROMANTIC DUBLIN GENTLEMAN, 60s, civilised, open, tall, no children, GSOH, positive, loyal, dependable. WLTM cheerful widow to share this wonderful world, in friendship, perhaps romance, perhaps committed relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P3 DUBLIN BASED LADY, 50s, originally from country, interested in weekends away, cinema, reading, dining out, gardening, outdoor life, music. WLTM man for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P4 REFINED, EDUCATED DUBLIN MAN, EARLY 60s, WLTM sincere female from anywhere in Ireland for friendship and maybe more. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P5 GALWAY LAD, EARLY 50s, NS, SD, enjoys nights out, keep fit, healthy eating and much more. WLTM male 50-60 for a relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P6 CORK LADY 50sh looking for a male pen friend. Love baking, cycling, swimming, beaches, fresh air, comedy, nature and day trips, travelling. WLTM man of around 50, single, NS. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P7 LIMERICK LADY MID 60s, unattached, runs own business, young in outlook, caring, sincere, and personable. Interests include film, theatre, dancing and travel. WLTM gent of similar vintage and with same interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P8 DONEGAL LADY, VERY YOUNG 64, nature lover, enjoys going for country walks, WLTM either male or female for friendship away etc. or perhaps form a friendship group. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P9 DUBLIN LADY 70s WLTM sincere gentleman for friendship, companionship with GSOH similar interests which include travel, walking, reading, bowls and music. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P10 MATURE, RETIRED BUSINESS LADY, MUNSTER REGION, NS, ND. Still young at heart and searching for that special man to share retirement years. Many interests and include dancing, bridge, walking and travel. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P11

SINGLE SOUTH DUB GENT, MID 60s, interested in travel, reading, eating out, outdoor life. NS, SD, WLTM friendly lady, mid-50s to mid-60s for companionship and perhaps more. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T1 DUBLIN LADY, MID-60s, WLTM Dublin-based professional gentleman, 60s to 70s. Love Island hopping in the summer and have lots of interests such as travel, reading and dining out. ALA. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T2 RESPECTFUL DUBLIN MAN, 60s, never married. Interests include walking, travel, art, etc. Good humoured. WLTM single lady who has never been married for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T3 ATTRACTIVE LIMERICK LADY, unattached, semi-retired business woman, interests include cooking, travel, dining out, walking and dancing. Seeks gentleman with similar interests and outlook. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T4 MIDLANDS MAN, LATE 50s, retired civil servant, well-travelled. Interests include gardening, fishing, walking, cycling, amateur drama and independent travelling. WLTM a genuine, interesting lady, who enjoys life, for friendship and travelling REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T5 SOUTH CO DUBLIN LADY, MID 60s, seeks friends who enjoy travel, opera, classical and popular music, literature and theatre. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T6 LOVE OF LIFE SOUTH DUBLIN GENT, seeks lady mid-50s who loves life but missing a friend or companion/soulmate to share those special moments. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T7 DUBLIN GENT, 67, NEVER MARRIED, cheerful, cultured, unpretentious, presentable, respectful. Too many interests to mention. Seeks positive lady to share the joy of life, the joy of living and the joy of laughter. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T8 NORTH CORK MAN, LATE 50s, single, shy lonely. Interests in many things. WLTM down to earth non-professional lady with no family or ties for shared mutual pleasure. Age or size unimportant. Ideally living in North Cork area. Discretion assured. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T9 DUBLIN WIDOW NS, 70s, kind, educated (‘I’m told I’m attractive), seeks honest, caring widower for friendship, companionship for the Golden Days! Varied interests: outdoors, current affairs, reading, cinema/theatre, quizzes, travel, and game for a laugh. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A1 DIVORCED CORK LADY WLTM gent 65-75 for companionship. Interests include archaeology, walking, dancing and adventures. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A2 DUBLIN NORTHSIDE WIDOWER, early 70s, full of life with many and varied interests. NS, SD. Spring approaching and need a lovely lady to hold my hand! Discretion assured. Seeking friendship and possible relationship. ALA REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A3 SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN PROFESSIONAL LADY (64) WLTM genuine, unattached gent for friendship, possible relationship. I am petite,

considered to be a good conversationist and very feminine. I have travelled extensively and am interested in the arts, history, science, theology and current affairs. Also enjoy walking and reading. GSOH, NS, SD. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A6 TIPP LADY WLTM LADIES aged 60-75 from Limerick, Clare Tipperary area for outings and days out and for a having a chat. Interested in crafts, reading, and arts. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A7 EDUCATED, ATTRACTIVE SOUTH EAST MAN, 66, divorced, no family and no ties WLTM sincere lady 50-75 for mature relationship. Very honest, genuine, respectable, kind and caring. Enjoy walking, reading, current affairs, travel, good conversation, theatre, sport, keeping fit and active. 6ft in height, NS, SD with GSOH. All genuine replies welcome. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A8 SOUTH EAST FEMALE (60) with an outgoing, positive personality, WLTM genuine gent for friendship and possible relationship. NS, SD with many interests, including walking, travel, dining out and bridge. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A9 KERRY/LIMERICK BASED LADY, 60s, returned emigrant would like to hear from similar males and females for friendship, travel, socialising. NS. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A10 SINGLE PROFESSIONAL, SOUTH DUBLIN LADY, mid 50s, good looking, slim, 160cm, enthusiastic, university degree, interested in walking, ballet, ballroom dancing, theatre, yoga, healthy lifestyle, WLTM A single professional, caring man with similar interests, 55-63, NS, SD, for friendship, companionship, leading to possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A11 MIDLANDS MAN, RETIRED PUBLIC SERVANT, EARLY 60s, WLTM an interesting lady for friendship and travelling. Widely travelled, no ties, enjoys walking, fishing, cycling and outdoor activities and travelling. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A12 WIDOWED MIDLANDS LADY, 60s. NS, SD, GSOH, enjoys good company, music, dancing, walking, reading, foreign travel and weekends away in Ireland. WLTM gentleman with similar interests.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A13 SINGLE SOUTH DUBLIN LADY,mid 50s, good looking professional, interested in ballroom dancing, hillwalking, ballet, theatre, yoga, healthy lifestyle, WLTM a single professional man with similar interests, aged 57-60, fit, NS, ND and DGOH, for friendship and companionship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A14

WIDOWED DUBLIN LADY, 60s, NS, SD, attractive, active, fit, with outgoing personality. Enjoys walking, music, theatre and dining out. WLTM educated, sincere gent with GSOH for friendship and companionship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A15 DUBLIN MAN, LATE 50s, returned emigrant, WLTM men and women with similar experience who may be interested in meeting and possibly to form a group. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A16

nature etc., would like to find a pen friend or/ and a friend to enjoy good things in life. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X3 LONELY REFINED EDUCATED 65 year old man seeks female soul mate anywhere in Ireland. Love theatre, literature, cinema, walking. Tall, grey, handsome with GSOH. NS. Like a glass of wine. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X4

NORTHSIDE DUBLIN MALE VEGETARIAN, 63, interested in meditation, walking, nature etc. NS, ND, WLTM similar males and females for friendship.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X 18 DUBLIN WOMAN, 50, INTERESTED IN WALKING, travelling, cinema, cooking and meeting new friends.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X19 ATTRACTIVE NORTH CO DUBLIN LADY, (60) with outgoing personality, NS, SD with many and varied interests WLTM respectable gent who would appreciate and treat her nicely. Age range 50s to early 70s REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W1

DUBLIN WIDOW, EARLY SIXTIES, but don’t look it, WLTM caring widower for friendship and socialising. Interests include reading, gardening and eating out. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A17

ROMANTIC LADY. Kind and caring, divorced, no ties. Enjoys walking and socialising, travel, cinema, theatre and bridge. I am NS, SD and WLTM a gentleman Late 60’s with similar interests for friendship and companionship in the Dublin area. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X5

NORTHSIDE DUBLIN LADY, 39, Libra, welleducated and travelled, smart, kind and caring, enjoys good conversation, dining out in decent restaurants, cinema and theatre. WLTM a man with GSOH and similar interests for romance and maybe more. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A18

SOUTH SIDE DUBLIN MALE, 61, NS, SD, slim; dress well; have GSOH; very active. Like classic/traditional music, hiking to country side; travelling; dining out in decent restaurants. Would like to meet lady with good dress sense who can hold a decent conversation and has GSOH. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X6

MATURE LADY (60) with outgoing personality would like to match up with lady or gent with a view to spending the coming winter (long term) in the Canary Islands to escape the unpleasant Irish winter. Would suit someone interested in peace, relaxation and friendship. Age 55 or over. NS, SD preferred. REPLY YO BOX NUMBER W2

FEMININE DUBLIN LADY, EARLY 60s, well-travelled, semi-retired, fit, fun and engaging. WLTM a kind, laid back, easy going gentleman who has sound values and principles. And a wee twinkle in his eye! Would like to hear from you! REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A19

MIDLANDS WIDOWER, 60’s, non-smoker, social drinker, sincere with GSOH, interests include music, cinema, par-3 golf and gardening, would like to meet attractive petite lady for friendship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X7

WEST OF IRELAND MAN EARLY 60s WLTM sincere lady for friendship/relationship. I am genuine, honest, caring. I like music, walking, DIY, sport, animals and country life. ALA. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W3

PERFECT GENTLEMAN 67, Dublin, digital, active, cheerful, sharing, caring, positive, respectful, vibrant, house, car, fully single, full of life, love and laughter. Seeking similar lady, to share the joyful wonder of life. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X9

GAY FEMALE NS, LATE 50s, Munster area WLTM same for friendship/companionship. NS only REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W4

DUBLIN GENTLEMAN, 60s, WLTM lady for friendship/companionship. Interests include golf, bridge, dancing and reading. ALA REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y1 WICKLOW-BASED LADY, 60s, returned emigrant, would like to hear from emigrants of similar age, with a view to friendship or perhaps forming a Returned Emigrants Association? REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y2 SOUTH DUBLIN LADY, attractive, with outgoing personality, likes outdoors, walking, theatre, travel, dining out, WLTM sincere, active, unattached man in his 60s for companionship and perhaps deep friendship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y3 SINCERE CAVAN WIDOWER, young 67, NS, ND, presentable, kind and caring. Seeks gentle, caring lady soul mate with no ties. Interests include country life, walking, nature, reading, dining out, weekends away etc. Photo appreciated and exchanged. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y4 WIDOWED DUBLIN LADY, 60s, NS, no ties, would enjoy company of man of similar age or older. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y5 ATTRACTIVE CORK LADY, 64, semi-retired WLTM kind sincere gentleman with common interests for friendship, travel and the simple things in life. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y6 PROFESSIONAL GALWAY LADY seeks honest and caring male companion (single or widower) fifties or early sixties for friendship. Interests include reading, walking, some gardening, cinema, travel etc. NS, SD, GSOH. WLTM man in Galway area of similar age and interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X1 60 YEARS YOUNG DUBLIN WOMAN seeks male ballroom dance partner to attend social dances in Dublin area. Having attained bronze level in both international standard and Latin dances. I seek a partner who leads well; a plus if you also dance the Hustle REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X2 ATTRACTIVE, EDUCATED WIDOW, 65, interested in gardening, music, reading, arts, animals,

ATTRACTIVE 51 YEAR OLD professional woman in County Louth, NS, GSOH, interested in life and all it has to offer! Enjoys music, literature, cooking, theatre, driving to name but a few. WLTM a gentleman in the same age group with similar interests, a GSOH and a positive outlook on life.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X10 DUBLIN WIDOW, recently retired, professional, varied interests, films, music, outdoor life and travel. WLTM sincere gent and hopefully end up as Soul mates! REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X11 WILD ATLANTIC WAY MAN seeks lady for weekends away, theatre, cinema, country walks, eating out and frequent travel to the West from anywhere in Ireland. Refined, educated and house trained 64 year old. Tall, grey and handsome with GSOH. ALA. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X12 SINGLE LADY 58 from East Europe, attractive, warm personality, many interests. WLTM honest caring gentleman 58-68 for genuine lasting relationship.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X13 69 YEAR OLD IRISHMAN just back from working abroad, seeks female partner 63 to 73 for company, perhaps romance. Loves theatre, cinema, walking and talking. Friendly and easy-going. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X14 HI I’M A 52 year old woman who would like to meet men in the Dublin area aged 50-55 for friendship, my interests are reading, music and dining out. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X15 GALWAY MAN LATE FIFTIES. Interests include walking, reading, farming, travelling and gardening. WLTM woman of similar age and interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X16 DUBLIN SOUTHSIDE FEMALE aged 52 WLTM males or females for friendship, companionship or socialising. My hobbies are walking, gardening, swimming, travelling and dancing. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X17

DUBLIN NORTHSIDE WIDOWER, 65, many and varied interests, seeks lively Dublin-based lady for dining out, travel, cinema, walking etc., and of course for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W5

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, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, 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 26th September 2015 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).

www.caoga.com

Sudoku 10 issue subscription to Senior Times magazine to be won! The prize in this issue’s Sudoku puzzle is a ten issue subscription to Senior Times so you’ll never miss out again!

Send your completed puzzle to: Caoga Sudoku Competition , Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. The first four correct entries drawn are the winners. Deadline for receipt of entries is October 24th 2015. Name:................................................................................................ Address:............................................................................................. ....................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................... Email: .............................................................................................. Insurance renewal dates: Motor ......................... Home: ............................ I understand that by entering the competition, J.F.Dunne Insurances may contact me to quote for my home or motor insurance and include me in their email newsletter mailings. 92 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

A unique Home and Motor Insurance for the over 50’s available on-line www.caoga.com or speak to our customer service advisors on lo-call 1850 730 930 Caoga is a quality J.F.Dunne Insurances product and is offered on a tied agency basis with Zurich Insurance for Household and AIG Europe for Motor. Other insurance products also available on-line. J.F.Dunne Insurances Ltd is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. J.F.Dunne Insurances Ltd is part of the J.F.Dunne Group

COMPETITION WINNERS FROM LAST ISSUE SUDOKU: Subscription to Senior Times Rose Lee, Cork CROSSWORD: €200 worth of Viviscal womens hair products Senior No. 71 .. solution Anne Hearne, Mooncoin, CoTimes Kilkenny 1

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Incrediwear revolutionary pain relief for arthritis injury and circulatory problems

Win a break for two at Dundrum House, Co Tipperary The resort is located in the picturesque heart of County Tipperary, and is hometo one of Ireland’s top-ranking parkland golf courses and full leisure club with 21 meter pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and gym. With 62 bedrooms as well as 20 self-catering apartments and houses, guests enjoy excellent value midweek and weekend breaks throughout the year. Choice of two restaurantsonsite. There is also so much to see and do right on the doorstep including Holycross Abbey and the Iconic Rock of Cashel. To be in with a chance of winning the prize of two nights accommodation with breakfast and one dinner for two, simply answer this question: How many restaurants does Dundrum house have? Send your entries to: Senior Times Competition, Dundrum House Hotel Golf & Leisure Resort Dundrum, near Cashel, Co Tipperary Or email: reservations@dundrumhouse.ie Deadline for receipt of entries is 23rd September. First correct entry drawn is the winner

Worried about Dementia? Annie Dillon, Alzheimer Society Acting Manager advises Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of conditions. Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia are two of the most common types. Of the 48,000 people living with dementia in Ireland, the majority live at home in the community (63%) and most are cared for by a family member. 94 Year old volley ball Lady on far right wearing Incrediwear knee braces

Incrediwear came about as a result of chiropractor Jackson Corley taking a bad fall off his bike and herniating 3 disks. He could not walk and ended up in a wheelchair. As his background was also chemistry before becoming a chiropractor he created a back brace for himself harnessing the circulatory effects of Germanium and charcoal, and embedded them in the fibres of the brace to increase blood flow and ease inflammation. Within a few weeks his foot and back started to heal but his knee started to hurt so he put the same substances into the knee brace. Then his feet were numb so he developed a sock and the numbness went away. The substances (germanium and charcoal) are activated by your body temperature – they vibrate the cellular walls in your body – oxygenate the blood and bring the inflammation down. Pain is therefore dramatically reduced. This is completely natural and you can wear the products 24 hours a day. The best part is that you can feel the effects instantly. If you have poor blood flow to the feet it may only take 30-60 seconds for your feet to warm up Incrediwear can be purchased in selected pharmacies (for your local stockist check: www.incrediwear.ie)

There is still a stigma surrounding dementia, which makes it difficult for people living with the condition. Kathy Ryan, a member of the Irish Dementia Working Group who has Early Onset Dementia explains: “People with dementia have a neurological condition which affects our memory, behaviour, relationships and so on, but we are still ourselves. People have turned their back to avoid me in my local supermarket. I understand this is to do with people being uncomfortable, but I want people to know it is extremely hurtful. We need to be socially engaged like everyone else.” The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) advocates for people with dementia and provides a range of services around the country. You can visit the ASI website on www.alzheimer.ie to get information and help prevent dementia. You can also call the free & confidential helpline on 1800 341 341 or email helpline@alzheimer.ie.

Crossword Crossword Number 72 by Zoë Devlin

ACROSS 1 6 10 15 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 32 34 35 36 40 41 43 44 48 49 50 53 56 57 60 61 64 67 68 70 72 74 75 77 79 80 81 83 88 90 91 93 94 95 97 98 99 100

Let tempers be calm in this month (9) A bombshell for Super Sir! (8) All actors, Michael, Vanessa, Corin and Lynn (8) Egg on this reproductive cell (3) Eery gangs in Anne Bronte’s first novel? (5,4) Italian fascist dictator, Benito ___ (9) Wolfgang ___ Mozart, 18th c. composer (7) Ape or monkey (7) Alan Jay ___, lyricist of ‘My Fair Lady’ fame (6) Force such as Gestapo, strikes an electric pose? (6,6) Tommy who ‘Never felt more like singing the blues’ (6) Narrow platform for models at fashion show (3-4) Frank McCourt memoir after ‘Angela’s Ashes’ (3) Modernise, bring to latest state of technology (6) Capital city of N. Vietnam (5) US comic singer, dancer and actor, Danny ___ (4) It takes weeny ladles to make this crumbly cheese! (11) Droop .. slump (3) Health resort near a spring (3) State capital of Arkansas (6,4) Stately aquatic bird with long neck, usually white (4) Persons who join with others in business (10) Island off NW coast of Co Donegal (4) Irish-born dancer, choreographer, Ninette de ___ (6) George Eliot’s 19th c. novel ‘___ Marner’ (5) Barry Humphries’s creation, Dame Edna ___ (7) Turkish empire or hassock (7) County town of 42 Down (5) Poet, ___ Heaney or uilleann piper, ___ Ennis (6) Plaything to fly or bird of prey? (4) Lewis Carroll character or soup in a truck motel? (4,6) Cooper, Lineker, Oldman or Glitter? (4) Approximate calculation of quantity or worth (10) Fluid product of inflammation (3) HELP! ... - - - ... (1,1,1,) Nickname of New York City (3,3,5) Employed ... utilised ... secondhand (4) ‘Oh ___ Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling’ (5) ... if not ... except under circumstances (6) Former TD __ McManus or film star __ Taylor (3) Snuggled, nuzzled, drew close (7) Elected council in communist country or former union (6) Feelings of foreboding or evil to come (12) Pattern of diamonds usually on socks or pullovers (6) Former Confederate state on the Gulf of Mexico (7) Unusually large garment size (7) Henry VIII married ___ of Aragon, Howard and Parr (9) Painting of inanimate objects (5-4) Rider Haggard’s novel or Charles Aznavour’s song (3) Calmest, most tranquil and unagitated (8) Run-down apartment building (8) Gregarious, chattering birds (9)

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 16 21 28 29 30 31 33 35 37 38 39 42 44 45 46 47 51 52 54 55 58 59 60 62 63 65 66 69 71 72 73 76 78 82 84 85 86 87 89 92 96

Most acute, most incisive, most astute (8) Contemplative, brooding, seriously thoughtful (7) Winged goddess of dawn in Greek mythology (3) Large island in Malay Archipelago (6) Popular variety of red and yellow eating apple (5,4) Leather belts with supporting straps worn by army officers. (3,7) Philosopher Bertrand or movie star Jane (7) Chess piece AKA castle or type of crow (4) Pop group of Scary, Posh, Ginger, Baby & Sporty (5,5) Glorifies, lauds, praises (6) Excrement of seabirds used as fertiliser (5) Natives or inhabitants of the U.S. (9) Large oval-shaped chocolate confection (6,3) Women’s headdress worn at formal occasions (5) Day celebrated the day after All Saints (3,5) Land and the buildings on it - business location (8) Relatives by marriage (2-4) Colouring materials for fabrics or hair (4) Knife fixed to end of a rifle (7) Region around the south pole (9) White Anglo-Saxon Protestants or stinging insects? (5) How long something has existed (3) Raised surface for speaking or performance (8) Humourously sarcastic or ironic (3) County of the Burren and Shannon airport (5) American filmstar from 50’s to 70’s, ___ Gardner (3) Inherited custom or practice of long standing (9) Are there bees, hens etc in these unlicensed drinking establishments? (8) Fontaine, Collins, Crawford or ___ of Arc? (4) Writer O’Flaherty, actor Neeson or footballer Brady (4) Potatoes in short (5) Apes, copies, reproduces someone’s behaviour (8) Concisely, in short (2,5) Used to indicate maiden name of married woman (3) Walks heavily or produces an imprint (6) Pesky software enabling conversation via Internet (5) Rudyard Kipling’s prize-winning novel set in India (3) Italian adventurer and womaniser (8) Original tradename of the beef stock cube (3) Cut of meat taken from side and back (4) Go to the Orient, mate and see this small puppet (10) Smartest attire - traditionally worn to church (6,4) Artists such as Epstein, Moore, Rodin or Giacometti (9) Looney Tunes puddy-cat, always chasing Tweety-pie (9) Were elves seen taking this coffee-break? (9) Large teaching hospital in Dublin 8 (2,5’1) Do they eat Chicken Kiev in this Republic? (7) Native of Milan, Florence or Rome perhaps? (7) Electronic mediums for playing visual media (6) Small seed-eating songbird (5) Portuguese parish associated with Marian apparitions (6) Pungent bulbous plant using in cooking (5) 7th c. monk & scholar, the Venerable ___ (4) Laugh out loud or lots of love in text-speak (1,1,1)

Win All Natural/Organic Hair Products and Cosmetics worth over €100! Senior Times, in association with Simply Natural, is offering hair and cosmetic products worth over €100 in this issue’s crossword competition. The prize includes organic shampoo, conditioner and colour care treatment and hair colour of your choice, plus a mitt for exfoliation, body cream, volumising hair mousse and a facial exfoliant.

Name:

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Address:

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Phone:

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*Subject to availability

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Send your entries to: Crossword Competition, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. The first correct entry drawn is the winner. Deadline for receipt of entries is 26th September 2015.

Crafts A pocketful of posies Connie Mc Evoy cushions herself against losing all her everyday aids This cushion has been used for years and was treated to a wash each year at Christmas, Easter and at the end of summer. When taken from the washing machine last Easter the old cover was in a rather frayed state so I decided to treat it to a new one. “The side cushion habit” was started when I realized that I wasn’t the “Full” of an arm chair (needing a cushion at my back so as my feet would reach the floor and one at each side so as I would feel that I was seated in one in the first place). Since reaching senior status it has occurred to me that frequently having just complimented myself on being seated comfortably I realize that my specks, pen and mobile are elsewhere in the house, this predicament means getting unseated, a search and getting seated again. In an attempt to “better things” for myself in future the inclusion of two little pockets in this cushion cover was a must and I have trained myself to fill the pockets with appropriate items and place the cushion beside me in the armchair when I sit, then take it with me when I leave the chair. Last week when we had great summer weather this comfort cushion was placed on a garden seat on many occasions, it has served its purpose

For the pockets, 1 piece each of moss green cotton and iron on Vilene measuring 16.5cms x 14.5cms, 1 piece each of 14 count ivory Aida and iron on Vilene measuring 12cms x 10cms, 1 metre of yellow satin bias binding (15mm) and a spool of matching machine thread. Small amounts Anchor embroidery cotton thread in colours-orange, light orange, yellow, green, light green and black. 1tapestry needle no24 and1fine sharp, a ruler and pencil, some pins and paper for cushion template. Begin by cutting the foam to desired shape using a sharp scissors, then place the cushion pad on a sheet of greaseproof paper and draw around it using the pencil. Cut excess paper away, this is the template used for cutting the cushion cover. With right sides facing pin both pieces of fabric measuring 43cms x 48cms together, place the template centrally on top and pin securely in place.

Requirements as follows:

Using the pencil draw the template shape onto the top piece of fabric. Allowing a 2cms margin all around edges (for seams and Zip/fastener insertion) cut out the cushion cover through both layers of fabric using a sharp scissors.

1 piece of foam measuring 35cms long x 44cms wide, x 2cms deep. 2 pieces of fabric measuring 43cms long, x 48cms wide, some light velour (light tan) was used in this project and a spool of matching no40 machine thread. 130cms of cording, Zip fastener measuring 28cms, scissors, and an iron.

Cut out the moss green fabric and iron-on Vilene for the larger pocket and also the Aida and iron-on Vilene for the smaller pocket. Work the cross stitch and backstitch motif on the smaller pocket first, 2 strands of embroidery cotton was used throughout this project. On completion it was washed in tepid

96 Senior Times l September - October 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

suds, rinsed and ironed while still quite damp before the iron-on Vilene was fixed in place at the back of project. Stitch strips of bias binding along both sides of the larger pocket first using the machine sewing thread and then along the top and bottom before fixing the iron-on Vilene in place at the back of the pocket. Hand-stitch the small pocket in place centrally onto the right side of the large pocket using 2 strands of embroidery cotton. Insert the Zip fastener along the centre of the long/straight or bottom edges of the cushion cover and continue to stitch seam at both sides of zip, press seam and open the zip. Stitch the pockets in desired position on the right side of cover that is to be the front of the cushion. With right sides facing inwards stitch the side and top sections/seams along the pencil outline (making sure that the bias bound pocket is not caught in the side seam). Snip corners and trim excess seam fabric, turn the cushion cover right side out by pulling it through the open zip. Press the entire cover and slip stitch the cord edging in place over the seam forming a loop at centre top. Roll or fold the foam pad in order to push it through the opening, open pad and push it to fit evenly inside the cushion cover, it is now ready for carrying/storing specs, mobile phone etc as well as providing a little comfort!

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