Senior Times Magazine January / February 2017

Issue 85 January/February 2017

NOW E3.00/£2.70

The magazine for people who don’t act their age

Back in the best sellers: Profile of Deirdre Purcell

P e te r D o w d a ll o n W in te r G a rd e n in g

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

Wexford - So Old, So New

How ‘fair’ is the Fair Deal?

Sinead Ryan explains

Walking the Comeraghs

Letting off steam

www.seniortimes.ie

8

January - February 2017

Contents 26

58

News:

2

Update on AMD:

Back in the best-sellers:

8

The ICO explains the condition, the symptoms and

Nigel Baxter profiles novelist and broadcaster Deirdre Purcell Memories of The ‘Royal’:

60

treatment options 12

Thomas Myler recalls the glory days of Dublin’s Theatre Royal

Northern Notes:

68

How ‘fair’ is the Fair Deal:

Golf:

70

18

Sinead Ryan explains

Dermot Gilleece recalls some marathon and bizarre

Dancing the years away:

22

golfing wagers

Maretta Dillon talks to choreographer Phillipa Donellan about dance classes for older people.

Beauty:

74 77

Activity supplement:

50

Winter wonderland:

Letting off steam:

26

Peter Dowdall on winter gardening

Lorna Hogg examines our fascination with steam engines

Wine World:

79

which is no longer the preserve of schoolboys and ‘anoraks’.

Convert your spare rooms into cash:

84

What’s on in the arts:

32

Maretta Dillon reports on upcoming events in the arts

phenomenon that is Airbnb

around the country County Profile – Wexford: focusses on Co Wexford Activity Special:

50

Featuring a walk in the Comeraghs and how to keep fit Featuring the Mimozas resort near Cannes

Publishing Directors: Brian McCabe, Des Duggan Editorial Director: John Low Editor At Large: Shay Healy Consultant Editor: Jim Collier Advertising: Willie Fallon - willie@slp.ie 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.,

Meeting Place:

86

Know your rights:

91

Crossword:

94

Crafts/nature:

96

35

In the first of a series of county profiles, Senior Times

Mimozas Cannes:

Pat Keenan saw at first-hand the accommodation

58 Cover photo of Deirdre Purcell by Adrian Weckler

Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Tel: +353 (01) 4969028.

Fax: +353 (01) 4068229 Editorial: John@slp.ie Advertising: willie@slp.ie Sign up to our newsletter and be in with a chance to win some great prizes at www.seniortimes.ie Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

News Now Get Men Talking cancer awareness programme

Get Men Talking is a new awareness campaign by the Marie Keating Foundation to highlight the most common cancers diagnosed in men and how to spot the symptoms early. One in three men in Ireland will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.

It’s also known as colon cancer, rectal cancer, or colorectal cancer – depending on where in the bowel the tumour is. Bowel cancer is usually diagnosed in people over the age of 55.

Your chances of developing bowel cancer is increased if you drink alcohol, smoke, are overweight, do not exercise, and eat a lot of red meat or processed foods.

Prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in Ireland. One in eight men here will be diagnosed with it. Your chances of getting prostate cancer go up as you get older so if you’re over 50, talk to your GP about the PSA blood test every year. It’s quick, simple and your doctor will not need to perform a digital exam if your PSA is normal!

Bowel cancer Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Ireland. Over 1,440 Irish men are diagnosed with it every year.

BowelScreen – The National Bowel Screening Programme offers free home test kits to men and women in Ireland aged 60 to 69 every two years. The BowelScreen programme will, over time, be offered to all people aged 55 to 74.

Lung cancer Of all the cancers, lung cancer is the biggest killer in Ireland. Nearly 1,300 men are diagnosed with lung cancer every year in Ireland. Most lung cancers are due to smoking so if you do smoke, quit now. Visit Quit.ie or Freephone 1800 201 203. Lung cancer doesn’t display many symptoms in its early stages. But once

2 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

the cancer develops, it will start to affect the lungs.

Skin cancer Women are more likely to get skin cancer than men. But men are more likely to die from it.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland. You can prevent skin cancer by being SunSmart.

Testicular cancer Testicular cancer is the presence of cancer cells or a cancerous growth in or on the testicles.

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men aged 15-34. However, it’s actually very rare and it’s very treatable if caught early enough.

The Marie Keating Foundation’s Get Men Talking campaign is supported by Astellas

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News

Fingal launches Healthy & Positive Ageing report The Minister of State for Communities and the National Drugs Strategy, Catherine Byrne, TD, recently launched the Fingal Healthy & Positive Ageing Indicators Report .

The Report, which is entitled Fingal Healthy & Positive Ageing 2016, was published as part of a Healthy and Positive Ageing Initiative established as a joint programme between the Department of Health, The Atlantic Philanthropies, the HSE and Age Friendly Ireland and as part of the National Positive Ageing Strategy in the Programme for Government.

Among the key findings of the Report was that while only 3.4 per cent of people aged 55-69 years had great difficulty accessing essential services, the figure rose to 16 per cent for those aged over 70. Almost one in five people over 55 reported that a lack of transport causes difficulty for socialising or essential tasks while 20 per cent of those aged over 70 have difficulty carrying out maintenance or upkeep on their homes.

Eighty per cent of those aged 55-69 and 64 per cent of people over 70 say their health is good or very good but 17 per cent currently smoke daily which is higher than the national average of 14 per cent. Over two-thirds of people aged 50+ admitted low levels of physical activity but 82 per cent of people aged 50+ reported high life satisfaction, although almost nine per cent of that group have

Elected representatives with Deputy Mayor of Fingal Eithne Loftus, Minister Catherine Byrne, TD, Fingal County Council Chief Executive Paul Reid, Nora Owen, Chairperson of Fingal Age Friendly Alliance, and report author Sinead Shannon, Programme Manager with the Healthy & Positive Ageing Initiative, at the launch of the Fingal Report. severe depressive symptoms.

More than two thirds of those aged 55+ meet socially with relatives, friends and colleagues at least once a week. However, six per cent meet people socially less than once a month or never.

Almost one in five of those aged between 55 and 69 and 18 per cent of those aged 70+ volunteer at least once a month while 17 per cent of people aged 55+ in Fingal said they experienced negative attitudes or behaviour towards them as an older person.

‘Over 60s missing out on benefits of dairy foods’ Most Irish adults over 60 are not getting their recommended three or more servings of dairy products a day, according to a new study.

The study by Trinity College, Dublin, involving over 4,000 people, found that consuming dairy and yogurt in particular makes a significant contribution to the vitamin B and vitamin D status of the older adults.

On average, men and women had a little over

one portion of dairy per day, with men consuming fewer. Those who ate the most dairy, including cheese, also had the lowest BMI. Men and women consumed more cheese than milk and continued to do so even as they got older..

Only 3.5 per cent of those studied were getting the three or more servings of dairy a day.

Lead author of the study, and research fellow at the Centre for Medical Gerontology at Trinity, Dr Eamon Laird, said: ‘We found it significant that intakes of dairy rich foods were generally inadequate and particularly so in men.

‘The data suggests that older adults appear to be missing out on a relatively healthy and easily available source of vitamins and nutrients’.

Over 80 per cent of gardeners use their interest to relieve stress In the first-ever survey done in Ireland linking gardening to ‘Mindfulness’, 89per cent of respondents say they have experienced Mindfulness in their garden.

gardening ability, a remarkable 99.6 per cent said that gardening or spending time in their garden in their experience increased well-being in their life.

The survey, carried out by The Irish Garden magazine, defined Mindfulness as: ‘The non-judgement of oneself and moment-to-moment awareness of one’s thoughts and feelings.’Gardening was understood to mean the action and non-action of spending time in the garden.

• 82 per cent consciously use gardening to relieve stress in their life.

• 95.5 per cent reported feeling more grounded and in touch with the earth and nature through gardening.

• 95 per cent said being around plants and growing plants leads to well-being.

• 96 per cent considered gardening to increase the joy, satisfaction, love and happiness in their life.

From a total of 1,567 respondents incorporating a wide mix of social status, age profile and

4 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

• 90 per cent had experienced a feeling of freedom or liberty in their garden.

• A further 91 per cent see gardening as a source of inspiration and 86 per cent used gardening as an expression of their inner creativity, colour and all the senses.

88 per cent said they felt more themselves in the garden. Increasingly, well-being experts are also realising the importance of this factor in effective self-care health practices.

For more information see www.irishgardensubs.com/survey.html

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The Goodbody 2016 EIIS Fund invests in established Irish SMEs that showed strong potential for further growth over the next three to four years. EII schemes and funds are increasingly in demand as they provide one of the very vehicles to allow 40 per cent tax relief on investments, according to Aoife Lavan, Senior Pensions and Tax Advisor at Goodbody.

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Profile

Back with a best-seller

‘I’ve done a lot of jobs in my time and I have to say writing novels is the toughest.’

Photograph Adrian Weckler

Nigel Baxter talks to novelist-broadcaster Deirdre Purcell whose just-published 14th book has already topped the best-seller list Deirdre Purcell is many things. Acclaimed novelist, broadcaster, former actor, and also an extremely considerate spouse.

The Meath-based writer explains that when the muse strikes her, she takes notes. If it happens to be the middle of the night, her sleeping husband next to her, well...

‘Unfortunately my husband wakes extremely easily so what I do is I have a stack of bits of cardboard and a pencil so I can write what occurs to me in the middle of the might quietly without turning on the light,’ she says with a laugh.

Now 14 novels into her writing career, Deirdre is something of a renaissance woman. She wanted to be a jockey growing up but instead acted with the Abbey Theatre, was a news anchor at RTE, a print journalist and then novelist, as well as adapting her own Falling For A Dancer for the small screen.

It’s been a full life so far and there’s no sign of anything slowing down. Not long before we spoke another author, John Banville, had sparked no little opprobrium with his comment

that no writer was a good father. I wondered whether such a description was applied in equal measure to writers who happen to be women.

‘I marvel at women who say they can knock off a novel in between feeding the baby and getting the dinner ready because the essence of writing is to go deep into your own psyche and you need peace and quiet and privacy to do that,’ she says. Deirdre recalls the first time she was able to do just that, going away somewhere with lovely food and company. ‘But the actual experience for me was the permission to do nothing but write. It was kind of official. It was the first time I thought of myself: hey, I’m a writer.’

She says it is engrained in women, and particularly those with children, that you have to ‘fit it in’ when it comes to writing. ‘Whether you end up being a good parent or a bad parent, I think it depends on the personalities.’ As for Banville, she says he has tapped into something universal - the tussle between being a parent and the need to have time and space to write. Often, ‘you just muddle along,’ she says.

‘I’m sure accountants have the same thing

8 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

when they’re coming up to end of year.

Certainly actors have it, who have to go abroad. It’s not unique to writers. It’s common to anybody who has a very intense job, which writing is.’

Her own writing modus operandi includes stopping each day in the middle of a sentence so there is something to start with the next day.

She says one change that has developed over the years is her ability to spot some common mistakes early - even before they happen.

‘That means that I make more mistakes, probably,’ she says, ‘or that I recognise more mistakes the more experienced I become.’

This apart, however, her mode of working is much the same as it has been over recent decades. ‘I know some writers who start with a spreadsheet, they map out what the plot is.

I know some who write out the key scenes of the plot first and join them. Edna O’Brien once said, memorably, the hardest thing is to get the, from lunch to dinner. And that is very true.

‘I start with a single image, a single picture in my mind of a character, and I just start at the beginning and explore.’

Profile

Fellow judges Ciaran Carty, left, and Giles Foden at the Hennessy Literary Award ceremony

Deirdre Purcell: ‘I start with a single image, a single picture in my mind of a character, and I just start at the beginning and explore.’

Photograph Irish Examiner

This means the middle can become the end and the beginning can drop out or become a little scene somewhere else, but it all serves the people moving around within the pages. ‘I am very character based,’ she explains.

She says being a journalist and being a fiction writer are two completely different things, yet certain skills are transferable. Likewise her early work on stage, and most particularly when she was with the Abbey Theatre.

‘It’s accidental, but looking back on it I see that it was a sequence. I didn’t realise it at the time but I see now that everything I did fed into the next thing and the next thing and the next thing. I’ve had a lot of different experiences, I’ve met a lot of people, I did a lot of those in-depth interviews for the Sunday Tribune, it must have been about 300, all different types of people, so I’ve had a lot of time to think about human beings and how they should react.’

A common mistake, she believes, is for the writer to fall in love with some of the characters, and forgetting that they are there to serve the plot. ‘I get very involved in minor characters, because I just love finding out what makes them tick.’ So she puts the brakes on and concentrates on the person she believes she is meant to be writing about. She sets herself deadlines - another journalistic trait - and says she needs them or else she would keep pussyfooting around.

When she was working for papers such as the Sunday Tribune she specialised in interview and event pieces and she says that she tended to write in narrative arcs. She is always cutting, she says, as she tends to write long.

‘I’ve done a lot of jobs in my time and I have to say writing novels is the toughest,’ she says. ‘It’s totally immersive. It came be frustrating at the beginning to get the thing going, it’s like cranking up an engine, but one you’re started in on it it’s extremely difficult to get it out of your head.’

She is in tune with the creative process, describing how other writers use different pens or inks before then revealing one of her own rituals. She says she goes to their second home on the Beara Peninsula – ‘a magical place. I always try and finish my novels there.’

‘Again it’s the permission thing - I have permission to do nothing except write, and that’s all I do down there. If I’m down there I don’t go out, I bring enough food with me, it’s pretty pathetic food but that’s what I do. And usually I come to a decent end to a novel.’

When it’s all over, she says she does not get nervous about how it is going to go, either commercially or critically, nor is she simply basking in the warm afterglow of a job well done. ‘Neither of those,’ she confirms. ‘I wish I could, I’d love to be able to bask in an afterglow but unfortunately no. It’s kind of ‘onto next

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 9

Profile

Chicago is a city Deirdre Purcell clearly adores: ‘I lived there for five years and I absolutely love it,’

one’s life. She speaks with palpable affection about the characters in her book and how it echoes some instances in real life of people falling in love at first sight. ‘It does happen,’ she says. ‘I’m intrigued by why it happens.’

business’, really. The way I feel about the book is I have done my absolute best with the book and I cooperate completely with any efforts to get publicity for the book and I will answer any questions about it because I owe it to the book and the publishers. But once it’s gone from me it has no emotional connection at all.’ That might seem surprising, given that she invests some emotion in the characters, but as she puts it, ‘they’ [the characters] detach themselves from me.

You will also know Deirdre from What It Says In The Papers on RTE’s Morning Ireland, a job which suits her definition of herself as a ‘news junkie’ but which also involves getting up at 2.am to be in RTE for 4am. She then combs through the dailies, utilising her news values and looking for the offbeat yarn that the listener will love. ‘It’s full on, but I love it,’ she says.

Deirdre still values newspapers and is delighted that books are still selling despite the popularity of Kindles. There is a newspaper component in her latest novel The Husband, in which central character Marian is a freelance journalist. Already in one relationship, she encounters another man through her work and ends up interviewing him and then getting into another relationship in a development which propels the action in the book. Deirdre is quick to state that nothing like this has happened to her in real life, and instead explains how this is another ‘what if?’ that can happen in some

Four signed copies of Deirdre Purcell’s latest book to be won!

The Husband does have one component which reflects something of Deirdre’s own life: some of the action takes place in Chicago, a city she knows well and clearly adores. ‘I lived there for five years and I absolutely love it,’ she says. ‘I actually get homesick for Chicago and I try and get there every two or three years. I’m just back from it. I just love it.’

The permanence of novel writing is one thing, the delight in people coming up to her and talking fondly about characters she has created is another. ‘That is something very heart-warming - something I have created in my head, out of my own psyche, really, has had an effect on somebody who feels that character is actually a human being. That you have created a character who is a human being who lives on,’ she says. It sounds like a nice counterbalance to the ‘solitary’ nature of the writing process.

‘I don’t show it to anybody when I’m writing,’ she confesses. ‘I prefer to keep it to myself.’

Her motto, like her writing, is to just keep going.

‘Once you keep one foot in front of the other, that’s what my mother always said and that’s the way I live,’ she says. Therefore it’s no surprise that while everyone else focuses on The Husband, she is already looking ahead.

‘I have an idea, I’ll let the idea bubble away for a whole to see if it’s a real idea,’ she says.

‘I always know but at the beginning I have to get the idea and let it sit and then I find myself writing little notes about it.’

Sounds like the cardboard and pencil will be back in action before we know it..

10 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Senior Times, in association with the publishers, Hachette Books Ireland, is offering four copies of Deirdre Purcell’s latest book The Husband in this competition.

To enter, simply answer this question: How long did Deirdre Purcell live in Chicago?

Send your entries to: Deirdre Purcell Competition, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

Or email to: john@slp.ie The first four correct answers drawn are the winners. Deadline for receipt of entries is January 20th 2017.

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Popular History

Memories of The ‘Royal’ James Cagney, seen here with The Royalettes, played the Royal for one night in November 1958

Thomas Myler recounts the glorious history of Dublin’s celebrated theatre, The Royal, whose capacity of nearly 4,000, was the largest theatre in Ireland and Britain, and second biggest in Europe.

When the workers with their pneumatic drills, shovels and the wrecking ball moved into downtown Dublin one sunny morning in July 1962, it was truly the end of an era. The Theatre Royal, an iconic showplace in Hawkins Street for generations of fans and where all the big international stars appeared on its expansive stage, was being demolished to make way for a building long considered an eyesore. Hawkins House is headquarters of the Department of Health.

The stars who played the Theatre Royal reads like the index to a who’s who of show business. Besides legendary Irish entertainers such as Jimmy O’Dea, Noel Purcell, Jack Cruise, Cecil Sheridan, Danny Cummins, 12 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Frankie Blowers, Eamon Andrews, Eddie Byrne, Count John McCormack and many more, the Royal played host to the likes of Bob Hope, Gracie Fields, Joan Hammond, Maurice Chevalier, Judy Garland, James Cagney, Margot Fonteyn, Danny Kaye, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Yehudi Menuhin, Arthur Rubinstein, Bill Haley, Frankie Vaughan, Paul Robeson, George Formby, Anna Neagle, the Three Stooges, Frankie Laine, Johnnie Ray, Liberace, Nat King Cole, Allan Jones and many others.

That impressive cast over the years would match any list of big names anywhere, including London and Broadway. It was said in the entertainment world abroad that if you were not on the Royal, you hadn’t really made it internationally. The theatre was a ‘must’ stopover – and the

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Popular History

Danny Kaye was a popular performer at The Royal

managements and agencies dared not disagree. Movies were introduced to the Royal in 1935 by popular demand, following the trend set by the Radio City Music Hall in New York. The first film was The Man with Two Faces, with Edward G Robinson and Mary Astor and which had just been released in America.

There were no less than four Theatre Royals. The first was built in 1662 in Smock Alley, now Exchange Street in the Temple Bar quarter. Today, the building under its original name Smock Alley, is a cultural venue and home to the Gaiety School of Acting. The other three Royals were built between 1821 and 1935, all in Hawkins Street. The theatre would be known, certainly in later years, as simply ‘the Royal.’ With a capacity of nearly 4,000, it was the largest theatre in Ireland and Britain, and second biggest in Europe.

Judy Garland, another of the famous Hollywood stars who appeared at The Royal

George Formby, seen here with his wife Beryl, appeared a number of times at The Royal

er what his terms were if the singer’s busy schedule permitted. Parker removed the eight-inch Cuban cigar from between his clenched teeth and said: ‘£10,000. It’s good value.’ When Elliman informed Parker that such a figure would be beyond their budget for a week, Parker exploded: ‘You’ve got me wrong, bud. Not £10,000 a week. £10,000 a performance!’

A few major international stars did miss out the Royal, notably Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. When Presley was honourably discharged from the US Army as a sergeant in March 1960 after serving two years in Germany, there was a rush by promoters all over the world to sign him for tours. The most celebrated popular music phenomenon of his era, Elvis had originally burst on the entertainment scene in January 1956 when he recorded his first album for RCA in their Nashville studios and he would have a succession of hits. Now, free from army duties, he was back where he left off, and a bigger attraction that ever. Stories were circulating that he would do a short British tour culminating in several shows at the London Palladium.

End of conversation. Negotiations also broke down for British appearances, unquestionably because of Parker’s huge financial demands.

Presley never did perform outside America in any event, with more than enough concert, movie and recording commitments to keep him busy at home.

Luois Elliman, who managed the Royal, contacted Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker, a former carnival barker, in Los Angeles and suggested playing the Theatre Royal whenever they were free. Louis estimated that a week with Elvis would pack the place and asked Park

Sinatra was touring Britain in the summer of 1950 when Louis Elliman got a phone call from Frank’s European representative Lew Grade who ran a very successful agency in London. Grade said Sinatra had a few spare dates and was anxious to appear at the Royal, which he had

14 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

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You’re Amazing. Let’s keep you that way!

Popular History heard a lot about. Ol’ Blue Eyes had yet to achieve the mega-stardom he would reach in a few short years and in many ways he was struggling with his career. This was three years before he made a spectacular comeback with an Oscar-winning performance in the movie From Here to Eternity, to be followed by his subsequent worldwide success as a recording artiste. But back in 1950 he was struggling.

Additionally, he had walked out on his wife Nancy, his childhood sweetheart, after 11 years. Sinatra would be accompanied by his lover at the time, the tempestuous Hollywood screen goddess Ava Gardner, whom he had been transporting around Europe. Nancy said at the time: ‘My life with Frank has become most unhappy and almost unbearable although I do not contemplate divorce proceedings in the foreseeable future.’ Elliman said he could book Sinatra for a week but only on the condition that Gardner would not accompany him.In those pre-permissive days Louis knew only too well that because of the notoriety attached to the couple, and fearing a backlash from the church and other religious groups, it seemed too much of a risk for Catholic Ireland. Grade insisted that it was Sinatra and Gardner or nobody. The deal fell through. As it happened, Sinatra did eventually make it to Dublin. Nearly 40 years later he played the old Lansdowne Road rugby ground, now the Aviva, for two nights in May 1989 and was back two years later at the Point, now the 3 Arena.

Then there were the Royalettes, that glamorous line-up of 12 high-stepping chorus girls modelled on the Rockettes, the resident group, then and now, at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. The Royalettes would often recall the sheer hard work that went into their routines under the direction of choreographer Alice Dalgarno and costume designer Babs de Monte. As well as the afternoon and evening shows, the girls, with an average age of 19, had to rehearse the following week’s production which would have completely different routines and consequently new steps. Although ultra demure by today’s standards, the Royalettes had a pleasantly sensual cachet in a 1940s-‘50s-‘60s society where public sexuality was frowned on. Part of the mystique was their good looks and un-attainability. Boy friends were strictly off-limits and they were required to recite a decade of the Rosary in the dressing room.

Hollywood tough-guy James Cagney played the Royal for one night in November 1958 in a show billed as Shake Hands with the Irish. The title coincided with a movie being made at Ardmore Studios in Bray, Co Wicklow called Shake Hands with the Devil, with Cagney in the lead role.

The idea was that he would perform his famous song and dance routine exactly as he had done it in his 1942 movie Yankee Doodle Dandy in which he played the famous theatrical impresario George M Cohan, and winning a Best Actor Oscar in the process.

Evening Herald. Then the gold-tasselled curtain slowly came down on the stage, followed by the heavy safety curtain covered with advertisements so familiar to regulars. Dublin‘s legendary Theatre Royal was no more.

Several reasons were given for its demise, such as the arrival of TV, the booming showband scene and the spiralling cost of visiting artistes. But other people, like the comedian and Royal regular Cecil Sheridan, felt it was finance that prompted the new owner, the English impresario J Arthur Rank to sell out to property developers. ‘No, it wasn’t TV or anything else that brought an end to the grand old theatre, a landmark in Dublin,’ said Sheridan. ‘It was a matter of how much money you can make out of a square foot of property. If only the Royal had survived, it would have made a most splendid venue for rock concerts and the like. But in the end, it was greed, greed, greed that did it.’

Showtime at the Royal by Thomas Myler is published by The Liffey Press, Dublin at €19.95 (£16.95 sterling at time of going to press). Full information can he had at theliffeypress@gmail.com Telephone: 01-8511458 or 086-856-1815.

Thomas Myler is a well-known writer, historian, journalist and author of six previous books. He was show business and TV editor of the Evening Herald for many years and has written for newspapers and magazines at home and abroad, including the Hollywood Reporter.

He writes regularly for Ireland’s Own and lives in Dublin

The film company said Cagney would be free and he would be delighted to do it. He was a big success too. When the orchestra struck up, he danced a soft shoe shuffle towards the microphone and went into his big number to rapturous applause. Before leaving Shannon the next day, he regretted not having enough time to explore his Irish roots, as he said his dad was a second generation Irishman from Co Leitrim and ran an Irish bar in New York, and his grandmother on his mother’s side was also from Leitrim.

Three copies of Showtime at The Royal to be won!

Inside four years, the famous old theatre would be a heap of rubble. The night of 30 June 1962 was one for the memory. Following the final movie The Hands of Orlac, about a pianist who gets a hand transplant from a strange doctor and starring Christopher Lee, the last show went on. ‘It was throat-catching and heart-tugging as a host of familiar performers trooped onto the stage, briefly did their spot and then bid farewell to Jimmy Campbell and the orchestra, and the vast audience,’ said the

Which year did James Cagney play The Royal?

16 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Senior Times, in association with the publishers, The Liffey Press, are offering three readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book.

To enter, answer the following question :

Send your answer to The Royal Competition, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Or email: john@slp.ie The first three correct winners drawn are the winners.

Deadline for receipt of entries is January 20th.

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Care

How ‘fair’ is the Fair Deal?

Just when you thought you had finished with the most expensive time in your life; the mortgage paid off, the family reared and only yourself and your pension to manage, along comes the biggest financial hit of all: nursing home care. Sinead Ryan reports CSO figures show the over-80s population will rise from 128,000 in 2011 to between 470,000 and 484,000 in 2046 when there will be more senior citizens than children in the country. While it means we are accessing better medical care and living longer, it creates an enormous financial burden both on families and the State.

Most people wish to stay in their own home as long as possible, and prefer to get assistance by applying to the HSE for a home care package (HCP), or paying privately.

Criteria are strict for HCPs, and inconsistent throughout the country.

There is no automatic entitlement to them and the application forms can be difficult and time consuming to complete.

On the plus side, HCPs are not means tested but will take into account the level of family support an elderly person has. Many people report being refused hours if they have a family member living nearby, even if they themselves are living alone. A GP letter can often be supportive toward the decision.

The State provides 15,450 home care packages, across 10.4m hours but without means-testing or contribution from recipients, it has been admitted by the Health Minister that it will become far too expensive to provide in the future.

Home Instead, Senior Care and Bluebird are examples of private care providers. A case worker will assess your needs and provide, as far as possible, a suitable carer. Prices are graded depending on the level of care required (e.g. ‘companionship’ up to full mobility needs, such as hoisting, feeding and washing). It is expensive, and rates of around €20 18 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

– 30 per hour are typical; more if the care is overnight. There is full tax relief available on fees.

In many cases, however, it is simply not possible to continue at home, and a residential nursing home is the only option. Homes are either public or private, but all are assessed and inspected by HIQA. 50pc of those entering nursing homes do so via acute hospitals.

75pc of nursing homes are in the private sector and fees can be eye-watering, climbing up to €7,000 or more per month, especially in Dublin. Even with the full tax relief, it is a huge commitment. Small wonder then that so many opt for the Nursing Home Support Scheme, or Fair Deal. Indeed, it is the only way of accessing the public, and equally good, nursing homes.

Introduced in 2009 by then Health Minister Mary Harney, it operates a little like a pooled insurance scheme where the State pays for all the care, and the resident contributes according to their income and assets.

It means wealthier, home owning applicants are subsidising poorer ones.

Although not means tested of itself, (i.e. anyone can apply), there are two methods of assessing the application: • Medical: Need for long term care for activities of daily living (e.g. washing, dressing etc.), level of family/community support and possibly a physical examination.

• Financial: Income and assets, including the family home. The first €36,000 of savings is excluded (€72,000 for a couple), and if the patient’s spouse is still living in the family home, only half income/assets are taken into account.

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Once accepted, patients pay 80pc of their total income (e.g. their pension, rental income, share dividends etc.) PLUS 7.5pc p.a. of their assets as a yearly contribution. The family home asset is capped at three years’ worth, i.e. 22.5pc, for life, and can be deferred until after they/their spouse pass away, under a loan arrangement which carries an interest rate.

The resident keeps 20pc of their income (as pocket money for items not covered by the nursing home, which is a surprisingly long list and includes hairdressing, newspapers, certain therapies and even incontinence wear), and the remainder of assets. For that, they get full nursing home cover. See the table for worked examples.

A note of caution: Fair Deal is often considered a ‘no brainer’. This is NOT so. Although excellent in many respects, it is not for everyone, and those who are higher income earners, with more expensive property may find it’s no cheaper than paying privately. For this reason, it is recommended you calculate very carefully the costs involved for you, personally.

Some higher income earners opt to “run down” their savings by paying the nursing home bills themselves (there is full tax relief available at the marginal rate of the person paying the bill – this might be an adult child who is a 40pc taxpayer), and only enter Fair Deal when this has been exhausted.

If the family home is sold within 5 years of entering the scheme, the full loan becomes repayable immediately. Therefore, it is not possible to gift the house to children to avoid paying the contribution. In addition, any surplus cash generated from the sale becomes assessable at 7.5pc p.a.

If the house is rented out, the income generated is treated as pension i.e.

80pc is foregone. It is because of this anomaly, sadly, that many homes simply lie vacant since selling, or renting, attract a charge.

Calculation of Fair Deal Contribution Case Study

Single Person.

House value €200,000 Income: pension €233 paw.

Savings: €20,000 TOTAL Single Person House Value €800,000 Income: €2,000 per month Savings: €100,000 TOTAL Couple (one staying in the family home): House Value: €700,000 Joint Income: €2,500 per month Savings: €100,000 TOTAL

Annual Contribution Year 1 – 3

Annual Contribution Year 4+

€ 15,000

€ 0

9,692

9,692

0 24,692

0 9,692

Calculation based on 7.5pc of assets (family home capped after 3 years) with first €36,000/€72,000 disregarded, plus 80pc of income.

How to find a nursing home 1. Check the HIQA approved nursing homes close to where you live (www.hiqa.ie). Price is not an indicator of quality as the home may receive subvention from other sources, but is generally based on location, as with all property. The latest inspection report is under each listing, but some may be out of date.

2: Visit potential homes and bear in mind any specific requirements your loved one has, e.g. dementia, physical disability etc. Some cater more specially for certain conditions, so it’s worth getting a recommendation.

3: Look for space, light and a good ratio of care staff. Is there space to exercise and move freely? What kind of activities take place? Are residents kept busy? Are therapists available on staff or to visit? How is health and safety handled? Ask for daily menus, and a tour of all the public areas.

Most of all – did you a good ‘feel’ about the place; after all, this is a home from home and should be warm, friendly and caring.

Helpful websites: www.nhi.ie (Nursing Homes Ireland) www.hiqa.ie (Health Insurance Quality Authority) www.hse.ie (Health Service Executive)

ELDER CARE: TAX RELIEFS AND CREDITS Long Stay Nursing Home Full tax relief on fees to a HSE-approved nursing home, at marginal rate (20/40pc) of the person paying the bill.

Form MED 1 from Revenue Employing Carer at Home Tax relief on spend up to €75,000 p.a. toward cost carer, via agency or privately - at marginal rate (20/40pc).

Form HK1 from Revenue Respite Care Grant €1,370 p.a. tax free, paid to those getting Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit. Payable in June; Form RCG1 from Dept of Social Protection (www.welfare.ie)

60,000

0

19,200

19,200

4,800 84,000

3,720 22,920

26,250

0

12,000

12,000

2,100 40,350

1,627 13,627

20 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Home Care Package Apply for ‘hours’ via HSE through needs-based assessment. No automatic right to HCP. Provides Physio/Occupational therapy, home help, etc.

Apply through health centre. Form HCP1

Sinead Ryan writes on consumer affairs for The Irish Independent and is a frequent broadcaster on RTE.

2017 Senior Citizen And Family Carer: The Essential Guidebook Enhancing the Lives of Older People and Their Families After 12 years of providing professional home care services, Home Instead Senior Care has become not just the most trusted care provider, but also a leading information provider on an array of ageing issues. When the phone rings in a local home care office, more often than not it is a family carer in crisis and she or he needs help. It may have to do with an older parent who has suffered a fall, or is starting to wander, or may be living in isolation.

Sometimes the solution is not to simply avail of Home Instead Senior Care services, but to talk to people and provide them with the information that will enhance their lives and make a real difference.

More often than not the organisation lends an ear for listening or a shoulder to cry on. It helps people connect with the all-knowledgeable and helpful public health nurse in their community or providing families with information that will make their life easier, such as the availability of home care grants or tax relief on private home care fees.

“This guidebook is a compilation of our learnings after providing 12 years of home care services in Ireland. It is the information that families often come looking for and we hope that its helps you age wisely and live the live you want no matter your age” said Ed Murphy, CEO and Founder of Home Instead Senior Care in Ireland.

According to the OECD, if you live to retirement age, the chances are that you will live another 16 - 20 years and maybe much longer and there’s a good chance you’ll be at the receiving

end of ageism. In Ireland, strong stereotypes of older people persist. Negative and ill-informed assumptions as to the relationship between a person’s age and a person’s capacity all too often shape people’s decision making.

This type of thinking poses barriers to older people. In addition to information that will help you age wisely, the guidebook includes case studies that helps raise awareness of ageism.

The case studies are based on real life people who have shared how stereotypes about ageing have effected them. It also providers you, the reader, a chance to reflect on how ageism might be countered in your daily life.

“As Ireland’s leading home care provider, we hope to help people of all ages live a happy, health and independent life at home. We ask you to join us in this undertaking and encourage you and your loved ones to do what you can do age wisely. Perhaps take this as a time to reflect on what it means to you to age wisely or challenge how you may think about ageing or the way we as a community view older people. Please share this important resource with at least one person who will benefit from this information and help yourself and others to age wisely”, continued Murphy.

TESTIMONIALS FROM THE EXPERTS WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE GUIDEBOOK

so that they are up to-date with current provision but most importantly it gives them knowledge to make informed decisions and information on how to avail of services.”

Maureen Kavanagh CEO Active Retirement Ireland “Congratulations to the entire team behind the Senior Citizen: The Essential Guidebook for succeeding again in producing one of the most useful publications available for older people, their families, carers and advocates. The combination of accessible, clearly laid out, information on benefits and entitlements, as well as case studies providing practical illustrations of some of the services and opportunities available to older people make this a genuinely essential resource.”

Eamon Timmins - Chief Executive, Age Action “Senior Citizen: The Essential Guidebook provides older people and their families with relevant and up to date information on a range of issues to help them age successfully. We are delighted to once again contribute to this comprehensive resource.”

Karen Smyth – CEO, Age & Opportunity

“HISC Senior Citizen guidebook provides really easy to follow and clear information on a wide range of services and benefits for all of us as we age. Active Retirement Ireland members love to get their hands on this booklet Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 21

Leisure

Philippa Donellan: ‘I think what’s evident is that people really love learning whatever age they are and they want to perfect the movement, to remember it and do it again’.

Dancing the years away..

Maretta Dillon talks to choreographer Philippa Donellan about dance classes for older people.

‘Everybody is creative and everybody has the right to be creative whatever age they are. Everybody has the right to be expressive and to dance,’ says Philippa Donnellan. A professional dancer and choreographer, Philippa leads CoisCéim Dance Theatre’s outreach programme - BROADREACH. ‘I run this weekly class for people 50+ which is part of an extensive programme for that age group. This class is the basis of the programme and happens weekly in the Carmelite Centre in Dublin’s city centre. It’s a lovely big space and we have quite a large core of people attending - 40 people on average. Many come to the class purely for recreational, keep fit or wellbeing but many of them also take part in creative choreographic projects. The programme that I and the other choreographers have developed is about both fitness and health but also creative, performative and choreographic’.

Philippa begins the class with a series of warm up exercises before working with the group on simple dance sequences. She acknowledges the well-known benefits of dance. ‘It is really important because it does exercise both the brain and the body in terms of memory, stami na, general wellbeing, fitness, muscle, bone strengthening. There are all those definite kind of physical aspects that are so important to general fitness as we age’.

However, the social aspect is also very important to why the class is so successful’. Philippa confesses that, ‘when I first started doing these classes, I didn’t realise how important the social element was. A lot of people make friends through the classes’. She also adds that, ‘I love working with the people because you meet people from all sorts of different backgrounds. There is a real cross demographic and that’s quite rare actually. Whatever frame of mind I might be in coming into the class, I always leave feeling better’.

Contemporary dance is not always an easy form to get to grips with.

‘People feel it is quite inaccessible to them and they don’t understand it’, says Philippa. ‘But by participating they find out what the movement means’.

While Philippa stresses the fun aspect to the class, she also wants it to 22 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

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Leisure

be somewhat seri ous. ‘I think what’s evident is that people really love learning whatever age they are and they want to perfect the movement, to remember it and do it again. I am a professional dancer and take real pride in my craft.

Working with non-professionals, there has to be that serious intent in every single project or class that we give - a real sense of importance.

Going back to her earlier statement, she thinks that, ‘finding new ways to move is an exciting process. Dance as an art form is very adaptable to being creative. It is a really poetic and freeing language. You don’t have to explain, you don’t have to talk about it - you can just simply do it’.

She is very much of the belief that, ‘if you give people the structures or even the environment and let them go it can be hugely beneficial in terms of feeling their own personal creative form of expression’.

Philippa comments that, ‘an older person dancing brings something else that I think is quite profound to the form. When you see an older person dancing, it is a lot slower that someone of twenty, of course. But when you see someone do a movement, it is richer and has a depth to it that you really see and then of course, it is beautiful to see the very individual way someone lifts their arm or moves across the floor. It is so much more pronounced which makes the choreography really interesting’.

BROADREACH also runs Dance Ensemble, a performance group for people aged 50+. The group is informal with no membership needed and open to people of all abilities and experiences.

‘Originally we developed Dance Ensemble as part of the Bealtaine festival and that ran for seven or eight years. That was really exciting, accessible and involved a lot of performances.

Since then we have found other opportunities in which performances can take place,’ adds Philippa. Dance Ensemble usually takes place in the Spring.

Drop in dance classes continue at The Carmelite Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2 every Wednesday at 2pm until December 14 and from January 11, 2017. Classes are €5 – pay at the door. Wear loose comfortable clothing and light weight rubber soled shoes.

More details from www.coisceim.com/classes-fifty-plus

CoisCéim BROADREACH is supported by the Arts Office of Dublin City Council and the Arts Council.

24 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

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History

Letting off steam

Lorna Hogg examines our fascination with steam engines which is no longer the preserve of schoolboys and ‘anoraks’..

Our love of trains has never gone away, and they’re increasingly popular as they become faster, sleeker and smoother. We still love steam trains, however, as witnessed by the tens of thousands of people who turned out to see The Flying Scotsman’s return to the tracks. These days, rail museums are popular attractions and increasing numbers enjoy steam train rides, and volunteer or fund-raise to restore old engines. If any more inspiration is needed - we have some world class engines and rail museums close at hand..

people once worked on the original 20 acres of the Railway Works, where thousands of locos and carriages were built. The 1960s saw major changes, however, and by the 1980s the Loco Works buildings were empty and derelict. Derby College has developed the site, restoring The Roundhouse, which is now a public space.

Derby designs

It was said that conversation here centred on hunting and shooting, whilst in the nearby pubs, it was about shunting and hooting! Wander around the area’s old pubs, administrative buildings and the railway village. It remains a popular residential area, retaining front doors painted in claret red, the colours of the old Midland Railway.

You can take a guided 45 minute tour around the Roundhouse, and old engine shed, ending with a cuppa, for £6. Group tours are also welcomed. Check www.visitderby.co.uk for booking details and available dates, or book online. Tel. 0044 (0) 1332 643411

In the English Midlands, Derby’s Roundhouse was built in 1839 as a repair shed for steam locos. It was at the centre of Derby’s extensive railway works, spanning the 1830s to 1960s, in the city where three railway companies united to create Midland Railways in 1844.

The Roundhouse, the oldest surviving turning shed in the world, allowed sixteen locos to be repaired and fitted with new parts, thanks to a central turntable allowing them to be moved in and out of the building individually. Some 4,500

However, many of the of the old railway buildings remain, including the Tri – Junction Railway Station, where you could even buy tickets for travelling dogs! Visit the comfortable Midland Hotel, built for First Class passengers.

26 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Steaming ahead STEAM, based in the old railway yards of Great Western Railways in Swindon, Wiltshire, has so much to see that at least three hours visiting time is recommended. Unsurprising, as the history of Great Western Railway life is reflected, and you can experience it through displays and audiovisuals, which include input from ex- rail workers, and some hands-on experiences.

In association with

NO FLY CRUISING Holidays from Dublin

05 June 17 9 nights Fjordland Splendour 14 June 17 12 nights Iceland’s Land of Ice & Fire 26 June 17 11 nights Spain, Portugal & France 07 July 17 7 nights Summer Gardens & River Seine 14 July 17 7 nights Scottish Highlights & Faroes For a brochure call 074-9135960 or contact your Local Travel Agent For a brochure call 074-9135960 JMG Travel, Gortahork, Co. Donegal or contact your Local Travel Agent Tel: 074 91 35201 • Email: jmgtravel@eircom.net

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CELEBRATING WILDLIFE AT ALL AGES Lifelong Learning at Dublin Zoo Dublin Zoo has a programme called ‘Lifelong Learning’ which has been developed for the special interests of older generations and active retirement groups. Both teaching and learning takes place in recognition of the vast knowledge and experience older people have to share.

Book your group in to learn more about the changing role of zoos over the decades and explore the conservation challenges many species now face in the wild. It’s also an opportunity to recount memories of visiting Dublin Zoo as a child.

Lifelong learning runs the second Wednesday of every month at 11am from February until November.

Other dates are available on request.

For more information or to make a booking call 01- 4748932 or e-mail education@dublinzoo.ie.

The most celebrated steam engine of all time, The Flying Scotsman, which is now back at part-time work on steam trips, but is normally based at the National Railway Museum in York.

STEAM, based in the old railway yards of Great Western Railways in Swindon, Wiltshire, has so much to see that least three hours visiting time is recommended.

Walk down from the modern Swindon station, past the old railway village, where many workers lived. Follow in their footsteps under the tunnel, into the yards,where 12,000 people once worked. Reconstructions, with figures based on real site workers, plus original equipment give an idea of the complexity of the work involved. Life in the works, from welding, assembly, painting, fit out and administration is here, with 400,000 artefacts, plus regular friendly ex-worker volunteers. Discover women’s war work here, how DIRT money got its name, why workers often became deaf and how all equipment, from pen nibs and string net luggage racks to rail sleepers was made here.

You can ‘drive’ on the cab of a train simulator, and practice changing signals (which are heavy!) and points. Descend into an inspection pit, and walk under the engine Caerphilly Castle, before trying out one of Queen Victoria’s sumptuous royal saloons - and a 1930s buffet car.

The City of Truro engine is here, along with

the King George V, as well as The Caerphilly Castle, which ran on the famous Cheltenham Flyer service. Also, if you suspect that one of your ancestors worked here, visit the Wall of Names, or check the extensive research resources. Don’t miss a visit to the excellent onsite cafe.

A Day Ticket costs £8.50, £6.80 for seniors.

Don’t forget that the Swindon Designer Discount Village is also based in the old railway yards, next door to STEAM. National treasures The National Railway Museum at York has 300 years of railway history, and 1,000,000 rail related objects – and that’s just for starters.

This is home to some of the world’s most famous engines. The 1938 steam engine speed (125mph) world record breaker Mallard is here, along with the iconic Shinkansen, the 1974 Japanese Bullet Train. Art Deco designed

28 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

The National Railway Museum at York has it all under one roof

classic, the opulent Duchess of Hamilton and an early Eurostar are all on hand. There are knowledgeable and friendly guides, plus talks, displays and exhibitions to enjoy. This is also the normal base of the Flying Scotsman, which is now back at part-time work on steam trips.

Get details of appearances and trips on www. flyingscotsman.org.uk York’s old railway engineering sheds are filled with carriages, platforms, history and artefacts ranging through signage and nameplates, signalling, knobs, knockers and uniforms, all detailing life on the railways. You won’t go hungry here, with choices including The Dining Car Restaurant, (set in a carriage), and the Mallard Cafe – plus knowledgeable and friendly guides throughout.

Access to railway carriages is a major attraction, and the world’s finest collection of royal carriages in open for exploration. Sample Queen Victoria’s `Palace on Wheels’, and

An Unmissable Experience!

Cobh, The Queenstown Story An informative and emotive story of Irish emigration.

Learn about Cobh’s connection with Titanic and the Lusitania.

Cobh Heritage Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork, Ireland.

Open 7 days 9.30 – 5.30 (Sundays 11am) Tel 353 (21) 4 813591 Find Cobh the Queenstown Story on Facebook

Email: info@cobhheritage.com Web: www.cobhheritage.com

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Over 50’s Getaway

Westgrove

from

€130 pps per night

Subject to availability. Terms and Conditions apply.

Enjoy 2 Nights Getaway including: - Full Irish Breakfast each morning - 2 Course Dinner each evening with a glass of house wine - Admission to Castletown House - 10% discount card for Kildare Village - Complimentary access to the Leisure Club & Swimming Pool - Complimentary car parking - Complimentary Wi-Fi Only 5 minutes drive from Sallins Railway Station 30 minutes from Dublin City Centre Check out our website for other local activities

www.westgrovehotel.com Relax & enjoy all Kildare has to offer from the perfect location

Westgrove Hotel & Conference Centre, Clane, Naas, Co. Kildare.

T: +353 (0)45 98 99 00 E: reservations@westgrovehotel.com W: www.westgrovehotel.com

Travel

Merlin, which occasionally served on the GNR Enterprise run, from Dublin to Belfast, until the 1950s. Now splendidly restored, with original sky blue livery, Merlin draws the crowds on regular steam trips.

King Edward VII’s smoking saloon, and a 1941 Royal Carriage. Try First, Second and Third Class carriages. ‘Travel’ in the Bullet Train, see a replica of Stephenson’s Rocket, and stand alongside the massive Chinese engine, at 15 ft. the largest single unit loco in the museum.

Equally impressive is the shop, with a wide choice of books, illustrations – and Hornby trainsets. Admission is free Planetary movements

Now you can ride on a replica Planet, for a short distance on the original railway, part of which runs through the Manchester Science Museum site.

We’ve all heard of Stephenson’s ‘Rocket.’

Fewer people, however, may be aware that his next design: ‘Planet’ was created in 1830, to run on the new Liverpool to Manchester Railway, and it covered 50 kms in one hour. Now you can ride on a replica Planet, for a short distance on that original railway, part of which runs through the Manchester Science Museum site.

It is the home of this version of Planet, which recently had a television moment. The engine featured in the TV series Victoria, the Queen and Prince Albert. Entry to the museum is free Ireland on line There are also plenty for ‘steam heads’ on this island. Take the very modern Bangor train

from Belfast to Cultra, to the Ulster Museum of Transport. This a first class museum, housing the Irish Railway Collection. There is a carriage from Ireland’s first railway, running between Dublin and Kingstown in 1834.

However, the star of the collection is indubtedly Maedb, the fastest and most powerful train built in Ireland, at Inchicore. Just as interesting are the carriages and engines used on narrow gauge and industrial railways, plus the intriguing transport that moved our great grandparents.

Plenty of memorabilia is on display here, from nameplates, to interactive displays. As they say here, visiting museums is hungry work, and the Ballycultra and Midland Tearooms can help with hearty, homemade food. www.nmni.com Steam dreams The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland holds regular steam excursions as well as diesel trips – but enquire early, as they fill up quickly.

30 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Flying Scotsman fans should go to www. flyingscotsman.org.uk for details of her touring season.

Steam Dreams, at www.Cathedrals Express, offer a wide range of day trips on the Flying Scotsman – but these sell out quickly.

Cathedrals Express also organise rail trips to Ireland. The 2017 trip, 14th –22nd June takes in Dublin, Killarney, Westport, and Dublin with a Belfast option. There are steam sections, and some optional steam trips, with Merlin expected to take part. Prices from £1795 pp. Single supplements apply. Contact Cathedrals Express.co.uk for full details ww.nrm.org.uk www.steam-museum.org.uk www.msimanchester.org.uk www.nmni.com www.steamtrainsireland.com www.CathedralsExpress.co.uk

Commission For Aviation Regulation

Taking passenger rights safely on board There are several laws which focus on the rights and entitlements of passengers who travel by air. Some of these address baggage issues, whilst some focus on safety, security or ticket pricing issues.

The Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) is responsible for enforcing two specific European ‘air passenger rights’ laws in Ireland.

The first of these establishes rights for passengers who are affected by flight cancellations, long delays or are denied boarding. This law applies to all flights departing from airports in Europe. It also applies to flights into European airports from third countries provided those flights are operated by Community-licensed carriers. So as a passenger, you might ask ‘what actually are my rights in those situations’?

In the case of cancellations, passengers are entitled to choose between re-routing - either as soon as possible or at a later date - and a refund.

Air carriers must look after passengers who opt to be re-routed at the earliest opportunity: that is to say the air carrier must provide meals, refreshments and accommodation as appropriate (where they do not, passengers should make their own arrangements and keep receipts for subsequent reimbursement by the air carrier). Compensation may also be payable unless the air carrier can prove that it should be exempted.

Where long delays are expected, air carriers must again care for passengers in the manner described above. Similarly compensation may be payable unless the air carrier can prove it should be exempted.

Furthermore if the delay exceeds five hours and the passenger decides not to travel, the air carrier must provide a full refund. However it should be noted that passengers who do not travel are not entitled to claim compensation as in a delay situation this right is contingent on actual arrival at the final destination.

Where denied boarding arises, passengers are entitled to compensation and they must also be given the choice between a seat on the next available flight or a refund.

The second law enforced by the CAR acknowledges that travelling by air can be a challenging experience for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility. This law tries to ensure that these persons have opportunities for travel which are comparable with other passengers. The law recognises that there are many types of disability and that the causes of reduced mobility can vary from person to person.

The rules state that any person who suffers from a disability - whether temporary or permanent and regardless of the reason - is entitled to

assistance when taking a flight. Of significant note is the fact that this assistance is provided free of charge. Under this Regulation air carriers (or their agents) can only refuse reservations or to embark passengers on the grounds of disability or reduced mobility in very limited circumstances.

Furthermore passengers have the right to receive assistance which is appropriate to their specific needs, at airports and on-board aircraft.

They also have the right to compensation where mobility equipment is damaged.

For more information on the rights prescribed in both Regulations, visit our websites www.flightrights.ie and www.aviationreg.ie.

Going abroad?

Do you know what your air carrier should do for you if your flight is delayed or cancelled?

Do you know if your tour operator or travel agent is licensed and bonded?

Visit our websites to find out!

www.aviationreg.ie Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 31

Culture Irish-based string quartet ConTempo take part in the Music for Galway Festival

Young and gifted Maretta Dillon reports on happenings around the country over the next few months Music is at the heart of arts activity this wintertime. Bel canto singer Cullagh Majella leads a concert of festive carols, song and poetry all in the atmospheric surrounds of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral in Cork on December 10. More details from everymancork.com.

Post-Christmas, Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, a masque or semi opera based on Shakespeare’s sublime, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is sung by students of the Royal Irish Academy of Music and IADT Dun Laoghaire, directed by Conor Hanratty with conductor David Adams. This sensual and engaging piece will be performed at the Samuel Becket Theatre on dates from Jan 8 to 14.

More details from riam.ie Music for Galway’s annual Midwinter Festival is celebrating young musical superstars from across the centuries. Midwinter Festival Prodigy is an entire weekend of chamber and vocal works composed by child and teenage composers, from Mozart and Mendelssohn

to Glazunov and Prokofiev. Not to be outdone and making her Irish début at the festival is child prodigy, eleven year old Alma Deutscher, whose mother is Irish, and who is acclaimed as one of today’s most exciting young composers. Alma performs many of her works on multiple instruments. Other artists performing in the festival include Irish soprano, Anna Devin, Swiss pianist Christian Chamorel and the Irish-based string quartets, ConTempo and Esposito. More information about the programme from musicforgalway.com To round out the season, the now well established TradFest Temple Bar hits all the right notes from Jan 25 to 29 with Fairport Convention headlining. More from templebartrad.com Director Martin Scorsese greets 2017 with the opening of his new film, Silence, out on January 1. This is something of a passion project for Scorsese who had been hoping to make it for some years. Liam Neeson features in this

32 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

tale of Jesuit priests in feudal Japan in the 17th Century. Expect a lot of interest. Something altogether lighter is promised in Damian Chazelle’s, La La Land, a terrific recreation of the classic movie musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in top form. Opens on January 13.

A new exhibition at the Crawford Gallery in Cork begins on Nov 18 and runs through the whole two months Made In Cork: The Arts And Crafts.Movement 1880’s–1920’s promises a fresh look at this very influential endeavour. Key artists from the period including James Archer, Michael J. McNamara, Joseph Higgins and the lesser known Annie Crooke and Kathleen Murphy O’Connor feature while art historian Vera Ryan is the curator. More from crawfordartgallery.com.

Finally, playwright Marina Carr’s new take on Tolstoy classic, Anna Karenina, is at the Abbey Theatre from December 7. One to watch.

#dontforget Saint Joseph’s Shankill; help them become Ireland’s first dementia village Saint Joseph’s Shankill is the only home in Ireland totally and solely dedicated to caring for people living with dementia. In Ireland there are approximately 11 people EVERY day diagnosed with dementia.

People living with dementia need AND deserve the best specialist care. All our staff are trained in the specific and complex skills needed to care for someone with dementia. We care for people in a home-from-home setting, at all stages of their dementia journey – from the early stages right through to the palliative, end of life stage.

Our vision is to lead the way in dementia care in Ireland and to become the country’s first ever dementia village.

Imelda and her husband Paul

We already have created six lodges at Saint Joseph’s and the communal area includes a chapel, a coffee shop, a cinema, lovely internal courtyards and expansive gardens for everyone to enjoy.

The village will offer more facilities and activities for people living with dementia, both resident at Saint Joseph’s and those living in the community. We will provide more day care places, social activities and a dementia community space accessible to all. Through our innovative concepts we will lead our wider community to be ‘dementia friendly’ enabling people living with dementia to live their lives as independently as possible supported by their friends and neighbours.

You can help to make a lasting impact today, tomorrow and long into the future for people living with dementia and their families.

We need to raise €50,000 to complete Phase One of our village and to start planning the next steps of our vision.

There are 55,000 people living with dementia in Ireland today, but this number will triple over the next 20 years.

So we’re asking you to support us in whatever way you can, you can donate online at www.saintjosephsshankill.ie

Imelda Sexton’s husband Paul is living with dementia and is a resident in Saint Joseph’s Shankill. She says, “Dementia is indiscriminate in its onset and can affect anyone, at any age; I know it happened to us.

A friend told me about Saint Joseph’s Shankill after Paul was diagnosed with early onset dementia. What an answer to prayer! “

Contact Siobhan 01 282 3000 or siobhan.grant@sjog.ie Please make cheques payable to Saint Joseph’s Shankill, and post to Saint Joseph’s Shankill, Crinken Lane, Shankill, Co Dublin.

ESCAPE TO THE WEST Enjoy Active Retirement Breaks at Salthill Hotel

Join us for 3, 4 or 5 night breaks at Salthill Hotel and enjoy some local activities in the beautiful surroundings of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Your Breakaway Includes:

- Overnight accommodation in our classic double or twin rooms - 4 course evening meal daily - Full Irish breakfast daily February

March

April

May

September

October

November

5 nights

€259.00

€259.00

€279.00

€299.00

€299.00

€279.00

€259.00

4 nights

€219.00

€219.00

€239.00

€259.00

€259.00

€239.00

€219.00

3 nights

€179.00

€179.00

€199.00

€219.00

€219.00

€199.00

€179.00

Prices based on per person sharing. No Single Supplement November and February.

Rates available midweek only (Sunday to Thursday). Group discounts available - Please contact the hotel direct.

Discover Galway’s Finest Four Star Hotel

Call: 091 522711 Email: reservations@salthillhotel.com Visit: www.salthillhotel.com Salthill Hotel, Promenade, Galway.

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Culture

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling star in La La Land

Events around the Country / Dec 2016 – Jan 2017 DESIGN AND VIOLENCE Science What happens when creativity, art and engineering collide with power, pain and politics?

Nov 14-Jan 22 / Science Gallery, Dublin Information: sciencegallery.ie A SECOND WORLD – ANY GIVEN DAY Visual Arts Exhibition by Bernadette Kiely exploring the passage of time and the transient, fragile nature of the physical world.

Nov 15 – Jan 7 / Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co. Meath Information: solsticeartscentre.ie THE HEIRESS Theatre Based on the novel Washington Square by Henry James and set in 1850s New York among the wealthy Sloper family.

Preview from Nov 17 / Gate Theatre, Dublin.

Booking / Information: 01 874 4045 / 874 6042 / gatetheatre.ie MADE IN CORK: THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT 1880’S–1920’S Visual Arts A fresh perspective on the Irish Arts and Crafts movement that brings together key artists of the period.

18 Nov - Feb 25 / Crawford Art Gallery, Cork Information: crawfordartgallery.ie

ANNA KARENINA Theatre New version of Tolstoy’s epic love story by acclaimed Irish playwright Marina Carr.

Dec 7 - Jan 28 / Abbey Theatre, Dublin Information: 01 878 7222 / abbeytheatre.ie CHRISTMAS AT THE CATHEDRAL Music Bel canto singer Majella Cullagh leads an evening of seasonal music. Presented by the Cork Intl Choral Festival.

Dec 10 / St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork.

Booking and Information: 021-450 1673 / everymancork.com ELEANOR SHANLEY Music One of Ireland’s foremost female singers for over two and a half decades is back for one night only.

Dec 16 – The Dock, Leitrim Information: thedock.ie SILENCE Film 17th Century Historical drama directed by Martin Scorsese about two young Jesuit priests voyaging to feudal Japan.

Jan 1 nationwide THE FAIRY QUEEN Opera Written in 1692 as a semi-opera recreating Shakespeare’s enchanting comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Jan 8 -14 / Royal Irish Academy of Music in collaboration with Design for Stage and Screen, IADT Dún Laoghaire Booking and Information: 01 632 5300 / riam.ie

34 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

LA LA LAND Film Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as the jazz pianist and aspiring actress who fall for each other in Los Angeles.

Jan 13 nationwide DUBLIN OLDSCHOOL Theatre Emmet Kirwan’s five-star spoken word odyssey about brothers, Dublin and dance music.

Jan 21/ Mermaid Arts Centre ,Bray, Co. Wicklow then later dates in London, Project Arts Centre, Civic Theatre Booking and Information: www.facebook. com/dublinoldschool/ MUSIC FOR GALWAY Music In 2017, the event celebrates musical prodigies from across the centuries including the one and only Mozart. Jan 20-22 / Town Hall Theatre, Galway Booking via Town Hall Theatre: 091 569777 / tht.ie / musicforgalway.com TRADFEST TEMPLE BAR Music Dublin’s premier celebration of Irish Trad & Folk kicks off with Fairport Convention, Billy Bragg and Maria McKee. Jan 25-29, 2017 Information and booking: templebartrad. com Finally, if you would like your event to feature in our list of What’s On please email: events. country@gmail.com

Travel

Wexford Enniscorthy Castle

Lorna Hogg Provides Some Ideas Next Time You Take A Trip To the Model County It’s set in the` cornerstone’ of Ireland’s Ancient East, and Wexford, with its ancient castles, towns and bustling ports, renowned gardens and beaches and range of festivals, all set in the sunny south east, can offer a range of attractions, excellent food and a wide choice of places to stay.

So, why not make 2017 the year to enjoy them?

Part of County Wexford’s past was as a Gaelic Kingdom of Leinster, whose capital was in Ferns.This pretty village is high on visitor lists,

with a Cathedral reputed to be the smallest in Europe. Ferns Castle dates from the thirteenth century, and its Norman structure can still be seen. The remaining south-eastern tower can be visited, and a winding staircase on the eastern tower will take you to the top, with superb views.

Wexford is castle country, and Johnstown Castle and Estate, originally dating from 1169, is a top attraction, with beautifully maintained ornamental gardens. Designed by Daniel Robertson, famed for Powerscourt Gardens, the

present 19th century Castle grounds include The Walled Garden, hothouse, woodland gardens and especially the lakes, draws garden lovers throughout the year. It is also home to the excellent Irish Agricultural Museum. With

Clayton Whites Hotel formerly Whites of Wexford

is centrally located in Wexford Town, only minutes from Wexford train & bus stations.

Young at Heart Special Offers 1 night dinner, bed & breakfast from €59pp 2 nights dinner, bed & breakfast from €118pp 3 nights dinner, bed & breakfast from €149pp Valid Sunday – Thursday. Subject to availability.

Clayton Whites Hotel offers: • Complimentary coffee/tea & homemade scone on arrival • Leisure Centre & Tranquillity Spa • No single supplement charge, subject to availability • Reductions at many of Wexford’s attractions • Excellent shopping only minutes’ walk from the hotel • Take a stroll on the quay front & nearby beaches

Book now with Amy and Sara Jane +353 53 912 2311 info.whites@claytonhotels.com claytonwhiteshotel.com

Travel

Hook Lighthouse

tractors, transport vehicles and the role and history of sugar beet, to village crafts, many will find familiar itemsfrom childhood on display here!

Enniscorthy Castle has been developed through a history dating from Gaelic Kings to Elizabethan adventurers, rebels and prisoners plus merchant families and has the added unusual attraction of roof access, affordring spectacular views. Another must-see is the Dungeon.

The county has played its part in battles over the centuries, and one of the top visitor attractions is the National 1798 Rebellion Centre, at

Enniscorthy. The key figures are represented here, with a 4D representation the Battle of Vinegar Hill Experience. This is the place to examine the early guns and musket weapons of the time – and discover the even more gruesome details of the battle.

Descendants of some of those emigrants formed the roots of one of the world’s most inspirational Presidents – John Fitzgerald.Kennedy. The Kennedy Homestead is nearby. You can visit the Homestead and Emigrant Trail at Dunganstown, New Ross

Another top spot for visitors is the Dunbrody Famine Ship, on the Quayside in New Ross.

Once on board this vessel, originally a cargo ship, but converted to carry emigrants, you can come to understand something of the harrowing details and conditions of those Famine voyages. The courage and hope of those who undertook them is well detailed, and the attraction is memorable for all.

Wexford’s landscape has been called a microcosm of Ireland. Ranging from wild coastline to territory to rolling hills, quiet villages, fertile river valleys and sweeping beaches with wonderful sunsets, it has something for all, with attractions reflecting its variety.

One of its more unusual attractions is the Hook Lighthouse. One of the oldest operational

Hook Lighthouse: The world’s oldest working lighthouse

The world’s oldest working lighthouse, famously dubbed one of the ‘flashiest’ on earth by Lonely Planet is a must see during a visit to Wexford.

Hook Lighthouse is one of the most popular attractions in the Southeast region.

The oldest operational lighthouse in the world marks the entrance to Waterford Harbour sitting majestically at the tip of the Hook Peninsula, an area of great beauty itself. The Lighthouse was purpose built some 800 years ago and it is still fully operational today, Hook Lighthouse truly is one of a kind!

www.hookheritage.ie • Tel: (051) 397 055

Take the Ireland’s Ancient East tour guided tour at the 800 year old Lighthouse and learn of its foundation with St. Dubhan, who tells the tale of monks who kept a beacon alight in the fifth century,

and William Marshal - the first Earl of Pembroke, who built the tower and married the daughter of Strongbow. Hear stories of lighthouse life before automation, and enjoy vistas of the Southeast for as far as the eye can see from inside the Lightkeeper’s Watchroom.

Guided tours of the lighthouse culminate with the spectacular view from the balcony.

In clear weather you can see for miles and in a storm the spray often reaches the top of the lighthouse!

Enjoy the Visitor Centre with gift shop, Art workshop, exhibits and café at Hook Lighthouse, which are open all year around. Free facilities include parking, toilets, garden picnic areas and wi-fi.

Visit Hook Lighthouse and enjoy a guided tour a special ‘seniors’ rates

Travel

The Irish Agricultural Museum at Johnstown Castle

lighthouses in the world, and dating back to the thirteenth century, it was built by the Earl of Pembroke, to guide ships into Waterford Harbour – and the climb is well worthwhile!. Away from the gales, the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, at the reclaimed Wexford Harbour Slobs is an ideal place for bird fanciers. One of Ireland’s finest bird sites, it is an internationally important wetland, visited by Bewick’s Swans and Pale Bellied Brent Geese.

Wexford’s beaches are a famous part of its landscape, a generations associate them with summer holidays in the Sunny South East. Six are Blue Flag beaches, and Curracloe is one of the most famous. Its long sweeping sands were filmed for `Saving Private Ryan.’

There is a wide choice of top ranging accomodation in the region, varying through the long established Wexford town centre Talbot Hotel and Clayton Whites Hotels,boutique hotels in pretty market towns, to stylish modern self catering spaces, cosy B&Bs and well equipped caravan parks, to the luxury of Marlfield House.

Garden lovers are well served here, thanks to the splendid Wexford Garden Trail. Johnstown Castle Cardens reflect all the seasons, and are especially noted for spring displays.

The John F. Kennedy Arboretum, at New Ross has something for everyone. Set in 622 acres, with over four thousand types of trees and shrubs, it is also noted for its spring displays, especially rhododendrons. The Colclough

With one of the most comprehensive displays of farming and rural life in the country, the Irish Agricultural Museum has been designed to display and explore a history of Irish agricultural life from the turn of the 18th century until the middle of the 20th century.

Housed in the former estate farm buildings the museum offers lots to see, learn, do and enjoy for all ages and including · a large collection of beautifully restored tractors, carts, ploughs, threshing machines, stationary engines and dairy equipment. · Recreated workshops of traditional trades including blacksmith, cooper and wheel wright · Learn about ‘The Great Famine’ through an exhibition which vividly reveals what life was like before, during and after the famine · Discover the chequered history of Johnstown Castle and its estate

· the largest display of Irish country furniture · Compare farmhouse kitchens through the ages And for those of you of a certain vintage there’s an aptly titled Vintage Coffee Morning every second Thursday where people can peruse the latest machinery restorations and try an outdo each other in their knowledge of agricultural machinery.

The Heritage Trust, along with Teagasc, and The Irish Agricultural Museum are putting together a plan for a new entrance, new reception building, and to restore the Castle to allow some of the rooms to be open to the public, along with the underground entrance (tunnel) which is one of the finest in Ireland.

The one mile walk way around the lower lake will also be open to the public. This work is possible due to funding from the State and Failte Ireland. Contact: 053 9184671

Travel Walled Garden,Tintern Abbey, Hook Peninsula, has recently been restored to its 1830s appearance, complete with Ornamental and Kitchen sections, and a river. Kilmokea Country Manor Gardens include herbaceous, walled and woodland gardens. Marlfield House has over thirty acres of woodland and an ornamental lake, plus rose and vegetable gardens - plus roaming peacocks. Woodville House has truly beautiful `plantsman gardens’, with water garden, box hedging and a splendid walled garden – all set in a landscape with cedar and pine trees. Wells House and Gardens, near Gorey, has a wide range of attractions in its lovely grounds – from a Living Victorian House Tour, to Woodland walks and a Daniel Robertson Terrace Garden. Tech minded visitors can even do some geo-coaching.

Johnstown Castle excellent restaurant!

One unusual attraction is the working Wexford Lavender Farm. It has two acres of lavender, a scented delighted to be near, with entertainment for all the family, woodland walks and an Information centre and distillery – so you can learn how that timeless scent is produced.

The Irish National Heritage Park is an outdoor museum, near Ferrycarrig which covers some 9000 years of Ireland’s past in a beautiful area.

An unusual and inspirational way to brush up on your history – and they also have an

If you are car-less, planning a group visit or just on a day trip by bus or train, why not contact Heritage Tours Wexford, based in Enniscorthy, to ask about their tours? They have a variety of bus tours to popular attractions, and can also arrange bespoke tours – allowing you fit in several and save time.

To help you plan any trip, download or print out the just-launched multi-attraction Wexford Pass. It will give discounts on a wide variety

of attractions, businesses, restaurants, shops and cafes, and is ideal for intending visitors. All you have a to do is to cut-out, print and then present your pass – and ask for your discount!

Remember, that whilst many of the attractions mentioned here are open throughout the years, some will have limited days and hours – and some, e.g. gardens, will only have seasonal opening – so always check opening hours well in advance. www.wexford.ie

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 39

The Visit Wexford Pass Multi Attraction Discount Pass

The ‘Visit Wexford Pass’ is a brand new multiattraction discount card for County Wexford. It aims to encourage residents to enjoy the attractions on their doorstep and it offers visitors an additional incentive to enjoy even more of what the Model County has to offer.

Over 70 attractions and retail businesses across County Wexford have signed up to be part of the discount card initiative, including Hook Lighthouse, Irish National Heritage Park, Wells House and many more. Each of the participants have their own unique offer and a full list of the participants and offers can be viewed on www.visitwexford.ie.

If any of our Senior Times Readers wish to avail of the offers all you need to do is present the cut out of Visit Wexford pass. Alternatively The Visit Wexford Pass is available as a download from www.visitwexford.ie or a hard copy can be picked up from participating businesses.

Win a Fantastic Over 50’s HOTEL REVIEWS IRELAND LOGO Package at Hotel Woodstock, Win a Fantastic Over 50’s Package at Hotel Woodstock, Co Clare Ennis, CoEnnis,Clare

ShanawayHotel Road, Ennis, Co Clare Woodstock Shanaway Road, Ennis, Co Clare Telephone Number: 065 6899800 Telephone Number: 065 6899800 Website: www.hotelwoodstock.ie Website: www.hotelwoodstock.ie We are offering one lucky Senior Times reader a chance to win a luxury break away for you and a Reviews Ireland in association with Senior Times is delighted to partnerHotel or friend.

offer one Senior reader a chance to win a luxury break away 2 NIGHTS BEDlucky & FULL IRISHTimes BREAKFAST, 1 EVENING MEAL PLUS ENTRANCE INTO THE you and aFOR partner or friend.

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Enjoy a fine dining experience in our restaurant with splendid views overlooking the golf course and stunning landscaped grounds.

Our spacious restaurantchampionship can cater for overgolf 80 guests making it an ideal Surrounded by a stunning parkland course, Hotel space to enjoy any event. Ideal for family celebrations or to just simply take a day-off cooking, Woodstock is situated in 155 acres of beautiful countryside in the market Sunday lunch at Hotel Woodstock is the treat you are looking for- scrumptious 4-course meal town ofteam Ennis, Co. Clare. prepared by our of talented chefs.Perched on the outskirts of Ireland’s oldest

market towns, the 4 star Hotel Woodstock boasts wonderfully manicured grounds and splendid 18-hole golf course.

Enjoy a fine dining experience in our restaurant with splendid views overlooking the golf course and stunning landscaped grounds.

Our spacious restaurant can cater for over 80 guests making it an ideal space to enjoy any event. Ideal for family celebrations or to just simply take a day-off cooking, Sunday lunch at Hotel Woodstock is the treat you are looking for- scrumptious 4-course meal prepared by our team of talented chefs.

Hotel Woodstock Leisure Club consists of a 15 meter deck pool, kiddies pool, jacuzzi, refitted steam room and sauna, full new range of techno gym equipment along with our new strength & conditioning room.

To win this break just answer the following question:-

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First correct entry drawn is the winner.

40 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

2 night stay from Gorey, Co. Wexford

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Thinking About Volunteering?

Comhlámh staff and board members, Ellen Regan, Charlotte Toner and Mark Cumming with Minister of State, Joe McHugh at the Irish Aid Volunteering Fair on 01 October, 2016.

Comhlámh: the Irish association of volunteers and development workers.

in the work I did. The Indian organisation I worked for had very many young volunteers, and was appreciative of more mature volunteers”.

Comhlámh is a member and supporter organisation open to anyone interested in social justice, human rights and global development issues.

Comhlámh was set-up in 1975 by a group of returned volunteers and development workers to “further international development co-operation”. We provide supports and services to volunteers and development workers and volunteer sending agencies, in order to tackle global inequality. Comhlámh strongly recommends that anyone thinking about volunteering should only travel with a volunteer sending agency that has signed up to our Code of Good Practice, which is a framework of 11 principles that ensure responsible and responsive volunteering practices.

Thinking about volunteering can be exciting, exhilarating and terrifying, which is why we in Comhlámh are here to guide you through the options and available roles you think you might be suited to. You can arrange to come into the office for a chat or we can advise you on the phone, through email or via our social media channels. If you are public servant who is thinking about a career break, we can also offer you advice on how your public service pension scheme will be managed while you are away, even if you decide to do a two year placement! Or perhaps overseas volunteering isn’t for you this year...well how about you get involved in one of our many member groups here in Dublin, Belfast or hopefully Galway in the new year?

Over the past number of years, it’s becoming evident that volunteers are going overseas for shorter and shorter periods (less than four weeks) and the volunteers themselves are getting younger and younger. In order to balance this trend, we would love to see people with more life and work experience applying for roles which will be mutually beneficial to the host project and to the volunteers themselves. Returned volunteer Sara McMurray said about her volunteering experience in India that “I had always loved to travel, but had not expected, after retirement, to be able to set out on such a great adventure as volunteering offered. I felt that, as a retired person, my experience of life was important and useful 42 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

If you would like to know more about the Code, our supports and services, our member groups or other events and activities, please follow the links below or email info@comhlamh.org to arrange to come into the office for a longer chat. We’re here to help you. www.facebook/comhlamh www.Facebook/VolOps www.comhlamh.org Telephone: 01 478 3490

History

World War 1 exhibition at County Museum Dundalk ‘Their Story’ is a new exhibition featuring art work created by soldiers in the trenches from bullets and shell casings at County Museum Dundalk.

As well as displaying items from the war, the exhibition also highlights many of the social aspects of the conflict, exploring the reasons why soldiers signed up to fight in the Great War, as well as what happened to them when they returned home. It also features the documentary, The Battle of the Somme. Developed by the Imperial War Museum in London, the film shows the build-up to, the nature and the aftermath of the battle. County Museum Dundalk is one of a select number of venues to showcase the film.

Speaking about the collection, museum curator, Brian Walsh said: “One of the most unusual aspects of the exhibition is the collection of trench art, which was fashioned by soldiers in trenches across Europe from ordnance such as bullets or shell casings. This trench art also offers insight into the emotional state of the soldiers who created it. ‘Their Story’ runs until February and entry is free.

Apart from the current exhibition the Museum also features an award-winning diplay of Louth’s industrial past, with examples of distilling, brewing, shoe and cigarette manufacture as well as heavy industries including engineering, railway and shipping.

More information may be had by contacting the Museum at 042 9392 999.

ACTIVE RETIREMENT - DUNDALK MUSEUM.qxp_Layout 1 28/10/2016 15:08 Page 1

‘Their Story’ Jocelyn Street, Dundalk

design: www.ph7.ie

www.dundalkmuseum.ie

Ireland, the Somme and World War 1.

Exhibition runs until Feb 2017 For further information contact: 042 93 92 999

Houses of the Oireachtas – A Parliament for the People

What is the Oireachtas?

Ireland is a parliamentary democracy, - a form of representative government where voters elect the parliament, which then forms the government. The party with the most votes elects the leader of the government. The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of Ireland.

It comprises: • The President • Dáil Éireann (the House of Representatives) • Seanad Éireann (the Senate)

lishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, the Government secured a part of Leinster House for parliamentary use. The entire building was acquired by the State in 1924.

Today, Leinster House is the seat of the two Houses of the Oireachtas (National Parliament), comprising Dáil Éireann (the House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (the Senate).

For our laws to come into effect each Bill must be passed by both Houses and signed into law by the President Leinster House – the Seat of Power The History of the House The house was originally known as Kildare House after James Fitzgerald, the Earl of Kildare, who commissioned it to be built between 1745-47. Fitzgerald set out to create the stateliest of Dublin Georgian Mansions to reflect his eminent position in Irish society. On becoming the Duke of Leinster in 1776, the house was renamed Leinster House.

FitzGerald later sold the House to the Royal Dublin Society, however, after the estab-

Oireachtas TV is relaying the business of our national parliament to over 1.1 million homes across Ireland, delivering unprecedented public access to the work of the Dáil, Seanad and Committees. Over 98% of all households can receive Oireachtas TV giving a direct insight into the work of our Parliament.

Can I visit Leinster House?

The Houses of the Oireachtas provides 30-minute guided tours of Leinster House throughout the year FREE of charge. There are two types of visits: • Visits sponsored by a TD or Senator • Walk-up tours for people living in the State or visitors to Ireland

Oireachtas TV – See For Yourself Oireachtas television is available throughout Ireland on the following channels: • • • • •

44 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Saorview Channel 22 Virgin Media Channel 207 Sky Channel 574 eir Vision Channel 504 Vodafone Channels: Oireachtas TV - 201, Dáil - 207 and Seanad – 208

To book a tour, contact event.desk@ oireachtas.ie or (01) 618 3271 / 3781. Visit www.oireachtas.ie for more information.

Twitter - https://twitter.com/OireachtasNews Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ OireachtasNews/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ oireachtas_news/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/ company/oireachtas

OVER 55’S BREAKS MIDWEEK

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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

You have no spleen or your spleen is not working properly,

all frontline healthcare workers including carers

You have a medical condition causing a weakened immune system.

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.

46 Senior Times l January - February 2017 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.

EVERY YEAR FLU CAUSES SEVERE ILLNESS AND DEATH. IF YOU ARE: Over 65

Have a longterm illness

Pregnant

A health care worker

GET YOUR FLU VACCINE NOW.

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.ie

IT’S A LIFESAVER m u nisat

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For more information, talk to your GP or Pharmacist

Genealogy

Thank you Back To Our Past!

Maureen McHugh-Castro travelled all the way from Germany to visit the recent Back to our Past Expo in the RDS and trace her Irish Roots – she recounts her experience I am an Irish-American, but I have always felt that my soul was Irish.

Rose Keeney from Fintown, Donegal; George McHugh from Tully, Tyrone; Mary Kelly from Crossmaglen, Armagh, Thomas Nolan, son of Michael and Elizabeth from Wexford – my grandparents, all from Ireland.

But my grandparents had all passed by the time I came along, so I never really had the opportunity to know them. I always wondered what their life experiences must have been. Sure, they were immigrants in the late 1800’s – early 1900’s, but what did they leave behind?

In the mid 1990’s I had the opportunity to visit Ireland for the first of many trips. While driving around, I went to Crossmaglen, Armagh and stopped by the local church rectory. The priest let me look through the parish registry, and I actually found, in the records, several of Grandmother Kelly’s siblings. The priest was kind enough to make a photocopy of the page, which I still have. The fire was lit.

The Back To Our Past event was truly amazing. I was a bit overwhelmed at the size of the venue, as I had never been to the Royal Dublin Society before. Since I was so late in planning my trip, I wasn’t able to pre-register for the event. The team organizing the event were so nice when I called, and they had my tickets ready for pick-up at the main office.

I was amazed at the resources available at the event. Organizations from all over Ireland were represented and were willing to help with a person’s needs. With schedule in hand, I began going to the lectures on the next floor. The first one on Saturday morning was very interesting but a bit over my head. Since I had not read the information correctly, it turned out that I was in the wrong place as there were two tracks – I thought that was funny! I talked to another attendee, and he told me where I wanted to be. I was set for the rest of the weekend.

There was so much information given at the lectures my head hurt. The speakers showed me all the numerous methods and resources to find my past relatives which will give me a better look into the world in which they lived.

Throughout the years, my grandparents have been on my mind. What a hard thing to do – to leave your home, family, friends, and country to come to a foreign land. I know they were hard-working, good people, and if it wasn’t for them making a huge sacrifice, I would never have had the opportunities that blessed me throughout my life. The values that were instrumental in their lives – family, home, hard work, a kind heart – were taught to my parents and passed down to me.

The second day of the event added more information into my crammed head. I was feverishly taking notes the entire weekend. Even individuals I talked with throughout the event had information I could possibly use researching various townlands and parishes. The highlight of the event was when Neil from Findmypast found my grandfather George McHugh working on a farm on Claremore Road, Clare, Castlederg, North Tyrone.

My heart was filled.

Actually seeing the various townlands from where my grandparents came was humbling. I am currently living in Germany, and have taken numerous visits to the “motherland.” Irish Passport Control officials sometimes question this (with a smile).

Your event gave this college-educated, military officer, who served as a nurse in her grandparent’s adopted county of the United States, the tools to find my relatives who have been lost through time. If it wasn’t for their strength and courage, I would never have been able to achieve my goals.

A week before the Back To Our Past event, a friend sent me the information about it. Since I was in England attending a Star Trek convention at the time, I didn’t really think I could attend. When I returned home, I looked at the event site and decided it was possible to attend as my dear husband found a hotel room and booked a flight for me. Yes, I married a good guy, even if he is not from Irish stock.

48 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Thank you Back To Our Past for giving me this great opportunity.

Back to Our Past is on once again in the RDS alongside the 50 Plus Expo from the 20th to the 22nd of October, 2017. Full details at www.backtoourpast.ie

Travel

Marion Reynolds was captivated by the region at the ‘boot’ of Italy

Picturesque Puglia Puglia is the boot heel of Italy with the Ionian Sea on one side and the Adriatic on the other. Less developed than northern Italy, Puglia is captivating, intense and different. It offers magnificent baroque cities, wild national parks, fascinating old walled towns and beautiful beaches. It has an extraordinary history and has been invaded by many nations including Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Normans, Spanish and Turks. The landscape varies from olive groves to lush greenery to dry stone walls to golden rock formations overlooking long white beaches.

We booked a week- long tour with Puglia.ie, an online agency run by Daniele Napoleoni, a native of the area who is based in Dublin.

We flew to Bari with Ryanair and were met at the airport by Daniele. We had dinner with our group at a hotel in Ostuni, where we were to stay for four nights.

Next day we explored Ostuni, which has wonderful views and quaint white washed buildings in the morning and visited Alberobello, the town famous for the conical Trulli houses in the afternoon, finishing up with a visit to a winery where they play Mozart to the vines! We tasted local wines accompanied by antipasti and some of us placed orders to be sent to Ireland. Dinner that night was a convivial affair!

Matera, one of the world’s oldest cities, has been inhabited for 9,000 years and will be the City of European Culture in 2019. It has been used as a location for biblical scenes in films and TV, most notably in Mel Gibson’s Passion of Christ. Until the 1950’s, most of Matera’s inhabitants lived in the Sassi or typical natural

Olive groves surround the white city of Ostuni which extends across three hills with its magnificent 15th century cathedral at the centre.

grottoes. We had an excellent guide whose father had once been a cave dweller and he regaled us with stories of the romantic but unsanitary conditions in which the people lived as we climbed down hundreds of steps to view the Sassi. It was a fascinating visit but we were glad to have the next day free to explore Ostuni.

Olive groves surround the white city of Ostuni which extends across three hills with its magnificent 15th century cathedral at the centre. It is lively and attractive with many good restaurants. We spent a lovely evening with friends from the tour, sampling the local specialities.

The following day we were moving to a hotel in Otranto. On the way we visited Lecce, the beautiful baroque city, which is known as the Florence of the south. It is a lively university city with attractive shops, wonderful restaurants, a Basilica with a fabulous facade and an amazing amphitheatre. We had dinner that evening in our hotel in Otranto with the group.

Next day we visited the cathedral which has a beautiful mosaic floor, 11th Century frescos and an altar surrounded by the bones of 800 martyrs beheaded by Turks because they refused to convert to Islam.

restaurants and inviting sandy coves. It is famous for three things: ice cream, the cliff diving contest which occurs every year and as the birthplace of the man who wrote Volare.

After lunch we reluctantly headed for the airport resolving to return to Puglia to explore more of this fascinating region.

The following day was a highlight of the trip. We drove along the stunning rocky coastline from Otranto to Castro Marina, from Zinzulusa’s caves to the town at the very bottom of Puglia, Santa Maria di Leuca, where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet.

On our final day we drove from Otranto to Polignano a Mare, which is 30 minutes from Bari.

This is a very lively, attractive town with many

For more information on Puglia contact: www.puglia.ie

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 49

Fit The indoor & outdoor activities supplement

Walking in The Comeraghs

Edited by Conor O’Hagan

Walking

The pride of Waterford is well worth a walking weekend, says Conor O’Hagan (with difficulty)

Never the most fabled or celebrated of Ireland’s high places, the Comeraghs of County Waterford nonetheless are a remarkable and varied range, stretching from the coast near Dungarvan inland to Clonmel. The central area of the Comeragh Mountains is dominated by a boggy plateau, surrounded by spectacular rocky coums decorated with small but scenic lakes.

Video: There’s a short but highly evocative video of walking in the Comeraghs on YouTube. Find it under ‘Coum Tay Loop’. Also check out ‘Mahon Falls’. Doug McKinlay’s video on the Adorama YouTube channel ‘Long Lens Landscape Photography’ also features some high-quality footage from the Comeraghs.

For walkers, the Comeraghs are definitely one of the finest ranges in Ireland, with an unparalleled mix of classic mountain features offering walks ranging from easy Sunday afternoon sharpeners to full-on, expedition-grade challenges. There’s the long and vertiginous Knockanaffrin Ridge, the lofty plateau, the inspiring falls of Coum Mahon, the atmospheric coums of the Nire Valley, the historic Crotty’s Lough, named after the 18th century highwayman William Crotty, who holed up here before being captured and hung in 1742.

Coumshingaun is regarded as the jewel of the Comeraghs, a glacial lake said to be one of the finest examples of a corrie or coum in Western Europe.

All these and more are best explored on foot from trailheads easily accessed by road. And at the end of the walking day, the fleshpots of Waterford City and Clonmel await the hedonistically-inclined.

Map: O.S. Discovery Series Map no. 75 is the standard hillwalker’s reference to the Comeraghs.

Book: Tipperary & Waterford - A Walking Guide By John G. O’Dwyer www.collinspress.ie Web: www.comeraghclub.ie/ www.dungarvantourism.com www. mountainviews.ie www.activeme.ie/guides/walks/

50 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Comeragh Plateau

Two Looped Walks from Ballymacarbry, Nire Valley Directions: From Clonmel take the R671 in the direction of Dungarvan and, after 16km, pass through the village of Ballymacarbry. On the outskirts of the village watch for a left turn (signposted The Gap) opposite Doocey’s Public House. Turn left here and continue to follow the signs for Hanora’s Cottage and Nire Valley lakes as the roadway takes you into the Nire Valley. After 7km you cross the River Nire at a stone bridge and pass the well-known Hanora’s Cottage on your left. From here the roadway narrows as you make your way deeper into the valley and the Comeragh Mountains. The trailhead is located at the end of the roadway in a car parking area.

then turns left onto a track. Joining a sandy road veer left and climb to a gate/stile. Cross the stile and follow the arrows as the loop takes you across the Nire River at a footbridge and then ascends towards Sgilloges Lakes. At the top corner of a wire fence, the loop turns left onto the top side of the fence. [Note: The Sgilloges Walk turns right here - if you have the time the 30min trek up to, and back from, the lakes is well worth the effort.]

B-C. Follow the red (and purple) arrows along the fence for almost 1km to reach a stream flowing from Coumlara. Cross the stream and follow the arrows along the shoulder of Carrignagower to reach a wire fence. Turn left and after 150m reach The Gap at a gate and stiles.

The longer Coumduala Loop goes straight on here - you turn left onto a mountain track.

Coumlara Loop Ascent: 550m / 350m Distance: 6.5km Estimated Time: 3hrs – 4hrs Grade: Moderate Minimum Gear: Hiking boots, raingear, snack, fluid and mobile phone Terrain: Hillside tracks, green paths A-B. Starting from the mapboard follow the red (and blue and purple) arrows along the sand road that goes left at the exit from the car park. The blue arrows are for an ‘out and back’ walk to the Sgilloge lakes, the purple arrows for the longer and harder Coumduala Loop.

After 100m pass through a gate and follow the roadway as it swings right and downhill and

C-A. You join The Gap Walk (green arrows) on your return to the trailhead. Follow the mountain track as it travels across the shoulder of Carrigeen for more than 1km. Cross a stile and rejoin the purple Coumduala Loop as it descends from your right. Turn left and enjoy the last 300m downhill to the trailhead.

A-B. Starting from the mapboard, follow the purple (and blue and red) arrows along the sand road that goes left at the exit from the car park. The blue arrows are for an ‘out and back’ walk to the Sgilloge lakes, the red arrows for the shorter Coumlara Loop. After 100m pass through a gate and follow the roadway as it swings right and downhill and then turns left onto a track. Joining a sandy road veer left and climb to a gate/stile. Cross the stile and follow the arrows as the loop crosses the Nire River at a footbridge and then ascends towards Sgilloges Lakes. At the top corner of a wire fence, the loop turns left onto the top side of the fence. [Note: The Sgilloges Walk turns right here - if you have the time the 30min trek up to, and back from, the lakes is well worth the effort.]

B-C. Follow the red arrows along the fence for almost 1km to reach a stream flowing from Coumlara. Cross the stream and follow the red and purple arrows along the shoulder of Carrignagower to reach a wire fence. Turn left and after 150m reach The Gap at a gate and stiles. The shorter Coumlara Loop turns left here - you continue straight ahead continuing to follow the wire fence on your right.

Coumduala Loop Ascent: 630m / 540m Distance: 9km Estimated Time: 3.5hrs – 4.5hrs Grade: Hard Minimum Gear: Hiking boots, raingear, snack, fluid and mobile phone Terrain: Hillside tracks, green paths

C-A. The loop now starts a 1.5km ascent to its highest point at 630m. At the top, you cross a stile - there’s a viewing point on you right here from where you can enjoy the view of Coumduala Lough and Comeragh Mountains.

From here the loop begins the descent to the trailhead - following a wire fence on your left.

Near the bottom you rejoin the red Coumlara

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 51

Walking

Inchidristal Loop

Loop as it comes across a stile on your left.

From here enjoy the last 300m downhill to the trailhead.

An easy woodland walk Inchidrisla Loop Ascent: 100m / 80m Distance: 5km / 1hr15mins - 1hr30mins Grade: Easy Minimum Gear: Trekking shoes, raingear, fluid, and mobile phone Terrain: Forestry roads Inchidrisla Trail in Colligan Wood is located on the Clonmel road from Dungarvan in a vibrant valley sheltering the salmon-spawning River Colligan. The Inchidrisla Loop here is eminently suitable for families - it leaves from the wooden bridge, following the left bank of the river before swinging uphill through the beautiful Inchidrisla Wood, and eventually looping back to the picnic area.

A-B. Starting from the mapboard at the trailhead, follow the green (and purple) arrow as the loop starts away from the wooden bridge over Colligan River. The purple arrows are for the longer Greenane Loop). The loop travels along the left bank of the river for 500m before swinging left and uphill through Inchadrisla Wood. Stay on the forestry roadway for almost 2km as it climbs gradually to reach a 3-way junction where both loops swing left.

B-C. Now the loop levels off and begins the return to the trailhead. Stay on the forestry roadway for 2km to descend and reach a 3-way junction at the picnic area from where you started. The longer Greenane Loop swings right here - but you turn left.

C-A. Enjoy the last 200m back to the carpark.

Two Bites at Coumshingaun Short Walk: 2 miles (4km) Time: 2 Hrs Ascent: 250m Start from Kilclooney Bridge on the R676 Dungarvan/Carrick-on-Suir road. The Ire River from the lake crosses under the road at this bridge. Cross the road to the Comeraghs side, go through a gate, where a grassy path brings you all the way up to the lake.

Long Walk: 5 miles (8km) Time: 2 hrs For a longer and more challenging walk (allow five hours), walk to the steep spur going up the left (South) side of the corrie, where you will observe a clear ridge path. This becomes narrow and weaves up between large boulders in parts and involved some scrambling now and again - great care is needed. Above

Spectacular view of the Comeraghs the boulders the path is still clear and there is a final very steep ascent on a heathery section where great care is again required, before you reach the plateau. Detour a few hundred metres to the left, if you wish, to the cairn, which is the highest point of the Comeraghs, Fascoum (789m) and now resume your clockwise circuit around the corrie. You next ascend a grassy local top called Staicin (704m), and from here, your descent route is down Eastward along the obvious spur.

52 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

On the descent it is necessary to be careful as you negotiate your way along and between large boulders. This terrain gives way to a steep grassy section – take care not to leave the spur too early and end up on steep ground over the lake. Pick up the grassy path again to return to the start.

For more details of these and more walks in the Comeraghs, see www.dungarvantourism.com

Activity

Worth the weight Weight training after 55 years old is not only possible, it’s a great way to achieve real fitness. Conor O’Hagan reports While gym culture may have become a more inclusive environment in recent years (they want everyone’s money, after all), there’s one corner of the gym where you don’t expect to see wrinkled skin – and that’s the free weights section.

Most Over 50s see fitness, primarily at least, in terms of cardio-vascular performance and flexibility. Muscle tone and bulk is something we gave up on some time ago – if we ever had it to lose. The idea of dead-lifts, bench presses and clanking cast iron is at best comical, at worst mortifying.

As we get older, we start to believe that we are ‘past our prime’ as far as muscle building is concerned. The natural anabolic hormones in the body are starting to slow down, making it harder and harder to gain the lean mass we once looked for.

But weight training and other strength-building regimes are increasingly the focus of attention in the world of ‘Senior Fitness’, because there’s a growing pile of evidence that lean muscle mass is a major contributor to – and indicator of – overall health. And there’s far better understanding of just what we’re entitled to expect from our bodies in terms of performance.

Sarco-what?

Sarcopenia. It’s the process of decline in muscle tissue with age. Somewhere between half a per cent and one per cent per year after 40 is normal. Other processes, including declining testosterone levels are also a factor in ageing, along with something called anabolic resistance, which compromises your muscles’ response to stimuli. It all adds up to what we expect from old age; less strength, slower movement and – especially in the 21st century – an unhealthy and frankly unsightly tendency to fat.

Typically, even formerly fit individuals, once over 50 may abandon any notion of getting started on a muscle-building.That’s unfortunate because, despite the fact that your body is

growing older, there are still plenty of things that you can do to take control of your physique and even transform it.

• Weight training is the most effective way to reduce body fat.

Adding lean muscle mass to your frame at this point in your life could be even more beneficial than for someone who is in their 20s or 30s because aesthetics aside, that muscle is going to help you maintain an active lifestyle into the years ahead.

• Resistance training builds strength and helps the body maintain mobility.

Loss of strength and a reduced capability for full range of motion movement accelerates aging.

And because after 50, it’s normal to see a progressive drop in lean muscle mass unless strength training workouts are being performed, it’s all the more beneficial, even if you’ve never done it before, to add strength training – including weights – to your fitness regime.

• Building muscle improves cardiovascular health. Gaining muscle mass after 50 promotes effective fat burning, even when you are not lifting weights.

Resistance training, or moving your body through its normal range of motion against a force like a weight or elastic band - or even your own bodyweight - is a natural way to promote testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) release in the body. Keeping testosterone and HGH plentiful will dramatically slow down the effects of aging.

Training Tips Know your limitations and work within them.

Strength and mobility are reduced by age, injuries have taken a toll and your balance may be compromised. So take it slowly to start. You have to work back into full a range of movement. You may need to work on flexibility

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 53

Activity

with stretches or exercise regimes like Pilates or Yoga. Take advice from your local gym or Sports Centre.

Above all, avoid injury. One of the inescapable realities you’re faced with is that it will take much longer to recover than it did in your 20s and 30s. So think first, lift later. The same applies to intensity and duration of workouts.

Rest and recovery are the two most important elements in any exercise programme. Part of the wisdom of age is knowing not to rush things. And though you may be deaf as a post according to your children, hopefully by now you have learned to listen to your body.

To begin with, step away from the hardware and work with body weight. You have more than enough to work with. Squats and pushups may not be what you had in mind when you joined the gym, but they (and many other time-honoured routines) are a great foundation for strength work.

Focus on the big muscle groups. Especially if time is limited, leave the detailed stuff to the bodybuilders. Be realistic about the time you’re prepared to spend and ask an instructor to devise an appropriate programme for you.

Muscle Matters Weight training in older adults has been shown to eliminate age-related deficits in muscle mass and strength. One study followed a number of 60-70 year-olds who followed a 22-week resistance training regime. They had significantly lower scores for muscle mass, size and strength compared to a group of 18-30 year-olds. However these deficits were overcome after following a resistance training programme. So sarcopenia can be overcome and these gains will not only benefit you aesthetically but also aid you in day-to-day task, improving such things as mobility and fat levels.

Muscle strength and balance will help prevent falls, which is the No.1 reason older adults end up in hospital.

Fat Loss The increase in muscle mass gained from weight training will also bring fat loss benefits, because the more muscle we have, the more calories we burn at rest. In research, individuals following a resistance training programme lose more weight than individuals doing cardiovascular exercise. Counter-intuitive, perhaps, but that’s what research is for (apart, obviously, from keeping scientists busy).

Stronger Bones Weight training also has a positive effect on bone density, which means your bones are stronger and can counteract some of the symptoms of osteoporosis. And existing osteoporosis sufferers benefit from weight training as it reduces some of the risk factors of a fall, by improving muscle strength and balance.

Lower Blood Pressure and Healthier Heart Weight training has also been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and reduce blood pressure; two of ageing’s biggest bugbears.

Hormonal Changes Resistance training has also been shown to increase levels of certain hormones and neuro-chemicals. Testosterone levels increase when we lift weights, while Cortisol, the ‘stress hormone’ reduces.

Sleep is improved with resistance training, which in turn works to increase our waking energy levels.

And here’s the real bottom line: studies have shown that individuals who have a higher muscle mass also live longer. That should get your attention.

54 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Getting Back to Speed As a glance at the field of the Dublin Marathon will quickly confirm, running, or ‘jogging’ is almost disproportionately popular with older age groups; perhaps because what we lose in velocity as we age, we often gain in endurance and persistence.

But there’s a lot to be said for reviving the more youthful need for speed.

Many exercise physiologists advise older runners to forget about running three to four or more times a week as per traditional training programmes. Not only will that break down muscles, but injuries are more likely and older athletes can get better results from a more sprintfocussed approach.

Sprinting is, of course, a relative term, but by adopting a once-a-week sprint program you could burn more fat and develop stronger leg muscles. As long as you’re careful to warm-up well, and compliment your sprint programme with strength-building static exercises such as squats and jumps, you could derive significant health and fitness benefits.

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“NO FLY” CRUISING FROM DUBLIN

Donegal based Travel Company JMG Travel and Cruise & Maritime Voyages have joined forces to offer a range of No-Fly cruising options for next summer.

You won’t even have to make a trek to the Airport for a cruise this year, in fact you will be picked up close to your door. Family-owned JMG Travel is the tour operating division of well known Donegal Coach holiday operator McGinley Coach Travel and started to offer cruise holidays in 2011. All Dublin departures will be onboard Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ 1250 guest medium-sized cruise liner Magellan, which features a wide range of comfortable lounge areas, well- appointed facilities and expansive panoramic viewing ideally suited to these scenic cruise programmes.

Starting in June 2017 and continuing into July there will be five departures from Dublin port and each of these can be booked in the knowledge that you don’t need to go near an airport. Complimentary coach transfers are included from most major towns so nothing could be more convenient.

There is a varied selection of exciting cruise itineraries to include.

ing cities reveal a wealth of fascinating history. You’ll be tempted with shopping bargains, or choose to simply relax, enjoy the local cuisine, and let the world go by.

Norwegian Fjords 5 June for 9 Nights Known throughout the world for its awe-inspiring beauty, Norway’s fjordland is simply spectacular. During this amazing voyage Magellan cruises Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord, considered to be the king and queen of the fjords, and visits Flam, famous for its spectacular railway, and Eidfjord with a chance to visit the impressive Vøringfossen waterfall.

Visits to Orkney and Dublin complete this fantastic cruise.

Summertime Gardens & River Seine 7 July for 7 nights Visit some world-renowned gardens on this delightful cruise full of colour.

Opt to see Tresco’s Abbey Gardens in the Isles of Scilly, Monet’s Garden in Normandy. Cruise the beautiful River Seine for an overnight stay in Rouen to follow in the footsteps of Joan of Arc and Richard the Lion heart, and discover the beautiful coast and countryside of Guernsey.

Iceland’s Land of Ice & Fire 14 June for 12 nights Geysers, glaciers, lava flows and volcanic craters, bubbling mud pools, stunning waterfalls and geothermal hot springs, Iceland has one of the world’s most dynamic landscapes. You’ll step ashore in four fascinating ports of call as you circumnavigate the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’. Lerwick in Scotland’s Shetland Islands and the dramatic Faroes are stepping-stones on what promises to be an exciting voyage.

Scottish Highlights & Faroes 14 July for 8 nights Taking you north to the remote and beautiful Faroese archipelago and delightful Scottish Highlands and Islands, this leisurely cruise promises to be the perfect get away from it all summer break. You’ll be amazed by the wealth of breathtaking scenery, bountiful wildlife and dramatic nature. Each time you step ashore discover fascinating traditions and cultures, explore historic cities and learn of the mysteries surrounding ancient sites.

Spain, Portugal, France & Gibraltar 26 June for 11 nights Mouth-watering variety is the key word for this southbound cruise as you discover each destination’s unique scenery, charm and ambience.

Grand architecture gives way to charming old quarters and contrast 56 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Prices start from €719pps and includes en-suite accommodation, all meals on board, entertainment, port taxes and coach transfers to and from Dublin. Check www.jmgcruise.com or call 074-9135201

Join the Friends of the National Concert Hall Together our Friends make up a vibrant community of like-minded individuals, with a shared love of music and culture. Their collective enthusiasm and engagement enhances the work of the National Concert Hall. We invite you to become a part of this remarkable group of supporters.

Friends of the National Concert Hall enjoy exclusive benefits, such as: • Ticket discounts • Priority booking and dedicated Friends booking line • Special events, receptions and talks • Access to bespoke cultural tours at home and abroad

Special offer: Become a Friend now for just ¤100 when you quote ‘Senior Times Offer 2016’.

(Offer applies to first-time NCH Friends members only; does not apply to membership renewals.)

Join now by calling the National Concert Hall Box Office on 01 417 0000 or visit www.nch.ie.

Competition winners from last issue Senior Times Crossword No 80 SOLUTION

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Grace Kelly, Dublin 11 Break at Springfort Hall Hotel, Mallow Barbara O’Flynn, Dundalk

Crossword Four copies of On The Banks – Cork in Poetry and Song Marian Meyer, Glengormley, Co Antrim Mary Wright, Mitchelstown, Co Cork

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Mimozas Cannes Profile

An attractive choice on the Cote d’Azur

Mimozas is only a ten minute bus journey from Cannes, the second most popular tourist attraction in France At one stage visiting the famous Cote d’Azur in the South of France with its celebrated resorts was expensive. But with the advent of cheap flights and competition from other countries on the Mediterranean it is now remarkably reasonable, and surprisingly so in the Winter and Spring, when the temperatures can be in the pleasant early 20s. And another advantage of going early in the year is that you avoid the crowds and you can take in the sites and attractions at your leisure.

The question is: do you stay in a hotel, rent an apartment, or get the best of both worlds by opting for a leisure resort, with all the advan-

tages of a hotel – such as restaurants, bar, golf course, swimming pool and spa and sauna -but also have the option of cooking for yourself, if and when you feel like it.

If the flexibility of a self-catering apartment appeals the most, then the Mimozas Resort near Cannes awaits you. Mimozas is a purpose-built complex, comprising one, two and three-bedroomed apartments and studio apartments built around a lake. The living rooms are generously proportioned with modern furniture, while the kitchen areas are well equipped with appliances, utensils and crockery.

Most apartments have lake views with good

58 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

size terraces, offering the opportunity to relax with a glass of wine, or with an al fresco meal, weather permitting. A board-walk runs around the lake with attractively landscaped gardens, with streams and waterfalls providing the opportunity for an interesting ramble before or after dinner.

If you are going to do a fair amount of self-catering, then its useful to know that there is a Lidl nearby – but it is a good 25-minute walk— but you can hire electric bikes at reception.

(There’s a small shop on site but it only offers the basics such as bread and milk). All of which raises the question: do you consider hiring a car? There’s no doubt that the convenience of a car enables you to explore places which are

inaccessible by trains and buses but if you are not comfortable with Continental driving then stick to the trains and buses. Once you get the hang of the timetables and destinations, there’s not many popular places you can’t visit.

Mimozas is a ten-minute walk to the nearest beach and next door to the oldest golf course on the French Riviera. The area is a haven for those interested in cycling, fishing, golfing, or simply walking. It is located a 15-minute walk from the ultra-smart port of La Napoule with its many cafes, bars and restaurants (including an obligatory Irish bar), and castle where Adam Clayton of U2 got married in 2013. La Napoule is a short bus or train ride to Cannes, while Nice is a 45-minute train ride .

The nearest train station is a 20-minute walk and it serves all the well-known resorts on the Cote d’Azur such as Cannes, Nice, Cagnes Sur Mer, Antibes, Menton, Monte Carlo as far as Ventimiglia just inside the Italian border which has a very popular market every Friday.

Special packages running up to March 30th Mimozas are offering a number of attractive packages up to the end of March. For example, there is a golf offer of 3 nights B&B, 1 dinner for 2 people including a round of golf for €369 and the 5-night B&B plus 1 dinner €559 for 2 people. Also on offer is a 3 week stay for €999 in a 1 bedroom lake view apartment.

Mimozas are also planning escorted excur-

sions which can be picked up at the gate of the complex. More details are promised ASAP on this, so keep watching their website for news on this and for other special offers as well as general information on the resort Contact: Mimozas Cannes, A venue Gaston de Fontmichel, Mandelieu la Napoule 06210, France.

Tel: 0033 493485400.

Email: reservations@mimozascannes.com www.mimozascannes.com

GETTING THERE Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly from Dublin to Nice.

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 59

Eye Health

An update on research into Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

The Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO), the training and professional body for eye doctors in Ireland, explain the condition, the symptoms and treatment options.

What is AMD? AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) is a condition that can affect your eyes as you get older.

AMD affects the macula - a small part of the eye responsible for the central or straight ahead, sharp vision which we use for seeing fine details, reading, driving, recognising faces, or seeing street signs. AMD usually starts in one eye and is highly likely to affect the other eye at a later stage.

AMD is one of the most common causes of sight loss in older adults affecting approximately one in ten over 60 in Ireland. Almost 100,000 people in Ireland have AMD, with approximately 7,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the over 50 population.

However, the prognosis for people diagnosed with AMD has been greatly improved in recent years with modern treatment. These treatments can stabilise the disease in 90% of cases and greatly improve vision in 30-40% of people with AMD. It is important for people to understand that simple lifestyle changes can also have a big impact on eye health and help to slow the progression or onset of AMD, including being a non-smoker, eating a healthy diet rich in leafy greens, taking regular exercise, and having regular eye exams.

Symptoms The early stages of AMD occur before there is any effect on the vision and symptoms of AMD can often go unrecognised at this stage.

Clinically there may be pigmentary and other changes to the retinal cells and, usually the development of small deposits of cellular waste material known as ‘drusen’.

60 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

It is advised by eye doctors that the best defence against developing AMD-related sight loss is by having regular routine, comprehensive eye exams when you are over 50 or for individuals with a family history of eye disease, so that early diagnosis and treatment can take place.

AMD does not, by itself, result in total blindness as the peripheral retina remains unaffected but without treatment severe AMD can lead to loss of central vision so early diagnosis is crucial to effective treatment.

People living with AMD will often notice a blank patch or blurred dark spot in the centre of their sight. This makes activities like reading, writing and recognising small objects or faces very difficult.

AMD can affect fine vision we use for reading and driving but most patients maintain independence and are able to continue activities that do not require detailed vision. Most people who have had vision loss from macular degeneration can be assisted with low vision aids for reading and other tasks.

Key symptoms of AMD include: • Distortion, where straight lines may appear wavy or bent. For example, tiles in the bathroom appear wavy • Difficulty in reading or doing any other activity which requires fine vision

• Difficulty in distinguishing faces • Dark patches or empty spaces, which appear in the centre of your vision • The need for increased illumination, sensitivity to glare, decreased night vision and poor colour sensitivity

Eye Health There are two types of AMD DRY AMD is the most common form of the condition affecting 85-90% and develops slowly. It occurs due to age-related wear and tear (atrophy) of the fine cells of the central retina. It is also the milder type of the condition resulting in the gradual blurring of central vision which results in some difficulty with reading and fine vision- the patient may simply need extra magnification and good light for reading. In this type there are typical age changes such as age spots or ‘drusen ‘ in the macula.

A small percentage of patients with Dry AMD will develop more severe dry changes with consequential progressive difficulty with reading and fine vision.

While there is no known cure of Dry AMD at this time, eye doctors recommend measures which can slow progression of the condition such as stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet rich in lutein (found in leafy green vegetables), looking after cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, and taking eye supplements.

There is some evidence that high doses of certain micronutrients can slow the progression of AMD. This comes from two large studies, the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS). The research indicates that taking a nutritional supplement containing lutein or zeaxanthin may help delay the progression of dry AMD. This is particularly important in the prevention of AMD in a patient’s second eye if one eye is already affected.

It is often necessary for patients being treated for Wet AMD to attend for eye examinations and/or injections by their eye doctor on a monthly basis and perhaps for several years. Most people need the treatment for life.

Eye doctors encourage patients with AMD to monitor the vision in each eye separately using an Amsler Grid so that should they start to develop wet AMD they can spot the symptoms such as new blurring of reading vision or the onset of distortion of their vision. In the event of such symptoms patients should contact their eye doctor with a view to early treatment if necessary.

Dry AMD can progress to Wet AMD. WET AMD is caused by leaky blood vessels inside the eye and is the more severe but less common form of the condition affecting less than 10% of patients with AMD. However, it is responsible for 90% plus of the vision loss in this condition. Vision may change quickly with the development of Wet AMD. Patients may notice that straight lines appear crooked and distorted, as a result of fluid leakage from blood vessels under the retina lifting up the retina. This process is called ‘choroidal neovascularisation’ (CNV) and so wet AMD is also known as neovascular AMD (nAMD).

Early diagnosis and treatment AMD is detected by a complete eye examination by an Ophthalmologist (eye doctor) that involves: 1. Visual Acuity Test - An eye chart that measures how well you see at various distances 2. Dilated eye examination - Drops are places in the eyes to dilate the pupils. This allows the eye doctor to perform a close-up examination.

The good news is that eye doctors now have access to effective treatments for patients with Wet AMD. The main stay for treatment is Anti-VEGF intravitreal Injections into the back of the eye.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a protein that promotes the growth of blood vessels throughout the body. In wet AMD there is an over-production of VEGF leading to the development of abnormal blood vessels. Anti-VEGF drugs therefore inhibit the growth of the blood vessels.

Eye drops are administered to dilate the pupil and sterilise the eye. Once the pupil is dilated, the actual procedure takes around fifteen minutes.

The injections act to slow or stop the growth of the abnormal blood vessels and leakage that cause AMD.

What other treatment options are available?

Other forms of treatment are available for some types of wet AMD. These include photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a “cold laser” and medication and in some very limited cases, treatment with conventional or “hot laser”. The eye doctor will discuss treatment options fully with a patient.

What causes AMD and who does it affect?

The exact causes of AMD are still not fully understood. There are recognised risk factors, age being the most important; the older we get the more likely we are to get AMD. In addition to genetic predisposition (family history) and underlying genetic causes, environmental factors are also important. There is a definite link between smoking and AMD risk. Smokers are at least three times more likely to develop AMD than non-smokers. Smokers with certain genetic characteristics are up to 20 times more likely to develop AMD. The latest report on smoking by the Surgeon General of the USA concludes that the evidence is sufficient to infer a causal relationship between cigarette smoking and the wet and dry forms of AMD. Other risk factors for AMD are very similar to those for stroke and heart disease: high blood pressure, obesity, a diet low in antioxidants. There is some evidence that high exposure to ultraviolet light may also increase risk.

It is common for patients to develop the more severe form of wet AMD after first developing dry AMD. What is more, AMD can develop in one eye first with no noticeable effects, as the second, good eye, compensates. Often, it is only when the second eye develops symptoms that a problem becomes apparent.

That is why, if you are over 50, it is important to get your eyes checked by a medical professional regularly.

Anti-VEGF injections have revolutionised the treatment of both age-related macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease and can stabilise the condition in 90% of cases and significantly improve vision for 30-40% of patients, however early diagnosis is crucial to maximise their effectiveness.

Research and potential future treatments for AMD Advanced research and development is in progress worldwide with the aim of developing new and improved treatments for wet and dry AMD. Macular Degeneration is a major field of pioneering research in Ireland, where the potential to target the inflammatory and immune system in the treatment of AMD is currently being examined.

Treatment cannot undo the changes already present in the eye and the goal of treatment is therefore to prevent further loss of vision.

Regenerative medicine is another potential approach to wet AMD treatment, with gene therapies particularly to the fore.

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 61

Eye Health A number of approaches are being clinically trialled worldwide with the aim of halting or reversing the decline in retinal cell function seen in dry AMD.

About the Irish College of Ophthalmologists

Identifying the genetic variations among people with AMD has revealed more than 30 genetic variants that influence the risk for developing AMD. The situation is complex but becoming clearer as a result of the developments in genome sequencing. Genetics may be the key to understanding the risk of developing AMD and the rate at which it progresses, as well as targeting treatments to individual patients.

How to take care of your eye health Regular eye examination with the eye doctor are recommended in order to catch symptoms of AMD early and commence treatment, especially if there a family history of the condition. This should be done every two years for the over 50’s and annually if there is any hint of AMD. People need to be aware of how important lifestyle is for good eye health and the importance of reacting to any change they notice to their sight. After ageing, smoking is the biggest risk factor for developing AMD and also increases your risk of developing cataracts. Simple lifestyle changes can have a big impact and help to slow the progression or onset of AMD, including eating a healthy diet rich in leafy greens, exercise, and having regular eye exams.

How to make an appointment with an eye doctor For an appointment to see any medical specialist working in the HSE, including eye doctors, you need to get a referral from your General Practitioner (GP). A GP has knowledge of the specialists in his/her area and can ensure that any important information relating to your medical history is passed to the eye doctor.

Can I make an appointment directly with an eye doctor?

While it is advisable to seek a referral from your GP many eye doctors working in the community will give you an appointment directly - you can find contact details for eye doctors on the ICO website at www.eyedoctors.ie Media Release

ProU – a new yogurt to keep bones and muscles strong

Formed in 1991, the Irish College of Ophthalmologists is the professional and advocacy body for eye doctors in Ireland. With oversight from the Medical Council, the ICO places patient safety at the centre of the clinical process through on-going education of the public and medical professionals, setting and maintaining the highest of standards and ethics and issuing guidance to key stakeholders in the wider health community.

The central mission of the ICO is to reduce the number of annual cases of preventable blindness and sight loss and to facilitate (as far as is possible) independent living in the community through effective clinical pathways and interventions.

In keeping with wider government healthcare policy more than half of our members work directly in the community at the most effective and appropriate level for patients. Eye Doctors have a minimum of ten years medical training.

For further information, visit www.eyedoctors.ie.

ProU Yogurt is the first of its kind on the Irish market and its unique combination of balanced nutrients and high quality local ingredients, assures that with every spoonful you are getting the best to keep your bones and muscles strong and you active.

Multivitamin had ‘positive effect on women with menopausal symptoms’ ProU is a new Irish-made functional yogurt. It is designed to keep bones and muscles strong. Each 150g pot provides all of your Vitamin D daily recommended intake (RI) along with 80% of your calcium RI and 20% of your protein needs. With twice the protein and three times the calcium of regular yogurts it has been developed specifically for bone and muscle health. Made in Co. Wexford ProU Yogurt is available in selected SuperValu and Tesco stores in Dublin and Wexford, sporting four delicious flavours, strawberry, raspberry, mango and natural.

Michael and Jane Murphy who developed the yogurt have a passion for bringing real functional foods to market that can actively enhance health and wellbeing. They believe that naturally fortified foods can play a role in mitigating age related conditions and extending our active years.

The Irish Osteoporosis Society estimate that 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men over 50 years in Ireland are susceptible to osteoporosis. It is a growing problem. ‘all need to start being proactive with our diets to mitigate against bones and muscles weakening.’ Michael added.

62 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Following a recent three-month study, commissioned by Cleanmarine, focusing on menopausal symptoms, 84 per cent of women involved felt that two capsules of Cleanmarine MenoMin taken daily has a positive effect on their perimenopause symptoms.

77 per cent of women involved also reported a reduction in hot flushes in just 30 days and 66 per cent noticed a significant improvement in sexual desire, which again is often another major negative impact of perimenopause and menopause. Perimenopause is the transition time which can last between four and ten years prior to menopause.

Menominee is an all-in-one perimenopause and beyond multivitamin which has been proven to manage many of the unpleasant symptoms associated with perimenopause and beyond. The synergistic blend contains Omega 3 from Krill oil (the fastest and purest delivery of Omega 3 possible, surpassing traditional, highly processed fish oils without any fishy aftertaste) alongside B-vitamins, folate, biotin, soy is flavones and Vitamin D3.

MenoMin is available from health stores and pharmacies nationwide at a RRP of €24.99

We Search, You Travel Travel Cheaper and Dawson travel have partnered with these two wonderful brands to give you a sample of the once in a lifetime holidays we have on offer. We also work with many other suppliers to destinations near and far. We can create budget or luxury trips but all at the

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Every country in the world is unique and diverse but South Africa seems to have the edge. Whether you prefer the architectural highlights of Maputo, the unspoilt Indian Ocean beaches of Richards Bay, a tranquil round of golf, the inspiring scenery — and penguins — of Cape Town or busy, buzzing Durban, this cruise is sure to delight.

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EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive

Did you know that you can skip your Hospital Waiting List and travel to Kingsbridge Private Hospital, Belfast for immediate surgery at potentially no cost to you under the EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive?

What is the Cross Border Directive and how does it work?

The HSE operates a Cross Border Healthcare Directive (CBD) entitling patients who require surgery in the Republic of Ireland to avail of faster treatment across the border in Northern Ireland. The patient funds the procedure themselves and is subsequently reimbursed the cost of this by the HSE upon discharge.

Who can apply?

Anyone who is entitled to access services as a public patient in Ireland is eligible. You do not need to be on a Consultants waiting list, all you need is a GP referral.

How do I apply?

Contact the HSE National Contact Point in Kilkenny on 056 778 4546 to obtain an application form, then ring Joanna our Cross Border Directive Guru on 048 9068 8872 who will book your consultation to see a surgeon.

What surgery can be performed at Kingsbridge Private Hospital?

Orthopaedics / Ophthalmology / Gynaecology / General Surgery / ENT / Back & Spinal Surgery / Urology / Endoscopy / Paediatric ENT Surgery.

64 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Will I get all my money back?

Reimbursement will be at the cost of the treatment you availed abroad (i.e. Kingsbridge Private Hospital) or the cost of providing the healthcare in Ireland whichever is the lesser.

Testimonials from patients treated at Kingsbridge Private Hospital under the EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive: Ms Lennon-Sheils from Dublin had Hip Surgery “Please do not remain in pain. If it’s not for yourself, maybe it’s a relative or friend, maybe a neighbour you see struggling every day, whoever it may be, please tell them about the CROSS BORDER DIRECTIVE. Yes, you need the money up front, but the wonderful thing about this EU Directive is that HSE will reimburse most of the monies, leaving you with only the shortfall to cover. DON’T REMAIN IN PAIN! Make that call to Patrice or Joanna and get your life back! “ Mr McGarrell from Cavan had Hip Surgery “I couldn’t speak highly enough about this excellent facility. I had the procedure done under the Cross border initiative. This initiative is a no brainer as you are reimbursed almost totally by HSE. You do have to put the money for the op up front and that may be an issue but if you can raise it in some way then don’t suffer any longer my reason for bringing this to attention is that it is not advertised and that is a shame, Joanna in Kingsbridge private hospital will bring you through the entire process.”

Ms Brennan from Co. Monaghan had Cataract surgery “My eye sight deteriorated rapidly so I called Kingsbridge Private Hospital they were able to guide me through the whole process from beginning to end. My appointment was booked for the following week and I had surgery on both eyes a month later and I couldn’t be happier.

Thank-you to all the staff at Kingsbridge Private Hospital. I would also like to say a huge thank-you to my Consultant and that my eyesight is now wonderful”..

For further information please contact: www.kingsbridgeprivatehospital.com www.hse.ie

Tel: 048 9068 8872 Tel: 056 778 4546

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Northern

By Debbie Orme

Notes

Flying high at last!

Alan Gilchrist uses a form of auto-hypnosis, a system which, he says, he needed to develop in response to the speed at which people needed help to overcome trauma.

Two weeks ago, I flew to San Javier airport in Murcia, southern Spain. It was a lovely flight. Smooth, peaceful and helped along by a lovely glass of Chardonnay…

What’s the big deal? you may be asking….

Well, the big deal is that until a few years ago, even the thought of getting onto a plane involved a week of Imodium, sleepless nights and at least four diazepam in the 24 hours leading up to the flight. Once I would land, I’d enjoy my holiday for a few days before going through the same routine for the return journey.

I’ll tell you how bad it was….fifteen years ago I was working at Heathrow Airport and the company I worked for gave me a free flight home each month. Think about it….I was working at Heathrow Airport…..my office was at the end of a runway….I could even see the faces of people on planes as they landed…

Did I fly home each month? Nope. I commuted my ticket each month to a ticket for the Liverpool to Belfast boat and drove from Heathrow to Liverpool, overnight boat and then Belfast to home. An eighteen-hour journey as opposed to a less-than-one-hour flight.

‘It all stems back to my early years as a hypnotherapist in Belfast in the early 80s. Back then, hypnotherapy was a new alternative treatment and many people viewed it with great scepticism. Having trained as an Analytical Hypnotherapist, I opened a small office in Belfast and started to treat clients. One of the Sunday newspapers decided to do a feature on me, and word started to get round that there was this guy who could help to sort people out with their problems.

‘From that one article it just started to grow. I saw the employed, unemployed, multi millionaires, TV, radio and sports personalities, people from every walk of life (to date I have seen well over 60,000 + people).

‘Within a short space of time, I had seven clinics in Northern Ireland and was working seven days a week flat out. People were coming to see me for various reasons and problems, among them the common ones such as to stop smoking or to lose weight. But, being in practice in Northern Ireland was completely different from mainland Great Britain due to the many victims of the troubles. In the early years counselling was very limited, so I had to help thousands of people caught up in the conflict, ranging from the rescue service personnel who had to go into the aftermath of bombings, to people caught up in bombings, shootings, bomb scares and armed robberies.

Now? Now I can run onto planes and not give it a second thought!

‘One woman, for example, came to see me with chronic insomnia, due to the fact the whenever she woke up one night there were four gunmen standing around her bed!

So what changed? Well, while glancing through the paper one day I came across the name ‘Alan Gilchrist’ – a hypnotherapist with clinics in both Belfast and in Spain. A couple of hour-long sessions later and I was no longer scaredy-pants Debbie Orme, but was now Debbie Orme, super flyer!

‘Conventional hypnotherapy said that we had to go back into people’s childhoods to try and recall the originating cause of their panic attacks or other problems. This could, however, take up to fifteen sessions to achieve, when clearly it wasn’t in their childhood at all: it had happened right then!

To treat me – and countless others like me - Alan uses a form of auto-hypnosis, a system which, he says, he needed to develop in response to the speed at which people needed help to overcome trauma.

‘All of these people had suffered quite enough and just wanted sorted out as quickly as possible so they could get on with their lives. And that is exactly what I did and still continue to do!

‘People very often ask me why my style of hypnosis and hypnotherapy is different from the conventional way,’ Alan told me recently during one of his sessions at the Adair Arms in Ballymena.

‘As a result, I came away from conventional hypnosis and hypnotherapy and developed my own techniques (also introducing specialised equipment from America to speed up the whole process). I achieved this by

That’s how bad it was. To put it mildly my life was a nightmare.

66 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

www.lublintravel.pl

cutting everything down to the fastest way possible, without losing any effectiveness, so that my clients could get over their particular problems.

Having developed these techniques, I called it ‘Fast Track Hypnosis’ and I’ve been using this method ever since.’

Over the last 30 years or so, Alan has treated between 60 and 70,000 people like myself, who have either been born with, or have developed, phobias or hang-ups. Phobias like mine, fear of flying, are well known and common enough, but Alan has seen as many different phobias as he has seen patients.

‘Whenever I first started in practice over 30 years ago, like most people, I assumed that the most common phobia I would treat would be either mice or spiders, but this didn’t turn out to be the case! The most common phobia that I actually treat is blushing!

‘Fear of blushing, eureuthophobia, usually goes hand in hand with the phobia of being stared at, scopophobia, which in turn encompasses the feeling of social disgrace. The person is scared of making a fool of themselves and going red in front of other people. Blushers are usually tense and nervous in situations with other people. Once they feel themselves starting to blush they start to panic, which increases the blushing even more!

‘Blushers can - and do - go to extreme lengths to try to cover up this devastating phobia. Men who suffer from it can grow a beard to disguise it. Women can’t do this, so they resort to other methods. They may overdo on the make-up, for example, or sit under sun lamps to have a permanent tan, simply to disguise the fact that they feel people can see them blushing (in actual fact it is very rare that they can).

‘An unusual phenomenon that some blushers may develop can be nasal

problems, allowing them to conveniently keep a handkerchief around their nose!’

While blushing is the most common phobia, a quick glance at Alan’s website shows the vast range of phobias present in society today: from asymmetriphobia – the fear of assymetrical things, to samhainophobia – the fear of Halloween, to phonophobia – the fear of noise or loud talking!

One client, Shannon T, was badly affected by selective mutism…

‘I spent my time at primary school having no communication with any of my class mates or teachers. I only ever spoke to my family members.

When I tried to speak to other people, words wouldn’t physically come out no matter how much I tried, there was always something stopping me and holding me back. I first went to see Alan at the age of eleven.

After four sessions and listening to my tapes every night, I gradually became more confident and was able to talk to more people on a gradual basis. Now, at the age of 19, I no longer have any problem talking.’

About ten years ago, Alan decided to semi retire and took himself off to Lazenia outside Alicante in southern Spain.

‘The plan was that I would live in Spain part of the time,’ he laughs, ‘and then come back for weeks at a time to Northern Ireland to work. What I didn’t realise at the time was that half of Ireland is living in Spain now and people kept asking me to give them appointments. Before I knew it, I was running nearly as many clinics there as I was here.’

Alan now divides his time between working in NI and living in Lazenia, but has handed his Spanish clinics over to his son Jonathon and is enjoying his two-track lifestyle.

Community-based approach helping to create a dementia-friendly society As with most areas of the UK, Northern Ireland has been greatly affected by the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. At the moment, almost 16,000 people in the province are affected by this terrible disease, but, fortunately, dementia-friendly communities – just as across the water - are beginning to be established.

While 80 per cent of residents who live in care homes have dementia, the simple fact is that almost 80 per cent of people with dementia are actually cared for in their own homes and, as such, it’s vitally important that their needs are met by those in their local community.

One County Fermanagh pharmacy is certainly playing its part in creating a dementia-friendly community. Belcoo Pharmacy is a family-run pharmacy, which was established in 2001 by pharmacist Joseph Mc Aleer. Located in a small rural village just ten miles from Enniskillen, the pharmacy is the ‘healthcare hub’ of the community, since the nearest GP surgery is eight miles away.

The pharmacy is also the heart of this community and, as such, Joseph McAleer and his pharmacy team had become increasingly aware over the last few years of the increase in the number of their patients who were affected by dementia. Due to the rural nature of the area, the pharmacy and its staff play an important role in the care of and support for these patients.

68 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Riviera Travel Introduces 11 New Escorted Tours for Ireland

The Belcoo Pharmacy team from left, Bridgeen Melanophy, Fiona Gallagher, Maeve Gallagher, Bernie Doherty and Niall Mc Partland.

Last year, when staff member Bridgeen had to take time out to care for her father who had dementia, the community rallied baking for coffee mornings to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society. This sparked off a lot of a discussion about dementia in the pharmacy and so Joseph and his team decided that they would all undergo dementia awareness training.

They contacted the Alzheimer’s Society, who facilitated dementia-friendly training for the staff, which included things like: the signs to look out for, how the progression of dementia is unique to the individual, and how with help from organisations like the pharmacy can help people to continue to live well within the community. As a result, Belcoo Pharmacy proudly became a Dementia Friendly Pharmacy, the first in the area.

‘Our primary objective,’ said Joseph, ‘was to ensure that all staff in the pharmacy were trained to be able to spot the early signs of dementia - particularly in customers who aren’t yet diagnosed and, where and when appropriate, to start conversations with those people about their symptoms.

‘The Alzheimer’s Society training was invaluable and gave us the best start possible in creating a Dementia Friendly ambience in the pharmacy. The pharmacy then introduced the dementia team to Lakeland Community Care LLC, centred within the Healthy Living Centre in Belcoo. LLC is a non-profit taking company that provides domiciliary care, day care and flexi-care in rural Fermanagh. As a result of the meeting, I and the dementia team facilitated very successful and well-attended workshops in both Belcoo and the community of Cashel, helping educate and spread awareness of dementia.

There is no doubt the pharmacy now provides a ‘focal point’ for dementia in the village. In addition to supporting and empowering people with dementia to maintain their independence for as long as possible through inclusion, awareness and understanding, we also want to be able to assist those who may not otherwise realise that they are in the early throes of dementia.

l

Riviera Travel now offers 38 escorted tour holidays

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5 European tours to the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and Switzerland

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6 worldwide tours to Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australasia

Riviera Travel, one of Ireland and the UK’s leading providers of escorted tour holidays and a wide range of cruises, has introduced 11 new tours to its existing collection of world-class holidays.

As with other their other tours, the price includes return flights or train travel, transfers, excursions and the exclusive services of a dedicated tour manager throughout the trip. Furthermore, every aspect of the tour has been personally assessed and chosen by the award-winning company’s team of travel specialists, from the centrally located hotels to the thoughtfully planned itineraries, which give customers plenty of free time to explore the tour destinations at leisure. Riviera Travel honours a fair pricing policy, which guarantees there are no hidden costs or surcharges, inflated prices or artificial discounts.

Five of Riviera Travel’s new tours are European trips to Apulia, Lecce and Vieste; Barcelona & the Highlights of Catalonia; Santiago, Bilbao & the Highlights of Castile & Léon; Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland; and Stockholm & Copenhagen.

We also want to work with other businesses within the village and to continue efforts with LLC so that we can become a Dementia Friendly Community, supporting and empowering people with dementia to maintain their independence for as long as possible through inclusion, awareness and understanding.’

The remaining six are long-haul journeys to South Africa; Deep South plus Texas; Peru with Amazon; Costa Rica; Malaysia, Borneo & Singapore; and New Zealand.

The pharmacy’s efforts have already been acknowledged, with Belcoo Pharmacy recently winning the prestigious Northern Ireland Dementia Friendly Organisation of the Year (Private and public sector - small & medium) in October 2016.

Stephen Sands stephen.sands@rivieratravel.ie Tel: 01 905 6300 www.rivieratravel.ie

For further information, please contact:

Golf

The celebrated links at Hoylake, home of the Royal Liverpool Club, was the scene of another, memorable golfing wager. On the terrain where Rory McIlroy captured the Open Championship title in 2014 to match the achievement of fellow Northerner, Fred Daly, 67 years previously, a certain scratch golfer and his six-handicap rival famously agreed to play each other in a level match. There was one condition: the handicap player would have the right to say ‘Boo!’ three times during the round.

The redoubtable Irish Times editor, Bertie Smyllie, would have been keenly aware of Brian Inglis’s prowess as a golfer.

Putting and punting Dermot Gilleece recalls some marathon and bizarre golfing wagers

As we approach the end of Brian Inglis’s centenary, it may be appropriate to remember him not as a noted journalist, writer and broadcaster, but as quite a useful practitioner with club and ball who played off single figures. Indeed it was in this less publicised capacity that he gained particular notoriety among devotees of golf in the Malahide area.

It had to do with a remarkable bet which coincided with his first, somewhat brief involve-

ment with The Irish Times, while awaiting a callup for training with the Royal Air Force, heading into World War II. For the record, Inglis was born in Dublin three months after the Easter Rising and died in London in February 1993, having been reputedly the finest-ever editor of the Spectator magazine.

He was appointed to the D’Olier Street staff when the redoubtable editor, Bertie Smyllie, would have been keenly aware of his prowess as a golfer. It seems that Smyllie, a member

70 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

of The Island GC and Delgany GC, had been approached about the matter of a job by Inglis’s grandfather, J R Blood, one of the founding members of the club.

In his delightful book West Briton, Inglis wrote lovingly of Malahide and its golf courses: ‘When the Malahide Golf Club - we called it the ‘Shore’ to distinguish it from the Island- had been laid out among the dunes on the village side of the estuary, it attracted a small, select membership; but in the twenties, the estuary grew

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THREE KINGS PARADES

WALKS ALONG THE PROMENADE

TAKE A BUS TOUR

SUNSET BEACH ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT

5th January is a special date on the Spanish Christmas calendar.

This is the night the Three Kings of Orient visit excited kids to bring them gifts. Towns and cities all over the country celebrate this occasion with their spectacular Three Kings Parades, a must-see for anyone visiting at this time of year. Staying in Benalmadena means you get to watch two parades, one in the old town and another in the Arroyo de la Miel area (just minutes from Sunset Beach Club).

The perfect way to take in the sights and sounds of Benalmadena is by hopping on the City Sightseeing tour bus which will take you on an hour-long tour of this beautiful town.

Stops along the way include the Marina, with its’ fantastic selection of shops and restaurants; Paloma Park, a stunning 200,000 square metre park in the centre of town; The Butterfly Park, with over 150 different species, and lots more!

A VISIT TO MALAGA

The M110 bus which stops just outside Sunset Beach Club will take you into the centre of Malaga, one of the most popular cultural destinations in Europe. A fabulous selection of museums and attractions await all who choose to visit this stunning city. A walk down the city’s famous ‘Calle Larios’ for a little shopping or a walk along the impressive ‘Muelle Uno’ waterfront shopping centre are also highly recommeded.

Sunset Beach Club is located at the end of Benalmádena’s long promenade. The crisp, clear and sunny weather often enjoyed in January makes for perfect conditions to take in some fresh air and enjoy a little gentle exercise.

Benalmádena’s Marina is just a 30 minute walk away and there are plenty of great beach bars along the way where you can sit and enjoy a good coffee or a nice cool beer.

There is also plenty to keep you busy in and around the hotel itself! The animation team offers a wonderful range of activities every day, such as morning stretching classes and cooking lessons by the pool, where you can learn how to make a traditional Spanish Paella.

In the evenings, you can enjoy a delicious meal in the hotel’s Oasis Restaurant; the great-value Early-Bird dinner set menu is a popular choice for guests. With live music every evening and a weekly Spanish guitar and Flamenco show in the Winter, you’ve got a super choice of entertainment without having to leave the hotel.

20ºC

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January 2016 Real Average Daily Maximum

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Ave. Hours of Sunshine: 5-6 hrs/day Source: Malaga airport weather station

Book online at www.sunsetbeachclub.com Tel. +34 952 579 400 or email booking@sunsetbeachclub.com

Brian Inglis became involved in a fascinating golf match against Francis Cobbe which started at The Island, continued at Corballis, shown here and then Donabate before playing all the way back to The Island’s final green, a total of 54 holes

Brian Inglis was not only a noted journalist, writer and broadcaster but also quite a useful practitioner with club and ball who played off single figures.

wayward; the channel known as the ‘Short Deeps’ where many a rash bather had been drowned in the tide rip, began to creep towards Malahide, eating away the dunes and, in a few years, what had been a golf course had become a beach.’

Noted as a gregarious, funny man, Inglis became involved in a fascinating golf match against Francis Cobbe, who had applied to enlist in the Royal Navy at that time. In his history of The Island GC, William O’Doherty Murphy, gives a stirring account of the battle which had its early stage over nine holes on The Island, up to the boundary with Corballis.

Then came Corballis itself as far as Donabate.

After playing nine holes at Donabate, the combatants stopped for lunch before playing all the way back to The Island’s final green, a total of 54 holes.

The author informs us: ‘The golfers were Junior Cup standard and the golf to start with was of good quality. One of the conditions of the match, however, was that the winner of a hole was obliged to drink a bottle of beer and deposit the cork in the hole. Because of this, extra caddies were required to carry the crates of beer.

‘According to an eye witness, many holes were exchanged, judging by the state of the participants in the late evening. John Horish observed the match at about 7.30 pm and he was invited by Francis Cobbe to act as referee for the last nine holes on The Island. According to Horish, the play continued good to the end and the match finished all square on the last green, each player having won 20 holes.’

The account concluded: ‘Brian Inglis had the honour on the 55th tee as they set out on a sudden-death decider. Winning so many holes on the way around had taken its toll and as Brian teed up his ball, he keeled over and was unable to right himself. He called on his opponent to assist him to the correct address but as he himself described the finish – ‘the bloody fellow took from my pocket the £1

which was wagered on the match and headed for the boat.’

delivered fours all the way, even on the eight bogey-fives and the two short holes on the old Burgess links.

So it was that with victory in sight at the end of an epic battle, Inglis was left, literally down and out. Not for the first time, golfing ambition had been blighted by the demon drink.

Wager at Hoylake On the other side of the Irish Sea, the historic links at Hoylake, home of the Royal Liverpool Club, was the scene of another, memorable golfing wager. On the terrain where Rory McIlroy captured the Open Championship title in 2014 to match the achievement of fellow Northerner, Fred Daly, 67 years previously, a certain scratch golfer and his six-handicap rival famously agreed to play each other in a level match. There was one condition: the handicap player would have the right to say ‘Boo!’ three times during the round.

As it happened, he said ‘Boo!’ on the 13th and won the match easily, with two ‘Boos’ in hand when collecting his winnings. And all because the more gifted scratch man was thrown completely off his game by having to anticipate the interruption.

King of clubs: The great golf marathon of 1938 by Jim Ducibella, available on Amazon, is a record of the $25,000 bet which Chicago broker, J Smith Ferebee, won in October 1938 when he played 600 holes in eight US cities over four days.

Few areas of golf have delivered such rich stories as those associated with wagers.

Indeed the very notion of landing a handsome pay-off has lifted golfers to amazing deeds.

Like the time the iconic Scottish professional, Ben Sayers, responded to a challenge thrown down largely by chance, and proceeded to play all 18 holes at the Royal Burgess Club, scoring a four at each one.

Then there was the bet of $25,000 which Chicago broker, J Smith Ferebee, won in October 1938 when he played 600 holes in eight US cities over four days, breaking 90 in each round. Ferebee, who travelled by plane from city to city, had a rather busy opening day, playing 84 holes in Los Angeles and 81 in Phoenix, of which 36 were negotiated after 9.00pm.

On being asked by his American rival what score he planned for the round, Sayers replied: ‘Fours.’ He meant this as an abbreviation of the popular expression of level fours, which applied to covering 18 holes in 72 strokes, an average of four per hole. The American, however, decided to take Sayers literally. So it was that he specified: ‘Remember that a three or a five is not a four.’ The Scot nodded and

On the second day, he had 72 holes at Kansas City and 72 at St Louis. These were followed on the third day by 72 at Milwaukee and 75 in Chicago. On the final day, 72 holes at Philadelphia and 72 in New York completed his schedule. We’re told that in the process, he employed 110 caddies, using four with torches and flares when he played at night. The only rest Ferebee had over the four days was in the

72 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Golf

aeroplane. By way of rather significant compensation, however, he and his backers were reported to have won $150,000 in bets and the sole rights to a $30,000 plantation.

Finally, I am reminded on some rather interesting ‘alternative’ betting prior to the Open Championship at St Andrews in Millennium Year, when Tiger Woods swept to the title for the first time.

500/1 That Jean Van de Velde will roll up his trousers and play a ball out of the North Sea. 5,000/1 That as a late entry, Sam Snead will regain the title after a lapse of 54 years; that Doug Sanders will hole 100 three-foot putts on the 18th green by moonlight; that the R and A will ban the driver used by Old Tom Morris’s ghost, as a result of its exploits on the 18th.

1/3 That Tiger Woods will drive the 18th green.

1/2 That the ghost of Old Tom Morris will drive the 18th green with a new-fangled driver.

4/1 That either Tiger Woods or Britney Spears will win the championship.

10/1 That John Daly will be seen on television during the championship with a cigarette and a doughnut in his mouth at the same time.

20/1 That Tiger Woods will drive four different par fours during the course of the championship.

EPIC Ireland in association with the Senior Times magazine are delighted to offer readers a chance to win one of 10 pairs of tickets: To enter the competition please answer the following question: Grace Kelly’s ancestors came from which county in Ireland?

Send your name and address by post to: Senior Times Epic Comp. Unit 1,15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh D6 no later than Jan 27th. All Winners will be notified by Feb 3rd. Only one entry per person - any multiple entries will be disqualified. Please tick the box if you don’t wish to receive future info relating to Senior Times magazine

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Cosmetics and Grooming

Tips for your crowning glory

New Year and New You – Mairead Robinson suggests starting with your crowning glory.

With all the many new year resolutions you can make regarding your appearance and lifestyle, the one change that can make a real difference is changing your hairstyle.

Feeling good about your hair equals a positive attitude to your appearance generally – we all know the meaning of that expression ‘having a bad hair day’.

So we should start with the condition of our hair, and there is no doubt that as we age our hair can become dry and brittle post menopause and years of colouring and blow-drying can have a very negative effect too. Using a good conditioner is vital and locking in essential moisture to protect against summer sunshine and winter winds. A hair mask is one of the best ways to erase damage and these are usually thicker and more intense than conditioners and should be used once a week. These do not have to cost the earth, I have used Ziaja goat’s milk strengthening mask and their cocoa butter smoothing mask.

Both of these 200ml pots cost just €3.99 and are widely available in chemists nationally.

Leave-in conditioners are also very effective particularly for dry frizzy-prone hair.

I am also a great fan of hair serum, and a new product from Satinique is their hair oil serum which really does transform and nourish dry hair. Available exclusively through Amway, this is a limited edition product so call 01-8991662 or email Dublin.centre@amway.com to secure your order. This is the most transformative product I have found for my hair recently.

But this is the time of year when you should treat yourself to having your hair assessed and treated professionally. Finding a really good hairdresser is essential, one who will understand you and your hair, who will have the knowledge and expertise to recommend what will work for you. I took myself off to Teresa O’Sullivan’s The Hair Studio in Co. Kerry to

74 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

get the full treatment. I have visited The Hair Studio previously, as they are one of the few salons in the country who use Naturlique hair colours, which as the name implies, contain no harmful chemicals as many cheaper brands do. I also find that it gives my hair a really glossy shine and is both a conditioning treatment as well as a hair colorant in one.

Consultation is vital when looking for a new look, and Teresa and her colourist Sara spent quite some time with me before doing anything while discussing colours, shapes and styles.

The results were so worth it as debating various suggestions, images of style options, colour co-ordinating including high-lights, low-lights and base colours were reached. I was very happy to put myself in their capable hands for a total hair make-over.

When it comes to my hair, I like subtle and stylish, low-maintenance and elegant with a little funky thrown into the mix. With naturally

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The team at Hair Care Studio, Killorglin

curly hair, a good cut is vital, as is regular deep conditioning. I am not a fan of showing my grey roots, so keeping the hair hydrated while constantly colouring is very important. I was delighted with the results – a really good cut, subtle colour, beautiful condition and a low maintenance style that had options to ‘funk-up’ or have a softer curl depending on my mood and the occasion!

Teresa has some great professional tips for women over 50 who want to keep their hair looking great, and I asked her to share some these with you. I particularly like her top tip for those who choose not to colour their hair and stick with their grey or even white hair. ‘Wear some lipstick and define your brows’ she suggests. With no colour in your hair, you need to use some on your face”. Great tip altogether, and here are more excellent suggestions from Teresa at The Hair Studio: ‘When going through the menopause your hair can go through some changes, it can become thinner, less dense, brittle and frizzy’ Teresa explains. ‘These are some products that work really well:Thinning hair What I would recommend for thinning hair would be Seroxyl fuller hair by L’Oréal, Seroxyl works by awakening any dormant hair follicles which sees great results after 3 months.

Loss of density A great shampoo and conditioner for hair which has lost its density is Fullfyl hair care range from Pureology. It includes shampoo,

conditioner and a pre blow-dry densifying spray. These products make the hair feel thicker, stronger and fuller instantly.

Brittle/frizzy hair The most important thing for brittle hair is a good shampoo and conditioner and in salon conditioning treatments which will replace lost moisture and rehydrate the hair. I would recommend a hydrating shampoo and conditioner from the Pureology range.

Depending on how brittle the hair is a good mask once a week is essential.

L’Oréal and Natulique When choosing a hair colour brand in my opinion you need a good quality colour. I would highly recommend these two brands because they have great conditioning properties and have a wide variety of colours also Natulique which is an organic colour has a lot of oils in it and is great for anyone who has sensitive scalp and resistant greys.

At home hair colour range Using a salon colour saver shampoos and conditioners are essential to keep your colour from fading and loosing its shine and protecting the hair from every day elements.

Going grey Going grey is a personal choice and should not be defined by age, it is a persistent transition.

If you have uneven grey patches consider the salt and pepper look. The key is to even out your colour and make your grey appear well blended which can be difficult as it can be in random clusters.

76 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

The secret is strategic highlights and lowlights, if you lighten and darken the right strands you will end up with ribbons of gorgeous highlights instead of a patchy mess Tips for keeping grey hair looking great An up to date style is a must Salon shampoo and conditioner to keep frizzy hair calm also a silver shampoo enhances the natural silver tones in the hair.

Styling with rollers can be a great way to give softness to the hair and added heat can smooth it out to give a polished look.

Make-up is a great way to enhance a colour just a simple thing like lipstick can really bring a look together and make your beautiful silver/ grey hair stand out.”

The Hair Studio is in Killorglin, Co. Kerry and can be reached at:- 066-9762619 or 087-4139415

Gardening

Winter Wonderland One of the beautiful Helleborus orientalis blooms. As they are grown from seed, all plants will offer pretty variations in flower colour

Peter Dowdall has some floral suggestions for the winter months great architectural plant in a border mixed with more shrubby plants bringing a certain airiness and elegance to the party.

Several years ago, during 2010 and 2011 the North Pole extended its icy grip down to these islands and we shivered in temperatures as low as -15. The landscape the following year was littered with dead plants that up to then were regarded as hardy.

Cordylines throughout the country turned black and mushy overnight. Many have since recovered albeit maybe smaller specimens now. I really hope I don’t experience another winter like that in Ireland and I don’t think we will, after all it was one in over a hundred since records began. So please don’t let it put you off Cordylines, as they can bring so much to the garden in terms of colour and most of all, structure. They make a classic statement in a pot either underplanted at this time of the year with Cyclamen or simply standing alone. Also, the spiky, grassy type leaf make Cordylines a

I have always been a fan of the variety ‘Torbay Dazzler’ with its fresh, bright foliage of cream mixed with green never growing out of control even in maturity unlike the straight green Cordyline australis which can grow to quite some height, up to 7 or 8 metres with many of them producing multi stems resulting in a spread of 3 – 4 metres. Over the last few years a number of new varieties have found their way into our gardens and my new absolute favourite is the very aptly named ‘Electric Pink’. Well named because the different shades of pink in the leaf demand your attention wherever you see it.

The Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger, produces white flowers on low stems with quite stiff nearly waxy leaves from November and well into February and is a lovely cheerful little plant to brighten up the garden during this period. It’s a time too that I think we may all need that bit more cheering up as the days are shorter and the weather is more grey and depressing, there’s nothing like a little colour form our garden plants to lift the spirits. Whilst

the Christmas Rose is an attractive form, for me it was with the orientalis varieties that my love affair with this genus began and continues.

Flowers are produced from white through pink to the deepest purple nearly black and everything and I mean everything in between.

Every different shade of pink that can you can imagine is represented in some Hellebore somewhere. Pink mixed with white, pink speckles, white speckles, bicolors, you get the idea. These flowers are often obscured by the dense covering of leaves above.

I recommend you remove these leaves during December or early January, for even though they are referred to as the Lenten Rose the Hellebore orientalis is often in flower as early as December and removing all foliage will allow the flowers to be seen in all their glory. Another reason to remove the leaves is that nearly all Hellebores will suffer to some degree from the fungal infection Hellebore Leaf Spot. This fungal infection, Microsphaeropsis hellebori is unsightly and will weaken the plant in the long term. There are fungicides available to treat it but I find the best treatment of all is to quite simply remove all infected leaves.

By the time we see the first brave snowdrop poking its delicate little head above the icy soil during January we want to get out and start gardening again. If you didn’t get around

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 77

Gardening

to planting these early flowering beauties during the autumn then fear not as they will be readily available in garden centres after Christmas ‘in the green’ This term refers to the fact that the bulbs will be actively growing and in flower and I have found over the years that this is the best way to source snowdrops as clumps will establish more successfully than bulbs that are planted in the autumn. Did you know that there is more than one type of snowdrop. In fact there are dozens of varieties with bulbs of some of the most sought after varieties selling for as much as €250 per bulb!

Another of my winter favourites which will help to lift the spirits is Hamamelis or Witch Hazel. What a magnificent addition to any garden this beauty is. Growing to about 3.5 metres in height and a similar spread the witch hazel is a deciduous shrub which produces the most unusual looking flowers on naked branches. I do like the orange and red coloured varieties but sometimes they can be lost in our gardens in the dark winter so maybe try the fresh and bright yellow form, ‘Pallida’ which shines like a beacon even on the darkest of days.

Christmas is a time to reflect on many things of course, life and what has shaped us, highs and lows of the previous years and those

that have gone before us and no longer physically spend Christmas with us. This is what makes it bittersweet as we get older, remembering those no longer with us whilst still enjoying the wonder on childrens faces as they have yet to experience all that life has to throw at them, good and bad. Take a break on the day to have a moment in the garden, to touch base with the universe outside and to experience the peace and calm that only a garden can give.

This year for me it will be all about my two beautiful daughters and the day will be spent with family and full of laughter and love. It is a truly magical time of the year and wherever you are and whoever you are with and whatever God you believe in I hope you enjoy this special time and arrive in 2017 in good health, full of happiness and of course enthusiasm to get back into the great outdoors.

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The pretty Senior and resilient is one of TimesSnowdrop Editorial Content the first flowers to emerge in the New Year as winter turns towards spring

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Wine World Alentejo: Portugal’s ‘unknown’ wine region Mairead Robinson visits the less known Portuguese region that is shining a light on the country’s wines.

I visited Alentejo just as this year’s harvest was coming to an end, and since I had wanted to visit this region for quite some time, I was delighted with both the opportunity and with what I found there. The rapid development and investment in both wine production and wine tourism is really putting the area on the map.

The region is all within a two hour drive from Lisbon airport, and as you head east towards Spain, you pass through a variety of agricultural enterprises including cereals, olives, cork oaks, the famous black pig and wine. The landscape is varied and the wild life is the richest in Portugal. With over 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, a figure well above the national average, the wines from here are full-bodied and fruit-driven and with luxurious and traditional accommodation offered at many of the wineries – a

visit to Alentejo should be on every wine lovers’ bucket list.

However of the thousands of Irish people who visit Portugal each year, the vast majority - 80 per cent - will head to the Algarve. While there however, the bulk of Portuguese wines that they will enjoy in the local restaurants will be from the Alentejo region which altogether takes up some 22,000 hectares of planted vineyards. Virtually one out of every two bottles of wine that is now consumed in the whole of Portugal is produced in the Alentejo.

But you would be wrong to think that this is some ‘new’ wine producing region as vines were planted here as far back at the 9th century BC. The area was also under the influence of the Greeks and later the Romans. Interestingly there are traces of ancient civilisation to be found today in the maturing of wines using Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 79

No visit to the region would be complete without travelling up to the walled medieval city of Monsaraz.

Harvest time in Alentejo

the ceramic vats – ‘talhas de barro’. I came across these tall vessels containing up to two thousand litres of wine in some of the wineries I visited.

A complicated political past led to the region concentrating on grain production while the bulk of the country’s wine was produced in the north west, the Dauro region, and what is not used as table wine is transported to Porto for Port production. The present day wine production in Alentejo only really took off since Portugal joined the EU in 1986 when wine producers there increased ten fold. Now there are a total of sixty-six wineries making up the touristic wine route, all of them offering a range of visitor experiences from simple tours of the vineyard and winery, to hosting wine tastings and serving meals and offering accommodation in charming rural hotels. My visit took me from Evora –a World Heritage Site – to Beja in the south and included a visit to the walled medieval town of Monsaraz which lies just 15 kilometres from the Spain.

It was just a two hour drive from Lisbon airport and with the early arrival of the Ryan Air flight, I arrived at Malhadinha Nova just in time for a wonderful al-fresco lunch outside the winery by the pool and surrounded by rolling vineyards in the calm and tranquil Alentejo countryside. Malhadinha Nova is a traditional family owned estate producing high quality wines with powerful fruit driven flavour. The wines would be familiar to visitors to the Algarve as they own 15 wine shops there and the wine labels are distinguishable by the family’s children drawings. Like many of the rich red wines I tasted over the few days visiting the region, this wine is high in alcohol – 14.5% - which is how the local people like it, I am told! Monte da Pecequina 2015 was my first taste of the complex intensely fruity and elegant wine typical from the Alentejo region.

Another top winery which also offers accommodation, and tours and tastings is Grous who are producing excellent wines mainly for the export market. Germany is the key market after Portugal itself. Planting both indigenous and international grape varieties, each is fermented separately and blending is done by the winemaker at the last stage. I was well impressed with their 2014 red, which spent nine months in French oak is crafted with local grapes, Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, Touriga

The tasting cellar at Malhadinha Nova with the ceramic vats – ‘talhas de barro’ – which contain up to two thousand litres of wine, in the background.

National and finally Syrah – a variety that appears to suit well the Alentejo sunshine.

After that I enjoyed the visit to Sobroso, where we had dinner and stayed over. This is rural and wine tourism at its best with 1,600 hectares of estate located between the Mendro Mountain Range and the plains of Alentejo alongside the Guadiana River. The charm of the estate is matched by the quality of the wines. Their Sobro Rose is made with 100% Aragonez and has notes of ripe cherries, raspberry and strawberries. It is very popular here in Ireland, where outstanding Rose wines are not so easy to find.

No visit to the region would be complete without travelling up to the walled medieval city of Monsaraz. There are five thousand hectares of vineyards in the wine-growing sub-region of Reguengos de Monsaraz. Here vines and wine are an important part of the heritage and further proof of the age-old winemaking tradition in parts of Alentejo. You can visit the tiny family owned Ervideira Wines in the walled city, the only company I visited that made sparkling wines in Alentejo. From here we drove through the beautiful countryside with fields of cork trees on either side until we arrived in the town of Avora to stay in the aptly named Cork Hotel.

It is worth dropping into the Enotourism (Wine Tourism) office in Avora for a free sampling of local wines and information on wine routes which you can plan together with their expert help. They will provide you with maps, advance booking and all the relevant support you might want to undertake this exciting journey.

I also visited the vast estate of Ravasqueira, which is only an hour’s drive from Lisbon. Here I

80 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

sampled the excellent Vinha das Romas 2013, a concentrated and elegant blend of Syrah and Touriga Franca which had been aged for 20 months in French oak. From a wine viewpoint, this was the outstanding tipple of the trip, and a truly stand-out example of the high quality of wine coming from the Alentejo region.

This extraordinary estate houses some restored carriages and stagecoaches, they are also involved in rearing the famous black pigs, they cultivate honey and olive oil, produces cork and rear fine cattle.

There is so much more to see and do in the region – a visit to the castle at Beja, the carpets of Arraiolos, the wonderful churches – including one filled with thousands of human bones!

It is a region I intend to return to and you could bring the whole family as there is so much to see and enjoy as well as the wine. But it is those wines that I will remember best as I was well impressed with every tasting. The great news is that all of these wines are available here in Ireland through Kevin O’Hara and his company Grace Campbell Wines established in 2003 and dedicated solely to quality wines, port and olive oil from Portugal. He distributes through Costcutter and Carry Out off licence shops as well as many quality independent off licences countrywide.

You will get all the information on these great wines and where to find them on his website www.portuguesewine.ie or phone 01-4941203.

If you would like to sample a couple of bottles of wine from Alentejo, just click on to www.hotelreviewsireland.com and enter the current wine competition, kindly sponsored

by Grace Campbell Wines.

Income

Convert your spare room into cash Pat Keenan saw at first-hand the accommodation phenomenon that is Airbnb Since it started in San Francisco back in 2008 Airbnb has offered home-owners the opportunity to earn money from their spare rooms and other accommodation. It may not be for everyone but its popularity is undeniable.

Their website offers over 2 million listings in 34,000 cities and umpteen small towns and villages in nearly 200 countries. In Ireland in the past year 11,000 Airbnb hosts welcomed over 650,000 guests to their homes.

In Dublin alone 5,000 hosts welcomed 319,000 visitors. Recently Airbnb released a report about their reach into rural Ireland, showcasing the best of local Irish hospitality and the impact that is having on lessor known locations and the knock-on effect on local business.

There are two ways to use Airbnb, as host to earn extra money or as guest to travel and live like a local. Aisling Hassell who heads Airbnb’s Dublin office says ‘we really believe in the immense opportunity for everyone across Ireland to open up their neighbourhoods, no matter how remote, and put themselves on the map’, and added, ‘people of all ages and walks of life are recognising that there is great value in sharing a spare room, or your home when you’re away’.

Last year in rural Ireland €27m was earned directly by renting anything from a spare room, a granny flat or the entire house. That spare space could earn you an extra €2,700 - €3,000 per year. The report points out that most hosts are retired, self-employed or entrepreneurs and maybe, in difficult financial times, as many as half of them are just simply making ends meet. Becoming a host is straight forward but be aware to check the laws and regulations that may apply in your area, even planning permission restrictions in certain situations. But these are few and for most wanting to share a space this will be all right. The Airbnb website includes a helpful section titled ‘Responsible hosting in Ireland’ (www.airbnb.ie/help/article/1378/responsible-hosting-in-ireland) I met up with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD in an Airbnb host house Co. 82 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD launches the report.

Monaghan, her own constituency. She joined us for the launch of the Airbnb report Home-Sharing: Empowering Regional & Rural Ireland. ‘The benefit of the Airbnb model’ she said, ‘is that it can bring new visitors to remote and perhaps previously undiscovered locations, providing a new potential source of revenue for communities which might be otherwise off the beaten track’.

For the launch we all crowded into the kitchen of host Elizabeth McGuinness for a slap-up buffet lunch, all prepared from the best of locally sourced Monaghan food. Elizabeth welcomed us into her home which is just outside Monaghan town. ‘I get to meet fantastic people from all backgrounds and cultures’ Elizabeth told us ‘it’s a tremendous way for them to get a real flavour of a place.’

And that’s exactly what Elizabeth did as she took a few of us around

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Income the local area and introduced us to her neighbours like, Jeremy Herron who runs Ambledown Cottage in Glaslough, a tea rooms (great pizza too!) with a wonderful mix of the eclectic old furniture.

At Busy Bee Ceramics in Mullan village we met Brenda who invited us to ‘throw a pot!’ (No, on a potters wheel!) and we visited Trish Murphy at her tiny shop, grandly named The Chocolate Company , where she makes her own chocolates. She makes all those handmade chocolates you will find on the pillows in nearby Castle Leslie -ex Beatle Sir Paul McCartney would have had some when he got married there. That was, tabloid readers will recall, when the late wonderfully eccentric Sir John Leslie told all on live TV that the wedding would be on Tuesday and added ‘but it’s a secret’. No chocolate for him that night. We visited The Mallon Gallery where ceramic artist Joe Mallon showed us around a clutter of lamps, vases, dishes, masks, birds, dogs and his wife Joan’s surreal paintings of flowery village fantasy. We travelled back in time with Ron and Diane at the Olde Bar - all old ‘country pubs’ looked like this in the old days. I ended my Airbnb day in Co.Monaghan, with the locals, living like a local, with a few glasses of artisan beer from Brehon Brewhouse, located on a farm in Carrickmacross.

For more Information: Airbnb website: www.airbnb.ie/ Airbnb host,Elizabeth McGuinness, Lynster House, Milltown, Monaghan www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/7360430?s=ow_SAkig The Mallon Studio, www.glasloughvillage.com/the-mallon-studio/ The Coachhouse & Olde Bar www.facebook.com/CoachHouseOldeBar Glaslough Chocolate Company, chocolatier Trish Murphy-Thom Busy Bee Ceramics : http://www.busybeeceramics.ie/ Ambledown Cottage: www.glasloughvillage.com/ambledown-cottage/

Airbnb host Elizabeth McGuinness prepares a slap-up buffet lunch

Great offers from The Travel Department ·

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Travellers will have company of likeminded travellers, as well as the support, guidance and expertise of our friendly and enthusiastic local guides.

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City breaks starting at €289 for three nights in Prague, and week-long holidays starting from €399 for seven nights in the Algarve.

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farther afield, with India and China now among our most popular destinations. ·

Travel Department also provides specialist holidays, including Garden Holidays, Opera Holidays, Walking Holi

84 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

days, Solo Friendly Holidays and River Cruises For more information contact: The Travel Department, Harmony Court, Harmony Row, Dublin 2.

Tel: (01) 6371600

The Third Act Ed Kelly talks about The Third Act and The Third Act Transitional Programme

THE NEW THIRD ACT IN LIFE Let’s start with the goods news. Human longevity has added 25-30 years to our lives.

In the process it has completely disrupted the traditional arc of our lives growing up, adulthood and retirement/old age. If you are 60 to-day you have a 50% chance of living to 90.

Welcome to your new Third Act in Life.

There are consequences to this longevity though, politically, socially and economically, but also personally in that you have to transition into it. Wandering into it doesn’t work as you end up just playing out another scene from the second act. You have to realise that this change is real and that there are personal consequences to it. As Lord Keynes used to say, ‘when the facts change, I change my mind; what do you do sir’. Well the facts on human longevity have certainly changed and so must you.

First Act Second Act Third Act Fourth Act

Formation, childhood, adolescence, dependency, growing to adulthood (age 1-25) Development, independence, career planning & progression, partnering, bringing up family, saving for later (age 25-55/65) Transformation, second chance, new career after retirement.

Time, space, opportunity for growth & development (age 55-80+) Paring down, old age, facing increasing frailty, loss of acuity of senses, health or mind and facing the inevitable end of life My thanks to Susanne Cook-Greuter, Liz Norris & Marie Lord for suggested wording on the above. Dr. Edward Kelly.

during my second act’? What were those dreams I had in my earlier life before all the seriousness and responsibility took over? Now you have the time – a second chance - to do something about it.

Third Act 2

The other 50% who want to stay in the area where they have the qualifications, skills and experience, but they want to work differently. They no longer want the long hours and competitive pressures. They just want to be involved, to stay connected and to make a contribution. And of course what organisations forget is that these highly qualified, highly experienced people will work at a much lower cost because they don’t need pension contributions, heath care cover and long term contracts and nor do they need or want the status and positions that seemed so dear to them before. What a loss to society, to their organisations, that more of these people are not actively involved.

It is interesting that 70% of people retiring say that they want to continue working or being involved in their Third Act; 50% say they want to do something different and the other 50% want to stay in what they know best. The 50% that want to do something different are looking over the horizon and wondering, ‘what is that I always wanted to do and be but put aside

So where do you fit into all this? What age are you? Are you coming up to traditional retirement? Have you already retired but have yet to find something else? Are you disappointed with what retirement has given you and would like to find some new meaning or purpose to your Third Act in life? And do you feel you are currently doing all this soul searching on your

The challenge is that the change has already happened ‘out there’ whereas the transition has to happen ‘in here’, in our ordinary lives and relationships and that’s the really hard part. As Charles Handy said at our conference, ‘this third age is not worth living if you are not acting in it’. So what kind of actor are you going to be in your Third Act? Are you going to be the same as before or are you going to become that kind of person you always hoped you would become?

own? That is a real problem. It’s like this is the great ‘forgotten transition’. Compare it to what happened in the transition from the first to second act in life and you can see what I mean.

Then it seemed like everyone had a stake in your development; your parents were pushing you, your hormones were pulling you, society was willing to educate you and organisations to train you. When you get to the end of the second act you are on your own. Society and organisational life is under the mistaken belief that you are retiring, checking out, when really you are just transitioning, moving on, to a whole new period in life that could last 25-30 years.

Give me back that feeling I had when I was leaving college and had 30 years of adult life to look forward too. Well here we go again. Your new Third Act in life could be just as long.

If your or your organisation are interested in hosting and in-house programme or you would like to apply for our forthcoming Transition Programme starting on Tues 6th Feb, please make contact below You’ll be among other like minded travellers.

For more details go to our website www. thethirdact.ie or email us at Edward@thethirdact.ie.

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 85

Meeting Place Let’s hear from you, gents!

Once again the ladies are severely outnumbering the gents in terms of number of advertisements. Come on lads, let’s hear from you!

DUBLIN MALE, 71, TALL, SLIM, NS, SD, love a laugh and craic. Live alone and like the simple life. WLTM a lady to enjoy good times with. Like music, computing, art, good conversation, cinema, nights in and reading.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E1 PETITE, ACTIVE, ATTRACTIVE DUBLIN LADY, late 60s, retired professional, WLTM a kind, sincere gent for friendship and companionship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E2 GENUINE LADY, 50s, NO CHILDREN loves walking, reading, travelling, fishing, cooking, eating out, etc. WLTM gent with similar interests.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E3 DUBLIN BASED GENT 60s never married, cheerful personality, active lifestyle, and positive outlook WLTM lady of similar sage with similar outlook for possible relationship.

READER TO BOX NUMBER E4 EDUCATED, SEPARATED CLARE-BASED MALE, 65. Interests include walking, dancing, sport, travelling. WLTM female 60-70 with similar interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E5 NORTH DUBLIN MAN, 60, ROMANTIC, broad-minded, discreet, ND, NS, WLTM lady 60-65 for friendship or more. Interests include all types of music, theatre, eating out, walking, weekends away. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E6 EAST COAST WIDOW, 70s, kind and caring, fun-loving, WLTM sincere, kind man for friendship, social dancing and to enjoy each other’s company, REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E7 DUBLIN GENT, 71, WLTM adventurous, open-minded, lady to share cabin, costs on an adult-only world cruise January-April 2018. NS, ND. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E8 ATTRACTIVE WEST CORK LADY, early 60s, NS, ND interests include lively conversation, painting, keep-fit, eating out, current affairs, travel, music (not country and western!). WLTM gentleman of smart appearance with GSOH who is kind and sincere and interested in sharing life’s bounties with a sincere companion.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBRT E9 LIMERICK BASED LADY, EARLY 60s, attractive widow, semi-retired professional, Kind, considerate person with GSOH, NS, SD, various interests include travel, nature, theatre, music, walking, swimming, sport (especially GAA). WLTM unattached, interesting and sincere gentleman with GSOH and similar interests for friendship/companionship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E10 TALL GENT, DUBLIN AREA, like walking, dancing and travelling. GSOH and relaxed personality.

Also play bridge and a little golf. Interested sharing the good times and the pleasant quiet times with a lady with similar interests.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E11 ATTRACTIVE LIMERICK LADY, 60s, divorced, no ties, self-employed, semi-retired, GSOH, out-

going personality with many interests. NS. WLTM sincere and honest gentleman 65-70 companionship and friendship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E12 MIDLANDS LADY, 68, SEMI-RETIRED professional widow with a zest for life, outgoing, genuine, caring and sincere. Enjoys sport, music, social dancing, travel, holidays, meals in/out, a glass of wine, current affairs and good conversation.

WLTM a genuine, educated, caring, romantic gentleman with outgoing personality and a GHOH to share special times.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E13 ATTRACTIVE, ARTICULATE AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL LADY WLTM baggage-free, well-educated man 55-70 to share the good things in life.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E14 MIDLANDS WIDOWER, EARLY 70s, average height, NS, SD, seeks company of attractive, petite lady with warm personality for friendship relationship. Enjoys music, gardening, cinema, driving restaurants and a laugh.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E15 70S OFFALY LADY, GSOH, WLTM respectable kind gent for friendship and to share lifes joys.

Interests include walking, dancing, cinema, eating out, weekends away, long drives in the country etc. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER C1 ATTRACTIVE 60s LEINSTER LADY WLTM a man who believes we can enjoy the elements, have a laugh, dance to Van, curl up with a film or dine out on words that say we’re on the same page.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER C2 DUBLIN LADY EARLY SIXTIES, WLTM a gentleman around the same age. Enjoys walking, cinema, theatre, travelling and golf. GSOH. NS. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER C3 ATTRACTIVE, RETIRED MUNSTER LADY. WLTM cheerful male/female companion interested in winter sun vacations, music/dance, countryside, books. NS REPLY TO BOX NUMBER C4 PETITE,SINGLE DUBLIN LADY, late 60s, with average dancing ability, WLTM a sincere, respectable gent who likes dancing.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER C5 DUBLIN WIDOW, 60s, WLTM gentleman for friendship and companionship. Interested in golf, bridge, dancing, arts and musicals.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER C6 LIMERICK LADY, 60s, semi-retired, professional widow, outgoing personality, caring and sincere and having a positive outlook. Interests include travel, reading, current affairs, social interaction, restaurants and nature. WLTM unattached genuine educated, positive and interesting NS gentleman with GSOH to share enriching times.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER C7 CORK-BASED LADY, 68 seeks gentleman for a cheerful mate, kindred spirit, sound and strong not stuck in the past when things go wrong! Having inner peace and social ease, like to dance and shoot the breeze A mum, a gran with positive view, lots of interests, and faults..well a few!

NS, SD Christian and free.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W1

86 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

ATTRACTIVE, SEMI-RETIRED DUBLIN BUSINESSMAN,60s, NS, many interests, kind and caring, WLTMA a warm, mature, affectionate, caring, romantic woman for mutual enjoyment, companionship and happy fun times together. Discretion assured and expected.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W2 WILD ATLANTIC KERRY LADY, early 60s, would like to share the following hobbies: theatre, drama, sailing, foreign/home holidays, dancing and fishing with an authentic man looking for companionship and friendship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W3 TALL, SLIM, HAPPY, CARING, ROMANTIC LADY. Early 60s, but young in heart and no couch potato, interested in music, art, architecture, mountains and sea, theatre and movies. WLTM tall, honest, interesting, professional man, 55-65 to share interests and dis cover new ones, to dance, to laugh and maybe to love.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W4 TALL, ATTRACTIVE DUBLIN WIDOW, 70, retired, professional, kind, romantic and sincere.

Interests include travel, music, art, reading, current affairs, good conversation and outdoor life.

WLTM sincere gent, 60s-70s to share the joys of life.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W5 WIDOWED LEINSTER GENTLEMAN, LATE 70s, with no ties. Outgoing personality, with many interests, including golf, fishing, boating and walking. Interested in meeting woman late 60s with similar interests with a view to companionship and relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W6 GALWAY WIDOW, NO TIES, children flown from the nest, early 60s, medium build WLTM a sincere, honest male 64-68. NS, interests include cooking sun drives, GSOH. A lot of love to give to someone special.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W7 FEMALE, 60s, SEEKS travelling companion from Munster area for guided tours and city breaks outside Ireland. Interests include culture, theatre, concerts, nature. NS, ND REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W8 EDUCATED DUBLIN LADY, 64, seeks tall, educated gent for long-term relationship. Divorced, living alone. Interests: dancing, music, walking, travel, cinema, eating out, etc.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W9 DUBLIN WOMAN, FAILING SIGHT, LATE SIXTIES, SEEKS male or female ‘guide’ for outings, eating out etc.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W10 INTELLECTUAL CONVERSATION required by lady (60s) over a cup of coffee in a café once a week in Dublin area.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R1 CORK CITY LADY, 60, PETITE, ACTIVE, outgoing personality SD, with varied interests WLTM unattached NS 60-65 kind, genuine man with GSOH. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R2.

MIDLANDS WIDOW, LATE 60s, WLTM lady or gentleman with whom she could share holidays at home and abroad. Compatibility important.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R3.

Singles Evening In Dublin!

The plan is to hold this in late January or early February.

We have received a reasonable response from the last issue from those wanting to attend but still not enough to make the evening interesting.

So let’s hear from you to make it happen! If we don’t get the interest, we cannot put on the evening.

Send a note to us showing your interest to: Singles Evening, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

Or email: john@slp.ie See you there!

RETIRED CO TIPPERARY LADY, 60, would like to hear from men of similar age. Very outgoing.

Hobbies include social dancing.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R5.

WELL EDUCATED GALWAY WOMAN, EARLY 50s, separated. Interests include theatre, cinema, sports, outdoor activities, cycling, hiking, country walks, cultural events, history and cooking dishes from all over the world. WLTM man with similar interests, GSOH with a positive outlook on life. View to friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER R6.

SELF RELIANT CORK CITY GENT, warm, conversationally good, informed. WLTM expansive, confident, self-caring and self-responsible lady for mature, engaging and good company.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M1 DUBLIN LADY YOUNG MID 60s, educated, divorced, petite (am told attractive) WLTM unattached male, NS, 60-70 with similar interests which are music, walking, love of nature, good conversation and general interests in life and living!

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M2 ACTIVE UNATTACHED TIP LADY, 53, semi-retired, no ties. Seeks male of female travelling companion anywhere in Ireland. Also interested in city breaks, walking holidays, cruises, anywhere off the beaten track, near or far. I’ve plenty of destinations in my ‘bucket list’ – do you?

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M3 CULTURED, PROFESSIONAL DUBLIN WIDOW, various interests include music, theatre, films, walking, and outdoor life. WLTM sincere gent to share and enjoy happy times together – the best is yet to come!

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M4 SINGLE NORTH EAST LADY, EARLY 60s, attractive, active with outgoing personality, sincere, kind and caring. Enjoy cinema, theatre, walking, hiking, restaurants and travel. WLTM sincere active man with GSOH, for friendship, travel, chatting and the simple things of life.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M5 YOUNG DUBLIN LADY, 61, interests include swimming, walking, reading, travelling, yoga, laughter, fun and GSOH, cycling, spirituality. WLTM

soulmate from Dublin area.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M7 LOVELY WELL-EDUCATED GALWAY WOMAN, late 50s, 5ft 6in, slim build, charming with GSOH, NS/SD, well-travelled, kind and sincere, Taurean. Interests include art, music, painting, reading, theatre, concerts, walking, yoga, healthy lifestyle, golf and bridge. WLTM sincere, attractive mature gentleman for friendship and companionship who has good values, with similar interests and is kind and caring.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M8 DUBLIN MAN 62, tall, slim, energetically fit, good dress sense, NS, SD witty sense of humour. Likes great outdoors, hill walking, sailing, rugby, history, decent restaurants, cinema, theatre, classical and traditional music. Likes visiting different parts of the country. WLTM an active female 60/65 who enjoys and has a young outlook on life.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M9 SINGLE DUBLIN MAN 60 NO TIES NS SD GSOH. Interests include good conversation, travel, walking, reading. WLTM sincere down to earth lady 60-65 for friendship, good company and possible relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M10.

DUBLIN GENT looking for lady (not too tall) to practice, waltz, quickstep, tango and foxtrot with a view to taking part in competitions.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M11 KERRY LADY LATE 60s, RETIRED, with no commitments, NS, SD, caring with GSOH, WLTM sincere gentleman for social life and share general interests and for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M12 RESPECTABLE DUBLIN PROFESSIONAL businessman 60s, NS, tall medium build, told attractive. Many interests, very private. WLTM mature, affectionate, interesting feminine woman for friendship, romance and shared mutual enjoyment. Discretion assured and expected.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M13 SINGLE MIDLANDS TEACHER, EARLY 50, enjoys reading, history, computers, sport, foreign holidays, and WLTM interesting male for friendship/relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M14

SINGLE DUBLIN GENT, 60s, NS, ND, many interests, WLTM refined female from any part of the country. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER M15

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 January 20th 2017.

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).

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 87

Citizens Information Service

Know Your Rights

Advice from the Citizens Information Service

I have been told I need to get a flu vaccine. Can I get it for free?

• The spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the adopting mother or sole male adopter The Act provides for statutory paternity leave of 2 weeks. She can start paternity leave at any time within the first 6 months following the birth or adoption placement. She must notify her employer in writing that she intends to take paternity leave and provide her intended dates no later than 4 weeks before your leave.

Influenza, usually known as the flu, is highly infectious and anyone can get it. However some groups are at greater risk of complications if they get the flu. This includes people over the age of 65, pregnant women and people who have a chronic medical condition.

The flu vaccine can help protect you from getting the flu. The flu virus changes every year and this is why there is a new vaccine each year.

Vaccination is strongly recommended if you: • Are aged 65 and over • Have a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, heart, kidney, liver, lung or neurological disease • Have an impaired immune system due to disease or treatment • Have a body mass index (BMI) over 40 • Are pregnant • Live in a nursing home or other long-stay institution • Are a carer or a healthcare worker • Have regular contact with poultry, water fowl or pigs You can get the vaccine from your GP (family doctor) or pharmacist.

Children can get the vaccine from a GP. The vaccine itself is free of charge if you are in one of the recommended groups.

However, doctors and pharmacists may charge a consultation fee when they give you the vaccine.

If you have a medical card or GP visit card you can get the vaccine without being charged a consultation fee.

Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.

My daughter is expecting a baby early next year. Will she be entitled to time off work after the birth?

Yes. Since 1 September 2016, eligible parents are entitled to 2 weeks’ statutory paternity leave from employment or self-employment following the birth or adoption of a child.

Under the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016, eligible parents include: • The father of the child • The spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the mother of the child • The parent of a donor-conceived child In the case of an adopted child, an eligible parent includes: • The nominated parent in the case of a married same-sex couple or 88 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Her entitlement to pay and superannuation during paternity leave depends on the terms of her contract of employment. Employers are not obliged to pay employees who are on paternity leave. She may qualify for Maternity Benefit from the Department of Social Protection if she has sufficient PRSI contributions.

For further information about maternity leave, she can contact the Workplace Relations Commission’s Information and Customer Service at Locall 1890 80 80 90 or through the website, workplacerelations.ie.

How do I reserve a particular registration number for a new 2017 car?

You can only apply to reserve a vehicle registration number on or after 1 November of the year before you intend to bring the vehicle into use.

In other words, to use the number in 2017 you can only apply to reserve a number from 1 November 2016 until Revenue’s close of business at the end of 2017. An application received prior to 1 November 2016 will be returned un-processed.

The number you reserve must be in the normal format and must correspond with the licensing authority area where you normally reside.

It must also correspond with the year and half year in which the vehicle is to be first brought into use. For example, 172-D-111 may only be reserved by someone living in Dublin for a vehicle intended to be brought into use in the second half of 2017.

The registered owner of the vehicle on which the registration number is to be displayed must be the person in whose name the number was reserved.

All registration numbers are available for reservation, with the exception of the first number of each half year issued in the following cities Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Waterford. These numbers are, for example, 171C-1, 172-C-1, 171-L-1, 172-L-1. They are reserved for the Mayor or Lord Mayor of each of these cities and are not available for reservation by anyone else.

A reserved registration number can only be assigned to a vehicle when it has been reached in the normal sequence. It may not be displayed on a vehicle before it has been formally assigned by Revenue, following the presentation and acceptance of a completed declaration for registration.

The fee to reserve a vehicle registration number is €1,000 and should be submitted with the application. The cheque, bank draft or postal order should be made payable to the Collector, Customs and Excise. You apply on Form VRT15A to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, Registration Section, Central Vehicle Office, Rosslare Harbour, Co. Wexford.

We have not been able to manage our mortgage repayments and other loans for a long time. The bank keeps sending us legal-looking letters and at this stage we can’t bear to open them. Is there anyone who can help?

Yes, there is a new scheme of aid and advice for borrowers in home mortgage arrears. This scheme is part of Abhaile, the national Mortgage Arrears Resolution Service. It provides a range of services to help you to deal with your situation, including financial advice, legal advice and insolvency advice.

Panels of qualified and regulated professionals have been set up to provide services under the scheme. It is co-ordinated by the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Social Protection and is operated by the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) in conjunction with the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI), the Legal Aid Board and the Citizens Information Board.

You will qualify for advice and assistance under the scheme if: • You are insolvent – this means that you are unable to pay your debts in full as they fall due and • You are in mortgage arrears on your home and • You are at risk of losing your home (for example, if your mortgage lender has initiated repossession proceedings or indicated that they plan to do so; if they have said that they consider you to be non-coop erating; or if they have asked you to consider selling or surrendering your home) and • The costs of staying in your home are proportionate to your reasonable accommodation needs To access the scheme, you can ring the MABS Helpline: 0761 07 2000 (9am - 8pm, Monday - Friday) or contact your local MABS office.

Read more about the Scheme of Aid and Advice on Home Mortgage Arrears on justice.ie and on backontrack.ie.

I’m getting a social welfare payment. Will I get a Christmas Bonus?

The Christmas Bonus is paid to people getting a long-term social welfare payment. Long-term social welfare payments include the following: • State Pensions and Widow’s/Widower’s/Surviving Civil Partner’s Pensions • Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and guardian’s payments • Jobseeker’s Transitional payment, One-Parent Family Payment, Farm Assist, Deserted Wife’s Benefit and Allowance • Community Employment, Rural Social Scheme, Tús, Gateway, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance and Job Initiative • Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), VTOS and Further Education and Training (FET) training allowance (people coming from jobseeker’s payments must have been on their payment and/or BTEA or VTOS or FET training allowance for 15 months) For Jobseeker’s Allowance or Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance, you must be getting the payment for 15 months to get a Christmas Bonus.

In 2016 the Christmas Bonus will be 85% of your normal weekly payment (including the Living Alone Increase, the Island Allowance and the Over-80 Increase). Fuel Allowance is not included when calculating the Christmas Bonus. The minimum Christmas Bonus payment is €20.

For Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA), which is paid monthly, the bonus is 85% of the weekly payment. The DCA portion of the bonus is calculated independently of other payments. So, for example, if you are getting DCA for one child, 85% of the weekly payment is €60.70.

Our landlady lives in Spain and we pay rent into her bank account. Is it true that we need to collect the tax she is liable for?

Yes, if you pay rent directly to a landlord (or landlady) who lives abroad, you must deduct tax from the rent and account for it to Revenue, whether by paying it to Revenue or by reducing your tax credits. You deduct 90 Senior Times l November - December 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

the tax at the standard rate (20% at present) from the gross amount of rent that you pay. This deduction is not your tax relief – it is tax payable to Revenue from your landlady’s income.

Say, for example, you pay gross monthly rent of €1,500 directly to your landlady. The amount of tax to deduct is 20% of €1,500, which is €300.

Subtract this from the gross rent to get net monthly rent of €1,200. You pay this to your landlady. The amount due to Revenue is the €300 per month that you deducted.

(The situation is different for a tenant who pays rent through an agent to a landlord living abroad. In this situation, you do not deduct tax from the rent. The landlord’s collection agent must account for it in an annual tax return.)

You must account to Revenue for the tax that you deduct from the gross rent. If you fail to deduct the tax and account for it, this will mean that you (not your landlady) will be liable for any tax that should have been deducted.

If you pay tax under PAYE, you can account for it by reducing your tax credits and Standard Rate Cut-Off Point. You can notify your local Revenue Office and ask them to arrange this. Alternatively, you can make a tax return on Form 12 (pdf) and pay the retained amount to Revenue.

If you pay tax under self-assessment, you should include the details of your rent with your annual return on Form 11 (pdf). A notice of assessment will then issue to you, showing your reduced tax credits.

At the end of the year you must give your landlady a completed Certificate of Income Tax Deducted - Form R185 (pdf).

I have ordered a few presents from a Belgian website. Can I return them if I’m not happy with them when they arrive?

Online purchases within the EU are covered by the EU Directive on Consumer Rights. Under this Directive you are entitled to a cooling-off period of 14 days. During the cooling-off period, you can cancel distance contracts such as online purchases without giving a reason and without incurring charges or penalties, other than possible charges incurred in returning the goods. The 14-day cooling-off period begins on the day that you receive the goods.

Upon cancellation, the distance seller is obliged to repay you within 14 days, including delivery costs. If you chose a more expensive type of delivery than the seller’s cheapest standard delivery, you are only entitled to be refunded the cost of the cheaper delivery type.

The seller can withhold the repayment until the goods are returned or until you supply evidence that you have sent the goods back.

You must send the goods back within 14 days of informing the seller of the cancellation. You have to pay for the cost of returning them, unless the seller did not inform you before you ordered the goods that you would have to bear the cost.

The seller should have provided you with confirmation of the contract, as well as information on aftersales and guarantees, how to cancel the contract and a postal address for complaints. If the seller did not provide you with information on your right to cancel, the cooling-off period can be extended by 12 months. Cancellation may not be accepted in certain cases, for example, if the goods were made especially for you.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Citizens Information Service which provides a free and confidential service to the public.

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, 0761 07 4000.

Creative Writing Eileen Casey

In praise of George Moore The Mayo writer is the subject of a literary weekend at Hotel Westport

George Moore, the Mayo writer who is a significant figure in the Anglo-Irish literary canon, is the subject of a literary weekend at Hotel Westport.

William Trevor, who recently passed away, was hailed by Graham Greene as the greatest short story writer since James Joyce.

The Festive Season seems to come around much faster each year. Barely are witches and broomsticks stacked away when out comes the mistletoe, plum pudding and mince pies.

Canoodling under Viscum Album (Mistletoe) is commonplace in the West as an integral part of festivities. For the ancient druids however, mistletoe was a sacred plant. The Chief Druid would cut the mistletoe from the Oak, using a golden sickle on the sixth night of the new moon after the winter solstice. Cloths covered the ground to ensure that the plant did not touch earth. The cut branches were then divided into sprigs for villagers to hang over doorways as protection against thunder, lightning and other assorted evils.

in that he starred in Quackser Fortune has a Cousin in the Bronx, a film set in Dublin and New York during the early 1970s. The man who will always have a golden ticket in our hearts died peacefully, while listening to his favourite singer, Ella Fitzgerald. William Trevor, one of Ireland’s greatest short story writers also passed away in 2016, a great loss and mourned by his legion of readers. Born in Mitchelstown, County Cork, in May, 1928, he was of the opinion that ‘sadness gets a bad press. If you take away the sadness from life, then you are taking away a big and a good thing, because to be sad is rather like to be guilty.’ According to Trevor, ‘people should feel guilty.’ Trevor, who won the Whitbread prize three times, was nominated for the Booker prize five times. He was hailed

by Graham Greene as the best short story writer since James Joyce. He wrote about ordinary people struggling with disappointment and loneliness and shame. His novel The Story of Lucy Gault, (shortlisted for the Booker in 2002) was described by one reviewer as ‘quite possibly the saddest story you have ever heard.’ The novel is indeed laced with sadness but it is lyrically beautiful. If Wilder will always be

End of year means looking back to a certain extent, especially to those who are no longer with us. Among the many famous men and women no longer with us, is comic genius Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman) always remembered for his role as Willy Wonka in Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 11, 1933, Wilder had an Irish connection

remembered for Willy Wonka, then for Trevor, it’s surely the 1982 screen adaptation of one of his most famous short stories The Ballroom of Romance, (starring Brenda Fricker and John Kavanagh). Its depiction of 1950s rural Ireland is heart-breaking and authentic.

My favourite time of the year, without doubt, is January. Looking ahead instead of looking back is not a bad way to begin the new year.

2017 promises lots of new beginnings. Indeed, there’s something magical about starting off the year with a tabula rasa or ‘clean slate’.

Resolutions, personal goals in mind, body, spirit are lovely to contemplate (not so easy to carry through but (loosely) in the words of Beckett, fail, try again and fail better. In the world of art, Turner’s light filled, atmospheric paintings come to the fore in galleries all over the world but there’s still time to visit the Hong Ling exhibition at the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. This treasure house of antiquities describes the exhibition as a retrospective which is a troublesome description as the artist is just into his 60s and continues to make stunning artwork. Hong Ling’s work celebrates the mountainous and

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 91

Creative Writing

Drunk in Frozen, one of Hong Ling’s works at the Chester Beattie Library

wooded landscape of Huangshan in eastern China where he lives. Born in Beijing in 1955, his father was an historian and his mother a language teacher. He also makes ink paintings on paper and paints mostly with oil on canvas.

Huangshan is identified with pine tree forests and their spiky shape is a compositional presence in a work like ‘Pine Trunks: Bones,’ painted in 2014.The exhibition is worth a visit for this painting alone. ‘Pine Trunks: Bones,’ borrows from Abstract Expressionism which took its cue from Chinese painting and Taoist philosophy. Hong Ling brings the viewer into the moment of being there. Also included in the exhibition is his post-graduation piece (from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing), an elongated female nude that suggests an influence of such artists as Chaim Soutine and Modigliani.

One of the many pleasures for book lovers to look ahead to is a number of literary weekends offered by Hotel Westport. I like the premise of this break with a difference. Having visited Westport and its environs many times, I can certainly vouch for the natural beauty of the area. The first weekend is themed around George Moore, the Mayo writer who is a significant figure in the Anglo-Irish literary canon. Readers and writers alike will revel in talks and shared discussions where everyone is encouraged to participate. The weekend includes a field trip to Moore Hall and Lough Carra to visit places Moore immortalised in his novel The Lake.

Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs in the screen adaption of George Moore’s novel

In 1998, it was my great pleasure to travel to Mayo to attend a literary awards ceremony held to commemorate the versatile and influential writer. That event was called The Moore Literary Convention and was hosted

by Carnacon Development Association. Art 0’Suilleabhain, chair of the Convention, had organised a poetry and short story competition and part of the prize was a gold medallion of Moore Hall in relief. I was lucky enough to win the poetry medallion (and which I still have in my possession). My winning poem For Emily was themed around Emily Bronté’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ and the enduring passion between the main protagonists. Another important element of the literary awards was to raise funds for the restoration of Moore Hall, a building which was torched in 1923, at the bequest of Eamon de Valera. At the time, de Valera did not want

92 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Moore Hall to be used as a Free State army barracks.

Needless to say, the hospitality myself and other prize-winners received was equal to none. Art O’Suilleabhain was part of an eclectic group called ‘The Black Pudding Club’ and a great night’s entertainment was enjoyed by all. The next day, we were treated to a tour of the area, the beauty of rural Carnacon breathtaking in its winter splendour. Carnacon (in Irish, Ceathrú na gCon, meaning quarter of the hounds) is a small picturesque village in south west Mayo, central to Castlebar, Ballinrobe, Claremorris and Balla. The raw, natural wildness of the setting brought to mind the Yorkshire Moors where Wuthering Heights is set. Carnacon village has a church, a shop, a pub, a community centre and a vibrant national

Creative Writing

school. Nearby Lough Carra is a limestone lake, relatively shallow but very popular for trout fishing. Moore Hall alas, was in ruins then but we could glimpse the grandeur it had once been when George Augustus Moore (born in Moore Hall in 1852) lived there. Moore was a landlord with a heart and when he won a staggering amount of money at the Chester Gold Cup (with his horse Coranna), he spent much of the winnings on grain and a cow for his tenants, as famine relief.

Initially, Moore was sent to Paris to become a painter but turned his hand to writing, making his name with Esther Waters, published in 1894. Moore’s novels and short stories were controversial because of how he presented gender relations. His depiction of sex, prostitution, adultery and homosexuality, played a significant role in preparing the way for other writers such as T.S. Eliot and John Crowe Ransom. His writing career was at its height between the years 1883 and 1903 during which he published eleven novels, two collections of short stories and art criticism. His own influences were Flaubert and Zola, among others. He wrote a vivid autobiography Hail and Farewell, which outlined the ten years he lived in Dublin.

Moore’s son Maurice was a colonel in the Connaught Rangers in the Boer War, credited with founding the Irish Volunteers.

A Drama in Muslin (1886) focuses on the fates of Anglo-Irish upper class young women during a time of agrarian unrest in rural Ireland in the 1880s. Marriage was the only feasible vocation for women. This view is portrayed in the novel by Mrs Barton, mother of two unmarried

daughters, representing traditional Victorian ideas about marriage and gender roles.

‘A Woman is absolutely nothing without a husband: if she does not wish to pass for a failure, she must get a husband, and upon this all her ideas should be set. Keep on trying, that is my advice to all young ladies, try to make yourself agreeable, try to learn how to amuse men. Flatter them, that is the great secret.

Nineteen out of twenty will believe you and the one that doesn’t can’t but think it delightful.

Don’t waste your time thinking of your books, your painting, your accomplishments, if you were Jane Austens, George Eliots and Rosa Bonheurs, it would be of no use if you weren’t married. A husband is better than talent, better even than fortune, without a husband a woman is nothing. With a husband she may rise to any height. Marriage gives a girl liberty, gives her admiration, gives her success, a woman’s whole position depends upon it’.

This traditional view of marriage was strongly criticised by Moore, channelled through the character of Mrs Barton’s eldest daughter Alice who rebels and decides to pursue a career as an artist outside of Ireland.

Moore hones in on the physical and intellectual awakening of Alice. A Drama in Muslin was based on Moore’s first hand observations of family life in the Mayo community in which he grew up. Published in 1894, Esther Waters is regarded as Moore’s best and most successful novel. Again, Moore reveals his awareness of the vulnerability of underprivileged Victorian women. A young servant girl’s seduction is followed by her struggle to rear her son to de-

cent manhood. Although he draws heavily on Flaubert and Zola, the novel is also influenced by the emerging New Woman fiction of the time, fiction which portrayed women as rebellious and defiant, highlighting the double sexual standards which allowed sexual freedom for men while imposing repression on women.

Moore’s prolific output also includes short stories, again tackling sensitive issues of the times with regard to sexuality. Celibates deals with repressed homosexuality, lesbianism and transvestism. The Untilled Field (1903) is now regarded as the first significant collection of Irish short fiction. These stories bear the stamp of Ivan Turgenev’s elegiac style, offering a realistic representation of Ireland. The Untilled Field paved the way for Joyce to write Dubliners. In 1918, Moore published A Story-Teller’s Holiday which included The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs, a story about a woman cross-dressing as a man. She passes herself off as a man working in a luxurious Dublin hotel. In 2011 Glenn Close starred in the film adaptation, directed

by Rodrigo Garcia.The Moore weekend will be hosted by Joe McDermott. Details from Eithne@hotelwestport.ie.

2017, by the way, is also the year of the Rooster, the tenth sign on the Chinese Zodiac.

Lucky colours are gold, brown, yellow and lucky flower is gladiola. A prescriptive note on which to end concerns the herb Parsley. If over indulgence triumphs over the festive season, Parsley is an essential plant to have on hand.

A tea made from the herb (rich in iron, minerals and vitamins) is an instant pick-me-up. Happy Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 93

Crossword Crossword Number 81 by Zoë Devlin

ACROSS

DOWN

1 4 10 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 27 28 29 30 32 35 38 42 43 45 46 47 48 50 52 54 56 57 60 62 63 64 65 67 71 73 75 77 80 81 83 84 88 89 90 91 92 93 94

1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 24 25 26 30 31 33 34 36 37 39 40 41 42 44 49 51 53 55 56 58 59 61 66 68 69 70 72 74 75 76 78 79 82 85 86 87

Pill or small device for surfing? (6) Our parliament comprised of Dáil & Seanad (10) Right side of ship (9) Person who pursues something as pastime (7) Woollen fabric such as Donegal or Harris (5) Stingy skinflint living in misery? (5) Word made by rearranging letters of other word (7) Japanese drink made from fermented rice? (4) Stroll or amble leisurely (7) Boundary where Emir Peter might live? (9) Not working - at the deli? (4) One who possesses something (5) Gathering place or hangout - for ghosts! (5) He never danced in a satire, Fred ___ (7) Frightened or afraid (6) Guiding star - never in leotards! (8) Interceding, arbitrating or liaising (9) Life, death or string of words (8) US playwright, ___ Williams or US state (9) Large sweet tropical fruit (9) Raise, lift or promote (7) Commercial enterprise providing flights (7) Having sophisticated charm (5) 5-sided polygon or US government building (8) Nice salad dressing found in Connacht? (4) Move back and forth in different ways? (4) Prehistoric stone structure - can set me alight! (8) Hi Pal! this is a small bottle or ampoule (5) See 92 Across Displaying grace and a neat leg? (7) Person responsible for business administration (9) Liam ___ , Irish writer who loved frothy ale? (1’8) US sci-fi tv series of ‘beam me up Scotty’ fame (4,4) Person such as biologist, geologist or physicist (9) Eery Jean - she loved Mr Rochester (4,4) See 81 Across.

Spear for catching whales (7) Top line of hill or wave (5) Game where numbered balls are drawn at random (5) Curve spanning an entrance (4) & 71 Across. Tolerant botcher, wrote 67 Across (9,6) Ken Doherty’s game (7) White fish similar to cod (4) Party or get-together of former associates (7) Czech-born former wife of ‘the Donald’ (5) Shaw’s ‘Pygmalion’ flower-girl, ___ Doolittle (5) Use an oily map to find this Dublin theatre! (7) & 57 Across. Novel about Heathcliff & Cathy (9,7) Simple - my dear Watson! (10) Austere, stern or grave (6)

94 Senior Times lJanuary - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Mushroom on which elves often sit (9) Char, sear or darken in colour (7) Promised land - nirvana (4) Was formerly known as Constantinople (8) High peak, found in severest weather in Asia (7) Surrender or yield (4) Violent storm (7) Misgiving or doubt, hunch or intuition (9) Magician or wizard (8) Not in a state of sleep (5) The cry of an ass in Co Wicklow town (4) Could a brigade abbreviate or shorten? (7) Give medals to this young unmarried woman (6) Is Graham in the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland (6) Small restaurant or typo for lady’s undergarment? (9) Good-natured tolerance of delay (8) Rock and lighthouse off Co Cork (7) Leather with raised, brushed surface (5) Liberally - kindly - magnanimously (10) Benefactor or giver (5) Nonindulgent, stern, spartan (7) Stress or drive home a point (9) Vagrant - drifter (5) Poet __ Ní Dhomnaill or Met Éireann’s __ Carey (5) Daily or weekly publication on light paper (9) Award or circular helping of meat (9) Crosswise - where ravens rest? (10) Hard up or in straitened circumstances (9) Female character in Shakespear’s ‘Hamlet’ (7) Women’s shoes which give uplift? (4,5) Large structure or stadium for entertainments (5) Oh use this to dwell within! (5) Immaculately clean and unused (8) Vicious winged monster of Greek mythology (5) It’s a mini art to get this cocktail right (7) Unifying idea or motif in literary or artistic work (5) Done by individuals acting jointly (9) Acquit, discharge or vindicate (9) Pleasing - like Cinderella’s prince? (8) Can a baron die from being urbane or suave? (8) Enrol or enlist as participant or member (7) Indignation .. scandal (7) Inmate or one found guilty of wrongdoing (7) William __ who wrote ‘The Ballroom of Romance’ (6) Walk on and flatten (7) Oblong vegetable plant of squash family (6) Capital of Vietnam (5) Partner of Morecambe, he was prudent! (4) Bare or simple, it can be a small pond (4) Wood heaped for burning in a funeral rite (4)

Three copies of the best-selling Happy Pear cookbook to be won!

Senior Times, in association with the publishers, Penguin Ireland, are offering three copies of the best-selling cookbook The World of the Happy Pear by Stephen and David Flynn.

The book includes over 100 mouth-watering recipes that are designed to transform your eating.

Name: ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Address: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Phone: ................................................................................................................................................................................................

Email:......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Send your entries to: Crossword Competition, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

The first three correct entries drawn are the winners. Deadline for receipt of entries is January 23rd 2017.

Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 95

Nature

Connie McEvoy

Mid January Today I saw some snowdrops oh so very bright Huddled close together against the wind and rain In mid January’s orchard what a pretty sight Sturdy clumps of green and white perhaps a wee bit vain.

Just then a pair of blackbirds came bobbing into view The cock’s intent seemed amorous as he was wont to strut My late husband Mickey planted our orchard about 40 years ago. When the apple, pear and plum trees were well established he added gooseberries, currants and rhubarb. Soon after raspberry canes, Blueberries, and strawberries were planted. During early spring 2000 he planted a hazel tree and when he was happy with the eventual layout he asked relatives and friends to donate snowdrops, daffodils, tulips and bluebells (an odd crocus appeared also) as he wanted his orchard to look beautiful during the winter and spring months. In fact his intention was to have flowers blooming until the apple blossom took command during April and May. Eventually he accepted and planted flowers from old gardens of Carlow, Wicklow, Wexford, Dublin, Meath and Louth. We always looked forward to spotting the first bloom peeping through the grass in the orchard, the snowdrops always obliged and were admired for weeks due to the fact that so many varieties were donated, (from our kitchen window) first thing each morning as breakfast was prepared.

The hen seemed keen to wait until another rendezvous Incurring a reaction that she was in a rut.

A newborn lamb announced I’m here with a plaintiff bleat While mother strove to keep him somewhat nearer to the flock Mickey’s orchard and snowdrops in a frame on our mantelpiece

He sought some admiration in achieving such a feat

Changed my mind-framed this photo instead (large snowdrop on mount was painted in acrylics) now it can be seen more readily on the mantelpiece than having to pour through the pages of a scrap book.

Then struggled to get safely down from such a mighty rock.

Shortly after Christmas 2006 Mickey was so pleased with his beautiful carpet of white and green that he took some photos and I jotted down a few lines with the intention of putting both together on a page in a scrap book.

96 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie

Noticing these changes my heart is full of cheer Between the hours of darkness the days are longer now So it’s such a consolation knowing spring is nearly here I greet each day as I arise with an exclamation Wow!

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