Issue 89 September-October 2017
NOW E3.00/ÂŁ2.75
The magazine for people who don’t act their age
Panto is alive and kicking.. Oh Yes It Is..
Walking in the Slieve Blooms Easily accessible from all corners of Ireland
Enjoy your FREEdom!
How do you start to write?
Where to enjoy free attractions Best-selling novelist Muriel Bolger advises
Comic capers
Back in the saddle again
Remembering some good old friends
Riding the new Waterford Greenway
September - October 2017
Contents 6
32
64
News:
2
What’s on in The Arts:
Panto is alive and kicking:
6
Maretta Dillon reports on happenings in The Arts over
52
Aubrey Malone traces the history of Irish panto and its stars
the next few months
and finds that it is still enjoying crude health
Activity section:
51
Back in the saddle again:
60
Ronald McDonald’s charity for children:
16
Maretta Dilllon visits Ronald McDonald House in Dublin
Maeve Edwards cycles the new Waterford Greenway
which accommodates the parents of sick children
Creative writing:
64
Wine World:
70
Time for change gardening: Marie Staunton nurtures confidence and respect in the garden
72
Cosmetics and beauty:
78
Northern Notes:
80
Retirement
86
It’s your funeral:
22
Mairead Robinson discovers how preparing for death is no longer a taboo subject An American childhood:
28
Eamonn Lynskey remembers some old friends Captain Courageous: 32 Lorna Hogg visits the New Forest area of Hampshire in England, the setting for Captain Frederick Marryat’s celebrated novel Children of the New Forest
The importance of managing your finances in your retirement Opinion: 88 Meeting Place:
90
Lorna Hogg offers some attractions where you don’t have to put your
Crossword:
94
hand in your pocket
Crafts:
96
Enjoy your FREEdom: 36
Golf:
40
Secrets of the Chester Beatty Library:
46
How do you start to write?:
48
Best-selling novelist Muriel Bolger advises 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.,
Front cover: Dayl Cronin and Hayley-Jo Murphy stars of Cinderella at University Concert Hall, Limerick from 18th December. Insets: June Rodgers, Maureen Potter and Al Porter
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 New dementia report shows Ireland lagging behind European counterparts in international and European human rights treaties Ireland has been ranked in third-last position (34 out of 36 countries) in a key European dementia report when it comes to ratification of International and European human rights treaties – including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The European Dementia Monitor 2017, which was launched by Alzheimer Europe during a debate hosted by Irish MEP Deirdre Clune in the European Parliament in Brussels recently, provides a benchmark of national dementia policies in order to compare and rate the responses of European countries to the challenges of dementia. Ireland was ranked against whether it had signed, signed and ratified or were absent from the following treaties: the UNCRPD, UNCRPD
Optional Protocol, the Hague Convention, Council of Europe Convention (CoE), CoE Protocol: Genetic Testing and CoE Protocol: Biomedical Research. Ireland was deemed to be absent from all of these International and European human rights treaties with the exception of signing the UNCRPD and the Hague Convention. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland Head of Advocacy & Public Affairs, Tina Leonard said: ‘Ireland will now be the last country in the European Union to ratify this important international agreement which ensures, protects and promotes the rights of all people with disabilities. As a starting point to improving our position amongst other European countries in signing and ratifying European and international treaties, the Government must ratify the UNCRPD as soon as possible.
The European Dementia Monitor report also compared countries on nine other categories: The availability of care services; The affordability of care services; The reimbursement of medicines; The availability of clinical trials; The involvement of the country in European dementia research initiatives; The recognition of dementia as a priority; The development of dementia-friendly initiatives; The recognition of legal rights; and care and employment rights. On a more positive note, Ireland performed well in other aspects of the report – especially in care and employment rights and putting dementia as a national policy and research priority – and Ireland was ranked in ninth position overall. The top eight spots were taken by Finland, UK (England), Netherlands, Germany, UK (Scotland), Denmark, Belgium and France. Figures referenced to Cahill, S. & Pierce, M. (2013) The Prevalence of Dementia in Ireland
Round tower visitors centre opens in Clondalkin The latest addition to the South Dublin tourism and heritage offering opened its doors for the recently. The much anticipated Round Tower visitor centre in Clondalkin features an interpretative centre, exhibition space, café, gardens, terrace dining and craft shop and is nestled in the heart of historic Clondalkin Village, within minutes of the Grand Canal Greenway, Corkagh Regional Park and nearby Irish Cultural Centre, Áras Chrónáin. It is also home to the first Happy Pear Café and foodstore in Dublin. Suitable for all ages, the interactive multimedia exhibition tells the story of over one thousand years of Clondalkin’s history and heritage. The exhibition delves into Clondalkin’s medieval origins from the foundation of St Crónán Mo-Chua’s monastery to revealing intriguing clues to the town’s Viking past.Discover what life was like in Clondalkin during the 1800s, when the visitor centre buildings were originally constructed. Find out what makes the round towers of Ireland unique, and have your say about what you think makes them so
special. Have a go at building your own round tower, dress up in costume and imagine what Clondalkin was like in days gone by. Admission to the exhibition is free. The tower is 27.5 metres high and just four metres wide at the bottom. Like others around the country, Clondalkin Round Tower has a
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raised doorway and four windows at the top, which face towards the four compass points: north, south, east and west. Inside there were once six floors, which were all connected with ladders. There are now five floors, and the original openings for the door and windows all survive.
Government Grants For The Hard of Hearing New amazing low cost digital hearing aids for improved hearing are now within everyone’s reach.
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risk of missing this special initiative and take advantage It is good to know that in these of the Government’s PRSI days of cuts the Government scheme before it’s too late. remains committed to providing important health To find out if you are eligible, related grants. This includes apply for details today. Fill the special grant that brings out the coupon below for digital hearing aids within your free information pack. the reach of thousands of HELP AND ADVICE people who need help with their hearing. Hearing loss is experienced by many people and some do Most people are unaware of not realise where to turn for the assistance available when help and advice. their hearing worsens. The Government has recognised Your Hearing Aid the benefit of helping people Audiologist can explain your improve their hearing so they grant entitlement plus our may live full and active lives. unique 4 year guarantee with free batteries for life. This will The Department of Welfare also be an opportunity to try manages the scheme that can the very latest technology, be worth as much as €1000. much of which is exclusive The benefit is not means to Hidden Hearing. For more tested and is subject to your information, simply complete work history and is now and return the coupon (no available to the self employed. stamp required) or call the ACT NOW to avoid the freephone number.
Your entitlement to a Government grant should be checked as soon as possible. Apply for the free information pack.
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Hidden Hearing Ltd., 3030 Lake Drive, Citywest Business Campus, FREEPOST F1570, Dublin 24 or freephone 1800 882 884 GGHH9049 25/08/2017 12:00 p.m.
Public trust in pharmacists ‘remains high’
Birthday Surprise!
Trust in the pharmacy profession remains high according to new research commissioned by the PSI, the pharmacy regulator, with 95 per cent of the public saying they trust their pharmacist. An estimated two million visits are made to a pharmacy per month and the PSI’s annual report for 2016, which was published today, shows that 42 formal complaints were received about pharmacists or pharmacies during 2016. While latest figures represent an increase on 2015 they are in line with the average for the past five years. The majority of complaints came from patients and related to dispensing errors and pharmacists’ behaviour and professionalism. The pharmacy regulator also introduced the first pharmacy Patient Charter during 2016. It sets out what pharmacy service users can expect from community pharmacists while also highlighting the role of pharmacists in healthcare provision and expanded services available in pharmacies. The PSI also undertook a number of initiatives during the year relating to the maintenance and promotion of high standards of patient care, doing so in collaboration with a wide range of partners and stakeholders. . They included the establishment of a Working Group with the Medical Council to examine patient safety matters which focused particularly on safe prescribing and dispensing.
ALONE & HSE launch new services in North Dublin A new Support Coordination Service for older people in the Dublin North City and County area has been launched. ALONE, the charity that supports older people to age at home, has partnered with the HSE to expand its support services to all older people living in these communities. The ALONE Support Coordination Service aims to respond to and address any issues facing older people, which are impacting on their ability to remain living independently in their own home. The charity’s Support Coordinators assist older people who live in a range of accommodation types; privately owned, privately rented or social housing homes. Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE, speaking at the launch said, ‘Repeated studies have demonstrated that ageing at home is the first choice of older people and their families. Our Support Coordination Service addresses issues faced by older people living in their own homes and works with statutory bodies, community organisation and other service providers to ensure that the older people get what they deserve..’ For those who have concerns about their own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of a vulnerable older person in their community, ALONE can be contacted on (01) 679 1032 or visit www.alone.ie
Birthday surprise! Staff of Nenagh Community Training Centre (who now occupy the old school) greeted Brendan and Margie Lynch and fellow-cyclists with a surprise party of tea and cakes. Brendan Lynch (right) in a 1950s race.
Dublin author Brendan Lynch celebrated his 80th birthday recently by retracing his daily teenage school ride from Toomevara to Nenagh. The 14-mile round trip stood him in good stead in the 1950s, when he won many races and represented Tipperary. His biggest success was 1956 100k Cooper Cup in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Brendan was accompanied on his birthday ride by north Tipperary cyclists. On his Nenagh arrival, he was treated to a surprise party by staff of Nenagh Community Training Centre, who have taken over his old school. ‘The most welcome cup of tea and best birthday surprise I ever had,’ he said afterwards. ‘I would encourage other Seniors to dust down their bikes. There’s nothing to match the freedom it offers and it keeps you fit and younger!’ Brendan has written seven books, the last being the City of Writers Dublin literary history. He hopes to publish his eighth book, Princess of the Orient. A Romantic Odyssey next autumn.
Take a tour of The Moving Crib on Culture Night
Visit imperial Vienna’s art and architecture
Dublin Culture Night is a date for your calendar every September and St Martin Apostolate is part of this popular and successful event. The Moving Crib is located opposite the Rotunda Hospital at 42 Parnell Square, and ‘provides an oasis of peace and tranquillity and a quiet haven of reflection’ among the bustle of the city. Pop by on Culture Night, Friday 22nd September, when they will have the wonderful Bray Gospel Choir, whose passion for Gospel and Soul music is renowned. Enjoy a special preview tour of the Moving Crib, the mention of which always evokes a smile and fond memories of Dublin in the ‘rare auld times’. The Moving Crib’s Christmas season opens on 28th November through to the 7th January next. For more information contact St. Martin Apostolate, 42 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1.
Vienna’s history and heritage, palaces, art and architecture make it an enticing city to explore. You can experience this city with Institute for Culture Travel on their Imperial Vienna: Art and Architecture tour, departing on 24 October 2017.
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The tour includes return flights, three-nights bed and breakfast in a four-star hotel, airport transfers, architectural highlights of Vienna sightseeing, visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum with guided tour of the Rubens Exhibition, coffee and cake in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, visit to the Albertina Museum with guided tour of the Raphael Exhibition, lunch at the famous Cafe Central and private coach and guide assistance for all transfers and excursions. Tour cost is E699 per person sharing including all taxes and charges. For information and bookings, contact Institute for Culture Travel on (01) 888 7840, or visit www.instituteforculturetravel.ie
Discover how the Irish Influenced and Shaped the World EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is a museum re-imagined. It will inspire and guide you on a journey to discover the stories of Irish emigration around the world, from early times to the modern day. Over the centuries, some 10 million people have left the island of Ireland. At EPIC you can step through 20 themed galleries to find out why people left, see how they influenced the world they found, and experience the connection between their descendants and Ireland today. Immerse yourself in the stories of some of the most remarkable tales of sacrifice, endurance, adventure, and discovery the world has ever known. Suitable for all ages, EPIC brings these amazing stories to life in a unique and spectacular way. EPIC’s founder, former Chairman and CEO of Coca Cola is a member of the Irish diaspora himself. Neville Isdell left Ulster with his parents for Northern Rhodesia in the mid-1950’s and has subsequently lived and worked outside Ireland for more than sixty years. Designed by Event Communications, the multi-award winning designers of Titanic Belfast, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum tells the authentic and epic story of 10 million journeys and the roots of 70 million people. Located in the beautiful vaults of the CHQ in Dublin’s Docklands, the original departure point for so many of Ireland’s emigrants. Just a short walk from O’Connell Bridge, CHQ is well serviced by bus, DART, Luas and city tour busses. CHQ is also home to a wide variety of cafés, restaurants and retail outlets including the EPIC Museum Gift Shop.
Leading on from this world class experience at CHQ, visitors can take the opportunity to explore their Irish heritage in the Irish Family History Centre where they will have access to over 100 million Irish records. Operated by Eneclann Ireland’s leading genealogical services provider, Irish Family History Centre offer a new and exciting way to uncover your connection to Ireland while using the latest genealogical research and digital technology.
‘Whole new museum genre Beyond words!’ TRIPADVISOR
‘Unmissable’ THE MIRROR
‘Hi-tech approach really brings Ireland’s history to life!’ TRIPADVISOR
Book now at epicchq.com T:+353 (0)1 906 0861 E: info@epicchq.com Open daily from 10am - 6.45pm (last entry is 5pm) CHQ, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1.
Entertainment
Panto alive and kicking? Oh, yes it is! Aubrey Malone traces the history of Irish panto and its stars and finds that, in spite of competition from all directions, it’s still enjoying rude health.
When Maureen Potter exited stage left in April 2004 and went up to that big theatre in the sky, one might have said the godmother of Irish pantomime was ‘sleeping with the fishes.’ She was, after all, synonymous with it, having first appeared on stage at the tender age of ten when she played a fairy in Jack and the Beanstalk. She might have been less than five feet tall but the stage was her platform sole. As soon as she stepped on it she had the ability to reduce an audience to silence. Even a panto audience. And such audiences aren’t renowned for that gift. In her later years she took on a number of more overtly dramatic roles in ‘regular’ theatres but pantomime was always closest to her heart. She was a natural for it with those large eyes, that infectious personality, that great voice and a tendency to chew the carpet.
he put on a show with Harry O’Donovan in the Queen’s Theatre. The pair of them went on to become regulars there. They also appeared in the Olympia and the Gaiety. By this time O’Dea was already famous for his creation of the character Biddy Mulligan, a street vendor. The song ‘Biddy Mulligan, The Pride of the Coombe’ went on to become a record. O’ Dea eventually became as famous for his records as his acting. He went on to perform with people like Cecil Sheridan, Danny Cummins, Jack Cruise, Noel Purcell, David Kelly, T.P. McKenna and Cyril Cusack.
She also had a huge devotion to children. (Some pantomime performers pretend they have, but children are great psychologists and can always detect insincerity).Potter never forgot if a child in one of her audiences was celebrating a birthday. She would roar his or her name out at the end of a performance. Even if they weren’t having birthdays she liked to know the names of the children attending her shows. The story goes that one night she called out 67 of them in a curtain call. That’s some kind of memory. She once said she learned everything she knew from Jimmy O’Dea, her partner in crime in the Gaiety and elsewhere. O’Dea starred in his first panto, Sinbad the Sailor, in 1928. Earlier that year
Maureen Potter was synonymous with panto, having first appeared on stage at the tender age of ten when she played a fairy in Jack and the Beanstalk.
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Cecil Sheridan is one of the forgotten people from this list. Not too many people realise he wrote many of his own pantos, including Mother Goose. McKenna sometimes appeared in pantos in the Irish language. Cruise created the famous character of John Joe Mahockey from Ballyslapdashmuckery during a performance of Jack and the Beanstalk in 1936. He went on to appear in in the Royal Theatre often in the following years and Butlin’s holiday camp. In the sixties and seventies he directed shows like Aladdin and Jack in the Box in the Olympia. Many of these people forged film and television careers when they weren’t involved in variety shows or revues. So, indeed, did O’Dea. When the ‘serious’ work dried up they were usually more than happy to return to their ‘first love.’ O’Dea referred to panto as ‘the smell of weewee and oranges.’ Potter first appeared with O’Dea in 1935. She usually ended the show with her trademark
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Jimmy O’Dea became famous for his creation of the character Biddy Mulligan, a street vendor, seen here in the role with his wife Ursula Doyle, starred in his first panto, Sinbad the Sailor, in 1928. Earlier that year he put on a show with Harry O’Donovan in the Queen’s Theatre.
line, ‘If you liked it, tell your friends. If you didn’t, save your breath for cooling your porridge.’ She was close to him both professionally and personally. She was bridesmaid at his wedding to Ursula Doyle in 1959. He was only 59 years of age when he walked up the aisle, a mere stripling of a lad. People who appeared in pantomime didn’t have to worry about their ages like actors in other areas of the arts. They had more ‘legs’, as the expression went. The pressure on them was less than it was on some of their colleagues in ‘proper’ theatre, or celluloid. Here there was a tendency for stars to ‘burn out’ due to the blandishments of fame on a larger platform. They sometimes fell prey to problems like substance abuse or eccentric behaviour. Panto stars never threw their television sets out the windows of hotel rooms. They never drove cars into the swimming pool. Audiences felt they could identify with them both on and off the stage. They were more ‘natural’ than film stars who were playing in ‘naturalistic’ roles on screen. Even though panto material was decidedly unnatural, the people who were doing it weren’t. 8 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Known for the urbane authority he brought to serious roles, TP McKenna sometimes appeared in pantos in the Irish language.
The chemistry enjoyed by Potter and O’Dea was evident even to a blind person. It radiated through all their performances, creating an automatic feedback from the audiences they left chortling in the aisles. It was said they could finish one another’s sentences. They had an empathetic understanding of what the other one would do – or not do – in a given sketch. Sometimes their bloopers, when they went off-key or off-cue, were as rib splitting as the sketches themselves. (‘If you can ‘t do ‘improv’ don’t do panto’ is an old maxim). It was all in the timing, the expressions, the OTT delivery.
Entertainment
Jack Cruise created the famous character of John Joe Mahockey from Ballyslapdashmuckery during a performance of Jack and the Beanstalk in 1936.
Cecil Sheridan, here buying fish in Moore Street, wrote many of his own pantos, including Mother Goose.
The Brothers Grimes were definitely not The Brothers Grimm
O’Dea died in 1965. Potter appeared in his last show, Finian’s Rainbow. After he died she usurped the vacant throne, appearing in annual pantomimes in the Gaiety as well as a series of summer revues called Gaels of Laughter. These were directed by his widow. Potter was only warming up for further theatrical onslaughts at that time. She went on booing and cheering for children, and throwing sweets at them, and even inviting them up on stage with her, for a further two decades. If arthritis hadn’t come against her, who’s to say she wouldn’t have been treading the boards for a further two. She appeared with people like Des Keogh and Rosaleen Linehan. Hal (‘Write it down – it’s a good one!’) Roach, Val Fitzpatrick, Vernon Hayden and many others. The legacy the Potter/O’Dea cartel left Ireland in pantomime is difficult to calculate. Without it, panto wouldn’t have had a scaffolding to build on, being essentially a British import – ‘the poor man’s opera.’ Is it alive and well in Ireland at present? Oh no it isn’t! Oh yes it is! Today, as ever, it plucks its stars from a bevy of different areas . We have TV3 anchorman Alan Hughes as the token ‘celebrity’ guest, we have stand-up comic Karl Spain and we have the gravity-threatening hairstyle-headed-for-space duo that is Jedward. If you’re in any doubt that this form of entertainment isn’t a lucrative hunting ground, bear in mind that the aforementioned twins picked up the not inconsiderable sum of 150,000 euro for appearing in the Christmas panto of Beauty and the Beast in the Olympia in 2013. The deal was brokered by Louis Walsh, a man who knows a thing or three about getting the best terms for his clients (as was evidenced by his work with Westlife).
Today panto plucks its stars from a bevy of different areas such as TV3 anchorman Alan Hughes as the token ‘celebrity’ guest.
Cynics lamented the fact that the boys were only appearing in the show because their singing career had plummeted dramatically. They said panto was the place where losers went to die. Perhaps. If so, it was a very expensive funeral. They pocketed approximately 5000 euro Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 9
John Linehan, the Queen of Panto in Belfast, in Snow White with Lauren Nevin and Chico from the X Factor
People tell us Twink ‘settled’ for panto when other things (film career, singing career) did not work out. Maybe so. Whatever her motive, she always gives it 110%. You can’t ask for more than that.
for each performance. The Brothers Grimes were definitely not The Brothers Grimm after such performances. (Maybe this year they should exploit their similarity to one another and script a new show, The Beauty and the Beauty). Is panto selling out its birthright for a mess of pottage – if not a pot of message? No, no, a thousand times no. Whether it’s Jedward or Jimmy O’Dea, the constants remain. One has to become a child to take the panto stage for its assault on sanity. People have to be willing to make total and utter eejits of themselves for an hour or two, dressed up as anything from a donkey to an orang-utan in a venue jam-packed with screaming children. Still wake up the next morning, in what we might tentatively call ‘the real world’, with a modicum of self-respect. That’s the refreshing thing about it. It stops actors getting too self-important, something they’re prone to. (Especially when they refer to themselves as ‘actors’ when they’re women. Do these people really feel the word ‘actress’ is demeaning? ) Like everything else involving the lure of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd, pantomime has stayed refreshingly the same over the past century. The music and laughter are still there, and the over-elaborate costumes, and the soap operatic characters, and the slapstick and banter. The only thing that has changed, perhaps, is that there are innuendoes in some of the material that wouldn’t have got past the producers in days gone by. Such naughtiness is present in small doses in June Rodgers and in slightly larger ones in comedians like Panti Bliss, better known these days for his part in the recent ‘homophobia’ business than his performances. One could imagine him being in something like Brendan O’Carroll’s Mrs. Brown’s Boys, a show that has panto overtones in the cross-dressing of its main character. He’s like the noughties answer to Danny La Rue, that other Irish camp queen – though most of his career was spent across the pond. Panto is more traditional with someone like June Rodgers. Rodgers isn’t ‘into’ naughtiness, her only fault being her tendency towards being a motormouth. (Or is that a weakness?) It’s hard to believe she’s been on the road for a few decades now. It seems only like yesterday when Jacinta O’Brien marched into our lives, all freckles and big hair and poured into a school uniform about three sizes too small for her – and ten years too young - and warmed her way into all our hearts. Rodgers has long been regarded as Ireland’s latterday panto queen thanks to a vast array of characters (most notably Ms O’Brien) who’ve endeared themselves to the public thanks to the high-octane delivery of her acts. She’s created a multiplicity of other characters as well as Jacinta and neither is she averse to a bit of song ‘n’ dance when the occasion calls for it. Or even when it doesn’t. Perhaps she’s in the tradition of Twink, another panto legend. Like Maureen Potter, with whom she shares a lot in common check out those Dubbelin come-all-ye’s). Twink is a true chameleon. She can turn her hand to any kind of performance. In fact she could probably play the 10 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Naughtiness is present in small doses
in June Rodgers
whole cast of Robin Hood - or Little Red Riding Hood - if she was given enough time to change costume. Knowing her she’d probably find it. People tell us Twink ‘settled’ for panto when other things (film career, singing career) didn’t work out. Maybe so. Whatever her motive, she always gives it 110%. You can’t ask for more than that. Al Porter is the latest Panto Queen to hit the ground running. His humour often sails close to the wind of good taste. I read recently that he once had dreams of becoming a priest. You’d never guess it from the off-colour nature of some of his material. Of course Tommy Tiernan was once thinking of becoming a priest too. The same caveat applies to him. Porter would never dream of bringing any of the material from his Vicar Street gigs to the Olympia but he still has that edge about him, even when he’s appearing in something innocuous. When does ‘camp’ become ‘drag’? It’s a thin line, like the thin line between good and bad taste. But Porter knows his limits and doesn’t cross them. He once addressed the UN in New York, giving a speech to a bunch of delegates about poverty. However, a much prouder moment for him came when One Direction’s Niall Horan asked him to pose for a photo after he’d appeared with X Factor sensation Mary Byrne in the Olympia singing Amarillo. It doesn’t get any better than that. He’s currently writing a panto based on Disney’s hit movie Frozen. He’s calling it, what else, Freezin’. What will he do after that? No doubt lots of cross-dressing. And salacious material in Vicar Street and elsewhere. Maybe one day we’ll have to leave Granny – or even Mammy – at home if he attempts a saucy show in the Gaiety. Christmas is coming. Parents all around the country are getting ready for their annual invasion of the capital for the Yuletide panto. The kids are getting excited. They’re thinking of four men pouring themselves into the four legs of a horse. They’re thinking of wild beasts in forests coming to get them. They’re thinking of baddies sneaking up behind goodies with big axes in their hands. They’re thinking of shouting ‘Look behind you!’ at the goodies before something terrible happens. What has Al Porter up his sleeve? Something like Cinderfella? A big ‘boo’ to anyone who fails to attend.
What has Al Porter up his sleeve?
Profile
June is back with a bang
Last year an accident prevented June Rodgers from appearing in her hugely popular panto for the first in 16 years, so, as she tells Nigel Baxter, ‘I can’t wait for this year’.
Last Christmas June Rodgers had a very good reason for feeling a little restless. The popular entertainer was on a well-earned and necessary break from her annual Christmas show, even if it wasn’t by choice. The evergreen performer had been on a 16 year festive run at the Moran Red Cow Hotel but an accident a full year before meant she finally had a Christmas off. ‘I ended up tearing my rotator cuff,’ she recalls. ‘I had to carry on [at first], it’s showbiz - you can’t pull a sickie.’ She had an MRI in January 2016, then as the year went by ‘it got worse and worse and in the end they had to operate, so last year was first year I didn’t have a show. ‘It was frustrating,’ she continues, ‘but also the show I do, its a tradition, it’s like a panto - the people who come now their kids are coming, which makes me feel old!’ June is indeed known to generations and over the years has regularly toured around the country and overseas. However, her Christmas show is, for many, as much a part of the festive season as tinsel and holly. ‘ I love doing the show,’ she says of something she also produces and directs. Many members of the team around the show have been involved for many years, including writer Martin Higgins, who June first met 30 years ago when she was performing in the John Player Tops. They all know that any new show must be a blend of the old and the new. ‘Jacintha O’Brien, you have to do her, you’d be shot if you didn’t it,’ she says of one of her favourite characters. ‘Then there’s another character called Bond, Oliver Bond - he’s going down quite well now. People like you to bring back a character.’
Those people now range in age from children to those in their nineties - arguably a rare family outing in a society where entertainment can be compartmentalised and fragmented in the era of on-demand TV shows. ‘I think kids really enjoy live interaction and live entertainment and it’s up to the parents to introduce them to that,’ she says. Her own show is a variety show but she did pantomime ‘for years’ and clearly retains a love for it. ‘Panto is the first introduction to theatre,’ she says. She recalls her own childhood, being in Clerys around Christmas time, ‘drooling’ at the window display in Switzers on trips in from the family home in Tallaght, and of course, the panto. She views the seventies and eighties as the era when variety was most popular and believes contemporary successes like Mrs Brown shows it is returning to favour. It’s continuing a tradition, she says. ‘People who have followed me from pants days, those people have got older,’ she says. ‘They grew up with me.’ As a result she ensures her show is for all age groups and bar some gentle innuendo, doesn’t contain any themes unsuitable for children. ‘Children are innocent and I say, let them stay that way for as long as possible.’ The singing, the dancing, the impersonations, people travelling from up and down the country - it’s all part of the show. Preparations are well under way and June plans on visiting a few shows in London for added inspiration. Last year’s enforced absence is fading in the rear view. ‘In another way, it made you take stock and say hang on, I’m not getting any younger now, I need to put the brakes on and thinking ‘I’m not 18 any more’.’
She laughs when I suggest that the year break means two year’s worth of material has been stockpiled, but she admits that there is a quality control process before the show is finalised. It means road-testing characters and jokes.
And yet her show is young at heart. Last Christmas she went on a holiday, a Mediterranean cruise, which she loved. ‘It was brilliant. Every morning you woke up in a different country.’ As she admits: ‘I get bored I’m not one for sitting by pool all day.’
‘We kind of know before we go on and I’d know myself if it’s not working,’ she says. ‘We have singers and dancers and we run the show so many times.
You get the feeling that as grand as that cruise break was, this coming Christmas will feel a whole lot better for getting back to doing what she knows best.
‘I’m not precious about it,’ she continues. ‘If it’s not going to work people aren’t going to laugh.’
The June Rodgers Christmas Show at the Moran Red Cow Hotel is due to run on dates between November 30 and December 28
12 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
The twelve dates of Christmas at the Red Cow Moran Hotel
Show running from 30th Nov 2017 Show & Stay Package from only €99pps Mid-week Dinner & Show €55 Weekend dinner & Show €65 Booking Office: 01 4593650 book online:
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DAYL CRONIN Announced for The SPAR Panto CINDERELLA at University Concert Hall Dayl Cronin, Dancing With The Stars semi-finalist and former member of Irish boyband Hometown, will star in this year’s SPAR Panto, Cinderella, at University Concert Hall, Limerick.
The University Concert Hall Panto is now in its sixth year and has grown to become one of the most eagerly anticipated in the country, with a host of Irish showbiz names starring in it since 2012.
Originally tipped as one of the DWTS favourites, Dayl and his dance partner Ksenia Zsikhotska made it all the way to the semi-finals of the hotly contested RTÉ show.
Magic, romance, a feisty heroine, a handsome prince, dubious sisters that could do with a beauty blogger boot camp, chart hits and hilarity will all combine in Cinderella to produce the most wondrous panto ever seen!
Dayl will make great use of his new dancing skills, however, as he takes to the panto stage in Limerick as the eligible Prince Charming, suitor to Cinderella and object of desire to the Uglies! The 23 year old Clonmel native previously performed at University Concert Hall as a member of the six-piece Irish pop group Hometown. Hometown had two No. 1 singles, Where I Belong and Cry For Help, after being formed in 2014 by Louis Walsh following auditions of thousands of young hopefuls. Speaking at the time of the announcement Dayl said, “I am so excited to be starring in the SPAR Panto at University Concert Hall. I have always heard great things about it, and they’ve had some really big names in the past few years so it’s a fantastic opportunity. Panto is always great fun and it will give me a chance to sing AND dance, so its perfect for me! We had a great time in Limerick when I performed there with Hometown and I can’t wait to get back there now as Prince Charming.
University Concert Hall, Limerick 18th December 2017 – 7th January 2018 Tickets from E18.50 Matinee & Evening Shows Please see www.uch.ie for further details / Box Office: 061 331549
Also starring Richie Hayes as Cinderella’s BFF Buttons, Leanne Moore as the Fairy Godmother, comedian Tom O’Mahony as Dandini and Myles Breen and Richard Lynch as the hilarious (and hideous!) Ugly Sisters. Making her UCH Panto debut in a starring role will be Haley-Jo Murphy as Cinderella! For the fourth year running University Concert Hall is delighted to present a Sensory Friendly performance on Friday 5th January at 2pm. This show will be a little brighter and a little quieter, without any sudden, loud noises. There will also be plenty of room for audiences to move around and get comfortable. Once again, our Sensory show will also have an ISL (Irish Sign Language) Interpreter present on stage, which means that the show will be visually accessible for the Deaf community and their families that use ISL as their preferred language. Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 13
Nature
Red Admiral on teasel. Butterflies zoom in on nectar bearing plants like this spiky teasel. The seed head will also be visited by goldfinches and the dried seed head is ideal for floral displays. ( Photo Oran O’Sullivan).
The Wildlife Garden, month by month by Oran O’Sullivan Oran O’Sullivan, is co-author of Ireland’s Garden Birds and owner of the website and online shop www.irishgardenbirds.ie. Oran has enjoyed feeding and watching birds in his garden, for over fifty years. Swallows. A line of swallows on a telegraph wire is a sure sign that outward migration is coming very soon. ( Photo R Coombes)
Redwing. Look for and listen out for migrating redwings, arriving from Scandinavia in October. (Photo R Coombes). September After the hustle and bustle of the breeding season with an explosion of new life in the garden, autumn is ushered in, quietly at first. Look for groups of swallows gathering on wires and on some days, particularly later in the month, a steady passage of swallows and martins beating directly and determinedly south, beginning a long journey south to Africa for the winter months. Other migrants south bound may pop up in the garden, birds like willow warblers and chiff chaffs, small green and yellow shapes which spent the summer in woodland and scrub, now pop up feeding constantly amongst leafy branches and sometimes on lawns. Apart from birds moving out, in September listen out for singing residents such as Robins and Wrens re-asserting their territories. The garden should be laden with fruiting shrubs at this time, more than enough for your resident blackbirds and thrushes. Rockery plants such as Sedums (Stonecrop) are in top flowering form at this time, look out for butterflies such as Small Tortoiseshells, often in numbers, seeking out a rich source of nectar. The statuesque teasel will reach 2 meters in a dry border, attracting bees and Goldfinches, whose specialist bill can extract the seed from its spiky case.
October Autumn is well flagged now, leaves are turning to a palette of reds and browns, dramatic and intensified by cold, frosty nights. Most of the summer migrants have departed, to be replaced by a new complement: Winter thrushes and starlings from as far afield as Russia. The former migrate by night, on a broad front. Redwing passage is often noticeable on cold, frosty October nights. Listen out for their high pitched ‘seep’ calls, as they communicate in dark gloomy conditions, over towns or country. These Scandinavian visitors are joined by Fieldfares, and as their name suggests, are birds of the farmed and open landscape, foraging over soft, muddy fields, though they will visit gardens in extreme winter conditions, hoping to mop up fallen fruit and berries. Although the berries of our native rowan are already stripped of fruit, some later fruiting varieties such as Sorbus commixta are at their best now. Other small, fruiting trees for the garden include crab apple, Malus sp. October is a great time to assess and audit your planting scheme. You still have time to fill any areas where you might extend the succession of berries or provide nectar bearing plants for late winter and early spring: plant bulbs now. Try and resist dead-heading perennials, any
14 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
remaining seeds will be gratefully received by bullfinches and greenfinches. but do divide plants now, if necessary, for a better show next summer. Perennial borders provide food, cover and shelter for small birds such as dunnocks and wrens, and can trap warmer air on those bitterly cold winter mornings that lie ahead. Now is also the best time to put up a nestbox: apart from prospecting early for next years breeding season, boxes provide a safe and relatively warm place for birds to roost overnight.
See the range, Shop on line or in store at Blooms and Rooms, Mount Usher Garden Centre, Ashford, Co Wicklow. Follow my blog on www.irishgardenbirds.ie Read the new 2nd edition of Ireland’s Garden Birds
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Community
Big hearted Mac Maretta Dillon talks to Marian Carroll, CEO of the Ronald McDonald House charity. Their house is part of the charity which started in the United States in the 1970s and now has 366 houses in 42 countries.
CEO Marian Carroll: ‘Our mission is to mind our families and provide care and comfort for them when their children are long term ill in hospital but as we always say, no money no mission, so you need to raise the money so you can actually provide the facilities’.
CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charity, Marian Carroll, really rates their volunteers. Perhaps that’s not surprising since she herself has actually been volunteering with the charity for 20 years. The house offers families with sick children in Crumlin Children’s Hospital a chance to stay together while their child is undergoing treatment. She explains that, ‘I started off helping with their first charity ball which we discovered we did in 2001… and then we got the go ahead to build this house in 2003. I was on the board and then one day I came up to have a look at what they were doing and I thought, oh no, this is going to look like a clinical environment. I was very conscious that we needed a house and a home for families when their children were long term ill’. The charity’s long term plan is to build a 53 room house in the new Children’s Hospital in Dublin. Right now, they and Marian are in the middle of a fundraising campaign. Their target is €17.5 million. Marian knows this is a big ask pointing out that, ‘the biggest contributing factor is the construction inflation costs. That’s a little bit of a challenge for us but we are hoping that we will get enough help from people. That will bring that cost down but if we were to pay for absolutely everything it would cost us that’. Marian’s job is, ‘to have overall responsibility for what we do as a charity, in terms of how we look after our families. Our mission is to mind our 16 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
families and provide care and comfort for them when their children are long term ill in hospital but as we always say, no money no mission, so you need to raise the money so you can actually provide the facilities’. Their house is part of the Ronald McDonald House Charity which started in the United States in the 1970s and now has 366 houses in 42 countries. Marian stresses that their charity, ‘ is an independent charity, we
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Community
Volunteer Moira O’Flaherty
don’t get any State funding and the hospital doesn’t give us any funding so all the money that we raise for the new house and our ongoing running costs is all done through our own fundraising’. The McDonalds family is a core supporter of the house and that includes customers, suppliers and owner operators of the McDonalds restaurants. ‘They support the house in various ways either by selling different products in their stores to their very kind customers, so we sell our helping hands – our little yellow hands – or we sell our Santa hats at Christmas and all that money raised comes to us and then we have collection boxes in their restaurants. A lot of the McDonalds franchisees are hugely supportive as well. Last year they did a big campaign for us where they sold a brick for the new house. Suppliers to McDonalds also donate product to the house so we can feed our families’. Marian comments, ‘but our actual families are amazing, they know what it’s like, they’ll go home and tell their local people about us and they’ll do a fundraiser at home for us’. In 2016 alone, the house helped 305 families from all over Ireland. It charges €10.00 a night for a family room but the actual cost to the charity is €55 per room per night. The house provides facilities for families to cook for themselves, but also offers cooked meals every day. Altogether, these supports make a tremendous difference to the cost for families with a sick child in hospital. Some families stay for only a few days but some can stay for years – on average, it’s about 23 days. Marian is quick to acknowledge the important role of volunteers in keeping the project going, ‘our volunteers are incredible, some of the 18 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
volunteers have been here since the get go, Margaret for example is 80 and has been volunteering practically since we opened, she comes twice a week, we get so much out of it but she gets something out of it as well’. Margaret Fogarty confirms this when she says she saw a sign looking for volunteers in the window of a local shop. She was at a loose end, looking for something to do when her grandchildren no longer needed minding. She says the best part of volunteering, ‘is meeting people and talking to people, if people want to talk to me, I’m there but I won’t intrude, you would listen to them’.
Community Travel
Volunteers Michael Comerford, Mairead Moran, Ivy Dore and Emer Keating. Photos by Chris Bellew of Fennell Photography
Volunteer Moira O’Flaherty has been with the charity about four years and does the gardening. Moira is involved because she feels, ‘that it is good to give back to society and I had the time and also, I am doing something I enjoy. This is my third place to volunteer but what I like about here is that the volunteers all meet together, we all get together at 11.00am for a cup of coffee, it’s social, we are very much included’. Moira meets some of the people using the house ‘outside on the patio when they are smoking, they are very stressed, I just chat with them and ask them about their child’. Marian also talks about the valuable role of grandparents, ‘sometimes when Mum and Dad have to go home to the other children, we find that the grandparent will come so that they are here to stay with the child who is sick in hospital or they mind the other children that are here’. Grandmother Marie Piper Gregan whose grandson Ryan spent a long time in Crumlin says that the Ronald McDonald House was ‘like a diamond to you’. Her family stayed six times at the house including Christmas when her husband cooked Christmas Dinner for all the family. Marian knows that the Ronald McDonald House may not be as wellknown as other charities and they need to raise their profile so that people know about them. ‘There are a huge number of charities out there doing amazing good for so many people and there’s only so much pie that’s available. We have to now put our head above the parapet and put our hand up and say we just need help for the next four or five years to get there. If you look at it particularly in the context of us trying to build this new house, the more help we can get around the build from people with expertise, that are prepared to do this for us on a pro-bono basis, the less it is going to cost us. There are lots of retired engineers, 20 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
architects, electricians, plumbers who might feel that they could help us in some way’. Marian believes that, ‘it’s just about getting people to be aware of who we are, what we do and why we are doing it. I know the McDonald’s piece is always the interest piece and they are so positive and so helpful but it’s about a lot more than just McDonalds and I think that it’s a big thing for us to get that message across’. If you would like to know more about Ronald McDonald House Charity visit rmhc.ie
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Social planning
It’s your funeral
As more and more people take on the planning of their own funerals, Mairead Robinson discovers how preparing for death is no longer a taboo subject. My very good friend from our college days in the 70s has been living in England for the past couple of decades, but we have kept in touch regularly and gone on trips abroad occasionally, the most recent one was in 2015 to Barcelona. Shortly after returning from that trip she became ill and despite having undergone months of treatment, was told earlier this year that her condition was terminal. What has impressed me so much during all the time since her original diagnosis has been her stoic and pragmatic approach to her condition. Having ensured that she is receiving the palliative care she wanted in her own home, she then turned her attention to arranging her funeral. When she mentioned this initially to her two adult children, they immediately did not want to have the conversation. Understandably they were loath to face their mother’s situation and wanted instead to ‘remain positive’. And so she contacted the undertaker and local church herself and arranged everything and has told her children that they just need to make a
phone call when the time comes, and the undertaker will know exactly what to do. She has organized the finance and all the details that are important to her, readings and music that would appeal to her little grandchildren too. So, why did she undertake this difficult task when she was already coping with her own failing health I asked? Simply to save her children the worry of organising their mother’s funeral, on top of dealing with the emotional stress of her passing. I told her that I thought it was the most unselfish gift a mother could give to her children. ‘You know how I like to control everything’, she laughed. I have since learnt that what she did is not at all unusual and that here in Ireland it is becoming more and more common for people to prepare for their own death and to put all their affairs in order. In fact, planning one’s own funeral has become similar to making a Will, and indeed the two things are often done in tandem. Irish undertakers are in the main well used to providing this service, and it is not just for those
22 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
who are facing a terminal condition, many young and healthy people also look at this as simply pragmatic planning. ‘Family dynamics have changed in recent years in Ireland and people will often pre-plan their funeral to protect family members’ explains Peter Maguire from Massey Brothers who have nine branches around Dublin and they would see up to twenty people each week who want to discuss their options. ‘We would heavily promote it as it makes sense. A small portion of people would be unwell, but the majority would do this as a pragmatic thing, often attached to a will’. Massey Brothers have a pre-planning funeral guide which outlines the financial options as well as decisions regarding cremation, church services and every detail that you wish to put in place. This ensures that your family do not have either the financial burden or the decision of what you would have wanted. Fanagans is another major Dublin undertaker who have been in business for nearly two hundred years. Together with associates,
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Social planning they now offer ten funeral homes throughout the greater Dublin area and are also offering funeral pre-planning services to an increasing number of people. Peter Fanagan explains, ‘Many years ago, Fanagans launched its Advance Funeral Arrangements Plan. We called it Peace of Mind. Each week, we receive at least two or three enquiries from those who wish to discuss their own funeral arrangements. It may be a single person with no immediate family, or a married couple who want to put their own affairs in order and not have to be a burden on their children who have their own commitments with mortgage, school fees, etc.’ There are two common factors; 1. Those who wish to be buried or cremated and want to ensure that their wishes are carried out. 2. How much it is going to cost for the funeral and that they have ‘ring-fenced’ that money for when the time arrives. Burial or Cremation? It is very important for a person to know that their wishes will be carried out when they die. Thus, it is not being left to an upset spouse or surviving children to decide which it should be.
How much will it cost? Having discussed the entire funeral plan, we can give that person a precise figure as to how much the funeral plan they have chosen will cost. They can then ‘ring-fence’ that money in their bank or building society account with instructions to that financial institution that on presentation of the funeral account from the funeral director, the monies are to be transferred from that nominated account to the bank account of the funeral director.’ While the whole issue of planning a funeral for a loved one is always going to be difficult, it can be made even worse by family members disagreeing on the arrangements, worrying about the costs and also in modern day Ireland having to organise the details from another country and/or within a limited amount of time. Relieving them of this unnecessary stress is a huge relief for the surviving family members. It is no wonder that more and more people are deciding to do just this. And while it is being taken onboard by many people in their sixties, more and more younger people are now taking the pro-active step of planning their own funeral; for their own benefit and for that of their families too.
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If you have ever had to arrange a funeral after someone has died, you’ll understand how difficult it can be. If you haven’t, imagine, on what is probably one of the most stressful days of your life, trying to make a series of difficult decisions without having the time to think clearly.
Planning your funeral in Advance. Every day, Funeral Directors, meet with families in this very situation who are conscious of making the right decisions giving primary consideration to their loved ones wishes ‘Are we doing the right thing?’ ‘Is this what Dad would have wanted?’ As a result, Fanagans Funeral Directors, the largest funeral Directors in Dublin, have seen a large increase in the number of people availing of their Advance Funeral Arranging service. It is a simple and practical way to help the people you love, and have left behind, to lessen their levels of anxiety, stress and financial worry at a very emotional time. It also spares you
worry because, like making your will, it allows you to get on with your life knowing that, whatever happens, your wishes will be carried out. A member of Fanagans professional team meet you in the comfort of your own home or in one of their offices, to discuss all the options that are available to you. You give your preferences on matters such as whether if you would prefer a religious or non-religious (humanist service), whether you would like to be buried or cremated, some people like to discuss specific details such as the selection of music, hymns and prayers.
Fanagans confirm your chosen funeral arrangements, together with itemised costs in writing. You may set up an account in your chosen financial institution, advising that it is for the sole purpose of covering your funeral expenses. It is important that you advise your next-ofkin and executor that you have made advanced funeral plans. If in the future you are unhappy about any detail of your funeral plan you are free to change or indeed cancel it. For further information: Phone: 01 4167700 www.fanagans.ie
Dublin Bus - Assisting with your travel
made up of three dedicated travel assistants: Roger has been a Travel Assistant for the last ten years and is our most experienced Travel Assistant, he previously worked in the voluntary sector. Meg is working part time as a Travel Assistant for the last three years while she is studying psychology in Trinity College. Dublin Bus believes that public transport is for everyone and this mantra has influenced our commitment to providing an accessible service for all our customers. A key part of promoting inclusivity in our services is our free Travel Assistance Scheme for customers aged 18 and over. The Scheme aims to assist customers in the independent use of Dublin Bus, DART and Luas especially those with disabilities and reduced mobility. Through this Scheme customers can avail of assistance and practical advice on how to travel independently on public transport. The Scheme aims to give people the confidence they need to use public transport. With the help of a full-time Travel Assistant, a tailor-made travel plan is drawn up to meet each individual customer’s needs. The Scheme was introduced in 2007 and has proven to be extremely popular with patronage levels of this programme growing at a steady rate. The success of the Scheme has encouraged us to expand and as such, we are actively engaging with older people to ensure our services are accessible to all who wish to use them. Our team of Travel Assistants will visit groups who wish to invite us and we will giving a talk on the safest way to travel by public transport. Our travel assistants will chat with groups, listen to any problems people may be having while using public transport and do our best to help. Our travel assistance team is
Leanne started working as a Travel Assistant with Dublin Bus in 2016. She previously worked as a volunteer with NCBI and is a member of St. Johns Ambulance. To contact the scheme please phone 01 7033204 or email Travel.Assist@dublinbus.ie We receive lots of positive feedback from customers who use the Travel Assistance Scheme. Here are a few examples of the letters and emails sent to us: Hi, I am writing to thank Roger and his team for all their work last week in helping me get my mobility scooter permit. It was lovely to be in the company of people that love their jobs. Their friendliness and welcoming attitude put me at ease immediately. Dublin bus should be proud of these people their commitment to ensuring the comfort of disabled passengers should be used as a template for all workers. I wish Roger and his team all the best for the future and I know that disabled people using Dublin bus are in safe hands. Thanking you again
26 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Hi, I just wanted to pass on some feedback if that’s alright. I had an appointment yesterday with Roger from your scheme. He was extremely well informed, confident and capable and he couldn’t have been more patient or gentle with my client. He has an extremely gentle manner about him which I daresay most people would respond to. I was extremely impressed with his professionalism. I got the impression that nothing would be too much trouble for him. I just wanted to say thanks very much for making this service available as it certainly makes my life easier. All the best, Hi, I know, ‘Life Changing Experience’ may sound a bit dramatic- but believe me I have spent the last 20 years driving my daughter (who is Down Syndrome) to and from school, drama, basketball, gym, swimming, dance classes, party’s and on and on!!! Last October she started another phase of her education ‘Latch On’ in Churchtown, which subsequently changed to Cabinteely - we’re Northsiders living in Raheny - out came the Map of Dublin!!!! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my daughter taking (independently) DART from Raheny to Dun Laoghaire and then bus to Cabinteely (this particular route only commenced in late January). Roger together with Leanne have instilled such confidence in my daughter (that a parent can’t always do) - it’s unbelievable and her sense of achievement palpable. On a personal note they are a fantastic team, kind and caring and worth their weight in gold. Thank you so much for a fantastic service and long may it continue. Kind regards
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Social History
An American Childhood Eamonn Lynskey remembers some old friends
As a youngster growing up in 1950s Dublin my early reading should have been the legendary deeds of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and his Fianna, or perhaps the lives of the saints, or maybe of Irish patriots. Instead it was mostly of comics and particularly the picture comic literature of the United States. Hence I often confuse people by asserting that I had ‘an American Childhood’. By this I mean that I spent a good deal of my early school years with my head stuck in the world of American picture weeklies. Of course there were also the DC Thompson English picture weeklies such as the Beezer, the Dandy and the Beano but somehow their North of England world of narrow streets, background scenery of looming gasometers, rascally street urchins (‘Denis the Menace’ and ‘Beryl the Peril’) and cloth-capped dads did not engage me half as much as Marge’s ‘Lulu’, Mort Walker’s ‘Beetle Bailey’ and the Warner Brother’s Bugs Bunny of ‘Looney Tunes’, to name just a very few of my favourites. Possibly this was because the English settings were somewhat familiar to me, whereas the American settings were novel and, perhaps one might even say, ‘exotic’. Marge’s ‘Lulu’ was my favourite and I still wince when I hear the word used pejoratively (as in ‘he’s a right Lulu, that fellah’) because I look back with great affection at how, on so many evenings, she led me into a world where public schools were numbered (‘PS 49’) rather than named after saints or the Sacred Heart or the Virgin Mary. Lulu herself, in her straight skirt and corkscrew curls was the sensible
down-to-earth character amid a host of others who involved themselves in unusual (although always rather innocent) neighbourhood adventures. Lulu’s success as a major comic character was due to a stroke of luck that came the way of her creator, Marjorie Henderson Buell. Her character, ‘Lulu Moppet’, first appeared in a Philadelphia newspaper in 1935 in a single frame as a flower girl at a wedding, leading the entourage down the aisle while mischievously strewing banana peels in front of them, and with predictable and hilarious results. It was when a more popular cartoonist left the paper that Marjorie’s character replaced his work – and Lulu’s career took off. She never looked back and by the time I encountered her, Marge’s ‘Little Lulu’ had her own coloured weekly comic, peopled by a whole host of other characters.
28 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
A type of early feminist, Lulu spent much of her picture frames proving that girls could do anything boys could do – and better! One of those male friends was the rotund ‘Tubby’, who sooner or later would bring out his old magic crystal door-knob and proceed to become detective – this to the scorn of Lulu, particularly since it was Lulu’s dad who was always the chief suspect in the matter of missing skipping-ropes or whatever other objects had ‘mysteriously’ disappeared around the house. Interesting to me now is that the depiction of Tubby as being overweight was never ridiculed in the way that Frank Richard’s character Billy Bunter was so frequently the butt of cruel humour in the Greyfriars School series of books (which I also devoured avidly). And this was at a time before political correctness began to set us all to rights about being sensitive to other
Social History
people’s feelings and problems. Tubby’s bumbling investigations were intriguing and, yes, funny, although unlike the depictions of Billy Bunter (the Greyfriars ‘fat owl of the Remove’), his generous waistline was never part of the laughter. How enlightened this seems now to me, looking back on an era when words like ‘cripple’, ‘handicapped’ and ‘fatso’ – not to mention the ‘n’ word – were used regularly, openly and without comment.
brown overalls. The sugar was weighed out in brown bags, milk came in bottles and you could buy ‘loose’ biscuits out of tins. Had the reverse of my reading experience been true and had Lulu and her friends somehow landed into my Dublin world of then what would they have thought?! Very often we make the mistake of applying today’s standards1 to the behaviours 12:50 CALDESENE ADULT ST Adv 132x90mm_EDITS.pdf 28/03/2017 of the past and so it is that we might now probably find objectionable the
Lulu’s world was a world of houses that opened directly onto their living rooms, with a stairs going straight up from the front door and with a telephone sitting on a side table just beside the first step. Apart from the fact that having a telephone so readily available was an extraordinary phenomenon for a 1950s Irish reader, the rather large rooms and furniture in these ‘ordinary’ suburban houses seemed equally extraordinary. I was to see this domestic interior reproduced many times later in imported American TV family sitcoms like ‘The Donna Reed Show’ and I often wondered whether it was a true representation of an actual house-design or was instead a formula devised by the graphic artists make the comic frames easier to draw (or, later, to make it easier to film a TV weekly episode). However, a recent trip to Washington and a stay in a suburban neighbourhood showed me that, yes indeed, at least some American houses do have this design and, because of my American childhood, as soon as C I walked in I felt right at home and half expected to see Lulu, Tubby, Alvin, Witch M Hazel and all the rest of my old childhood friends coming out to greet me. Y
A recent controversy in suburban American also brought my mind back to that CM comic world I vicariously inhabited when a youngster. A few suburban local administrations decided to lay footpaths (‘sidewalks’ to Lulu and Tubby). MY This caused an immediate controversy with local householders because, unlike my real world of a Dublin in which even the smallest handkerchief of garden wasCY always fenced off from everyone else’s, in Lulu’s world the lawns reached as farCMY as the road. This lawn-to-road design, the American householders argued, was K intended to bring a cachet of ‘rurality’ to their suburb, as well as acting to deter casual walkers from passing up and down in front of their homes, ‘invading’ their privacy. The row is still ongoing, I believe, but back then, sharing those environs with Lulu and her friends, I passed no remark on this feature of American suburbia and just accepted that this was the way things were done in that wonderful New World, rather as I accepted how Lulu’s parents always brought home their shopping in huge brown bags and loaded it into enormous white fridges. Actions as mundane as these had something very exotic about them to someone growing up in an antediluvian age devoid of fridges, telephones and wonderful ‘summer camps’ and supermarkets. In my 1950s Dublin, our family bought all of our mainstays from the shop down the road and had our weekly accounts entered by hand into a ledger by a man in Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 29
Social History and confrontations which, in turn led to upheavals which spread far beyond issues of race, as, for example, in the demand for more equality in Northern Ireland. And it was even much later that I began to see my beloved Lulu’s world as an example of ‘cultural exclusionism’ – that is to say, the prioritising of one sort of people (middle class whites) above other kinds of Americans.
complete absence of any ‘coloured’ characters in Lulu’s pages. She, Tubby, Alvin, Jimmy, Gloria – in fact all the pantheon of Marge’s characters – were white. America had become a multi-coloured, multi-racial society long before Lulu was created but a reader would never have known this from Marge’s picture stories. The American world of Lulu was unabashedly of one colour only. However, this ‘cultural homogeneity’ passed unnoticed by me at that time because in my 1950s Ireland the only place one might see a ‘coloured’ person was getting off a plane at Dublin Airport or Shannon. So it was that race-consciousness developed in me much later when the American civil rights movement rose to prominence in the news, and gave rise to the events of the last century which fired the great race debates
But all this was in the future. When I was reading my comics, I enjoyed my visits to the world of Lulu and her friends and could hardly wait to set my eyes on the next week’s Dell edition. There are those who will say I had a rather ‘restricted’ childhood and that I
would have been better off out on the streets playing with ‘real’ children. In fact I DID play on the streets with real children. And I DID read something of the legends of Fionn and his redoubtable Fianna. But in all honesty, I have to say that I never found them half as enjoyable as I did the adventures of Lulu and her friends.
Eamonn Lynskey is a poet and essayist whose work has appeared extensively in leading magazines and journals. His third poetry collection, ‘It’s Time’, was published by Salmon in May 2017. More information at www.eamonnlynskey.com
Competition winners from last issue Crossword: Four copies of Alice Taylor’s book The Women Philomena Daly, Castletown-Geoghan, Co Westmeath Jane Ross, Clonakilty, Co Cork Lillian Hebb, Naas, Co Kildare Finbarr O’Driscoll, Farranferris, Co Cork
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30 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
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Travel
Captain Marryat enjoyed financial success with his books, short stories and travelogues, at his peak earning £1000 per novel.
Captain The New Forest is spread over around 150 square miles of ancient woodland and open moorland and was once William the Conqueror’s playgound. Its unsuitability as agricutural land has probably ensured its survival.
courageous
In the latest in her series of literature-inspired travels, Lorna Hogg visits the New Forest area of Hampshire in England, the setting for Captain Frederick Marryat’s celebrated novel The Children of the New Forest It’s an irony which he might have appreciated - Captain Marryat, noted in his lifetime for a glittering career in the Royal Navy, and his popular naval stories, gained his lasting fame for a children’s book about four orphaned youngsters growing up in a forest. Yet The Children of The New Forest has a strong enough storyline to delight today’s young readers and enough traditional values to reassure their parents and grandparents Frederick Marryat was born on 10th July 1792 in Westminster, the second son of a wealthy M.P ‘merchant prince’ and an American mother. A mischievous and adventurous child , and determined to go to sea, he occasionally ran away from school to attempt it. His father eventually relented. At 14 Marryat became a midshipman on HMS Imperieuse, under a commander, Lord Cochrane, who inspired Marryat’s future writing. He saw plenty of action off the Gironde, and made his name rescuing a man overboard. After a spell at home recovering from malaria, he served during the Napoleonic Wars, commencing a naval career ranging from action from Bermuda to Nova Scotia. Marryat soon proved his bravery. On one occasion on HMS Aeolus, he led efforts to cut his ship’s mainyard during a storm. A Lieutenant by 1812, he became Lieutenant Commander in June 1815. Not merely a swashbuckling hero, he also invented a system of signalling by flags, still used to this day, and a lifeboat. He also received a Gold Medal from the Royal Humane Society for his willingness to jump into the sea to rescue drowning men. Marryat married Catherine Shairp in 1819, and had four sons and seven daughters with her. Three – Florence, Amelia and Augusta became writers. However, as an energetic, adventurous and volatile man, he was also easily bored. After publishing his first novel, The Naval Officer in 1830, he resigned from the Royal Navy. From 1832 to 1835 Marryat edited the Metropolitan Magazine and developed his literary interests, becoming a friend of Charles Dickens. His naval experiences provided plenty of scope for stories. T ` he Marryat 32 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
The book quickly became very popular, and has remained so for 170 years – helped by occasional TV productions.
Cycle’ was inspired by his naval life, including the then highly popular Mr. Midshipman Easy. He enjoyed financial success with his books, short stories and travelogues, at his peak earning £1000 per novel. Marryat was a loving father, but home life was not happy. He became estranged from his wife, and travelled and lived abroad, in Brussels, Canada and he United States, becoming what we would call a travel writer, writing a controversial Diary in America. In 1843, running short of money he moved to Norfolk, bought a small farm and settled into the life of a country gentleman. He apparently wrote at a table overlooking his lawn, with his favourite bull tethered there. One of his brothers lived on the edge of the New Forest, and Marryat stayed with him at Chewton Glen, which is now a luxury hotel, whilst researching the Children of the New Forest. It quickly became very popular, and has remained so for 170 years – helped by occasional TV versions. Marryat did not, however, have much time to enjoy its success, dying on August 9th 1848.
Do you have a complaint about a public service provider? Have you a complaint about a provider of a public service such as a government department, local authority, the HSE, a third level education body or a nursing home? If so, the Ombudsman Peter Tyndall, may be able to help. The Ombudsman says that complaints can be used to improve the delivery of public services. “When people complain it gives service providers an opportunity to put things right and to stop the same mistakes happening again.” - Ombudsman Peter Tyndall If you are unhappy with the response you receive from your complaint then you can contact the Ombudsman. What does the Ombudsman do? The Ombudsman investigates complaints from members of the public who feel they have been unfairly treated by certain providers of public services such as: • Government Departments and Offices
• The Health Service Executive (HSE) • Public hospitals and health agencies providing services on behalf of the HSE • Nursing Homes (including private nursing homes) • Local Authorities • Publicly funded third-level education bodies, such as Universities and Institutes of Technology The Ombudsman is impartial, independent and free to use. The Ombudsman cannot take complaints about private bodies such as banks, insurance companies, private pension schemes, An Garda Síochána, An Post, the Labour Court, Bord Gáis or the ESB.
• By telephone: 01 639 5600 • By talking to Ombudsman staff at our monthly visits to Citizen Information Centres in Cork, Limerick and Galway (see www.ombudsman.ie for dates and times).
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Pretty Lyndhurst is one of the main towns in the New Forest
Travel
Captain Marryat’s elaborate grave at Langhan, Norfolk
An ancient New Forest.. The book, set during the English Civil War of the 1600s, is centred around the countryside near to Sway, site of Arnewood Manor, the childen’s home. It tells the story of four children, Edward, Humphrey, Alice and Edith, born into a wealthy Royalist family, supporters of King Charles I. Their father is killed, and an old woodsman, Jacob Armitage, overhears a plot to burn down their home and kill them. He informs the children’s aunt, and persuades her to let him take the children to his cottage, deep in the forest. The story, recently summed up by one modern reviewer as B ` ear Grylls meets Countryfile,’ tells the story of how the children learn to hunt, clean game, grow food, cook, garden and manage a household – and fend for themselves. They encounter a sympathetic Puritan, Heatherstone, whose daughter Edwardis rescued from a fire, and also a gypsy boy, Pablo. Ten years later, Armitage dies, and the children, now young adults have to create their own lives. Edward becomes aware of his lost heritage, and joins the army of the future King Charles II. After the failed battle of Worcester, it appears he has lost everything, including the love of Patience Heatherstone. His brother Humprey remains living in the Forest, and his sisters leave to live with aristocratic families. What will become of them all? Happily, everything works out and Victorian values, such as thrift, initiative and fair mindedness are in evidence throughout. Marryat was also even handed and insightful enough to show the good qualities in apparent enemies, political and personal, plus tolerance and acceptance of differing viewpoints. Part of the book’s appeal is of course, lies in its setting – the New Forest in Hampshire. Especially beautiful in autumn, the area is known for its deer and wild ponies roaming free. Visitors can camp, enjoy the picture postcard towns, walk the forest trails, hire bikes or explore on (hired) horseback. Stay in a comfortable old inn, or experience an ancient manor or old hunting lodge, such as New Park Manor Hotel or the Montagu Arms. The New Forest is spread over around 150 square miles of ancient woodland and open moorland and was once William the Conqueror’s playgound. Its unsuitability as agricutural land has probably ensured its survival. Retaining its ancient Codes of Law and Verderers’ Court, around 100 square miles are owned by the Crown, and the rest by around 300 Verderers or Commoners, who have retained the right to ‘common’ or graze forest land. A forester’s tale.. Many of the book’s settings remain. The town of Sway is at the heart of the tale, and locals will point out Meade’s Lane, the traditional location as the site for Armitage’s cottage, where the children grew up. However, Arnewood Manor no longer exists. Pretty Lyndhurst, with its Verderer’s Court, is one of the main towns, and also famous for the grave and nearby marital home of Lewis Carroll’s Alice. It has retained an old coaching inn, which is now the comfortable Crown Hotel, complete with mounting block. From the nippy local buses, you can gaze out at woodland herds of deer, plus, of course, grazing ponies. Other towns in 34 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
The town of Sway is at the heart of the tale. This is its celebrated folly constructed in concrete in the late nineteenth century.
clude Brockenhurst which is on the railway line, as are Sway and Lymington, all of which also feature in the book. Beaulieu achieved more modern fame for its superb motor museum, with Lord Montagu’s collection of around 250 vehicles. www.thenewforest.co.uk www.CrownHotel-lyndhurst.co.uk www.chewtonglen.com www.visit-hampshire.co.uk www.newparkmanorhotel.co.uk www.montaguarmshotel.co.uk www.beaulieu.co.uk
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Outings
Enjoy your FREEdom Lorna Hogg offers some attractions where you don’t have to put your hand in your pocket
Aras-an-Uachtarian offers free tours on Saturdays
If the best things in life are free, for Irish residents, access to many of them comes with your 66th birthday, courtesy of free travel, with your new Public Services Card – details on www.welfare.ie. This allows more visits, not just to loved ones, but also to take advantage of the many free attractions, concerts, talks, exhibitions and events we have in Ireland......
Free travel If your particular type of Public Services Card type allows, you can be accompanied on your travels by a spouse/ civil partner/cohabitant – or a companion if medically necessary. Whilst many people just use the card to visit family and friends or shop, it can also open a new lease of life. Services on Bus Eireann, Irish Rail, DART and LUAS are all included. Some private carriers accepting the pass on certain services– e.g. CityLink.
Freedom for Culture Vultures September isn’t just about the start of evening classes and college terms – it’s also the time of the increasingly popular Culture Night, this year on September 22nd. Whilst now an all island celebration, Dublin in particular has many attractions on offer. If you’ve ever wondered what the top Clubs, Academies and Associations, the great houses, old Barracks and even the Whiskey Museum! are like – this is the time to find out. From the theatre of Smock Alley, originally created in 1662, to the ‘food is culture’ viewpoint at Dublin Food Co-Op’s night market in the Liberties, the late night concerts, walks and talks, the Night opens up what we mean by culture. To help you get around, Dublin Bus provides a Free Culture Night Bus service. Check also for local events in your area. Open House Dublin, running from 13th -15th October, is bigger and better than ever this, showcasing the best in Irish architecture,from Georgian style to cutting age modern. There are walks and talks plus plenty of visits to buildings of all shapes and sizes. Highlights are expected to include the new Central Bank building - and a chance to view a canal houseboat or a new c` ontainer’ home. Check details before travel. Full details not available at time of going to press. 36 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
A Free Travel pass will allow you to attend food festivals, literary gatherings, garden visits, special interest museums or courses. It can take you on walking, fishing or boating outings, to explore old haunts or new interests. It will allow you the advantages of off-season travel, and off- peak hotel deals. Check up on the latest Irish Rail connections around the country – you might be surprised at the variety, as well as the comfortable new rolling stock. One of the most popular travel routes is, of course is the Enterprise train to Belfast. Remember that you’ll have to fill in the Free Cross-Border Travel Scheme Rail Warrant, Form FT100, to show with your Pass. You can collect one at Connolly Station, or go online. Remember also that you can travel to any destination within Northern Ireland with the Pass, on one rail/ bus trip,on a through-ticket. You could go from Cork to Belfast, providing your ticket states your ultimate destination. We’re fortunate that in Ireland, many standard Bus Eireann routes cover beautiful regions, and some are especially ‘tourist friendly.’ The 480 service, from Sligo to Derry, travels through Donegal, via the beautiful Bluestack Mountains. The 279A route runs from Killarney to Cahirciveen and Waterville. The 280 (summer only ) service covers the Ring of Kerry The 282 (summer only) R ` ing of Beara’ will take you from Kenmare to Glengariff, while 276 (summer only) covers part of the Dingle Peninsula, from Killarney
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Outings
Kilkenny Castle is one of many OPW attractions around the country with free entry
The excellent Back To Our Past show at the RDS in October offers many free presentations, lectures and consultations on all aspects of genealogy and family history
to Inch and Dingle. You will, however, need to carefully check timetables – day trippers may find themseleves returning on their outgoing bus! Don’t overlook city suburbs or nearby attractions. From Dublin, the No. 44 Dublin Bus route still goes past the Scalp to Enniskerry. The DART service covers the beautiful Dublin Bay area, from Howth around to Greystones, the last section through a series of old tunnels and stunning clifftop views. Free heritage.. Heritage Ireland’s ‘Free Monday’ on the first Monday of the month offers a countrywide choice, from Fota and Garinish Islands to the Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny Castle. Remember, many of the National Parks, fom Connemara and Killarney to Wicklow, plus other attractions, have free entry at all times. Free entertainment Look out for seasonal free concerts, shows and talks. ‘Opera in the Open’ in the amphitheatre on Dublin’s Wood Quay offers a weekly hour- long live opera performance on Thursdays in August, weather permitting. The Music Library, in ILAC Centre, has regular talks and concerts. Go to www.dublincity.ie for details and also www.dublineventguide.com. Fancy being part of the audience at a TV show? You can get free tickets to some live TV shows or recordings – go to www.rte.ie/tv/latelate/tickets www.tv3.ie/take_part_audience.php Freedom of the city Plenty of Dublin and Belfast’s attractions are also free. Why not get your bearings with a free walking tour of Dublin? It leaves from the Spire twice daily - just look for the big yellow umbrella, with a choice of North and South city attractions. Afterwards, you can leave the gratuity of your choice. The President’s Residence in Phoenix Park offers free tours on Saturdays, with tickets on the day. Collect them early at Visitor Centre. Government Buildings has free tours - but you need to book. Farmleigh House, in Phoenix Park and where official State guests stay, is another free attraction though it can be closed on short notice, so check the website. Many galleries and museums are free – and The National Gallery also has many free talks. Modern artlovers enjoy the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham and the Hugh Lane Gallery, Mountjoy Square. Add on the medieval St. Audoen’s 38 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Church, the Pearse Museum in Rathfarnham, and there is plenty of choice. Don’t forget the open spaces at Trinity College and Dublin Castle, plus The Botanical Garden . Belfast’s free entry attractions start off with a free bus ride into the city from Central Station, courtesy of your rail ticket. City Hall has free tours twice daily, Stormont Parliament Buildings daily. Belfast Castle and Gardens plus Cave Hill Country Park have spectacular views. The MAC galleries and exhibitions, whilst Culturlann McAdam O’Fiaich has a varied programme of Irish language attractions. Like Dublin, Belfast is a w ` alking’ city – take a stroll around the Titanic and Cathedral Quarters to soak up the atmosphere.
Free family research If you’re already an enthusiastic family history reasearcher, you’ll know how costs can mount up as you search for records. However, the excellent Back to Our Past Show, Shelbourne Hall, RDS, Dublin, 20th – 22nd October, includes free lectures and advice from major research companies and sources . You can also book a 20 minute free consultation with a professional genealogist. (Entry to the event itself is 5 Euro). Clearly, there are time constraints on any detailed research. However a genealogist can clarify the best sources and holders of information for you, and save both time and money by suggesting your best plans. Bring along as much information as you have – e.g. places of birth, family land holdings, street addresses, gravestone details etc.. www.heritageweek.ie www.culturenight.ie www.openhousedublin.com www.irisharchitecturefoundation.ie desk@oireachtas.ie www.farmleigh.ie www.visitbelfast.com www.buseireann.ie www.irishrail.ie www.dublinbus.ie www.citylink.ie www.dublinfreewalkingtours.ie www.dublincity.ie www.backtoourpast.ie www.welfare.ie
dyson.ie/v8
Golf The involvement of Waterford Crystal in golf world-wide, gained rich emphasis on the Sunday of March 13th, 2005, when Padraig Harrington held aloft a magnificent crystal trophy as winner of the Honda Classic.
Australian captain Mark Taylor holds the Waterford Crystal trophy after winning the 1998/1999 Ashes
Trophy lives Dermot Gilleece traces the illustrious involvement of Waterford Crystal in producing striking trophies for golf and other sports During the recent visit Peter Alliss made to the Irish Open at Portstewart, he was happy to talk about a wide variety of subjects, much of them relating to this country. And he seemed to take particular delight in a visit he and his wife made to the Waterford Crystal plant during a workers’ strike! Alliss was quite familiar with Waterford through his involvement as commentator on the BBC’s Pro-Celebrity golf series at Gleneagles. From an Irish perspective, the 1981 event was especially memorable for the fact that it was the occasion when Terry Wogan sank an outrageous putt of 100 feet which I recall being played over and over again. ‘On the way home from a trip we made to West Cork, my wife Jackie and I called into Waterford Crystal,’ the voice of the Beeb recalled. ‘In fact Jackie was dealing with them through the managing director, Colm O’Connell, who used to come over to Gleneagles.’
Peter Allis with Terry Wogan during their celebrity golf tournament when Wogan made that outrageous 100 foot putt.
Alliss went on: ‘On this particular visit, O’Connell was there to greet us, though he cautioned that we had caught him on a bad day. ‘We’re on strike,’ he said. With that, he took us into the workshop where there were a few guys hanging around and he said: ‘Boys! Peter and Jackie Alliss are here. They’ve dropped in to see you’. ‘Which brought hellos all round. Then they started to blow some pieces of glass while we stood watching with Colm. In the middle of a strike! This is all very Irish, I thought. So we stayed there for a couple of hours and then toddled on to take the plane home. Great memories.’ The involvement of Waterford Crystal in golf world-wide, gained rich emphasis on the Sunday of March 13th, 2005, when Padraig Harrington held aloft a magnificent crystal trophy as winner of the Honda Classic. By that stage, their sister company, Wedgwood, had also gained a significant foothold in the game, through the superb trophies for World Golf
40 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Championship (WGC) events. Indeed Darren Clarke held one of these aloft in February 2000 as winner of the Accenture World Matchplay at La Costa in California and again in August 2003 and as the NEC Invitational champion at Firestone, Ohio, where Shane Lowry was also victorious two years ago. Prior to 1975, the company’s involvement in golf was limited essentially to sponsorship of the Waterford Glass Tournament at Waterford GC, for which they presented a trophy which would have a current value of about €50,000. In that particular year, however, the BBC launched their Pro-Celebrity series on television and were anxious to have suitable, souvenir gifts to give to the contestants. So they approached Waterford Crystal. Not surprisingly, the company were happy to get involved, though they had no idea the arrangement would become so valuable. Each competing amateur was to receive a ship’s de-
Golf
The Charles Schwab Cup
Jason Day with the TPC trophy
canter and six glasses while the company also made a suite of crystal and a special trophy for the winning professional.
be it would be just as pretty in the clear crystal. I don’t even know whether it can be done, hence this letter.
As part of the deal, a stunning array of crystal was brought from Ireland and put on display in the foyer of the Gleneagles Hotel. As it happened, Bing Crosby was captain of the American celebrities who had as their professional, Tom Weiskopf, the 1973 Open champion. Peter Oosterhuis, later a golf commentator with the NBC Network in the US, was the British professional.
‘I’m also interested in the price of these items. I’d probably want a dozen or so sets in varying sizes, from the Championship down to the lesser players. You might want to submit some designs of some other type decanters, because I would like an appreciable difference between the first prize, second prize, third prize and so on down, and rather than do this in size, it might be better to let the difference be determined by quality or some other such measurement.
In the event, Oosterhuis won the crystal award as the leading professional, but as a spin-off, Weiskopf and the BBC became enthusiastic admirers of Waterford Crystal. Even more important was the impact it had on Crosby who, in 1937, launched what was then the first, major pro-am in the history of the game. Later, the inaugural Crosby Clambake, in which Sam Snead was the leading professional at Rancho Santa Fe in California, moved to its present location on the Monterey Peninsula in 1947. Incidentally, the Gleneagles event was funded by the BBC before a company named Marley became official sponsors. All the while, Waterford Crystal maintained their friendship with the BEEB and their association with an event whose prestige could be gauged from this letter which arrived at the company shortly afterwards. Dated September 16th 1975, it read: ‘Dear Sirs, I am interested in securing some trophies for a golf tournament I put on it California every year. Something similar to the items that you gave to the participants at the recent Match Play television golf function up at Gleneagles. ‘I believe it consisted of a decanter and six glasses. We would have to have some engraving on the decanter, something like ‘Bing Crosby National Pro-Am First Prize’ and then a depiction of our logo, a copy of which I am sending along. Of course I can appreciate the fact that colour would be impossible but may-
The Crosby Tournament set other wheels in motion. Deane Beman, then commissioner of America’s PGA Tour, approached the company with a view to acquiring a trophy and other crystal for the Tournament Players’ Championship (now the Players Championship), which is held each year at Sawgrass. Beman’s wife, Judy, came to Ireland to visit the factory in 1980, by which stage the craftsmen had come to grips with a challenging assignment. They had to produce a crystal replica of the huge, marble trophy which was presented to the winner of the TPC.
‘Could I hear from you when you have a chance to answer the letter with prices etc, whether or not there’d be any duty bringing them into the States, and how much time you would need to prepare these items. The tournament itself takes place the third week in January 1976. ‘With very best regards, believe me to be Sincerely Yours, Bing Crosby (signed).’ Sixteen months after this letter arrived in Waterford, a superb array of crystal prizes were on display in the window of the golf shop at the world famous venue of Pebble Beach. Waterford Crystal had broken into the Ameri can golf scene in the showpiece of all pro-am events, the Crosby Tournament. In 1977, Tom Watson won by a stroke from Tony Jacklin and the event was staged over the Pebble Beach, Cypress Point and Monterey Peninsula CC courses. After a year’s absence, Spyglass Hill returned in place of Monterey Peninsula in 1978. ‘It was a tremendous breakthrough,’ said O’Connell, the company’s production director at the time. ‘Quite apart from the marvellous field of professionals and amateurs who were being introduced to our product, we received some priceless television exposure. The truth is that we could not have hoped for a better platform for our crystal.’
Barbara Nicklaus made a point of presenting the wives of competitors and officials with gifts of Waterford glassware at her husband’s annual Memorial Tournament.
Requests followed from other tournament organisers, including what is now the US Champions Tour and the LPGA. Indeed the crystal’s appeal extended as far away as Australia. Women were captivated by the product. For instance, Barbara Nicklaus made a point of presenting the wives of competitors and officials with gifts of Waterford glassware at her husband’s annual Memorial Tournament. It’s a remarkable story, though the more recent experience of Waterford could be said to mirror the fluctuating fortunes of some of golf’s great players. Still, it survives, with the same, sparkling persistence it could be said, as has characterised the career of the much-loved voice of the BEEB.
Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 41
Golf: Mary Mc Kenna Diamond Trophy 2017 Competition
All set for all-Ireland finals on 9th and 10 September
Sligo GC Mary Mc Kenna Diamond Trophy 2017 Connaught Provincial Runners-Up
Belvoir Park - Mary Mc Kenna Diamond Trophy 2017 Ulster Provincial Winners Royal Tara GC - Mary Mc Kenna Diamond Trophy 2017 Munster Provincial Winners
Tuam GC - Mary Mc Kenna Diamond Trophy 2017 - Connaught Provincial Winners
Thurles GC - Mary Mc Kenna Diamond Trophy Munster Provincial Winners 2017
This exciting competition for Senior lady golfers reached a crucial decision making time recently when the results of the provincial finals in Connaught, Munster, Leinster and Ulster were confirmed. The teams who will take part in the All-Ireland Finals in Woodenbridge Golf Club on the weekend of 8-10th September have been finally identified.
throughout the country in the last two weeks. The format is scotch foursomes with 5 pairs playing with a maximum handicap of 50. The standard of golf throughout has been excellent with many exciting and very hard fought matches going to the 18th hole and beyond.
Tuam GC representing Connaught, Belvoir Park GC – Ulster, Thurles – Munster, and Royal Tara – Leinster will meet in Woodenbridge GC to represent their respective provinces in the All Ireland Finals.
The Leinster match between New Ross and Royal Tara was the last result to be decided and saw very challenging golf from both teams with a 5 all result on the 18th hole leading to a sudden death play off on the 19th which saw Royal Tara take the honours.
The competition for senior lady golfers commenced at county level in April this year when 80 teams played inter club matches to establish the winners at county level, the winning teams then played inter county matches within their provinces culminating in the Provincial Finals which are home and away matches the second leg of each final took place 42 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
The victorious teams and their many supporters will arrive in Woodenbridge GC on the 8th September for the Opening Ceremony and to decide who will take this prestigious trophy in 2017. Last years winners were Slade Valley GC.
Transforming the way people clean their homes
The Dyson V8 cord-free vacuum cleaner Dyson have spent over 10 years and €300 in developing their digital motors – a key component to their cord-free vacuums
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Dyson V6
Dyson V8
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Up to 6 min runtime Up to 36AW suction Powered by conventional motor
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Up to 10 min runtime Up to 65AW suction Powered by Dyson digital motor V2 Mini motorised tool introduced
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Up to 15 min runtime Up to 65AW suction Powered by Dyson digital motor V2 Wand and floor cleaner heads introduced
Up to 20 min runtime Up to 100AW suction Powered by Dyson digital motor V6 2 Tier RadialTM cyclones introduced to cord-free range, to increase fine dust pickup and separation
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In 2016, Dyson produced 8.8m digital motors – that’s approximately one every 3.5 seconds. 376 robots are used to assemble Dyson digital motors, as even the most dextrous human hand isn’t precise enough: the smallest manufacturing tolerance is +/- 3 microns, which is approximately a quarter of the thickness of a human hair.
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Up to 40 min runtime Up to 115AW suction Powered by Dyson digital motor V8 Hygienic dirt ejection, battery runtime indicator, postmotor filter as standard and quick release tools introduced 50% less noise generated than predecessor
Every vacuum cleaner uses a motor to generate Every vacuum suction. But not all motors are the same. Somecleaner uses a motor to generate suction. But not all motors are the same. Some cordless vacuum cordless vacuum cleaners use small motors that cleaners use small motors that can be weak, while others can be weak, while others rely on heavy motors rely on heavy motors that can compromise versatility. that can compromise versatility.
500,000 hours of testing and 18 months of research and 500,000 hours of testing and 18 months of research and development development have gone into the Dyson digital motor V8, have gone into the Dyson digital motor V8, which which is compact but can but can spin at up to 110,000rpm. The is compact spin at up to 110,000rpm. The V8 is also cord-free V8 and boasts is alsopowerful cord-free and boasts powerful fade-free suction, fade-free suction. The Dyson V8 cord-free vacuum cleaner doesn’t just The Dyson V8 cord-free vacuum cleaner doesn’t just clean the floor, but clean the floor, but quickly transforms between handheld quickly transforms between handheld and stick modes to clean down and stick modes to clean down low, up high and low, up high and everywhere in-between. Building on ten years of cordeverywhere in-between. Building on ten years of cordfree technology and motors expertise, Dyson V8 cord-free vacuums free technology and motors expertise, Dyson V8 cordoffer several key evolutions compared to their predecessors. These free vacuums offer several key evolutions compared to their predecessors. These include: increased include: increased runtime, hygienic dirt ejection, even more powerful runtime, hygienic dirt ejection, even more powerful suction and less noise generated are among the suction and less noise generated are among the advances. And being advances. And being cordless there’s nothing to unravel, plug in, drag around and restrict your cordless there’s nothing to unravel, plug in, drag around and restrict your reach. Equipped with a docking and charging station, you can grab and clean whenever you need reach. Equipped with a docking and charging station, you can grab and to. Hygienic dirt ejector clean whenever you need to.
Cord-f The mo
Visit in store
1. Comparison against cordless stick vacuums. Te
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Dyson V8 cord-free vacuums feature a new bin emptying mechanism. Cleans carpets and hard floors Cleans carpets and hard floors As the bin is emptied, rubber collar slides down the shroud, scraping Powerful suction generated by the Dyson digital motor V8 is paired with Dyson acleaner head dirt pet off. This the user to hygienically drive out trapped dust and technology. A direct-drive cleaner head removes ground-in dirt and hairenables from carpets, while a Powerful suction generated by the Dyson digital motor V8 is paired with debris in a single action, with no need to touch the dirt. Additionally, the bin Dyson cleaner head technology. A direct-drive cleaner head removes Comparison against cordless stick vacuums. Suction test based on IEC 60312-1, 5.8 and 5.9 loaded to bin full. has higher capacity than previous generation machines. ground-in dirt and pet hair from carpets, while a soft roller cleaner head removes large debris and fine dust from hard floors simultaneously. Availability 1
Weighs just 2.6kg Inside Dyson cord-free vacuums, key components like the motor and battery are positioned near the hand. This shifts the centre of gravity, making the cleaning end of the vacuum much lighter, so it’s easy to clean up top and down below.
The Dyson V8 Absolute vacuum includes the direct-drive cleaner head and the soft roller cleaner head, in addition to the mini motorised tool, the combination tool and the crevice tool. It costs €599.99 and is available at www.dyson.ie. The machine includes a 2 year hassle-free warranty on parts and labour. Additional tools can be purchased from the Dyson website. Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 43
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. 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 those with long term medical conditions e.g. heart or lung disease
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
all frontline healthcare workers including carers
You have no spleen or your spleen is not working properly,
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’.
You have a medical condition causing a weakened immune system.
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.
44 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
You cannot get pneumococcal disease from the vaccine as it does not contain live bacteria. 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.
“We’ll be our own lifesavers. We’ll get the flu vaccine.”
The flu vaccine is a lifesaver for older people and those with long term health conditions.
www.immunisation.ie
Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 45
History Group of nephrite jade snuff bottles China, 1740–1800
The History of Akbar (Akbarnama) India, c.1600–03
The Chester Beatty Library:
‘Probably the best museum in Europe’
The Director of the Library, Fionnuala Croke, has made a selection of her favourite items that reveal the variety and wonder of the collection in her Director’s Choice published by La Scala. The publication includes examples of rare Qur’ans, Biblical manuscripts and beautiful illuminated books. The Chester Beatty Library and museum located in the grounds of Dublin Castle is home to a priceless collection of art representing the great cultures and religions of the world. With over 370,000 visitors a year, the Library has been named by the ‘Lonely Planet’ as probably the best museum in Europe. The collection was given to the Irish people by the wealthy American mining engineer Alfred Chester Beatty in what has been described as the greatest gift ever given to this country. He was Ireland’s first honorary citizen and was given a state funeral when he died in 1968. The collection at Chester Beatty includes Illuminated manuscripts, jade books, snuff bottles, imperial dragon robes and Japanese scrolls. The Library holds one of the finest Islamic collections in existence including renowned copies of the Qur’an as well as the Biblical papyri which has some of the oldest and most important copies of the Gospels dating back to the 2nd century. The Director’s Choice includes a four-thousand-year-old clay writing tablet from Mesopotamia that carries some of the earliest written language. The text on the tablet refers to a measure of butter and research has revealed it was an offering for the moon god. Also included in the publication are the miniature wooden pagodas (stupa) from Japan with Buddhist prayers on tiny scrolls, dating to 768, hidden inside. There are scientific texts including the influential Euclid’s Elements and the celebrated Yongle encyclopaedia commissioned in 1403 by the emperor to preserve all known Chinese literature. Director’s Choice includes the ‘Book of the Dead’ of which the Li brary has several. There is something reassur
Cuneiform Tablet Mesopotamia, c.2,200–2,100 bc
ing about the concept of having a road map to accompany one on the daunting passage into the afterlife. Placed with the body, the Book of the Dead might be regarded as such a guide, setting out the stages and rituals in this journey, with spells that could influence the outcome! One of the greatest collectors of all time, Beatty amassed a fortune through his mining business which started in America but spread across the world. He lived in Britain where he served on Churchill committees but eventually settled in Ireland and gifted his priceless collection to the Irish people through a public charitable trust. The Library is a research centre for scholars from all over the world and it has a unique role in reaching out to culturally diverse communities in Ireland through intercultural learning programmes.
The Darani of the One Million Pagodas (Hyakumanto Darani) Nara, Japan, c.768
Admission is free and in addition to the permanent displays there are temporary exhibitons, lectures and guided tours in several languages. The award-winning Silk Road Café and gift shop complete the experience. Chester Beatty Library, Clocktower Building, Dublin Castle. www.cbl.ie Tel: (01) 4070750
46 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
All images are © Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin
Dermot Farrelly advises anyone with sight difficulties to “Contact NCBI, they will show you the way” Dermot Farrelly recounts his first encounter with the NCBI during his early days of sight loss. “In 1982 I had detached retinas and I lost my sight in the left eye, four years later the right one went. I am not totally blind but I have very little left”. Describing how much the help of the NCBI helped him through this time, “They were invaluable to me, on so many levels. Naturally my sight loss caused huge upheaval, physically, emotionally and practically. The NCBI helped with everything. The mobility training was vitally important, it literally got me going. I was taught how to get up and down stairs, trained to know how to find the edges of footpaths, that sort of thing. I got involved in over 65’s committee and received additional support and help. There are always challenges but the NCBI helped me to meet them and overcome them. They gave me the confidence to say to myself, ‘don’t sit in a corner, get out and stay living”. “I wanted and needed to try and keep my life as normal as I could so the NCBI gave me tips and hints and advice on how to do that. Continuing to work was so important to me though a slight rethink was needed as I was a driver for a High Court Judge! They were very good to me in work and I made the trek from Shankill into the Four Courts every day”. It wasn’t always an easy trek as one day Dermot was knocked sideways by a cyclist but thankfully managed to escape relatively unscathed.
Dermot remains positive about his impaired vision. “I had a good life and I still have a good life. I make the most of all the facilities available to me and getting involved with the NCBI is key. It is vital to be able to meet others in the same boat and keep up with new technology and other advances that make things so much easier. The NCBI library is a Godsend, I must have used everything in it, and I love it. I get taped magazines every month as well so it is a wonderful amenity”. Acknowledging the things he misses most, Dermot references sport, “Oh I loved my sport but I still like listening to it. I adore old films and now I have the accompanying audio for them, I sit and enjoy them all over again. I know them backwards as I have watched them so often!” Dermot’s advice to anyone who may be having difficulties with their sight is to simply, “Contact NCBI, they will show you the way”. NCBI (National Council for the Blind of Ireland) is Ireland’s national charity working for the rising number of people affected by sight loss. There practical and emotional advice and supports help 8,000 people and their families face their futures with confidence every year. NCBI’s services include emotional support and counselling, low vision solutions like magnifiers, assistive technology advice and training, rehabilitation training (including independent living skills and using a long cane), a large print, audio and Braille library. The organisation also has an online shop with lots of practical solutions. Contact NCBI on 018307033 info@ncbi.ie
Strive Clinic – A new kind of Healthcare Service Mental Health: Like all aspects of your health, you need to take the time to work on your mental health. Your mental health is unique to you, so we work with you based on your individual needs to help you improve your health and change your life. Some challenges that we may be able to help with include: Worry, stress, anxiety, depression, anxiety or depression during or after pregnancy, LGBT mental health and wellbeing, Psychosexual therapy, Bereavement, Family counselling, Adjustment to diagnosis of chronic illness.
and integrated
Strive Clinic is a new kind of healthcare service which is conveniently located on Level 2 Briarhill Shopping Centre just on the outskirts of Galway City. Strive Clinic has an integrated team of specialist rehabilitation professionals who work with the patient to help them understand their condition and the best evidence-based treatment available; because we want them to feel informed and confident in their care. We are an outpatient clinic which offers specialist rehabilitation, health and life-improving services for people living with complex or chronic medical conditions and focus on a few key areas including Cancer rehabilitation and survivorship, Mental health, Pelvic rehabilitation, Bone & Joint Rehabilitation and Lymphoedema Management and provide a specialist, comprehensive, interdisciplinary
programme of care based on your unique health needs. Integrated care helps you to manage your healthcare by placing you at the centre of the healthcare service. We have a number of Specialist Programmes of Care at Strive Clinic;
Pelvic Rehabilitation: Pelvic health problems are a common health complaint among both men and women. We can help with a variety of male and female pelvic health issues such as Urinary incontinence, Faecal incontinence, Constipation, Pain or difficulty having sex, Vaginal prolapse, Overactive bladder, Erectile dysfunction, Pelvic pain. You can contact us directly using the below contact details to schedule an appointment. Alternatively, we are happy for your GP, Consultant, Nurse or other healthcare professional to refer you to our specialist rehabilitation services.
Cancer Rehabilitation & Survivorship: Cancer rehabilitation and survivorship aim to reduce the troubling effects of cancer and its treatment so you can reach your maximum potential and live the best quality of life possible. We can help with: Fatigue, anxiety, depression, fear of recurrence, Pain, Muscle weakness, Limb swelling (lymphoedema), Sexual health problems, Incontinence, Memory/concentration problems.
Briarhill Shopping Centre, Briarhill, Galway. T: 091 393 180 Website: www.striveclinic.ie Email: reception@striveclinic.ie
Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 47
Literature
Muriel Bolger: ‘Becoming a novelist was never my intention. It was almost accidental..’
How do you start to write? Forget the excuses: best-selling novelist Muriel Bolger advises There’s a lot of talk going around these days about enforced retirement and many people dread the long days with no structure or focus. Others embrace their liberation enthusiastically, taking up a new hobby or engaging seriously with a long-neglected one. Maybe you are one of those who always wanted to write a book, but put it off with excuses like, ‘I haven’t got the time,’ or ’I wouldn’t know where to begin.’ If that’s you then here are the answers. You make time. Join a class and begin with a blank page. Just start writing. It’s the only way to get those thoughts out of your head. It’s as simple as that and you never know where it will lead. Thirty years ago I came back from a school run – the youngest had started secondary and I was free. Over coffee I read a leaflet that did literally change my life.
I hadn’t known there were such things as adult daytime classes and creative writing caught my eye. I rang the number. Later that week I found myself in class. The classes were described as educational, and that may well have been the case, but what I got from them was so much more. I got laugher and friendship, great conversations and the enjoyment of common interests, and a job in writing. Bit by bit we all began being published. The excitement was fantastic and each success brought new enthusiasm to the classes. My own writing journey began that first morning in that class and led directly to being allowed sit in the newsroom in the Irish Press for work experience, at the ripe old age of forty. In Burgh Quay I stepped into a whole new world of enormous typewriters that went clickety-clack, the smell of printer’s ink and the
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manic frenzy of a newsroom. I also met a kaleidoscope of characters – chancers (like me), alcoholics, brilliant writers, wits and raconteurs. I was sent on my first travel press trip to Germany and that was when my double life began - one was five-star luxury and Michelin dining, camel and helicopter rides, secluded beaches and glitzy cruises and a career as a travel writer. The other saw me juggling with mortgage repayments and raising three opinionated teenagers. In the features department my brief was to interview incoming authors on their book tours. Consequently, I spent many a wonderful hour or two drinking tea in the Shelbourne, the Merrion and Westbury hotels, chatting to the likes of Douglas Kennedy, Mary Wesley, Nelson de Mille, Sue Townsend, Ken Follet, Polly Devlin and Jilly Cooper. Others like Frank Delaney, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Jeffrey Archer and Robert Ludlum merited lunches – long memorable lunches. I was in my element meeting
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Literature
these people. Little did I ever think I’d be on the other side of the table.
I can’t promise you the same experience, but it’s worth a try, I promise you.
Journalism kept me busy. It took me into the world of interiors, often marrying travel with that. I visited design shows in Madrid, Lisbon, Frankfurt and Copenhagen, went to a glass blowing contest in Finland, wandered around garden shows at Chelsea and Tatton Court, and flea markets in Paris and Amsterdam.
Do’s and Don’ts
I spent days on photographic shoots at ostentatious, tasteful and quirky houses, and in wonderful gardens around the country. I revelled in what I was doing. I cruised the Med, the Caribbean, the North Sea, through the Panama Canal and wrote about the different destinations. I penned brochures for mattresses, home insulation and the cities of Ireland, and for garden centres and property companies. I even wrote for a magazine for truckers! Becoming a novelist was never my intention. It was almost accidental. I wrote a rare short story on the beach in Cyprus and the more I thought about it the more I felt I could possibly expand it. It grew slowly and my New Year’s resolution for 2010 was to try and get published. Coincidentally that was the year Dublin was given the UNESCO City of Literature title. I hadn’t heard of anyone bringing out a book about all the writers associated with my native city, so I approached a publisher with that idea. As luck would have it I was asked to present myself in the morning at Hachette Ireland, re the novel, and at The O’Brien Press in the afternoon on the same day. By lunchtime I was sipping champagne in a friend’s house, celebrating a two-book fiction deal. By that evening the celebrations included a third. The literary idea had been commissioned too. Six novels later I still find myself pondering on the enormous difference that first creative writing class made to my life. It changed it dramatically. It paid my bills and filled it with interesting people and places, new achievements and, most precious of all, with wonderful friends with whom I’ve been able to share it.
It won’t be perfect the first time you try, but don’t keep rewriting it. Keep your plot, story or idea moving along. You can hone it later. Nostalgia and memoirs make great reading and as you mature your experiences mount up and you may be tempted in that direction. There are one or two things to be aware of before embarking on a memoir or autobiography though. Firstly, forget Maria von Trapp’s advice, ‘let’s start at the very beginning.’ Start anywhere. You can put structure and form in later when you decide on where your plot is going.
alogue. Let it filter through as you progress, but not in long passages of idle chat. will slow any story and distract from the storyline, guaranteeing that your readers will lose interest very early into your work. Now it’s your turn! Off to that class and get writing. Family Business is Muriel Bolger’s latest novel. murielbolger@gmail.com
Four copies of Family Business to be won!
Secondly, you may have a great story about you and your neighbours from hell, a feud that went on for years and caused you to move out because of the antisocial behavior of their unruly delinquent son who egged your house and set fire to your car one night. Don’t! Write it, by all means, just don’t write it as a memoir. Put it in a story or a novel instead and change the names and location, or you may find yourself in court. Don’t overuse adjectives. Don’t overload sentences with facts that are of no relevance to the story, or that would fit in better somewhere else. Don’t try to fit in too much information in large dollops. Keep you sentences short. Writings which don’t work are those where every detail is described, and then described again, and again. Everyone knows you fill a kettle, with water, and boil it to make tea, the way you use toothpaste to clean your teeth. They are not noteworthy enough to demand a paragraph – ever! Then there are those where the writer appears to have opened the thesaurus and worked his way though the list and decided to include as many words as possible, just because he can.
Senior Times, in association with the publishers Hachette Books, is offering four copies of Muriel Bolger’s latest book in this competition. To enter, simply answer this question: Which newspaper did Muriel Bolger work with?
Be careful with passages of dialogue. A simple rule - more is very often too much. You want to set the scene. You want the characters’ traits to unfurl. What you do not want is to give this information in great big wedges of stilted di-
Send your answer to Muriel Bolger Competition, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Or email to: john@slp.ie Deadline for entries is 6th October. The first four correct entries drawn are the winners.
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Culture
Little John Nee - writer, performer, story-teller and musician- arrives with a new one man show in the form of Radio Rosario
Benjamin Britten’s opera, Owen Wingrave explores the continually intriguing concept of pacifism as a high- minded ideal or a form of cowardice
Radio recollections Maretta Dillon reports on happenings in the Arts in the next few months The irrespresible Little John Nee - writer, performer, story-teller and musician- arrives with a new one man show in the form of Radio Rosario. Against a background of rising fascism, sometime in the near future, a disillusioned cabaret singer falls in love with the radios of our past. A soundscape of ghostly broadcasts begins. In his new stage show, Little John Nee brings his mesmeric musical storytelling to another dimension working again with long-time collaborator musician, visual artist and director Laura Sheeran. Catch this serious comedy about frustration, foreboding and the search for fulfillment in Galway at The Mick Lally Theatre (Sept 5-9) or axis: Ballymun (Sept 28 and 29) as part of Dublin Theatre Festival. Benjamin Britten’s opera, Owen Wingrave, was composed at the height of the Vietnam War and explores the continually intriguing concept of pacifism as a high- minded ideal or a form of cowardice. Opera Collective Ireland (formerly IYO) showcases some of Ireland’s best young singers in a daring staging of this gripping psychodrama. An opera for the times we live in. From September 9. Information and venues from operacollectiveireland.com Hotly-anticipated Irish thriller Maze is based on the true story of the 1983 mass breakout of 38
IRA prisoners from HMP Maze high-security prison in Northern Ireland. Tom Vaughan-Lawlor stars as Larry Marley, the chief architect of the escape, who in order to pull off this ambitious feat, comes into contact with prison warder, Gordon Close played by Barry Ward. While Larry and Gordon are initially sworn enemies born on opposite sides of Northern Ireland’s political divide, a slow tentative friendship begins which is to have far reaching consequences for both of them. This is a film that illuminates the recent past while entertaining as a prison escape drama. Maze is in cinemas – North and South – from September 22. Author Donal Ryan’s book The Spinning Heart certainly made an impact with its coruscating depiction of Celtic Tiger Ireland. A new stage production promises to preserve the original structure and narrative style of the book while highlighting, often with a scabrous humour, the exacting toll paid by the ordinary people of Ireland. From September 19 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin. Dublin Fringe Festival offers a myriad of theatre, performance, dance and musical choices. Among these is the intriguingly titled, Talk Real Fine, Just Like a Lady. The show is collaboration between artist Amanda Coogan and
Dublin Theatre of the Deaf that appropriates Teresa Deevy’s play, The Daughter of the King of Spain using sign language as a choreographic tool in what is sure to be a visually stunning immersive performance. Plenty more to choose from at dublinfringefest.com
Events around the Country / September October 2017 RADIO ROSARIO Theatre A new one-man show by Galway-based uber performer, Little John Nee Sept 4-9 / Mick Lally Theatre, Galway / Dublin Theatre Festival Information: T: 091 568 660 / W: druid.ie/ the-mick-lally-theatre/whats-on/ dublintheatrefestival.com THE HUMOURS OF BANDON Theatre Annie is a 16 year Dubliner absolutely committed to Irish dancing - a coming of age story about a childhood passion. Sept 6-24 / various venues in Ireland Information: fishamble.com
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The Hotly-anticipated Irish thriller Maze feartures Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Barry Ward.
TO HELL IN A HANDBAG Theatre A subversive re-imagining of two minor characters in The Importance of Being Earnest – tours Ireland. Sept 6 - Oct 11/ various venues including Galway, Drogheda, Castlebar, Dun Laoghaire, Ennis and Cork. Information and venues/dates: 2hellinahandbag.com ELEMENTAL Festival Limerick Arts Festival’s varied programme includes visual art, street theatre, music, crafts, theatre, comedy, film. Sept 8 - 10 / various venues in Limerick city. Information: elementalfestival.com DUBLIN FRINGE FESTIVAL Festival Dazzling array of all sorts of everything – make your pick! Sept 9-24/ various venues, Dublin city. Information: fringefest.com OWEN WINGRAVE Opera New interpretation of Benjamin Britten’s opera examines the choices we make or don’t make. Sept 9 -16 / Limerick, Cork, Dublin Information on dates and venues: operacollectiveireland.com
THE SPINNING HEART Theatre Donal Byrne’s acclaimed and very original take on the language and spirit of rural Irish life gets a stage makeover. Sept 9-23/ Gaiety Theatre, Dublin Booking: 08 18 719 388 / ticketmaster.ie VICTORIA & ABDUL Film Judi Dench reprises her role as Queen Victoria in a new film exploring her relationship with an Indian servant, Abdul. September 15 nationwide CULTURE NIGHT Festival Annual lucky dip into Ireland’s cultural activity on one special Friday night. Sept 22/ everywhere Information: culturenight.ie MAZE Film 38 prisoners escaped from the MAZE in 1983 – it still remains the biggest prison outbreak in Europe. September 22, island wide. TRIBES Theatre A penetrating, moving and funny play about belonging, family and the limitations of communications. From Sept 28 / The Gate Theatre, Dublin
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Information and booking: 01 874 4045/6042 / gatetheatre.ie TINE THING HELSETH & GUNNAR FLAGSTAD Music Helseth, one of the world’s leading trumpet soloists with a slew of awards to her name, visits Ireland. Oct 10 - 18/ various venues nationwide Information and Booking: musicnetwork.ie RED LINE BOOK FESTIVAL Literature The best of national and international contemporary writing makes its way to South Dublin. Oct 11 - 15 / various venues, South Dublin. Information and booking: redlinebookfestival.ie OPEN HOUSE DUBLIN 2017 Architecture Indulge your architectural curiosity in public and private spaces all around Dublin Oct 13 -15 / various sites Information and booking: architecturefoundation.ie
Finally, if you would like your event to feature in our list of What’s On please email: events.country@gmail.com
Fit The indoor & outdoor activities supplement Walking
Taking a rest on Slieve Bloom
Edited by Conor O’Hagan
Walking in The Slieve Blooms
Conor O’Hagan guides you round the Slieve Blooms which are easily accessible from all corners of Ireland
Straddling the Laois-Offaly border, the Slieve Blooms are the most central range in Ireland and as a result offer panoramic views over the midlands and to the Wicklow mountains beyond towards the coast. They form a virtual plateau, running for about 30km southwest to northeast, with numerous valleys cutting into his plateau, mostly swathed in forestry. The Slieve Blooms have a very different ‘feel’ to the Wicklow Mountains, perhaps reflecting the fact that, along with the Massif Central in France, these are the oldest mountains in Europe; they were once also the highest at 3,700m. Weathering has reduced them to a gentle 527m, yet on a clear day, one can see the high points of the four ancient provinces of Ireland. The area is picturesque, peaceful and much less extensively explored.
Only an hour and a bit from Dublin and Limerick and two hours from Cork and Galway the Slieve Blooms are easily accessible from all corners of Ireland, and as well as being a destination in their own right, their central location makes the area an ideal base for trips to other parts of Ireland. In 2007, a series of looped walks were developed at various trailheads in the region following a mix of forest tracks, riverbanks, old roadways, and grassy trails. There are a few rough and rugged sections - but they rarely rise to high altitude and do not demand great stamina. This loop is one of three which start and finish at the Glenbarrow trailhead - key features include a section of riverbank along the River Barrow, a spectacular 3-tiered waterfall, and natural woodland that in spring is ablaze with bluebells. Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 53
Walking Glenbarrow
Glenbarrow is one of the most scenic parts of the Slieve Bloom area with its waterfalls and steep-sided valley. The area is quite remote but has become one of the most popular visitor sites in the mountains. The recently improved car-parking area caters for more than 50 cars, but get there early on sunny weekend days. There is a choice of long and short looped trails. The area was extensively quarried in the 1800s and there are still many signs of the quarrying activities evident today – the exposed bedrock of the red sandstone and the holes where explosives were once placed. The river Barrow has cut its way through the deposits of an ancient glaciers and now sits in a steep-sided valley. The main trail past the waterfall leads you up through the valley, past old homesteads in Cones and eventually out onto the Nature Reserve on the Ridge of Capard. There has been extensive trail repair work here in recent years, so it is easier to get out there and enjoy this wonderful valley. But mind that the terrain can be rough in parts, especially higher up so be prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear. The area has four waymarked trails. The trails all start at the car park and follow the river for the first section. The names of the trails are; The Flat Rock loop (3kms, 1hr, moderate) a walk to the waterfall and back; The Waterfall loop (7km, 2hrs, moderate) up past the waterfall and continue along the bogbridge and then accend up to the forest road and back to the carpark; The Old Mill loop (12km, 3 ½ hrs, strenuous) following the route of the first two walks this trail also brings you to the ruins of an old stone mill before joing up with the forest road back to the car park; The Eco walk (10km, 3hrs, strenuous) a novel and educational walk developed in partnership with the local communities, the ECO walk has 10 stops along the way
follow the well-worn path upriver and past the superb 3-tiered Clamp Hole waterfall. C-D. Continue to follow the path upriver. D-E. After 100m, your path splits on a bend. The red loop (on its outward journey) veers right and crosses a small stream into forestry – but you follow the path around to the left and up a steep climb. E-F. After the uphill climb, you join a forestry road. Turn left on the forestry road continuing along same until you reach a 3-way junction with a forestry track on the right. Veer right here. F-G. Proceed uphill until you reach another forestry road on your right. Directly opposite it (on your left) turn here onto downhill boardwalk. G-A. Follow the boardwalk downhill through a mix of coniferous forestry and natural woodland – exiting at a forestry road at a barrier. Take a right here and follow the road for 200m back to the trailhead to Glenbarrow Car Park. Glinsk Castle Loop
Directions to Glenbarrow Trailhead Start from the village of Rosenallis on the R422 between Clonaslee and Mountmellick. On the sharp bend follow the signpost for Glenbarrow L2018. After 2km take a right turn at a junction. After 2.5km turn left at a crossroads. This takes you to Glenbarrow Car Park (N 367 081). Waterfall Loop A-B. Start from the trailhead at Glenbarrow Car Park and follow the blue (and green and red) arrow onto a downhill track. You are also on the Slieve Bloom Way (marked with yellow arrows). After 200m reach the end of the downhill track and enter Glenbarrow Woods via wooden railings. B-C. After 100m you pass the flat rock at a wooden hut. Continue to 54 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
This loop is one of three which start and finish at the Kinnitty Forest trailhead - key features include the grounds of Kinnitty Castle (now a hotel), the ruins of Glinsk Castle, and spectacular broadleaf woodlands.
Walking
Walk on the wild side Conor O’Hagan warns of the dangers facing urban walkways A few years back the organisers of Super Bowl XVLIII at the MetLife Stadium in Meadowlands, New Jersey (you remember; the Seahawks beat the Broncos 43-8), sleepwalked into controversy by excluding pedestrian access to the biggest of all Big Matches; restricting the stadium to entry via public transport and motor vehicles. Sounds like a cautionary tale from a dystopian future, and it was actually worse than that, because the traditional tailgate barbeque which sustains NFL fans through the all-day festival that is a Super Bowl was also banned. Large areas of American cities have been built without sidewalks since at least the 1960s; I can remember a story told by a friend of my late father’s, who attending a scientific conference in a large city decided to take a walk before dinner. He left his hotel on foot but within a few minutes found himself assuming the position for an armed and hostile patrolman who viewed walking (there was no sidewalk, only the shoulder) as a suspicious activity. But the restriction of walking isn’t about modernity or world-gonemadness, it’s about the purposes for which we design our increasingly man-made environments. In a city where only poor people walked – and not many of them - pedestrians had no business cluttering up the business district, so nobody thought it worthwhile spending money on sidewalks.
Directions to the Trailhead From Kinnitty Village, take the R421 following the signposts for Mountmellick. After 200m veer right onto the R440 (signposted Mountrath). Continue along this road for 3km to reach the entrance to Kinnity Forest on your left. Note: The trailhead is signposted from Kinnitty. A-B. Start from Kinnitty forest entrance 3km from the village. After 30m keep left at the Y-junction of forestry roads following the blue arrow. You are also following a green arrow for the shorter Kinnitty Castle Loop and yellow arrow for the long-distance Slieve Bloom Way. After a little more than 1km you reach a 3-way junction with a wooden gate on your left. Through the wooden gate will take you into the grounds of Kinnitty Castle – well worth a visit. B-C. Your loop turns right (uphill) here, and continues to ascend along a forest road for almost 1km before rounding a right bend and reaching a Y-junction. Veer to the right here - still following the Slieve Bloom Way and the green arrows. C-D. After 500m turn left onto an uphill woodland trail – the shorter green loop continues straight on here. You follow the blue arrow and the Slieve Bloom Way. D-E. This path takes you through mature woodlands to exit on a forestry road where you turn right. About 200m afterwards you turn left at a 3-way junction and, almost immediately, veer left again at another junction. You are still also on the Slieve Bloom Way. E-F. Climb the hill and, after 500m take a right at a junction. After 600m you leave the Slieve Bloom Way - taking a right turn onto a faint woodland trail to the ruins of Glinsk Castle (stone pillars and walls). F-G. Follow the trail through the pillars, over the brow of the hill, and downhill through trees to rejoin the Slieve Bloom Way at a forest track. Turn right here. G-H. After 200m turn left onto a downhill forestry trail. H-A. Continue to follow the loop on its downhill journey throught magnificent mature trees. Cross two forestry tracks to exit at the trailhead. Information
Email: info@slievebloom.ie Web: www.slievebloom.ie
In Ireland we’re not poor, but we do suffer from car park deprivation and have to walk sometimes, so urban planners (if they really exist) have been kept on their toes. But just because pedestrian areas have been dementing motorists in town centres for several decades now, as walkers we can’t assume that there’s any underlying support for our activity. Most pedestrianisation seems to be undertaken with the negative purpose of excluding cars, or forcing us to slow our rate of progress past allegedly local town-centre retailers. A real walking town looks, ironically, more like Manhattan than Dublin’s Grafton Street, with its quaint street furniture and lethal-in-the-wet decorative tiles. City planners only really seem to value walking when it’s done in the pursuit of shopping at rate-paying businesses. The less we walk, the less planners and policy-makers will assume we intend to walk. Planning is about allocation of resources; pavements and walkways that don’t get used are as much wastage as are unoccupied buildings - and eventually they’ll feel the cold glare of the Budget Committee’s attention. And while we may think of ourselves as the bastions of solid, traditional values, to focussed people like the MetLife Stadium owners, walking is subversive. Walkers are unpredictable and resistant to control. In a car, you can be expected to stick more or less to the roads, whereas on foot the world is your oyster. Somebody, somewhere in a planning office has already uttered the words “But nobody walks these days.” And while he or she deserves a damn good whipping just for the thought, you can see where it comes from Directing the flow of walkers is next to impossible. They do crazy, irrational things like stopping, lingering, clumping, dispersing, clumping again...then executing a 180 degree turn and retracing their steps. That sort of unknowable unknown can ruin a planner’s day. And sadly, walking isn’t a default amenity; it’s something that has to be planned and allowed for. If you think I’m overstating my case, consider the fact that during the construction boom, countless housing estates were built on the edges of Irish towns, with no safe pedestrian link - to anywhere. That puts Meadowlands in the halfpenny place as dystopia made real. So walk now, or lose the option. Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 55
Conor O’Hagan offers a buyers guide Cycling
Shaper of Things to Come Conor O’Hagan throws a leg over an e-bike – and smiles
As a cyclist, I was almost, if not actually hostile to the idea of an ‘electrically assisted’ bike. Being also a motorcyclist (when I get the chance) I was even more resistant to a concept which seemed to malinger somewhere between the two worlds, having neither the nobility of true self-propulsion, nor the romance of combustion. But I’m sold on activity, and as someone who has never found the pursuit of fitness per se either easy or enjoyable, I’m very much aware that enjoyment is by far the most critical component in any health regime. If you’re not driven by fear, guilt, shame or any of that other crappy negative stuff, you’re not going to do it – unless you enjoy it.
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With a plush saddle, fat tyres and upright stance, the Shaper is a comfortable ride, equally suited for rides in the country and trips to the shops. As you gain confidence and fitness, it will tempt you into longer and longer rides.
Cycling
So when the e-bike evangelists at Tallaght’s Cycle Superstore claimed that electrically-assisted cycling, far from being a gateway to doing less was actually an incentive to do more, I was prepared to lend half an ear – and more constructively, to put it to the test. So I borrowed, gratefully, a Lapierre Overvolt Shaper 400 (yes, really) and took it away for a weekend Sur le Continent, they’re way ahead of us. E-bikes have been a major market segment for several years; up to 80% in some countries. Even here tough, e-bikes are a major contributor to the rise of cycle-commuting in the major cities, Perhaps the most important thing to know about e-bikes is that this isn’t a twist-and-go thing; ‘e’ in this case is for assistance. Nothing happens until you start pedalling, and thenceforth, the motor contributes in proportion to the effort you put in. No pain, no gain, you might say – it was ever thus. But it’s not quite as austere as that might sound; via a handlebar mounted switch, the Shaper offers four levels of assistance; Eco, Tour, Sport and Turbo. Suffice to say that on Turbo I would be tempted to throw down a gauntlet to Chris Froome, and even at Eco levels of enhancement I could begin to forget just how old, overweight and unfit I have become. As always in the real world, where laws of nature prevail and there are no free lunches, there’s a price for power; the more you use, the less there is left, so keeping the Shaper on Turbo will seriously detract from your range. But most of the good stuff is at the lower settings, and even Eco adds a distinct pep to your step. E-bike designs and styles vary widely, from sit-up-and-beg city bikes, via full-suspension mountain bikes to full-on drop barred racers and various ‘bike of tomorrow’ design exercises. Price-wise, we’re talking
somewhere around E1,500 upwards. If that destabilises your jaw, check out today’s conventional bike prices, and read on for my thoughts re. the value proposition. Most e-bikes are, at first glance, closely related to equivalent conventional bikes, with the addition of a small motor at the crank (the shaft around which the pedals rotate), a battery pack usually mounted on the frame upright, and a couple of switches and a display on the handlebars. That’s about it, except that the added weight demands a stronger frame and a generally more robust construction, which all adds up to a porkier package. I’m a reasonably committed cyclist, used to a lightweight, carbon fibre-framed racer, so the considerable heft of the Shaper bothered me at first. Being old-ish, overweight and lacking the adrenaline and power of youth, most of my riding is done at a constant level of effort. In other words, I know what a given speed on a given gradient feels like. And almost from the gun, I could tell that the Shaper was adding at least 10kph to my speed on the flat. That may not sound like a lot, but believe me, it is. And that’s not even the best bit; hills are fun on an e-bike. Whatever that motor is doing down there, it makes a big difference where it matters most. But – and this, to me at least was important – at no point was I tempted or allowed to make the Shaper do all the work. It’s hard to explain how the e-bike equation can simultaneously make things easier yet not devalue a ride in terms of exercise. Perhaps the best way I can put it is to say that for a given amount of effort I was getting more fun than usual. The more energy expended, the more fun – that’s a good deal. With a plush saddle, fat tyres and upright stance, the Shaper is a comfortable ride, equally suited for rides in the country and trips to the shops. As you gain confidence and fitness, it will tempt you into longer and longer rides. And that’s the point. Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 57
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58 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Cycling
I had a weekend of fun (that word again) and novelty on the Shaper. But the real reason I’m enthused by e-biking is that it offers something we badly need; an incentive to exercise. In terms of utility and leisure, it opens up, if not a world, then at least a small country of possibility. Now more than ever before, we’re conscious of the difference that an active lifestyle can make to both the quality and quantity of life we can expect in our later years. But if simply knowing that were enough to get us all on our feet, we’d be doing it – and we’re not. E-biking is exercise coated in chocolate and tied up with a bow. Witness my wife Jean, who thanks to a heart condition (atrial fibrillation) and the attending medication finds exercise a frustrating business. She enjoys it, but is limited in intensity and duration. After prolonged badgering I handed over the Shaper to her and did not see her again for almost an hour, when she returned knackered but beaming, having had, she said, more fun than she had had in years. As for range; that ever-present bugbear of electric transport, when I took possession of the Shaper, the digital read-out claimed an available battery life of just over 90km. I wasn’t born yesterday, and you don’t have to be an engineer or a lawyer to know that there are many caveats attached to the endurance of any battery-powered device, but over the course of a weekend, despite liberal (but not egregious) use of the higher power settings, the Shaper held more or less true to that figure. Keep half an eye on battery level, re-charge it when you can, and unless you’re a long-distance tourer, range is unlikely to be an issue. At this stage, e-bike technology, though ever-advancing, is mature. It needs to be – it’s the future.
Thanks to Cycle Superstore of Tallaght for the loan of the Shaper 400. Cycle Superstore carry a huge range of e-bikes from Lapierre and Giant, and they’re delighted to talk about and demonstrate them, so drop in at the FrameWorks Building on Airton Road, phone on 01 4632270 or visit www.cyclesuperstore.ie. Cycle Superstore will be showing a range of e-bikes at the 50plus Expo in the RDS, Dublin on October 20-22. And they’ll be giving a E3,000 E-bike to the winner of a FREE DRAW. So come along, drop your entry ticket in at the Cycle Superstore Stand and you could ride away on the future!
A World of Wells In Wexford Discover the world of Wells House and Gardens, an 18th century manor house set within acres of beautiful woodland, designed by renowned architect; Daniel Robertson. Immerse yourself in its rich history through our living house tours, restored terrace gardens, woodland walks, craft courtyard and falconry, then dine in our restaurant that hosts an abundance of home cooked meals and scrumptious desserts! We also offer great Active Retirement packages to include house tours and poetry readings within the great house itself – some of the poems featured were written by Marjorie Browne, wife of Charles Hastings Doyne who’s family occupied the house for over 260 years. At Wells House and Gardens, we wish to share our history with you and so we are also hosting some great events throughout the year such as our pre-1940s car show on the 15th of September! Contact us now for more information or check out our website www.wellshouse.ie
info@wellshouse.ie Telephone: 053 9186737 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 59
Cycling
Back in the saddle again
Deirdre, Maeve (centre) and Linda
Maeve Edwards cycled the Waterford to Dungarvan Greenway opened to the public in March of this year. It is a spectacular 46 km off-road cycling and walking trail along an old railway line between Waterford and Dungarvan. Recently, myself and two friends hired bicycles and took to the newly opened Waterford to Dungarvan Greenway. We had some qualms about whether we’d be able to manage the bikes, it being thirty years in the case of one of us since she’d taken to the saddle, but we needn’t have worried at all. The expression ‘It’s like riding a bike – you never forget’ is true! Not only do you not forget, but steering the bike, stopping, starting, braking, all come back like second nature, once you turn the pedals and find your balance. And what a pleasure it all was. The Waterford to Dungarvan Greenway opened to the public in March of this year. It is a spectacular 46 km off-road cycling and walking trail along an old railway line between Waterford and Dungarvan. We booked three single rooms in Lawlors hotel, Dungarvan for the great price of E60 a night Bed & Breakfast, and reserved our three bicycles in the Waterford Greenway Bike Hire Company. This company run a shuttle bus service between all three points: Dungarvan – Kilmacthomas – Waterford – which means you can start and finish wherever you like, and the bus will pick you up and ferry you back to your starting point. The small village of Kilmacthomas lies halfway between the starting and finishing points of
Lawlors Hotel
Waterford and Dungarvan, and we decided to start our cycle ride there. We felt that 21 km was quite enough for our first excursion on bicycles. While most of the Greenway is flat with only small inclines along the way, we had got insider knowledge that the cycle route from Kilmacthomas veers more towards the downhill and this had clinched our decision!! Having had a full Irish breakfast in Lawlors of Dungarvan, we turned up in our newly purchased padded shorts at the Greenway Bike Hire shop. We were amazed at the amount of people already there before us. One family were taking their three small children along with them, the kids happily being pulled along in those trailers designed to carry a baby from six months to four years. Good humour and bonhomie pervaded over all, as the busy staff in the shop adjusted saddles, clipped cycling
60 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
helmets into place, and waved goodbye to the three of us as we set off with the driver, Joe, in the shuttle bus. We felt quite smug as we headed off, armed as we were with our insider knowledge of the downhill run to look forward to. Joe told us that Kilmacthomas didn’t know what had hit it. It went from being a sleepy village last February, to one month later coming alive with lycra clad cyclists and knapsack carrying walkers, all arriving into the village looking for sustenance. Apart from Kiersey’s where we had a quick cup of delicious coffee before heading off, there’s the newly opened Maggie’s beside the bridge, which was packed with cyclists and walkers tucking into their home made quiches and pizzas. Before picking up our bicycles, we also paid a visit to the Sunflower Hospice Charity shop and got chatting
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Cycling
Helen Ridgard, manager of The Sunflower Hospice Shop, Kilmacthomas
Wild daisies by the roadside
Local landmarks on the Greenway
to the lovely Helen Ridgard who manages this shop. Helen was delighted to pose for a photograph and confirm to us how Kilmacthomas has benefitted from the increased tourism to the area.
in being out in the clean air, with the corn yellow in the fields, and cows leaning over fences watching us as we cycled passed. Even concrete walls that had to be built at some junctions, had been sensitively planted with self-clinging ivies, which will cover these walls in the next few years.
were passing into the world of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. The quarter mile long tunnel itself has wall niches which have lights mounted inside them, adding to the mystery and the eerie atmosphere. The kids must love it! At the 10 km mark we reached O’Mahony’s pub at Durrow, which like Kilmacthomas before it, has been inundated with tourists. Based here is another bike hire company called The Greenway Man, whose proprietor is Garvan Cummins, who co-founded the Déise Greenway Group. This group campaigned tirelessly for the transformation of this old railway line into a greenway and deserve huge acclaim for
The greenway route itself is magical. Any disturbance to the native flora and fauna has already been repaired with wild flowers of montbretia and foxgloves, cow parsley and ferns growing lushly each side of the cycle path. Because the route is almost flat, little exertion is needed to keep the bicycle going, and we could sit back on our saddles and wallow i
While the greenway boasts two stunning viaducts, the most spectacular part of this route for me was the Ballyvoyle Tunnel. Moss covered stone walls rise up each side of you as you cycle towards it. If you still have remnants of the child within, you’d imagine you
62 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Dungarvan
The spectacular railway viaduct, one of the highlights of the route.
O’Mahony’s Bar, Durrow
the massive success of this enterprise. A quick cup of coffee, a chocolate bar and we were back on the bikes. I won’t mention that the day we chose for our cycle ride was showery. But they were warm showers, and they didn’t last very long. Besides, there were plenty of trees to shelter under and plenty of good humoured banter from fellow cyclists. “It wouldn’t be Ireland if it didn’t rain!” However, I was looking forward to the promised downhill stretch and was richly rewarded when we reached the Copper Coast. There is a marvellous hill here at Helvick Head when we freewheeled past the beautiful expanse of Clonea beach, the wind in our hair, the sun warming our bare legs. There is something about freewheeling on a bicycle that makes you feel like a child again! I don’t know why this is, but it’s intoxicating and welcome and makes one long to do it again and again. It was no time at all though before we landed back in Dungarvan. Indeed, at least two of us
could have gone on for another 10 km, which is a good thing because we’ve arranged to do the Mayo Greenway the week after next!
www.lawlorshotel.com Tel: 058 41122 www.waterfordgreenwaybikehire.com Tel: 051 295955 www.thegreenwayman.com Tel: 086 8351233
Waterford Greenway Bike Hire Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 63
Creative Writing Eileen Casey
On the Gold standard.. Eileen Casey talks to multi-awardingwinning Galway writer Geraldine Mills
All I wanted to do was to capture the stories of what I saw in the world around me, the beauty and the pain, the tiny lacerations of the heart. Galway Writer Geraldine Mills is a widely published poet, journalist, short story writer and novelist. She’s also written extensively for radio. Those of you who are early risers will often hear her lyrical pieces on ‘Living Word,’ produced by Aidan Matthews (RTE) or on Sunday Mornings (‘Sunday Miscellany’). Collections of poetry (Bradshaw Press) were followed by short story collections (Arlen House). She is the 2000 Sunday Tribune/Hennessy New Irish Writer. Her accolades are many, resulting not just from her talent but commitment and discipline are also gifts she has in abundance. Her most recent publication is a children’s novel Gold (LittleIsland). I ask how she describes her engagement with these different forms, if she perhaps has a particular preference. Her reply shows an initial commitment to the story or the idea as the elements which dictate the form. ‘I then have to be faithful to the genre that gives the greatest scope to that idea. One image will work well for a poem but not for a short story and vice-versa. It’s a bit like the diviner’s rod when an image comes my way. I intuit what shape it will take, where I should dig.’ Mills has written a lot of poetry inspired by family history. Opening the storehouse of memory or mining the seam of family history is ‘a way of documenting my past in the best possible way I can. Then in fiction it is mostly work of the imagination.’ Mills recalls a talk she gave some weeks ago to students from Emerson College, students who were surprised when they met her that she wasn’t as scary as her characters or that she wasn’t three times divorced. ‘They thought that because I wrote about darkness that I must have experienced it. I had to explain that if you depend on just what you know, you will run out of material very quickly. I want to write what in terests me, what draws me into uncharted territories. I want to challenge taboos, to bring out the wildness in me.’ 64 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Digging, or excavating for stories, prompts me to ask what is the impetus which leads Mills to the page, bearing in mind that inspirations can come from lots of places, many of which are unexpected. For Mills, the story is everything, it’s what she’s constantly looking for, what she sets out to discover, that promise ‘hidden behind an image, a piece of dialogue, a phrase that comes my way. Once an image grabs me by the throat, it will not let go until I give it life. The pictures start unfurling in my imagination, the narrative begins to take shape. I pick up my pen and start to get it down. Usually it is written in my copy first and when I have the bones of it recorded, then I transfer it to the computer.’ Most writers have rituals around the act of writing, the beginning of a process that might start with a cup of coffee and end with a fully fledged poem or short story. Indeed, some writers go straight to the computer, by-passing the old traditional ways of pen and page. Not so with Mills, ‘I still like to start the process off on the white page. Paper allows me to write fast and not care about spelling or punctuation. If I start putting a new story on the computer, my inner critic comes and sits on my shoulder, criticising every word I write. Then I start editing a story that hasn’t been given its first breath.’ An interesting concept, a story having a ‘first breath.’ It causes me to explore further with the author the ensuing dangers of such premature editing. ‘It loses its energy,’Mills says, ‘and that can be detrimental to a piece of writing. When I have captured the essence of what is calling out to be written about, then I can, with a certain degree of confidence, transfer to the keyboard.’
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Creative Writing Returning to her most recent novel, Gold, I’m intrigued regarding the transition from such short forms as poems and short stories to the longer ‘haul’. I wonder if it means moving beyond the known comfort zone. ‘The longer narrative is more demanding,’ she agrees, ‘simply because of its size. But when a writer is given the gift of an idea, it behoves him/ her to tell it in the best medium possible. For example, Gold had to be a novel because I heard the voices of my two characters Starn and Esper . The novel form is what the story demanded.” Gold has been favourably received both at home and abroad. Recent reviews from America have been glowing, Kirkus Reviews, an important literary outlet with a wide circulation, describes Mills as perfectly contrasting the two halves of the story, ‘using a vocabulary unique to Orchard (the world where the story is set) to describe the world and completely new ways for the boys to describe the islands’ vivid, unfamiliar flora.’ The novel inhabits a grim place where most animals, insects and plants have died, suffocated under ash from a catastrophic series of volcanic eruptions. It’s a dystopian world in many ways, showing Mills’ environmental concerns. These concerns and challenges are compassionately woven into the story in a way which Kirkus describes as ‘Mills’ poetic lyricism showing through.”’At present, Mills is working on another novel, this time set between Ireland and Spain. She also wants to work on a sequence of poems about her great grandparents who went to the US after the famine and came back to County Mayo because they were homesick. Writing from such source material helps her ‘make sense of my past.’ Since Mills won the New Irish Writer Award (Colm McCann giving her the winning citation), she’s gone from strength to strength. How important was this literary prize? ‘The award was hugely important.” She’s adamant about that. “I wasn’t calling myself a writer until that point. To have my work endorsed by such a notable gave me the courage to keep going. Up until then, I was someone who just wrote. Being a writer was something completely different. Writers didn’t come from a background like mine. They didn’t write the everyday story. They went off to Paris and lived in attics, drank absinthe and wrote masterpieces. All I wanted to do was to capture the stories of what I saw in the world around me, the beauty and the pain, the tiny lacerations of the heart. When I won that prize and he said that I would be someone the writing world would hear a lot more of, it gave me a belief in myself that I hadn’t had before’. Geraldine Mills is now grandmother to Lia Rose (who lives with her parents on the west coast of America). From the time the child could sit up, she was read to by her grandmother on Skype. ‘I bought two copies of Old McDonald and posted one to her. Then she could follow the song while I sang to her from the far side of the Atlantic.’ However, it’s not just her granddaughter who has benefited from Mills’ literary nurturing. ‘Last year, three of my grandnieces visited from Australia. Before they went to sleep they asked me if I would read to them from Gold. Those few moments will stay with me forever, the three little girls tucked up in bed, the night closing in and me sitting and telling them the story of Starn and Esper’. I interject that having such a rapt audience must surely be the real pay-off for a writer. Mills agrees wholeheartedly. ‘Writing is not about fame or publication. It is about touching the heart of another human being, in this instance little Madeleine, Sophie Blossom and Eva Lily. These are the gifts of writing.’ On the subject of reading, I ask the author who she particularly admires, the book she is presently reading and to name early influences from childhood reading. Colm Toibín’s House of Names is on her bookshelf at the moment, testimony to her ongoing interest in Greek myth, the story of Iphigenia especially. ‘I have just finished Sebastian Barry’s Days without End, which is a beautiful, haunting book and I’m reading Geraldine Mitchell’s third poetry collection, Mountains for Breakfast, (Arlen House). Mitchell’s poetry is striking for its honesty and clarity. With regard to stories she might return to, Mills takes me back to her younger days, growing up in Galway. ‘There were very few books in our house. The most exciting moment in my seven-year old life was the day my brother 66 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
put me on the carrier of his bike and cycled the three miles to Galway’s library, housed at the top of the world in the old building that is now the Courthouse. Greedy for every story I could find, I secreted those titles (the ones I couldn’t take home with me) at the back of the shelves, in the hope that they would be there when I returned the following weeks.’Mills lists fairy stories, Enid Blyton and the classics among her treasure trove of childhood reading. C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, particularly entranced her. ‘What an imagination. How inspired to have a whole world open up on the far side of a piece of furniture with the most wonderful of characters.’ Having such a committed writing life inevitably means that free time, when it comes, is spent wisely, in ways that will enrich her literary world. Mills likes to read and go to the theatre. ‘I also like to garden,’ she says, showing me the work-worn hands that have nourished the gorgeous landscape outside her window. ‘The garden is a great place to dig up ideas or do some editing. I love the rush of life from the taste of lettuce, fresh out of the ground or tomatoes just ripened.’ Mills writing space window looks out onto her garden where there’s an alder tree holding the birdfeeders. ‘They are a terrible but wonderful distraction. Goldfinches, siskins, greenfinches, jays and once a sparrow hawk.’ Her blue eyes sparkle as she tells me of a recent incident. ‘Last week, a mouse scurried along the branch, nipped down to the feeder and grabbed a peanut. Then, he scurried back to where he was hiding his stash. He continued to do this for some time until the great tits got fed up of it. They put up an attack and I watched the poor little mouse have to reverse his way back along the branch. How could a person write with such drama going on outside?’ One of the great things about being a writer is that growing older is no barrier to success. Mills agrees with this and offers her philosophy about the business of becoming an ageing writer. ‘I hope that I will be writing as long as I have breath in my body. The thing about growing old as a writer is that you know if you don’t take risks now you never will. The words of French born essayist Anais Nin comes to her, words that say... And the day will come when the risk to remain tight in a bud/was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. With such a wealth of talent and more importantly, the commitment to her art, Geraldine Mills will blossom (and take risks) for many years to come. Geraldine Mills’ Gold (LittleIsland) is available at all good bookshops.
‘Writing is not about fame or publication. It is about touching the heart of another human being..’
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The Irish Blue Cross Animal Welfare Charity was founded in 1945 by a group of like-minded people determined to prevent the live exportation of Irish horses to the continent for slaughter. It wasn’t long before the group realised that the plight of Dublin’s sick dogs and cats desperately needed to be addressed. The solution came when the first Irish Blue Cross mobile clinic hit Dublin’s streets in 1953, prioritising it’s presence in areas where there was highest demand for charitable veterinary services. In 2009, the Charity’s small animal clinic was established with state of the art facilities at its base in Inchicore, Dublin 8. The opening of that clinic, complemented by the mobile clinics, has made an immeasurable difference to so many communities across Dublin and without the support of the Charity, many families would struggle with providing necessary care and assistance for their pets. Since the Charity’s foundation 72 years ago, well over half a million family pets have been treated and demand for affordable veterinary care continues to grow every year with the Charity seeing a caseload of approx. 27,000 cases every year.
events each year including the very popular Bark in the Park sponsored dog walks, flag days, collections and appeals. Pets need our help. So we need yours too. All donations towards The Irish Blue Cross’ on-going work are always welcome. To find out how you can support, call 01-4163032 or email alison.kelly@bluecross.ie
To the small animals in need, I leave...
Today, the mobile clinic services have expanded to ten locations across Dublin each week day evening, locations such as Cabra, Tallaght, Blanchardstown, Crumlin, Ballyfermot, Ballybrack, Smithfield, Walkinstown, Finglas and Donnycarney. Where pets require more comprehensive clinical examinations and treatments, they are referred to the ever busy Inchicore clinic. A practical and caring approach is at the heart of The Irish Blue Cross clinical work and the Charity’s veterinary team provides information and support to their clients, encouraging responsible pet ownership. There is a particular focus on preventative health measures such as regular health-checks, vaccinations and microchipping, a legal requirement for all dogs since April 2016. Through The Irish Blue Cross, pet owners can ensure that their treasured pets are microchipped for as little as €10. Should the animal stray from home, once found they can be easily scanned by any veterinary practice or rescue centre and the lost animal can be happily reunited to it’s family. The Irish Blue Cross also enforces a neutering policy which is not only important for reducing the number of healthy dogs and cats destroyed in Ireland each year - it also provides many health benefits for pets. The Charity offers low cost neutering, with generously reduced costs ranging from €30 to €130, depending on the size of the animal. The Irish Blue Cross rely heavily on donations from the public and the goodwill of supporters to continue it’s work. With the loyal support of many volunteers, they host an action-packed calendar of fundraising 68 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Remembering a charity in your will is a kind and generous gesture that costs you nothing in your lifetime. But your kindness will make a difference forever. Legacy gifts, whether large or small, make it possible for us to sustain our charitable work for decades to come. Create your legacy and make your love for pets live on. For more information on how you can make a lasting difference, contact us today.
15A Goldenbridge Industrial Estate, Inchicore, Dublin 8. Tel: +353 1 4163032 alison.kelly@bluecross.ie
www.bluecross.ie
Wine World Mairead Robinson finds a great wine to cheer you up this winter from a place called Port Misery.
Coonawarra and McLaren in the heartland of South Australia’s vineyard regions. Deep sandy loam over limestone soils ensures they flourish to produce intensely flavoured, perfectly ripened grapes. Carefully selected parcels of Shiraz, Grenache and Malbec are picked at dawn when perfectly ripe and crushed and de-stemmed prior to fermentation under temperature controlled conditions to preserve their vibrant colours and flavours.
Revisiting Australia for stunning reds I always loved the way Australians named and described their wines, and their labels are refreshingly different to those from traditional Old World wineries where many people struggle to gather even basic information about the wine from the bottle label. But recently trying Hope’s End - a luscious full-bodied red wine - the bottle description is uniquely appealing. “Run away to the Dark Side” the bottle
encourages us “to a place called Port Misery, South Australia.” “This dark brooding wine is a tribute to the brave souls who set sail to the Dark Side of the world in search of a better life, and arrived to find ‘Hopes End’. In that moment they stopped hoping for a better tomorrow and instead lived for today”. History has it that a courageous few willingly journeyed by sea from London to the far side of the world in 1886. Among them, was a doctor, on this treacherous journey with hope Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 69
Northern Notes
I always loved the way Australians named and described their wines, and their labels are refreshingly different to those from traditional Old World wineries where many people struggle to gather even basic information about the wine from the bottle label. But recently trying Hope’s End - a luscious full-bodied red wine - the bottle description is uniquely appealing. “Run away to the Dark Side” the bottle encourages us “to a place called Port Misery, South Australia.” “This dark brooding wine is a tribute to the brave souls who set sail to the Dark Side of the world in search of a better life, and arrived to find ‘Hopes End’. In that moment they stopped hoping for a better tomorrow and instead lived for today”. History has it that a courageous few willingly journeyed by sea from London to the far side of the world in 1886. Among them, was a doctor, on this treacherous journey with hope for a better life than what they left behind them in London. However, rather than a land of milk and honey, instead, they arrived at Port Misery, South Australia, a dark swamp, like nothing they’d ever imagined. A place of lawlessness, low morals and high vice, far from the promis-
Why you should enjoy your wine!
ing new beginnings they sought. However at that moment they thought, if hope had brought them here, to this dismal place, surely this was ‘Hopes End’. And so it was named. As for the doctor himself, the extraordinary idea to make a different kind of tonic, Australian Red Blend wine was born. He began working with the land to grow vines and from the grapes he made wine “from purity, passion, from virtue and from vice”. And having tasted this wonderful wine from Hope’s End, they decided to stop hoping for a better tomorrow, and instead to live for the day. And while this wine’s journey began in hope, with the bright sunlight of the hot South Australian summers, the result is a stunning wine which you can enjoy in Ireland today. The vines grow strong and robust in the heartland of South Australia’s vineyard regions. Deep sandy loam over limestone soils ensures they flourish to produce intensely flavoured, perfectly ripened grapes. Carefully selected parcels of Shiraz, Grenache and Malbec are picked at dawn when perfectly ripe and crushed and de-stemmed prior to fermentation under temperature controlled conditions to preserve their vibrant colours and flavours. The result is a luscious berry driven palate with flavours of
70 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
New research has linked red wine to an improved immune system – another great reason to enjoy your favourite tipple! While we have known for sometime that drinking red wine was good for us, these new studies give us renewed assurance that we are on the right track. A new study has suggested that drinking wine may improve long-term memory. The grapes used to make wine contain numerous antioxidant compounds known as polyphenols, with one type – resveratrol, found in red wine – particularly associated with health benefits. Resveratrol may help to keep the brain young in a way similar to exercise, according to researchers at Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute in the US. Their study, published in March, found that the compound can keep muscles supple and help to protect the connections between neurons in the brain, which relay movement signals from the brain to the muscles. More good news – red wine is linked to an improved immune system and also protects against contracting a cold! Wine can also help to prevent arthritis, and also can have a protective effect on the heart. Cheers! How many more reasons do we need to enjoy a glass of wine? Obviously these studies are based on drinking in moderation!
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Your legacy can make a lasting impact Most of us will be in a position to give more in our will than we could ever give while we are alive. Leaving a bequest won’t cost you anything in your lifetime but will impact well into the future and make a huge difference to people’s lives. When making or updating your will you should of course take care of your family and friends first. But then please consider leaving something, no matter how small, of whatever is left to The Irish Hospice Foundation.
To find out more about leaving a gift in your will to The Irish Hospice Foundation, please contact Anna Sadlier on 01 679 3188 anna.sadlier@hospicefoundation.ie
www.hospicefoundation.ie
Charity Number: CHY 6830
Time for change Marie Staunton nurtures confidence and respect in the garden I have often wondered why a simple thing like sowing a few seeds in a vegetable garden can bring along the best of friendships’. I now find myself after a 25 year career in the fashion business, working as a horticulture tutor in the Pat Murphy community garden for the Larkin Centre as a bit of a revelation so to speak. I have met men who have been out of the workforce for some time and relish the chance to physically work in a garden. It’s productive, rewarding and most of all it gives them a chance to be a part of something that genuinely leads to either further education or indeed a decent job. The odd time I will be asked if they can leave a bit early and my answer as always is, that there is no lock on the gate, in fact you are always free to go but by the time the year is up you won’t want to leave the place. What we offer here, as well as a very good practical Level 4 Horticulture course is respect. It works both ways, I have the utmost respect for those who are willing to try something new and at least give it their best shot and in return they are very respectful to me. Derek Starrs, one of my students who went on to the College of Amenity Horticulture in the Botanic Gardens to study Nursery Stock production is back working alongside me now and we both have a love of propagating plants. Derek has a natural ability for this sort of work; those who are tidy and methodical tend to make very good plant propagators. My job here is to create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable enough to learn a new skill. For some, school did them no favours; in fact it crushed their self-belief. I’m constantly amazed at how quickly students pick up the 72 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Latin names of plants and the confidence that they get from achieving a 100% in an exam, for some it might be the first time that they have ever seen 100% on the top of an exam paper. I am now entering my 5th year teaching level 4 Horticulture and it has certainly been a challenge but what makes it the best job in the world, is when a student of mine, who has progressed on to further education or indeed a full time job, comes back to visit. That they feel confident enough in themselves to drop in and tell us how they are getting on is the best compliment that I can receive. The last two lines of the poem ‘O Me! O Life! By Walt Whitman, is to me, the best way to describe how I feel about teaching those who find it difficult to believe in themselves. ‘That you are here, that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.’ We aren’t reinventing the wheel; we are just providing a practical course in the middle of the city centre for a group of men who learn to appreciate how learning a new skill can change their lives. If you should find yourself looking for a challenge and would like to learn a new skill, you are very welcome to drop in to us at the Larkin centre for more information and a tour of the garden. The Larkin Centre 57/58 North Strand Road, North Strand , Dublin 3 Phone 01-8365544 www.larkinctr.com 74 74 Senior SeniorTimes Times llSeptember September--October October 2017 2017 ll www.seniortimes.ie www.seniortimes.ie
unrivalled dementia care, training and support. Rather than focusing on the diagnosing and symptoms of the disease, the CARE programme focuses on the care and dignity of the person living with dementia. This relationship-centred approach enables the provision of individualised care that: SENIOR CARE CONNECTIONS AUTUMN 2017
September Is World Alzheimer’s Month
• Helps the person living with dementia remain safe and calm at home • Encourages engagement • Helps minimise symptoms • Honours who the person earlierhealthcare in life Groundbreaking programme helps familywas carers, professionals and local businesses to • Supports the entire family better understand and care for individuals and loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
SEPTEMBER IS WORLD ALZHEIMER’S MONTH
For further dementia support and advice visit HomeInstead.ie/Alzheimers-Dementia-care and download Starting September 2017, duringcare, World Alzheimer’s Month, Home Instead Senior Care will host a series of FREE Groundbreaking programme helps family Research and Education’, it is a first-of-itsour workshops. complimentary resources. dementia care Across Ireland acarers, number of education and awareness workshops are planned in the run healthcare professionals and local kind education programme that addresses up to World Alzheimer’s Awareness Day on September 21st. The purpose of the workshops is toby support businesses to better understand and current and future needs offering unrivalled care for individuals and AND lovedcare onesDEMENTIA individuals when it comes to understanding dementia and providing atwith home for a loved one. SCHEDULE OF ALZHEIMER’S CARE dementia care, training andWORKSHOPS support. Rather Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
than focusing on the diagnosing and symp-
Call 1890 980 847 to book your FREE place or register online at HomeInstead.ie. of theand disease, the CARE programme The Home Instead Senior Care network assembled the top experts in Alzheimer’stoms disease dementia across the Startingprogramme. September 2017, during ‘CARE: World focuses on the care and dignity of the person CARLOW Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Kilkenny Road, AlzheiCarlow - Tuesday, 05/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm globe to develop this new training and support Entitled Changing Ageing Through Research mer’s Month, Home Instead Senior Care will GAA living with dementia.Shannon, This relationship-centred CLARE Ennis Parish Hall, Ennis, Co. Clare; Wolf Tones Club, Co. Clare - Date TBC and Education’, it is a first-of-its-kind education programme that addresses currentapproach andTullyvarraga, future needs by offering host a series of FREE dementia care workenables the provision of individualCORK Donoughmore Community Centre, Knockyrourke, Stuake, Co. Cork Date TBC; Ard na Ri Day Care, Closes unrivalled dementia care, training and support. Rather focusing on the diagnosing symptoms of the disease, shops. Acrossthan Ireland a number of education ised and care that: Wilton, Bishopstown, Green, Faranree, Co. Cork - Date TBC; SMA Wilton Parish Centre, Cork - Wednesday, the CARE programme focuses on the care andawareness dignity the person living with relationship-centred and workshops are planned in the dementia. 13/09/2017, 10:30amof -12:30pm; Midleton Community Hospital -This Thursday, 14/09/2017, 2.00pm - 4.00pm; The Room, Tesco, Ballincollig - Thursday, 21/09/2017, 2.00pm - 4.00pm runSocial up to World Alzheimer’s Awareness approach enables the provision of individualised care that: l Helps the person living with dementia remain DUBLIN - BALLSBRIDGE
on September 21st. The purpose of 60Day Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 - Tuesday, 05/09/2017; Wednesday, 20/09/2017, 11.00am - 1.30pm
GALWAY
ease and dementia across the globe to develWestside Library, Westside, Galway - Tuesday, 26/09/17, 2.00pm - 3.00pm; Galway City Library,
safe and calm at home
the workshops to support individuals DUBLIN - LEOPARDSTOWN 3 Brewery Court, Road, Blackrock, Leopardstown - Tuesday, 19/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm • Helps the person living with dementia remain safe isBrewery and calm at home when l Encourages engagement it comes to understanding dementia and DUBLIN - FAIRVIEW 13 Sutton Cross, Burrow, Sutton, Co. Dublin – Date TBC (1 hour session) • Encourages engagement providing care at home a loved one. 7 Marino Mart, Home Instead Senior Care,for Marine Hotel, Fairview, Dublin 3 – Date TBC (1 hour session) l Helps minimise symptoms • Helps minimise symptoms DUBLIN – DEANSGRANGE Bank of Ireland, Dean’s Grange Rd, Kill of the Grange, Co. Dublin Wednesday, 20/09/2017, 8.30am - 9.30am l Honours who the person was earlier in life • HonoursDUBLIN who the person was earlierHome in life The Home Instead CareB09, network - RATHFARNHAM Instead Senior Senior Care, Unit Nutgrove Enterprise Park, Nutgrove Way, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 l Supports the entire family assembled the top experts Alzheimer’s dis• Supports the entire family Wednesday, 27/09/2017, 7.00pm -in9.00pm further dementia care, support advice For further dementia care, support and advice HomeInstead.ie/Alzheimers-Dementia-care and download op thisvisit new training and-support Augustine Street, Galway Tuesday, programme. 26/09/17, 6.30pm - For 7.30pm; Tuam Library, High Street,and Tuam, HomeInstead.ie or callRua, 1890 989 755. Co. Galway - Wednesday, 27/09/17, 11.30am - 12.30pm; visit Leabharlann Na Ceathrún Carraroe, Entitled ‘CARE: Changing Ageing Through our complimentary resources. Co. Galway - Thursday, 28/09/17, 11.00am - 12.30pm; Loughrea Library, Church Street, Loughrea,
Co. Galway - Thursday, 28/09/17, 3.00pm - 4.00pm DONEGAL Home Instead Senior Care, Aisling House, Ballyraine Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal - Date TBC KERRY Home Instead Senior Care, First Floor, Grosvenor Court, High Street, Killarney, Co. Kerry - Date TBC Call 1890 980 847 to book your FREE placeMcAuley or register at Culture HomeInstead.ie. KILDARE Place,online Arts and Centre, Sallins Road, Naas, Co. Kildare - Tuesday, 26/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm LONGFORD Longford Arms Hotel, 25 Main St, Deanscurragh, Longford - Thursday, 07/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm CARLOW Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Kilkenny Road, Carlow - Tuesday, 05/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm LOUTH Contact 041 213 2322 for more information. CLARE Ennis Parish Hall, Ennis, Co. Clare; Wolf Tones GAA Club, Tullyvarraga, Shannon, Co. Clare - Date TBC LIMERICK Desmond Complex, Gortboy, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick - Friday, 08/09/2017; Friday, 22/09/2017; CORK Donoughmore Community Centre, Knockyrourke, Stuake, Co. Cork - Date TBC; Ard na Ri Day Care, Closes Friday,Co. 29/09/2017, 6.00pm Green, Faranree, Cork - Date TBC; 8.30pm SMA Wilton Parish Centre, Wilton, Bishopstown, Cork - Wednesday, MAYO Home Instead Senior Care, Unit 4 McHale Retail- Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo TBC 13/09/2017, 10:30am -12:30pm; Midleton Community Hospital Thursday, 14/09/2017, 2.00pm- Date - 4.00pm; The Social Room, 21/09/2017, - 4.00pm MEATH Trim Tesco, Castle Ballincollig Hotel, Trim,- Thursday, Co. Meath - Thursday,2.00pm 21/09/2017, Time TBC DUBLIN - BALLSBRIDGE 60 Merrion Road, - Tuesday, 05/09/2017; SLIGO Sligo Ballsbridge, Park Hotel, Dublin Pearse 4Rd, Cornageeha, Sligo Wednesday, - Date TBC 20/09/2017, 11.00am - 1.30pm - 9.00pm DUBLIN - LEOPARDSTOWN 3 Brewery Court, Leopardstown - Tuesday,Co. 19/09/2017, 7.00pm TIPPERARY HomeBrewery Instead Road, SeniorBlackrock, Care, 71 Liberty Square, Thurles, Tipperary - Tuesday, 19/09/2017, 11.00am - 1.00pm; Tuesday, 19/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm; Thursday, 21/09/2017, 11.00am - 1.00pm; Thursday, 21/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm DUBLIN - FAIRVIEW 13 Sutton Cross, Burrow, Sutton, Co. Dublin – Date TBC (1 hour session) Home InsteadShamrock Senior Care, 7 Co. Marino Mart, Fairview, 3 – 7.00pm Date TBC (1 hour session) - 9.00pm WESTMEATH LodgeMarine Hotel, Hotel, Athlone, Westmeath - Monday, Dublin 04/09/2017, Home Instead Senior Care, Office Mullingar, Co. Westmeath - Monday, DUBLIN – DEANSGRANGE Bank of Ireland, Dean’s Grange Rd, Kill Marlinstown of the Grange, Co.Park, Dublin - Wednesday, 20/09/2017, 8.30am25/09/2017, - 9.30am 7.00pm - 9.00pm WEXFORD Instead Care, Office R9, Clonard Village, Clonard Way, VillageRathfarnham, Centre, Wexford - Wednesday, 06/09/2017, DUBLIN - RATHFARNHAM Home InsteadHome Senior Care, Senior Unit B09, Nutgrove Enterprise Park, Nutgrove Dublin 14 - 9.00pm 13/09/2017, 8.00pm - 9.30pm; Wednesday, 20/09/2017, 8.00pm - 9.30pm; Wednesday, Wednesday, 27/09/2017, 7.00pmWednesday, 8.00pm - 9.30pm; 27/09/2017, 8.00pm - 9.30pm GALWAY Westside Library, Westside, Galway - Tuesday, 26/09/17, 2.00pm - 3.00pm; Galway City Library, Augustine Street, Galway - Tuesday, 26/09/17, 6.30pm - 7.30pm; Tuam Library, High Street, Tuam, Co. Galway - Wednesday, 27/09/17, 11.30am - 12.30pm; Leabharlann Na Ceathrún Rua, Carraroe, 2 Co. Galway - Thursday, 28/09/17, 11.00am - 12.30pm; Loughrea Library, Church Street, Loughrea, Co. Galway - Thursday, 28/09/17, 3.00pm - 4.00pm DONEGAL Home Instead Senior Care, Aisling House, Ballyraine Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal - Date TBC KERRY Home Instead Senior Care, First Floor, Grosvenor Court, High Street, Killarney, Co. Kerry - Date TBC KILDARE McAuley Place, Arts and Culture Centre, Sallins Road, Naas, Co. Kildare - Tuesday, 26/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm LONGFORD Longford Arms Hotel, 25 Main St, Deanscurragh, Longford - Thursday, 07/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm LOUTH Contact 041 213 2322 for more information. LIMERICK Desmond Complex, Gortboy, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick - Friday, 08/09/2017; Friday, 22/09/2017; Friday, 29/09/2017, 6.00pm - 8.30pm MAYO Home Instead Senior Care, Unit 4 McHale Retail Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo - Date TBC MEATH Trim Castle Hotel, Trim, Co. Meath - Thursday, 21/09/2017, Time TBC SLIGO Sligo Park Hotel, Pearse Rd, Cornageeha, Sligo - Date TBC TIPPERARY Home Instead Senior Care, 71 Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary - Tuesday, 19/09/2017, 11.00am - 1.00pm; Tuesday, 19/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm; Thursday, 21/09/2017, 11.00am - 1.00pm; Thursday, 21/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm WESTMEATH Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone, Co. Westmeath - Monday, 04/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm Home Instead Senior Care, Marlinstown Office Park, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath - Monday, 25/09/2017, 7.00pm - 9.00pm WEXFORD Home Instead Senior Care, Office R9, Clonard Village, Clonard Village Centre, Wexford - Wednesday, 06/09/2017, 8.00pm - 9.30pm; Wednesday, 13/09/2017, 8.00pm - 9.30pm; Wednesday, 20/09/2017, 8.00pm - 9.30pm; Wednesday, 27/09/2017, 8.00pm - 9.30pm
SCHEDULE OF ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA CARE WORKSHOPS
2
Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 75
Cosmetics and beauty
Keeping your skin care close to home
Mairead Robinson recommends the Irish connection for Irish skin. When looking for a brand, treatment or individual product that suits your skin type and really works for you, finding one that promises purity with no potentially harmful ingredients is generally a top priority. This is especially the case for the increasing number of people who find their skin is sensitive to many products on the market today. The next factor to consider is price as we do not want to pay a fortune for a product that we use every day. Having considered all that, if we find that the right products for our Irish skin are actually made here in Ireland – well that is an added bonus. Caring for our skin, supporting Irish industry and getting value for money equals a winning formula. I have been looking at two brands that are meeting all those criteria, and having tried the products on both myself and my family, I am impressed. Elave can be found in pharmacies across the country and is usually positioned close to other brands that cater to sensitiv’ is the key to these skin products with Elave promising ‘absolute purity meaning no sulphates, SLES/SLS, parabens, perfume, formaldehyde, alcohol, soap or colours’. This is good news for the many Irish people who find they do not react well to many across the counter skin care products. It is not just babies who need tender loving care when it comes to what is put on their skin! Because of this, the demand for pure and clean skin care is growing rapidly for cleansing, moisturising and anti-ageing products. Some will remember Ovelle Pharmaceuticals, which was founded by Joseph Gardiner in Dundalk, the first manufacturing chemist in Ireland to prepare traditional apothecary for sensitive skin conditions. That tradition has been carried on to this day, by his granddaughter and CEO of Elave, Joanna Gardiner who is dedicated to redefining safer sensitive skincare without harsh chemical ingredients that are linked to flare ups in sensitive skin. ‘We knew the body and especially the face can be extra sensitive 76 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
to harsh foaming agents, preservatives and perfumes. Elave’s multi-action formula hydrates, softens and calms the skin, however delicate, everyday’, Joanna explains. You can see the range of products on their website www.elaveskincare.com where you can also purchase the items and have them delivered to your home. The multi-award winning brand have products for babies, men and women and regularly have special offers – so keep an eye out for them. Our favourites include the luxurious body oil, which is lovely to use after the shower – or a few drops in the bath. The Daily Defence is a beautiful summer time moisturiser which helps to avoid sun-burn. For night time, the rejuvenating cream together with the rejuvenating cleansing treatment is a winning anti-age formula, and I am a big fan of the Intense Moisture Surge, which does exactly what it says on the tube, and with coconut oil and Shea butter provides real hydration to dry and dehydrated skin. I first came across Human+Kind - Skincare with a Conscience - several years ago when they started up in Cork, and since then their popularity has grown and demand for their products, which are available in health stores and Lloyds Pharmacies across the country, has really taken off. Their mission is to provide effective skincare solutions that are natural, simple, and affordable for everyday use. And that is exactly what they do. Each of their products is designed to be multi-tasking, use only natural ingredients, be price conscious and kind to your purse, and of course to be effective in its performance. My daughter, who does suffer from psoriasis and sensitive skin, will use only human+kind Hand+Elbow+Foot cream, which she finds excellent for the elbows especially. She has been a big fan of this product for years, and now that she has a young baby, she has just discovered the
L VE TO DANCE? Why not combine your favourite hobby with a Winter Sun holiday on the Costa del Sol?
The 4* Sunset Beach Club hotel is pleased to present this fabulous opportunity to practice and improve your dance moves, under the guidance of hosts, Chris and Pete Bradley.
When and Where?
Dancing and tuition will take place in Sunset Beach Club’s Moonlight Theatre from 7th January to 28th January 2018. A typical weekly programme includes the following:
• 5 Evening Dance Sessions & 2 Morning Tuition Sessions per week.
• Evening Dance Programs will be
a mixture of the latest, up-to-date Sequence and 50/50 dancing and will include Freestyle Modern Ballroom & Latin American dancing, and, the latest, popular & evergreen Sequence dances.
• Ballroom enthusiasts can practice their
Quickstep, Waltz, Foxtrot and Tango, or if you are looking to work on your Latin style, there is also Jive, Cha Cha & Rumba!
7 Nights from
231€*
per person
You do not need to be experts, but this holiday is not suitable for absolute beginners. Novices and accomplished dancers are welcome.
What will the weather be like in January?
Statistics show prevailing clear blue skies & warm temperatures, with average daily max of 18ºC, and 5-6 hours sunshine every day. Averages show only 6 days with any precipitation during the whole month… certainly better weather than most of Europe!
Where can we find more information?
Visit the Groups section of www.sunsetbeachclub.com (Winter Sun Dance Holiday)
How do we book?
Visit www.sunsetbeachclub.com and book using Promo Code 684662. Dance events take place between 7–28 January, minimum stay is 7 nights. You can book Room Only or Bed & Breakfast. Need assistance booking? Call Inma on +34 952 579400 Ext 7805 or email i.moreno@sunsetbeachclub.com.
Extra Nights from
33€*
per person
10% discount* for stays of 21 nights!
based on 2 persons sharing a 1 bedroom Exterior apt
*
FAQ: Do we need to be expert dancers to attend?
PROMO CODE 684662
www.sunsetbeachclub.com
Sunset Beach Club Hotel in brief: • • • • • • • • •
4* Hotel-Apartments Seafront location, Benalmádena-Costa Easy transfers from Malaga airport All rooms have kitchenette & terrace Restaurant with live music (Early Bird option for dance nights) Panorama Bar with daily Happy Hour Walk to shops, bars, restaurants Hotel Leisure Desk – maps, market days, bus & train routes, day trips, local information. Daily organized activities
Sunset Beach Club, Avda. del Sol 5, Benalmádena-Costa, 29630, Málaga (Spain) Tel +34 952 579 400 Ext. 7805 | Email: i.moreno@sunsetbeachclub.com
human+kind Family Remedy Cream. This product has really taken off and is almost a miracle cream that is effective on a wide range of skin conditions and of course suitable for the whole family. It is excellent for minor burns, nappy rash, insect bites and stings as well as hydrating for dry and cracked skin. I love their Anti-Ageing Cream which is also an eye-cream and an effective moisturiser. Another product from their extensive range, which includes hair products as well as skincare, is the Wash-Off Facial Cleanser, which gets rid of make-up and impurities while gently exfoliating. It is best followed by the Day+Night Cream or the Anti-Ageing Cream. The full range of their products can be purchased on line also, at www.humanandkind.com And for lucky readers of Senior Times, there is an opportunity to win a hamper of their products worth over E200 All you have to do is send me an email at mairead.seniorbeauty@ gmail.com and the winner will be picked at random. There is also an opportunity to sample their hero product, the Family Remedy Cream by using the coupon on this page to avail of a discount. You can sample this great product at half the standard price by presenting the token at your local stockist. And finally as we are dealing with all things Irish this month, it is timely to pay tribute to Kay Galligan, founder of Galligan Beauty – www. galligangroup.com - Ireland’s first dedicated and approved beauty therapy college who have been at the forefront of beauty training and treatments in this country for forty-one years. Since the 1970’s Ireland’s professional beauty industry has gone from zero to becoming a thriving multi-million euro industry and professional beauty pioneer Kay Galligan has lived every step of that journey. Since the college first opened its doors, more than 5,000 students have graduated and gone on to work in this exciting and ever changing industry. The teaching methods, top salon treatments and Irish beauty industry have all changed hugely in that time but Kay’s mission has remained constant. Her story is that of the changing face of beauty education in Ireland and how her ambition has led to her staying on top of the Irish professional beauty industry for over forty years. As well as an entrepreneur, Kay Galligan also proved herself as a pioneer, in that she introduced state-of-the-art techniques from the UK to the students at the Galligan Beauty College. It led the way with introducing CIDESCO International Beauty Therapy Course 78 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Kay Galligan of Galligan Beauty, with her daughters, Lorraine and Careena Galligan, are considered to be at the top of their game and are regularly sought out to represent Ireland’s beauty industry.
to Ireland. Today Kay’s daughters, Lorraine and Careena Galligan are considered to be at the top of their game and are regularly sought out to represent Ireland’s beauty industry. This September, they will be representing Galligan Beauty College at the 67th Annual CIDESCO Congress Meeting at the RDS in Dublin. As CIDESCO board members, they both have played an integral part in bringing this international beauty event to Ireland. And while now into her eighties, Kay remains involved in the beauty world, and told me how she still enjoys attending congresses and keeping motivated and interested in developments in the world of beauty therapy in Ireland today.
Buy Family Remedy Cream now at 50% off! Use coupon code: REMEDYCREAM Value deal will be E19.95 for E9.98
This stuff can make you feel young again The lack of energy that you begin to feel in midlife is not the disaster you think it is, because science has discovered how to fix it. As we age, levels of a substance called coenzyme Q10 drop. We need this compound to produce energy in our cells. Now, with something as simple as a daily capsule, you can get back your vitality. One of those things we feel when age begins to creep up on us is a lack of energy. But did you know that this is a problem that can be dealt with? Science has managed to find the explanation to why our energy levels dwindle and, better yet, researchers have given us a way to reverse the process and, in a sense, “grow young” again. What happens as you age is that your body gradually loses its ability to make energy because levels of a compound called coenzyme Q10 decrease. The coenzyme Q10 levels of an 80-year old are estimated to amount to about 40% of those found in the body of a young person. Vital for energy Coenzyme Q10 is an essential vitaminlike compound which cells need in order to make energy. We produce it in our liver, and a certain amount comes from the food we eat. Now, thanks to researchers who have studied how coenzyme Q10 facilitates the energy turnover in cells, we can pop a pill with this compound and turn up the flame, so to speak. Today, millions of people worldwide take coenzyme Q10 as their daily energy boost, and it is completely natural to the body. The increased energy levels enable them to engage in activities that would normally have been too strenuous for them.
What is coenzyme Q10? All cells contain some bean-shaped structures called mitochondria. These are the “powerhouses” of the cells that produce energy. In order to convert fat, protein, and carbohydrate into energy (or into ATP – adenosine triphosphate), the mitochondria need the presence of coenzyme Q10 to support the conversion.
Some cells contain more mitochondria, namely cells like those in heart muscle tissue that need to generate large quantities of energy. The tissues that are the most dependent on energy are also those that often deteriorate when the body lacks coenzyme Q10.
Helps in heart disease Not only can a supplement of coenzyme Q10 help to restore energy levels in the ageing population and counteract problems like lack of zest and physical decline, it has even been shown to support vital functions such as the heart function. This was clearly demonstrated in a 2014 study of patients with chronic heart failure, where daily supplements of coenzyme Q10 turned out to boost their heart muscle function that much it actually lowered their risk of dying of their disease by 43%. Q-Symbio as the study is named has made headlines worldwide, and cardiologists are seriously considering the possibility of including coenzyme Q10 in the standard therapy for heart failure. However, it is not only people with diseased hearts who are able to benefit from coenzyme Q10. Another study called KiSel-10 where healthy elderly men and women were given coenzyme Q10 together with selenium, an essential nutrient that supports the compound, showed that there were 54% fewer heart-related deaths among those who energised themselves with this fascinating substance. Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie 79
Northern
By Debbie Orme
Notes
The secret listeners of Gilnahirk The GPO Wireless Station of WWII.
An example of one of his Log Sheets. Note the address from which this German transmission was intercepted and recorded. This would be sent to Bletchley Park.
A local VI, Thomas Palmer Allen, head of electrical engineering at QUB.
I have to admit that, when I spotted a book called The Spies at Gilnahirk on book shop shelves at the end of last year, I was most definitely intrigued – particularly since I originally came from that area! So, I was very interested in chatting to the book’s author – local historian, George Busby, who opened my eyes to one aspect of World War II that many people still know little – if anything about! ‘Despite the passing of some seventy-two years since the end of World War II,’ George told me, ‘’the fact is that, if you were asked to define the links between Bletchley Park, Alan Turing and a place in Northern Ireland called Gilnahirk, most people would hesitate before giving an answer! How wrong could you be, though, for without locations like Gilnahirk, Alan Turing and the thousands who worked at Bletchley Park would have been like a car with no fuel. They would have been going nowhere when it came to be understanding what our enemies, Hitler and the Nazis, were up to from 1939 to 1945!’ George’s book begins just prior to the outbreak of WWII, when British Intelligence arrested a Welsh Nationalist who had been recruited as a spy by the Abwehr, the German equivalent of MI6. During his many business trips to Germany in the 1930s, Arthur Owens had been selling British military secrets by word of mouth. With the possibility of war with Britain, the Abwehr had supplied Arthur with a portable short-wave radio transmitter/receiver which he could use to keep in touch with his political masters in Berlin should the relationship between the two countries come to war. Germany would naturally want to know as much as it possibly could about the state of Britain, its people, morale and armed forc80 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
es. Arthur was to recruit others of like mind across the nation who in turn would relay their information back to him for transmission to an unknown destination in occupied Europe, or some neutral country like Spain. ‘It was on Sunday 3 September 1939 that a state of war was declared between our two countries,’ George continues. ‘Owens had revealed under interrogation that he was not working alone and, over in Belfast, an Irish Nationalist had also been recruited by the Abwehr. The threat from spies and agents was now so serious that the War Office instructed the Post Master General to construct three new wireless listening/interception stations to scan the airwaves for any illicit wireless transmissions within the British Isles. By the end of August 1939, only the nation’s essential services could transmit. All other transmitters were banned by law from operation. This meant that any spy transmissions should be easier to detect and then locate. ‘The locations of the three new GPO wireless stations were: St Erth in Cornwall, Thurso in the far north of Scotland and Gilnahirk on the outskirts of East Belfast, which was intended to specifically meet the threat from the Irish Republicans. Once operational, all three stations were manned by the civilian staff of the GPO, who were under the control and direction of military intelligence section 8c. MI8c was made up of various groups, and one of these groups was the Radio Security Service. With central headquarters near London, it was they who controlled and directed the GPO. Across the whole of the United Kingdom, nine RSS regional offices were also created to oversee and control another aspect of this vitally important listening and interception operation. ‘Whilst the GPO were listening 24/7, not everything could be covered, so, just prior to the outbreak of war, a small number of ex-service,
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ex-merchant marine and ex-commercial radio operators were also provided with the means to listen for any illicit transmissions. Supporting this group were a number of hand- picked radio amateurs, small at first, but by the end of the war their numbers had increased to almost two thousand listeners. What will come as a shock and surprise to many, is the location from where all this additional listening was going on. Answer, within the homes of these men, working in absolute secrecy under the noses of their mothers and father, wives, families and friends. The excuse being that, although they were no longer permitted to transmit,t there was no law against listening in, and it was that smoke-screen that allowed the whole operation to continue in the shadows, so to speak. Unlike the professionals of the GPO, these retired and amateur listeners were unpaid and given the designation of Voluntary Interceptors (VIs). ‘Each of the VIs was allocated a frequency span which he was invited to trawl back and forward for a period of about two hours each day or night. Everything he could hear he recorded on to paper log sheets, and most of what he heard was sent in Morse Code. Nothing would escape his attention and all of this detail was sent to the RSS HQ where it was analysed. ‘As the process developed, VIs were instructed to concentrate their listening watches at specific times on specific frequencies. The Abwehr certainly didn’t make it easy for the VIs, regularly changing frequencies, times and days of transmission. ‘Assuming a VI had detected an Abwehr transmission from somewhere within the province of Northern Ireland, that detail would be passed to our full-time professionals at Gilnahirk who would then concentrate a 24/7 listening watch on that given frequency. Using various secret means, it wouldn’t be long before that individual spy would receive a visit from Military Intelligence. ‘This is where the brains of Ulsterman, John Herival, along with Alan Turing, Gordon Welshman and many others at Bletchley Park, would go to work to break that code and read the encrypted German message in the plain text. ‘In 1942, the civilian operation of the GPO was completely taken over by the RSS and, as a result, many of the former GPO staff finished one watch in their civilian clothes, but returned for the next watch wearing a Royal Signals Uniform. They were not in the army, but working for MI8c.’ ‘The Spies at Gilnahirk’ is available to purchase from Easons, Waterstones, Tesco and many other outlets across Northern Ireland. Alternatively, it can be obtained at http://www. cottage-publications.com/cgi-bin/ctg/ book/product.cgi?id=212.
New Waterways Heritage Centre in Toome Guests at the official launch of a new waterways heritage centre and café on the site of the former Lock Keeper’s cottage at Toome Canal.
Toome-based development group, TIDAL Ltd, has officially opened a new waterways heritage centre and café on the site of the former Lock-Keeper’s cottage at Toome Canal. The heritage centre is part of a regeneration programme, which focussed on the refurbishment of the cottage, quay and wider canal amenity area. It is also situated only four miles from the recently-regenerated Mid-Ulster village of Bellaghy, which has seen a resurgence in the number of visitors to the area thanks to the opening of Seamus Heaney’s HomePlace. The new centre houses a comprehensive interpretative display that covers the history of the canal and its importance as a gateway linking the north coast to the Lough, as well as information on the community, natural environmental and wider cultural and industrial heritage of the site. Conor Jordan, Chair of Lough Neagh Partnership and the Landscape Partnership Forum complemented all involved in the development and delivery of the Waterways Heritage Centre and Café. ‘This is an excellent example of how partnership working across the voluntary and statutory sectors can lead to the delivery of a new facility that helps promote a greater understanding of our landscape heritage whilst contributing to both the social and economic development of the wider Lough,’ he said. The Chief Executive of Waterways Ireland, Dawn Livingstone, praised the success of the partnership between the groups at Toome to bring this project to fruition. ‘Waterways Ireland, as the custodian of a number of unique heritage buildings along the waterways, welcomes opportunities to work alongside partners to give these historic buildings a modern and useful purpose,’ she said. ‘Today we see the outcome of one of these working partnerships with the beautiful restoration of this lockhouse to provide a hub for the community and an attraction for tourists to the River Bann and Lough Neagh.’ The new centre and café will be open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm and will be avail able for both organised group visits and day trippers.
82 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Lord Lieutenant of Antrim Mrs Joan Christie, Mayor of Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council Mr Paul Hamill and Tidal Chairperson Mr Johnson Laverty with Cllr Brian Duffin at the official launch of a new waterways heritage centre and café on the site of the former Lock Keeper’s cottage at Toome Canal.
Mayor’s Reception for local marathon runner Eugene Winters with Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Joan Baird, OBE.
A reception has been held in Cloonavin for marathon enthusiast, Eugene Winters. The 60-year-old, from Portstewart, completed his first marathon in Belfast five years ago. Since then, he has completed 300 official marathons in 300 weeks. The remarkable runner has taken part in all the ‘Marathon Majors’ including London, Boston, New York, Chicago and Tokyo. He has also been a regular ‘back to back’, ‘treble’ and ‘quad’ runner, running marathons two, three and four days in a row. ‘Eugene has achieved so much since he first took up marathon running,’ said Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Joan Baird, OBE. ‘His passion and enthusiasm is truly remarkable, and he hopes his success can inspire others to get active, no matter what age they are. ‘I would like to commend Eugene for his fundraising efforts, as he has raised vital funds for many worthwhile charities. I wish him all the best in his next marathon challenge.’
Food
Two classics from Neven Maguire
Soy and honey salmon parcels with tenderstem broccoli This can be done one day in advance and kept in the fridge. It’s a great recipe to serve to children and my twins, Connor and Lucia, love it. If anyone doesn’t like broccoli, you could happily replace it with asparagus or courgettes cut into batons or slices, whichever you prefer. Serves 4 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 2 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tbsp clear honey finely grated rind and juice of 1 lime 1 garlic clove, crushed rapeseed oil, for brushing 4 x 100g (4oz) salmon fillets, pinboned and skin removed 250g (9oz) tenderstem broccoli, trimmed 2.5cm (1in) piece of root ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks steamed basmati rice, to serve finely chopped spring onions, to garnish 1 Preheat the oven to 200˚ C (400˚ F/gas mark 6). 2 Whisk together the sesame seeds, soy sauce, honey, lime juice and garlic. Set aside. 3 Using a scissors, cut out 4 squares of tinfoil about 50cm (20in) square. Brush each piece of foil with oil and sit a piece of salmon on top. 4 Blanch the tenderstem broccoli for 1 minute, then drain and refresh in a bowl of iced water. Scatter the ginger over the pieces of salmon, then arrange the blanched broccoli on top of and around each fillet. Spoon over the soy sauce mixture and drizzle each one with about a teaspoon of oil. Fold over the edges of the foil together to seal and arrange the parcels on a baking sheet. 5 Cook the salmon parcels in the oven for 10 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through and tender but still nice and moist in the middle. Leave for an extra few minutes if you prefer your salmon more well done. 6 To serve, place a salmon parcel on each warmed plate with a separate bowl of rice garnished with some spring onions.
Braised lamb shanks with barley and rosemary Cheesy spinach, ham and mushroom pancakes Adding baby spinach leaves to a regular pancake batter gives them a wonderful vibrant green colour. The most important piece of kitchen equipment you’ll need for these is a really good non-stick frying pan, as it makes flipping so much easier. Leave the batter to settle for at least 30 minutes if time allows (but 84 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
up to 2 days is fine), then give it a good stir. If you find it has thickened up a little, just loosen it with a splash of milk. MAKES 6–8 300ml (1/2 pint) milk 100g (4oz) baby spinach leaves 150g (5oz) plain flour 2 large eggs 1 tbsp rapeseed oil or melted butter, plus extra for cooking knob of butter 350g (12oz) chestnut mushrooms, sliced 350g (12oz) cooked ham, chopped or shredded into small pieces 225g (8oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated sea salt and freshly ground black pepper lightly dressed mixed green salad, to serve 1 Place the milk and spinach in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the flour and eggs with a pinch of salt and blend again until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or Pyrex jug and stir in the rapeseed oil or melted butter. If you have time, leave it to rest for 30 minutes covered with cling film in the fridge or you can start cooking straight away. 2 If you’d prefer, you can make the pancakes in advance, allow them to cool, then layer them up between sheets of parchment or greaseproof paper and wrap in cling film. They will keep happily for 2 days in the fridge, then reheat later in a low oven or in the microwave. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. 3 To sauté the mushrooms, heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and a knob of butter, then once the butter stops sizzling, tip in the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 4–5 minutes, until cooked through and tender. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool – again, these can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept covered with cling film in the fridge. 4 Place a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and wipe it with a little oil smeared onto kitchen paper. Once hot, ladle in a thin layer of batter and cook for 1–2 minutes, until golden, then flip over and scatter over some of the sautéed mushrooms along with a sprinkling of ham and cheese. Cook for another minute, then fold in half and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the remainder. 5 Serve the pancakes on warmed plates with a nice mixed green salad alongside.
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Retirement
The importance of managing your finances
Maretta Dillon chats again with Derek Bell, Chief Operations Officer with The Retirement Planning Council of Ireland (RPCI). Last time, Derek stressed the need to assess how retirement will affect you and your relationships with family and friends. This time around, he addresses questions about finance and financial management. We can expect to live at least 20 years after we retire and often longer. Managing our finances for this extended period is critical. Derek stresses that it is important that we understand what’s happening to our money and savings. We should know about any Social Welfare entitlements or benefits that might be due and in this regard it is important to get a copy of your Social Insurance Contribution Record from Social Welfare (www.mywelfare.ie). We should also be aware of tax obligations after retirement. Among these concerns are pensions: rarely anyone’s idea of fun but knowing how they work is important if you want to manage your money wisely. It is actually surprising how many people don’t understand their pension and tend to adopt a head in the sand approach. If you are coming up to retirement age, then you should check with your employer/ pension provider about your expected pension entitlement. This often has the effect of concentrating the mind. 86 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
On the other hand, many people have the option of taking part of their pension benefit as a lump sum. If that’s the case, it is usually a good idea to have thought really hard about what to do with it. Derek advises that people take the time and effort to evaluate and think about what they are going to do with their retirement income. What outgoings are you going to have? What other plans do you have? Where and what do you want to spend your money on? Knowing your monthly income in advance can reduce the stress. Your income may be lower but your tax and outgoings may also be lower and there are benefits! Chief among these is free travel which can be a considerable advantage. However, there are also reduced charges to cultural institutions and events, exercise options and other activities. If in doubt, it never hurts to ask! Derek counsels moderation in all things; after all, you plan for your retirement to last a while. Setting a weekly budget or ‘paying’ yourself a weekly wage makes sense rather than frittering money away on unnecessary items endless cups of expensive coffees are a case in point. Enjoy yourself but don’t lose the plot. As people get older, they tend to need and want less and may prefer to spend their funds on experiences rather than big ticket items which they already have for the most part. Derek notes that new retirees often plan for the big trip – to visit family and friends – or to simply see new places. Seize the day in this regard,
Retirement he would advise and don’t wait for the ‘roundy’ birthday or anniversary, go when your health and wealth allow it. Who can tell what your health will be like when the “roundy” birthday arrives? Retirees, often parents and grandparents, would like to leave some inheritance for their children or grandchildren and can sometimes be reluctant to spend on themselves. Derek is having none of this and has told his own children that they can expect to ‘inherit my debt’. He explains that there is often a peak in spend post retirement – travel and maybe some house refurbishments – but then it settles down to something more normal before potentially peaking later when provision of healthcare might be needed. Retirees need to balance their own requirements against wanting to do the right thing by their extended families. They are not ‘the bank of Mum and Dad’ and their first responsibility has to be to themselves. Speaking of which, preparing and executing a will is a necessary item on the ‘to do’ list. This is something that people can be reluctant to deal with and there is a certain amount of squeamishness around the whole area. However, if you don’t make a Will, administration of your estate will probably take longer, be more expensive and more stressful for your loved ones. This is something to be embraced and can be strangely satisfying when concluded. Allied to this, Derek suggests that it’s a very good idea to think about giving someone Power of Attorney over your affairs and Enduring Power of Attorney should one become incapacitated. We all need people to be advocates for us and it is much easier if this is a role that has been discussed and understood in advance. Derek strongly advises that when making a will, and/or Power of Attorney, this is done with the advice of a solicitor in order to prevent difficulties for those who have to carry out your wishes.
If you get all of the admin side of things sorted then you are in a much better place to enjoy yourself. Derek suggests approaching it like a project that may at first need a big push but after that just needs tweaking from year to year as things change and things always change. People can now expect to live almost as long in retirement as they did in the work force. It all needs a bit of preparation! The RPCI discuss all of these financial and legal issues in full detail as a core part of their pre-retirement courses. Established in 1974, the RPCI is a Registered Charity, a not for profit organisation, wholly independent of all financial institutions and with a voluntary board of directors. RPCI is based at 14/15 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2 Ph: 01 478 9471 / www.rpc.ie Courses are held in Dublin and around the country on a very regular basis. Please check the website for more details.
Win a Young at Heart Ancient East package including 2 nights B&B and two 3 course meals and two guided museum tours! Twitter @FitzwiltonHotel
The 4 star boutique style Fitzwilton Hotel is perfectly located in Waterford City centre for your midweek or weekend getaway. All 90 rooms have been recently renovated to the highest international standards. The Fitzwilton Hotel is on Bridge Street just a three minute walk from both the train and bus stations. There is free parking albeit limited availability at the rear. Complimentary wifi is available throughout the hotel. We receive regular compliments about our food. The Met Bar Café offers an extensive menu from 12 noon to 9.30pm daily and is very popular with locals and guests alike. The Irish & continental breakfast buffet is sure to set you up for the day. The Chez K’s Bistro menu is available 7 days a week. In terms what to see and do, Waterford has something for everyone. The shopping area is only a 5 minute stroll away. Being Ireland’s oldest city there are lots of places to discover in the Viking Triangle area. The Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre is always a popular stop for visitors. If golf is your thing you will not be disappointed as there is an array of courses within in easy reach, including Waterford Golf Club which is only a mere 5 minute drive. The latest arrival on the tourism scene in Waterford is the Greenway, which is a car free route linking Waterford city and Dungarvan. It’s ideal for walking or cycling with numerous café’s along the 46km scenic route which is nestled between the coast, the River Suir and the Comeragh Mountains. Fitzwilton Hotel offers “Young at Heart” package which include Dinner, Bed & Breakfast plus guided tours at two of Ireland’s East Treasures - Waterford Medieval Museum and Bishops Palace. COMPETITION:
How far is the Fitzwilton Hotel from the bus & train stations?
Email your answer to: sbollard@fitzwiltonhotel.ie and please one email per person or instant disqualification. Deadline to receive entries by post - 7th of September Postal entries: Fitzwilton Competition, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, T&C’s Prize can be used Sunday to Thursday subject to availability before 30th June 2018. There is no cash alternative to the prize. The prize is non-transferable & non-refundable. Drinks are not included with the evening meals. Find out more about the hotel on www.FitzwiltonHotel.ie or call us in 051-846900. info@fitzwiltonhotel.ie facebook.com/FitzwiltonHotelWaterford/
Opinion Jim Collier When the Fair Deal is not so fair.. I am referring to the excellent article recently in the Sunday Independent by Maeve Sheehan appertaining to the charges being imposed on residents of nursing homes under the Fair Deal Scheme. When the scheme was introduced by Mary Harney in 2009 I was not a supporter, considering it a stopgap measure, not fully thought through, with little input from older people groups. Having been involved with senior groups, such as Age Action, Active retirement, Go for Life, and Fingal Senior Citizens, for nearly 20 years, I am not surprised at the way the scheme has developed. I have always been an advocate for keeping older people in the comfort of their own homes for as long as possible, where they can avail of home help and other caring packages, with the company of their family, friends and neighbours. This is not always possible, especially when they suffer from serious physical or mental problems, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, and need professional caring. It was never envisaged that additional charges, such as those now being levied against theses residents under the Fair Deal, would arise. The variety of charges, now being charged by nursing homes are penalising these residents outrageously, varying from €35 to €95 per week. Some of the charges levied are for services that many residents cannot participate in, due to visual, hearing, and physical problems, but they still have to pay. Other charges are for services covered free under health care, others are surcharges not related to costs. Tadgh Daly of Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI), states that the Fair Deal ‘does not encompass the reality of health and social care costs to meet the day- to- day care and. living requirements of residents’. This is an extraordinary statement. The scheme is administered by HIQA and if there are shortcomings in the financing, NHI should negotiate with this body, rather than imposing charges directly on cash strapped residents and their families.
deprived of living at home surrounded by the friends and neighbours she has known for over 45 years. She is an amazingly brave lady as could be seen on TV recently, and we wish her well. These thugs are the lowest of the low.
Active Retirement AGM 2017 The Active Retirement IrelandAGM recently took place in Mount Wolseley Hotel, in county Carlow. The position of President, being vacated by Mai Quaide, was contested by Kay Murphy, Chair of Shannon ARA, Kevin Molloy of Gorey, and Kevin Monaghan from Lifford , Co Donegal. Kay was successful in the election, and we wish her a successful year in office.
From left, Pat Lyons, Anne Crowley-Denihan, Phyllis O’ Halloran, Kay Murphy and Maura Lyons, all from the Mid West Region celebrating Kay’s success.
A very disturbing element of the report was the practice of forcing incontinence pads or nappies on residents who do not suffer from incontinence, through a weaning system. This is not only humiliating and distressful, but also dangerous according to medical professionals. Visitors visiting residents should watch out for this practice and insist that it stops. This is clearly elder abuse.
Too lenient sentences for crimes against seniors You may recall the article I wrote some time ago about the horrific assault on 89-year-old Eva Sutton, living alone in Bray, when two thugs broke into her house in the early hours of the morning. Eva was tied up, assaulted for up to half an hour and she sustained, a broken nose, broken ribs, a punctured lung, severe bruising to her back, as well as her jewellery being robbed. Eva was left alone in this state and could easily have died. Her gentle life will never be the same, she never recovered her jewellery. The thugs who did this were already known to the Gardai for previous burglaries and assaults, and would not have been free except for the leniency of our judicial system. Well, I am glad to say that at last these thugs are no longer at large ( for the moment) to commit more crimes as they have been sentenced to 9 and 7 years, once again due to the leniency of the judicial system. Crimes such as these perpetrated on senior citizens deserve far greater sentences, and the law should be changed to reflect the age of victims. Eva is very lucky to be alive, she is now in a nursing home, has been
Peg Tebay with daughters Patricia and Bridie. Peg organises the Waterford Golden Age Festival, which this year will take place in November.
Jim Collier
The views expressed are not necessarily those of Senior Times.
Healthy ageing with Nutrition
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Meeting Place NOTE Would the ‘well-educated, retired from public service, Kildare man’ , contact Meeting Place with a contact detail, either a phone number of postal address, so that his replies to advertisements can be forwarded to advertisers. KILLARNEY MAN, LATE 50S, interests include gardening, dancing, music of all types, driving in the country, cinema, animals. WLTM woman with similar interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H1 NORTH WICKLOW LADY, MID 60s, retired professional, interested in reading and good wine. Interested in meeting people of either sex for social friendship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H2 GALWAY BASED MALE, 60s, single with no ties, GSOH with many interests. Wish to meet a sincere single woman to share a nice future with. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H3 SOUTH DUBLIN LADY WRITER, 66, widow for many years, WLTM a sincere non-smoking man to share coffee and conversation once a week. Age unimportant. Interests include reading, walking, theatre, travelling, life-long learning and current affairs. Not looking for a deep, meaningful relationship – just plain, old-friendship will do! REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H4 ‘YOUNG’ DUBLIN MAN, 60, broad-minded, tolerant. Good fun. Interests include reading, music, walking, theatre, good conversation, dining out. WLTM a woman with similar interests for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H5 WEST OF IRELAND MAN, 72, living alone, seeks lady for friendship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H6 PETITE, ATTRACTIVE MIDLANDS LADY, early 70s, outgoing and sincere WLTM man with GSOH interested in ballrooms dancing, trips away etc. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H7 CO CORK LADY SEEKS PENFRIEND. Interests include natural history, early music, rugby, pets, hurling, reading and ‘putting the world to rights’. Would like to hear from men and women in their 60s and 70s who share some of these interests. NS, SD. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H8 SINGLE TRAVELLER HOLIDAYS! Midlands based lady would like to form a group of ‘travel aloners’ for short and long haul breaks, with or without supplement. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H9 RESPECTFUL DUBLIN GENT, 60s, never married, many interests. Seeks female soul-
mate to share the joy of living, the wonders of the world etc. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H10 OFFALY LADY, 60s, WIDOWED, NO TIES, self-employed, semi-retired, NS, SD, outgoing, sincere, and caring. WLTM romantic man, NS, with GSOH and a fun loving personality to share good times together. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H11 OFFALY MAN LATE 60s, GSOH, NS, SD, no ties, interested in dancing, sport, eating out, walking, reading, art and heritage, WLTM a lady with some or all of these interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER H12 SINGLE TIPP LADY, never married and no ties, well travelled, honest, caring and loyal. WLTM a refined gent, single or widowed for companionship and travel partner and happy times 68-75 age group. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K1 HEALTHY, ACTIVE CO WATERFORD MALE, 77, NS, some ties, no relationship, WLTM female companion for a few times a month. Interests include country dancing, eating out, weekends away, photography etc.. GSOH. Travel no problem. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K2 RETIRED MALE PUBLIC SERVANT, 60s, midlands based, WLTM an interesting female for travelling and country activities. Interests include fishing, canoeing, current affairs and politics, and weekends away in the West. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER K3 DUBLIN-BASED MALE, EARLY 70s, seeks active female at least 5ft 6in in height, who wants to learn ballroom dancing to a very high level. Preliminary discussion welcomed. But lessons, practice and social dancing would be involved. Could be hard work, time consuming, but great fun. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F1 MATURE CO WICKLOW LADY WLTM nice gent to share this coming summer. Usual interests. REPLY TO BOX F2 CO MEATH, KIND, SINCERE, ACTIVE, slim outgoing lady, 62, NS, SD, good appearance, enjoys current affairs, reading, walking/hiking, golf, travelling, theatre, concerts, dining out etc., WLTM sincere, NS gentleman of similar age and interests for friendship/relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F3 RETIRED NORTH LEINSTER MALE TEACHER, MID 60s, single and unattached. Interests include music, cinema, rugby and GAA, travelling (especially by train), Living in the country and also like walking, cycling, fishing. WLTM interesting lady for friendship and travelling. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F4
90 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
ATLANTIC COAST LADY, ACTIVE, positive outlook, kind, trustworthy, NS. WLTM single male 50-65 as a socialising/travel companion. Interests include short breaks at home, sun holidays abroad, walking, concerts, dancing, cinema, theatre etc. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F5 KILLARNEY LADY LOOKING FOR A TRAVELLING COMPANION to spend a few weeks this Christmas in a warm climate such as Tenerife/Lanzarote. Interests include reading, cooking, dancing, gardening and walking. NS, SD. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F6 SINGLE DUBLIN MAN, LATE SIXTIES, sincere, GSOH, good character, honest, considered interesting. Well-travelled, adventurous. Interests include music, singing, foreign travel, art, photography. WLTM lady 45-70 living in Dublin flor friendship and relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F7 VERY NICE LADY EARLY 60s LIMERICK/ KERRY AREA WLTM a nice, honest gentleman same age who is loving, affectionate and romantic, with good personality and sense of humour. Interests include music and dancing, travel. Independent and only love needed! REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F8 MAYO MALE EARLY 60s, NS, SD, broad range of interests, including sports, reading, current affairs. Solvent, recently retired, professional. WLTM lady early-late fifties, sincere, honest, GSOH. Ideally from Mayo/Galway but not a necessity, for friendship/relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F9 EARLY 60S MUNSTER LADY SEEKS TRAVELLING FEMALE companion. Interests many and varied and include walking, good food, music, drama, cinema, NS, SD. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F10 DUBLIN LADY LATE 50s loves the outdoors, walking, swimming, chats and laughs. Love life – its now or never. Are you the special person to share all the things we should have done but were too young, too broke or too scared. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F11 MUNSTER LADY, unmarried, living alone, just one sibling. WLTM other ladies in similar position for chats and a drink in Limerick, Clare, Offaly, Tipperary. Age group 60-75. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER F12 DUBLIN MALE ACTIVE 71 YEARS YOUNG, NS, ND loves a laugh and the craic, lives alone, likes the simple things in life. Likes music, computing, art, good conversation, cinema, reading. WLTM a lady to enjoy good times, REPLY TO BOX N UMBER U1
ACTIVE DUBLIN LADY 60s, NS, SD, WLTM gentleman with GSOH. Many interests, including walking, cinema, theatre and golf. REPLY TLO BOX NUMBER U2
60-65 for friendship or more. Interests include all types of music, theatre, eating out, walking, weekends away. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER E6
CLARE MAN LATE 50s, single, no ties, fit, NS, SD, GSOH, sincere, caring and respectable. Interests include gardening, walking, traditional and country music, socialising with good company. WLTM sincere, easy going, respectable lady mid 50s with same interests from, or who can travel to, counties Galway, Clare and Limerick, for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER U3
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
ABSOLUTE GENTLEMEN, 60s, DUBLIN. Single, seeking lady with no children. Caring, sharing, fit, walker, romantic . Will you share woodlands walks with me and the wonder and joyful exuberance of life. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER U4
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 NUMBER E9
LATE 50s WEST MEATH LADY WLTM midlands man around same age. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER U5 TIPPERARY LADY, SINGLE, EARLY 50s seeks a kind, honest gent for friendship/ company. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER U6 SOUTH DUBLIN GENT, WRITER, EARLY 70s, WLTM lady, initially once a week for coffee. Interests include cinema, theatre, musicals, reading, current affairs. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER U7 NORTH DUBLIN MAN, SIXTIES, happy go lucky, loves to walk and talk, GSOH, NS. Seeks soul mate for genuine friendship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER U8 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
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
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
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
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 6th October 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).
7 days in Puglia, Italy 18-25 of September: €830.00 16-23 of October: €830.00
Half board at a fourstar hotel
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
Does not include flight. Ryanair flies from Dublin to Bari. Check at Ryanair.com
Email: info@puglia.ie www.puglia.ie
Dental Health
Peri Implantitis Around 500,000 Dental Implants are placed in the U.S. per annum. Complications are not uncommon and at British Dental Place we have a strategy to address this problem. Peri-implantitis is the destructive inflammatory process affecting the soft and hard tissues surrounding dental implants. It may range from mild inflammation of the gum to severe bone loss - with the loss of the implant. It is thought that one third of those patients have a milder untreated gum disease can develop into peri-implantitis. Long term dental care is essential, for all patients. Our patients are supervised in telemedicine clinics and subject to clinical audit.
Most dental implant systems come as a twopart device. The implant which is placed into the bone and the abutment which fits into the implant and receives a dental crown. The join appears to be critical.
Bicon developed a locking abutment system which is tapped into the implant to produce a “cold weld”. This significantly reduces micro movements leakage of bacteria into the mouth. If an implant system has abutments that loosen or frac ture, this is indicative of micro move ments and system instability.
The Three Principles for Long Term Stability 1. Macrodesign should include a shoulder for bone envelopment 2. Tapered Mortise Abutment System to prevent bacterial leakage 3. Subcrestal Bone Placement to promote vertical bone growth The Stability Cycle Subcrestal Placement Tapered Mortise Abutment
MacrodesignPlacement Deep to Bone Surface Sloping Shoulder If a shouldered implant is placed deep to the bone surface, bone grows over the implant All our implants are placed in accordance with burying it. If bone grows up the implant it is not these principles to address the pandemic being lost, and this is a key issue in the prevenof peri implantitis currently estimated >40% tion of peri implantitis and implant loss. 80% of Global Implants placed. We are yet to Is The Work Guaranteed? Implant Diameter and Emergence Profile observe a case of peri implantitis with this proWe are so confident in the skill of our training dentists that all work comes with our The Work Guaranteed? Theguarantee. diameter of the implant should mirror the tocol and shall beIs auditing our cases carefully. normal 3 year We are so confident in the skill of our training dentists t So why does peri-implantitis happen? diameter of the tooth it replaces. normal 3 year guarantee. Ninian Peckitt FRCS FFD RCS FDS RCS FACCS What Brand Is The Implant? The key issue is related to the implant itself, its Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon / Our Professor is training the qualified dentists in placing INNO, a premium Korean What Brand Is The Implant? design and the mechanics of how it is loaded. Thishas is been important in dental aesthetics. Facial Plastic Surgeon implant which on the market for over 20 years and which meets our protocols regarding implant design/placement in order to address the panademic of Peri-implantitis (which affects 40-80% of global implants placed).
Our Professor is training the qualified dentists in placing implant which has been on the market for over 20 years regarding implant design/placement in order to address (which affects 40-80% of global implants placed).
INNO’s by its precision engineered design helps stimulate bone growth which in turn What Brand Is The Implant? reduces the risk of peri-implantitis. We are yet to observe a case of peri-implantitis with this system and our strict protocols and will be auditing our cases carefully.
INNOPremium Premium Implants €350 INNO Implants €350
INNO’s by its precision engineered design helps stimula reduces the risk of peri-implantitis. We are yet to obser Our Professor is training the qualified dentists in placing INNO, a premium this system and our strict protocols and will be auditing How Long Will I have To Stay In Bucharest? Have your premium implant fitted at our qualified dentist training centre Korean implant which has been on the market for over 20 years and Have your premium implant fitted at our qualified dentist training In order to have your INNO implant fitted and benefit from this low implant price you How Long Will I have To Stay In Bucharest? for the unbelievably low price of €350 – a price find hard match for a which our protocols regarding implant design/placement in order wouldyou’ll be required to stay to in Bucharest minimummeets of 3 working days. In order to have your INNO implant fitted and benefit fr centre for else the unbelievably anywhere in the World. low price of €350 – a price you’ll find to address the panademic of Peri-implantitis (which affects 40-80% of for a minimum o would be required to stay in Bucharest How Can I take Advantage of This Offer? hard to match anywhere else in the World! global implants placed). How Can I take Advantage of This Offer? How Is This Possible? Space is limited to training centre days so register your interest as soon as possible to How Is This Possible? avoid disappointment. INNO’s by its precision engineered design helps bonecentre growth Space isstimulate limited to training days so register your We can provide World class implant treatment at a price you’ll find hard to match avoid disappointment. We can provide World class implant treatment at a price you’ll find hard elsewhere simply because our costs are split betweenBucharest the qualified dentists at our which in turn reduces the risk of peri-implantitis. We are yet to observe a British Dental training Place to match elsewhere simply because our costs split between the case of peri-implantitis with this system and our strict protocols and will Putulare lui Zamfir 37 clinic and the patients they are treating. Bucharest British Dental Place qualified dentists training at our clinic and theBucharest patients they are treating. Putul lui Zamfir 37 be auditing our cases carefully. Email: samantha@getyoursmileback.co.uk Bucharest How Does It Work? Website: www.getyoursmileback.co.uk Email: samantha@getyoursmileback.co.uk How Does It Work? How Long Will I have To Stay In Bucharest? Mobile: 00 40 733 150 605 Website: www.getyoursmileback.co.uk Mobile: 00 40 733 150 605
Both patient and dentist benefit from the knowledge of our World renowned British Professor, Ninian Peckitt, who has pioneered oral surgery for decades treating patients and training surgeons all over the World in implantology and oral surgery.
In order to have your INNO implant fitted and benefit from this low implant price you would be required to stay in Bucharest for a minimum of 3 working days.
Both patient and dentist benefit from the knowledge of our World renowned British Is It Safe? Professor, Ninian Peckitt, who has pioneered oral surgery for decades treating patients and training surgeons all over the World in implantology and oral surgery.
How Can I take Advantage of This Offer?
Bucharest British Dental Place are No.1 clinic in Romania and Top 1% Is Safe? ofIt130k clinics Worldwide as Awarded by Global Clinic Rating so you Bucharest British Dental Place are No.1 clinic in Romania and Top 1% of 130k clinics couldn’t be in safer hands! Worldwide as Awarded by Global Clinic Rating so you couldn’t be in safer hands! All surgery carries implants at ourcentre training are All surgery carries risk,risk, but but implants placedplaced at our training arecentre placed by qualified dentists, direct supervision our highly Professor. placed under by qualified dentists, of under directexperienced supervision of our highly experienced Professor.
Is The Work Guaranteed? We are so confident in the skill of our training dentists that all work comes with our normal 3 year guarantee. 92 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Space is limited to training centre days so register your interest as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Bucharest British Dental Place Putul lui Zamfir 37 Bucharest Email: samantha@getyoursmileback.co.uk www.getyoursmileback.co.uk Mobile: 00 40 733 150 605
Why not take out a gift subscription to Ireland’s publication for people who don’t act their age?
It’s the ideal Birthday, Christmas, Retirement or Thank you gift. €40 for 8 issues, published every two months. The first issue will be sent with a card and personalised message. Just complete the form below and send to: Senior Times Magazine, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 or you can call us on 01-496 90 28
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Issue 87
May/June
2017
.70
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ople zine for pe The maga t their age ac who don’t
Proud to ? be grey out a Rooting a dilemm
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dawn Pistols at duelling A history of
ote
e of Lanzar
sid ular the spectac Exploring scape volcanic land
The other
Crossword Crossword Number 89 by Zoë Devlin
ACROSS 1 4 8 12 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 29 30 31 32 38 39 41 43 44 46 47 50 53 54 55 58 60 62 64 68 70 71 73 75 77 78 81 82 84 85 90 91 92 93 98 99 100 101 103 104 105 106
Move unsteadily or vibrate (6) Socialise with top society! (6) Idolise or revere (7) Round bits at lower parts of ears (5) Actress Saoirse __ or singer __ Keating? (5) Singers who take part in religious ceremony (5) Actor Sir ___ ___ who starred in ‘My Fair Lady’ (3,8) Chop wood or terminate contract (3) Swedish pop group of ‘Mama Mia’ fame (4) Dried plum or cut back plant growth (5) Small crown indicating lower rank than sovereign (7) Inhales and exhales from cigarettes (6) Intense sorrow or heartache (5) Co Leitrim lake Lough ___or actor Woody ___ (5) Lyric poem (3) Watch out for aural fogs on this Wicklow mountain (5-4) Breed of large Shepherd dog used in police work (8) Enid Blyton wrote about this quintet of children (6,4) French chemist, biologist Louis ___ (7) Groove to get stuck in? (3) Person from Oz who lives on the sauna trail? (10) Puccini’s opera set in the Latin Quarter of Paris (2,6) I retain an aptitude for this inactiveness (7) Fish for an angel? (5) Slender breed of cat from Thailand? (7) Ah! No one built an ark like this patriarch (4) Co-ordinated set of clothing (8) Heavy unglazed fabric, on recent cushions? (8) Glaze over or make less distinct (4) Large city - its soul is in Missouri (2,5) W.B.___, co-founder of the Abbey Theatre (5) A mature person but not a professional (7) Small opener on top of an aluminium can (4-4) Can apes ration this breakup? (10) Digit of the foot (3) Extend one’s limbs or muscles (7) Wasted - not used to good advantage (10) Poor to middling quality (8) Caretaker of French apartments or hotels (9) North American republic, presided over by Trump (1.1.1.) Bet or predict (5) King with the touch - made gold of everything (5) An increase or promotion (4-2) Archangel messenger or actor ___ Byrne? (7) Large black bird - sounds like he’s gone mad! (5) Nothing .. nada .. nought (4) Anger or wrath (3) Can oily auks tie up this Shakespearian comedy? (2,3,4,2) American president from 2009-2017 (5) Group of eight performers (5) Way in or item inserted in a diary (5) Female American aviator Amelia ___ (7) Small place of worship (6) You can see this meeting of spiritualists (6)
94 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
DOWN 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 21 25 26 27 28 33 34 35 36 37 40 42 45 48 49 51 52 56 57 58 59 61 62 63 65 66 67 69 72 74 76 79 80 83 86 87 88 89 90 94 95 96 97 102
Capital which saw war in central Poland (6) Small rounded bread or cake (3) ‘Forces’ Sweetheart’ Dame Vera ___ (4) Celebrity chef, Rory ___ (8) One of the sister rivers, nowhere near Reno? (4) Sister to 6 Down (6) Ruth Rendell’s Inspector or south Leinster county? (7) One who helps to gather the harvest (6) Man distinguished by exceptional bravery (4) Small flower arrangement given as present (4) Prominent objects in a particular landscape (9) Germany region or type of gateau (5,6) Small hard fruits for sowing in earth (5) Twenty or a written form of musical composition (5) Egg-laying vertebrates such as Robins (5) Alloy of tin for a wet rep? (6) Imperial .. majestic .. used to public glare? (5) Took someone to their seats (7) One from republic linking N Africa with Middle-East (8) Abandon .. desert .. leave one who needs you (7) Yellow, crescent-shaped fruit (6) Greek operatic soprano, Maria ___ (6) Give to a good cause (6) Unhappy, pitiful, wretched (9) Cutlery used to stir or eat food (5) Can a van be found in this Co Meath town? (5) Droop, slump (3) Foe or opposing military force (5) This airline does well in large US airports (3,6) Neither one __ the other! (3) Arouse or elicit feelings (5) Batch or parcel of land with boundaries (3) Wrote ‘Round the world in 80 days’, ___ Verne (5) Creation of highest excellence (7) Opposite to southern (8) Cause to develop fully and mature (5) ___ Islands, off Co Wexford coast (6) US actor, Kevin ___, of ‘American Beauty’ fame (6) Boxer Muhammed ___ , born Cassius Clay (3) Daily event when light begins to fall (6) King of Rock and Roll (7) Great manner of placing things such as flowers (11) Ballerina, ___ Markova founder of Ballet Rambert (6) French impressionist painter of ballet dancers (5) Stream that flows into the main river (9) Long-legged bird or lifting device (5) Pull apart or divide (8) Snake or elongated reptile (7) Portuguese town of pilgrimage site (6) Football club based in Glasgow (6) One who eats no animal or dairy products (5) Small beard trimmed to a point (6) The ___, pin-like stainless steel monument in Dublin (5) Harp used by ancient Greeks (4) Third sister which rises in Devil’s Bit Mountain (4) Joyce’s muse, found in panoramas and anoraks (4) Eternal city (4) Large cask or barrel (3)
Four copies of the stunning National Gallery Diary to be won! Senior Times, in association with publishers Gill, is offering four copies of this hugely popular diary in the crossword competition for this issue. This beautifully illustrated diary contains some of the finest paintings from the National Gallery’s permanent collection. Featuring 56 carefully reproduced paintings in a week-to-view format, this diary highlights some of the finest Irish and European works on view in the Gallery. Name: ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Address: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Phone: ................................................................................................................................................................................................ Email:......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Send your entries to: Crossword Competition, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. The first four correct entries drawn are the winners. Deadline for receipt of entries is 10th October 2017.
Crafts
When life is crewel... Connie McEvoy in praise of Jacobean embroidery The designs, colour schemes, textures and intricate stitches of Jacobean embroidery have attracted my admiration and attention since Spring 1947 when I had just reached my 5th birthday. Grandma Kavanagh had travelled the 10 mile journey to our house in a pony trap driven by my uncle Aidan on Jan 10th to see how my mother who was expecting a baby in April was getting on. She decided to take me home with her that evening for a few days until she came to visit again. However according to my mother’s diary, the weather turned bad and it started to snow on Jan26th then continued most of the time until March 16th which meant that we were unable to go anywhere because of the drifts and only returned to my home on March 19th. In my grandparent’s house the parlour fire was lit each night and as my seniors played music, grandma played a melodeon and sang ‘My aunt Jane has a wee, wee shop’ (her favourite tune), grand-da played his flutes and aunt Peg played records on the gramophone, my uncles conversed about exercising horses and providing for house and farm stock and I spent my time admiring the beautiful stag that was embroidered on the fire screen as it stood to one side of the fireplace when the fire was lit. On noticing my interest I was informed that I was looking at crewel embroidery in Jacobean style, which usually depicted a tree of life design and included animals, birds, hillocks and branches with flowers and tendrils. Having listened to all of the information given then Jacobean embroidery was at the top of a little girl’s to do list when she got home but growing up got in the way and the little girl was a teenager before a project was started. There are many pieces of Jacobean embroidery in my collection now, some were worked entirely in tapestry wool others using a combination of wool, silk and cotton yarn. All are useful items such as fire screens, cushion covers and wall hangings, and are on display in the house.
the desired outcome it would be advisable to arrange an appropriate collection of stitches and colour combination/ shading before starting a project. Stitches used in this project include satin, stem and chain stitch, French knots, buttonhole and lazy daisy stitch, couching, seeding and straight stitch, + long & short, feather and fly stitch and cross stitch stars. It has survived many tea parties unblemished due to the fact that the entire table top is covered with heavy bevelled glass, but I have hand washed other projects successfully in tepid suds, then rinsing in cold water and rolling in a folded towel before pressing on the wrong side.
My favourite is a centrepiece for a teak coffee table that was worked on some crash linen in the early 1970’s. As a 3 dimensional effect is 96 Senior Times l September - October 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
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