Senior Times July August 2015

SeniorTimes The magazine for people who don’t act their age

Issue 76 July/August 2015 €3.95 (£3.20)

All you’ll want in Nantes

The night I won the Eurovision Song Contest

Germaine Greer raises eyebrows in Limerick

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

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Issue 76 July/August 2015

Contents

News: 2 The night I won the Eurovision Song Contest: 6 Shay Healy recalls his song writing triumph in 1980 All you’ll want in Nantes: 12 John Low was impressed with the Breton city on the Loire Once, or twice, nightly: 18 Senior Times talks to Brendan Grace who has been appointed ‘ambassador’ for men’s’ health by pharmaceutical company GSK Save Our Skins: 20 Mairead Robinson investigates the numerous lotions and potions on the market claimed to help prevent women’s’ skins from ageing Dream Tickets: 28 Lorna Hogg suggests some breaks a little less ordinary Something for everyone from Music Network: 29 A varied musical programme at venues all over the country Going Solo: 31 Lorna Hogg investigates value breaks for the single traveller Crime Victims Helpline: 40 Help at hand at the end of the telephone line Turkey Trot: 43 Pat Keenan travelled extensively throughout Turkey Ageism in politics: 46 It’s all in the mind as some 90-something politicians demonstrate Active Retirement Ireland News: 50 News from the branches and personalities around the country Fresh thinking on women and ageing: 52 Eileen Casey reports on an important conference at the University of Limerick Ask The Vet: 64 The Senior Times vet answers your queries Wine World: 65 A report on organic wines Whats On In The Arts: 67 Goings on in the arts around the country Short story: 70 Golf: 74 Dermot Gilleece how some top international golfers coped with the ‘soft’ Irish weather at the recent Irish Open Northern Notes: 77 Know Your Rights: 80 Meeting Place: 82 Sudoku: 84 Crossword: 86 Crafts: 88

Front cover: Nantes, the Great Elephant at Les Machines de l’île. P.Orefice and F. Delarozière ©Jean-Dominique Billaud. See page 12

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

Published by S& L Promotions Ltd., Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Tel: +353 (01) 4969028.

Fax: +353 (01) 4068229 Editorial: John@slp.ie Advertising: brian@slp.ie Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

News Major ‘death conference’ for Dublin Castle in September Conversations around death are should be encouraged. This is the aim of Forum 2015; the National Council of the Forum on End of Life in Ireland’s 4th National Conference. The theme of the one day conference is Dying to Talk?-Conversations about end of life in Ireland.

Forum 2015 will feature a ‘Death Café’ where people can discuss all aspects of dying and breathe life into the conversation as they drink tea and eat cake.

The key note speaker at Forum 2015 is Dr Katherine Sleeman, a lecturer in palliative

New rules on buying health insurance TNew rules relating to health insurance providers have recently been introduced. This means that if you are aged 35 or over and are buying a private health insurance policy for the first time you will be charged an extra 2% (also known as a ‘loading’ fee) on top of your premium. This 2% fee is added for every year you are aged over 34. So for example, if you take out a private health insurance policy for the first time at age 40 you will pay an additional 12% on your annual premium every year.

Credit will be provided to you if you previously had health insurance for a period of time or if you had to cancel your cover due to unemployment since the economic downturn in 2008.

However, you will need proof of cover which you can get from your previous provider. If you have any questions in relation to the new rules visit the Q&A section of the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) website.

care medicine at Kings College in London who will talk about having a good death.

Journalist Mick Heaney, son of the late Poet Laureate Seamus Heaney will deliver the Mary Holland Commemorative Lecture and other speakers include popular broadcasters Senator Marie Louise O’Donnell and Matt Cooper.

Forum 2015 will also have workshops on the following themes: • Conversations at End of Life: Maintaining hope to the end • Good Grief: How to facilitate a

If you do decide to take out health insurance, there are a few things you need to think about to make sure you get the right cover, such as: • The level and type of cover you are looking for.

• If you are looking for basic cover or if you are prepared to pay more for treatment in a private hospital.

• Will you have to pay any excess in the event you have to make a claim? This is the first part of any claim that you must pay yourself. For example, if the excess on your policy is €200 and you make a claim for €1,300, you will only receive €1,100 from your insurer if your claim is successful.

• Which cover is best suited to your stage of life? If you plan on having a family you may be interested in maternity benefits. Some packages are better suited to families than others.

Always be aware of the conditions of your cover and any restrictions that apply before you sign up to a policy.

Check out the cost comparison on the Health Insurance Authority website to view and compare the benefits of all private health insurance plans available in the Irish health insurance market.

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therapeutic conversation • My conversations: Thinking and planning ahead • Would you like to be buried with my people? – Everything you ever wanted to know about funerals but were afraid to ask.

Forum 2015 is open to interested members of the public as well as healthcare professionals.

To book a place go to: www.hospicefoundation.ie or call 01 679 3188

50+ volunteers need for Trinity research Trinity College NEIL Memory Research Unit are interested in finding out about how brain processes, such as memory and attention, are influenced by various aspects of people’s day to day life.

They want to find out more about how the things we do from day to day affect how we remember as we get older.

They want to develop ways to help people to protect their memory and other aspects of brain function as they age.

In order to do this, they need volunteers to take part in research.

If you are interested in hearing more about taking part contact: NEIL Memory Research Unit www.tcd.ie/neuroscience/neil/mru Email: neilmru@tcd.ie Telephone: 01 8964506

The X Factor changed her life.

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Mary, 54, says: “I was caught in a vicious circle. The pain brought on depression, and that coupled with the arthritis left me feeling terrible.

The pain was so bad I didn’t want to get out of the bed at all in the mornings. Not any more. Now I’m even dancing again, and I don’t remember the last time I took a painkiller. I just apply the gel every morning and night.”

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D RU G - F R

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RELIEVES PAIN, RESTORES MOBILIT Y

Bóthar seeks charity runners for Rwanda next February On Sunday February 22nd 2016, runners and walkers will start their marathon, half marathon or 10k journey taking giant strides in the fight against hunger and poverty and changing the lives of desperately poor families.

Each participant is asked to raise sponsorship of €1,300, which will go directly towards Bóthar’s dairy cow projects in Rwamagana, Rwanda. A further donation is required to pay for flights, food, accommodation and general study tour costs. All information about this event is available by contacting the Race Co-ordinator, Niamh Mulqueen.

Every runner who takes part will be making a difference to the very people who’ll be cheering them on along the route. It will be something very special to be a part of. Places are limited to 15 people so early booking is advisable.”

The families that take part in the Bóthar programme must agree to pass-on the first female offspring from their animal to another family and so the effect of the donation is multiplied over and over.

Up to now, most of these families have been surviving on fruit and vegetables they can grow themselves. Many would not be able to send their children to school as they could not afford to buy copy-books or pencils and most mothers rely heavily on their children to help them fetch water and work the land during the day.

the 1740s to the 1880s, they cover 1,091 parishes throughout the island of Ireland, and consist primarily of baptismal and marriage records.

This is the most significant ever genealogy project in the history of the NLI. The microfilms have been available to visitors to the NLI since the 1970s.

However, their digitisation means that, for the first time, anyone who likes will be able to access these registers without having to travel to Dublin.

Typically, the parish registers include information such as the dates of baptisms and marriages, and the names of the key people involved, including godparents or witnesses. The digital images of the registers will be searchable by parish location only, and will not be transcribed or indexed by the NLI.

Are ‘silver surfers’ on the rise in Ireland?

A recent report It provides an overview of some key findings on internet usage among older people in Ireland, for example, did you know that 42% of 55-64 year olds use Facebook? Mobile? Also, it looks at some of the online tools available to assist older people with navigating the web. For more information visit: www.homecaretogether.ie/personal-care.html

Aid for enlarged prostate

European Parliament Interest Group at carers meeting in Brussels

Fundraising support is available to anyone who registers. Contact Niamh Mulqueen on 1850 82 99 99 or email niamh@bothar.ie

National Library to launch new online genealogy resource

Pictured after the meeting were from left, Diarmaid O’Sullivan, The Carers Association, Marian Harkin MEP and Paul O’Mahony, The Carers Association

Almost 400,000 images of Catholic parish register microfilms are to be available online for free from 8th July 2015.

The entire collection of Catholic parish register microfilms held by the National Library of Ireland (NLI)<http://www.nli. ie> will be made available online – for free – from 8th July 2015 onwards. On that date, a dedicated website will go live, with over 390,000 digital images of the microfilm reels on which the parish registers are recorded.

The NLI has been working to digitise the microfilms for over three years under its most ambitious digitisation programme to date.

The parish register records are considered the single most important source of information on Irish family history prior to the 1901 Census. Dating from

Members of carers groups from Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Westmeath, Mayo and Leitrim attended a recent meeting of the European Parliament Interest Group on Carers in Brussels . The topic of discussion was ‘Family v State responsibility for long term care across the EU – the feasibility of one model?’.

Members of the groups had an opportunity to speak about their personal experiences and the obstacles they face as carers. Their visit was facilitated by Marian Harkin MEP who co-chaired the meeting which was attended by representatives of The Carers Association; Eurocarers; European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) and Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE).

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Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), more commonly known as enlarged prostate, is a very common condition affecting approximately 50% of men over the age of 50. The condition is linked with the swelling of the prostate gland located at the base of the bladder, due to an increase in cells, and can be extremely uncomfortable to live with.

There are a number of ways to treat BPH and the approach is likely to differ depending on the severity of the condition.

A recent long-term study by Slovenian urologists showed the efficacy and safety of drug with Saw Palmetto plant extract in patients with mild to moderate BPH. The conclusions were clear – the 12 months treatment against enlarged prostate with Saw Palmetto berries, used to make A.Vogel’s Prostosan capsules, revealed an improvement both in the International Prostate Symptom Scores and the Uroflow measurements after only 6 months and continuous improvement until the end of the study.

There was no further prostate growth during the treatment and the results also showed that unlike medicines for BPH prescribed by doctors, Prostasan does not cause erectile dysfunction or decrease of libido.

The product is available in many pharmacies and health shops.

For more information contact: Wholefoods Wholesale | Unit 3 Kylemore Ind Estate | Killeen Rd Dublin 10. Tel: (01) 6262315 www.wholefoods.ie

Music

As The Eurovision Song Contest celebrates its 60th birthday, Shay Healy recalls his triumph as the writer of Johnny Logan’s winning What’s Another Year

The night I won the Eurovision Song Contest!

Shay Healy acknowledges the rapturous audience

As the ‘what’s’ Another Year’ plane took off for Amsterdam I found myself in an unusual situation. As well as being the songwriter of Ireland’s entry to the contest, by default I had become Press Officer for the RTE delegation so I was obliged to present the best side of the Irish team and to stay close to Johnny Logan in case he hit any snags.

Turkish delight

We soon discovered that we were tipped as possible winners of the competition, but I dismissed the idea and settled down to an intense week of dinners, receptions and parties.

It’s mad to think that the Eurovision Song Contest is 60 this year! Historically, the contest still has no peers and over those sixty years has seen the pictures go from black and white to vivid color, from analogue to digital, from electricians climbing up on a ladder, to the computerised mega show it is today.

Sadly in 1981 orchestras were phased out and replaced with backing tracks. I hate backing tracks in competition because everything is too rigid. No natural swing. Metronome is King and that’s not good for music.

The word spread: every night, in the run up to the final, the lounge in the hotel was jammed with Andy filtering through the good singers, playing a blinder. He looked like he was about 11 and innocent. No way! But who was that standing behind the piano. Why it’s Louis Walsh, the man who discovered Johnny Logan. Wondered what became of him?

Besides the excitement singers with orchestra would give the judges a better chance to compare songs and find a worthy winner.

We satisfied ourselves that the technical requirements for our song and our lighting cues were correct and then called for conductor Noel Kelehan who raised his baton and conducted us into the pub next door. Which became a regular stopover for us for the rest of the week.

Another important item on the agenda was, which country would have the best craic and Ireland off to a glorious start.

With Johnny Logan’s piano player, Andy O Callaghan at the 6 Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

piano, we had a talented, consummate musician who knows so many songs, from Skibbereen to Status Quo. Dymphna my wife, was the first to make friends with the Turkish delegation. We were delighted to find out that they were just like us! The Turks gave up on her name, and rechristened her Dumptruck. We happily stayed up till dawn, drinking and carousing with our new best friends.

When we first arrived in The Hague people were getting a laugh from a t-shirt I was wearing, which said on the back ‘IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT I WIN THIS CONTEST’. Roy Esmonde our photographer friend suggested that we should do a thumbs -down pic in case we lost, and a thumbs-up in case we won.

Back at home all our families were gearing up to watch the show. I was particularly anxious about my dad, who had suffered a minor heart attack two weeks prior to the contest so he was being minded. And then suddenly it’s on. You’re here and the contest is on in a couple of hours, the place is alive, with everybody from stagehands to the orchestra brass section, all contributing their own small tile to the mosaic of the whole picture.

I suddenly remember there were 24 other writers feeling the same as me. We found out that although the Eurovision is a

Dana, Ireland’s first winner in 1970

Johnny gave a flawless performance and on cue he stood up from the stool and the boy became a man.

The most famous Eurovision winners, Abba.

They triumphed in 1974

song contest, the writer is neglected and left almost excluded.

Enough of the complaining, let’s go up to the auditorium. The Halle de Congress was a vast space. Johnny sat at the edge of the stage, in jeans and jumper noting the people coming in so that he could have some mental picture of his audience when he sang and had to face the bright lights. The only bit of advice I gave to Johnny was, ‘Stay on your stool until you reach the ending of the sax solo …and go for go for it on the last verse.

Johnny gave a flawless performance and on cue he stood up from the stool and the boy became a man.

The place went bonkers! On stage there was lots of huggin’ and muggin’ through a maelstrom of producers, performers and musicians, Johnny and myself in the middle of it all. Then Johnny reprised the song, to an even greater reaction from the crowd, and then he whispered the unforgettable line ‘Ireland I love you’.

It was a rude surprise to find that Johnny had been swept off in a sea of flashbulbs and television cameras, and I was dragged upstairs to do an interview live on the air. When I got back down, the party was gone. I made several attempts to find them, only to see them passing by in another corridor 40

feet away from me and by the time I got down that corridor, they were gone again.

I decided to abandon it and I set off to walk across this huge plaza and I could see the red light of the hotel that was housing the CBS winners party. An along the way I bumped into Pat Kenny and the late Aine O’Connor. We sat down on the side of the road and giggled like children. Security was tight and I almost wasn’t allowed in, because I was the writer. There was a slot outside the door into which you would slide an identity card. Inside four or five other CBS Artists, were carelessly thrown on the floor, discarded. That’s showbiz. I finally linked up with the gang back at the hotel, Irish people drove from miles around and Mossy Stack from Tralee came on the four hour trip from Belgium. He was in plenty time, the sing song was only getting going. Across the room I’d lock eyes with Johnny for just a second, which was binding us together as Shakespeare said ‘With hoops of steel, we would always be brothers from now on.

The next night at the Ambassador’s residence, with far too many vodka and oranges in me already, I still insisted that I was going to make a speech. In the middle of the speech I began to cry, when I remembered something my 11 year old Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 7

Shay, Johnny and the evergreen Larry Gogan

Read all about it..Shay with his late father

son Oisin, had said to me, ‘Dad, what’s it like being a star, and having a son who is a diabetic?’ Cue tears. I cried and I cried so they all shouted at me and went off and left me. My brother Fin was the only one loyal enough to stay. Now it was two real brothers, locked into an emotional embrace. My brother steered me into a small dark pub and we sat at the bar and drank more vodka.

Nothing could dissuade my brother from buying a teddy bear as a memento of two brothers on the lash. When the deal was concluded, we realised that the arse was already burnt out of the teddy!

Amsterdam airport was hopping after Johnny’s victory, with the new found freedom to spend. I bought several gadgets.

Myself and Dumptruck didn’t hear the call for our plane until the very last minute when we were forced to run down the corridor, on this mad dash. DD ran into a plane of glass and cut herself badly on the head, but we still had to hustle her onto the plane with a towel wrapped around her head. Needless to say the rest of the troop didn’t let us off lightly. Then as 8 Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

we were about 20 minutes out from Dublin, I felt a tug on my sleeve from my brother with the squashed teddy bear. I leaned forward to him and I asked ‘what’s up’ to which he replied, ‘I wish the merry-go-round didn’t have to stop’. He was right, it was only starting.

RTE had a limo waiting for us, full of champagne. As press officer for the Irish delegation I announced a Press Call at which Minister P Flynn was presiding. Out the front, Johnny was being mobbed, the place was mayhem. The nice people from RTE told us there was a limo waiting for us outside the back. We were determined to go straight to Vincent’s Hospital, casualty, but we managed to side track the driver, to swing

by Madigan’s in Donnybrook. When we walked in the door, the whole pub rose and gave us a standing ovation.

That night a welcome home party was held, in Portmarnock Country Club, it was one of the first places in Ireland to have a big screen and it was a significant week also, for soap operas in Ireland. JR Ewing had just been shot in Dallas and the whole nation was trying to guess who was the culprit. Some genius

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After winning the National Song Contest, a rare shot of Shay, Johnnie Logan and Larry Gogan, with backing group from left Ann Bushnell, the late Pat Reilly, centre, and Rita Madigan

Disappointment in 1984...Linda Martin,with writer of Terminal Three, Johnny Logan, were pipped by three points by Sweden

had the idea of marrying two special moments on the television and in life. And so we celebrated, Johnny Logan singing What’s Another Year rotating with a clip of JR Ewing being gunned down in Dallas. And the rest of the evening we saw JR being shot followed by Johnny Logan saying Ireland I love you, followed by JR again..

Disappointment

The Eurovision song contest can be a terrible disappointment.

Fast forward to 1984 and Linda Martin is representing Ireland singing a song written by Johnny Logan, Terminal Three was a famous member of the show band Chips and her fella at the time, Paul Little, was quietly confident. We were sitting in the auditorium when the contest began, and as we got to the end of the voting process, it looked like we would be winners. I even leaned across my wife to Johnny ‘This is your real 10 Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

destiny’, until up popped three little Swedish blond boys, in their cutsie trousers and tops. The Herreys from Sweden beat us by three points! Luxembourg Square was the saddest place in the world and robbed of all the adrenaline of the night before, we collapsed onto the bus and headed for home, just one step away from greatness for a second time. I later heard this story from Tony Woolcott who was the managing director of CBS records: ‘Myself and one of the other executives had taxied out onto the runway of Heathrow airport, ready to take the private jet for the one hour jaunt to a victorious Linda.

When I found out she hadn’t won, they turned the plane around and put it back in the hangar’.

Happy 60th Eurovision, I enjoy you now on a different level. I am astounded and delighted and love the flamboyance and the gaiety.

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Travel

All you’ll want in Nantes John Low was impressed by the city at the mouth of the Loire

The oh-so-elegant Place Graslin with the 18th century theatre in the background

London, Paris, Prague, Rome.. all are among the most popular, interest-packed city breaks, but another destination is rapidly gaining a justified reputation as an exhilarating centre for spending three or four days: Nantes in Brittany. Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly there from Dublin and the journey takes little over an hour.

A city of around 300,000, Nantes sits near the mouth of the mighty Loire, France’s longest river and is the centre of the region which produces the acclaimed Muscadet wine. It was formerly known as ‘the Venice of the West’ because it was criss-crossed by canals and inlets of the Loire, but for health reasons the waterways running through the city were drained in the 1920’s, their legacy still visible here and there with grass banks and wide boulevards.

The spectacular Passage Pommeraye covered arcade which is being renovated to its 1843 Belle Époque glory

Nantes has all you would want and expect from a city break: a medieval heart, The Bouffay, where I stayed, with its maze of twisting alleyways, a good selection of restaurants and bars and boutiques and craft shops; the elegant squares and shopping areas of the more upmarket Graslin quarter, with the spectacular Passage Pommeraye covered

arcade which is being renovated to its 1843 Belle Époque glory; and of course more historic attractions than you will have to time to see, unless you are staying for a week or more and using the city as a base for further travels in the region. To ensure you visit as many sites as you wish, the tourist people have painted helpful green lines on the pave

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ments which you can follow, or deviate from, at will. Add some fine museums (the Jules Verne Museum celebrating one of Nantes’s most famous sons, is a ‘must’), art galleries, gardens, parks, and a superb, cheap public transport system, based largely on frequent, Luas-type trams -- the city is extremely pedestrian friendly -- and you have

The Chateau Des Ducs De Bretagne is a ‘must’ on any itinerary and has a fine, reasonably priced restaurant in its courtyard.

more than enough to occupy you for a number of days.

Above all the city tingles with an artistic energy which is infectious, and even though Nantes is a very much a ‘fun’ place for the younger set -- there are over 50,000 students from the university -- you will find yourself engaged by the friendliness of the people and the ingenuity and sheer creativity of what’s been achieved in the last 10 years or so.

Artistic installations in public places seem to spring up overnight: one day you will see a team of workers with drills and cranes positioning lengths of spike-ended timber into metal sockets; the next day their work becomes a huge porcupine on the banks of the Loire; admire the stunning facade of the 18th-century Theatre Graslin in Place Graslin with its seven Corinthian columns, return a day or so later and the portico could be back-dropped with multi-coloured, shimmering panels.

But the greatest achievement and success of modern Nantes has to be the Ile De Nantes Quarter which is an island, circled by two stretches of the Loire, on the Southside of the city. This is a vast, on-going, regeneration project on 350

hectares of land which formerly housed ship building yards, factories and warehouses. The set-piece is a huge arts and events centre, workshops and studios, strikingly accommodated in the frame of the ship building shed. Elsewhere there are random open spaces, apartment blocks, hi-tech corporate buildings, picnic areas, bicycle tracks, wild gardens, cafes and restaurants. The La Cantine du Voyage is housed in a temporary structure constructed from industrial greenhouses and represents great value for a bite: for just €10 you get a salad, chicken and potatoes, and glass of wine, or beer or a soft drink; the same menu will cost you €13 in the evening.

There are more eateries nearby in what used to be a banana warehouse.

and not scary or dangerous: when I was there most of the visitors spectating from suspended chairs were well on the other side of 60. Across the way you can ride on the most spectacular carousel, with its three levels representing the ocean floor, the water and the sea and boats.

The star attraction of the island is the great mechanical elephant: 12 metres high, it carries 49 passengers as it lumbers around the open spaces, screeching and belching plumes of steam from its trunk. It’s a ‘creature’ which could have been invented by Leonardo da Vinci, or dreamed up, appropriately, by Jules Verne. It’s not a one off: a ‘zoo’ gallery in a hot house is inhabited by real plants and animals and visitors can ride a giant ‘insect’. Don’t worry, it’s all good fun

The Chateau Des Ducs De Bretagne.

Known locally as ‘the castle’. It dates from the 15th century and is the last castle on the Loire before the river reaches the sea. There is a fine museum inside and there are audio guides. The courtyard is particularly attractive with a fine restaurant.

The area takes on a new life at night, the atmosphere fuelled by the banter from bars, cafes and restaurants and some particularly attractive and ingenious lighting features. A great place to have a meal, or just a coffee or a glass of wine as you observe from the banks of the Loire.

Recommended to visit:

Jardin De Plantes. The city is well served by parks and gardens but this is the most interesting and impressive and

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The Jules Verne Museum on the banks of the Loire, backdropped by the splendid spire of St Anns Church.

Cathedral of Saint-Pierre and Saint – Paul: its massive knave rises almost 40 metres – higher than Notre Dame in Paris.

admission is free. It is set in 7 hectares and boasts over 10,000 species. It is ranked in the top four of French public gardens and has an internationally acclaimed collection of camellias.

Cathedral of Saint-Pierre and Saint – Paul. This is a stunning building with dual towers and a massive knave which rises almost 40 metres – higher than Notre Dame in Paris. The interior is simple and elegant and free of ostentation.

Le Lieu Unique This is another arts area on the conjunction of the river and an old canal near the Bouffay district of the Loire and should be on your itinerary. It is an arts centre, with a theatre, shops, bars and a restaurant in what used to be a biscuit factory whose eccentric tower is a city landmark. The tower is closed at present but should be open again by the end of the year.

House on the Loire, one of the many intriguing installations on the Estuary Arts Trail

Trentemoult Quarter Just across the river from Nantes and well worth visiting after a 10 minute ferry journey is Trentemoult. Originally a fishing village it is now a popular riverside marina with bars and restaurants, and is characterised by its brightly painted cottages with picket fences

Estuary arts trail This is a highly recommended 60km river excursion from Nantes to Saint Nazaire.

It takes about two hours and offers an excellent opportunity to appreciate the power and the beauty of the Loire as it snakes seaward, widening all the way, always revealing something different

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around the next bend. But it’s more than a pleasant river trip: the journey is enlivened by 29 large scale installations and sculptures and constructions on both banks; among the most quirky is a half-submerged house, a ‘sea serpent’ modelled from Wavin-type piping, a boat bent over the side of a jetty as if made

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The tower of the former biscuit factory in the Le Lieu Unique area

La Cigale Restaurant with its stunning décor

of rubber and a pendulum swinging from a cement silo. (www.estuaire.info)

white aprons adding to the period atmosphere. Not cheap, but not expensive by top fine dining Irish standards, and this is emphatically fine dining. Expect to pay €50 per head with wine. Booking essential.

Les Oubliettes, the restaurant in the courtyard of the Chateau Des Ducs De Bretagne. Lunch only, but great atmosphere and good, reasonably priced food. A sun trap and magical on a nice day – you won’t want to leave.

Le Select on Ru du Chateau. An ordinary looking bistro from the outside but with a distinctly eccentric interior décor bordering on the kitsch. Good selection of dishes at reasonable prices.

Restaurant le Lieu Unique, the restaurant in the Le Lieu Unique Arts Centre.

Large, Informal and reasonably priced with also tables outside facing the canal.

No booking. Gets busy, arrive by 7.30.

The only downside to this trip is that you have to spend a good few hours in Saint Nazaire which is not the most interesting place in Brittany; it was almost bombed to destruction during WW2 and is now largely characterised by bland 1950s and 60s boulevards. Oh, and don’t go on a Sunday, or you may find it difficult to find a restaurant which is neither closed nor booked out.

Pornic Well worth a day trip by bus which takes just an hour. This is a very popular, attractive seaside town buzzing with life and with a great choice of restaurants.

Some interesting walks and there is a British military cemetery minutes from the quayside.

Eating out There are numerous restaurants of all types around the city to meet varying tastes and pockets, with what appears to be a disproportionate amount of crepe and pizza eateries, probably catering for the huge population of students. For what it’s worth I will recommend four restaurants: La Cigale in Place Graslin. This is not a novel choice as it is a Nantes institution, its breath-taking, listed interior featuring 19th century ceramics and mosaics.

This is very much a restaurant for a special occasion or perhaps your last night, with the immaculately-clad waiters and waitresses in their black livery and long,

More information

There are three tourist offices in the centre of the city, but you can get more information by visiting nantes-tourisme.com.

Email: info@nantes-tourisme.com Tel: 0033 272 640479 Passe Nante You can buy a Pass Nante for one, two or three days , which will save you plenty if you intend using public trans-

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

port frequently and you are interested in visiting as many historic attractions as possible. You can buy these passes at any of the tourist offices.

Accommodation I stayed at the Park & Suites Elegance on rue des Petites Ecuries in the Bouffay quarter, literally yards from the Bouffay tram stop. This is a basic, clean and very reasonable, no-frills hotel where you can get a twin bed or double and breakfast from around €60 pps a night. Each room has a small kitchenette so you can also cater for yourself. Recommended. (Tel: 0033 228081020).

Nantes Tourism will provide you with a full list of accommodation choices.

Ask about the special three nights for the price of two package which they organise.

Getting there Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com) fly from Dublin to Nantes. A shuttle bus runs from the airport to the city centre every 20 minutes.

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Once, or more, nightly..

Nigel Baxter talks to Brendan Grace who has become ambassador for men over 50 who might be suffering from or at risk of BPH (Benign prostatic hyperplasia) or enlarged prostate, in partnership with GSK and under the campaign tag line: ‘Are you more than a once a night man?’

In the guise of his character Bottler, Brendan Grace runs around in short pants, but the man himself has come to terms with no longer being a schoolboy. In fact, he loves it.

“I am a senior citizen,” he says at one point, referring to his 64 years spent on the planet, most of them in show business. And by God, does he love show business. “Every single show in your life, it was the same thing as

George Burns used to say and he lived until he was 100: it’s a rehearsal for the next one,” he says. “I’ve learned to take better care of my health, I’ve learned to realise that a social drink is better than giving it a lash, and that being a grandfather and grandparents, we have more time to spend with each other and with the grandkids. And the one thing I have discovered is that I just love show business, and I would not never give it up under any circumstances.”

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

That will come as music to the ears of his legions of fans both here and overseas, who have been entertained by the Dubliner for more than four decades. It has almost been a career in two parts: the early decades from the point he entered showbiz in the late Sixties through to his enormous popularity in the Eighties, and then, at a point when other comedians might have started to wonder if they were being overtaken by younger counterparts, along came the role of a lifetime. Brendan became Fr Fintan Stack, the nefarious, Jungle Music-loving priest thrust into the parochial house on Craggy Island, a thorn in the side of Fr Ted until he comes to a sticky - or at the very least, hairy - end.

“It exposed me to a whole new set of people, it was totally and absolutely different,” Brendan says of the Fr Ted experience. “It’s surprising how many thousands of people from different nationalities who wouldn’t know who Brendan Grace is from Adam, but they do know I’m the priest with the jungle music. I find that fabulous.

“Being the age I am, people will often come up to me, say when I’m travelling abroad and with ex-pats, and they’ll say, ‘Jeez, you’re a legend’. I used to joke ‘I’m not old enough to be a legend’, but Jaysus, I am now.”

The Fr Ted fork in the road was matched by a personal decision not long before, at the beginning of the Nineties, to move with his family to America.

Brendan recalls meeting Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Junior at an earlier stage and it being Sinatra’s manager who “made me an offer I couldn’t refuse”.

The chance to live and do shows in the United States necessitated a family meeting at which the Graces decided they would “give it two years” and see how they got on. They’ve never looked back.

Now a long-time resident of Florida, Brendan has had a chance to compare how our American cousins treat their senior citizens, in contrast to the Irish perception.

“They have more respect in the slightly more mature person,” he reckons of life in America. He says he is a member of a countrywide club for senior citizens in the US, meaning tours and tips

on staying fit and healthy, although he firmly believes his own health benefits from the time spent in Florida rather than when he spends time back in the old sod.

“I’m healthier over there,” he says. “I swim more, I eat more vegetables, more fish, I go to bed earlier, and I drink less.

Over here in Ireland - which I love by the way - I am back to the curry, fish and chips, every petrol station in Ireland is stuffed with Cadburys Snack and Walnut Whip and Yorkie bars. Over there they have Hershey’s [chocolate] and that stuff but compared to Cadburys, it doesn’t tempt me.” He also has another recipe for staying young: “I hang around with younger people.”

He includes his wife of 41 years, Eileen, in this category. As he speaks on the phone, lobbing out the occasional one-liner, he is in on-off dialogue with his wife who is in another part of the house. It’s almost like a double act, and the mutual affection is clear. “It’s important to have a wife who is very youthful,” he says, adding: “I’m saying that because she’s listening to me.

“There was a time in our life when we were the youngest couple going out at night or weekends. Now we’re the eldest. I have a great relationship with my children, who are very concerned with my wellbeing. In general there are rewards in the fact that I can choose to work when I do.

“Always and the same I live for it [show business] but I am more choosy now than I was at the beginning. I pick the work that suits me the best and I still have no problem with travelling distances.” There’s a laugh in the distance.

“And my new roadie is after telling me ‘that’s for sure’,” he chortles, referring to his wife.

sixties. The campaign aims to get men to have the issue seen to before it becomes a bigger problem.

“They decided they wanted somebody well known to put the message across because it’s such a serious thing,” Brendan says. “There’s also an element of tongue in cheek about ‘once a night’, probably to get the point across and especially from me, who was once a priest.”

Well, Fr Stack certainly had a collar, but a saintly scholar he was not. Brendan, however, has learned some lessons in life. “I’ve always said there is nothing that beats experience, there’s never a day in my life when I don’t learn something new.”

But the years still have a way of catching up with you in some ways.

Brendan admits to feeling “exhausted” just watching some younger comics go through their routines. “I have evolved into a less agile comedian,” he says, “I sit down now and I do a storytelling exercise.” In fact, his daughter, Amanda, recently likened him to “a 21st century seanchai”. He certainly likes that idea, almost as much as - get this, gents - he likes shopping.

“Most men hate it,” he says cheerily. “I will go in with a trolley and I enjoy looking at all the goods, I also love the dollar store, like the pound shop. At that point my wife says I’m on my own.

“A couple of years ago, I was checking out stores in Florida, and the guy said ‘seniors today get 20% off’. I kind of said to myself, ‘does he think I’m a senior?’

When I got to the till he said ‘can I see your ID?’. I said, ‘first of all you insult me, and now you’re adding to insult by asking for ID!’ He gave me the 20% anyway.”

His plan for the future is quite straightforward: carry on doing what he loves with the people he loves.

“I am going to try and get another 40 years with this woman,” he says, referring once again to Eileen. “I do a lot of travelling and I enjoy it, I want to keep on enjoying what I do.

One thing Brendan has decided to take on is a role as ambassador for men over 50 who might be suffering from or at “When we moved to America first we risk of BPH (Benign prostatic hyperplawere 20 years married, now we’re 41 sia) or enlarged prostate. In partnership years. My sons were going out to school with GSK and under the campaign tag over there and their friends used to line: “Are you more than a once a night question them: ‘Do you meant to say man?” the campaign aims to get men of you have same mother and father for 20 a certain age to become aware of the years?’ Over there it was unheard of. problem and have it seen to at an early stage, and certainly not to allow and “We had wonderful 41st wedding discomfort or possible embarrassment anniversary, and for her 45th, I’m buying Down wasMen built theless ancient Hill ofaDown inIthe to holdCathedral them back. areonalso her halo.” joke12th that he might find century.

It has some marvellous stained glass windows and hasdollar stores that he likely to go to the doctor with women, one in one of the recently been renovated was officially reopened on last St“You never know,” he yet one-in-three men willand experience likes to frequent.

Patrick’ssymptoms Day by the Archbishop urinary related to BPHofinCanterbury. their says. “They probably have one.”

Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 19

Skincare

Save Our Skin

There are dozens of lotions and potions out there which all claim to slow down the ravages of time. But which of them work? Mairead Robinson investigates.

A Nivea study found that the simple act of smiling takes an average of two years off a person’s age. The study asked 2,000 people to estimate the age of 12 females in photographs showing three distinct emotion states - happy, neutral and sad. It found that emotion had a significant effect on age estimations with happy faces perceived as younger than neutral, and neutral faces younger than sad.

How to look and feel your best during the summer months ahead.

Mairead Robinson offers some suggestions.

Like most women who have seen their 50th birthday come and go, I have looked into the mirror and wondered ‘what happened’? It seems just a few years ago that I was a busy working woman, and a ‘yummy mummy’ (or so I thought!), part of the generation who had it all, and knew so much more than our parents did even though they had lived through a world war rather than a hippy revolution of love, peace and music!

But Tempus Fugite, as it says on the

A Nivea study found that the simple act of smiling takes an average of two years off a person’s age.

The study asked 2,000 people to estimate the age of 12 females in photographs showing three distinct emotion states - happy, neutral and sad. It found that emotion had a significant effect on age estimations with happy faces perceived as younger than neutral, and neutral faces younger than sad.

grandfather clock presented to my own grandfather many years ago which now sits proudly in my own house, having moved from his, to my mother’s and then to mine. I suspect in some year’s time it will find a new home in my own daughter’s house!

While nostalgia is one thing, there is nothing sweet or sentimental about wrinkles, as any woman knows. As men get older they are often described as ‘distinguished’ while no such noble term is applied to the fairer sex. And so in

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

our bid to prove ourselves younger, sexier and more vibrant than the old grey haired granny image, we fall prey to the multi-million Euro beauty industry in search of the illusive elixir of youth. But what a confusing world we find ourselves in, with products aimed at women in their twenties as well as those decades older, all claiming to be ‘anti-aging’. I have discussed many products and treatments in previous articles on this topic, but in this feature I am looking at the main products that work and the science behind them.

Cosmetics and Beauty No 7 Advanced Serum

DD Crème from Nuxe Paris

Hard facts Let’s start with the hard facts. The menopause brings with it a drastic hormonal change in the body, and this results in a loss of supportive fat below the skin of the face, neck, arms and hands, allowing sagging wrinkles to appear. Lowered oestrogen levels result in less production and repair of collagen and elastin in the dermis of the skin. The challenge for the beauty industry is to produce products that can be used topically which will reduce this age-related damage, without people having to resort to the knife. The good news is that science is busy working on the case, and we are seeing more and more effective products appearing in the market on a regular basis.

getting better with continued use. I loved the luxurious silky texture of this serum and an amazing 80% of women have said that this serum provided the best ever anti-ageing results they had ever seen! An industry first, the experts at No7 have proved that the product delivers exceptional ground-breaking performance with results that get better over time.

One of the latest additions to Ireland’s youth enhancing skin care range is Skinician Pro-Radiance Enzyme Peel –an ‘advanced’ anti-aging peel that will enhance cell renewal to give a smoother, younger and healthier appearance while reducing the levels and passion fruit. Best used once a week as part of your facial routine.

With serum being the product every woman needs to be using now under her moisturiser if she wants to firm, brighten and tighten her skin, it is vital to choose one that really delivers when it comes to lifting and improving the appearance of fine lines. It is also vital to use a good eye cream to target the eye area, and keep the moisturiser away from the delicate eye area. Nuxe Merveillance Expert range of moisturiser, eye cream and serum have discovered that just like collagen and elastic, vimentin is a key protein in the skin’s youthful appearance. Daylily and Mimosa of Constantinople – plant extracts contained in the Merveillance formula – target these three proteins to help fight the appearance of visible lines and loss of firmness.

Another exciting new product I just discovered is from Boots No 7 range, and it is their Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum. This is for more advanced signs of ageing and is clinically proven to be even more effective at visibly reducing deep lines and wrinkles with independent trials showing younger looking skin in just two weeks. By four weeks deep lines and wrinkles are visibly reduced and results keep

The moisturiser, with day lily oleo-active, fills in and firms the skin to correct visible lines. I am a great fan of Nivea Q10 Plus range, and was very interested in hear of their latest study which revealed that the simple act of smiling takes an average of two years off a person’s age! While I have always maintained that a smile is nature’s most effective face-lift, this study made me smile even more.

Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 21

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream

Bioderma Sensibio

Ren Renewal Mask

The study asked 2,000 people to estimate the age of 12 females in photographs showing three distinct emotion states - happy, neutral and sad. It found that emotion had a significant effect on age estimations with happy faces perceived as younger than neutral, and neutral faces younger than sad. Positive psychologist Miriam Akhtar explains: ‘We often draw on multiple cues to estimate someone’s age but when a person’s face is the only immediate information available, the facial expressions have a real impact. The long and the short of it is that smiling faces appear to be more attractive, and attractiveness is associated with youth. There’s a lot to be said for smiling and helping you look younger is just one of the benefits. Happy people experience a whole host of advantages from greater vitality and longevity to greater success in life.

They are more popular, sociable, confident and generous and smiling is the universal sign of happiness. What’s more, smiling reduces stress, releases endorphins and relaxes the body so we look and feel less tired and worn-out. Regular exercise of the facial muscles, which smiling does, also helps by increasing blood circulation to the face which can make us look more youthful.”

Now if that news does not make you smile, nothing will!

Success of Bioderma range A new range of anti-aging products that has enjoyed phenomenal success worldwide with one bottle being sold every three seconds, has just been launched in Ireland this month.

Bioderma is a leading French derm-cosmetics brand dedicated to understanding how skin reacts and in turn how to protect and regenerate skin cells while treating a wide range of skin conditions.

Of particular interest to our fair Irish complexions is the 22 Senior Times l July-August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Clarins Mission Perfection Serum

Sensibio range which is formulated for all sensitive, prone to rosacea and reactive skin types. I love the Sensibio BB Cream which soothes, hydrates, protects from UV and covers redness.

It smoothes the skin and leaves a velvety finish. The Photoderm sun protection range offers very high protection for sensitive skin and has an anti-shine texture.

Another research project has been undertaken recently by Olay in conjunction with the launch of their Regenerist 3 Point Egenerist Age Defying Cream and delivered at the 23rd World Congress of Dermatology in Vancouver last month. This study revealed a unique skin ‘fingerprint’ in women who look exceptionally younger than their actual age.

‘What’s exciting about these findings is that the genes that make up the unique skin fingerprint of ‘exceptional skin agers’ may hold the key to successful ageing. Decoding which pathways they affect, and understanding why they are acting differently in these women, “ nature or nurture”, can enable Olay researchers to help more women achieve skin that looks like the exception, not the rule, at any stage of life,’ said Dr. Rosemarie Osborne, Procter & Gamble (P&G) Beauty Research Fellow. Some of the key ingredients in Olay Regenerist’s ‘skin energising technology, Pal-kttks, (peptide), OliveM and Lyslastine have been shown to switch on the gene expression associated with younger-looking skin. Exciting developments indeed. Olay also have a range of anti-wrinkle day creams designed for specific requirements and include instant hydration for age 25+ to tackle the first signs of ageing, Firm & Lift for women 40+, Pro Vital for age 55+ to combat even the deepest wrinkles and Sensitive & Natural for the most sensitive skin. All have an SPF of 15 and are very well priced at €13.49.

The BioXtra range of mouth care products offers a complete solution to dry mouth that works throughout the day and night.

Ultimate Dry Mouth Relief MOISTURE, COMFORT & PROTECTION For dry, sore or sensitive mouths

The Range Includes: Toothpaste and Mouthrinse for oral hygiene. Foam free toothpaste reduces dryness and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need rinsing from the mouth. The mouthrinse has NO alcohol and leaves the mouth fresh and clean.

Spraygel and Moisturising Gel for instant and long term relief from the effects of dry mouth, perfect for all night comfort - prevents waking to drink water at night. Containing enzymes and proteins similar to those present in natural saliva. The BioXtra products reinforce the natural defences of saliva, which can be deficient in the case of dry mouth.

Prescribed and recommended by doctors and dentists

www.bioxtra.info

Available in your local pharmacy.

La Roche-Posay ‘Fill In’ Care

Excellence Code Crème from Yonka

Dark spots and uneven skin tone Another change in our skin as we get older and that takes away a ‘youthful glow’ is the appearance of dark spots on the face and uneven skin tone. There are creams now that tackle this problem, and a new product from Clarins– Mission Perfection Serum – is the latest in effective treatment for mature skin. At the heart of the skin, ginkgo biloba extract helps to restore luminosity, and on the skin surface, gentle fruit acids reduce the look of pigmentation marks and smooth skin texture to optimize reflection of the light. The result is an illuminated and even skin tone which equals younger looking skin.

Their Super Restorative range of day, night and eye creams are wonderfully nourishing for very mature skin and provide excellent care for women in their 60s and70s. I particularly love the Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate, launched earlier this year, which harnesses the power of plants to nourish the entire eye area. With the eyes being the first cause of concern when it comes to ageing, this product is a complete age-control eye area ‘must-have’.

Exfoliating is a very important part of our beauty regime if we are to keep the dreaded signs of getting older at bay, and celebrated beauty brand Ren have just celebrated 15 years of clean innovation with a supersized 75ml limited edition Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, a Ren hero product brimming with age reversing magic. Wrinkles aren’t the only cause for concern in the battle against ageing - take exfoliation to the next level with Ren’s limited edition Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, containing a potent blend of bio actives to renew the complexion, reduce the appearance of fine lines and dramatically improve skin tone.

Did you know that sensitive skin ages faster than regular skin?

So it is vitally important for women with sensitive skin to choose anti-ageing products that are specifically designed for sensitive skin. Skin inflammation is an increasingly common problem, aggravated by the hostile environment we live in and the daily stresses we endure. This causes inflammation of cells, these cells release inflammatory mediators that lead to the degradation of collagen and elastin. The skin’s ageing process is then accelerated as a result. Wrinkles develop earlier and skin loses firmness. Posay Redermic R from La Roche-Posay, a worldwide leader in dermatological skincare has developed a unique combination of pure retinol with an exclusive Retinol booster complex to enhance efficacy of the formula, while maintaining suitable tolerance on the skin.

Vichy is also a leader in sensitive skin solutions and has introduced the Neovadiol range which is specifically designed 24 Senior Times l July-August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

Neostrata Line Lift

for mature, post-menopausal skin which can suffer from severe dryness, loss of firmness plus reduced radiance and smoothness. Vichy research has discovered that the menopause causes a loss of density plumpness in the skin, due to a reduction in oestrogen and progesterone, disrupting each layer of skin. After the menopause, the skin also loses an average of 57% of its lipids. These lipids are much more than just ‘fat’ –they are biological gold and loosing them results in dry, fragile skin that lacks radiance and feels uncomfortable.

Yon-ka Paris have recently launched their Excellence Code Crème, a new addition to their Age Exception range which is a unique ultra-effective solution for treating all signs of aging.

This top of the range brand can be found in luxury spas and local stockists can be found at www.yonka.ie With four patented active ingredients this new cream, while priced at €150 for 50 ml, is considered a universal solution for mature skin, affected by hormonal changes and a unique ultraeffective solution for treating all signs of aging. So as well as enjoying luxury Yon-Ka facials at your favourite Spa, you can treat yourself at home too.

US brand Neostrata have a glycolic treatment peel which I have found very effective in bringing up a fresher, brighter complexion. Their ‘hero product’ NeoStrata Line Lift Duo, is a two-step treatment specifically designed to target deep expression lines, crow’s feet, the eye area and smoker’s lines.

Every NeoStrata product offers incredible anti-aging and rejuvenating effects thanks to the ground-breaking AHA & PHA technologies discovered by the creators of NeoStrata. You can check out your nearest supplier on www.neostrata.ie With the incredible number of excellent products available to us today and the science behind them ensuring their efficacy, there are many ways at all budgets to ensure that we stay ‘forever young’. And do remember that a smile is nature’s own facelift, and it is free!

Contact me regarding all things beauty and anti-ageing at mairead.seniorbeauty@gmail.com

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WESTBOUND 7nts SOUTHAMPTON > NEW YORK from only

€1220pp

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ON- IT CRED

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UPG

S INCLUIGDHETS ALL FL

so how will you SPEND your TIME on board?

eastBOUND 7nts NEW YORK > southampton from only

ES INCLUD HT ONE NIG Y HOTEL STA

€1185pp

Sailings from July 2015 to January 2016.

ENRICH

RELAX

DANCING

There is a whole world of entertainment on board Queen Mary 2 designed to enrich your mind.

Stroll through the Stars Aboard Gallery to see the famous faces who have sailed Cunard Liners. Not to mention our Cunard Insights program with a wide variety of guest speakers to inspire you.

Immerse yourself completely in the only Canyon Ranch Spa Club at sea with a blissful massage or choose from many other treatments. Or perhaps you’d prefer to engross yourself in a novel from the 8,000 volumes hosted in our library.

Royal night themed balls in the Queens Room Ballroom are your chance to don your formal dancing attire and take to the floor in a sea of glittering ball gowns and tuxedos accompanied by sounds from the marvellous orchestra.

Gentleman hosts stand by to accompany ladies.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ensuite stateroom accommodation Stateroom attendant All meals and snacks onboard 24 hour room service Elegant Afternoon Tea Captains cocktail party High quality live entertainment 3D film screenings and a planetarium Fitness Centre, Swimming Pools, Jacuzzis Dance classes and RADA lessons White Star Service All port taxes and fees Extra nights & flight upgrades available

THEATRE Watch lavish musicals and hi-tech productions performed by the Cunard Royal Dancers and Singers in the elegant two-deck 1,000 seat Royal Court Theatre. Or if you are seeking a quieter evening, sit back and relax with a movie in Illuminations.

MUSIC Enjoy the beautiful sounds from our on board musicians from Jazz to String Quartets, Pianists to Harpists in a variety of times and venues on your voyage.

PLAY Enjoy a flutter in the casino, test your minds in the pub quiz or grab the microphone for a karaoke sing song, there are plenty of ways you can join in and meet other guests.

Call our Irish Cruise Specialists FREE today on 1 800 936 543 Terms & Conditions – www.cruise.co are approved agents of Cunard, operated by Atol 6294. We are fully licensed and bonded by the Commission for Aviation Regulation, License Number T.A.0707 All fares are per person in Euros, based on 2 adults sharing the lowest grade of cabin. Please note prices are correct at the time of going to print and are subject to change and availability.

Deposits paid are non-refundable. Holiday insurance is required. On board spending money and free upgrades are only available on selected sailings and are subject to availability. Cruise Line terms and conditions also apply. www.cruise.co reserve the right to withdraw the offers without prior notice. E&OE. All Flights are based on Dublin and are subject to availability.

Outings

Bringing history to life at Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre

Malahide Castlle

Seven Oaks Hotel Carlow

A medieval castle/fortified townhouse, an early Christian Church, a state of the art Heritage Centre and the Writers’ Gallery with portraits and the work of 45 writers and creative artists from Joyce to Beckett, Binchy, Bono and more… it’s all at the Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre. Actors bring history to life with a fun performance as part of the guided tour.

On the tour you can let your imagination flow. Travel back in time and be enthralled by the extraordinary work of the archer, the cook and the travelling barber-surgeon. You may even try your strength on the longbow, sit in the barber -surgeon’s cart or hear how the Cook makes hedgehog pie.

Admission is only €7.50 per person for a entertaining and unique experience. One leader is free with every 10 admissions.

The tour lasts approximately one hour.

Accessibility: Partial wheel chair access.

The venue can accommodate groups who are unable to go up the stairs to the living quarters by arranging to have some of the tour conducted on the ground floor level. Advance notice is required.

Coach Parking: Available nearby.

Contact: info@dalkeycastle.com www.dalkeycastle.com or telephone 01 2858366.

Seven Oaks: a perfect base for touring the South East With mountains, glorious countryside and river valleys all close at hand, County Carlow is a hidden gem in Irelands sunny south east. Set against a beautiful landscape visitors to Carlow will uncover a great holiday

Dalkey Castlle

experience, exhilarating outdoor adventure, traditional rural life, charming villages, vibrant shopping, superb golfing and a rich cultural heritage.

Nestled in Carlow’s bustling town centre and within short walking distance of Carlow’s new cultural quarter, the Seven Oaks Hotel provides a perfect base for your destination leisure break and in turn a gateway to the beautifully scenic South East region.

Boasting 89 stylishly appointed bedrooms, the Seven Oaks Hotel and Leisure Centre offers a warm, friendly welcome and this coupled with varied sumptuous cuisine, weekly night time entertainment and a full modern leisure and fitness centre even the most discerning guest will be satisfied.

For the green fingered visitor Carlow is synonymous for its many outstanding gardens and award-winning garden and lifestyle centres. Carlow annually host its prestigious Garden Festival featuring many famous gardening personalities visiting gardens and garden centres in Carlow to depart their knowledge and expertise.

With Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford all just a short drive away, visitors can take in day trips to the historic Kilkenny Castle, the fascinating Dunbrody Famine Ship and the renowned Waterford Crystal Visitor centre. The Seven Oaks dedicated staff would be delighted to help organise your itinerary and make your stay in the South East a truly memorable and enjoyable experience.

Contact: Seven Oaks Hotel and Leisure Club, Athy Road, Carlow.

Tel: 059 9131308.

Email: infor@sevenoakshotel.com

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

Malahide Castle : a fascinating history in 26o acres of parkland Malahide Castle has a facinating history and story dating back to the 12th Century, set on 260 acres of parkland, it is one of the oldest castles in Ireland.

The castle had been home to the Talbot family for nearly 800 years from 1174, when Richard Talbot, a knight of Henry 11, accompanied the king to Ireland and was given the ‘lands and harbour of Malahide’ for his ‘war-like’ services in the Anglo-Norman conquest. Eleven years later the castle was built as the family seat, save for ten years when it fell into Cromwell’s clutches.

Today friendly guides and a new interactive exhibition help you explore its rich history and interior. Visit the Oak Room, Small and Great Drawing Rooms, the Great Hall and bedrooms before heading to the Botanical Walled Garden, home to some of the world’s rarest plants. The interactive garden exhibition tells the story of Lord Milo Talbot – the visionary behind this fascinating collection and the last Lord of Malahide who died in 1973. The demesne has marked pathways, a children’s playground, picnic sites, and sports facilities including 9-hole golf course. Back at the castle, a gift shop and Avoca foodhall, café and retail store complete this enchanting daytrip.

Wheelchair access to 1st floor of castle and throughout the visitor centre.

Open daily 9.30am-5pm. Last guided tour of Castle 3.30pm (Nov-Mar). Adult €12, child €6, student €8, senior €7.50.

Family tickets from €26.

dalkeycastle.com

visit

Dalkey Castle Living History Tours Open 6 days a week closed every tuesday MalahideCastle_27thApril.pdf

t 01 285 8366 e info@dalkeycastle.com

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DUBLINS MAGNIFICENT & HISTORIC12TH CENTURY CASTLE Located along Dublin’s beautiful North Coastline, Only 13KM from Dublin City Centre & 10 mintues from Dublin Airport

Shop & Avoca Cafe onsite

Open 9.30 - 4.30pm year round

(Nov - Mar last castle tour is 3.30pm)

Adult €12 Child €6 Senior €7.50 Tel(+353) 1 816 9538

Book Online www.malahidecastleandgardens.ie

27/0

Travel

A dozen ‘dream tickets’ Lorna Hogg suggest some breaks a little less ordinary

Celtic Horizons offers Route 66 in a Ford Mustang, including two nights in Vegas, from 18th September - 1st October,

What’s your dream ticket? It could be from your `bucket list,’ or maybe to follow Route 66, watch a racing or a sporting classic live or see your favourite team from luxury in a VIP box. Perhaps it is connected with your interests - that wine trip, a ballet or opera performance or an outdoor show. However, not all dream tickets are break-the-bank expensive. So if you’re looking for that belated gift, get some inspiration from our dozen dream tickets Get your kicks on Route 66 Nine states, three time zones and 4,000 miles. Albuquerque, Tulsa, Amarillo, all part of the legendary road trip for a generation, which still holds appeal for a generation. Now, it’s possible to do the trip, both by Mustang car or by bike.

Celtic Horizons offers Route 66 in a Ford Mustang, including two nights in Vegas, from 18th September - 1st October, with flights from Dublin, accommodation, car hire, breakfasts and welcome/farewell dinners, plus support vehicles, from €5,969pps.

Pole position Maybe watching fast road action is your choice, and Grand Prix remains top of many wish lists. The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps offers a long GP circuit, good viewer access and, of course, the exhilarating Eau Rouge corner. Travel Department offers a trip from 21st August, 4 star hotel B&B, live action and possible on-site upgrades. Prices from €799. Also, check other Grand Prix deals.

Performance of a lifetime Nothing beats music in the open air under the stars, and live opera in an ancient amphitheatre is special. Topflight

offers the Verona Opera Festival as an add-on to week-end breaks to Verona, or with a trip to nearby Lake Garda, (7 nights, 3 star hotel star hotel and flights - check website for latest prices). This year’s Verona Opera Festival includes Nabucca, Aida and Tosca. Excursion prices, with seating options from €78pp €199pp, include transfers. It’s stone step seating, so bring waterproof and warm clothes, and a cushion!. Operas are lengthy, so arrange for meal, and bring a bottle of water Prices for Lake Garda holidays from €639pps.

Alternately, why not combine the trip with a Tuscan break, spend 7 nights based at Montecatini, visiting Florence, Pisa and Siena? You can enjoy Madame Butterfly at the Puccini Festival, at a lakeside performance at Torre Del Lago.

Tickets from €899, two people sharing, from Travel Department.

Russian ballet on home soil is a mustsee experience, and Travel Department also offers St. Petersburg, with trips to the Winter Palace and Hermitage. Ballet expert Kevin Flanagan is on hand to confer, and you’ll enjoy a performance at the iconic Marinsky Theatre. From €999 including tax, two people sharing.

Field of steam..

It’s been called the most remarkable show on earth. You can see why when you join the 200,000 people on the Dorset Steam Fair’s 600 acres, which is filled with puffing tractors, working farm animals and country crafts. Nostalgia rules, with ancient (working) old breeds, tractors, country crafts, music and great food, over five days. Kavanagh Travel operates trips, from €459, with bus, ferry crossing departing 2nd Sept, 4 nights accommodation B&B and dinner in

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

Bournemouth, and 3 days at the Steam Fair, returning home 6th September.

Dream racers Maybe classic cars are your preference – in which case the Classic Car Show at the NEC in Birmingham is a must visit.

From Porsche to Lamborghinis, Jensens to Austins – they’re all there, `fluttering their headlamps invitingly.’ It’s all a classic car lovers dream, complete with workshops, restorations, rides, car clubs and advice, making it the stuff of dreams. Kavanagh Travel organises a package, €255, departing November 13th, Dublin/Holyhead, coach travel, 2 nights dinner and B&B and a full day at the Show, returning home 15th November.

Vendage vintage Bordeaux – it conjures up pictures of St. Emilion, Chateaux Margaux, and early vendage in the Medoc. See the vineyards for yourself, during vendage, with Travel Department’s `Bordeaux and Armagnac’ Tour. Departing Dublin on 13th September, the seven day tour is accompanied by a wine expert from Mitchell & Co. The trip takes in several properties not normally open to public tours. You will visit, tour, lunch, sample vintages and enjoy the superb surroundings. Highlights- Chateaux Margaux, St. Emilion and several magnificent chateaux. There is also a walking tour of Bordeaux, where you are based, and a visit to Armagnac. Accommodation is in 3 star hotel, B&B and flight ex Dublin is included. €1299.

On the street where you live Another original vintage, Coronation Street, also has some exclusive access right now. Tours of the old set end this year. So, Corrie lovers have one last

BOOK MUSIC NOW AT NETWORK www.musicnetwork.ie Autumn Tours 2015

KATHLEEN MACINNES, DERMOT BYRNE, BRIAN FINNEGAN, MIKE VASS

ZAÏDE QUARTET

Kathleen MacInnes voice Dermot Byrne accordion Brian Finnegan flute / whistle Mike Vass guitar / fiddle

Charlotte Juillard violin Leslie Boulin-Raulet violin Sarah Chenaf viola Juliette Salmona cello

In a specially curated Music Network tour, Hebridean singer Kathleen MacInnes is joined by Donegal accordion maestro Dermot Byrne, flute and whistle player Brian Finnegan and award-winning Scottish guitarist and fiddler Mike Vass.

Prepare to be blown away by the technical brilliance and ineffable élan of the ZaÏde Quartet, a French string quartet in the ascendant. Programme to include Shostakovich, Mozart and Bartók.

8 — 20 September

GOGO PENGUIN

8 — 17 October

BENJAMIN APPL

25 October — 1 November

15 — 23 November

Chris Illingworth piano Nick Blacka double bass Rob Turner drums

Benjamin Appl baritone Gary Matthewman piano

Brace yourself for the rollercoaster ride that is Mercury-nominated UK piano trio GoGo Penguin, an exhilarating jazz-meets-electronica salvo of spacey chords, stuttering break-beats and killer riffs.

The wonderfully charismatic honey-toned German baritone Benjamin Appl presents Labours of the Heart, an evening of well-known Lieder and operatic arias, accompanied by Gary Matthewman, one of Europe’s leading song pianists.

 /musicnetworkireland  @MusNetIrl

Bordeaux – it conjures up pictures of St. Emilion, Chateaux Margaux, and early vendage in the Medoc. See the vineyards for yourself, during vendage, with Travel Department’s `Bordeaux and Armagnac’ Tour.

Departing Dublin on 13th September,

chance to travel to Manchester with Celtic Horizons, via bus and ferry, be greeted by a cast member at their hotel (3 star B&B rate), and enjoy a tour of the set – and the cobbles! The trip also includes a tour of Emmerdale countryside, where the show was originally filmed, and a visit to Cheshire Oaks for some discount shopping. On August 15th, there is a special tour, which will be accompanied by a cast member. There are pick ups in a variety of centres, and prices for the two night package start from €239.

Get in touch with your inner Bear Grylls If you’ve always fancied testing yourself in the wilderness with your bush craft skills, bond with your Dad or Grandad on a course at the Northern Ireland Survival School at Ballymena.

The beautiful game Why not create your own His `n Her package, with a special day out at Manchester United? There is a wide variety of stadium tours available, but you can spoil yourself with a Match day VIP Package. It includes a tour, superb 4 course meal with wine in the comfort of a box offering a view of the game, plus pre and post game analysis. Its smart kit all round for this one. VIP Packages offers deal starting from £249 day package, but final costs will depend on which Premier League game you choose. Travel and transport are not included. There are also packages for other top clubs.

Tickets to ride and view and cheer Keith Prowse has log been the go-to contact for tickets to shows, concerts, but you may not know just how extensive their range has become. They can provide short break trips, London and New York show tickets, sporting fixtures, music events, top garden and racing packages – in fact, you name it, Keith Prowse can organise it.

For that luxury theatre trip, a 2 night stay in a five star London hotel, breakfast and top theatre tickets start currently from €383pps in September – October.

Flights not included.

Armed with a packed lunch and `a good sense of humour!’ you’ll learn to build a shelter, light a fire, carve spoons, forage, and cook in the wild, with an outdoor overnight. The two day Bush craft Seedling course is £155 pps.

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

Check prices and availability before travel. Every effort has been made to check prices and offers at time of going to press. However prices and availability may change. www.traveldepartment.ie www.topflight.ie www.kavanaghtravel.ie www.celtichorizontours.com www.matchdayvip@manutd.com www.nisurvival.co.uk www.keithprowse.ie

GreAt VALUe sOLO FrIeNdLy HOLIdAys travelling on your own? Our solo Friendly holidays have been designed so that you can enjoy all the benefits of a great Travel Department holiday without paying any extra.

There’s no single room supplement whatsoever and you get to experience everything you would on a standard holiday. All with our friendly professional guides.

799

FROM

€

Highlights of Andalucia Flights | 7 nights | 4* hotel | Half board What’s included: ü Direct return flights from Dublin to Malaga and transfers throughout with local guide. ü 7 nights at the 4 star Hotel Antequera Golf in Antequera with breakfast and evening meal included each day. ü A full programme of guided excursions including a walking tour of Antequera old town; the World Heritage city of Cordoba; Granada, visiting the Alhambra and a full day guided excursion to Seville including a guided city tour.

andalucia, Spain 7 nights from €799 pps

BEiJing & thE grEat Wall 10 nights from €1,799 pps

For more information on this holiday and to book:

Call us on

01 637 1600

Visit traveldepartment.ie

Fully licensed and bonded by the Commission for Aviation regulation (t.O. No: 163).

T&Cs apply for all bookings. Prices, taxes, flight times, availability all subject to change. For full T&Cs visit our website or call us. E&OE.

The World is Waiting ...

depArtUres 2015 AUG AUG 31

DUB

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Solo Friendly Holidays NO sINGLe sUppLeMeNt!

Beijing & the Great Wall of China

depArtUres 2015

Flights | 10 nights* | 5* hotel | Half board

sep

What’s included: ü Return flights from Dublin to Beijing and transfers throughout with local guide. ü 8 nights at the 5 star Legendale Hotel Beijing with breakfast included each day. Evening meal included every night in hotel or a local restaurant. ü Four full day excursions including the Great Wall of China, Jade Carving Factory, the Sacred Way, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Qianmen Street, the Imperial Summer Palace, the Pandas in Beijing Zoo, the Olympic Village, the Lama Temple, Yaxiu Market and much more.

SEP 06

*8 nights accommodation in China and 2 overnight flights.

DUB €1,799

NOV NOV 10

DUB €1,799

Solo Friendly Holidays NO sINGLe sUppLeMeNt!

No Better Time to Visit Hotel Westport…

For a magical pre-Christmas week. Nestled in 7 acres of beautiful woodland in the heart of Westport town, you’ll discover a uniquely friendly and comfortable hotel.

This five night holiday commencing Sunday 22nd or Sunday 29th November includes full Irish Breakfast each morning served until a leisurely 11am, a four course Table d’Hote Dinner in the AA Rosette Islands Restaurant on four of your evenings with a Farewell Banquet on Thursday night.

Come away for a pre-Christmas holiday at Hotel Westport. Recharge the batteries before starting your Christmas preparations and even learn a few new tricks to make your Christmas a little easier, leaving more time for you to enjoy the festivities!

A full programme of events is organised to get you into the ‘Christmas Spirit’, make new friends and have some lighthearted fun. You will have complimentary use of the leisure facilities with a 20m pool or why not book in for some pre-Christmas pampering in Ocean

Spirit Spa where you can avail of a 10% discount off full brochure rates.

Hotel Westport offers a variety of holidays throughout the year and are renowned for their theme breaks – Over 50s (where you get an extra night’s Dinner, Bed and Breakfast for FREE!), Golf, Walking, Bridge, Indoor Bowling and Wellness-Fitness-Leisure and their fabulous Christmas Programme.

A warm, friendly welcome awaits you at Hotel Westport, “One of Ireland’s best loved Hotels”. Call Hotel Westport NOW to book your Holiday on 098 25122 or email reservations@hotelwestport.ie.

Travel

Travel Department’s Solo Friendly holidays offer some really good value deals right now. The Cape Town, the Garden Route and Kruger Game Reserve trip departs 2nd September, for a holiday, which gives a wide taste of the best of South Africa, for just €2799.

Going solo Lorna Hogg investigates value breaks for those travelling alone Sara Zimmerman, Travel Department: ‘We do offer solo friendly holidays, and we specifically have the margins to negotiate with suppliers’.

Single Supplements – the bane of single holiday travellers everywhere. You may have resentfully resigned yourself to an extra (or several) hundred euro on a holiday. You may have restricted yourself to group trips, or even given up on packaged holidays. Yet there’s no need to pay extra for the privilege of your own company. With some research and information, you can track down that elusive holiday offer – the single supplement free holiday…

Go for city breaks. Right now, Travel Department has some excellent deals on their Moscow and St. Petersburg breaks.

Departing 1st or 29th October for a 9 night tour, you’ll see Red Square, the Kremlin and its famed Armoury. Then, you move to St. Petersburg, home to

architectural splendour, including the Winter Palace and the Hermitage. Prices from €1399.

Check hotels offering educational and special interest breaks. The luxurious Harvey’s Point Hotel in Donegal is offering a `Learn to Paint Holiday’, from 19th – 23 October. You’ll stay in one of their famously comfortable rooms, enjoy excellent food, and learn to paint, or improve your skills, from local artist Conal McIntyre. 4 night package includes breakfasts, 3 dinners, light lunches and tuition, from €565.

Look out for good single deals at home.

Go to goldenireland.ie for a good range of Irish hotels and resorts which do not charge single supplements on holidays

and breaks, for both individual and group bookings.

Investigate off-peak river cruising.

Ama Waterways is a top cruising company, and Sunway is offering a 7 night` Enchanting Rhine’ cruise with them, from Amsterdam to Basel, from €1899, departing 11th Nov. Flights, transfers, outside stateroom with window, are included, and all meals, with wine/beer.

Check other cruises in the offer, but you need to book by July 31st.

Go out of season. Travel Department is offering Como and the Swiss Alps, with trips to Milan, St. Moritz, pretty Bellagio and a boat trip. Departures on 21st October, 7 nights, 4 star hotel half board, €679. They also have good value

Travel

The luxurious Harvey’s Point Hotel in Donegal is offering a `Learn to Paint Holiday’, from 19th – 23 October.

The River Royale, one of the luxurious river cruisers operated by river cruise specialists Uniworld Boutique River Cruises on the all the major European waterways. They have some great deals in the autumn and winter.

Contact them at (01) 7753805

Christmas at Lake Garda deals, based at Riva del Garda, departing 23rd December, from €799.

Don’t overlook long haul value. Travel Department’s Solo Friendly holidays offer some really good value deals right now.

The Cape Town, the Garden Route and Kruger Game Reserve trip departs 2nd September, for a holiday, which gives a wide taste of the best of South Africa, for just €2799.

Check single specialists. mercuryholidays.ie has a good range of sun holidays. Next winter is currently booking from €329, 7 nights on the Costa Del Sol, or to Fuengirola from €478 in late summer/early autumn.

Solo style Travel Department is one of the most popular choices with single travellers, so where better to go for advice on looking for value, and ideally, avoiding the dreaded single supplement?

Sara Zimmerman, Travel Department’s Managing Director, gives the lowdown….

‘Travel Department has always focused on value. I look around at the options, and really, all our holidays offer value.

For those with a tight budget, there is plenty of choice in the out of peak season, e.g. in October we have a week on the Algarve for €399. We also have great offers to Iceland and also Marrakech. The key is that we offer so much in them, from transfers to services of really knowledgeable guide, plus excursions and meals – really, there is very little expense required.’

For those who like their luxury, the new Occasions brand from Travel Department was designed when `the company basically looked at the most popular destinations, and asked how we could upgrade them. It’s not that people don’t want to be on

the same bus as everyone else! Rather, it’s hotels. For example, at one of our most popular destinations, Tuscany, we found a very glamorous small hotel, which fits the bill perfectly.’

How do they deal with the issue of the single supplement? ‘We do offer solo friendly holidays, and we specifically have the margins to negotiate with suppliers. We have a good range – but they sell out early! Plan early, if you can, as hotels often don’t have many single rooms.. For example – we have a break to Estoril and the Lisbon from €699, and also Lake Como and the Swiss Alps from €679, for 7 nights. I would say overall, to plan and book early if you can’.

So what about nervous or novice solo travellers? `A lot of our travellers are on their own. I think that sometimes people feel that they’re going to be left alone, like a lost sheep! It doesn’t happen. Our travellers are very friendly and interested in each other. On a group travelling together, I’ve never seen anyone sit on their own. It’s a fabulous way to meet new people – in fact, sometimes, travellers have encouraged others to go on some more trips!’

Every effort has been made to check the accuracy of offers and prices. However both can change or be withdrawn or priced differently, so check carefully before booking. www.traveldepartment.ie www.harveyspoint.com www.mercuryholidays.ie www.goldenireland.ie www.sunway.ie Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 33

Investment

Don’t play with fire when chasing returns Investing in wind turbines can get a fixed return of 10 per cent per annum over a ten year period

Pope Francis has called for the worldwide development of renewable energy

Where can you invest your money to get a decent return while reducing risk? We have seen the impact of the latest Greek saga and we know the world stock markets have been rising and we are now 6 years into an equity bull market.

Now is not the time to be chasing yield and return at the expense of risk. Risk assets can continue to do well from here, but in the current climate of Grexit, Brexit and Interest Rate Risks in the USA coming in September – investors could be playing with fire.

So where can you place your money that is not subjected to stock market fluctuations? The answer is as Bob Dylan said “is blowing in the wind”.

Pope Francis on 16th June 2015 has called for the worldwide development of renewable energy services and maybe he is right. Under the Kyoto Protocol, 37 Countries have to increase the amount of renewable energy they use and provide

subsidies to help the industry develop. So how can you benefit from this?

Arena Capital Partners have a client renewable energy offering – investing in Wind Turbines in Northern Ireland. Clients who avail of this can get a fixed return of 10% per annum gross over a 10 year period. This is available for pension money or a lump sum investments. The Irish, UK and Northern Ireland Governments give incentives which give an income certainty which lasts for 20 years and the best news is it is asset backed – in other words, there are no borrowings.

Fixed returns of 9% and 10% per annum gross l Flexible Term of Investment from 5 to 10 years l Asset Backed – Non Geared l UK & NI Government Incentives set to 2037 or 20 years (ROC’s & FIT’s) l Power Purchase agreements in place for 10 years

All Turbines are new, fully insured and have manufacturer’s warranty l For Pensions, please see Bespoke Trustees Limited for preferential rates & fee structures l

So if you have existing funds, would you be happy to risk the stock markets volatility verses the power of nature?

Why not talk to us about renewable energy and see if we can help you future proof your wealth.

l

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

Contact Padraic McKenna on 086-2568102 or 01 8427595.

The website for people who don’t act their age

FREE

Tea/Coffee 11.00am – 12 noon Daily Courtesy of

UPC highlights multiple payment options for customers as it ends ‘over the counter’ services with An Post in June

UPC has highlighted the many payment options available for customers as it confirmed that it has concluded over the counter payment arrangements with An Post in June.

In May, UPC wrote to customers to let them know that from 23rd June it will no longer be possible to pay their UPC bill over the counter at An Post offices. This includes post point and outlets using An Post networks.

There are many convenient ways available to pay your bills and UPC is one of the few operators who offer a number of different methods of payment – such as:

1. By direct debit 2. Over-the-counter at any Payzone or Paypoint location nationwide 3. By credit or debit card by logging on to My UPC.ie 4. With your bank using an ATM, online or telephone banking 5. By Cheque to PO Box 321 6. By calling UPC on 1908 and selecting option 1 for card payment Paying your bill in a payzone location is very similar to how you pay today. You can choose from over 2,500 locations in local shops, supermarkets and petrol forecourts nationwide.

Many are open from 8am –10pm, 7 days a week. All you have to do is bring your UPC payment card with you which was attached to your original notification letter.

Remember there is a Payzone location near you - in your local SuperValu, Centra, Londis, Spar, Eurospar, Gala, Mace, Maxol,

XL. To find the most convenient location for you simply visit www.payzone.ie for your nearest Payzone agent.

The decision to remove over the counter facility with An Post was not an easy one to reach. However, it became commercially unsustainable for UPC to continue to include the option as one of its payment methods.

Carol Grennan, Chief Financial Officer of UPC Ireland said, “Over the years, UPC has made major advances in our customer service provision and a lot of that is to do with modern technology and how people use digital services.

“The majority of our customers pay their bills using direct debit or online. They also use our online portal to manage their account preferences and services. It’s seamless and it makes things a lot easier for them as consumers and for us as their service provider.

“We know this might cause some disappointment or concern with some of our customers who use An Post regularly. That said, I would encourage them to consider using Payzone because they are located in over 2,500 locations in local shops, supermarkets and petrol forecourts nationwide, and many are open from 8 am –10 pm, 7 days a week.”

If you have any questions about how to pay your bill please call us on Freephone 1908 where we are always ready to help.

Please remember Bóthar when you are writing your Will and leave a legacy for lifetimes to come.

If you would like to talk to someone about it in confidence, please contact David Moloney on 061 41 41 42 email dave@bothar.ie or please speak to your solicitor.

Smiling and Eating with Confidence again with our help at Hampton Dental www.hamptondental.ie

Whether you have recently lost all or some of your teeth or whether you have been wearing dentures for years we can help you regain your confidence with our expertise in Dental Implants.

If missing and failing teeth or dentures are stopping you from smiling, meeting and greeting along with enjoying your favourite foods, then new fixed teeth fitted in a day could be the answer to your problems.

Traditionally having dental implants fitted has taken in excess of three months. After initial surgery the process of osseointegration is allowed to take place, then a second surgery is required

to expose the implant and fit the permanent teeth. Why wait 3 months for a replacement tooth? Fixed Teeth in a Day is an advanced implant technique that offers a superior solution to people whose teeth are failing and face the prospect of wearing dentures, as well as those who already wear loose or ill-fitting dentures.

a single tooth, or a full arch. This stability is the key to the success of the same day approach. Healing is quicker, with less discomfort and a second surgery is not normally required - great news if visiting the dentist fills you with anxiety!

Each patient we see is different, so you need to talk to us to find out which solution best fits your needs. A detailed assessment At Hampton Dental we can place dental and treatment plan allows us decide and implants and provide you with a tooth explain the best way forward for you. All of replacement to wear home on the same our clinicians are specialists within their day. Using the latest generation of dental chosen field and are best positioned to implants, together with new proven and accepted techniques we can achieve much give you the treatment plan that suits you. greater implant stability whether replacing

Please contact us at info@hamptondental.ie or call (01) 661 0701 to arrange an assessment and treatment planning appointment.

You’ll be astonished at just how beautiful – and natural – your new smile will be.

Senior Times l May-June 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 37

Health

New book for dementia caregivers in Ireland A new book, Confidence to Care, helps Alzheimer’s and dementia carers to become more confident in their ability to understand, manage and help loved ones living with Alzheimer’s and dementia Author, Molly Carpenter, is a personal and professional caregiver with over 20 years care experience. - Proceeds of book to be donated to dementia-related charities and causes in Ireland

customers, Ann Kirwan, is typical: ‘Having Home Instead means so much to me. I could not cope without my care giver Brigid, who has been with me for 5 years.

She does all of the house keeping, and the house is immaculate. Brigid takes me out and we go shopping together. Now that the weather is improving we will go for walks and enjoy the sun. I am blessed to have Home Instead and Brigid’.

The book also focuses on the most common issues associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and helps family carers deal with caregiving situations they never thought they would have to face.

The book launch and signing was hosted by Home Instead Senior Care, Ireland’s largest home care provider. ‘Approximately 52% of the people we care for are living with Alzheimer’s disease or a dementia. We spend a lot of our time not only helping the client remain at home but also supporting the family caregiver in helping them feel confident in their role as caregiver and supporting them with expert advice and professional care services’, says Ed Murphy, Founder and CEO of Home Instead Senior Care Ireland.

“One of our first experiences with Alzheimer’s disease involved a client who refused to change her clothes. Marion insisted on wearing the same grey trousers every day, all day. Eventually her caregiver bought her a duplicate pantsuit and that was all that was needed to encourage her to change into a fresh set of clothes’ added Murphy. ‘ It’s simple tips like this that are included in the book - everyday advice that make the caregiving experience slightly less daunting.

This quote from one of Home Instead’s

‘Without understanding what triggers the behaviours associated with dementia, or knowing practical techniques to help counter them, it’s easy for family caregivers to feel overwhelmed. But discovering simple tips can mean the difference between endless frustration and a positive

We’re by your side so your loved one can stay at home.

Molly Carpenter at the launch of her book

care experience”, continues Murphy.

About 44,000 people in Ireland are living with Alzheimer’s disease - a number that is expected to reach 104,000 by 2037. There are over 50,000 family caregivers whose lives are affected as each day they care for a loved one that needs their support.

As of this moment, there is no way to cure someone with Alzheimer’s and care providers therefore encourage families to think of how to care, rather than cure their loved ones living with a dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Home Instead CAREGivers can provide a variety of services. Some include: • Companionship Care • Personal Care • Meals & Nutrition • Transportation • Household Duties • Respite Care • Hospice Care Support Services Call for a free, no-obligation appointment

1890 930 013 Whether you are looking for someone to help an ageing parent a few hours a week or need more comprehensive assistance, Home Instead can help.

HomeInstead.ie Each Home Instead Senior Care® franchise office is independently owned and operated. © 2015 Home Instead, Franchising

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

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Helpful Hints For You To Stay Safe At Home, In Public And On Line

Older people living alone are vulnerable and can be easy targets for criminals. However it’s also important to note that most older people, living in this country, never experience a crime. People who are concerned about their safety or the security of their home should contact the local Garda Crime Prevention Officer for advice on reasonable precautions to take for their own peace of mind.

Home security: • Secure all front and rear doors day and night.

• Install a door viewer on your front and rear doors. This allows you to see who is outside prior to opening the door.

• Install a door chain on front and rear doors. This allows you to partially open the door whilst still limiting the access they have.

• Consider adding a deadlock bolt to your front and rear doors for added security.

• Install a house alarm for added security. Pick an alarm system with several settings, allowing you to put it on whilst in the house.

• Ensure that you have appropriate external lighting on your property. Pay particular attention to entry doors and sheds.

Good lighting makes your home more visible to passers-by, which can act as a deterrent • Windows can also be fitted with a window limiter, this allows you to keep windows open whilst still limiting access from the outside.

• Keep a list of emergency numbers in your home.

• Be wary of strangers who call to your home, ask for identifica tion. Use your door viewer and chain as a safeguard.

• Do not leave strangers unattended at your door.

• Jewellery and cash are the most common articles stolen during a theft or home invasion. Try to avoid storing large amounts of money in your home.

• Make a list of any valuable items in your home.

• Do not store your keys near your front door or letterbox. In 2013 alone there was 100 cases where car keys were fished through the letterbox.

40 Senior Times l July/August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

In public: • If carrying a handbag, try to opt for one which can be draped across your body, therefore making it more difficult to be pulled off.

• If carrying a wallet, avoid placing it in your back pocket, as it can be easily lifted without your notice.

• Avoid carrying large amounts of money on your person whilst out in public.

• If you feel uncomfortable or fearful in a public space, remove yourself.

In the car: • Keep doors locked when you are in the car, especially at traffic or whilst driving in rural areas • Never leave valuables, including handbag, wallet, and phone visible in the car.

Online: • Never give any personal information to a stranger online.

• Most banks/building societies will never email you and ask for any passwords or personal information. If you do receive an email from an organisation requesting any personal or financial details, call your local branch and confirm that the request is legitimate and genuine.

• Be aware that any information put online or on social media can be accessed and seen by many people. Be mindful about the amount of personal information that you share.

If you have been affected by any crime, you can contact The National Crime Victims Helpline and seek support and information.

The National Crime Victims Helpline assist many older people who have experienced crime. It can certainly help people if they talk to someone about the experience. The helpline can also offer information to people on other organisations that can be of assistance, depending on individual circumstances The Freephone number is 116006, text line is 085 1337711 and website is www.crimevictimshelpline.ie

Come away for a pre-Christmas holiday at Hotel Westport. Recharge the batteries before starting your Christmas preparations and even learn a few new tricks to make your Christmas a little easier, leaving more time for you to enjoy the festivities!

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le

FORUM 2015

Dying to talk? – Conversations about End of Life in Ireland Thursday 10th September 2015 DUBLIN CASTLE G U E S T

S P E A K E R S :

DR KATHERINE SLEEMAN

MICK HEANEY

Lecturer in Palliative Care Medicine, Kings College London “Let’s Talk About Death”

Mary Holland Commemorative Lecture (in association with the Irish Times) Journalist and Broadcaster

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION AT A DEATH CAFÉ At Death Cafés people drink tea, eat cake and discuss death.

The aim is to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their (finite) lives.

Choose from a variety of workshops A. Conversations at End of Life; maintaining hope to the end.

B. Good Grief - how to facilitate a therapeutic conversation.

C. My conversations - Thinking and planning ahead - Think Ahead & the legislation on capacity.

D. Would you like to be buried with my people? - Everything you ever wanted to know about funerals but were afraid to ask.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONALS INTERESTED IN END OF LIFE CARE For details & bookings: www.hospicefoundation.ie or 01 679 3188 Applied for CPD accreditation

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Travel

Turkey trot

Pat Keenan saw a lot of what Turkey can offer in just a few days

Aspendos Aqueduct

On our Turkish Airlines flight from Dublin to Istanbul the pilot welcomed one passenger by name, President Michael D Higgins was heading to commemorate Ireland’s 3,000 war dead at Gallipoli. In Turkey, however, it is remembered as the last victory of the Ottoman Empire before its fall and start of an independent Turkey.

Apart from some of the best luxury hotels on magnificent sunny Mediterranean beaches, Turkey inherits a wealth of history, culture and, a richly diverse cuisine from the days of the once powerful Ottoman empire which controlled much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, the Caucasus and North Africa. Thanks to the forward thinking of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, credited with being the founder of modern Turkey, they have managed to create a secular society comfortably taking on its role of bridging Europe to Asia. A predominately Moslem nation, a member of the western military alliance NATO and an associate member of the European Community, Turkey underpinned this position yet again at the general election in June this year.

From Istanbul we continued eastward on an internal Turkish Airlines flight to Antalya, the largest Turkish city on the Mediterranean coast and gateway to all those beautiful beaches. If you want more than just sun, sea and sand it’s also a good base for trips and tours to see and experience different parts of Turkey.

From Antalya one short trip (45 kilometres) will take you to Aspendos, a once important Roman city on the Eurymedon River. For the Romans it was a significant port, navigable by river from the Mediterranean Sea. Well, Romans do what Romans do, and they built a massive theatre to seat 15,000 which today is almost entirely intact. As their population grew they then built a long and impressive Aqueduct to supply water from across an entire valley, and it too remains remarkably intact, picturesquely surrounded by orange trees - at the time of my visit there was an unforgettable permeating fragrance of the orange blossom.

Pamukkale is an extraordinary looking place. A brilliant white landscape, at first sight like a sculptured snowy glacier of hills and ravines, but is just about the opposite. Natural hot lime rich springs have over thousands of years formed chalky lime deposits to create this gleaming white landscape.

From the nearby town of Manavgat several boat companies offer trips along the Manavgat River taking you, in about 45 minutes, to a long stretch of sandy beach. Along the way enjoy a relaxing drink and take in the views from the upper deck and watch the many different vessels plying up and down the river, Very popular with the children -and to be honest adults tooare the many elaborate pirate ships resembling those in the ever popular ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ films On another day, we set off on a 3-hour drive to Pamukkale and Hierapolis. We travelled up over the Taurus Mountains, and into flat fertile plains to Pamukkale and Hierapolis. For the mountain part, best take something warm to wear, even though the sun is shining, high up there temperature can drop Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 43

The Ottoman era clock tower and the 18th century Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Mosque in Antalya.

quite a bit. Pamukkale is an extraordinary looking place. A brilliant white landscape, at first sight like a sculptured snowy glacier of hills and ravines, but it just about the opposite.

Natural hot lime rich springs have over thousands of years formed chalky lime deposits to create this gleaming white landscape. Originally the place was called Hierapolis, a city regarded as sacred because of the mineral springs of waters, generally assumed, to be miraculous. Most of it was destroyed in a 7th-century earthquake but bits of this once sacred city are still here to explore. Just a short walk up the hill from the white area stands another well preserved Roman theatre, built over many years by emperors Hadrian, better known for the wall he built in Britain, and Septimius Severus, who fatefully ignored that wall and died attempting to invade Caledonia (today Scotland).

Wellness tourism flourishes all around Pamukkale, so if you feel inclined to soothe your tired travel muscles in mineral-rich hot spring waters you can book into one of the many spa based hotels. We overnighted in the Pam Thermal Hotel 4-star hotel in Pamukkale. Taking their words for it, they have “aromatherapy and hydrotherapy in thermal baths for health, beauty and healing”. And of course, massages, steam baths and sauna in their spa centre.

Inevitably, no matter which tours you choose, you will find some breaks included to visit some commercial outlets. These 44 Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

can be irritating, but sometimes entertaining or informative and maybe to find a bargain. Make the best of it, everyone has to make a living and as always, buyer beware. On my Turkish tours they were better than other places I’ve endured, for example, on our trip to Pamukkale we visited a carpet factory.

Not just a showroom but watched the whole process from silk worms to skilled workers weaving some amazing works of art.

In a leather factory we were treated to a full fashion show and an opportunity to purchase very fashionable leather gear at one third the retail price. In a large store I enjoyed watching a swarm of Japanese ladies purchase jars of something that promised to be Turkish Viagra.

But don’t forget the city of Antalya itself, well worth a visit, soak up the culture, stroll through narrow streets full of colourful markets, get in some shopping, visit the busy harbour front, stop for a bite to eat and do some people watching around the massive Ataturk Memorial in Cumhuriyet Square.

‘Must sees’ include: Antalya’s old town Hadrian’s Gate, also called the ‘Three Gates’ erected in 130 AD as a triumphal arch for the visit to Antalya of that Roman emperor we encountered in Pamukkale. The old town’s narrow alleyways take you downhill to the harbour. There again you will encounter those pirate tour ships, In the Karaalioğlu Park visit Hıdırlık Tower, a 2nd-century fortification, The Ottoman era clock tower and the 18th century Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Mosque.

The well preserved Roman theatre at Hierapolis, built over many years by Emperors Hadrian, better known for the wall he built in Britain, and Septimius Severus, who fatefully ignored that wall and died attempting to invade Caledonia (today Scotland).

Also worth a visit, the Antalya Museum (www.antalyamuzesi. gov.tr/en), west of the Kaleiçi district - accessible by the old style tram from the Kale Kapısı tram stop - has a fine collection artefacts and statues from the Stone through the Bronze Ages to Byzantium.

No need, by the way, to book an early morning wake-up call at your hotel. Even though Turkey is secular, ninety-eight percent of the population is Muslim, and very morning at about 5am the muezzin, cries out a call to prayer from a minaret - every mosque has at least one and there are over 82,600 mosques in Turkey. Very likely there’s one close to your bedroom window.

Although rare enough, you will see people smoking in bars and restaurants, mostly locals and mostly not in touristy places. In one place, the barbecue chef, a cigarette stuck to his upper lip, carefully turned the meat skewers over the glowing embers, which when you think of it, is ok. Ashes to ashes and all that.

But more unforgivable, is the traditional practice of eating all sorts of delicious mezze (like tapas in Spain) and washing it down with Raki – I can tell you, I stuck with the wine. I know Raki is the national drink and all that - but the local practice of drinking it throughout the meal - try it by all means, but for me, it’s a bit like eating a juicy medium rear Angus steak while chewing on strings of black liquorice. Raki is Turkey’s Mediterranean anise liquor, like Ouzo in Greece, Pernod in France, and Sambucca in Italy. Better after the meal.

Accommodation We based ourselves at the Ramada Resort Lara, Kemeragzi Mevkii Tesisler, Cad No333 Aksu, Antalya, (www.ramada.com/ hotels/turkey/antalya/ramada-resort-lara/hotel-overview) Eating out Ali Haydar Ocakbasi Barbecue restaurant, I enjoyed this place, unassuming on the outside but the moment you enter there’s the heady smell of smoky meat mixed with the sounds of Turkish music and chatting eaters. Nice selection of hand chopped spicy meat, mostly lamb, Turkish kebabs grilled on skewers over charcoal. Locals, by the way, pronounce it as ‘kabobs’.

All served with salads and mezzo. If things get a bit over spiced, no Turkish meal is complete without Cacik, a natural

yogurt based mezze, tastes good but also aids digestion, but then, and so does raki.

Ali Haydar Ocakbasi Barbecue restaurant, (beside the Antalya Atatürk Stadium) Denız Mah.Teomanpaşa Cad.Konuk Ap. No:3/1, 07100 Antalya, Turkey Tel +90 232 237 7765 In Antalya city we had an excellent al fresco lunch overlooking the harbour at Hisar Restaurant near the Ataturk Memorial in Cumhuriyet Square. Tpohane Yokusu No.45 Muratpasa, Antalya Tel: 0242 2434153 Travel file Pat Keenan travelled from Dublin to Antalya with Turkish Airlines as a guest of RSD Travel Ireland Ltd. (Tel:1800 936 007), a subsidiary of RSD-Reise Service Deutschland – the leading European tour operator for educational tours in the off-season based in Southern Germany. Visit: www.rsd-travel.ie/ Note: Irish nationals require a visa to enter Turkey. Visas can be obtained online at www.evisa.gov.tr.

Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 45

Age And Politics Máirtin Ó Catháin looks at how America’s attitude to the age of their political representatives differs dramatically to ours

Dianna Feinstein The voice at the far side of the telephone was laced in a soft Southern drawl: “Senator Thurmond is meeting a business group from South Carolina and he will be with them for most of the afternoon. Perhaps we can make some arrangement at a later date”. There was no further time and I doubt if I would ever have succeeded in my efforts to arrange an interview with Senator Strom Thurmond, anyhow. I had made the call

from Boston to Washington sometime around October of 2001. I would soon be on my way back to Ireland. Senator Strom Thurmond, at 99 years of age, would be busy for the afternoon.

I had taken a particular interest in Senator Thurmond; not because of his politics but because of his active involvement in high level politics at such a fine age. Senator Thurmond was the chairman of the Armed

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

Services Committee in the United States Congress in Washington until 1999 – at 97.

He remained a Senator until he was 100.

Would this ever be tolerated in Ireland!

I remember, while working in Dublin for Radio na Gaeltachta in the aftermath of the 1987 General Election bringing Garrett Fitzgerald into the studio for an interview following his retirement from the leadership of Fine Gael. Former Foreign

Dr Wendy Denning Reviews Irish product Revive Active joint complex Dr. Wendy Denning, Harley Street, London.

I personally am very excited with this product because most of the ingredients in Revive Active Joint Complex I have been giving to my patients for a long time.

Most of us will suffer with intermittent pain, stiffness, and lack of flexibility in our joints as we age and this will have many running to the doctor to get painkillers, anti-inflammatory and even antidepressants to deal with this. The problem is that this may provide a temporarily fix but it will not cure the problem.

However a new joint supplement Revive Active Joint Complex -has come on the market that contains “high levels of building block ingredients’ that has been clinically proven to reduce pain, increase mobility, repair cartilage as well as reduce inflammation and even help with bone density.

I personally am very excited with this product because most of the ingredients in this supplement I have been giving to my patients for a long

time, alongside lifestyle changes, with good results.- MSM, Glucosamine, Boron, Vit C, Manganese, However we now have an ‘all in one’ supplement which is high dose (many are not high dose enough to effect a change) and it also has a new ingredient Peptan – a readily absorbable form of collagen which can be absorbed into the joints to help with cartilage repair and this along with the hyaluronic acid has been shown to reduce pain and increase joint function.

Not surprisingly there are some good personal testimonies for this product and I shall look forward to hearing many more as more people try it for themselves.

Dr. Wendy Denning is a Harley Street GP, who has been named 3 years in a row, in Tatler’s top 150 private doctors.

Available now in all leading heath food stores and pharmacies nationwide.

Order online at reviveactive.com or by freephone on 1800 910000

Unlocking the Science of Tinnitus Since the 1960s, scientists have been unlocking the potential of neuromodulation with technologies such as deep-brain stimulation. Today, neuromodulation devices are increasingly used to stimulate nerves as a means to treat chronic conditions in more patient-friendly non-invasive ways. Building on 10 years of tinnitus research from NUI Maynooth, Irish Medical Device Company Neuromod Devices has recently developed and launched a new neuromodulation treatment called mutebutton®, designed to gradually reduce tinnitus loudness.

TREATING TINNITUS Often described as ‘ringing in the ears’ many people will have experienced tinnitus at some stage in their lives with 1% of the population reporting significant secondary symptoms such as sleep deprivation, anxiety and depression.

As a Senior Consultant ENT Surgeon with over 20 years of experience, Dr. Brendan Conlon has worked with thousands of tinitus

patients and appreciates the significance of this new innovation, “Credible, evidence based treatments such as mutebutton are welcome advances, offering a new standard of care for subjective tinnitus, which is clearly needed”.

“Credible, evidence based treatments such as mutebutton are welcome advances” Dr B. Conlon ENT

THE TECHNOLOGY The mutebutton multisensory tinnitus treatment is used for 30 minutes a day at home.

Patients listen to a relaxing mix of sound and music, while the specially designed tonguetip™ rests on the tip of the tongue, providing gentle synchronous stimulation.

REDUCTION IN LOUDNESS The treatment has been shown to offer a gradual reduction of 42% in tinnitus loudness on average, following 10 weeks of use in studies conducted by NUI Maynooth. For tinnitus patient, Stephen Malarkey, who has lived with tinnitus for more than 5 years and tried many treatments, the condition has been extremely distressing at times. Within the first 70 days of treatment, the improvement to Stephen’s tinnitus exceeded his expectations, “I didn’t know what was happening. It felt totally abnormal not to have the tinnitus sound… then relief”.

Dr. Brendan Conlon, ENT Surgeon and Chief Medical Officer of Neuromod Devices.

For more information visit: www.mutebutton.ie or

Call: 1890 221 221

Barbara Boxer

Strom Thurmond

Affairs Minister, Peter Barry, was seen as a real contender. However, some comment began to emerge in the Press about his suitability for the leadership of the Party given his age. Deputy Barry was 58!

There have been many such “age” related debates in Irish politics.

Strom Thurmond may have been exceptional; indeed the story of his long life is dotted with contradictions and with the breaking of norms. But maybe that is America. The frontiers are extended – and that goes for longevity in politics. While we may not like to think so, we tend to be conservative in many ways in Ireland and the limitations we place on age and suitability for public life is one example of that – even though we want people to be eligible for the Presidency at 21! There is nothing inherently wrong, off course, in having a 21 year old President. Is there anything inherently wrong in having a 71 or 81 year old - maybe a 100 year old TD? Let’s keep it local. In this County Council Electoral Area of Connemara, where I live, we had the usual discussions a year ago as the country went to the polls in the local elections. Some candidates, or prospective candidates, would be “too old”, it was said. I remember asking in a conversation: “How would a few women in their seventies and eighties fare out in the County Council election in Connemara?” That raised a sort of laugh.

Had I any better jokes than that.

So I went from Connemara to California.

It is a State well known to many Irish people – if it were out on its own it would be the 7th or 8th biggest economy in the

world. California is six times the size of Ireland. It has 38 million of a population and it is almost 3,000 miles from there to the national capital in Washington. Now, the two California Senators representing the State in Washington, DC. are women: Barbara Boxer is 74 and Dianna Feinstein will be 82 this coming June. Indeed, Feinstein set a record in the number of votes she received in the latest Senate election- that was 7.75 million. She was just touching 80 at the time of that election.

We elected our Councillors in Connemara in 2014. There are nine of them and the average age is approximately 50. In the whole of County Galway we have nine TDs. Their average age is 47. On the far side of the Atlantic, in the most powerful country in the world, the average age of members of the United States Senate is 63 years. Five members of the Senate are in their eighties and seventeen members are in their 70ies. Indeed, 56 Senators are over 60 years of age.

The Senate with 100 members is the highest ranking elected body in the U.S.; it is followed by the House of Representatives with 441 members. The average age in the House is 58. The oldest member of the House until this year was Congressman Ralph Hall from Texas who was 91. Could we tolerate this in Ireland?

Let us put some of this into context. The two Senators from California have huge travel commitments given the size of the State and the long journeys to Washington D.C. and back.

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

Millions of Californian voters obviously have no problem in having women in the seventies and eighties in that role. If they can handle it in California it might seem fair to assume that Connemara candidates in their seventies and eighties could reasonably be expected to handle Councillors duties and attend occasional meetings of Galway County Council; the same could be said for Electoral areas throughout the country. But would we select them or elect them?

We almost certainly would not select them for any level of political representation outside of exceptional circumstances; the Presidency which would not be in the normal political realm would be different.

There is no law that stops us from electing people in their sixties, seventies, eighties… and older…to public office; it’s only the ‘law’ that is in our heads in this country. A Senator who epitomised energy and youth spoke about youth in South Africa in the bold and young 1960ies. This was Robert Kennedy: “Our answer is the world’s hope; it is to rely on youth….this world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease...”.

Do we count years in that way in Irish politics or do we need to come of age and look across the Atlantic?

An exceptional line-up of Irish and international musicians in Music Network’s Autumn 2015 season

Benjamin Appl

Music Network’s Autumn touring season presents thirty-three concerts in nineteen towns and villages throughout Ireland, spanning an eclectic range of musical offerings, including Irish and Scottish trad, an awardwinning string quartet, rising stars of the UK jazz scene, and a sensational lyric baritone.

The season begins with a mouth-watering prospect as four Irish and Scottish trad trailblazers come together for the first time in a specially-curated Music Network line-up, when Hebridean singer Kathleen MacInnes is joined onstage

by Donegal accordion maestro Dermot Byrne, maverick flute and whistle player Brian Finnegan and award-winning Scottish guitarist and fiddler Mike Vass.

In October, you’ll be blown away by the technical brilliance and ineffable élan of the Zaïde Quartet, a daring young French string quartet currently making waves on the European chamber music scene, followed closely by acoustic electronica trio GoGo Penguin, an exhilarating jazz-infused salvo of spacey chords, stuttering break-beats and killer riffs.

The season draws to a close with a tour featuring the wonderfully charismatic Benjamin Appl, a honey-toned

Zaïde Quartet German baritone lauded for his expressive performances of Lieder and operatic repertoire. Book early, as this concert promises to be something quite special.

Music Network’s mission is to make live music available and accessible to as many people as possible, giving Irish audiences the chance to experience the very best in international chamber, jazz and traditional music in venues throughout Ireland at affordable prices.

Tickets for all tours are on sale now at www.musicnetwork.ie or 01 4750224.

Dublin season tickets are available to buy online (€70/€50) and include the following concerts: Tuesday 8 Sept: Kathleen MacInnes, Dermot Byrne, Brian Finnegan & Mike Vass (The Sugar Club) Thursday 8 Oct: Zaïde Quartet (Freemasons’ Hall)

Keep in touch with Music Network by signing up to their monthly enewsletters at www.musicnetwork.ie or joining them on Facebook or Twitter.

Win four pairs of season tickets for Music Network’s Dublin concerts this autumn!

Senior Times, in association with Music Network, is offering a pair of season tickets to all four of Music Network’s Dublin concerts this Autumn as a prize.

To enter, just answer this question: Which country is baritone Benjamin Appl from?

Send your entry to: Music Network Competition, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

Or email: john@slp.ie

Tuesday 27 Oct: GoGo Penguin (The Sugar Club) Wednesday 18 Nov: Benjamin Appl (The Hugh Lane Gallery)

First four correct entries received are the winners. Deadline for receipt of entries is 18th August.

Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 49

Active Retirement Ireland

Keep Fit - Keep Going

Being physically active is important to prevent heart disease and stroke, two of the biggest killers of Irish people. To improve overall cardiovascular health, it is recommended that older people get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity). Vigorous exercise isn’t that appealing to many older people, especially those whose mobility is limited, but thirty minutes a day, five times a week is an easy goal to remember. You will also experience benefits even if you divide your time into two or three segments of 10 to 15 minutes per day.

Physical activity is anything that makes you move your body and burn calories.

This includes things like climbing stairs or playing sports.

Aerobic exercises benefit your heart, and include walking, jogging, swimming or biking. Strength and stretching exercises are best for overall stamina and flexibility.

The simplest, positive change you can make to effectively improve your heart health is to start walking. It’s enjoyable, free, easy, social and great exercise. A walking programme is flexible and boasts high success rates because people can stick with it. It’s easy for walking to become a regular and satisfying part of life. If you’re able, why not make the walk to the corner shop for the small bag of groceries. If you live in a rural area, it can be much tougher. Try and get a few friends from your Active Retirement Association to join you for a walk along a safe route.

If you’re not into exercise, it can be difficult to start. Many Irish people got all the exercise they needed from their working lives, and as such they don’t have an exercise routine in their retirements. If you’re not well-practised at physical exercise, here are 5 tips to help you choose an exercise routine that suits you.

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

Being physically active is important to prevent heart disease and stroke, two of the biggest killers of Irish people.

Exercise That Suits You Find an exercise that best fits your personality. If you are social person, do something that engages you socially – take a group exercise class, join a bowls team or walk with friends.

Or, if you prefer having time alone, walking or jogging solo might be a better fit for you. Finding a peer group is the perfect way to connect with others who share your lifestyle and hobbies, and who are free at the same time of day as you.

Make it a Habit It can take a little while for something to become a habit, so give yourself the time to create a regular routine. One way is to try to exercise around the same time each day.

Exercise can become addictive, but in a positive way. Once it becomes a habit, you’ll notice when you aren’t doing something. You’ll miss your midday walk like you’d miss a cup of tea with the Late Late Show.

Build Exercise Into Your Lifestyle Be honest with yourself. If you don’t live close to a swimming pool or if you can’t afford pricey gym membership, it may be harder to become a habit for you. Likewise, if you are not a morning person, don’t plan on somehow getting up at the crack of dawn to run a marathon!

The key is building activity into your lifestyle so it is not disruptive. There are many ways to fit exercise into your life, and it doesn’t mean you have to make a big financial investment. You can borrow exercise DVDs from some branch libraries or Google an exercise programme if you have internet access. You could also do weight or resistance training with items around your home (for example, use cans of peas or beans as light weights). Walking is great option, as well. The only investment required is a good pair of shoes.

Do Bouts of Exercise It’s OK to break up your physical activity into smaller segments. While we recommend 30 minutes a day of exercise

most days, if that sounds overwhelming, try three 10-minute workout sessions. You get the same benefit from spreading your exercise across a full day.

Did you walk to the gate and back to collect the post? That’s a few minutes done. How about popping over to a neighbour’s house? That’s five minutes’ walk there and back. 30 minutes adds up really quickly.

TOP TEN TIPS FOR FITNESS • Get out the leash and walk your dog. It’s a great activity for both man and man’s best friend (or woman and woman’s best friend, because let’s face it, the dog loves everyone!).

Your heart — and your pooch — will thank you!

• Take your grandchild for a brisk walk. It’s an excellent way to get some one-on-one time (or one-on-three, or oneon-a-dozen, depending on how many grandkids you have).

Shake up your routine by turning your walk into a scavenger hunt.

• Shopping centre walk. Are you sweating (or shivering) at the idea of walking outside? Take a brisk stroll around your local shopping centre instead. Window shop, watch the world go by and give your heart a workout in a secure, warm environment.

• Join a team. Pick an activity you love and round up some friends. Team sports can be fun — and keep you motivated and accountable. Bowls is the most popular team sport among Active Retirement members, but you could play boccia, beanbags, kurling or a host of other sports.

• Walk and talk. Expecting a phone call from your friend

Keep Going If you miss a day or a workout, don’t worry about it.

Everybody struggles once in a while. Just make sure you get back at it the next day.

It doesn’t take too long to get back on track and it’s easy to make something a habit again. You will see some real benefits sooner than you think. Any little bit of exercise you can fit in will show benefits.

or relative? Take it on the go. If you’re using a mobile or cordless phone, get up and get active while you catch up with all the gossip.

• Tune into fitness during TV time. Time to microwave that couch potato! Walk, or even jog, in place while you watch your favourite 30-minute show. Lose weight and feel better while watching the Six-One, now that’s good news.

• Park and walk. If you regularly drive to a shopping centre, hospital or other public building; then once in a while park a little further away than normal. It takes a little more time, but your heart will appreciate those extra steps.

• Take the stairs. If you live in a two-storey (or taller) house, you can use the bottom few steps for a step-aerobic workout. When visiting a hospital or other large building, use the stairs every now and then. Don’t exert yourself too much, but it’s good to get the heart rate going a little.

• Dance! Do it in a ballroom, at a club or even in your living room. You’ll burn calories and gain a new hobby, and potentially lots of admirers and friends.

• Skip the cake, say goodbye to pie and take a walk after dinner. You’ll get a reward that’s sweeter than dessert: a happier heart.

Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 51

Creative Writing

Creative Writing Eileen Casey

left to right Dr Maggie O’Neill, Professor Margaret Mills Harper, Germaine Greer, Dr Cathy McGlynn, Dr Michaela Schrage-Früh

Fresh thinking on women and ageing Over the course of three days last May, the ageing woman as theme provided numerous and varied conference discussions at the University of Limerick. The venues at the university (Plassy House and Jean Monnet Theatre) proved to be worthy settings for an international gathering of academics and writers. Delegates came from as far afield as the US, Canada, South Africa, Israel, Australia, Europe, the UK and across Ireland.

The city of Limerick itself is one of my favourite places to visit, a city which boasts many attractions I’ve enjoyed over the years. As a participant in the 2015 Women and Ageing Conference, this was, however, my first time to enter the university campus. Among the topics presented by 60 delegates were: motherhood, spinsterhood, sexuality, women minorities, health and fashion.

When I first became aware of this conference I was immediately intrigued.

Presentations and lectures on offer

promised a treasure trove of riches in terms of inspiration and reflection. Not to mention an opportunity to expand and re-energise existing knowledge and perceptions on the business of ageing.

This territory is now increasingly familiar to me, both as a woman and a writer.

I’ve always championed characters in the throes of older age. May 2015 saw the launch of Faber & Faber’s ‘All Over Ireland Short Story Anthology,’ in which one of my stories Beneath Green Hills features. This story, in part, concerns the funeral rituals of a woman facing the end of her life. However, in preparing my paper for the conference, I realized that my contribution ‘Hall of Mirrors’ was largely concerned with locating a trajectory between my more youthful self and the stage of life I’m at now. As with all worthwhile explorations, a journey is embarked upon, one of discovery and re-evaluation for the most part.

The organizers of the Women and Ageing Conference, all based in

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

Limerick University, are three women with a wealth of academic experience.

Dr Cathy McGlynn, Dr Maggie O’Neill (both based at the School of Culture and Communication) and Dr Michaela Schrage-Früh (School of Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics) put in place a programme which included topics broad ranging and engaging and in some cases with more than a fair share of wit – as in ‘My Clothes are too Shabby: Fashion and Ageing in the Fiction of Jean Rhys ‘(by Rachael Hynes). The only regret I had when faced with such a sumptuous feast was that I didn’t possess the gift of bi-location. I so wanted to attend everything but that not being possible, I relied on the accurate accounts of women I met at the conference.

Conversation between strangers is easy when the atmosphere is sparked by senses having come alive through the sheer force of imaginative, articulate presentations. Combine these sensibilities with sharp, questioning intellects and the result is electric. A

Germaine Greer’s talk raised more than a few eyebrows, much discussion and many raised hands in the Q & A afterwards plentiful supply of tea and coffee helps too and in this regard we were well looked after!

Among the lynchpins of the conference were undoubtedly the keynote addresses and roundtable panels. Professor Margaret Mills Harper’s ‘The Problem of Crazy Jane’ was a tour de force in terms of exploring Yeats’ use of the voice of this persona (an old ‘crazy’ woman). Yeats adopted this voice in his middle years as a form of ventriloquism or mask that he used to decry (among other things) the hold of the Catholic Church on a post Independent Ireland. Dr Patricia Moran’s ‘The Strange Adventures of Ageing’ was equally as powerful and subsequently featured on Lyric FM. Germaine Greer highlight A major highlight of the conference was undoubtedly the address given by Germaine Greer (born 29th January 1939). Greer, an Australian theorist, academic and journalist, is regarded as having been a major feminist voice of the mid-20th century. Currently she is Emeritus Professor in English Literature and Comparative Studies at the University of Warwick. Her ideas, not just those related to feminism, have created a stir ever since The Female Eunuch became an international best seller in 1970. Her many other books include Sex and Destiny: The Politics of Human Fertility, The Change, Shakespeare’s Wife’ and The Whole Woman.

Her address in the Jean Monnet Theatre, The Deconstruction of Motherhood, focused on ways in which motherhood is being dismembered so that the

genetic mother, the womb mother and the legal mother may all be different individuals. Ms Greer’s talk raised more than a few eyebrows, much discussion and many raised hands in the Q & A afterwards – ‘the first of which was not allowed to be male.’ Medbh McGuckian’s poetry reading was also a much looked forward to occasion and the acclaimed poet did not disappoint.

One of the presentations I attended came courtesy of Caroline Coyle and Nicole McKenna, Athlone Institute of Technology: ‘Phenomenal Woman: A Poetic View of the Social Construction of Widows in Society.’ This presentation included a short film and was drawn from conversations with women from the Active-Age Group in their community and with members of the Widow’s Association. Caroline Coyle made a case for the impact of poetry: “Using poetry as a gateway in to these communities and as a pathway of engagement, the women shared and vocalised their feelings around a huge range of topics, including age, widowhood, friendship and what is important to them.”

If Coyle and McKenna promote poetry as a portal to self-awareness, Dr Ann Webster-Wright (Griffith University Brisbane) cites dancing as a holistic avenue for a creative old age. Her presentation ‘Dancing into the Night: The Politics, Performance and Poetics of Ageing as a Woman,’ was a revelation in terms of promoting an optimistic ageing process.

Wright makes the case that “Older women are the fastest growing demographic in western societies. Many are educated, skilled and healthy, with much to contribute to a world inim-

ical to their existence.” Wright has researched the area of women making successful transitions from traditional working lives thereby framing her own distinct notion of ‘Lifework’. She recently found herself dancing with younger women, celebrating and performing a history of women and work, an area she had previously researched through academia. Wright’s manifesto is lyrically beautiful:

Older women, with grace and grit, have an important stake in a society in need of strong female qualities such as caring and collaboration. Moving from a focus on pathology to possibility opens the view, draws back the curtains to consider the night, neither to rage against, nor to run from, the dying of the light.

The organisers of the Women and Ageing Conference stated that “the aim of this conference is to provide an opportunity to discuss intersections of the cultural, social and medical dimensions of women and ageing.” It’s intentions were to engage with discourses on ageing in their various cultural manifestations through the ages but also across different cultures, genres and media.” Was this remit a success? Most definitely. What I personally found most engaging were the presentations focused on literary writings. Old favourites were forensically explored in interesting and thought provoking ways. Joseph’s 0’Conner’s ‘Ghost Light’ (‘This is How Time Unfolds When You Are Old’ by Maggie 0’Neill) through Edna 0’Brien’s ‘Country Girl’(Zuzanna Sanches’ ‘Narrative of the Self’) provided new interpretations of acknowledged classics. The world of poetry provided

Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 53

Delegates were entertained by the Vulcana Cabaret

source material for a hugely enjoyable ‘Poems to Grow Old in: Women and Ageing in the Work of Eavan Boland and Medbh McGuckian’ (Dr Michaela SchrageFrüh).

There are so many really important presentations which cannot be accommodated here but a visit to the conference website is recommended to fill this gap to some respect. For example, it’s possible to gain an overview of the work of people such as Ewelina Twardoch (Jagiellonian University, Cracow). Her themes explore ‘The Older Woman and Sexuality in Films’. Twardoch rightly makes the point that “Contrary to what is generally thought, images of old women appear in cinema quite often.”

She cited the great roles in the history of the cinema that are concerned with the emotions and problems of old ladies (‘Sunset Boulevard’/’Driving Miss Daisy’). However, although old women theoretically are not invisible, they occupy specific places connected with specific social roles. Twardoch’s focus however is on films which buck the norm in this regard, films such as ‘Innocence’ (a Paul Cox movie) which shows erotic scenes between an ageing woman and a man over 60. ‘Japón’ (by Carlos Reygadas) is regarded by Twardoch as being one of the bravest films because of its depiction of sexuality between a man and a woman over 80 years old.

She asks the question regarding how the ageing body is presented. Is it associated with shame, repulsion or innocence and beauty?

My own contribution to the conference began in the tiny confines of my bedroom while I was growing up in the Midlands. I loved popular music but my favourites were Thin Lizzy and Horslips especially the latter. Their 1973 album ‘Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part’ still resonates, particularly the line ‘Once you’ve been through the tunnel of love,

it’s the hall of Mirrors for you,’ (Hall of Mirrors). At that time I considered the concept of a hall of mirrors to be one of self discovery on a purely physical level.

I didn’t have a funfair model in mind, a model where images were abstracted, distorted.

I grew up in a council house, two up, two down and there were no full length mirrors. We saw ourselves incrementally.

The mirror or looking glass was above the range in the kitchen and we stood on chairs if we wanted to see ourselves from the waist down. Photographs were few and far between and when they did appear, they were black and white and grainy. Usually, the tops of our heads or our feet were chopped off. But good preparation now that I’m ageing. I read so much about disjointed body parts… how to treat the ageing foot for example, or dimming eyesight, inner ear trouble.

The first time I saw myself in full length clarity was in a drapery shop I visited with my mother. When I was just fourteen, Mrs Harrington, the owner of the shop installed a floor to ceiling glass.

It was a startling experience to say the least. I smiled to make sure it was me. I knew by the gap in my teeth that it was me. While my mother had some table oilcloth measured out, I turned to look at my plump calves. It must have been winter because I was wearing a brown herringbone coat that my sister had sent me from London. My hair and my eyes were brown. It was like looking at a bright fish swimming in a sea of glass. It wasn’t a narcisstic experience however, that first full sighting of myself.

It was a revelation. At first I felt as if there were two of me, a duality which had not previously existed. It was like meeting my soul star. Paul Coelho once said that through literature he finds his

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

May 2015 saw the launch of Faber & Faber’s All Over Ireland short story anthology, in which one of my stories Beneath Green Hills features.

All Over Ireland is edited by Deirdre Madden and features Selina Guinness, Eoin McNamee, Colm Toibin, Ita Daly, Belinda McKeon, Eileen Casey, among others.

You Could’ve Been Someone (Stories, memoirs and poems) by Frances Browner has just been published and is available from Original Writing Ltd., Dublin. Frances is an award winning writer whose work has appeared in a number of reputable outlets at home and abroad and been broadcast on RTE. place in the world. In the synchronistic way of things, after I wrote myself as being like a ‘bright fish swimming in a sea of glass,’ I came across Sylvia Plath’s poem ‘Mirror,’ written from the perspective of the Mirror. The closing lines are: Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness./In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/ Rises towards her day after day, like a terrible fish. – extract from ‘Hall of Mirrors’.

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An Autumn of Culture and Healthy Living on the Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol isn’t all about sun, sea and sangria.

Many visitors prefer to visit this popular resort in the south of Spain during the cooler (but still sunny) autumn season. There’s plenty to do including healthy outdoor pursuits such as walking and hiking or brushing up on your culture with a visit to Malaga city centre which is quickly becoming one of the top destinations in Europe for cultural breaks.

HOW TO GET THERE

The seaside resort of Benalmádena Costa offers a fantastic selection of ‘Healthy Living’ walking routes catering for all fitness levels. From leisurely walks along the promenade to more challenging hikes in the hills, you’re guaranteed stunning views and scenery.

WHERE TO STAY

Art and culture enthusiasts should visit Malaga city centre with its impressive selection of museums including the newly opened Pompidou Centre, the Russian Art Museum and the ever popular Picasso museum. Combine this with a spot of shopping along Malaga’s famous Calle Larios, a gentle stroll along the port of Muelle Uno and some mouth-watering typical tapas on the sunny terraces and you’ve got the makings of a perfect autumn break.

DISCOVER ANDALUCIA This time of year is also perfect to take a guided excursion to visit some of Andalucía’s fabulous cities, such as Sevilla, Granada or Cordoba, or the stunning white village of Ronda, nestled in the mountains above Marbella. There are many attractive destinations to choose from, all with English speaking tour guides.

Alternatively you could hire a car for a few days and meander around the many small towns and villages of the Costa del Sol, such as Mijas, Marbella, or Ojen, to name but a few.

The Malaga-Costa del Sol airport enjoys great flight connections with Ireland, with several daily flights from Dublinround. At some times of year you will also find flights direct to Malaga from Cork, Knock and Galway.

Flight time is under three hours, so you can literally have an early breakfast in Dublin and arrive in Spain in plenty of time for lunch!

The 4* hotel-apartments at Sunset Beach Club provide the perfect base for a comfortable stay on the Costa del Sol. This friendly Irish-owned hotel boasts a stunning sea-front location in Benalmádena Costa, just 20 minutes from Málaga airport. All rooms have a fully equipped kitchenette and terrace with table and chairs. The hotel’s friendly staff, exceptional facilities and services will help ensure you enjoy a memorable holiday.

HOTEL LEISURE DESK If all this sounds great, but a bit complicated to arrange, do not despair! Sunset Beach Club has an on-site Leisure Desk which provides a wealth of free information about things to do and places to see, such as bus and train timetables, walking routes, market days and maps. Here, you can also book golf, car hire or guided excursions. Open 6 days a week, all year round, the friendly Leisure Desk staff will be delighted to help you make the most of your stay on the Costa del Sol!

sunset beach club

accommodation rates

Fast Facts

• Seafront location, Benalmadena Costa • 20 Mins from Málaga airport (approx. 28€ taxi) • Comfortable apartment-style accommodation • All rooms have kitchenette & terrace • Walking distance to Shops, Bars, Restaurants & Benalmadena Marina

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• 24 hr Reception & Security • Leisure Desk • Panorama Bar • Oasis Restaurant & Terrace • Supermarket & Bakery • Outdoor Pools & Sunbathing Area • Guest Library • Gift Shop • Laundry & Self-Service Launderette • Medical Centre • Left Luggage Room • Hair & Beauty Salon • Free Wi-fi in Public Areas

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Include:• Open-plan suites with kingsize double bed and twin sofa bed • Fully equipped kitchen • Bathroom with walk-in shower • 42” plasma TV • Terrace with table & chairs • Guaranteed sea views • Free Wi-fi • Max. occupancy 4 persons plus cot (Recommended. max. 3 adults)

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Health and Safety

Carbon Monoxide Kills Advice from Gas Networks Ireland on how not to become a victim Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that is highly dangerous. It can occur when you burn any fossil fuel, including oil, gas, wood, coal or turf, or if you store wood chips or pellets.

Prevent carbon monoxide occurring by following this safety advice: Never block vents Get your chimney swept regularly Keep flues and vents unblocked Have your appliances serviced annually by a qualified service agent for your fuel type Never use cooking appliances for heating purposes Never use outdoor appliances such as barbecues indoors or under cover If you suspect an appliance may be faulty, stop using it immediately and arrange for a safety inspection

Carbon Monoxide Alarms Alarms should comply with the European Standard EN 50291, have a CE mark, a mark of independent certification (e.g. a kitemark) and an end-of-life indicator.

Install alarms as per the manufacturers’ instructions. Some Registered Gas Installers will supply and fit carbon monoxide alarms.

You may need more than one carbon monoxide alarm to provide protection Alarms are for additional protection and are no substitute for regulation inspection and maintenance of appliances, chimneys and flues.

Alarms can be purchased in most reputable DIY or hardware stores.

For further information please see www.carbonmonoxide.ie or call 1850 79 79 79

A yellow or orange flame on a gas appliance where it is normally blue

Gas safety advice for the home If you smell gas: Ensure gas appliances haven’t been left on and unlit Don’t smoke or use a naked flame Don’t unplug or switch anything electrical on or off Open windows and doors to let the gas disperse If your appliances are off but the smell persists, turn off the gas at the meter Then call the Gas Networks Ireland 24 hour emergency service on 1850 20 50 50, no matter who your gas supplier is.

If you have difficulty hearing and have a minicom system, call Gas Networks Ireland 24 Hour Minicom Emergency Line 01 892 6337 immediately if you smell gas.

Know the symptoms Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be similar to those caused by other illnesses such as a flu or food poisoning and may include headaches, chest pains, sickness, diarrhoea, dizziness and general lethargy. If anyone in your house has any of these symptoms and you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, turn off all fuel burning appliances, get fresh air immediately, then go to your doctor and ask him/ her to check for Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

Vulnerable customers A vulnerable customer is someone who, for reasons of advanced age or for health reasons, is particularly vulnerable to a loss of gas supply during winter months. Vulnerable customers cannot be disconnected during winter months (except for safety reasons) and will receive additional support in the event of a problem with their gas supply.

You will find contact details for your gas supplier at www.energycustomer.ie or on your most recent gas bill.

For added protection install an audible carbon monoxide alarm Be Aware of the danger signs Staining, sooting or discolouration around an appliance Condensation on walls/windows A strange smell when the appliance is on (although you cannot smell carbon monoxide, you may be able to smell other products of combustion)

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

If you change your natural gas supplier, your previous supplier must inform your new supplier that you are on the Special Services Register. If you are registered on the Special Services Register Gas Networks Ireland will not lock or disconnect your gas supply from 1st November to 31st March unless it is necessary for safety reasons.If the safety issue relates to one of your appliances, it remains your responsibility to have this repaired/ replaced by a Registered Gas Installer before Gas Networks Ireland can reconnect you. All customers classified as vulnerable on the Special Services Register are dealt with as a priority for reconnection.

Gas Networks Ireland field staff will not proceed with a disconnection if they determine on site that the customer is vulnerable, even if they are not registered on the Special Services Register.

In the event of a gas network outage or planned gas supply interruptions, Gas Networks Ireland will provide alternative heating and cooking facilities.

Gas Networks Ireland will contact vulnerable customers to advise them in advance of any planned interruptions to their supply. Gas Networks Ireland will treat the information on the Special Services Register and the information you give us confidentially.

Remember, Gas Networks Ireland staff always carry photo identification. Please ask for identification before allowing access to your home.

For further information, call Gas Networks Ireland Customer Service Line 1850 200 694 (Monday to Friday 8am8pm and Saturday 9am to 5.30pm).

(Gas Networks Ireland is the new name for Bord Gáis Networks and is the company responsible for installing and maintaining the gas network, including pipes and meter, on behalf of all gas customers and gas suppliers).

Health and well-being

MyMind: breaking down barriers to good mental health Volunteers celebrate the second anniversary of the Ranelagh, Dublin centre Founder Krystian Fikertin

MyMind for Mental Wellbeing was founded by ex-Googler Krystian Fikert in 2006 as a not-for-profit provider of accessible mental health care. Centres in Dublin, Cork and Limerick provide multilingual counselling and psychotherapy services. Fees are based on employment status offering the unemployed or students affordable services. Revenue generated from full fee clients is reinvested, enabling MyMind to provide services to all. Clients self-refer and appointments are within 72 hours.

MyMind breaks down barriers to positive mental health at any age Mental health problems can affect any of us at any time in our lives.

Mental health issues in later life can be a consequence of growing older, and it is normal to have fears around such as we age.

Reports show that up to 25% of persons over 65 years have symptoms of depression that are viewed as severe enough to treat (Mental Health Foundation), while the majority of older people with depression are never diagnosed and fail to receive treatment.

Mental Health charity MyMind Centre for Mental Wellbeing is pioneering a new and sustainable model of community based and online mental health services that are accessible and affordable to everyone.

MyMind CEO Krystian Fikert said, ‘MyMind is focused on making it easy for people of all ages struggling with a mental health problem to get the help they need in their own community.

‘Numerous factors can impact on the mental health of older people, including bereavement or loss, loneliness or loss of a role following retirement, or deteriorating physical health and

mobility. However, any nature of issues can affect people at any age, and it is our mission to make support easy and affordable.’

From serving 300 clients during its foundation year in 2006, MyMind now has four national clinics in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

and stop these problems from becoming much bigger issues. Detecting and treating a mental health problem early on can lead to significant improvements in mental health and quality of life. At MyMind, we find that many clients would recommend us to older family member if they think they might be going through a hard time,’ he added.

The charity has impacted on more than 20,000 lives in Ireland to date, and in 2014 alone, it provided more than 12,283 face-to-face services and supported a further 3,812 clients through its online services.

MyMind has a team of more than 85 mental health professionals providing counselling in multiple languages.

MyMind is a social enterprise, meaning that all revenue generated is reinvested into the organisation, allowing it to provide affordable support for up to 50% cheaper than the private sector. MyMind offers 5% of its services completely free to those who can’t afford the support they need, and offers notably reduced rates for the part-time unemployed, unemployed, pensioners and students.

One of MyMind’s unique features is its online counselling services.

The e-MyMind service offers clients free online mental health support where they can explore their options and completely manage their appointments online.

Online chat and email-based guidance normalises access to mental health services, which can be a daunting process for many first-time appointment seekers.

MyMind operates on a self-referral model, meaning that clients don’t need to talk to their GP before accessing its services. They can simply call or book an appointment directly online at mymind. org and are typically seen within 72 hours, avoiding possibly lengthy delays in public health services.

‘With our online counselling services, for example, we can reach those living in rural areas, older people who may be struggling with mobility, or anyone who feels more comfortable having a counselling session in their own home,’ said Fikert. ‘It’s about breaking down the barriers to good mental health and a better quality of life for everyone.’

‘With a self-referral system, our clients are able to reach out to us in crisis moments when they need to talk to someone as soon as possible,’ said Fikert.

‘Because clients are contacting us in early stage of mental health difficulty, we can help them quickly

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

MyMind also provides online consultations and counselling via video chat through Google Hangouts and Skype.

This means services are available to anyone seeking support, no matter where they’re living in Ireland. It allows MyMind to broaden its client base and deliver a range of services to existing clients.

My Mind, 1 Chelmsford Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

Telephone: (+353) 76 680 1060 Email: communications@mymind.org www.mymind.org

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

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

Back To Our Past is the world’s pre-eminent event for showcasing Ireland’s past, heritage and traditions while also providing visitors with a unique opportunity to trace their own family roots, their local and national history... all at the same time... all under one roof!

Now in its sixth year, Back To Our Past has been a huge success from Day One, providing an unbeatable marketing tool for: • Genealogy services, resources and products • Museums, art galleries, heritage centres and historic attractions • Antique, jewellery, antiquarian books, costume, uniform, coins, medal specialists • History/heritage travel specialists • Further education and study courses and much, much more...

Interested in exhibiting?

Contact the organisers...

www.backtoourpast.com S&L Promotions Ltd., Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, Ireland Tel: 00 353 (0)1 4969 028 Email: info@slp.ie

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Pet Health

Ask the Vet Elizabeth McCollum-Ryan MVB MRCVS answers your pet questions he’d have died, probably within another hour. Who shut the car door without noticing the dog had jumped in? It could have been me, my husband, anyone… because it was an automatic reaction.

So all I can advise pet owners is to think and be aware of their pets when the weather is sunny. And never close a car door without checking for living creatures inside

In a recent hot spell a friend told me I shouldn’t take my dog in the car to the shops, in case he got too hot in the car and could suffocate. I think she was exaggerating the risk, as I always leave the windows open.

Dogs are prone to heatstroke, which means their body temperature rises above safe limits due to severe heat, and if their temperature rises too much they risk organ failure and death. An open window is vital but don’t forget that even when outside dogs will move into shade when the heat gets uncomfortable. When they are in a parked car they are prisoners and cannot escape fierce heat and at the least will be uncomfortable. When the owners are present they will notice the panting and open the window more, or most likely open a door because they themselves will feel uncomfortable.

If you do leave a dog in a car on a hot day ideally the window should be open wide enough to allow the dog to get his entire head out comfortably. Which, of course, is wide enough to allow a thief to put their hand in just as easily and either get bitten or drive off with the car, and your dog…

Why do it? I can never understand why otherwise sensible people take their dog for no good reason in a car on a hot day, and leave them there while they go about their business, then get back into the car, oblivious to their pet’s suffering, and drive home.

But there is another high-risk situation that catch out owners from time to time, and pets do die. The other day in the same hot spell to which you refer, I came home from shopping and left the car door open as I ferried the bags into the house.

Then we were out and about in the yard until we went into lunch, and afterwards I started to work in the coolness of my dining-room. I couldn’t find my mobile, realised I must have left it in the car, and went out. The car door was shut, the windows closed, and my little terrier flat out on the front seat panting. I opened the door, it took him a moment to sit up and slowly climb out of the car where normally he’d leap across my lap and be out like a shot. I followed him as he went to his water bowl and drank thirstily, then lay down on the cool dining-room floor. I kept him under observation and he recovered quickly, but if I hadn’t left my mobile in the car

My vet says that my cat, Sophie, who’s only a year old, has a fungal infection. She has bare patches on her skin, some of them round and some of them sort of joined together to make a big patch. She scratches at them sometimes but they don’t seem to annoy her that much. The vet has given me a wash to give weekly, and tablets which Sophie has to take by mouth every second week. It’s all quite complicated, but at least she’s improving. What I’d like to know is where she might have got this, and can humans get it. (My vet told me to be careful handling her and wear gloves.)

In answer to the second part of your question, yes, this is an infection which can be transmitted to humans and other animals. The infection is passed by handling infected animals, or their brushes or bedding. Fungi produce spores, and these lie in broken hair shafts or fall on bedding, ready to cause infection when they get onto the skin of another animal, or human being. People most at risk are children, and those who have poor immune systems due to disease or drugs, especially people receiving chemotherapy. Gloves and hand-washing and minimal contact with your pet will solve a lot of problems before they arise. The environment should be vacuumed thoroughly, hard surfaces wiped down (ideally with bleach) and dust bags and rags used for cleaning should be burned.

Sophie would have got this from another infected animal, maybe in crowded conditions, or infected grooming tools. Or if she has some underlying which inhibits her immune system.

For example, a cat with Feline Leukaemia virus will be more likely to pick up all kinds of infections, including fungal. Your vet will give treatment – usually oral medication, and possibly combined with a specialised wash. Some fungal infections go away spontaneously after a couple of months, but I’d advise to treat Sophie as you are doing, to reduce the chances of spreading the infection, and for her own comfort.

Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 63

What is a zoonosis? Is it something I can catch from my dog? I keep hearing it mentioned but am not sure what it is.

YOUNG AT HEART OFFERS

A zoonosis in simple terms is a disease which can be transmitted between animals and humans. It not only refers to disease transmitted by direct handling, such as the above-discussed fungal infection, but also includes those which are transmitted by eating infected meat, such as E.Coli 0157, one of a number of well-known dangerous forms of E Coli. It is interesting to note that the compliment can be returned, ie. a person in a house who is suffering from severe diarrhoea and is diagnosed with Salmonella, can transmit it to pets in the house..

One of the best-known zoonoses is Visceral Larval Migrans, caused by the egg of a dog worm being ingested by a child. This develops into a larva, which migrates around the child’s body seeking its final resting place, but can’t. As a result it can end up in different places, and if it happens to migrate to the child’s eye, can cause blindness.

Just bear in mind that good hygiene including hand-washing after you’ve handled pets, and proper cooking of meat, will minimise the risk. Anyone who has a baby should ensure their pets are wormed regularly. Pregnant women should avoid handling kittens or being around sheep that are lambing, to avoid infection with Toxoplasmosis, which can affect the foetus.

There are many zoonoses but you are more likely to end up in bed after being given some horrible disease by a fellow human.

I’ve just emerged from a dose of flu which took two weeks out of my life, and I didn’t get it from a dog!

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Win €200 worth of women’s Viviscal hair products in our crossword competition!*

Enjoy a Donegal Getaway at the magnificent 4* Clanree Hotel, Conference & Leisure Centre, with 129 newly renovated guest bedrooms, Aileach Restaurant, McGettigan’s Bar & State of the Art Leisure Centre.

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Clanree Hotel Conference & Leisure Centre, Derry Road, Letterkenny, Co.Donegal, Tel: +00353 74 912 4369 Email: info@clanreehotel.com Web: www.clanreehotel.com Offers are valid until end December 2015, excludes Bank Holiday Weekends.

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Hair growth specialists Viviscal, in association with Senior Times, is offering the winner of this issue’s crossword competition, the chance to win womens hair products worth €200. The prize includes a 3 months’ supply of Viviscal Maximum Strength Supplements, Gentle Shampoo, Moisturising Conditioner, Hair and Scalp Serum and a beautiful Viviscal dressing gown all to the value of €200.

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Wine World

Going organic

Mairead Robinson explores the case for organic wine

For some years now the interest in organic produce has been very evident in Ireland. During the Celtic Tiger years, it seemed that if you were not consuming organic food and using organic products, you were guilty of poisoning not only yourself, but also the planet. With the downturn of more recent times, this interest has not waned, but rather grown with the rise in the number of people who are growing their own vegetables and fruit and rediscovering the joy and taste of home-grown seasonal and naturally produced foods.

But what about the world of wine, where unless you are making your own, much less attention appears to be paid?

The fact is that there is often confusion surrounding what exactly organic wine actually is. Essentially organic wine is made from grapes grown in accordance with the principles of organic farming, which typically excludes the use of artificial chemical fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides.

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The Albet I Noya winery in Catalonia

The legal definition of organic wine varies from country to country with the primary difference being in the way that organic wine is defined relating to the use (or non use) of preservatives during the wine-making process. However it is interesting to note that a bottle of wine is one of the few products for human consumption that is not required to list its ingredients, and most people would be unaware of the additives that are permitted in conventional winemaking.

Within Europe, certified organic wine is defined as ‘wine made from organically grown grapes’ and is labelled according to standards set out by EU Directive. There are many regional certifying bodies throughout the world ; however there is now a single Organic Produce logo for members of the E.U. One person in Ireland who has been passionate about organic wine for years now is Kerry based Mary Pawle who set up Mary Pawle Wines in 1997 - www.marypawlewines.com ‘I was aware that there were more and more wine producers turning to organic cultivation and the range and quality of the wines was increasing and improving rapidly, so I decided to start my own import and distribution company. We now import more than 200 organic wines and many of these also hold Biodynamic certification. These are in almost all cases small, family run vineyards where each step of the process, from the growing of the grapes to the bottling of the wine, is done on the premises.’

Statistics published in France a few years ago showed that viticulture accounted for 30% of the pesticides used each year in French agriculture, even though viticulture occupies only 2.8% of all cultivated land. A frightening statistic indeed! It is also reported that in some cases, producers actually turned to using organic methods due to illness suffered from exposure to these chemicals.

I am often asked what the difference is between organic and biodynamic wine. Well, biodynamic wines take things a step further than organic and are mainly certified by an internationally recognised regulatory body called Demeter. The cultivation is carried out to the same organic standards with the main difference being that all of the work processes and treatments are timed to coincide with the earth’s natural rhythms and the planetary positions. Ideally a biodynamic vineyard should be able to provide all its own compost on site and will often use horses to plough between the vines and to be a useful source of manure.

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Mary Pawle adds: ‘I am convinced that organic viticulture is important. The vine itself is a perennial plant that can last for up to 100 years and in order for it to produce healthy fruit it is essential to care for the whole plant and its soil rather than punish it with chemicals which in turn will weaken the plant and cause toxic residues to build up. With biodynamic practices the grower, whose feet are firmly planted on the soil is also prepared to look to the heavens to ensure the health and quality of the fruit.’

Unfortunately many wine lists in restaurants do not actually specify which, if any, of the wines they are offering are certified organic. I recommend that you ask your wine waiter, and tell them if they are including organic wines on their list; they should be labelled as such. Wine shops also generally display their wines by country / region, and again it can be a search to find an organic bottle. Always ask, and if the wine is certified organic, it will carry the label. Of course I know of many wines that are grown organically – without chemicals – but may include preservatives in the wine making process. Also, many wineries do not opt for organic certification as they wish to keep their options open depending on the weather and harvest. Organic grape cultivation is particularly evident in Chile, where land and labour is cheaper than in Europe and California.

It is worth seeking out an organic wine, and while organic does not necessarily mean it is always of better quality or taste, it very often can be. From Mary Pawle Wines I recommend Los Frailes – a big juicy Spanish wine from Valencia, and everything from Albet I Noya in Catalonia. Classic Drinks – www. classicdrinks.ie – have a stunning estate grown Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand called Huia from Marlborough available from good off licences at €21.99. Cassidy Wines – www. cassidywines.com – are bringing in some outstanding organic wines from Italian winery Ziobaffa – www.ziobaffa.com – which are also available in good off-licences nationwide and retail around €12.99.

And throughout the month of July, Cassidy Wines are continuing to sponsor the wine competition on www.hotelreviewsireland.com so if you would like to win some wine, you know where to go to enter this free competition. The July featured wine is from the Spanish family-owned winery, Bodegas Emilio Moro. Enjoy your wines this summer, and good luck in the competition.

Culture Maretta Dillon previews a mixed bag of events for the next couple of months

New Frank McGuinness play highlight of Galway Arts Festival

Actor Robert Carlyle makes his directorial debut with The Legend of Barney Thomson due out in cinemas from on July 24. He appears with Emma Thompson as his domineering mother

If you’re thinking of bringing younger ones to ‘the pictures’ this summer, then Irish animation Song of the Sea (July 10 nationwide) is a really good choice. Voiced by the ubiquitous Brendan Gleeson this is a beautifully story for the very young – and young at heart.

Sticking with film, actor Robert Carlyle makes his directorial debut with The Legend of Barney Thomson due out in cinemas on July 24. Carlyle who has had a brilliant career in everything from the Bond film, The World is not Enough to The Full Monty, stars as Barney, a hapless barber, devoid of charm and ‘patter’ as his fellow barbering brethren constantly remind him. When Barney gets embroiled in murder and mayhem, who can he turn to but his mum Cemolina. The award winning Emma Thompson – who ages twenty years with the help of prosthetic make-up - tackles the role of Barney’s domineering, emas-

French company Transe supply the wow factor at the Galway Arts Festival with a high energy interactive performance featuring three giant dolls.

culating mother, the formidable Glaswegian ‘good-time girl’ with gusto.

The Gate Theatre’s July offering is Brien Friel’s version of Ivan Turgenev’s A Month in the Country: a study of the cruel inequality of love, mingling tragedy and comedy, laughter and tears.

Previews start on July 2 with the opening proper on July 7.

Galway Arts Festival always commands attention and this year is no different.

Among the excitement is : a new play by Frank McGuinness The Match Box directed by Joan Sheehy and starring Cathy Belton; Flemish troupe Collectif Malunés who dazzle with their crazy upside down powerful circus show and French company Transe supplying the wow factor with a high energy interactive performance featuring three giant dolls. You can get all the news on the festival from July 13- 26 at www. giaf.ie

Kilkenny Arts Festival (August 7 – 16) rows in with DruidShakespeare, a new adaptation by Mark O’Rowe of Richard II, Henry IV (parts 1 & 2) and Henry V, directed by Garry Hynes and staged in the historic Castle Yard. Richard II actually stayed in the actual castle so that’s pretty weird. Painter Mick O’Dea is the artist in residence and he’s likely to be very busy as he’s committed to completing four portraits during the event.

Music is always a strong feature of Kilkenny and they are not afraid to mix it up – everything from JS Bach to two superstars of world music, India’s Amjad Ali Khan, the finest exponent of the sarod (Indian lute) and from Mali, Toumani Diabaté, the master of the 21-stringed Kora. They are both bringing their sons so it promises to be a family affair. More details from kilkennyarts.ie Make a date…

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Internationally acclaimed cellist Istvan Vardai appears at the Kilkeeny Arts Festival

Events Around The Country July/August 2015 185th RHA ANNUAL EXHIBITION Visual Arts Painting, print, sculpture, drawing, photography, architectural model, it’s all there.Until August 8 Information: www.royalhibernianacademy.ie A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY Theatre Brien Friel’s version of Ivan Turgenev’s classic tale of love and jealousy.

Previews July 2 / opens July 7 Booking: 01 874 4045 / gatetheatre.ie SONG OF THE SEA Film Kilkenny’s Cartoon Saloon’s animated tale of selkies and the sea with a stellar voice cast.Opens July 10 nationwide GALWAY INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL Festival The usual arts mash-up from the Western sea board. July 13 - 26 Information: www.giaf.ie LISA O’NEILL & SLOW SKIES Music Cork Opera House takes over the Caves in Mitchelstown with some distinctive Irish acts.

July 18 and 19 Booking: www.ticketmaster.ie

PERSPECTIVES OF EUROPE 1980-2014 Visual Arts Artist Stephen McKenna’s artistic response to living and working in a number of European cities.

July 23 – October 4 / Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane Information: www.hughlane.ie THE LEGEND OF BARNEY THOMSON Film Scottish actor Robert Carlyle directs and stars in this very black comedy set in his home town of Glasgow.

Opens July 24 nationwide BELINDA MCKEON AND SARA BAUME in conversation with Sinead Gleeson.

Literature Two new Irish writers read from their books and discuss their art.

July 26 / Malin Hotel in Inishowen, Co. Donegal Information: www.malinhotel.ie ART IN THE OPEN Visual Arts International Festival of Plein Air Painting Exhibition in Wexford.

August 2 and 3 Information: www.artintheopen.org KILKENNY ARTS FESTIVAL Festival While away some time in the beautiful

68 Senior Times l July July-August - August2015 2015l www.seniortimes.ie l www.seniortimes.ie

medieval city of Kilkenny and catch up with the arts. August 7-16 Information and booking: www.kilkennyarts.ie

BY THE BOG OF CATS Theatre Director Selina Cartmell’s new production of Marina Carr’s audacious 1998 play at The Abbey Theatre.

August 14 to September 12 Booking: (01) 87 87 222 / www.abbeytheatre.ie/booking BLAISE SMITH Jazz Blaise leads the way through a mix of Post Bop modern jazz trio, latin classics and Funky fusion pieces.

August 28 / Summer Nights @Visual Presents / Visual Carlow.

Information: www.gbshawtheatre.ie INDUSTRIAL YARNS - TEA AND TALES Heritage Local storyteller Philip Byrne takes us on a journey through the memories and stories of old Bray, Co. Wicklow.

August 29 Information: www.mermaidartscentre.ie Finally, if you’d like your event to feature in our list of What’s On please email: events.country@gmail.com

Why not subscribe to Ireland’s publication for people who don’t act their age?

SeniorTimes magazine is packed full of informative articles covering health, finance, retirement advice, hobbies and pastimes, interviews with senior personalities, competitions and much, much more!

For just €36 you can have 8 issues of SeniorTimes delivered to your door. Last months 96 page issue can be viewed by going to www.seniortimes.ie You can subscribe by: • Phoning us on 01 496 9028 during office hours • Paying via PayPal on the Subscribe Page of the SeniorTimes website • Or by filing out the form below and posting to the address at the bottom I would like to subscribe to SeniorTimes magazine for €36 for eight issues including postage Name ___________________________________ Address _____________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Tel: __________________________ Please debit my Credit/Debit Card: Card Number _____________________________________________ Expiry ___________________________________ Signature ____________________________________ SeniorTimes magazine is published by S&L Promotions Ltd Unit 1 , 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 • Tel: 01 496 9028 • Email info@slp.ie Senior Times l July-August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 69

Short story

Duty Free, 1981

By Noel King

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

If only he’d got the bloody attack at home. I mean he had plenty opportunities, like the time I set the chip pan on fire and he scolded me for doing something so stupid, said that anyway chips were too fattening for people of our age. Our age indeed, I told him there was nothing wrong with having chips after the age of seventy, like there was nothing wrong with having a bit of the other after seventy, that shut him up good and quick.

On the ferry the passengers next to us, English they were, peered in amazement at Tim’s numerous trips to the Duty Free shop, and how he openly separated the bottles into our luggage.

‘For god’s sake, Tim, if you’re caught on the way out… you can get some on the way home too you know.’

‘Can I?’ He looked at me with one of his new blank stares.

‘Sure, I may as well get it now, while I can.’

‘Well Tim, I’m not carrying all that in, won’t have it on my conscience.’

‘Conscience? You always bring some in for me? You drink it too, sure enough.’

‘What I’m saying is, that I’d give the game away, it’d show on my face immediately.’

‘You had no problems like that the last time, and all that extra perfume too.’

‘Jesus, you can remember the things that suit you, can’t you.’

‘Watch your language! Look if we were going to England or America we wouldn’t have a chance like this. They’re lenient in the Isle of Man so…’

‘So?’ ‘So, live horse, and you’ll get grass.’

I relented.

I bought some postcards and Tim started on about how places never looked the same as on their postcards, asked me again how come all them flashy lights, that are on the streets in postcards are never there in reality.

Douglas B y Night...

The following morning, walking along the promenade he linked my arm. I wished I’d brought a sun umbrella. He though it was ‘naff’, an expression he’d picked up lately. I didn’t say I hated it; knowing that it bugged me meant it was sure to continue.

Later we took a bus to Castletown; we always went to Castletown on the first day. Why I don’t know, tradition he said it was. I tried to steer him away, ‘Look, we have tradition and routine at him, and I know…’

‘Oh, don’t start that on again, I can’t think of anywhere better to go to today.’

‘But we’re on holiday, Tim, we’ve seen the whole island, can’t we just relax for once, and go somewhere when we feel like it.’

‘But, I do feel like it.’

‘No, you don’t, you only want to go because we’ve always gone on our first day.’

I wonder if Tim still thinks of those women, on the last holiday or was it the time before, when we found ourselves in that strip club. I was sure afterwards he knew all along what we would find in there. As we passed it on the way home I spotted him glancing in. In the bath I helped him to scrub his back, he enjoyed that. It wasn’t that I refused or didn’t bother to do it at home, but it never seemed to be a thing to do at home, more a holiday treat.

Our hotel was The Grand, only it wasn’t that grand, just one of those nice budget ones. We found it five years ago on our first trip. Two couples ran it; they were so sweet, gave us the same room every time too. They understood Tim a little, I think, put up with him, sided with me in a friendly sort of way.

At breakfast the second morning we heard from the couple opposite that another guest, a Mr. Johnstone had died the night before. Who he was I couldn’t remember at first…

‘Oh that cranky old bastard that had the big story about Margaret Thatcher…’

‘My God, Tim, you’ll never do any good, there’ll never be a place for you in heaven that’s for sure, you can’t even speak good of the dead now.’

He was furious at the two single beds.

‘But we have single beds at home, Tim.’ ‘I know, I know, but home is home, it’s not right here, what would people think. We had a double last time.’

‘No. It’s the same room, and we had singles, the same two single beds.’

‘It’s not the same room! The view is different. I’m going to ask them to bring a double in here.’

‘Yes, at one thirty in the morning, you can’t ask them now.’

‘But I must, a man must sleep with his wife, if he doesn’t she might leave him.’

I couldn’t keep from laughing, ‘Oh Christ, well if they give it to you tonight, you can move our things.’

‘Watch your language, they’re very genteel people over here, you know.’

‘What are you going to tell them anyway, that we’re on oursecond honeymoon?’

Why he didn’t want Rose to come I’ll never know, she was his favourite after all, his baby, but yet he was dead against her coming, saying a mother shouldn’t be away from her young children for long. I protested, he was just being selfish, she should get a break, I’d never got a break rearing our girls, well except when my Ma was sick and I had to go to Dublin to her.

Our younger daughter Jean had tried to keep us home this time.

‘Mamma, this could be your last holiday, alone that is, you know,’ Jean had said. ‘I mean I don’t think we’d like you to go on your own, he is, you both are, getting on.’

Tim still claimed twenty years later that my visit to my mother was a holiday. Did he not realise the anguish it was, the pain it was, losing my mother like that. On the phone to Jean and Rose, all he ever said was, hello, asked about the weather and passed the receiver to me. I could never ring when he wasn’t with me though, it just wouldn’t be right.

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On the Sunday, as usual tradition, we took a bus trip to the Laxey Wheel. He always hated it I knew, and always it was as if he was going for the first time. ‘What is this wheel yoke, anyway? Sure, don’t we have plenty wheels at home as it is.’

‘Oh God, you were there before, remember? You got sick.’

‘Me! Sick? In your dreams woman, I never got sick… what kind of sick did I get?’

‘Do you honestly not remember?’

He remembered the pub though, the Laxey Hole. We went in for a meat pie and two beers, just like last time. A nice Welsh woman sat opposite and she and I got chattin’, but when her husband joined her, Tim put his newspaper between them. Well I couldn’t keep talking to her then, too embarrassing, I wanted to get out.

‘Why Tim?’ I asked him later. ‘It’s not as if you’re shy.’

‘But they’re strangers. We’re away for a nice holiday, why should we have to make polite conversation?’

‘Why not, I mean it’s nice to meet new people, enjoy their company.’

‘But they could be anybody. I mean supposing the husband told us he was a bank manager and she a… what do they call them… the thing Rose does…?’

‘Montessori.’

‘Yeah, well supposing he said he was a bank manager and she a Montessori teacher, and they were actually… council workers, he on the buildings, or maybe even on the dole, livin’ off the state…’

‘Then they couldn’t afford a holiday, could they.’ ‘’Course they could, better than us, them crowd have the life of Reilly.’

‘And what the hell does it matter what people say they are, didn’t you used to tell everyone about your big store, and how progressive it was for our small town, when all we had was a small corner shop.’

‘Yeah, well we’re Irish, they wouldn’t… would look down on us if we…’

‘If we what? Didn’t make ourselves out to be bigger than what we are?’

‘Who’s making us… I never said… I’m proud of where I’m from, my father you know...’

‘I know, your father was in the business, I knew him since 1949 you know.’

‘Are you trying to be sarcastic now, all I said was…’

‘Oh hush, I’m going to the ladies room.’

We sat on a bench beside the wheel then, I bought us ice cream and later tea and sandwiches. I had a new Agatha Christie book. He never spoke just stared up at the wheel going round and round. ‘If I’d been ten years younger I’d have gone up,’ I said, ‘ the first time we were here I mean. I’m glad we’re not attempting it now, or even then.’

‘Jean and Rose worry so, about us on holiday you know, ‘ he said.

‘Worry? You’re daft. I suppose though, the role reversal thing.’

I couldn’t concentrate on the book then, what could the girls have said to their father?

Tim wandered off and I leafed on through my book. I hadn’t noticed his return when he said, ’Do you remember the trees beside Ansil beach?’ I shut my book, turned on the park bench, said nothing.

‘That summer, after we were married,’ he continued,’ you were expecting Jean at the time. Of course we didn’t know it was going to be Jean then, thought t’would be a boy. Do you 72 Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

l Laxey Whee

remember me pacing the floor with her all night, every night, I was the modern man before it was even invented.’

‘Huh, you ran at the sight of nappies.’

I couldn’t concentrate then, on the book, but pretended to read, waiting for him to talk again. He didn’t.

It was on the bus home he gave a start and a moan. I didn’t take much notice until I looked at his face, I’d never seen that colour, not in the forty-three years we’d been together.

‘Oh, help me, help me, Mary.’

I’ve no idea what I said, but kept telling myself to stay calm.

The bus driver was great, he stopped and someone ran into a quaint little antique shop to phone for an ambulance. I remember thinking after at how understanding the other people on the bus were, they minded their own business unlike what they’d do in Ireland. The hospital people were grand, looked after me as well as Tim. A mild heart attack they said it was.

I begged Jean and Rose not to come over, told them he was an old war-horse, and that with the thought of getting more Duty Free on the way home, he wasn’t going to let himself expire.

At breakfast I couldn’t stand the fuss everyone made, I mean I was trying to keep my cool. Jean did arrive over from Ireland, and did fuss a lot too, but she gave me a break from his bedside.

After a few days he was doing well, but confused, found it odd to see Jean there.

‘Why am I here, Mary? When are we going home?’

‘Soon dear, soon.’

And he did go home. Jean wanted to buy us a flight but he wouldn’t hear of it, wasting money on a flight when we have our ferry tickets in our pocket. ‘Anyway we’d have to pay more for the luggage with all the damned clothes you bought, Mary.’

‘Watch your language, Tim dear.’

At the ferry port we said goodbye to Jean. He asked her for the umteenth time when her flight was and would she make it on time, and to be sure to be careful, and was her husband meeting her at the other side. ‘And then there’s the Duty Free,’ he says, ‘we have to get the bit of Duty Free.’

I roll my eyes to heaven and a little tear escapes.

* Comprehensive cover based on proposer and spouse aged 58, living in Waterford, has a No Claims Bonus representing 6 years claim free, no convictions/penalty points, driving a 2010 car, up to 1299cc valued up to €20,000, commuting to and from work with Step Back Bonus. Cover incl Windscreen. Policy excess is €100. ° Based on owner occupied 3 bed semi detached house built 1960, standard construction, located in Lucan, Co. Dublin, policyholder and spouse aged 59, claim free 6 years and burglar alarm installed. Buildings cover €200,000 – Contents €40,000 – no specified items. Standard policy excess €250.

The quotes are correct as of 01/11/2014 and rates are subject to change

Golf Getting the wind up Dermot Gilleece on how some of the world’s best have tried to cope with Ireland’s ‘soft’ conditions

Royal County Down tormented competitors on the last day of this year’s Irish Open

When wild weather tormented competitors on the final day of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in late May, a grizzled local was heard to remark ‘Sure, that’s a perfect links challenge,’ while straining to remain upright in a fierce north-westerly. Players and spectators seemed to be somewhat at odds as to the genuine difficulty of conditions at Royal Co Down.

It was reminiscent of the AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach a few years ago when, against the background of wild Pacific breakers, Bangor-born David Feherty turned with a wicked grin to movie-actor Bill Murray and a CBS television camera and cheerfully remarked: ‘The wind’s down to about 60mph and the seventh [107 yards] is a driver. Ideal conditions.’

There’s a suggestion that notorious weather on the Monterey Peninsula could well have shaped the American tourist’s beguiling notion of ‘soft Irish rain’. Either way, Feherty insisted

Rickie Fowler after he had completed his first experience of our blue riband with a closing 73 for an aggregate of 291, picked his words very carefully, suggesting that ‘anything in red numbers is a great score out there.’

on enlightening them about real Irish weather, the serious sort of stuff they experienced around Newcastle for the better part of those four days in May. As he put it: ‘Those of you who enjoy your shower after riding in a [golf] cart for five hours, consider this. Imagine how good it feels after a three-hour route march through a blizzard over mountainous sand dunes. Yes, three hours! Golf is supposed to be exercise.

‘Then, after an invigorating, lukewarm shower in a freezing-cold, Spartan locker-room (the shower feels roasting because your body temperature has

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

fallen to 40 degrees), there is no better feeling in the world than cosying-up to the warmth and intoxicating scent of a peat fire. And holding a hot Irish whiskey filled with brown sugar and cloves while you gaze out the rain-lashed window at the windswept links that has just kicked your arse.’

I didn’t dare recount this to Californian Rickie Fowler after he had completed his first experience of our blue riband with a closing 73 for an aggregate of 291. Picking his words very carefully, the deeply tanned resident of sunny Murrieta

in California suggested that ‘anything in red numbers is a great score out there.’

Let us be clear about this: wind speeds for most of the final day ranged between 20 and 30mph, which as any experienced Irish amateur golfer with tell you, would qualify as little more than a zephyr in some West of Ireland championships they had played around Rosses Point. Mind you, the majority of the competitors at Royal Co Down couldn’t have known about the ‘West’, and the strains it has placed on numeracy down the years.

Like the occasion in 1986 when Woodbrook’s Liam MacNamara had a notable second-round win over Colin Glasgow, the 1983 champion.

With flagsticks bent almost to breaking point, their duel ended on the 21st (the par-five third hole) where MacNamara needed no fewer than five, well-struck wood-shots to cover the 503 yards from tee to green. You will have gathered there was a brisk, Atlantic breeze in his face. When we talked afterwards, he had the admirable honesty to admit to being 23-over-par for the 21 holes played. That, from an Irish international playing off plus-one at the time.

Yet it remained in the ha’penny place compared with 1978, which was dubbed the Alaskan Open. Barry Reddan won it and his friend, Declan Branigan, recalls standing on the first tee at 7.30 in the morning, with his face being pelted by giant hailstones. And the starter cheerfully informing him: ‘Begob, you’re getting the best of the day.’

Aware of this and the fact that he happens to coach the 2008 West of Ireland champion, Shane Lowry, GUI national coach, Neil Manchip, matched Fowler’s circumspection in describing the conditions, but for a very different reason.

‘Yes, it is true that you could improve your skills out there by shaping shots to cheat the wind,’ he conceded. ‘But there comes a point when the severity of the wind makes ball-striking totally unpredictable. That’s when players become really frustrated.’

Nobody understood the special demands of golf in the wind, better than Christy O’Connor Snr. Which brings to mind a delightful stretch named Burnham and Berrow on the south Bristol Channel, which could be described as a classic links, similar to Lahinch in many respects. So it goes without saying that O’Connor felt very much at home on this particular stretch of duneland where, incidentally, Killarney’s remarkable Bridget Gleeson-Healy attained her elevation to senior international status in 1982.

In fact it was less than a year later when O’Connor captivated observers there,

Nobody could surpass Christy O’Connor Senior when it came to the skill and mental fortitude by which horrendous conditions could be conquered.

David Feherty turned with a wicked grin to movie-actor Bill Murray and a CBS television camera and cheerfully remarked: ‘The wind’s down to about 60mph and the seventh [107 yards] is a driver. Ideal conditions.’

with the superb quality of his play, en route to a record sixth British PGA Seniors’ title in eight years. In his official report of the event, John Reece recounted how a spectator, perched on top of a dune, waved binoculars at him while calling out: ‘He’s incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it.’ The ‘He’, of course, was Himself, playing masterly golf in brisk May winds. With a total of 14 birdies and an eagle, O’Connor carded rounds of 72,69,68,68 for an aggregate of 277 --11 under par --to win by no fewer than nine strokes from second-placed Peter Gill of Knole Park.

As Reece enthused: ‘The plain fact is that Christy O’Connor revelled more than anyone in the links challenge and was capable, at the age of 59, of showing the most knowledgeable assembly of golfers in the country, just what could be done with club and ball.’ Our leading amateurs could hardly wish for a more inspirational send-off.

Nobody could surpass the Royal Dublin maestro when it came to the skill and mental fortitude by which horrendous conditions could be conquered. I happen to know this from a conversation I had with Tony Jacklin, who was at Portmarnock on a famous occasion 50 years ago.

That was when Jacklin, as a bemused 21-year-old, witnessed the benchmark for bad-weather play, as executed by Himself in the 1965 Dunlop Masters, before the day’s play was abandoned.

‘It was a little time later before I could

fully appreciate the significance of his 73 in unspeakably bad conditions,’ reflected the winner of two Major championships. ‘On a day when I wore a sou’wester and started something like nine, ten, jack, Christy did one of the greatest rounds in the history of the game – and nothing in my experience since then, has changed that opinion.’ Which left Jacklin somewhat unmoved by events at Newcastle.

Even O’Connor’s amazing performance, however, has to be ranked behind the ultimate tale of foul-weather golfing heroism. This remains the proud distinction of Captain Maitland Dougal who was just about to tee off in the Autumn Medal on the Old Course in 1860, when a rain-lashed fishing vessel was seen drifting helplessly towards rocks in St Andrews Bay. That was when Dougal left the golf course and proceeded to man the lead oar of the local lifeboat. It meant rowing for five hours in fierce gales before the fishermen were saved. Whereupon our hero changed clothes, stuffed buckshot into his gutty ball for greater control in the wind, and proceeded to card 112 for second place in the medal, eight strokes behind the winner.

Looking for a comparable golfing tale involving the wild Pacific? One imagines it being found only on celluloid from the dream factories someway south of Pebble Beach.

Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 75

Northern

By Debbie Orme

Notes

Journey to freedom Walter and his wife Herta, 2014

At that point, Walter was a typical fifteen year old and doesn’t remember asking any questions about where he was going. He does remember saying goodbye to his father who was in the Jewish Hospital with angina. His father was in tears and Walter did not want to leave his bedside, so an older cousin just took him by the hand and led him away.

Walter stood at the door and looked back. It did not cross his mind that this would be the last time he would see his father. Later that night his mother and sisters saw him off at the station.

In January 1939, Walter and three other boys, who were all about the same age, arrived in Northern Ireland. At first they were taken to a hostel in Clifton Park Avenue but, after a short time, they were sent to Magill’s farm in Millisle, Co. Down, which the Jewish Committee had secured for them.

It’s estimated that tens of thousands of Jewish children were evacuated during the Second World War via the Kindertransport and brought to towns across the UK in a bid to save their lives.

Between 1938 and 1948, nearly 300 of them passed through Magill’s farm on the Woburn Road in Millisle, County Down.

Now, thanks to a strong campaign by local people and MLAs at Stormont, the farm has been given listed status as a way of recognising the province’s contribution to saving children from the Holocaust.

shops, department stores and businesses were ‘Aryanised’.

Following the horrific Kristallnacht, when synagogues and jewish property were set alight, and jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps, the British government - alarmed by events decided to allow 10,000 jewish children to be permitted to come to Britain unaccompanied by their families: a decision which undoubtedly saved their lives.

One of the children brought to Millisle was 92-year-old Walter Kammerling, who was born in Vienna in 1923. At that time, the jews had been part of Viennese society for many generations and were totally integrated. In 1938, however, Hitler issued an ultimatum that Austria either had to agree to an annexation or he would declare war on the country.

The Austrian leader, Schuschnigg, wanted to avoid bloodshed and so agreed to give in to the threats.

The violence and terror against the jews started immediately. They were banned from using public baths, libraries or any closed park. Park benches were painted with ‘forbidden for jews’; jewish teachers were immediately dismissed and jewish property, such as flats, factories,

The daily regime at the farm started with religious worship in the farm’s synagogue and the morning was then taken up with English lessons. In the afternoon they would play sports and games, with the sturdier children expected to do their share of market gardening. The fresh food and exercise - along with the bracing fresh air that rolled off the Irish Sea - helped many to develop.

After spending some time at the farm, Walter managed to find a job in a munitions factory in London. While looking for accommodation, a fellow refugee in the factory told Walter about a ‘War Workers’ Hostel’ at Swiss Cottage, which was run by the Austrian Centre, a group of Austrian refugees who tried to do everything for the war effort, to beat the National Socialists and to establish a free, democratic Austria after the war.

Walter was very glad to be accepted there and subsequently joined the Youth Organisation ‘Young Austria’, which is where he met his future wife Herta.

After the war, Walter and Herta were given the chance by the army to be ‘repatriated’ in Austria, and so they returned. Their sons Peter and Max were both born in Vienna and the couple have since welcomed five grandsons and a great-granddaughter.

Walter as a young man

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

Despite his advancing years, Walter

Back to our past..

Group including Walter at back right

Those interested in geneaology will be delighted to hear that Ancestry Ireland is running a fantastic event in September!

Running from 6-12 September 2015, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors is aimed at both the dedicated family historian and those who may prefer to spend more time exploring and savouring the enchanting landscape and historic sites of their ancestors. To access the conference website visit www.ancestryireland.com/family-history-conference/

A group of children at the farm

remains a tireless campaigner for keeping the flame of Holocaust Remembrance alive by visiting schools and educating school children about the horrors of racism and anti-semitism.

The week will comprise an engaging and entertaining mix of research in the archives with the help of the Ulster Historical Foundation’s experienced genealogists, talks from acknowledged experts and a variety of tours, all making for a memorable experience. Highlights from the varied programme include visits to Titanic Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway, the National Archives in Dublin and the famous Walls of Derry, dinner at Belfast’s historic Reform Club and afternoon tea at Barons Court, home to the Duke of Abercorn.

Transforming their own care

The ARC Centre was officially opened in the refurbished building based on the Sallyswood Estate in 2001.

There’s much talk in Northern Ireland at the moment about the Transforming Your Care initiative which is set to revolutionise NI healthcare, but over the last few years, one group of people in County Fermanagh have already taken the local health and wellbeing into their own hands.

Located in Sallywood Estate in Irvinestown, the origins of ARC Healthy Living Centre are closely aligned with the work of Irvinestown Trustee Enterprise Company Ltd (ITEC), a non-profit taking company which aims to increase economic development and employment opportunities in both Irvinestown and the surrounding hinterland. At present, the company

manages more than 55,000 square feet of affordable workspace located in and around the Irvinestown area.

‘In the 1990s,’ says Centre Manager, Jenny Irvine, ‘ITEC recognised that the rate of social development was not happening at the same pace as economic development in the Irvinestown area, and serious social problems were evident in areas such as the Sallyswood

Senior Times l July-August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 77

Centre Manager Jenny Irvine:

‘Put simply, the Centre responds to the needs of the local community by providing opportunities to enable and empower people to develop their own resources for creative and healthy living’.

Estate. This prompted ITEC, in partnership with the local community and other stakeholders, to identify that there was a need for a facility to help address these problems. As a result, the ARC healthy Living Centre was created.

‘Put simply, the Centre responds to the needs of the local community by providing opportunities to enable and empower people to develop their own resources for creative and healthy living. The centre works very closely with the local communities and promotes community participation and volunteering.

One example of this would be ARC’s close relationship with Irvinestown Community Partnership, which acts as community forum for 36 community groups.

‘The Centre delivers services to over eleven rural wards with high levels of deprivation, poor statutory services infrastructure, high levels of unfit housing and high levels of long-term sickness. When I joined in 1998, I have to admit that I thought it couldn’t be as bad as people made it out, but it most certainly was. There was a general expectation of failure in the area. To give you an idea of how bad it was, one of our supporters was a Sister of Mercy named Bridie, who totally believed in the possibility of change and came to help us. The nurses of Calcutta were actually praying for her because Irvinestown was so bad! Thanks to Lottery money we were able to buy up some burnt out houses and brought in architects to start work.

‘Even as we were building we were aware of the problems.

Builders were scared to come into the area to work, so we had some convincing to do. Even our security gates were stolen and we had to go around doors knocking and asking for them until we got them back. We also did some things that some may find surprising, such as bringing in windows from Scandinavia and using china cups, but that was because everything was designed to raise expectations of what was possible in life. At the end of the day it’s all about respect for life and for each other.

‘The ARC Centre was officially opened in the refurbished building based on the Sallyswood Estate in 2001, and it was immediately clear that the ethos of inclusion and positive expectation was fundamental to the survival and success of the project.

‘Initially we got a few of the leaders in the community convinced about what we were doing and we then moved on to asking the local population about what they considered was wanted and needed. The level of hopelessness was overwhelming. Drink and drugs seemed to affect practically everyone, and it was also clear that the local children were in need of immediate help.

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

At the official launch of the ARC Centre

‘As a result of our enquiries, the first service that started was SOLACE (Supportive Opportunities for Living with Addiction in a Community Environment), which provides a support service to reduce harm caused by chronic addiction, to individuals, families and communities. We then moved on to a proactive service: Cherish Sure Start, which works with parents and children to promote the physical, social, emotional development of pre-school children. In particular, this programme is aimed at those children who are disadvantaged, to ensure that they are well prepared for school. The programmes that we run for kids are really effective and they certainly need to be since so many children in this area were affected and left alone by negative elements.

‘Our ‘Flourishing Families’ service came in response to hidden harm, where we were working with many kids of parents affected by substance misuse. Kids in such an environment require so much emotional support and skills teaching. At the moment, for example, we are teaching kids from as young as three to make sandwiches and the older ones to cook so that, in the event that their parents are unable to function, they can ensure that they are fed. We also help them with self care, literary and homework support and, during the summer, provide daily activities.

‘Then – as now – we were never prepared to trade on the ‘deprivation’ status and this has certainly limited us in our funding, but we aren’t interested in going down this road. We want to raise expectations, and our plans for the future are definitely ambitious. For a start, we plan to develop a stateof-the-art Health and Care Village, which will be the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. The Centre will meet all requirements, and will engage the services of doctors, nurses, dentists and other health professionals, who will work alongside community-managed services, promoting collaboration and focusing on earlier interventions. ARC envisages this as a new and more sustainable model of healthcare. Rather than focus on the treatment of illness, the new model of healthcare in Irvinestown will provide a greater focus on the prevention of illness and will encourage people to keep themselves healthier for longer.’

Know Your Rights...

Advice from the Citizens Information Centre

I’m selling my house. The asking price is a lot more than the valuation for Local Property Tax (LPT) on 1 May 2013.

Will I be liable to pay the outstanding LPT if I sell it for the asking price or more?

the LPT online system to get clearance from Revenue to prove that there are no outstanding LPT issues with your property.

This is known as General Clearance. However, if the expected or agreed sales price is greater than the valuation band or valuation declared on the 2013 Return, you may need to get Written Clearance from Revenue, as well as General Clearance. If you meet any of the following conditions, you don’t need to get Written Clearance: • The sales price falls within the allowable valuation margin: In general, for houses that were valued up to €300,000 the sales price can fall into the next valuation band; for houses valued between €300,000 and €1 million the sale price can be up to 15% higher than the upper limit of the band declared and for houses over €1 million the sale price can be up to 15% higher than the declared chargeable value.

• You carried out work that enhanced the value of the property. You must have receipts and verification of how much was spent.

• You based the original valuation on sales of comparable properties. You must be able to show that you based the declared chargeable value on the valuation date on known and verifiable sale prices of comparable properties in the area.

You can read full details of the conditions in Revenue’s guidelines on the sale of properties.

In general, if you declared a valuation band or valuation on your 2013 Return honestly and in line with Revenue guidelines, this valuation will continue to apply until 31 October 2016.

When you are selling your house you (or your solicitor) can use

You will need to get Written Clearance from Revenue if none of the above conditions are met and your declared valuation was made in good faith and in line with Revenue guidelines.

You apply for Written Clearance by completing Form LPT5 and including relevant supporting documentation. Revenue will review the basis for your declared valuation and determine whether clearance should issue.

Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 79

What is the new Back to Work Family Dividend?

The Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) scheme aims to help families to move from social welfare into employment. It gives extra financial support to people with qualified children who stop claiming a jobseeker’s payment or a one-parent family payment because they have taken up employment or self-employment.

2015. All eligible claims are being backdated to the date of application.

My daughter is getting Jobseeker’s Allowance and her oldest child is starting school this year. Is there a payment to help with the costs of children going to school?

If you qualify for the scheme you will get a weekly payment for up to 2 years. For the first year in employment you will be paid the equivalent of any Increases for Qualified Children that were being paid on your jobseeker’s or one-parent family payment (up to a maximum of 4 children). Half that amount will be paid weekly for the second year.

To qualify, you and all members of your family (including your adult dependant) must sign off all primary social welfare payments. However the Back to Work Family Dividend can be paid with Family Income Supplement (FIS) and is not taken into account in the means test for FIS. It can also be paid if your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant finds work, provided you are getting an Increase for a Qualified Adult on your payment for them. However, you must meet the conditions and the Back to Work Family Dividend will be paid to you (as the recipient of the social welfare payment).

BTWFD can be paid with some non-primary social welfare payments such as Child Benefit, Rent Supplement and Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (see citizensinformation.ie for the full list). The habitual residence condition applies to BTWFD. Applications for the scheme have been accepted since Monday 5 January 2015.The scheme became fully operational on 5 May 80 Senior Times l July-August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BTSCFA) helps meet the cost of uniforms and footwear for children going to school. Children must be aged between 4 and 22 on or before 30 September 2015. If they are aged between 18 and 22 they must be in full-time second-level education in a recognised school or college.

To qualify you must be getting a social welfare payment or taking part in a training, employment or adult education scheme. In general, you must be getting an Increase for a Qualified Child with your payment. People getting Family Income Supplement and the new Back to Work Family Dividend can qualify for BTSCFA. Also, your total family income must be below a certain level for your family size. The Allowance is €100 for eligible children aged between 4 and 11 and €200 for those aged between 12 and 22.

The scheme is open from 1 June to 30 September 2015. The Department of Social Protection pays BTSCFA automatically to many customers. This means that they do not have to apply for the payment. If you qualify automatically, you should get a letter stating when and how your Allowance will be paid. If you do not get an automatic payment you must apply for the Allowance. If any of the children are aged 18 or over your daughter must apply for the Allowance for them and supply evidence that they are in second-level education (even if automatic payments have issued for other children in the family).

Application forms are available from June 2015 in all local social welfare offices and Intreo centres, and on the Department’s website, welfare.ie. When a decision has been made on the application she will get a letter informing her of this and whether the allowance has been awarded. If the application has been successful, she will also be told when and where she can collect the payment. If the allowance is refused she can ask for a review of the decision.

I am a UK citizen and I am thinking of moving to Ireland.

Are there any restrictions on taking up residence?

Citizens of the United Kingdom (UK) are entitled to live in Ireland without any conditions or restrictions. Unlike the citizens of other countries, they are not subject to the Aliens Act 1935 or to any orders made under it. This means that you, as a UK citizen, do not need a visa, any form of residence permit or employment permit to live in Ireland.

In general, while living in Ireland, UK citizens are entitled to avail of public services on the same basis as Irish citizens living in Ireland. For example, UK citizens who are resident in Ireland are entitled to health services in the same way as Irish citizens who are resident. UK citizens resident in Ireland whose income is from a UK source and who do not have any income from Ireland may be entitled to a medical card regardless of their means.

Unlike other EU citizens, UK citizens may retire to Ireland without having to establish that they have sufficient resources or that they have private health insurance. UK citizens living in Ireland are eligible for social welfare payments in the same way as Irish citizens living in Ireland. However you need to meet the requirements of the habitual residence condition (in the same way as Irish citizens living in Ireland) to qualify for many means-tested social welfare payments. If you have recently moved to Ireland, you may find it more difficult to establish that your main centre of interest is in Ireland.

UK citizens living in Ireland are entitled to vote in Irish elections, with the exception of Presidential elections and referendums.

The UK government has published a short guide on gov.co.uk for UK citizens who are living in Ireland and travelling to Ireland.

Our house is quite chilly, so we’d like to make it more comfortable and save on our heating bills. Are there any grants for this type of work?

You can apply for the Better Energy Homes Scheme, which provides grants to homeowners to improve energy efficiency in their homes. (It is also available to landlords and owners of more than one property.) The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers the scheme.

You can use the Home Energy Self Survey to identify areas in your home that could be improved to increase energy efficiency. You can also get a Building Energy Rating (BER) done if you are uncertain about your energy-saving options or what work to get done first.

Grants are available for the following types of work: roof insulation; wall insulation; upgrade of heating controls; installing a high-efficiency boiler; solar heating; and a BER after the energy-saving work is carried out.

To qualify for a grant, you must own a dwelling built before 2006; use a contractor from SEAI’s registered list; use newly fitted materials and products; have work done that complies with the required standards; have a BER carried out after the works are done and use a BER assessor from SEAI’s National Register. You must have grant approval before you buy materials or start work.

Grants for qualifying measures range from a maximum of €300 for attic or cavity wall insulation to a maximum of €4,500 for external wall insulation on a detached house. Grants are paid after the work is completed and you have paid your contractor.

If you get three qualifying measures done, a bonus of €300 is payable on top of the grants. (A BER doesn’t count as a measure for this bonus.) A further €100 is payable on completion of a fourth measure. Full details of grants and bonuses are available on seai.ie.

If you are also claiming a tax credit under the Home Renovation Incentive, the amount of expenditure that qualifies for the credit will be reduced.You can contact SEAI at 1850 927 000 or info@betterenergyhomes.ie.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Citizens Information Service which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Information is also available at citizensinformation.ie and from Citizens Information Phone Service 0761 07 4000 or telephone Freephone 1800 989898 Senior Times l July-August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 81

Meeting Place DONEGAL WIDOWER, LATE 50s, WLTM woman, 50-65, from North West for friendship and perhaps more. Wide range of interests. SD. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P1 KERRY LADY EARLY 60s, fit, sincere, outgoing, loves nature, travelling, dancing and fishing.

WLTM sincere man for friendship and companionship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P2 ROMANTIC DUBLIN GENTLEMAN, 60s, civilised, open, tall, no children, GSOH, positive, loyal, dependable. WLTM cheerful widow to share this wonderful world, in friendship, perhaps romance, perhaps committed relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P3 DUBLIN BASED LADY, 50s, originally from country, interested in weekends away, cinema, reading, dining out, gardening, outdoor life, music. WLTM man for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P4 REFINED, EDUCATED DUBLIN MAN, EARLY 60s, WLTM sincere female from anywhere in Ireland for friendship and maybe more.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P5 GALWAY LAD, EARLY 50s, NS, SD, enjoys nights out, keep fit, healthy eating and much more. WLTM male 50-60 for a relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P6 CORK LADY 50ish looking for a male pen friend. Love baking, cycling, swimming, beaches, fresh air, comedy, nature and day trips, travelling. WLTM man of around 50, single, NS. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P7 LIMERICK LADY MID 60s, unattached, runs own business, young in outlook, caring, sincere, and personable. Interests include film, theatre, dancing and travel. WLTM gent of similar vintage and with same interests.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P8 DONEGAL LADY, VERY YOUNG 64, nature lover, enjoys going for country walks, WLTM either male or female for friendship away etc. or perhaps form a friendship group.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P9 DUBLIN LADY 70s WLTM sincere gentleman for friendship, companionship with GSOH similar interests which include travel, walking, reading, bowls and music.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P10 MATURE, RETIRED BUSINESS LADY, MUNSTER REGION, NS, ND. Still young at heart and searching for that special man to share retirement years. Many interests and include dancing, bridge, walking and travel.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER P11

RESPECTFUL DUBLIN MAN, 60s, never mar ried. Interests include walking, travel, art, etc.

Good humoured. WLTM single lady who has never been married for friendship and possible relationship.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T3 ATTRACTIVE LIMERICK LADY, unattached, semi-retired business woman, interests include cooking, travel, dining out, walking and dancing. Seeks gentleman with similar interests and outlook.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T4 MIDLANDS MAN, LATE 50s, retired civil servant, well-travelled. Interests include gardening, fishing, walking, cycling, amateur drama and independent travelling. WLTM a genuine, interesting lady, who enjoys life, for friendship and travelling REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T5 SOUTH CO DUBLIN LADY, MID 60s, seeks friends who enjoy travel, opera, classical and popular music, literature and theatre.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T6 LOVE OF LIFE SOUTH DUBLIN GENT, seeks lady mid-50s who loves life but missing a friend or companion/soulmate to share those special moments.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T7 DUBLIN GENT, 67, NEVER MARRIED, cheerful, cultured, unpretentious, presentable, respectful. Too many interests to mention. Seeks positive lady to share the joy of life, the joy of living and the joy of laughter.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T8 NORTH CORK MAN, LATE 50s, single, shy lonely. Interests in many things. WLTM down to earth non-professional lady with no family or ties for shared mutual pleasure. Age or size unimportant. Ideally living in North Cork area.

Discretion assured.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T9 DUBLIN WIDOW NS, 70s, kind, educated (‘I’m told I’m attractive), seeks honest, caring widower for friendship, companionship for the Golden Days! Varied interests: outdoors, current affairs, reading, cinema/theatre, quizzes, travel, and game for a laugh.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A1 DIVORCED CORK LADY WLTM gent 65-75 for companionship. Interests include archaeology, walking, dancing and adventures.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A2 DUBLIN NORTHSIDE WIDOWER, early 70s, full of life with many and varied interests. NS, SD. Spring approaching and need a lovely lady to hold my hand! Discretion assured. Seeking friendship and possible relationship.

ALA REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A3

SINGLE SOUTH DUB GENT, MID 60s, interested in travel, reading, eating out, outdoor life. NS, SD, WLTM friendly lady, mid-50s to mid-60s for companionship and perhaps more.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T1

SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN PROFESSIONAL LADY (64) WLTM genuine, unattached gent for friendship, possible relationship. I am petite, considered to be a good conversationist and very feminine. I have travelled extensively and am interested in the arts, history, science, theology and current affairs. Also enjoy walking and reading. GSOH, NS, SD. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A6

DUBLIN LADY, MID-60s, WLTM Dublin-based professional gentleman, 60s to 70s. Love Island hopping in the summer and have lots of interests such as travel, reading and dining out.

ALA.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER T2

TIPP LADY WLTM LADIES aged 60-75 from Limerick, Clare Tipperary area for outings and days out and for a having a chat. Interested in crafts, reading, and arts.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A7

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

EDUCATED, ATTRACTIVE SOUTH EAST MAN, 66, divorced, no family and no ties WLTM sincere lady 50-75 for mature relationship. Very honest, genuine, respectable, kind and caring.

Enjoy walking, reading, current affairs, travel, good conversation, theatre, sport, keeping fit and active. 6ft in height, NS, SD with GSOH. All genuine replies welcome.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A8 SOUTH EAST FEMALE (60) with an outgoing, positive personality, WLTM genuine gent for friendship and possible relationship. NS, SD with many interests, including walking, travel, dining out and bridge.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A9 KERRY/LIMERICK BASED LADY, 60s, returned emigrant would like to hear from similar males and females for friendship, travel, socialising.

NS. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A10 SINGLE PROFESSIONAL, SOUTH DUBLIN LADY, mid 50s, good looking, slim, 160cm, enthusiastic, university degree, interested in walking, ballet, ballroom dancing, theatre, yoga, healthy lifestyle, WLTM A single professional, caring man with similar interests, 55-63, NS, SD, for friendship, companionship, leading to possible relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A11 MIDLANDS MAN, RETIRED PUBLIC SERVANT, EARLY 60s, WLTM an interesting lady for friendship and travelling. Widely travelled, no ties, enjoys walking, fishing, cycling and outdoor activities and travelling.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A12 WIDOWED MIDLANDS LADY, 60s. NS, SD, GSOH, enjoys good company, music, dancing, walking, reading, foreign travel and weekends away in Ireland. WLTM gentleman with similar interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A13 SINGLE SOUTH DUBLIN LADY,mid 50s, good looking professional, interested in ballroom dancing, hillwalking, ballet, theatre, yoga, healthy lifestyle, WLTM a single professional man with similar interests, aged 57-60, fit, NS, ND and DGOH, for friendship and companionship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A14 WIDOWED DUBLIN LADY, 60s, NS, SD, attractive, active, fit, with outgoing personality. Enjoys walking, music, theatre and dining out. WLTM educated, sincere gent with GSOH for friendship and companionship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A15 DUBLIN MAN, LATE 50s, returned emigrant, WLTM men and women with similar experience who may be interested in meeting and possibly to form a group.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A16

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

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A17 NORTHSIDE DUBLIN LADY, 39, Libra, well-educated and travelled, smart, kind and caring, enjoys good conversation, dining out in decent restaurants, cinema and theatre. WLTM a man with GSOH and similar interests for romance and maybe more.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A18 FEMININE DUBLIN LADY, EARLY 60s, well-travelled, semi-retired, fit, fun and engaging.WLTM a kind, laid back, easy going gentleman who has sound values and principles. And a wee twinkle in his eye! Would like to hear from you!

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A19 DUBLIN GENTLEMAN, 60s, WLTM lady for friendship/companionship. Interests include golf, bridge, dancing and reading. ALA REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y1 WICKLOW-BASED LADY, 60s, returned emigrant, would like to hear from emigrants of similar age, with a view to friendship or perhaps forming a Returned Emigrants Association?

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y2 SOUTH DUBLIN LADY, attractive, with outgoing personality, likes outdoors, walking, theatre, travel, dining out, WLTM sincere, active, unattached man in his 60s for companionship and perhaps deep friendship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y3 SINCERE CAVAN WIDOWER, young 67, NS, ND, presentable, kind and caring. Seeks gentle, caring lady soul mate with no ties. Interests include country life, walking, nature, reading, dining out, weekends away etc. Photo appreciated and exchanged.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y4 WIDOWED DUBLIN LADY, 60s, NS, no ties, would enjoy company of man of similar age or older. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y5 ATTRACTIVE CORK LADY, 64, semi-retired WLTM kind sincere gentleman with common interests for friendship, travel and the simple things in life.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Y6 PROFESSIONAL GALWAY LADY seeks honest and caring male companion (single or widower) fifties or early sixties for friendship. Interests include reading, walking, some gardening, cinema, travel etc. NS, SD, GSOH. WLTM man in Galway area of similar age and interests.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X1 60 YEARS YOUNG DUBLIN WOMAN seeks male ballroom dance partner to attend social dances in Dublin area. Having attained bronze level in both international standard and Latin dances.

I seek a partner who leads well; a plus if you also dance the Hustle REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X2 ATTRACTIVE, EDUCATED WIDOW, 65, interested in gardening, music, reading, arts, animals, nature etc., would like to find a pen friend or/ and a friend to enjoy good things in life.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X3 LONELY REFINED EDUCATED 65 year old man seeks female soul mate anywhere in Ireland.

Love theatre, literature, cinema, walking. Tall, grey, handsome with GSOH. NS. Like a glass of wine.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X4

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

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X5 SOUTH SIDE DUBLIN MALE, 61, NS, SD, slim; dress well; have GSOH; very active. Like classic/traditional music, hiking to country side; travelling; dining out in decent restaurants. Would like to meet lady with good dress sense who can hold a decent conversation and has GSOH. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X6 MIDLANDS WIDOWER, 60’s, non-smoker, social drinker, sincere with GSOH, interests include music, cinema, par-3 golf and gardening, would like to meet attractive petite lady for friendship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X7 PERFECT GENTLEMAN 67, Dublin, digital, active, cheerful, sharing, caring, positive, respectful, vibrant, house, car, fully single, full of life, love and laughter. Seeking similar lady, to share the joyful wonder of life.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X9 ATTRACTIVE 51 YEAR OLD professional woman in County Louth, NS, GSOH, interested in life and all it has to offer! Enjoys music, literature, cooking, theatre, driving to name but a few. WLTM a gentleman in the same age group with similar interests, a GSOH and a positive outlook on life.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X10 DUBLIN WIDOW, recently retired, professional, varied interests, films, music, outdoor life and travel. WLTM sincere gent and hopefully end up as Soul mates!

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X11 WILD ATLANTIC WAY MAN seeks lady for weekends away, theatre, cinema, country walks, eating out and frequent travel to the West from anywhere in Ireland. Refined, educated and house trained 64 year old. Tall, grey and handsome with GSOH. ALA. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X12

DUBLIN WOMAN, 50, INTERESTED IN WALKING, travelling, cinema, cooking and meeting new friends.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X19 ATTRACTIVE NORTH CO DUBLIN LADY, (60) with outgoing personality, NS, SD with many and varied interests WLTM respectable gent who would appreciate and treat her nicely. Age range 50s to early 70s REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W1 MATURE LADY (60) WITH OUTGOING PERSONALITY would like to match up with lady or gent with a view to spending the coming winter (long term) in the Canary Islands to escape the unpleasant Irish winter. Would suit someone interested in peace, relaxation and friendship.

Age 55 or over. NS, SD preferred.

REPLY YO BOX NUMBER W2 WEST OF IRELAND MAN EARLY 60s WLTM sincere lady for friendship/relationship. I am genuine, honest, caring. I like music, walking, DIY, sport, animals and country life. ALA. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W3 GAY FEMALE NS, LATE 50s, Munster area WLTM same for friendship/companionship. NS only REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W4 DUBLIN NORTHSIDE WIDOWER, 65, many and varied interests, seeks lively Dublin-based lady for dining out, travel, cinema, walking etc., and of course for friendship and possible relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W5 ATTRACTIVE, ARTICULATE NEW YORK WOMAN EDUCATIONIST, early 60s, within Dublin catchment area WLTM a cultured, refined man with no ties. My interests are wide and varied and include a love of life, good conversation, comedy, theatre, travel, reading and the arts. My life is a tapestry of colours and sharing experiences makes it more enriched.

Are you the complimentary other half?

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W6 LATE 60s CO GALWAY WIDOW. Interests include walking, cycling, country driving, gardening and travel. WLTM a late 60s widow.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER W7

SINGLE LADY 58 from East Europe, attractive, warm personality, many interests. WLTM honest caring gentleman 58-68 for genuine lasting relationship. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X13

INTERESTED? If you are interested in meeting someone of the opposite or same sex, send your advertisement (with three stamps) to:

69 YEAR OLD IRISHMAN just back from working abroad, seeks female partner 63 to 73 for company, perhaps romance. Loves theatre, cinema, walking and talking. Friendly and easy-going. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X14

Meeting Place, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

Or email: john@slp.ie

HI I’M A 52 year old woman who would like to meet men in the Dublin area aged 50-55 for friendship, my interests are reading, music and dining out.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X15 GALWAY MAN LATE FIFTIES. Interests include walking, reading, farming, travelling and gardening. WLTM woman of similar age and interests.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X16 DUBLIN SOUTHSIDE FEMALE aged 52 WLTM males or females for friendship, companionship or socialising. My hobbies are walking, gardening, swimming, travelling and dancing.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X17 NORTHSIDE DUBLIN MALE VEGETARIAN, 63, interested in meditation, walking, nature etc.

NS, ND, WLTM similar males and females for friendship.REPLY TO BOX NUMBER X 18

IMPORTANT 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) Deadline for receipt of advertisements for the next issue is 20th August 2015 PLEASE NOTE Each reply to an advertisement must also be accompanied by a plain, stamped envelope so that we can insert your reply and forward to the advertiser. Ensure that the individual box numbers are discreetly marked in pencil on the envelope.

Senior Times l July- August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 83

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Send your completed puzzle to: Caoga Sudoku Competition , Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. The first four correct entries drawn are the winners. Deadline for receipt of entries is August 24th 2015.

Name:................................................................................................

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Insurance renewal dates: Motor ......................... Home: ............................

I understand that by entering the competition, J.F.Dunne Insurances may contact me to quote for my home or motor insurance and include me in their email newsletter mailings.

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

10 issue subscription to Senior Times magazine to be won!

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

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Forster Court Hotel promotion

COMPETITION WINNERS FROM LAST ISSUE

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The Forster Court has to be one of the best located and reasonably priced hotels in Galway.

You will be hard pushed to find better positioned accommodation in the city: It is a minute’s walk from the train and coach station and just around the corner from Eyre Square.

The hotel is popular with retirement groups for its outstanding value package deals, its great value restaurant and its friendly, ‘nothing is too much trouble’ staff.

Its busy bar is frequented by both residents and locals and bar snacks are available all day.

The Forster Court Hotel is the perfect destination for your summer getaway. Take time to explore all Galway city has to offer and once you have finished exploring join us in Elwood’s Restaurant for a sumptuous chef ’s special main course and a complimentary glass of house wine. To top it all off have a lazy lie in with check out and a cooked to order full Irish breakfast extended until 1pm.

If you are coming by car the Forster Court offers discounted city centre parking, free Internet and a complimentary daily newspaper.

Forster Court Hotel, Forster Square, Galway.

Tel: (091) 564111.

Email: sales@forstercourthotel.com www.forstercourthotel.com Senior Times l July - August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie 85

Crossword Crossword Number 71 by Zoë Devlin

ACROSS 1 8 12 15 16 18 19 21 22 23 24 27 29 30 35 36 37 42 43 44 45 50 51 52 53 56 58 60 61 65 66 67 68 74 75 76 79 81 82 83 89 90 91 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

They’re 702 ft high in Co Clare (6,2,5) Last month of the year (8) Achill island lies off this county’s coast (4) Small breed of terrier (7) Chief mountain range in western N. America (7) Late actor, ___ Purcell or Christmas? (4) Rancid .. maladorous .. gone off (4) There’s silken linen in this Fermanagh town (11) Central criminal court in London (3,6) Rascal or knave (5) Mischievous or annoyingly playful (6) Solemn pledge (3) Deteriorate in health (7) County in which Newgrange is situated (5) When Earth blocks light shining on the moon (5,7) Nocturnal bird of prey (3) Miss ___, unwed lady of ‘Great Expectations’ (8) Patron saint of Scotland (2,6) Gusto ... relish (4) Blessed .. sacred .. hallowed (4) Fruit such as Conference or Rocha (4) Sir Christopher ___ or tiny little bird (4) Mansion fit for royalty (6) Hazardous (5) See 56 Across (7) And 53 A. Island & UNESCO world heritage site (7) Type of wheat considered a health food (5) Long pin for holding meat in position (6) And 14 D. Co Clare author of ‘In the Forest’ (4,1’5) Co Wicklow town - sound of an ass? (4) Periodic rise and fall of sea (4) Writer of ‘Secret Seven’ books ___ Blyton (4) Science applied in investigation - like conifers? (8) Relating to a particular country (8) Large open container for liquids (3) Someone in their sixties (12) Church associated with a monastery (5) Light, gentle winds (7) Place seeds in the ground (3) Medicine or therapy that cures (6) Fictional character Scarlett or actress Maureen? (1’4) Do Moms croon in this Connacht county? (9) The camera peeks at these conciliators (11) Mentally healthy (4) Burden or incumbrance is on us? (4) Avant-garde dramatist, Eugene ___ (7) Enormous tidal wave (7) System of withholding tax (1,1,1,1) Ulster county (8) Not very concerned (13)

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

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 13 14 17 20 25 26 28 31 32 33 34 38 39 40 41 46 47 48 49 50 54 55 57 59 60 62 63 64 69 70 71 72 73 77 78 80 84 85 86 87 88 91 92 93

Prehistoric archaeological site in N Mayo (5,6) Norwegian playwright, Henrik ___ (5) ‘The Mill on the ___‘, written by 93 Down (5) There’s an oil tax on this soup! (6) Breakfast cereal which makes U smile? (6) Grey wading bird with long neck and bill (5) American mammal with stripy tail (6) One such as Robinson Crusoe (8) Was Da Vinci’s ‘La Gioconda’ on salami? (4,4) Author of ‘Brideshead Revisited’ ___ Waugh (6) John McGahern’s great novel ‘___ Women’ (7) See 61 Across.

In a difficult situation - might it predate wine? (2,4,5) Cary Grant starred in ‘___ and Old Lace’ (7) Traditional treat on Shrove Tuesday (7) A step in walking or running (6) Expel or remove from a position (4) Eight performers (5) Slide fastener (3) Former Chinese communist leader (1893-1976) (3) Do they label rum under this gamp? (8) African mammal - renowned for its laugh (5) Give over or surrender (4) Speak very softly (7) Portable enclosure for babies (4-3) Pale, strong-flavoured root vegetable (7) He provides food - on the terrace? (7) Large Australian flightless bird similar to ostrich (3) Italian novelist & philosopher, Umberto ___ (3) Found in a chicken’s chest, crack it for luck (8) ‘Till Death Us Do Part’ character ___ Garnett (3) How long something has existed (3) Praise, glorify or honour (5) Quaint theme in this John Wayne film (3,5,3) Travel or float through water (4) Have a feeling of distaste for (7) Golf score or US actor, Humphrey Bogart (5) Waste matter carried away (6) In Sligo Bay, canons yield to this piece of land (5,6) North-western county which makes one glad! (7) Strike suddenly or cook by microwave (3) Written reminder or note (4) Watery solution circulating through trees (3) Body of water between Ireland and Great Britain (5,3) Knock down, crush or destroy (8) Flattery from Co Cork? (7) Chitchat .. tittle-tattle (6) Star of ‘Streetcar named Desire’ Marlon ___ (6) Still fresh and not yet active (6) Plaid or cloth with crisscross design (6) Safe place or sanctuary (6) Devotional, virtuous, godly (5) Proverb or memorable saying (5) Writers T.S. or George ___ (5)

Win €200 worth of women’s Viviscal hair products in our crossword competition!* Hair growth specialists Viviscal, in association with Senior Times, is offering the winner of this issue’s crossword competition, the chance to win womens hair products worth €200. The prize includes a 3 months’ supply of Viviscal Maximum Strength Supplements, Gentle Shampoo, Moisturising Conditioner, Hair and Scalp Serum and a beautiful Viviscal dressing gown all to the value of €200.

Name:

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Address:

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Phone:

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*Subject to availability

Email:.................................................................................

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

The first correct entry drawn is the winner.

Deadline for receipt of entries is 20th August 2015.

Crafts

I Thought I Saw A Pussycat!

Connie McEvoy makes a find in the fire

On a cold frosty morning last January whilst on my knees cleaning the remains of the cosy fire that kept me comfortably warm during the previous night, something glistened in the midst of the grey ashes on the fire shovel. A combination of coal, timber and old wood had burned in the grate as usual during the winter months. The old wood included some doors, window frames and cupboards complete with nails and metal fittings that had been cut to suitable lengths in order to fit in the large grate with a hand saw.

Consequently it was usual to find between 10 or more rusty burned nails of various sizes on the shovel but this object glistened.

was that of a cat creeping up on an unsuspecting bird from behind. That piece of slag was carefully washed in warm suds with the aid of a soft toothbrush, my Mother’s words -“that might have potential” and my Father’s word“serendipity” sprung to mind immediately and once again design mode was triggered in a crafter’s mind.

As the ashes were still warm the poker was used as a probe, and on realizing that it in fact it was a piece of slag it would be destined for the same route as the nails and ashes. However on closer inspection the image that became fairly obvious and amusing in the nick of time

First step was to find suitable eyes (smallest seed beads available protruded when inserted) eventually some tiny confetti glitter sequins 1amber and 2 green were considered a perfect fit. Next step was to decide if the finished work would

88 Senior Times l July/August 2015 l www.seniortimes.ie

be suitable as a pendant, a key-ring, a fridge magnet or perhaps a paperweight/ornament.

Soon afterwards during a search in the attic a gold bar brooch without it’s single centre stone was discovered. It was part of an Avon gift pack bought some years ago for one Euro in a charity shop. Having fixed it securely to the back of the slag motif this crafter was quite pleased with the result! The new brooch has been worn on occasion since, has been admired and also been regarded as being somewhat amusing, it’s new home is a trinket box made from an empty wooden cigar box.

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