SeniorTimes Magazine March/April 2020

Issue 104 March - April 2020

Times

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The magazine for people who don’t act their age

Kirk Douglas bows out...

The last of the real Hollywood stars 1649205088-04.eps NBW=85 B=20

Inside - Launch of Senior Times Mike Murphy podcast

Umbria – the green ‘heart’ of Italy The region that has it all

Hunting ‘The Wolf’ Profile of historical novelist Hilary Mantel

Guess the year

Another Senior Times poser

PLUS: History - Creative Writing - Competitions – Motoring – Travel – Gardening - Health - Meeting Place and much more...

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Issue 104 - March - April 2020

Contents 14

6

News:

2

Last of the Hollywood tough guys bows out at 103: 6 Aubrey Malone on the long life and times of Kirk Douglas Guess the year: Another teaser from Jerry Perkins

12

Umbria – a wonderful mix of art, culture and stunning views: George Keegan visited the ‘green heart’ of Italy

14

What’s on in the arts: Maretta Dillon preview happenings in the arts in the next few months

20

Mary’s Musings: Mary O’Rourke on President Trump, Mary Lou, Emily Bronte, Giles Brandreth and much more

24

Walking the Camino: Tips from Eoin Garvey

30

Creative writing: Eileen Casey profiles Tipperary poet Margaret Galvin

32

Golf: The swashbuckling ‘squire’ of Lytham: 38 Dermot Gilleece on the life and times of John Talbot Clifton Dublin Dossier: Pat Keenan on happenings in and around the capital

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

40

60

Days out: Choices all over the country

44

Do you want to leave a legacy?: 54 Opportunities from a number of charities and support groups Gliding through Europe’s ‘back garden’: Mairead Robinson on the joys of river cruising

64

Wine world:

66

Motoring:

68

Cosmetics and beauty:

72

Western Ways: George Keegan on happenings around the Western Seaboard

74

Northern Notes:

82

Hunting ‘The Wolf’: In the latest of her literary-themed travels around these islands Lorna Hogg visits some of the locations featured in the historical novels of Hilary Mantel

87

Know your rights: Meeting place: Crossword: Crafts:

90 92 94 96

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News Now Enactment of Safeguarding Laws needed for citizens to benefit from new policies Safeguarding Ireland has urged the enactment of new Adult Safeguarding legislation, to better protect vulnerable adults and reduce abuse.

Speaking at a workshop to launch and discuss a new report Falling Through the Cracks: The Case for Change, Key Developments and Next Steps for Adult Safeguarding in Ireland, commissioned by Senator Colette Kelleher, Safeguarding Ireland stressed that citizens would only benefit when new policies are underpinned by legislation.

Safeguarding Ireland Chairperson Patricia Rickard-Clarke welcomed the many current and recent developments taking place in adult safeguarding including: • Publication of National Standards for Adult Safeguarding jointly developed by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Mental Health Commission (MHC) • Publication of Guidance on a Human Rights-based Approach in Health and Social Care Services by HIQA with support from Safeguarding Ireland • A national adult safeguarding policy for the health sector is under development by the Department of Health • The HSE’s national operational adult safeguarding policy is being revised.

‘Safeguarding Ireland welcomes all of this progress, and the leadership being shown at today’s event and new report from Senator Kelleher.

However, in order to actually improve outcomes for vulnerable adults we need up-to-date and fit-for-purpose laws which are implemented and enforced.’

Ms. Patricia Rickard-Clarke said the Adult Safeguarding Bill, which has been driven by Senator Colette Kelleher, has been in development since 2017 – and needs a timeline for its implementation.

‘The Adult Safeguarding Bill needs to be finalised, enacted, implemented and enforced. It should be rolled out together with a Regulatory Framework giving HIQA, the Central Bank and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection powers to ensure that Safeguarding legislation is adhered to.”

Senator Colette Kelleher also highlighted the need for enactment.

“Whilst many thousands of people in Ireland experience and / or are at risk of harm and abuse, the current law, policy and protections are inadequate to safeguard the wellbeing of adults in certain situations.

“Put simply people are ‘falling though the cracks’ and coming to harm or being abused because of gaps in our current systems. Frontline Social Workers and others who come into contact with people in these situations just don’t have the ways, means or powers to support and safeguard them.’

The event included the launch of a new report on safeguarding written

by UCD School of Social Work Associate Professor Dr Sarah Donnelly and Independent Health Policy Analyst, Dr Marita O Brien.

The report includes nine case studies gathered from real life safeguarding situations reported from the frontline. The case studies in 2 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

clude people with intellectual disabilities, acquired brain injuries, dementia, and older people and identifies the gaps in support, safeguards and protection which they are falling through. It also includes recommendations and specific actions to improve adult safeguarding law, policy and practice – and these were discussed in detail at the meeting.

Ms. Rickard-Clarke also called for the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act which was enacted in 2015 to be implemented – in full – in 2020. It contains key safeguarding provisions and arrangements to be put in place to respect an individual’s human rights.

The 2018 Annual Report of the HSE National Safeguarding Office reported 11,780 safeguarding concerns, the highest annual rate reported by the Office to date, and a 14% increase from 2017.

A report recent commissioned by the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) together with Safeguarding Ireland in October found that 20% of adults have experienced financial abuse.

More information at www.safeguardingireland.org

New event will showcase product/services involved in caring for older people A new event aimed at business and medical professionals involved in all areas ageing is to take place the RDS, Dublin in October. Called Age Smart, The Business of Ageing, it is a business-to-business event centring on technologies, products and services for the 50 plus market.

Said show organiser Brian McCabe: ‘This event will fill the gap for those involved in any aspect servicing those caring for older people, whether it be providing hi-tech monitoring equipment, exercise and mobility aids, adapted transport, catering and much more’.

The two-day event will display the latest innovations in this rapidly developing market. It will be aimed at the public and private sector and highlight products/services to professional and support staff in all sectors and disciplines.

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News

Cappagh hospital goes ‘National’

John Wilkinson, chair of the Board of Directors, National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh and Angela Lee, CEO of National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh and Paul Reid, Chief Executive Officer of the HSE.

Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital, Ireland’s largest dedicated orthopaedic hospital, has announced that it will be known as the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh..

The new name asserts the hospital’s national reach and core offering of the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh.

The new identity is themed on growth and represents the hospital’s commitment to patients, education and innovation. Ranked as one of the top hospitals in Ireland by the National Patient Experience Survey (HIQA) 2019, the Hospital has the largest concentration of orthopaedic expertise in the country and specialises in orthopaedic, sports and exercise, and rehabilitation medicine.

Commenting on the new brand, Ms Angela Lee, CEO of National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh said: ‘The new brand and identity is an exciting milestone for the hospital and represents our commitment to delivering enhanced patient communications, experiences and outcomes.

We anticipate higher demand for orthopaedic services in the future, given Ireland's increased and ageing population. In response to this, we are future-proofing our Hospital to efficiently and effectively respond to the future needs of our patients.’

Operating since 1908, the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh has pioneered ground-breaking surgeries and initiated significant practice innovations. These include: the first total hip replacement surgery in Ireland (1969); first two-surgeon approach to scoliosis surgery in Ireland (2018); and the Enhanced Recovery Programme - same-day surgery and discharge for patients undergoing total hip replacement surgery (2018).

Vera Lynn tribute for National Concert Hall

The Great Singalong Songbook team hit the roads of Ireland last year, after 16 years spent honing their product in Cork’s Everyman Theatre.

Drawing together some of the best artists in the business, from writer/director Cathal MacCabe (ex Head of 2FM), actor/presenter Alf McCarthy, singers Linda Kenny, Damian Smith and Alan Carney (MD), and the Great Singalong band, they celebrate in song and story the lives of Movie and Musical icons.

Using a giant screen, they project not only photos and video, but also the song lyrics so the audience is encouraged to sing along from the get go.

Their current tour of Who’s Sorry Now? The Story of Connie Francis and Bobby Darin is now sold out. Watch out for upcoming dates with Doris Day, Dean Martin, Julie Andrews, The Swinging Sixties, Andy Williams and much more. Check out their Facebook page for more details. www. facebook/thegreatsingalongsongbook In celebration of her 103rd birthday, the Great Singalong Songbook are bringing We’ll Meet Again: the Story of Vera Lynn to Siamsa Tire, Tralee on Sunday 15th March and to the main stage of the National Concert Hall on Tuesday March 24th.

A ‘gorgeous gem of a show’, which has already played to packed houses all over the country, it is a dramatic re-telling of the life and times of Vera Lynn and gives the audience a chance to sing along to some of her greatest hits. Tickets selling fast! www.siamsatire.com Tel: 066 7123055; www.nch.ie Tel: 01-4170000

Changing 2020 travel choices respect the environment There have been key changes in consumer mindsets and behaviours in travel trends, according to Mary Denton, CEO at Sunway. She says: ‘people are now choosing travel destinations and types with a broader view of the environment and changing lifestyles and the industry has adapted to this.

‘People are much more aware of the impact on the environment now in their purchasing decisions. “At Sunway we have noticed this trend and have included products that work with local communities and give back there”. Some of the interesting and mindful trips on offer are – In Northern Thailand, adventure trips take travellers to three different indigenous communities helping to generate employment and sustainable income.

4 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

In India other trips allow you to take part in home-stays and visiting the very same social enterprises the money for your trip is helping fund. And in South America, you can dine in the holiday supported Parwa community restaurant in Huchuy Qosco.

Escorted Tours are also so much friendlier towards the environment than individuals driving around overseas. They have certainly become very popular in recent years. They bring travellers into the heart of local life on their tours. For example on the eight-day Highlights of Peru trip, travellers get to meet spinners and weavers of high-coloured Andean textiles, and learn a thing or two about how to wear them to preserve tradition.

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Cinema

The last of the tough guys bows out at 103 Aubrey Malone on the remarkably long life and career of Kirk Douglas who recently died at 103

Kirk Douglas received one of his three Oscar nominations for Spartacus in 1960

People sometimes speak of acting as being the career choice of tenderfoots. Not for Kirk Douglas. He talked of a 1991 helicopter crash in which he was involved as if it was a scene in a movie.

Two people died in it. He was a mere 75 years of age at the time, a veritable stripling. ‘I try to stay in shape,’ he said, ‘There are no roles for fat leading men.’

We were all gobsmacked when Bob Hope and George Burns reached the century. Asked what he wanted for his 100th birthday, Burns quipped, ‘A paternity suit.’

Both men died a few months after that benchmark. Douglas was having none of that. He got to 101, then 102 and you found yourself thinking: This man can go on forever. But he went to his reward on February 5th last.

He had four sons, one dying of a drug overdose. Michael is obviously the most successful. Kirk said of him once, ‘Michael didn’t have the advantages I had in life. He was born rich.’ And elsewhere, ‘If I knew how much of a big shot he was going to be, I would have been nicer to him as a child.’

The remark was typical of his wit – and sagacity. Having worked his way up from being a ‘ragman’s son’ (the title of his 1988 autobiography) to a member of Hollywood’s royalty, he never forgot where he came from.

Nor the value of a buck.

6 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

He wasn’t a stick-in-the-mud but he knew the truth of that old dictum, ‘Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man, healthy, wealthy and wise.’ I remember reading somewhere that when guests were overstaying their welcome at his house one night, and getting a bit too merry on drink , he went upstairs, got into his pyjamas, came back down and, with a twinkle in his eye, started flicking the light on and off repeatedly to give them a not-so-gentle hint to depart.

He was born Issur Danielovitch in Belarus 1916. Today he’d probably have stayed with that name. ‘Old’ Hollywood preferred to sanitise people, to strip them of their ethnic origins. But his Russian background was detectable in that chiselled jawline, those passionate eyes, a voice that sounded as if his voice was full of sandpaper. And the trademark dimple.

He suffered some abuse for being Jewish in his early career but like everything else that was thrown at him in life, he found a way of dealing with it. ‘It had one advantage,’ he joked, ‘It allowed me to be anti-semitic without anyone accusing me of prejudice.’

His career began after he left the Navy during World War II following an injury. He had an incredible debut with The Strange Love of Martha Ivers in 1946. It was a kind of poor man’s Double Indemnity. The following year he made another noir classic, Build My Gallows High. In these films he was more of a threatening presence than anything else. Three years later he had his breakthrough role as a full-blown leading man with Champion. His role as an unscrupulous boxer won him his first Oscar nomination.

Available from March 8th

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Published bi-monthly since 2002, the magazine is celebrating its 100th issue!

In this first season, Mike’s Special Guests will include Denis O’Brien, Terry Prone, Pat Henry, Mary Louise O’Donnell - and more! And to launch this exciting complement to Ireland’s No.1 magazine for older readers, we have privileged access to Áras an Uachtaráin for an extensive interview with President Michael D. Higgins.

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Cinema

Kirk Douglas with his wife Anne who has also topped the century at 101!

As Van Gogh in Lust for Life

He was a frustrated trumpet player in Young Man with a Horn in 1950.

In the same year he appeared in the screen version of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. These were all very strong performances.

Not that many of them are talked about today. It took me a lot of digging to find a print of The Glass Menagerie a few years ago. It was worth it.

People are more likely to remember the more high profile roles –the opportunistic reporter of Ace in the Hole, the tough cop of Detective Story, the fading movie mogul of The Bad and the Beautiful.

Behind the scenes he was making deals. He knew what he wanted both before and behind the camera and didn’t take no for an answer when he went in search of it. Inspired by Burt Lancaster setting up his own production company he decided to follow suit in 1955. He named it Bryna after his mother. It meant he had control over his career from then on.

The great roles continued: Lust for Life in 1956 and Paths of Glory two years later. In 1959 he gave another solid performance as the protector of a murderous son in Last Train from Gun Hill. None of these roles were user-friendly.

Then came Spartacus in 1960. Maybe this is the role he’s most identified with today, especially for the famous ‘I am Spartacus!’ scene.

When he made The Vikings in 1962, Bryna was again calling the shots.

‘He gave himself all the best close-ups,’ his co-star Ernest Borgnine complained. Said Tony Curtis, another actor in the film, ‘You had to be careful not to upset him or he’d cut your lines out.’

Bryna had a hand in Spartacus too. It meant he exerted control of that film as well. So much so that he fired the director, Anthony Mann, and re placed him with Stanley Kubrick. A few years earlier, Marlon Brando had sacked Kubrick from his western film One-Eyed Jacks. Kubrick went on to make Paths of Glory instead - with Douglas, of course.

The film made Kubrick’s name. One-Eyed Jacks, meanwhile, tanked at the box office. Douglas laughed his way to the bank. Like Ol’ Blue eyes, he’d done things His Way. He made no apology for the toes he trod on in the process. ‘I’m an s.o.b. plain and simple,’ he crowed with mock-bravado, ‘Why try to act the nice guy? To be a nice guy is to be a nothing. A big fat zero with a smile for everyone.’

Burt Lancaster echoed that. ‘Kirk would be the first to tell you he’s a difficult man,’ he said, adding, ‘And I would be the second.’

8 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

With his son Michael and daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones

The other side of toughness is courage. While making Spartacus he allowed the blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo use his own name after years of writing under aliases. In doing so he showed not only arrogance but integrity. Who else would have risked their career on such a premise?

A few years later. Douglas appeared in Mann’s The Heroes of Telemark.

It was a kind of apology to him for sacking him.

One thing about him was that if he was going to stab you, it would be from the front. After he did it he might remove the knife. And clean the wound.

He never won an Oscar. How can someone give so many great performances and come away empty-handed from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion year in and year out? AMPAS, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, should hang their head in shame over his repeated bypassing on this score.

I thought he deserved one for playing a fading mogul in The Bad and the Beautiful, or for his portrayal of the tortured artist Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life. He was nominated for both. Alas, it wasn’t to be.

John Wayne castigated him for Lust for Life. ‘You shouldn’t be playing a weakling,’ he rebuked, ‘Tough guys like us have an obligation to keep up that image for an audience.’ That pretty much tells us all we need to know about Wayne’s attitude to art – or intensity. Truth didn’t matter, just the propagation of a macho ethos.

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Kirk Douglas in what is generally regarded as his finest cinematic performance, the 1957 Stanley Kubrick directed Paths of Glory

Maybe if he got the role of R.P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest he’d have broken his Oscar duck. He played the part on Broadway and owned the rights to it. But he sold them.

The rest is history. Putting on his business head came against him on that occasion. ‘I made more money from that film than any I acted in,’ he lamented afterwards, ‘but I’d gladly have given back every cent if I could have played that role.’

There weren’t that many classics from the mid-sixties onwards. When Marlon Brando said no to The Arrangement in 1968 he stepped into the breach. Brando was reeling from the assassination of Martin Luther King at the time and even contemplating leaving movies altogether as a result of it.

Elia Kazan, the film’s director, admired him greatly but the film flopped.

Who knows what Brando would have done with it? He produced much of his best work for Kazan. But Douglas was miscast.

He mainly appeared in ‘meat and potatoes’ roles from the late sixties onwards. There isn’t much to remember from the seventies or eighties.

By 1986 he was sufficiently disenchanted with the film business to send himself up in Tough Guys with his old buddy Burt Lancaster. They’d appeared in half a dozen films together in the good old days. Now they were a pair of old rogues in the autumn of their years.

He always preferred playing villains to heroes. ‘Virtue isn’t photogenic,’ he believed. His career bore testimony to that, all the way from The Strange Love of Martha Ivers through Build My Gallows High , Ace in the Hole and a raft of other gritty parts. In Otto Preminger’s In Harm’s Way he played a rapist.

projects. In such circumstances sometimes you have to dig deep to alchemise the dross.

There was also a genre problem. He looked awkward in comedy.

Neither was he a credible romantic lead. He tried it on a number of occasions, most notably in Strangers When We Meet with Kim Novak.. There was no chemistry between them.

Maybe he was most at home in westerns. The Last Sunset is one I have a special fondness for. He was a villain of sorts here too. But it wasn’t his favourite one. Lonely Are the Brave held that honour. I can see why. It was before its time in its depiction of a cowboy who knows his days are numbered. I remember going to it as a child and being amazed to see an airplane in it. Its appearance throws his anachronistic status into high relief.

His stroke occurred in 1996. Initially it depressed him. He spoke of putting a gun in his mouth one day. When it hit a tooth he got a toothache. Suddenly he decided shooting himself mightn’t be a good idea after all. He could always see the funny side of things.

Instead he started to look at the positives in his life – the love of his wife and children, his involvement in humanitarian causes. (The Douglas Foundation raised over £90 million.) The book he wrote about this phase of his life was called, what else, My Stroke of Luck.

We often hear it said that all the greats are gone. As long as Douglas was alive I felt there was still a relic of yesteryear about, even if he wasn’t able to say much on the odd occasion they wheeled him out to say a few words at film events.

He also did many unsavoury things in his films. Such actions flew in the face of any ambitions he might have had to be an old-fashioned heartthrob. Three of them featured scenes of self-mutilation: a finger in The Big Sky, an ear in Lust for Life, an eye in The Vikings.

AMPAS gave him an Honorary Oscar soon after his stroke but what good was it to him then? He always believed the lack of an official one was because of his personality rather than a lack of talent. ‘The Oscar is a popularity contest,’ he declared, ‘and I’ve never been a popular fellow.’

Not all of his films were worth seeing. Richard Burton once said that if you’re appearing in rubbish try to be the best rubbish in it. Douglas had his share of turkeys but he still gave them everything. When an actor does that, he rises above the material.

Cynics have dubbed honorary Oscars ‘deathbed’ awards. It hardly applied to this man. He chugged on for over another twenty years. His ‘never say die’ attitude was evident in everything he did. It held good right up to February 5th last.

He liked being busy. That was why he didn’t say ‘No’ to that many

God rest you, tough guy.

10 Senior Times lMarch - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

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Looking back in time

Guess the year

The latest teaser from Gerry Perkins In WORLD news the farthing ceases being legal tender in Britain. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela form OPEC. Elvis Presley receives his honourable discharge from the US Army. Alberto Korda's iconic photograph of Che Guevara is taken in Havana. The Sharpeville massacre occurs in South Africa, with more than 69 people killed. A New York-bound Alitalia plane crashes in Shannon killing 34 of its 52 passengers. Brazil switches its capital city from Rio de Janeiro to the newly formed city of Brasilia. Israel captures Nazi war criminal Albert Eichmann. Harper Lee publishes her book 'To Kill a Mockingbird', which wins the Pulitzer Prize for best American novel. John F Kennedy is elected US president. Francis Chichester sails across the Atlantic Ocean in 40 days. Cyprus wins independence from the UK. Seventeen African nations gain independence, mostly from France. American pop singer Eddie Cochran dies after a car accident in England.

In IRELAND Orson Welles makes his last stage play performance - in Chimes at Midnight - at Dublin's Gaiety Theatre. A national television service moves a step closer with the passing of the Broadcasting Authority Bill. Control of Radio Éireann is transferred from the old Department of Posts and Telegraphs to a separate public authority. Nine Irish soldiers serving with the UN are killed in the Congo. The last barge leaves the Grand Canal in Dublin, transporting Guinness from Dublin to Limerick ending a 156 year service. The Cork-Glasgow ferry route ends after 103 years. Diplomat Frederick Boland becomes present of 12 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

the general assembly of the United Nations. Edna O'Brien's novel The Country Girls is published and is banned in Ireland. The Irish cargo vessel the MV Plassy is wrecked off the Aran Islands.

In MUSIC, The Beatles are formed, REM singer Michael Stipe is born, Édith Piaf releases Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien. France wins the fifth Eurovision Song Contest. Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! opens in London's West End. In SPORT Muhammad Ali wins gold medal at the Olympics. The USSR beats Yugoslavia in Paris in the final of the first football European Championships. Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 to win the European Cup. Down won their first All Ireland Football Championship, while Wexford were crowned hurling champions. Limerick won the League of Ireland, while Shelbourne lifted the FAI Cup. In England, Wolves beat Blackburn Rovers to win the FA Cup. Wolves narrowly miss out on the league and cup double, having lost by one point in the league to champions Burnley. Arnold Palmer won golf's Masters and US Open and was runner up in the British Open.

In FILM Ben Hur sweeps the Oscars. Actress Joanne Woodward is awarded the first star on Hollywood's walk of fame.

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Travel

Umbria: a wonderful mix of art, culture and stunning views George Keegan visited the green heart of Italy Umbria is easily accessed from Ireland by flying to Rome Fiumicino Airport then either hiring a car or taking a train journey of less than three hours (there are 18 daily) to reach one of several attractive towns. The region is divided into two provinces, Perugia and Terni and is known as the Green Heart of Italy.

It covers a total area of 8,500 sq km and is bordered by Tuscany, the Marches and Latium. This region has over 250 acknowledged cultural settlements, many containing ancient treasures dating back to the Roman period. The valleys and hills are ideal for hiking and other outdoor pursuits and I found the scenery really stunning. Villages and towns each have their own special beauty and among the places I visited, Spello, Spoleto and Narni were my favourites.

Another hilltop town in the region which should be mentioned is Assisi always associated with St. Francis Patron Saint of Italy, born there in 1181. His tomb can be viewed in the Basilica.

The Marmore Falls: if at all possible try to include these very spectacular falls on your itinerary. There are several paths to take (don’t forget the rain gear!) and you will need a couple of hours to properly explore the area.

They are situated where the rivers of Velino and Nera meet and the three separate rushes of water have an overall height of over 160 meters. There is a remarkable history associated with them dating back, its believed, to the 3rd century BC. Many famous artists and writers have come here to paint or write about them down the centuries. Lord Byron on a visit in 1817 was so impressed he wrote a poem and famously described the falls as ‘horribly beautiful’. I was quite surprised when our guide announced the falls were in fact mostly man made. Between the 15th and 18th centuries new canals were built to give a better flow of water and from the 19th century the water has been used to produce hydroelectric energy for the entire region.

destination and is a good base for touring around the region.

Still not quite on the mass tourist trail but hurry that is bound to change in the near future. The narrow, cobbled streets and small alleyways are a delight to stroll through with every house proudly displaying rows of potted flowers which decorate windows and doorways.

It is easy to see why Spello is described as ‘city of art and flowers’. If you visit in June you might catch the festival known as Le Iniforate di Spello which is a religious event in homage to Corpus Christi. The major streets of the town become a

Spello of the flowers: this small medieval town in the Provence of Perugia is a must - see

Spello's historic centre

The Marmore Falls

14 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Travel

The Villa of Mosaics

carpet of floral art in the form of religious figures and pictures. Petals from literally thousands of multi coloured flowers are used for these displays. It must be a truly wonderful sight.

Two important attractions in the town are the famous Renaissance frescoes by Pinturicchio in the Baglioni chapel of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, also the Roman Villa dei Mosaici (Villa of Mosaics). It was in 2005 that this exceptional archaeological discovery took place. The 500sq metre space was opened to the public as a museum complex last year and is well worth visiting.

Narnia and the CS Lewis collection: Narni or Narnia in Latin is in the Provence of Terni and overlooks the Nera valley. The name of this town was the setting used by writer C.S.Lewis for his series of seven children’s books The Chronicles of Narnia which became a successful BBC television series.

The acclaimed archaeologist Roberto Nini grew up in Narni. He developed a passion for speleology which encouraged him to establish a group named UTEC with five of his friends.

In 1979 on one of their regular excursions they decided to explore a hole in the hillside beneath what was the old convent of San Domenico close to the town. To their astonishment on entering they found a small 12th century chapel containing priceless frescoes

Renaissance frescoes in the church of Santa MariaMaggiore in Baglioni

plus a series of underground rooms. It later transpired that these rooms were used as part of the Tribunal of the Papal Inquisition.

Roberto spent the following 35 years researching all that had been discovered. His research brought him to many places around Europe including the Vatican and interestingly Trinity College, Dublin which holds important documents relating to the Inquisition. In 2015 he published a book named Searching for the Truth – the mysteries of the Inquisition in Narni.

Roberto now brings visitors on a 90 minute tour of the Narni Softerranea to view the chapel, aqueducts, water cisterns, numerous tunnels, crypts and if brave enough a room where walls are covered in original prisoner graffiti. There is also the torture chamber used during the Tribunal.

Spoleta : hill top city surrounded on all sides by olive groves and vineyards .The original walls date from the 5th century BC. Worth seeing here are several museums, a restored theatre

Travel Countryside around Trevi

Rocca Albornoziana above Spoleto

Narni, or Narnia in Latin ,is in the Provence of Terni and overlooks the Nera valley

Spoleto's Piazza Duomo

and the Roman amphitheatre used during the year to stage concerts. I was particularly impressed with the 12th century cathedral dedicated to Assumption of the Virgin Mary which contains many interesting works of art including mosaics, frescoes, an impressive Altar cross and a wooden statue of the Madonna.

time only allowed for a brief visit. I would certainly like to return sometime to really explore it in greater detail.

However the most frequented attraction is probably the enormous Rocca Albornoziana – a 14th C fortress with six tall square towers which overlooks the city. It has a chequered history including being used as a prison between 1817 and 1982 when sadly many treasures were removed. In 2007 the building became the National Museum of the Duchy of Spoleto and a Cultural Centre.

Food and wine: as you would expect olive oil and wine are two of the main products in Umbria. The oil is especially of high quality due to climatic conditions and the soil in the Apennine foothills is ideal for slow ripening.

Umbria was the first region in Italy to obtain the DOP designation in 1997 for the whole territory.

There are 13 DOC wines plus 2 DOCG (highest designation) around the region. Another speciality product here is truffles. There are two main varieties, the black during summer months and white in wintertime, much rarer and more expensive.

Perugia: the capital city has a great buzz and there are lots to see and do but unfortunately

Not enough space to mention other highlights of my tour, but I can highly recommend taking

16 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

a holiday here and enjoy a wonderful mix of culture, food and scenery.

Trip to Rome: it’s worth noting the Leonardo Express train operates from 6.38am to 11.38pm (every half-hour) from Rome Fiumicino Airport into the city. The journey time is 32 minutes and the cost is E15 approx. each way.

Useful websites: www.regionumbria.eu www.umbriatourism.it www.umbriatourism.it/spello www.umbriatourism.it/la-cascata-delle-marmore www.umbriatourism.it/-narni-sotterranea George Keegan travelled to Umbria courtesy of Umbria Tourism.

Photographs courtesy of Umbria Toursim

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Getting Started with Podcasts

To coincide with the launch of the Mike Murphy SeniorTimes series of podcasts (details will be announced via www.seniortimes.ie shortly) we give you a simple guide to getting started...

Podcasting has taken the world by storm in recent years with hundreds of new shows released every day all over the world. Yet there’s still plenty of confusion about what a podcast is: how and where do I listen?

Given the huge choice out there, what shows should I listen to?

Well, what to listen will always be a bit subjective, so we can come back to that one. First of all, what do you need to listen to a podcast? The simple answer is very little: a phone, computer, or tablet with an internet connection. A podcast is simply a piece of audio you can listen to any time – you can listen directly online, or download the show and listen later. Best of all, the vast majority of podcasts are completely free to listen to.

A podcast might be a show that originally aired on radio but which you can then listen to online. Or, more commonly, it’s a piece of audio available only as a podcast. Just like books or films or websites, there are thousands of new ones every week: chat shows, interviews, investigative journalism, true crime stories, documentaries, audio dramas, and lots more. Once you get hooked, you’ll never be short of something to listen to.

How Do I Listen?

So how do you get started? Most people listen on Apple Podcasts (also called iTunes) or on Spotify, but there are lots of other podcast players you can use too (Stitcher, PocketCasts and RadioPublic are three good ones). If you already have Spotify on your phone or computer, there’s a whole section just for podcasts. Browse the categories or type the name of the show you want and start listening.

If you have an iPhone, the “Apple Podcasts” app is already there on your phone – just open it, find a show and hit play. If you have an Android phone (like a Samsung or Huawei) you could listen on Spotify, or you can download a podcast player app: PocketCasts, RadioPublic, or Podcast Addict are all good.

18 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

You can also listen on your computer on any of the players above, or just google the name of a show and you’ll find lots of links to play it. Generally, though, it’s handier to listen on a phone.

You can keep track of all the shows you like by hitting “subscribe”, and you can easily see when new episodes of your favourite shows are out.

Any recommendations for some great shows?

Once you’ve got the technical side out of the way, you can sit back and start listening. There really is a podcast for everyone, with great shows coming out of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and, of course, Ireland. A quick google search will find you a podcast on any interest, from knitting to rugby, stamp collecting to German history, yoga to language learning.

Some of the most popular American shows include This American Life, compelling stories of everyday life tied together by a theme; 99% Invisible, about the things in our designed world we rarely consider but often couldn’t live without; Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History looks at things overlooked or misunderstood in history.

In the UK, the BBC has a huge range of podcasts; their recent 13 Minutes to the Moon, on the Apollo 11 mission, was a big success. The Guardian makes Today in Focus, a daily news show, or there’s The Totally Football Show, which does what it says on the tin.

On the Irish scene, there’s plenty of choice. For myths and storytelling, try Fireside, for sport there’s Second Captains or for film try I Know that Face.

If you love a good book you could check out Words To That Effect or Behind the Bestseller. RTE’s long-running Documentary on One is also available as a podcast.

So dive in, and start listening today!

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Culture

Maretta Dillon previews what’s on in the arts around the country in the next few months

The Here Trio takes location and recent histories as its starting place.

Strictly dance productions to the fore..

It’s a strong showing for dance this time with a choice of productions on offer. New work from Liz Roche Dance Company presented by Maiden Dance Voyage, entitled The Here Trio takes location and recent histories as its starting place. It challenges preconceived ideas about site, history and the right to belong in a place.

Theatre Makers Brokentalkers uses dance and theatre in their new production, To Be Frank, to explore how men and boys interact with and are shaped by the world they live in. Ballet Ireland presents BOLD MOVES 2020, a triplebill of contemporary work featuring renowned choreographers Marguerite Donlon (Strokes Through the Tail), Ohad Naharin (Minus 16) and Filipe Portugal (Stepping Over). More from balletireland.ie Maura Laverty – This is Your Life is a new play that tells of the rollercoaster life of the broadcaster, playwright, novelist and

agony aunt of the same name. Laverty was a household name in Ireland for three decades, but her work was often controversial, and her novels were banned by the censors for their sexual frankness. Known for her iconic cookery books of which Full And Plenty was the most famous, she was also something of a celebrity for the weekly ESB-sponsored radio show she did for RTÉ for over three decades, on which she dispensed advice about relationships and cooking. The new play contains a live cooking demonstration on stage and here Maura is made to reveal secrets and stories from her tumultuous past and to confront the price she paid for her success. For full tour details see mauralaverty.ie Music Network continues to offer a varied selection of concerts. In April, violinist Alena Baeva’s and pianist Katia Skanavi come together for an island-wide tour that showcases their talents. And this being the year of the

20 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, their performance of the ‘Kreutzer’ Violin Sonata will no doubt be a real highlight of the programme – see musicnetwork.ie for details. Not to outdone, our own Chamber Choir Ireland partners with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra for their Good Friday performance of Bach's St. John's Passion. They are joined by five internationally acclaimed soloists for a performance of this magnificent and monumental choral work, on Friday, April 10 at the National Concert Hall – nch.ie for booking.

In a new exhibition, The Cut of Them, painter Mick O’Dea curates a selection of paintings on the War of Independence forcing us to look anew at the shop-worn iconography of the period. See sourceartscentre.ie for info. Lastly, new Irish language film Arracht delves into some more truths or otherwise of The Famine period (from April 3).

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Culture

Strokes Through the Tail, part of the Ballet Ireland programme

Events around the Country March/April 2020 DRAWN FROM NATURE: IRISH BOTANICAL ART Visual Arts Celebrates artists who made a significant contribution to art, science, and our understanding of the natural world. Until June 21 / Free Admission, Print Gallery, National Gallery of Ireland Information: nationalgallery.ie MAURA LAVERTY – THIS WAS YOUR LIFE Theatre Laverty was the original multitasker: her life is celebrated in true Eamon Andrews fashion in this new show.

Until April 23, 2020 / nationwide tour Information: mauralaverty.ie

Malachy McKenna and Bairbre ni Chaoimh in Maura Laverty-This is your life

THE MAI Theatre A personal tale of weddings, ‘coming out’, and arguments over who takes out the bins.

March 24 + 25 / Everyman, Cork Information + booking: everymancork.com NO TIME TO DIE Film Daniel Craig inhabits the role of James Bond, for the last time! Is he still relevant in this everchanging world?

April 2 everywhere ARRACHT Film Colmán Sharkey, fisherman, father and husband, takes in a stranger at the behest of a local priest in 1840s Ireland.

From April 3 island wide.

MICK O’DEA / THE CUT OF THEM Visual Arts Clare-born artist Mick O’Dea curates a selection of paintings on the War of Independence.

Until Apr 18 / The Source Arts Centre, Thurles, Co. Tipperary Information: thesourceartscentre.ie

MAEVE BINCHY’S CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Theatre This cherished coming of age story offers us some of Maeve’s most loved literary characters, Benny, Nan and Eve. April 6-May 2 / Gaiety Theatre, Dublin Information and booking: 0818 719388 10 am – 7 pm (Mon – Sat) / Ticketmaster.ie

CORK INTERNATIONAL POETRY FESTIVAL Poetry Readings, workshops and the Farmgate Café National Poetry Award make up this weekend of all things poetry.

Mar 24-28 / various venues in Cork city centre Information and booking: corkpoetryfest.net

BOLD MOVES 2020 Dance A triple-bill of contemporary work including a piece from Marguerite Dolan featuring music from Mozart.

April 9-24 / island wide Information and booking: balletireland.ie

22 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

CHAMBER CHOIR IRELAND Music A performance in partnership with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Bach's St. John's Passion, on Good Friday.

April 10 / National Concert Hall Information and booking: nch.ie TO BE FRANK Theatre A new dance-theatre piece exploring how men and boys interact with and are shaped by the world they live in.

April 18-May 14 / nationwide tour Information: brokentalkers.ie THE HERE TRIO Dance A new cross-border collaboration challenges preconceived ideas about site, history and the right to belong in a place.

April 23 / part of Dance Limerick / April 25 + 26 part of Live Collision Intl Festival at Samuel Beckett Theatre, Dublin.

Information: lizrochecompany.com / maidenvoyagedance.com

ALENA BAEVA AND KATIA SKANAVI Music Violinist Alena and pianist Katia perform Beethoven’s ‘Kreutzer’ Violin Sonata as part of their touring programme.

April 24 – May 3 / nationwide Information and booking: musicnetwork.ie Finally, if you would like your event to feature in our list of arts events please email: events.country@gmail.com

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Mary’s Musings In her latest observations Mary O’Rourke comments on the ‘election turmoil’, Mary Lou McDonald, President Trump and the possibility of ‘President Pete Buttigieg’, Emily Bronte, and Giles Brandreth...

I remember going on the Sean O’Rourke programme the day after, to give my opinion on who won between the Taoiseach and Micheál Martin, and I said Mary Lou McDonald won because she wasn’t present for the debate. I strongly believe that to be true. Each time they denunciated her in their media conversations, she and Sinn Féin shot up in the polls.

Hello to all the readers of this lovely magazine, Senior Times.

It seems so long since we spoke together, which was before Christmas, and so much has happened since then. I am going to begin with the here and now, with the matter which of course is uppermost in my mind, and indeed in the minds of all the citizens of this country.

main political parties – Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin – all with more or less the same number of seats in Dáil Éireann, and decision-making awaits all who have been elected.

We have just had a general election, which has blown apart all of our ideas about government parties, opposition parties, Independent parties, and above all about Sinn Féin.

Now I know this is going to be very difficult, but the electorate have made their choice, and as democrats we have to obey that choice. They have said this is the way we are voting, now we have elected all of you; it’s up to you now to go and talk to one another and work out what is the best government to form to guide our country through so many difficulties which await it.

Yes, the voters voted for change, but none of us during the campaign realised exactly what that change might be.

Not alone have we the internal difficulties of health and housing, but also the external difficulty of Brexit.

Well, the change is that there are now three

Somehow, the idea has got out that Brexit is

24 Senior Times March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

over and done with. No, not at all; Brexit has got through the British Parliament, and now for the months ahead until the end of 2020, the working out of the UK leaving Europe will be the task of Europe and the UK government.

So for us here in our country, as I write this talks are going on with all of the parties. I am completely at a loss as to what will be the outcome of that Dáil meeting; however it seems to me that the Dáil will meet and will decide to meet again on another specified date, when it is hoped the talks which are going on between all of the parties will resume and hopefully lead to a final decision-making. I’m not very sanguine about that, but as of now it is the best we can hope for.

People keep asking me: how did it happen?

Well, to my mind, one of the main factors

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Mary’s Musings

I hope, like me, you got good books for Christmas.

I got two lovely ones. The first one is by Gyles Brandreth and it is entitled Dancing by the Light of the Moon, and the subtitle is ‘How Poetry can Transform your Memory and Change your Life’

was that each time either the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, spoke on the TV or radio, they constantly said they would not do business with Sinn Féin. Indeed, neither of those two or RTÉ would give Mary Lou McDonald a look-in on the first main national debate on RTE. Mary Lou the winner.

I remember going on the Sean O’Rourke programme the day after, to give my opinion on who won between the Taoiseach and Micheál Martin, and I said Mary Lou McDonald won because she wasn’t present for the debate. I strongly believe that to be true. Each time they denunciated her in their media conversations, she and Sinn Féin shot up in the polls.

Anyway, that was then and this is now, and I am sorry that for the purposes of this article, we are still stuck in the morass and it will remain to be seen in the weeks and months ahead if there will be an outcome.

I was out at the count in the Athlone Institute of Technology on the Sunday after the election.

Bearing in mind that it was written 200 years ago, and of course involved so many characters, Emily Bronte shows her huge writing skills in her descriptive characterisations of people and of the scenery on the wild Yorkshire moors

I was out at the count in the Athlone Institute of Technology on the Sunday after the election.

Immediately, I was reminded of the poem by W.B. Yeats, ‘September 1916’, in which he said ‘All changed, changed utterly; a terrible beauty is born.;

Immediately, I was reminded of the poem by W.B. Yeats, September 1916, in which he said ‘All changed, changed utterly; a terrible beauty is born.’

try to do so. But really, it is a book for keeping, because as I say you can dip into it morning, afternoon or evening and receive a sense of comfort and solace.

So now, having reached this point in the post-election saga, I’m going to go back over the last two months and what we have all been doing.

The second book from which I have derived great enjoyment since Christmas is the third volume of Charles Moore’s authorised book on Margaret Thatcher entitled Herself Alone.

I hope, like me, you got good books for Christmas. I got two lovely ones. The first one is by Gyles Brandreth and it is entitled Dancing by the Light of the Moon, and the subtitle is ‘How Poetry can Transform your Memory and Change your Life’.

I was in politics during all that time of the reign of Margaret Thatcher, and all of the events which are portrayed in that book are very vivid in my mind. It’s beautifully written, and Charles Moore has received huge acclaim for his work.

It takes in over 250 of our favourite poems to love and learn. It’s a wonderful dip-in book – you can pick it up at any time and you will light upon words which will delight and enthuse you.

I am sure many of the readers have in their day read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, whether it was at school on the curriculum or since. It has been so well read, and so many people have opinions on it.

Over the past few weeks, I have received great comfort and solace from this wonderful book, and I would urge perhaps if you can pick it up either in a book shop or in your library to

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, I was invited to Cork to review the book Wuthering Heights with Anton Savage. As it happened, I was not able to get to Cork, but I did it from the RTÉ

26 Senior Times March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Mary’s Musings

I don’t discount at all the force of nature which is President Trump and his slogan ‘Keep America great’. I can tell you, it will take something to dislodge him, so that is another electoral contest in the quite near future.

Athlone studio, which worked out very well. I had doubts about how feasible it was, but as I say, technology came to the rescue and we had our good book review.

Bearing in mind that it was written 200 years ago, and of course involved so many characters, Emily Bronte shows her huge writing skills in her descriptive characterisations of people and of the scenery on the wild Yorkshire moors. The people are as wild and passionate as the scenery, and this is mirrored throughout the book. She and her sisters and family lived in a draughty vicarage rectory in the midst of the wild moors, and yet she writes with such passion and such observations that you can only believe that her imagination roamed far and wide.

I had read Wuthering Heights many, many years ago when I was a young woman, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to read it again and to revel in its scope, its passion and the imaginative way in which she describes people and events, scenery and surrounds.

So can I say – read it again. Get a hold of it wherever you can, and you will be swept along as I was last week in the re-reading of such a fine book.

Life goes on in the midst of electoral turmoil and literary pursuits. In my own family, two of my grandchildren will be doing their Junior Cert come June. They are now in the midst of what are called the mock exams, and I have told both Sam in Dublin and Sarah in Athlone that while yes, it is important and good to do well in the mock exams, the real exam is the one that’s coming in June.

I have two grandchildren in year one of senior cycle, both of whom have done the transition year.

To turn to the wider world, President Trump has withstood the impeachment proceedings in the US. I knew he would do so because the number of Senators who would be making the final decision just did not add up, and so it turned out to be.

Also at the same time, the Democratic conventions were being held to see who will be the final candidate who will confront President Trump come November in the presidential election. As of now it appears that Senator Bernie Sanders is going to be the candidate, but it is early time yet and I have hopes myself for the young candidate Pete Buttigieg who has made a fine showing and is a very credible, likely candidate.

I don’t discount at all the force of nature which is President Trump and his slogan ‘Keep America great’. I can tell you, it will take something to dislodge him, so that is another electoral contest in the quite near future.

So we’ve had Storm Brendan, Storm Ciara, and as I write this column, Storm Denis is looming. After all, it is mid-February and we have surmounted so far very well the rigours, imagined or otherwise, of winter. The election candidates in our country were lucky in that during the campaign itself, even though darkness would have hindered them from knocking late at doors, at least during the day, though it was on some days bitingly cold, it was mostly dry.

They were thankful for small mercies, I hope.

It is interesting to note so many letters to the editor of our daily newspaper saying that no canvassers called to their doors, they met no candidates or people acting on their behalf.

I must say that was not the situation here in Longford-Westmeath; every door was knocked upon, every candidate made the call,

28 Senior Times March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

and the voters were well tuned in to the issues.

The resultant vote was Sorca Clarke from Mullingar for Sinn Fein swept the boards, followed by Peter Burke from Mullingar for Fine Gael, Joe Flaherty from Longford for Fianna Fáil, and Robert Troy from Mullingar for Fianna Fáil.

There is great lamentation in Athlone because the Independent candidate, Minister of State Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, who had done well for his constituency at a local level and did tremendous work at a national level on the flooding issues throughout the country, lost his seat – not just to his own consternation, but to the county of Westmeath and the town of Athlone in particular, which now finds itself without an Oireachtas member.

Let’s hope that can be rectified shortly.

So I’ll finish as I began. As I write, talks are ongoing, and like all of us, readers and writers, we all have had our vote and we have all expressed our wish. It is now up to those who have been elected to shake themselves up, forget all their preconceived notions about who can talk to who, JUST GET TALKING! The people have voted; now it is up to you to resolve whatever are the conundrums of those who voted. That’s what you’re being elected to do, that’s what you’re being paid to do, so do it.

That’s my lot for this month. I hope to talk with you all through the pages of Senior Times in the next edition. I trust I have not bored the readers with my political writings, but it is the daily tenor of my life at the moment and so to be honest, I must give expression to it!

Until we talk again with one another, go safely.

Slán tamall.

Join us to celebrate Listowel Writers' Week 50th festival celebration – 27th May to May 31st 2020

Listowel Writers' Week is an internationally acclaimed literary festival where writers', artists and poets gather in the beautiful heritage town of Listowel, Co. Kerry. We promote writing and all its genres throughout the literary community, and create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible audience and where writers' and readers celebrate the written word, together.

So, whether you plan to nestle into the hearth of John B Keane’s pub for a reading, take a journey into the rich culture of scenic North Kerry in the Kerry Writers' Museum or sit back and enjoy the musings of internationally acclaimed writers' in the Listowel Arms Hotel; be sure to join us as we celebrate our 50th Listowel Writers' Week festival.

Listowel, where stories begin.

Among those you know who have flocked to Listowel to read their works are Nobel Laureates JM Coetzee, Seamus Heaney, Kazuo Ishiguro. Booker winners Anne Enright, Roddy Doyle, John Banville, Howard Jacobson and most recently 2019 PEN Prize winner Lemn Sissay MBE. Popular writers' such as Graham Norton, Alan Cumming, Germaine Greer, Douglas Kennedy, Audrey Niffenegger, Patrick deWitt, Emma Dabiri, John Boyne, Alice Sebold & David Sedaris are just some of the fantastic writers' we have welcomed over the years.

“Listowel Writers' Week is serious about literature. Everyone who comes here knows how much literature enriches our lives” – Colm Tóibín • Special rates for groups and senior citizens • All events within in short walking distance • Free car parking throughout the festival

For the full programme of events see writersweek.ie or call 06821074

Travel

I want to walk the Camino – but where do I start?

For the many who are contemplating taking the plunge Eoin Garvey offers some basic tips Everyone know someone you know somebody who knows somebody who knows… So if you’re curious and you’re wondering where to even start asking questions – here are a few tips!

What is the Camino?

It’s a series of walking trails that end at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela in Spain – where the remains of St. James the disciple lie.

It is a pilgrimage route (recognised in its entirety as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) but the modern Camino sees people walk for any number of reasons.

Where do I start or how long do I walk for?

You can start anywhere! The most popular section for first-time walkers is from Sarria to Santiago because it covers the minimum distance requirement of 100km – you must walk at least 100km and finish in Santiago to qualify for your Camino cert (known as a Compostela). But there are many, many more options.

Which route do I choose?

The Camino Francés (so-called as it extends all the way back into France) is the most popular route – around two thirds of all walkers start at some point along this route. The Camino Portugués is the next most popular route and is probably the fastest growing in terms of numbers.

There are many other quieter routes – the Camino Inglés would have special resonance for Irish walkers, while some choose to walk on to Finisterre, the ‘end of the world’ to finish there rather than in Santiago itself.

Do I need to be fit?

For many sections, especially those close to Santiago, a moderate level of fitness will do. Like much else in life, the more preparation you do, the more it will stand to you! But in general, a Camino walk is achievable for most people.

30 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

What time of year should I go?

That depends on you! Some people can only go at certain times of year due to work constraints – others can go when they like. July and August are the busiest months (as Spaniards are on holidays then), but a typical trip from Ireland is usually any time from Easter to Hallowe’en.

Can I go on my own or must I travel with a group?

A self-guided trip is one where an individual, couple or group decide on their own dates and choose a section they want to walk. We set that up for you, give you as much help as you need and then off you go! Most of Camino Groups’ bookings would be self-guided as you’re not tied down to a specific date or route.

A guided trip is one where someone accompanies the group - sometimes people who want the social aspect or indeed the safety blanket of a group feel more comfortable booking like that.

Neither is right nor wrong – they’re just different!

How do I even start trying to book a Camino trip?

You have two options: you can do your own research and take your chances with bookings (or lack thereof!) or you can have a chat with us at Camino Groups or another Camino specialist.

If you go down that path (pardon the pun!), shop around and ask what is included in a package and is the tour company licensed and bonded. A typical tour with Camino Groups will include some or all of the following: Flights, accommodation, airport transfers, bag transfers, pilgrim passports, walking notes, meals and travel insurance. And of course the security of booking with a licensed and bonded Irish Travel Agency!

Eoin Garvey is founder of Camino Groups. www.caminogroups.ie Email: steps@caminogroups.ie Tel: 065 6810019

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Creative Writing Eileen Casey

The River Suir (at Cahir Castle) the inspiration for Margaret Galvin’s Saint Brigid’s Day, 1960: River Tragedy in Cahir

Eileen Casey profiles Tipperary poet Margaret Galvin

The Finer Points: Human experience in all its many facets When County Tipperary native Margaret Galvin was approached by Cahir Social and Historical Society to put together a collection of local based poetry, she was more than ready for the challenge. Having read her work on a number of occasions to the Society, it was clear to all that ‘my writing voice is firmly rooted in the first twenty years of my life, the formative, growing up years.’ Those beginnings continually prove abundantly fruitful, fuelling writings that ‘embrace the implications of this invitation fully and give memories their proper place.’

Born in 1959, the youngest of five siblings, Margaret often felt she was growing up an only child. ‘My three brothers and my sister emigrated to London.’ That early personal history about her siblings departure from the family home is also coloured by her looking through an imaginative lens; ‘they went over to my mother’s sisters who lived in council flats and worked in hotels. Women who spent their bit of free time in jumble sales, sending home clothes to us on a weekly basis.’ Anyone who grew up in Ireland in the 60s can well recount the excitement generated by those 32 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

brown paper wrapped parcels. Margaret is no exception but in her case, those parcels were often a necessity rather than a luxury. ‘I grew up knowing I wouldn’t have a stitch on my back or shoe on my foot without the selflessness and kindness of my Aunt Kit.” Now an adult, married to Philip Quirke and mother to her son Ibar, she has never forgotten the sequence of events intuited as a child, events that began with watching out for Jim Haide the postman as he unwound the parcels from the handlebars of his bicycle. “I grew up watching his hands unthaw before the open fire.’ This ability to internalize an understanding of the dramatic, the potential exuberance that sparks creative journeys was ever present.

‘At age seven I was brought to London to visit Aunt Kit in her council flat in Stockwell. I watched her unwind strings of sausages from under her hat, salvage from the kitchen of some posh hotel. I marveled at the brave way she managed to give the chef the slip with her bounty.’ When

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Creative Writing

The Finer Points

The Finer Points strik es at the heart of hum an experience in all its many facets.

With clarity, compass ion and keen observation, Margaret Galvin mines a rich vein of historical narrative terrain. Thro ugh the prism of a finel y honed craft, she shines a light, some times piercing, always illuminating, on the lives of ordin ary people set again st a County Tipperary topography.

Mountains, rivers and place names backdrop with grace and reverence the rhyth ms of the daily struggle, grief and joy.

These poems are table aux vivant yet alive with dram atic tensions. Big themes such as emigration (Poor Devi ls), isolation (Fine Dini ng) and tragic events (Everytime I Pass Saint Luke’s) are captured with devastating insight. Yet, softer moments such as the opulent froth of suds (Soap Oper a) or the pleating out of the squeeze box (The Men from the Homes) reveal a poetic sensibility and sensual awarenes s which wrestles emo tional responses from even the smallest detail. The men and women who inhabit the world of Margaret Galvin’s lyric al vision are framed by an imaginati on which details them as Berber tribes-woman (The Theft of Butter) and Paddy Kelly, whimsical and romantic on saxophone (Saint Brigid’s Day, 1960: River Tragedy in Cahir). Although The Finer Points inhabits a specific era, these poems are timeless and universal, showcasin g a poet at the height of her powers.

Eileen Casey (Poet and Writer) Gritty, unsentimental poetry evoking an earli er time...

Dr. Francis Devlin-G lass, University of Melb ourne

Margaret Galvin

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Margaret Galvin: ‘People who haven’t read a poem since their school days identify with the people, places and events recalled in the collection.’

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Margaret began to write, she was able to summon at will those vivid images, those tableaux vivants waiting in a writer’s mind to be ‘presented in full physical and emotional height.’ Mindful of her responsibility, Margaret has always been aware how much trust is placed in her ‘to give an account.’

Giving such account is the sturdy scaffolding on which Margaret’s specially commissioned collection of poetry The Finer Points is based.

Initially, she thought she might draw on former collections, all of which contain a number of memory based poems but in the end, only fourteen poems were purloined from previous books (four in total).She realized there was still so much to say. Margaret herself describes her mission as ‘an opportunity to bring together in one publication, a record of all the disparate influences from the past. It was to be a reclamation, profiling not only my own story but reaching into the places where our common humanity nestles. It was to be a way to mourn, to celebrate, to pay particular attention. An act of homage. An honour.’

The success of The Finer Points is evident in the number of people purchasing the collection. Poetry collections are notoriously difficult to sell and they certainly wouldn’t number in the same volume as novels or non-fiction books. However, the print run ran to 550, huge for poetry!

The local post office in Cahir stock the collection and Henry Reidy, Postmaster and his staff, take great interest in promoting it, making sure there’s plenty of copies for customers who call for the pension on Fridays. Local people are delighted to see their own honoured, to see that the coalman, the cattle drover, the postman, people they grew up with, are as entitled to have poems written about them as anyone else.

Margaret is especially filled with praise and gratitude to Cahir Social and Historical Society; ‘they organized a launch in Cahir House hotel that surpassed in purity and passion any literary gathering I’ve ever attended.’

On the night itself, two poems in particular were pivotal in gathering the community together. One of these poems tells a tragic event that happened on February 1st, 1960 when a little local girl Mary Sunderland (3) was lost in the flood waters of the River Suir. A local man, Paddy Kelly (33) on his dinner break from the Mill, jumped into the floodwaters 34 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

x 217mm

to rescue her. Both were lost. Paddy had been a member of the Cahir Brass Band who reassembled to play at the launch. ‘It was a moment of great solemnity, reverence, poignancy and redemptive grace when they played for their fallen hero.” It was a proud moment also when on February 2nd, a memorial on the bridge over the Suir, was unveiled, erected by the Historical Society to mark the spot where “such heroism and love prevailed.’

Saint Brigid’s Day, 1960: River Tragedy in Cahir (in memory of Patrick Kelly, 1927-1960 and Mary Sunderland, 1957-1960) Paddy Kelly, the mill-worker, was a smasher in his black suit and white shirt, whimsical and romantic on trumpet and saxophone, a twilight serenader in the dancehalls of Dunmanway and Doneraile.

He was their Glen Miller, the man with a heart to hear The Nightingale Sing in Berkley Square.

To the coroner, Dr Stokes, he was ‘a very brave man who died to save a child,’ a fearless sort who rose from the dinner table when his mother, chalk-white, blessed herself at the sight of little Mary Sunderland in the pitiless currents of the Suir in flood after weeks of rain.

The Nationalist records how he took off his shoes on the bridge and jumped from the parapet, notes that his body was taken from the swirling weir as the child was swept away towards Knocklofty.

The Cahir Brass Band played the Dead March in the beating rain on the day of the funeral.

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Ageing Gracefully with NCBI Margret Kearney (85) lives in Limerick

there. I went away to London when I was 16, and I didn't come back to Ireland until I was 71 years of age.

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I heard about NCBI through a friend who kept telling me I needed to visit their Limerick centre. They have been so helpful in supporting and training me to live independently, travel safely and get gadgets to help me with daily tasks.

I have a white cane which tells people I have a problem. If I go into town, I must bring my cane as I find things like crossing the road without it very difficult. If I come to a street corner without traffic lights and I want to cross over I will stand there and wait to ask someone would they mind if I walked across with them. People are very friendly and living in a city is good because there is always someone around. I live in sheltered accommodation in Limerick, and I find it a great place to live as I feel safe

My niece got married about 5 years ago and I made all her wedding cakes. I made 20 miniature cakes and then the big cake. I don't do that anymore, but I do still make scones and fairy cakes. I was in catering most of my life, I went to catering college in England as well. When I got married I moved around a lot because my husband was in the army, I lived in Germany, Cyprus, Singapore - I have had a great life, and I can look back on some really lovely memories.”

Little things like I never knew what time it was as I couldn't see the clock and now I’ve a talking clock which tells me the time and date. I also got a talking weighing scales that I use to weigh out flour and sugar.

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Dermote Gilleece on the remarkable life and times of John Talbot Clifton

Golf

The swash buckling Squire of Lytham

It was said that at the sight of Clifton driving his car over St Thomas's Bridge in his home place, caddies would hide in the bushes for fear of being hired. Standing 6ft 4ins, he was profligate in the extreme and the subject of some hilarious stories.

As the 149th Open Championship returns this summer to Royal St George’s, earlier English stagings bring their own, special memories.

Like 1996 at Royal Lytham, which created an awareness of John Talbot Clifton, the larger-than-life Squire of Lytham. He it was who raced horses in America's wild west; had a lengthy affair with Lily Langtry; won his own, personal battle with the Old IRA and was president of Royal Lytham GC from 1890, until his death in 1928.

He died at this time of year having fallen seriously ill in Dakar on the most westerly point in Africa, where he and his wife, Violet, had landed en route to Timbuktu. I learned about him from Dr Steven Reid, who was captain of Royal Lytham when Tom Lehman captured the ’96 Open.

It was said that at the sight of Clifton driving his car over St Thomas's Bridge in his home place, caddies would hide in the bushes for fear of being hired. Standing 6ft 4ins, he was profligate in the extreme and the subject of some hilarious stories.

‘He was a hell of a big fellow and a bad bugger,’ one particular caddie remarked with feeling. ‘If he drove into the rough, in his rage he grabbed you and shaked you like a rabbit.’ There was an occasion when, after hitting his ball into a pond, he ordered his caddie to ‘Go in and get it.’ Given that he happened to be wearing a new suit, however, the boy refused.

The result was that after the round, all the caddies were called to the pond and ordered to get the ball. And when they declined by way of solidarity with the lad of the Sunday suit, a handful of sovereigns flung into the water brought the required response.

On a trip to the Monterey Peninsula, Clifton rode a horse named Guadeloupe _ ‘he's a cannibal, but he's a winner’_ in the first gentlemen's steeplechase held in California, and after being thrown, he remounted and finished third.

38 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Clifton’s affair with Lily Langtry, 16 years older than him, led to some passionate letter-writing, but it wasn't until 1978 that the affair came to light.

According to The Clifton Chronicle, a book on his family by John Kennedy, the Squire’s horsemanship and fearlessness ‘greatly impressed the San Franciscans’, especially the unprecedented sight of him driving his four-in-hand coach through their streets.

Dick Williamson, a long-time member of Lytham, remembered seeing the Squire drive away in his green Lanchester car with two alsatian dogs chained in the back and bullet-holes in the chassis from his encounter with the IRA. This occurred after he brought Kylemore House, situated close by the famous Abbey, in Connemara.

As a commissioned lieutenant in the RNVR in 1917, he wore naval uniform while patrolling the coasts of Galway and Mayo in his own yacht, on the lookout for German submarines. He and Violet, whom he met in Peru, lived with their five children at Kylemore until 1922 when they were effectively forced to leave.

The book tells us: ‘A car full of armed men had come and taken Talbot's Lanchester car [a distinguished British marque long since gone]; they said they would return it in a day or so but, as time went on, it became apparent that they had no intention of so doing. Talbot swore to get his car back and when one evening the Lanchester was seen heading on the way to Letterfrack with two men and a woman, he made his preparations to ambush them on their return journey under the cloak of darkness.

The outcome of Talbot's grand plan was that the car was retrieved after he had shot one of its occupants, Eugene Gilan. When Violet expressed horror at the outcome, the squire informed her: ‘I don't shoot at a fellow without hitting him and it would have been more awful if he had shot me in the back.’ When I made reference to these events in a piece in the Sunday Independent in January 2008, a remarkable thing happened. My office received a phone message from a certain Sean Connolly from Ennis, saying he had information which might interest me. On eagerly contacting him, he told me a fascinating story.

It so happened that his father was the IRA commander in charge of the episode and was driving the Lanchester on the night in question.

Connolly went on to explain that when Gilen was shot by the Squire, he

remained sufficiently mobile to escape into the hills. ‘Covered in blood, he made his way down to my grandmother, Molly Kerrigan's house, in the early hours of the morning,’ he said.

‘And on seeing a light on, probably from a candle or a paraffin lamp, he knocked and asked for help, but was told this wouldn't be possible because there was a woman inside having a baby. The woman was my mother and the baby was me. The upshot of it was that Gilen had to struggle on for another mile before receiving help in a hotel in Leenaun.

‘The incident was always called the Bluebridge Ambush and when I heard about it as a young lad from my grandmother, I thought the Clifton family name was spelt the same as the town in which I was born, until I saw it in Violet's book. My father never mentioned it, but it happened on the night I was born, in 1922.’

On April 14th 1922, Violet Clifton received the following letter about the ambush, signed by Michael Kilroy, GOC 4th Western Division IRA: ‘As a result of the shots fired, Captain Eugene Gilan of the Irish Republican Army is now hovering between life and death in Mr McKeown's Hotel, Leenaun. I am satisfied, from information received, that you also participated in the ambush, and this is to notify you that an armed guard will be placed on your premises and that you, Mrs Clifton, are to leave Connemara before noon, Monday 17th, 1922. Otherwise, other steps will be taken. If you desire to make any statement, it will be necessary for you to come to Castlebar and I promise you a safe conduct.’

On the following day with the aid of nuns, Violet Clifton returned to England. Her husband, meanwhile, had already done a flit via Belfast to Scotland, where he bought the Kildalton Estate of 16,000 acres in Islay.

And Gilan survived. In fact he sent word to Clifton some time later that if the Squire ever needed a faithful servant, Gilan was his man.

The affair with Langtry, 16 years older than him, led to some passionate letter-writing, but it wasn't until 1978 that the affair came to light. One, brief billet-doux read: ‘Dear Mr Clifton, The parasol is found! Thank you very [italics] much for the chocolates; they are my special weakness. Will you come to supper this evening if you are doing nothing better? Yours truly ...’

His various adventures around the world would suggest a man either admirably brave or somewhat unhinged, a few cards short of a full deck, you might say. And the story which probably illustrates his profligacy better than any other, concerns the occasion when, on arriving in London and finding himself strapped for cash, he telegraphed his estate office with the message: ‘Send me five thousand pounds.’ When the office replied: ‘Regret no funds available,’ he responded: ‘Sell Lytham.’

There was another occasion when he had as his house guest, a relative to whom he took an intense dislike. Which prompted Talbot to get up in the middle of the night, rush down to an organ in the hallway and begin playing Nearer my God to Thee as loudly as he could, on the trumpet stop. We’re told that the unfortunate guest was almost blown out of his bed by the sudden cacophony from somewhere below him, and left the house the following morning, pale and shaken.

Talbot Clifton's body was brought home from Dakar for burial in Islay and only nine years later, it emerged that his heir, Squire Harry Clifton, had sold the Royal Lytham links to the Corporation of Lytham St Anne's for £20,000. An absorbing, swashbuckling tale had come to a rather tame end.

Dublin Dossier Pat Keenan on happenings in and around the capital

Art under the pavement

The murals at the underpass at Bayside Dart Station

It was the middle of the day, passing into the underpass at Bayside Dart Station, bold as brass, begoggled and masked, there's this guy busy shaking his paint can and spraying away.

Coping with a first reaction I realise this is not an act of vandalism, this is in fact an exciting enhancement. I had to stop and talk. Turns out to be Dublin born Shane Sutton, recent winner of a street art competition funded by the European Space Agency in the Hague and went on to became their artist in residence at the Living Planet Symposium in 2019. While there he became the first artist ever to sign his artwork in weightlessness during a zero gravity training flight.

The painting of the entire Bayside underpass, both sides, happened over 9 days in December 2019. Transition year art students from nearby Pobalscoil Neasáin in Baldoyle were given the opportunity to assist and they apparently urged Shane to include climate change as the pivotal subject matter for the murals. As it happens it was something very close to his own heart.

Shane says: ‘The art work was to be based on climate change and after talking with the

residents and students we decided to recreate some of the European Space Agency Project I worked on earlier in the year. Now he gets a bit technical but I get the gist: "Each of the paint ings reflected various topics collected on satellite climate data - a research programme to develop long-term, global data records that describe the evolution of key components of the Earth system, known as Essential Climate Variables, land surface temperature, soil moisture, fire, biomass, lakes, permafrost, snow, glaciers, sea levels, sea surface temperature, greenhouse gases, water vapour, ozone, clouds, even aerosol.’

The Pobalscoil Neasáin pupils involved are now taking inspiration from Shane’s work and they hope to have artwork ready for an exhibition later this year.

40 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

The Bayside railway underpass is a walk and cycle link between Bayside and Baldoyle and connects access with two UNESCO-designated Dublin Bay Biosphere areas - Bull Island and Baldoyle Estuary. The underpass murals became a cross community project by Bayside Community Association and Baldoyle Tidy Towns and was paid for by a Fingal County Council arts grant and support from Iarnród Éireann. Dublin City Council are currently applying for planning permission to construct a Dublin Bay UNESCO Biosphere Discovery Centre on Bull Island. North Bull Island Nature Reserve already has an 'interpretive centre' since 1986 but it has limited space and facilities.

For Shane Sutton's work: www.shanesutton.com

Dublin Dossier Reading the most recent release of State Papers for 1989 took me to a Georgian row of houses in Marino, a grand and desirable north Dublin neighbourhood. The newly released papers refer to the Civil War, smuggled Russian Crown jewels, a love triangle and to connections further back to a famous folly, a historic example of spitefulness and to the beginnings of a famous vampire.

15 The Crescent in Fairview which was originally Harry Boland’s family house and where the Russian jewels were hidden behind bricks over the kitchen stove.

The Russian jewels behind the kitchen stove...

The State Papers confirm, how in 1920, Russian jewels were smuggled into the United States where they were exchanged as collateral for £20,000 loan borrowed from Ireland.

Harry Boland took the jewels on behalf of the Irish government from LK Martens, representing the Russian Federal Soviet Republic in New York. Boland brought them home and gave them to Michael Collins. There followed a heated discussion after which Collins threw them back at Boland, said they were 'bloodstained'. Boland brought them home to his mother's house at 15 The Crescent in Fairview.

There they ended up hidden behind bricks over the kitchen stove.

Harry Boland was once a political associate of Michael Collins but later they clashed not just over the Treaty but also a love feud over Kitty Kiernan didn't help. Kitty was once Boland's girlfriend and now she was with Collins. (She was Julia Roberts in the Michael Collins film).

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Michael Collin threw the jewels at Harry Boland and said they were bloodstained

When Harry Boland died in 1922, fatally shot by Free State soldiers in the Grand Hotel Skerries Co. Dublin (not in a Dublin sewer as theatrically depicted in the 'Michael Collins' film), his mother Kathleen held on to the jewels until the Republic was established. She then handed them over to Eamon de Valera in 1938.

Turns out the jewels were not that great as a collateral for a £20,000 loan. In 1948 Christies in London valued them for the Irish Government at between £1,600 and £2,000. The following

year the Soviets fully repaid the £20,000.

My connected story goes further back to the 1760s when Dublin born James Caulfeild, Earl of Charlemont, built the Casino at Marino as a pleasure house and hunting lodge in the grounds of Marino House. The house is no longer there, in the 1920s it was bought and demolished by the Irish Christian Brothers.

The Cresent, originally known as Ffolliott Park, was built in 1792 by Charles Ffolliott in a spiteful

Bram Stoker born here in 1947

bid to upset the view of Dublin Bay enjoyed by the Earl, James Caulfield from his famous folly The Marino Casino.

Oh and that same house, number 15, is where you could say 'Dracula' was born - well his creator Bram Stoker was, in 1847.

And another connection, it was also used to hide some of the 1,500 German Mauser rifles landed for the Irish Volunteers at Howth harbour in 1914.

Stena Estrid arrives in Dublin I'm inclined to blame Oliver Cromwell.

The planned inaugural Dublin to Holyhead crossing of the new Stena Estrid was delayed as we waited for Storm Brendan to abate. We were not alone, all sea and air crossings were affected that day.

There is an old Irish folklore that says Cromwell died in Ireland but the Irish soil rejected his coffin, After three burials his coffin would pop up each time back on top of the grave. Then it was thrown into the sea between Dublin and Holyhead it sank, thereby causing that part of the Irish sea to be prone to turbulent ever since.

Storm Brendan past and in capable hands Captain Matt Lynch steered Stena Estrid on her historic inaugural to Holyhead. Captain ‘Matt’, an experienced seaman of 24 years– seven on cruise ships and 17 on ferries, and the one who steered Stena Estrid on its five week 10,000 mile journey from the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in China, where it was built, to the Irish Sea. Estrid is an Old Norse version of Astrid and means ‘divinely beautiful’. The

113.1km Dublin-Holyhead sailing takes three and a quarter hours. It took a bit longer by air in 1817. The first man ever to fly the Irish Sea did so in a 70ft diameter balloon. Twenty-one year-old Dublin born William Windham Sadler took to the skies on 22 July 1817 from the Portobello Cavalry Barracks, that’s Cathal Brugha Barracks today. He landed 6 hours later in a cornfield about two miles from Holyhead. Afterwards Windham relaxed for a while at the home of John Macgregor Skinner, a Dublin/Holyhead packet-boat captain.

Oh, and that rigmarole about Cromwell, turns out he was buried with great aplomb at Westminster Abbey, London. He still didn't stay down, he was exhumed in 1661 to be given what they called a 'posthumous execution' at Tyburn (that's Marble Arch, London today) We do know where his head was between 1661 and 1685 - impaled on a pole outside Westminster Hall. Many stories suggest that his body is buried in London, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire... hey, maybe between Dublin and Holyhead.

Pleasant crossings.

42 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

The new Stena Estrid which runs on the Dublin-Holyhead route

OVER 50’S MIDWEEK BREAKS Enjoy a midweek break in Tralee, our Over 50’s breaks include Bed/Breakfast & Dinner each evening and complimentary Tea/Coffee & Scones on arrival.

2020

PACKAGES

January-March & November-December

April 1st-14th 17th-31st May May & October June & September

July & August

2 Dinner, B&B

€ 1 10 pps

€115 pps

€135 pps

€155 pps

3 Dinner, B&B

€160 pps

€165 pps

€185 pps

€205 pps

Single Room Supplement

€28 per night

To book call us today 066 7199100 or book online www.therosehototel.com The Rose Hotel, Dan Spring Road, Tralee, Co. Kerry. V92 HKA4. Email: reservations@therosehotel.com

Resort

€24 9 per n

*

igh t

*T&Cs apply. Select dates only.

Days Out

Spike Island re-opens Spike Island in Cork has reopened for its 2020 season as it prepares to welcome visitors to the Irish Alcatraz. There are some new additions to the prison island which will add a genealogy element to a visit. Visitors will now be able to research the records of inmates of the 1921 prison which held over 1400 Irish war of independence prisoners, men from almost every county in Ireland. Many of these men were simply lifted off the streets for their involvement in the rising and held, while others were tried by military court and sent to Spike.

The records show their place of arrest and trial, sentence and any personal info known.

The island also has autograph books compiled by the prisoners, a common pass time to

record their time in prison. Many visitors have been stunned to find entire pages of poems or thought written by grandfathers and great grandfathers who they sometimes had no idea were once Irish freedom fighters.

overseas. The records show many were transported overseas to Australia and Gibraltar, while some did serve their full sentence on the island. The island hopes to expand the list with visits to the National Archives in Dublin and across the water to Kew Military archives in London. Island manager John Crotty said 'We are delighted to get these records open to the public and play our part in assisting family tree research. The island has seen hundreds of thousands of captains and convicts over the centuries, some willing inhabitants and many unwilling prisoners sent away from home and family. We are proud to tell their stories". The island is open for weekends and half terms in February and March and will be open 7 days a week from April to October

The island has also opened a list of 1700 names from the Victorian era prison that was open from 1847 to 1883. This prison became the largest in the world at the time with over 2300 images, and its terrible conditions mean many never made it off the island. Over 1300 lie in mass graves spread over on two sites in the island. Many were guilty of trivial crimes like stealing to survive, with theft of bread, potatoes and small items littering the records and earning a punishment of 7 years transportation

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OVER 6 ACRES OF ORGANIC FOOD & ORNAMENTAL GARDENS Open all year round with specialised garden tours available on request.

Airfield Estate, Overend Way, Dundrum, Dublin 14

POTTERY

VISITOR CENTRE

Making Memories Since 1857 •GUIDED POTTERY TOURS •MUSEUM OF ARTIFACTS •AV THEATRE •RESTAURANT •SHOPPING •EXHIBITIONS Belleek. Co.Fermanagh. N.Ireland. BT93 3FY Tel:+44(0)28 686 59300/+44(0)28 686 58501 Email: takethetour@belleek.ie Web: www.belleekpottery.ie

01 969 6666

hello@airfield.ie

www.airfield.ie

Days Out

Airfield - Something different for everyone who visits not know is that their visit plays a part of our bigger journey.

By visiting, they’re not only guaranteed a great day out, it means as a self-funded charitable organisation, we can continue to do more meaningful educational and social outreach programmes and grow our social impact initiatives.

Visitors can see freshly laid eggs being collected at 10am and get up close to the Jersey herd being milked at 10.30am.

Home to the Overend family since 1894, Airfield was left in trust to the people of Ireland by Letitia and Naomi Overend in 1974, trailblazing sisters who understood the importance of being self-sufficient and sustainable.

Today, the 38-acre Estate is a fitting tribute, pushing the boundaries of what agricultural land can achieve and finding innovative ways to use the original family home, gardens, and award-winning restaurant to surprise and delight people of all ages.

As a team, and through the support of our partners, we run creative events and programmes, using food to help build life skills in children and

offering adults of all abilities the opportunity to learn and socialise in a relaxed and friendly environment.

We’ve a simple mission to ‘inspire and enable people to make better food choices’ so over 38 acres, city dwellers can let their imagination trump the internet and learn what real food is all about.

Airfield offers something different to everyone who visits. A haven for gardening enthusiasts, animal lovers, food lovers, families and peace-seekers.

We always go the extra mile to make sure visitors have a great time but what they might

They’ll see all our working farm animals and if they time their visit right, they’ll even see them getting fed at 11am and 3.30pm.

Guided tours of the Overend family home and Vintage Car Garage are on daily during the summer months and included in the cost of their admission ticket. They’ll enjoy seasonal walking trails, get to explore over 6 acres of organic ornamental and food gardens. After all that, why not pop by Overends Kitchen and enjoy some freshly harvested food from our Estate?

Phone: +353 (1) 969 6666 Email: hello@airfield.ie www.airfield.ie

Muckross House, Garden & Traditional Farms Discover for yourself the magic of Muckross, with something to appeal to everyone of all ages. The world renowned 19th century Victorian mansion, is situated amidst the spectacular scenery of Killarney National Park – Ireland’s premier National Park. The house stands close to the shores of Muckross Lake, one of Killarney’s three lakes, famed worldwide for their splendour & beauty. As a focal point within Killarney National Park, Muckross House is the ideal base from which to explore this landscape. Visit the elegantly furnished rooms, which portray the lifestyles of the gentry and downstairs experience the working conditions of the servants employed in the house.

• Relive the past and take a stroll down memory lane to a time before the advent of electricity at Muckross Traditional Farms, complete with three working farms from Kerry of the 1930’s. Meet the bean a tÍ’s (women of the house) and watch the farmers as they work in the fields. Children will just love our farm petting area, playground, picnic area & bouncy cottage! Visitor can also enjoy a free trip on the Muckross Coach.

• Enjoy casual dining in our Garden Restaurant, conservatory and garden terrace with breath taking views of Torc Mountain and Killarney’s famous National Park. All our food is homecooked and reasonably priced with

an extensive lunch and snack menu. Delicious pastries, scones and desserts all made in our own bakery here at Muckross. Children’s menu, vegetarian and gluten free options also available.

• Find an extensive selection of gifts and clothing at Muckross Craft Centre, all at prices that won’t be beaten! Choose from a range of locally made gifts of Muckross Pottery, Weaving and Bookbinding. Extensive range of giftware, glassware, knitwear and clothing for ladies, gents and kids.

• While you are here, don’t forget to have a ramble in Muckross gardens and enjoy the freedom of the many nature trails in Killarney National Park.

46 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

• The emphasis is on value and a family ticket to both the house and farms is only E32.

Parking is free.

• Muckross House, Gardens and Muckross Craft Centre are open every day all year round. Muckross Traditional Farms are open from March to October.

The National Park, Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland t: +353 64 6670144 f: +353 64 6670116 e: muckrosshousetours@envoirn.ie w: www.muckross-house.ie

Days Out

Looking for a quiet day away in an unspoilt corner of creation in the wilds of Donegal this spring?

Spring is a time of the year where possibility unfolds in nature offering glimpses of its future blossom. The warm longer days are an invitation to enjoy the outdoors; tending, mending, renewing, exploring, taking up new adventures or revisiting favourite ones. It is a time for renewal, a time for growth.

Lough Derg is a place of peace and offers the

opportunity for personal renewal – come walk the holy ground which exudes a deep spirituality which can be felt by walking in the footsteps of thousands of pilgrims who have prayed barefoot here over the centuries – a place you come away to, in order to come home.

In addition to the regular programme of retreat and pilgrimage each year Lough Derg offers

Experience What Life was Like Within the Walls of the 19th Century Cork Gaol In the heart of Cork, discover the stately Cork City Gaol, a heritage centre that shares fascinating insights about what life was like for prisoners, wardens and the governor in the late 19th/early 20th century. Visitors will wonder at the contrast between the beautiful setting in a castle-like building and the stark long corridors with cold cells inside. The whole historical experience is brought to life with amazingly lifelike figures, furnished cells and haunting sound effects.

The real stories of real people intrigue and educate all who walk through the gatehouse. An audio-visual presentation is an excellent way to end the tour as it gives an insight into the social history and contrasting lifestyles lived within 19th-century Cork.

Experience your visit through a self-guided tour with a guidebook or an audio guide; or book in your group to get a dedicated tour guide share the stories of the Gaol with you.

The gaol now also boasts a scenic walkway around the perimeter of the building that can be enjoyed at your own leisure.

For more information visit www.corkcitygaol.com 48 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

two Quiet Days for people who prefer to follow a programme of their own making as they spend some time on the Island. We provide a welcome, refreshments and the freedom of the island with its own special atmosphere and a heritage of prayer that spans the generations and the centuries. Find out more about Quiet Days on +353 (0) 71 9861518 www.loughderg.org

Belleek Pottery Visitor Centre, Irelands Oldest working pottery.

Are you planning a day trip for family or a group tour with friends or colleagues? Belleek Pottery has the perfect mix of attractions on site to suit all ages and interests.

New for 2020, ‘Hands On Belleek Experience’, 90 minute exclusive group experience available for groups 5-15 participants. Groups will enjoy a guided group tour and a Belleek master class with a master craftsperson. Enjoy hands on experience, working with Belleek ware, fettling, flowering and painting. On a visit to Belleek, visitors can see behind the scenes of factory life and see how this fine china has been produced since 1857.

The story of 163 years of Belleek is told through the Belleek Pottery Museum and ONE SIXTY photographic exhibition, images depicting the journey of Belleek over 163 years. Our Audio Visual Theatre adds an additional dimension to the Belleek Experience, telling the story of the founding fathers of Belleek Pottery. Once your tour is complete you may have time to enjoy some refreshments in our restaurant where Afternoon Tea is served regularly on Belleek Tableware.

Hands On Belleek Experience is available Monday- Friday for a minimum of 5 people. For further information email takethetour@belleek.ie Belleek Pottery Visitor Centre Belleek Co.Fermanagh BT93 3FY Tel: +44(0)28 686 59300 / +44(0)28 686 58501 Email: takethetour@belleek.ie Web: www.belleekpottery.ie

MAY ON LOUGH DERG

Come and experience time apart in this sacred island, an unspoilt corner of creation. No matter where you are on your journey with God...

One Day Retreats Our popular One Day Retreats, when shoes remain on and a light lunch is served, continue to facilitate a wide range of people who want to come on pilgrimage to Lough Derg. If you are someone who values time in life for the deeper things, the One Day Retreats offer encouragement and support for the journey.

MAY: Sat 2nd, Sun 3rd, Mon 4th, Sat 9th, Tues 12th, Sun 17th, Tues 19th, Sat 23rd, Sun 24th, Mon 25th.

Boat times: Available from 9.15am and return from 4.15pm Advance booking is essential | Admission €45/£40

A flexible programme of reflection and prayer, concluding with Mass in St Patrick’s Basilica. Retreat 10.30am – 4.30pm.

The day retreat is open to adults and not suited to children.

(Fasting or walking barefooted is not required)

“A place you come away to, in order to come home” PILGRIM ANN, 2019 Contact us on: T. 071 9861518 | E. info@loughderg.org | www.loughderg.org

A Unique Experience for all The award winning Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum excitingly captures the unique story of how Foynes was once the centre of the aviation world through a comprehensive range of informative displays & interactive exhibits. Walk in the footsteps of JFK, Bob Hope, Eleanor Roosevelt & many other dignitaries, movie stars & refugees who landed in Foynes during World War II. Visitors have the once in a lifetime opportunity to board the world’s only Boeing 314 Flying Boat and to try their hand at being a pilot on our flight simulators.

New Maureen O’Hara Exhibition This exhibition is dedicated to preserving the memory of Ireland’s most famous movie star. It showcases her personal memorabilia including the iconic grey tweed jacket from ‘The Quiet Man’ & her Oscar.

Birthplace of Irish Coffee Learn how to make an Irish Coffee under expert guidance and taste the original recipe.

O ‘Regan’s Restaurant offers home baked cuisine in a beautiful 1940’s setting. We're famous for our homemade scones and other delicious treats.

Maritime Museum & Control Tower

Location Foynes is nestled along the banks of the Estuary, a recommended Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Point.

Explore the history of the River Shannon by visiting the Maritime Museum & savour the panoramic views of the Shannon Estuary from the top of the Control Tower.

Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum Aras Ide, Foynes, Co Limerick T:069-65416 www.flyingboatmuseum.com info@flyingboatmuseum.com

STROKESTOWN PARK strokestownpark.ie

FOTA HOUSE fotahouse.com

JOHNSTOWN CASTLE johnstowncastle.ie

ENGAGING SPACES FOR CURIOUS MINDS Immerse yourself in the history and splendour of our wonderful properties.

Contact us for suggested itineraries and rates for your special day out.

IRISHHERITAGETRU ST.IE

Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 51

A call to the Citizens Information Phone Service could make all the difference We’re open till 8pm

The Citizens Information Phone Service (CIPS) is the national Citizens Information helpline which provides a comprehensive and confidential information service to the public.

Our helpline 0761 07 4000 operates from 9am to 8pm – Monday to Friday to facilitate greater accessibility for all our service users. We provide information, advice and referral services and last year we dealt with over 142,000 calls.

If there’s information you need to know then there’s one place you should go! Our Information Officers will use a number of resources to help you with your query, including www.citizensinformation.ie.

These are some of the key areas we provide information support on: • Social Welfare: State Pensions, Carer’s Payments, Fuel Allowance and other benefits • Health: Medical Cards/GP Visit Cards • Housing: HAP/Social Housing & Housing Grants • Money and Tax: Income Tax Below are some examples of the type of query we regularly receive.

Carer’s Allowance Michael called us in CIPS recently. He is 70 and in receipt of the State Pension (Contributory).

His wife Eileen had recently been diagnosed with cancer. Michael became her carer and

wanted to know if he could get any financial help from Social Welfare. Our Information Officer advised him of Carer’s Allowance, a weekly payment to people providing full-time care. As Michael was getting a State Pension the Information Officer explained about the Half-Rate Carer’s Allowance which he could get alongside the pension and increase his weekly income by E109.50. The Information Officer also took Michael’s address and posted him the relevant form, and referred him to his local Citizens Information Centre for assistance filling it out.

Medical Card Another caller, Joan, had applied for a Medical Card but was informed that her application was denied. She was quite upset as she had substantial medical needs and this was causing her financial strain. The CIPS Information Officer found out more about Joan’s circumstances and discovered that since her application was submitted her husband had turned 70.

This meant that she could now be considered under a different income test for over 70’s that did not previously apply. This income test has higher limits and after going through the figures with Joan, the Information Officer advised her that she should now qualify for a Medical Card.

Joan was very grateful and said that without this information she would not have known that she could apply again.

Sometimes we will refer callers to another agency or if they need some face-to-face help we will signpost them to our drop-in Citizens Information Service. There is a network of

52 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

local Citizens Information Centres nationwide.

Callers may, for example, need assistance with form filling, Social Welfare appeals or other forms of Advocacy.

CIPS also offers Live Advisor, an instant web chat service which is open 9am-5pm on weekdays and is aimed at people with hearing and speech difficulties.

You can contact CIPS on 0761 07 4000, Monday – Friday 9am -8pm, or you can find your local centre on www.citizensinformation.ie.

Cork 50 Plus Expo Some of our Information Officers will be attending the Cork 50 Plus Show (March 7th and 8th) so why not drop along to stand number 34. If you have debt concerns or just want to know a bit more about how to budget better the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) will be at stand number 52 along with Abhaile- the Free Mortgage Arrears Support Service.

CIPS is funded by the Citizens Information Board - the statutory body which supports the provision of information, advice and advocacy on a broad range of public and social services.

Specialists in Joint Replacement, Spinal Surgery, Orthopaedics and Sport Injuries

TREATING ACTIVE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES

SSC provides the following services: + Assessment, diagnosis and treatment of all + Sports related injuries orthopaedic conditions including shoulder, + New, fully equipped Sports SSC in Santry, Dublin, provides world-class medical facilities for:& Exercise hand, foot and ankle, spine, hip and knee Medicine Department including state-of Fully equipped Sports & Exercise department  diagnosis andjoint treatment of all + Assessment, Shoulder, hip and knee replacement the-art Physiotherapy and Medicine Performance orthopaedic conditions and sports injuries  State-of-the-art and Performance surgery RehabilitationPhysiotherapy Gym  hipand and knee replacement surgery + Shoulder, Hand, foot anklejoint surgery + Rehabilitation MRI / X-raydepartments and fully equipped Diagnostic  Strength & Conditioning  Spinal assessment / spinal surgery Imaging Department + Spinal surgery  MRI / X-Ray  Hand, foot and ankle surgery SSC accepts direct settlement of claim payments from:

For more information call: 01 526 2300, fax: 01 526 2081 or e-mail: gp@sportssurgeryclinic.com

www.sportssurgeryclinic.com

Have you considered when making your will to leave a legacy gift to a cause you care about?

Everyone should have a will Only three in ten Irish adults have made a will, yet making a will is one of the most important decisions that you will ever make. As a legal document, it ensures that proper arrangements are made for family and friends, and that your assets will distributed in the way you wish after you die, subject to certain rights and conditions. With so many benefits associated with this important process, the decision to make a will should be straightforward.

If your wishes are not expressed in a will, then the law (called Succession Law) determines how your estate is distributed according to strict legal rules. It can also mean that your estate might not be divided in accordance with your wishes.

Why make a will?

There are a number of important reasons why a person should make a will but the most important reason is that you decide what happens to your estate when you are gone. Your will should be prepared by a solicitor who will advise you of the tax and legal implications of your decisions and who will use your outlined instructions to draft your will. Before making an appointment with your solicitor, it is helpful to take note of the following: · · · ·

Your assets, their value and their location.

Your nearest relatives.

Your executor(s) – this is the person(s) that will administer the estate in accordance with the directions set out in the will. This person should be someone that you trust and who is responsible.

The proposed division of your estate – which refers to all of the money, property, assets, interests and things of value controlled by a person while alive.

Your solicitor can then take you through any legal restrictions (if applicable), special circumstances, inheritance tax and types of will.

It is usually a much more straightforward and cost effective process 54 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

than you might think and your solicitor will discuss what is necessary for drawing up this important personal document when you make your appointment.

Once family and friends have been looked after and all other important personal decisions have been made, deciding to leave a legacy gift to a charity is a wonderful way to support a favourite cause in the future.

Large or small, every legacy is a generous gift of hope and trust for the future.

Steps to Making a Will 1. Make An Appointment Avail of expert advice and support.

Take the first step to discuss your wishes and decisions for the future 2. Look After Loved Ones First Why a will is important.

A will provides for loved ones, assigns guardians, protects your assets and helps reduce inheritance tax 3. Consider A Legacy To Charity Your gift may be big or small and is tax free.

If you have a cause close to your heart, please consider leaving a gift to that charity in your will

A true friend, leaves paw prints on your heart.

The Irish Blue Cross is an animal welfare charity well known for providing charitable veterinary services in the greater Dublin area. The charity operates from its small animal clinic in Inchicore, Dublin 8 and this is complemented by mobile veterinary clinics operating in Cabra, Tallaght, Blanchardstown, Crumlin, Ballyfermot, Ballybrack, Smithfield, Walkinstown, Finglas and Whitehall. Out on the road each week-day evening, these mobile clinics provide essential frontline services and treatments for thousands of pets every year. Where pets require more comprehensive clinical examinations and treatments, they are referred to the Inchicore clinic veterinary team.

Veterinary care from The Irish Blue Cross is available to pets whose owners are in receipt of certain mean-tested benefits and who live within a defined catchment area of the clinic in Inchicore. Veterinary care is not free but the charity charge more affordable fees which cover the basic cost of treatment. The support provided makes an immeasurable difference to so many communities in Dublin and without the support of The Irish Blue Cross, many families would struggle with accessing necessary veterinary care for their pets.

A practical and caring approach is at the heart of The Irish Blue Cross clinical work and the veterinary team also support pet families by educating them on how to be responsible pet owners, ensuring their precious pet has a happy and healthy life. Since the charity’s foundation in 1945, well over half a million family pets have been treated and demand for affordable veterinary care continues to grow every year. In 2019, the clinical teams had over 19,000 pet visits covering all aspects of veterinary care, including health-checks, x-rays, blood tests, microchipping, neutering and other surgical procedures. The charity strongly advocates preventative healthcare, in particular parasite treatments and vaccinations. Vaccines can protect our furry friends from contracting a variety of illnesses, some of which can be fatal.

Neutering is another preventative healthcare measure the charity strongly recommends. The Irish Blue Cross has a neutering policy which is not only important for reducing the number of healthy dogs and cats destroyed in Ireland each year - it also provides many health benefits for pets. The charity offers low cost neutering, with generously reduced costs ranging from€35 to €115, depending on the size of the animal.

In addition to their small animal work, the charity operates a horse ambulance service that attends all Irish racecourses, working closely with racecourse veterinary surgeons to assist and save injured racehorses.

The Irish Blue Cross rely heavily on donations from the public and the goodwill of supporters to continue its work. With the loyal support of many committed and enthusiastic volunteers, the charity hosts an action-packed calendar of fundraising events each year including the very popular Bark in the Park™ sponsored dog walks, flag days, collections and appeals.

Pets need our help. So we need yours too.

All donations towards The Irish Blue Cross’ on-going work are always welcome. To find out how you can support, call 01-4163032 or email paul.halpin@bluecross.ie

‘To the small animals in need, I leave..’

Remembering a charity in your will is a kind and generous gesture that costs you nothing in your lifetime. But your kindness will make a difference forever. Once loved ones are looked after in your will, consider how else you can help.

Create your legacy and make your love for pets live on.

For more information on how you can make a lasting difference, contact us today.

15A Goldenbridge Industrial Estate, Inchicore, Dublin 8 Tel: +353 1 4163032 www.bluecross.ie

Leaving A Legacy

Life can throw curve balls at any time My Name is Roy Brown I am a retired Trinity College Chemistry lecturer. My wife Anne is living with dementia. Anne moved into Avoca Lodge in St Joseph’s Shankill last summer.

Life can throw curve balls at any time, I first met Anne when I was in my early fifties certainly a confirmed bachelor. Obviously at that stage the issue for me was more “Mission Impossible” than “Cherchez la Femme”.

I remember it was late afternoon in mid January and there was deep snow all around. I was waiting to cross the road to Pearse station when a “vision of loveliness” passed in front of me. I was immediately smitten and followed the lady into the station, I had to speak with her, while this may not be the most appropriate way to approach ones true love it worked for me! The snow made it easier to start a conversation and the conversations kept going, throughout an 18 months courtship.

With time marching on (neither of us were very young), I went to Anne’s home to address her father. “James Joseph Patrick Aloysius O’Loughlin, I love your daughter sir, and I wish to take her hand in marriage”, “Can you keep her in the style to which she has become accustomed?” he replied. I of course agreed and I have done my best to do so ever since.

The vision of loveliness and Big Bad Roy Brown said ‘I do’ on 10th of August 1988. Not long after our honeymoon it became apparent that my mother in law’s health was declining which developed over time into an advanced dementia. We looked after her as best we could.

We have enjoyed a lot of good times together over the years but unfortunately Anne has not enjoyed good health. Over the last number of years, Anne’s memory began to fail and it soon became apparent that Anne was going down the same road as her mother. But to put the” tin hat” on it, Anne started to suffer from “Temporal Arteritis”. The massive doses of steroid to counter the condition knocked Anne sideways.

Anne ended up spending over a month in hospital. When Anne emerged, the social worker was talking “Care Home” but I was talking “Home Care”. I took Anne home but on the advice of the professionals put her name down in several nursing homes just in case.

We struggled on at home for about two years.

Anne has a sister Patricia who lives in Spain and a cousin who lives in Sligo. Anne’s brother Jim is deceased. With no children we have no immediate family to help.

During that time, the very dedicated public health nurse got Anne into Saint Joseph’s for a week of respite and we were very lucky then to have a place three days per week in their day care service. This all went very well but we were losing ground at home.

It was getting more and more difficult for me to fulfil my promise to Anne’s father.

One day at Saint Joseph’s I met red haired lady with an air of authority who introduced herself as the director of nursing. I seized the opportunity to avail of her knowledge and she talked to me about our problems and kindly agreed to have an assessment carried out for Anne. About a month later Anne was offered to make Saint Joseph’s her permanent home.

I took several deep breaths and said “Yes thank you”.

The day Anne moved in to Saint Joseph’s was difficult for me but neighbours and friends were very kind. One of the excellent carers on duty looked after Anne while I beat a hasty retreat.

Anne has been looked after with kindness and love ever since. A remarkable thing about Saint Joseph’s is that EVERYONE is helpful, cheerful and kind, not just the nurses and carers.

Anne is never told what to do, it is Anne who takes the lead in what she wishes to do during the day, the staff go with ‘her’ flow and connect with her in a way that I no longer could do at

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home for her. But it is not just Anne who is receiving the best care around, all the families and relatives as well are welcomed into the Saint Joseph’s family. I myself have at least twice as many friends now compared to before we were both embraced into the care of the team.

Friends who visit Anne are very thrilled, as was Anne’s sister when she visited from Spain.

People say that there is always something going on, sometimes Anne is too busy to see me!

My favourite quote is from a certain doctor. “If I were sick, I would want the nurses here looking after me”! So would I, in ill health or not!

When Anne was at home I was worried about one thing in particular. What would happen if I succumbed to the dreaded lurgy or was thrown under a bus? Now that worry for me is completely gone. I know that Anne will be looked after in the best possible way, even in the event of what my former students would regard as my all-too-long awaited demise!

We have been lucky to be a part of the Saint Joseph’s family, so I have pledged to leave a legacy in my will to ensure that the team in Saint Joseph’s can keep caring this way long into the future.

It is lovely to know that I can help people, even after I die. The team at Saint Joseph’s ensure that people know they are loved and cherished and that they are still needed and that they matter, just like Anne and I feel today at Saint Joseph’s Shankill.

To pledge your legacy to Saint Joseph’s Shankill; Contact Siobhan on 01 282 3000 / Siobhan.grant@sjog.ie

CHY 18282

Your legacy can change lives To make happy memories - your legacy can help Focus Ireland give a family their home, and their happiness back.

To include Focus Ireland in your Will, please contact eve.kerton@focusireland.ie or phone 01 881 5917

CHY7220

Saint Martin Apostolate T: (01) 874 5465 E: info@stmartin.ie W: www.stmartin.ie

Tips for supporting someone who is bereaved

Charity No: CHY7209

· Ask, how you can help · Ask the person what kind of support would be helpful · Keep including them in activities · Even if they refuse many times. Keep asking · Offer practical help (for example: going for walk, doing the shopping, getting a coffee Remember grief is a process and takes time Everyone’s grief is different www.bereaved.ie

By giving a gift to St Martin Apostolate now, we will achieve so much and your legacy will live on!

Leaving a gift in your will or offering support now, no matter how big or small will have a profound impact on what we can achieve in your name.

St. Martin Apostolate, 42 Parnell Square West Dublin 1

Leaving A Legacy

Give the gift of sight

AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) is a condition that can affect your eyes as you get older. In fact, in the over 50s, AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in Ireland. Over 100,000 people over 50 in Ireland have the condition but it often goes undiagnosed and untreated.

Fighting Blindness is a patient-led charity with a vision to cure blindness, support people living with sight loss and empower patients.

They are the only Irish charity funding research into treatments for sight loss. Every year they partner with three other sight loss organisations to run an AMD awareness campaign to educate people about this common eye condition and how it can be caught early.

AMD causes the gradual loss of sight due to blurring or loss of central vision. The severity of the disease depends on each person and on how quickly it is detected.

Early diagnosis by an eye care professional can allow for treatment and prevent any further deterioration. If you are aged 50 or over it is important that you go for regular eye tests for AMD. Alongside investing in research for cures and treatments, Fighting Blindness provides professional counselling and therapeutic services for individuals and families living with sight loss. They advocate for equity of access to healthcare and work to empower the 247,000 children and adults in Ireland who are blind or visually impaired.

When you write a will, you can look after your family and loved ones even after you’re gone. And if you also include The Irish Hospice Foundation, you can reach out to another family you’ve never met too.

Help us realise our vision that no-one will face death or bereavement without the care and support they need.

Leaving a gift in your will to the Irish Hospice Foundation is a wonderful way to support those at end of life and their families.

Legacy Ad - landscape.indd 1

Fighting Blindness receives only 13% of its funding from the state and relies heavily on the generosity of the Irish public. Donations and legacy gifts enable the charity to invest in more ground-breaking research in treatments and cures for conditions like AMD. It will get them to the cure sooner.

For more information, visit www.fightingblindness.ie. To learn more about AMD and take the online Symptom Checker, visit www.amd.ie.

:

Contact Anna Sadlier at 01 679 3188 or anna.sadlier@hospicefoundation.ie www.hospicefoundation.ie

Provide assurance and safety for years to come 05/12/2016 18:01:09

Large or small, every legacy gift helps us to continue our work for everyone facing end of life and bereavement. We are on a mission to transform Ireland’s mortuaries, so that grieving families have peaceful areas to bid their final goodbyes.

A promise of a gift in your Will is generosity and vision at their most powerful. It is the most strategic form of giving, ensuring your gift continues to help those who are most vulnerable escape homelessness and continue to live safe, happy lives with the ongoing support of Focus Ireland.

In Ireland, over 40% of all deaths occur in hospital and the majority of people are brought to the hospital mortuary. Through our Design & Dignity programme in partnership with the HSE, we are transforming the way these spaces are designed. We believe hospital mortuaries should be sanctuaries and convey a sense of reverence and respect for life, death and bereavement.

Legacy givers provide assurance and safety for generations to come; you can allow Focus Ireland to plan for long-term projects and prevent families from entering homelessness. Our homes are not just houses; they are the foundations on which we build life-long memories with our loved ones. We all have a right to make happy memories your legacy can give a family their happiness back.

So far, thanks to generous people like you, over 40 hospital projects have been funded, including 13 mortuaries. Eight of these projects are now complete, including Beaumont Hospital Mortuary which was transformed from a drab unit that could facilitate just one family, to a purpose built haven with multiple viewing rooms, family rooms with tea and coffee facilities, garden space and designated parking.

Your gift can have an impact for years after you have pledged to support Focus Ireland in your Will. Every year, Focus Ireland helps nearly 150 young people escape homelessness and in 2019, we prevented 1700 families from entering homelessness.

The death of a loved one is never easy, but having the dignified and private space in those difficult days can make a difference and provide some comfort to a grieving family. www.bereaved.ie 58 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

People want to be appropriately remembered for making a significant difference not just in life but after they’re gone. We see every day how close homelessness is to Irish people’s hearts – one of the country’s most emotional and moving causes. Your donation can give someone their hope back; you have the ability to change the path and future of young people, a change for the better.

for every child, a dream Do you dream of a world where every child has clean water, nutritious food, healthcare, an education and a safe environment to grow up in?

You can make your dream come true.

Did you know you can leave the gift of a better future to a child in your Will?

It is really easy and inexpensive to do and you don’t have to be wealthy to make a difference that will last a lifetime.

Please consider this very special way of ensuring your love for children lives on.

For more information, please call Justin on 01 878 3000 or go to www.unicef.ie Thank you.

Credit: UNICEF/ Bangladesh 2017/ Bindra

Leaving A Legacy

St Martin Apostolate Modern Missionary Efforts in Ireland and Abroad.

St Martin is our Patron a Saint who continues as an inspiration, not only because of his humility but also for his care of the poor and suffering. We strive to live and work by his example and are empowered to do so thanks to our loyal supporters.

We regularly update our supporters on the activities of the Apostolate and the Dominican Order in our popular monthly Saint Martin Mag-

azine; including how we support other worthy charities.

The Apostolate is very proud to be helping with so many deserving causes and to keep the spirit of St Martin alive in ways which make a real difference to the lives of those no less human, just less fortunate.

I hope that, one day, my grandchildren will ask,

Leaving a gift in your will, no matter how big or

small will have a profound impact on what we can achieve in your name. Your support will ensure that we can continue with our Missions after your pilgrimage on earth has ended.

Let your legacy live on through our important works and our focused Mission. For more information on how you might become involved visit www.stmartin.ie or call us on +353 (0)1 8745465 or email info@stmartin.ie for details.

Improving cancer treatment and care WAStocancer?” for“What generations come breakthrough, the discovery that will make a vital difference to cancer patients and their families .

Many people of Ireland leave a gift in their Will to the Irish Cancer Society as their way of improving cancer treatment and care for generations to come. This will help ensure that patients diagnosed with cancer will have access to the most cutting edge treatments and the best possible care. Gifts in Wills, no matter what size, lead to enormous steps towards a future without cancer.

Every three minutes, someone in Ireland gets a cancer diagnosis. By 2045 cancer rates are set to double. But survival rates are also increasing – there are more than 170,000 people living with and beyond cancer today in Ireland.

Six out of ten patients now survive the disease for at least five years, where it was only four out of ten just twenty years ago. Thanks to advancements in cancer research, cancer is

no longer a death sentence. However there is still much more that can be done. Support for cancer research has never been more important.

Irish Cancer Society focuses on research that goes beyond the laboratory, asking new questions and looking for answers that will ultimately save lives and lead to improved treatments.

Scientists are always looking for the next

60 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

“Research is everything. It has made a difference to me and hundreds like me; I wouldn’t have survived without research into new and better treatments. Even if it’s not in my lifetime, there is hope that in the future people won’t have to go through this”.

Stephanie Powell, Breast Cancer Survivor.

For your free information pack please contact Aoife McDarby at 01-2316629 or on amcdarby@irishcancer.ie to find out more about how you can help make cancer a thing of the past for future generations.

When you write a will, you can look after your family and loved ones even after you’re gone. And if you also include The Irish Hospice Foundation, you can reach out to another family you’ve never met too.

Help us realise our vision that no-one will face death or bereavement without the care and support they need.

: Contact Anna Sadlier at 01 679 3188 or anna.sadlier@hospicefoundation.ie www.hospicefoundation.ie

Legacy Ad - landscape.indd 1

05/12/2016 18:01:09

I hope that, one day, my grandchildren will ask,

“What WAS cancer?”

You can help make cancer a thing of the past by leaving a gift to the Irish Cancer Society in your Will.

Contact Aoife McDarby at 01-2316629, email amcdarby@irishcancer.ie or speak to your solicitor. www.cancer.ie/legacy ICS Legacy Ad 132 x190 Oct 18 v4.indd 1

Irish Cancer Society 09/10/2018 15:25

Always a Silver Lining “A tree rarely grows perfectly but we live in a world that wants a forest full of perfect trees, beautiful flowers, and youthfulness- even when we get older!” said Dr. Conor Hogan when he was asked to explain his understanding of aging people. He went on to discuss how things are rarely faultless for people yet we live in a world of the demand for the instantaneous perception of perfection. Despite all this, he feels that we can improve and develop even if they are aging.

these conditions are a result of certain areas of the brain not being activated in modern-day living.

“One of the areas that I `ve concentrated a lot on in the past year or so and have had a lot of success with is neurological issues that people have. Presently I`ve had great success with early on-set Alzheimer's.

Over the years when working with people, I`d seen unknown issues and conditions that were difficult to explain form a psychological or another perspective and was always curious about how our brains were affecting our lives”.

When Dr. Conor was pressed on the issue that our brains and bodies are bound to be affected as we age he agreed but stated that only certain areas of our brains are affected and that other areas can begin to develop in such a way that not only improves certain areas of our brain but improves our bodies and overall lifestyle even as we age with certain conditions.

Having been a school teacher for seventeen years he was at the forefront of watching how young brains were learning. He started as a post-primary teacher his fascination with human behaviour led him to complete a scientific study on the topic. From there he taught as a primary teacher and began to see how even younger brains were picking up the complex things in a simple manner. Then there were his few years in special education with children anywhere from 3 years of age right up to adulthood. Here he dealt with those that had to struggle with behavioural issues that were often influenced by neurologically conditions.

During the same period, he worked for himself in the evenings and on holidays. He built up what was initially a unique Irish coaching practice, that then encompassed other therapeutic modalities. Having had physical problems himself, his understanding of the body, its movement and how it ages was easier for him to grasp than most and so his practice then included physical therapies, as well as those for the mind.

Although he now works exclusively in the field of personal development, Dr. Hogan sees his professional alterations over the years as being a developmental journey. “If it were not for my physical issues [of which he is currently writing a book on] I would not have been so curious to learn so much about the mind, body, and brain and if it was not for all the varieties of people that I have encountered who have sought help for a variety of thing then I wouldn`t have realised that how even though we can firstly holistically develop as people this still has a direct correlation with how we age later on. So I suppose every cloud has a silver lining” He explained how emerging scientific thinking that conditions like the early development of issues like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's’ and other neurological l conditions are becoming more and more evident in his practice and that it is becoming more and more evident to him how 62 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

His success with those with neurological issues ranges from traumatic brain injuries to professional sports’ people and the techniques he uses are unique in Ireland but have been successfully used overseas for more than a quarter of a century.

When he was finally asked ‘So, what do you guarantee your aging clients when they avail of your services?’ he replied “they will have learned techniques that they can do at home for a short period and at any time that will enable them to improve their memory, stay concentrated longer, focused, and youthful longer and well into old age”.

No wonder then Dr. Conor Hogan likens things to trees and flowers when he spoke of the elderly. For the services he provides to the older population means that they will be out and about enjoying the garden and the long summer days ahead with not just clear golden memories of the past but a sharpens and eagerness in looking forward to the bright days of the future ahead. So, with the golden years upon us there is, as Doc Conor put it ‘always a silver lining!”

Did you know that Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s disease can be seen in people decades before the symptoms exist in an aging person?

Dr. Conor Hogan is Ireland`s First and Only Functional Neurologist, Neuro Coach, and Brain Behaviour Specialist.

As an international Author, Dr. Conor Hogan works with the bodies, mind and brains of aging people in a natural way. His testing and therapeutic techniques are unique to Ireland but have decades of successful scientific research supporting them.

Rosshill, Galway City (087) 1005600 Conor@DocConor.com Avoid pills and take control of your aging development!

Facebook: Doc Conor Twitter: @DrConorHogan

REASSURING When it comes to what’s best for you, a great deal starts with REA. Whether you’re buying or selling property or land, you can rely on REA. With decades of experience, local insider knowledge and access to a powerful national network, we can offer you the support you need to get the very best result.

Find your local agent at

rea.ie

Travel

Gliding through Europe’s ‘back garden’

The Ama Magna cruising through the German countryside

After a luxurious trip through Austria and Hungary, Mairead Robinson appreciates the growing appeal of river cruising While ocean cruises have been popular for years, it is the more luxurious boutique style of gently gliding through Europe’s ‘back garden’ that is really catching on.

One reason why people love it so much is that it is a perfect antidote to busy lives and offers total relaxation. But what really interested me most of all was the rise in popularity of ‘Slow Travel’ which brings us to the wonderful world of River Cruising.

I set off recently to experience just how cool and luxurious it could be – after all that is what we want from any holiday! I was not disappointed at all, in fact I was seriously impressed with my AmaWaterways 5 Star cruise along the River Danube. There are so many interesting countries to visit along this majestic river – Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The cities are fascinating,

among them Vilshofen, Budapest, Bratislava, Linz, Spitz and of course the wonderful city of Vienna. But first of all is the majestic AMA Magna which has the most spacious and comfortable accommodation on the Danube with 53 suites ranging from an impressive 355 sq. ft. to a luxurious 710 sq. ft. - all offering full-width step out balconies. Each one includes a sizable marble bathroom, many boasting double sinks as well as a deluxe walk-in multi-jet shower and separate bath. It was a real 5 star hotel experience on the waterways. And the food was outstanding, each of the restaurants offered up gourmet delights to impress the fussiest of diners, and the culinary highlight for me was dinner at the Chef’s Table Restaurant.

You could imagine not wanting to disembark at all from this luxury, and instead spend your days at the portside library, the cinema, the Zen

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Wellness Studio, Hair Salon, either the upper or lower lounges and if you are feeling energetic, the walking track or the gym.

With a daily cruiser information sheet left in your room each day, it would be difficult to miss the opportunity to experience the docking locations and certainly the famous village of Durnstein, with the blue façade of the village’s church and the ruins of the hilltop castle where Richard the Lionheart was once imprisoned, was a rare treat. So too was the guided tour of the cellars of a local winery where we tasted some excellent Hungarian wines.

Hungary is a fascinating country and the city of Budapest is certainly worth exploring. Take a guided tour from a local expert to get the most of your visit. Enjoy coffee in one of their famous coffee shops – Starbucks could never

Travel compete with the traditional long afternoons spent sipping one coffee! The other great tradition of course is the passion for thermal springs, and spa culture has been a big part of the country since Roman times followed by the Turkish invaders. While Hungry has its own currency, many shop owners will accept Euros, but only give change in Hungarian Florints. So use your credit card, or just withdraw local currency as you need it.

For me the highlight of the trip was the visit to the wonderful city of Vienna. While the Danube does not flow through the city centre, the ship is docked a short taxi ride away. Certainly a guided tour of this city is highly recommended

and a visit to the Schonbrunn Palace is a ‘must do’. It is the most famous and beautiful palace in Vienna and one of the best known in all of Europe. And then of course there is the music – one of the city’s most enduring legacies.

Many musical prodigies once lived and worked there, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg. If you have the opportunity to attend a concert on the evening of your visit, it is certainly well worth the experience.

And so to the cuisine, even if you do not have a

lunch or dinner in one of the many restaurants due to the delicious dining on board, you should certainly make time for a coffee and a Sacher Torte – a rich chocolate cake invented by Franz Sacher for a famous Austrian politician back in the 1800s. This cake consists of two layers of a dense semi-sweet chocolate dough, a thin layer of apricot jam in the middle, and dark chocolate icing on the sides and top.

Sinfully delicious!

After all the wonderful sights, sounds and tastes of Vienna, returning to the luxury of the AmaMagna was a perfect end to one of the best holidays ever!

Sunway Offer to Senior Times readers AmaMagna on the Danube – from Vilshofen to Budapest . Depart 09th August 2020 price from E3,049pp includes direct flight from Dublin to Munich and return from Budapest, 1 x checked 20kg bag per person, return transfer and 7 nights twin share category D stateroom with river view on board AmaMagna. Price includes full board, wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, daily cocktail hour, daily immersive tours.

Price does not include port charges of E160 per person. Gratuities are discretionary. Price includes earlier booking discount of E650 per person. AmaWaterways early booking offer ends 31st March 2020 . Subject to availability and change.

Sunway are agents for AmaWaterways in Ireland. Contact Sunway on all 01-2366800 or visit www.sunway.ie.

The Great Singalong Songbook Presents

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Four gift sets of the Green Angels Precious Oils Collection to be won!

VERA LYNN A MUSICAL CELEBRATION

A dramatic retelling of the life and times of Vera Lynn to mark her

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Sunday March 15th 3.00pm.

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Senior Times, in association with Green Angel, are offering gift sets of Green Angel Precious Oils Collection in this easy competition. No questions to answer! Simply send us a postcard or letter with your name and address (including post code) to: Green Angels Competition, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

Or email john@slp.ie Green Angel Products are available through our website, www.greenangel.com Also available in a wide selection of pharmacies and gift shops nationwide.

Deadline for receipt of entries is 18th April 2020.

The first four entries drawn are the winners.

Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 65

Wine World

Wine winners from the New World Mairead Robinson spotlights some stunners from New Zealand and Chile

. The vineyards are located in the Andean piedmont

We are becoming more educated and knowledgeable about the wines we drink, and with all the information coming through from the industry, people are appreciating their wines more than ever.

And it keeps getting better. A film entitled Vintage by Villa Maria – The Untold Story was recently launched in Dublin and coming from New Zealand’s award-winning winery who are dedicated to sustainability and protection of the environment, this is an excellent production.

Vintage follows the experienced team of Nick Picone (Chief Winemaker), Stuart Dudley (Marlborough Viticulturist), Ollie Powrie (Chief Viticulturist), as well as Jessica Marston (Viticulture Cadet) who was undertaking her first vintage. Told through their own unique lenses, Vintage reveals how the team cope with unforeseen challenges, vastly varying climates, frost-filled early mornings and 24-hour-days. Director and producer Colin West said about the film, ‘Vintage is a feature length documentary that tells a uniquely Kiwi story 66 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

capturing the incredible highs and heart-breaking lows of making world class wine in New Zealand.’

It is certainly a fascinating film to watch, and teaches us a lot about the often nerve-wracking business of making wine. For both the wine expert and those who merely enjoy their vino, this is well worth watching and teaches us all a lot about the business of getting great wine from the ground to the bottle.

Vintage by Villa Maria will be available on your Virgin Media Player, so catch it if you can.

From New Zealand to Chile, the New World is certainly making its mark among the best wine producers in the world these days. Regular readers of my wine articles will know how highly I rate Chile’s wine industry having visited the country a couple of times in the past ten years. I

Wine World

Chilean Santa Rita the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva is from the Maipo Valley

level of 13.3%, this wine has an ageing potential of three to five years.

have seen the advances and investment in the vineyards and wineries and the development of new regions to grow the varieties in the most suitable and favourable conditions. Chile has an enviable climate with consistent dry summers, cool Atlantic breezes, snow-melt water from the Andes and few vine pests — but careful management of resources (especially water) has become crucial now that the climate is warming. Santa Rita is Chile’s top wine producer and Ireland’s top selling wine brand. While good value wine is what we expect from Chile, with Santa Rita we also get quality along with a very affordable price tag. This year at the 50 Plus Show in the City Hall in Cork, I was tasting some Santa Rita wines, both the well known 120 range and also the new to Ireland Medalla Real range.

So the exciting new range from Santa Rita wines to enter the Irish market is the Medalla Real range and their Reserva Chardonnay is a real stunner. It is an outstanding elegant well balanced Chardonnay, and for lovers of this much maligned grape, this is a rare treat. It has wonderful flavours of tropical fruits with notes of vanilla. The alcohol level is 14.4% and it is definitely a food wine, pairing particularly well with dishes such as lobster, scallops and rich seafood sauces.

And the final Medalla Real wine is the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva from the Maipo Valley. The vineyards are located in the Andean piedmont, where cool afternoon breezes help slow ripening and produce fruit that stands out for its balance and fresh varietal flavours. This is a medium bodied, very pleasant and balanced wine. 60% of the grapes have been aged in American oak barrels for eight months, the remaining 40% was aged in stainless steel vats until bottling. At 13.5% alcohol, this wine has an ageing potential of five years. It is a beautiful food wine, and would pair with all red meat dishes.

First of all was the popular Santa Rita 120. We tasted the Early harvest Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2019 which is a limited edition release with a low alcohol level and high acidity, making it an excellent choice for summer lunches and al fresco dining. Paired with fish and salads and light food, it is also a lovely aperitif. The grapes are hand picked and the wine has an ageing potential of three years. Alcohol is 11.5%, so again it is an ideal wine for summer time. Cabernet Franc 2018 Reserva Especial from the 120 range is a dark ruby red wine made with 100% Cabernet Franc and has rich notes of tobacco and vanilla from the barrel ageing. It has a beautiful fruity finish on the palate. The grapes are grown in the central valley and again the grapes are handpicked with 20% of the wine then aged in French oak for four months to enhance sweetness and complexity. With an alcohol

And so I have returned to Chile again, having done a quick tour of New Zealand, to outline how the New World is really striding ahead in terms of producing top quality wines for the International and Irish market. Good value is evident, and the quality of these wines ensures that they stay at the top of our most popular wines in Ireland today.

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Crossword — four copies of A Great Beauty by A. O’Connor Nerin Moynihan, Berrings Co Cork John Cummins, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford Mairead Boylan, Mullingar, Co Westmeath William Dunne, Portmarnock, Co Dublin

Four copies of the ICA Book of Bread and Baking Mary Roche, Tralee, Co Kerry Maria McCormack, Killenhaule, Co Tipperary Rose Gilligan, Drumrayney, Co Westmeath Emer Foley, Blackrock, Co Dublin

Guess The Year - 1960 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 67

Motoring

Breda Corrigan tests the new Skoda Scala

Scala scales new heights

The Ambition equipment includes 16in alloy wheels

Ĺ koda has recently launched its new compact hatchback, the Scala.

The name Scala is derived from the Latin word for steps and represents Skoda’s recent progress and success. The Scala is a spiritual successor to the Rapid that concluded production earlier this year. While the Rapid was offered in saloon and hatchback body styles, the Scala is exclusively offered as a hatchback. The vehicles share very little in common with the Scala showcasing some of the most advanced technologies available in the Volkswagen Group.

Unrivalled spaciousnes The wide and low stance, and protruding front grille hide the fact that the Scala is one of the largest cars in its segment measuring 4.4 metres in length. These dimensions deliver unrivalled interior spaciousness, particularly for rear seat passengers. Low fuel consumption is assured with a turbocharged line up of TSI petrol engines including a 1.0 TSI 115bhp and a 1.5 TSI 150bhp, a frugal 1.6 TDI 115bhp diesel is also available with both 68 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

manual and DSG 7-speed automatic transmissions. A lower powered 1.0 TSI 95bhp petrol unit will be offered at a later date.

Advanced infotainment The Skoda brand has been leading the way, for some time, in terms of infotainment and connectivity. The Scala will be the first brand in the Volkswagen Group to receive the third and most advanced generation of infotainment systems known internally as MIB3. The benefits of the new MIB3 units include a much cleaner cockpit, as former infotainment and air-conditioning buttons move to controls operating from 6.5in, 8.0in or 9.2in colour touch screens. Other benefits include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as wireless phone charging capability.

USB-c ports are only starting to come on stream. The Scala is future proofed with the use of USB-c ports for superior phone charging and data transfer capabilities. The SCALA is the most connected car ever launched by Skoda with built-in SIM cards offerings access to Skoda

Motoring

The benefits of the new MIB3 units include a much cleaner cockpit, as former infotainment and air-conditioning buttons move to controls operating from 6.5in, 8.0in or 9.2in colour touch screens.

Connected Services. Emergency Call functionality is offered as standard equipment too.

Trim levels The Scala is being offered initially with Ambition and Style specifications, with an Active entry version to be added by year-end. The Ambition equipment includes 16in alloy wheels, Dynamic rear LED indicators, air-conditioning and a 6.5in colour touch screen unit. The Image Package, which consists of the glass rear tailgate will be provided as standard from Ambition trim level.

Engaging driving dynamics The Scala’s talents really shine on the road, with VW Golf-like levels of refinement and ride quality, while the large, soft sidewalls of the car’s tyres absorb even the most rutted of road surfaces extremely well. The car is very comfortable on the move, while accurate steering and excellent levels of grip ensure an engaging drive every time. The Scala’s sixspeed manual gearbox is slick, satisfying, and easy to use, which makes the it feel like a car from at least a class, or two, above. The Scala has similar mechanicals to the VW Golf and the Škoda Octavia, because all three models are based on the VW Group’s MQB architecture, and the Scala is as good to drive as both.

Test car A marvel of packaging My test car was a Skoda ‘Style’ 1.0TSI 115bhp 6-speed manual finished in Moon White metallic paintwork for a truly dazzling appearance.

Standard equipment includes key items such as 17in ‘Stratos’ alloy wheels, full LED headlights with AFS technology, full LED tail lights with dynamic indicators, Climatronic dual-zone air-conditioning, ‘Sunset’ dark tinted privacy glass, rear parking sensors and rear view camera, Bolera infotainment system with an 8in display and Smartlink connectivity, front & rear USB-C ports x 4, copper-brushed decorative inserts and chrome interior surrounds, ‘Kessy Go’ keyless start system, cruise control with speed limiter, power-folding door mirrors, leather multi-function steering wheel, gearstick and handbrake, automatic lights and wipers, Front Assist – forward collision warning with emergency brake function, Lane Assist, extended rear glass panel with body colour spoiler, and Care Connect with a 1 year subscription included. With 115bhp and 200Nm of torque, the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine in my test car can complete the 0-100km/h sprint in just 9.8-seconds, and can hit a top speed of 200km/h (where permitted). Annual road tax is just €200, while fuel consumption from 5.3-6.3l/100km is possible on a combined driving cycle – making the new Scalaa sound financial proposition.

70 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

The Scala also scores well in terms of interior quality, with a logically laid-out dashboard, and comfortable seats taking centre stage, and it is a marvel of packaging that a car of this size can be so practical.

The interior of the Scala has taken inspiration from the exterior design. It combines Škoda’s trademark ergonomics, and an emotionally-charged design brimming with graceful curves, with soft materials, a largestin-class infotainment display, and ample space in all directions. Boot space is an impressive 467-litres with the rear seats in place, but up to 1,410-litres of space is avaialble with the rear seats folded flat.

Verdict and pricing Overall, the new Scala is a genuinely impressive car with generous equipment levels, and a full helping of practicality, versatility, and functionality. With ex-works pricing starting from just €23,650 for the 1.0 TSI 115bhp Ambition model, the Scala is sure to be a huge success for Škoda.

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Cosmetics and Beauty

Your crowning glory Mairead Robinson suggests a great way to instantly boost your hair style and confidence.

Our hair changes quite dramatically throughout our lives, from the fuzzy little newborn frizz to what we find ourselves with at the end of our years – sometimes a not so different frizz!

Many factors affect our hair during the in-between years – diet, climate, health and often things that are completely outside our control.

Choosing the best products for our hair type and care is vital, but it is worth checking out what is available to you if your hair is really not having a good time. This can be due to an illness necessitating treatment like chemotherapy causing hair to fall out, to post childbirth hair loss, and sometimes it can be due to your hair just getting much thinner post-menopause. Whatever the circumstances, there is no doubt that confidence and self-esteem take a nose dive when the image looking back at you from the mirror is a face which has lost its surrounding luscious locks. While balding men and those with thinning hair can still be deemed attractive – and even very sexy – the same unfortunately and unfairly, is not said about women.

So while there are products and treatments, and indeed certain cuts and styles that help with the appearance of thin hair, there is one option that many people might not have considered that can have an immediate and dramatic effect on your appearance and self-confidence.

And that is hair extensions.

Advances in recent years have resulted in excellent quality and service which means that adding length and fullness to the hair is now a real option for women of all ages. We checked out the best brand we could find on the market, and having discovered Great Lengths, 72 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

decided to send Aoife, our enthusiastic volunteer, along to Biba Hair Salon in Cork for a consultation. Biba Hair has just received its gold salon certificate for the fourth year in a row. It is open just over 5 years and has been a Great Lengths salon since day one.

Aoife found her hair had become much thinner in the last few years, and she was very keen to return to the luscious locks she had enjoyed previously. Sarah Louise who looked after Aoife explained the process: - ‘We recommend that a client pops in for a free consultation to have a word with one of our Great Lengths specialists. They will explain the everything, answer any queries you may have and consult to your own hair needs, as every head is different, no two consults would be the same.

‘We then order the hair in the specific length, amount and colours, (I would always order two or more tones for a perfect blend)’.

The hair can take two-three days to arrive (depending on the day of the week.)

Then comes the exciting day, the day of application. We bring the client to the basin and wash their hair with the Great Lengths clean remove shampoo, it is a special shampoo designed to remove any oils or products from the hair, we do not apply conditioner as we want the bonds to sit and not slide off the surface of the hair. We blow dry the hair smooth and straight, once the hair is dry we are ready for application. The whole process can take up to 4 hours depending on how much hair you are putting in. Once the hair is applied we cut and shape the extensions to suit the clients desires and so that they do not

Cosmetics and Beauty

look like extensions, then we ask the client how they would like their hair styled, curly and bouncy or straight and smooth, or wavy etc. The results are always transforming. The client cannot wash their hair for 48 hours so as to let the bonds settle. Chances are they won’t need to as it’s been styled by the stylist.”

The before and after photographs show the transformation in Aoife’s hair, and she was clearly delighted with the result. Sarah Louise did a full head of pre-bonded keratin Great Lengths extensions using 3 different colours blended together for the perfect colour combination to match the tones in Aoife’s hair.

So what is the after care, and how long will the hair last, everybody wonders. The answer is that while each individual differs, the extensions can last up to four months and after care advice from Sarah Louise includes: · Treating your extensions as you would your own hair, if you wouldn’t do something to your hair then don’t do it to your Great Lengths.

Always keep your bonds dry, so do not let them dry naturally even if it’s just to blast dry them after you cleanse them. This will be your key to longevity. · Keep your brush with you, brushing thoroughly 2-3 times a day especially in the morning and just before bed will keep your hair tangle free and shiny.

· Tying your lengths in a low loose ponytail or loose braid before bed will stop matting and tangles from forming.

Established over 25 years ago, Great Lengths’ premium quality human hair extensions can now be found in over 60 countries across the world. The finished product is of the highest quality - available in a vast selection of glossy tones and lengths, and suitable for all hair types.

Focusing on quality, all Great Lengths hair is 100% human and 100% ethical and available in bond or tape form. In 2015, Great Lengths and the Little Princess Trust teamed up to make wishes come true: Great Lengths hair extensions wearers can now donate their used extensions to the Little Princess Trust, for use in their real-hair wigs for children that have suffered hair loss.

While some women may have not considered hair extensions before, many like Aoife, will be thrilled when they realize how they can transform their whole appearance and boost their confidence and self-esteem. Aoife is looking forward to attending several social events in the coming months with a new-found pride in her appearance as she holds her head up high and shows off her luscious locks once more.

Check out the website below for more information, or call Biba Salon on 021-4801456 Website: www.greatlengthshair.co.uk Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 73

Western Ways George Keegan on happenings along the Western Seaboard in travel , the arts, food and entertainment

The sculpture of John P Holland by local artist Shane Gilmore

Celebrating John P Holland, the inventor of the submarine The picturesque village of Liscannor along the Wild Atlantic Way is where you will find a small but interesting museum dedicated to the life and work of the man who invented the submarine. It’s a fascinating story of an engineering genius named John Philip Holland who emigrated as a young man to America and later invented the modern day submarine.

him posing in the turret of his first submarine. The sculpture was firstly formed in clay at the artist’s studio in Corofin, North Clare then cast in bronze by sculptor Seamus Connolly at his workshop on the Loop Head Peninsula. There is also a monument dedicated to Holland at the gates of the former school in Drogheda (now a hotel) where he once taught.

A group of local people felt strongly that some form of recognition of the inventor born in their village was long overdue. They looked into various options and decided in 2006 to pay a visit to the Paterson Museum in New Jersey where two of the original submarines designed by John P Holland are displayed. During the five day stay they held meetings with the curator of the museum and also the city mayor, receiving a great welcome everywhere they went. Before leaving they were presented with a ‘Key’ of the city and the twinning of Paterson with Liscannor as a pledge of friendship formally took place. The group also attended a celebration mass beside the inventor’s grave at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Totowa N.J. On their departure they were handed a box containing some 4000 microfiche slides of relevant documents.

Following the visit it was decided to commission local artist Shane Gilmore to design a sculpture of Holland from a famous photograph showing

For a few years the idea of a museum stayed dormant until 2014 when a ceremony to honour the 100th anniversary of J.P .Holland’s death took place in the village.

74 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

The microfiche received in Paterson was transformed to digital form and a small museum was set up which opened to the public in 2016. It contains an interactive portrait, rustic steel portholes perfect for family photo opportunities, a continuous US Navy documentary on the inventor’s life and work and panels along the walls with information on the development of submarine plans down the years. The centre piece is the really impressive bronze sculpture.

On my visit to the museum Promoter of the Centre John D Flanagan showed me around the building. He said that as a young child he was

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told about John. P. Holland and became fascinated by the story of his life in Liscannor and successful career in the United States. “during the past 3 years we have received many visitors from around the country the USA and other parts of the world who come to learn about J.P.Holland and the place he was born”. Work at the Centre is now at an advanced stage to complete an extension to the café/restaurant and gift shop on the ground floor beside the museum entrance for the 2020 season.

The John P Holland Centre is situated is along the main road through the village between the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch.

The early years John Philip Holland was born in 1841 one of four children who lived with their parents in a modest house on the outskirts of Liscannor not far from the Cliffs of Moher. His father John was a coastguard which gave the young Holland an early interest in the sea. Educated at a Christian Brothers school he later became a lay teacher with the Christian Brothers in Cork, Armagh, Dundalk and Drogheda and during this time he acquired a fascination with science and technology. In 1872 he emigrated to America and secured a job lecturing at the De La Salle St John’s Parochial school in Paterson, New Jersey. During the following years he worked constantly when time allowed on submarine designs.

In 1875 he submitted some of these drawings to the US Navy for consideration, however the plans were rejected as unworkable. Undaunted he continued to improve the designs working with a variety of experimental boats Eventually in April 1900 following rigorous testing a submarine

John Philip Holland was born in 1841 one of four children who lived with their parents in a modest house on the outskirts of Liscannor not far from the Cliffs of Moher

was commissioned by the navy named Holland V1, later re-named USS Holland. John P Holland died on 12th August 1914 from pneumonia in Newark, New Jersey at the age of 73.

Limerick City/County launched

At the beginning of January Limerick City and County launched what they termed an ambitious International marketing programme and the first major branding of both city and county to promote them nationally and globally as a destination for inward industry investment, tourism, education and for people to work and make it their home. The campaign was developed by well known creative agency M & C Saatchi and involved key inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. The branding name is ‘Limerick: Atlantic Edge, European Embrace’.

A multi market campaign ‘percentages’ is to be the cornerstone of the programme which aims to quantify Limerick’s edginess and friendliness.

Several well known local celebrities will add their name to stories on video and as faces throughout the campaign including Dr.Norah Patten who is on course to become Ireland’s first person in space, Michael Tweedie award winning chef at Adare Manor , Cian Lynch midfielder for Limerick Senior hurling team and student climate activist Saoirse Exton.

Speaking to Senior Times Laura Ryan City and Council Head of Marketing said they are delighted with the reaction so far to the new Limerick brand. ‘We’ve had a super reaction from the public who believe that we are now capturing the essence of Limerick and taking that story to where we believe there are opportunities for the city and county 76 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

including heading to New York to launch Limerick on Stateside. The brand reflects the confidence of a transformed Limerick – a city that welcomes all, has grit, determination and resilience in abundance and one that is at the World’s most dynamic crossroads where Europe and the Atlantic meet’. www.limerick.ie.

Lightshow Connemara Lightshow In Connemara: As part of Galway’s Year of Culture 2020 they commissioned renowned Finnish artist Kari Kola to produce a light installation close to Lough Na Fuaiche, Connemara from 14th -17th March. The illumination named ‘Savage Beauty’ is expected to be around 3.3km in length and range in height from 30 to 500 metres. For Galway Kola and his team will attempt to create one of the largest lit artworks ever made which will green the mountain range in a dazzling display of technical virtuosity for St.Patrick’s day. Over 20,000 visitors are expected and shuttle busses will be in operation from dedicated Park & Ride hubs. Admission is free with ticket. Speaking about his project Kola is quoted as saying “I want to create something that all Irish people around the world will remember for the rest of their lives”. www.discoverireland.ie.

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Retirement

Executive Planning for Retirement course Maretta Dillon talks to Derek Bell, COO with the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland (RPCI) about their Executive Planning for Retirement courses.

Derek Bell, CEO Retirement Planning council of Ireland: ‘The three key things for a long, healthy, happy retirement is to have a purpose, to have a mental challenge and to have a real social network’.

What happens in advance of the course?

Somebody says I want to do a one-to-one course. We agree on a date.

And about a week before the time, the programme leader will ring that person and say, what are your real issues? What are you concerned about? What can we cover and what best meets your needs on the day?

It’s very much tailored to where the person is at. It’s customised. And it's one day, not two.

You recommend that the person retiring brings along their partner (if they have one), a family member or close personal friend. Why is this so important, and what happens on the day itself?

What we find is that very often we are facilitating a discussion between the two partners. So, they have typically led busy lives. They've never actually taken time to sit down and think, what does retirement look like? And on the day, we're very often saying, excuse me, did you hear what he said? Did you listen to what she said? Of course, these days it may well be people in same sex partnerships who attend the course.

They need to talk about this quickly before somebody retires or make assumptions.

What do you identify as the critical topics around retirement?

The three key things for a long, healthy, happy retirement is to have a purpose, to have a mental challenge and to have a real social network.

So, the purpose is why get up out of bed in the morning? I need mental challenges. I've been stimulated by the work I've been doing. I've had to solve problems and so on. Where am I going to get that challenge in retirement? I don't want my brain to go soggy. I don't want to rust out.

And when it comes to social network, most of us spend more waking time with the people we work with than the people we live with The idea that we spend more time with our work colleagues is a little scary. How should people think about maintaining social connections after retirement?

A key question is so who are you going to socialise with? You can socialise with ex-work colleagues in the evenings and weekends because most of them will still be working. But who are you going to socialise with from nine to five for five days a week? It might be your partner, but the danger of doing everything together is that conversation dies. ‘Why would we talk about that? Sure you were there! If you do separate 78 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Derek Bell, CEO Retirement Planning Council of Ireland: ‘The three key things for a long, healthy, happy retirement is to have a purpose, to have a mental challenge and to have a real social network’. things as well as joint things, conversation thrives. “Wait till I tell you what happened…’ or ‘Do you know who I met today?’ People usually find the course very beneficial because they haven't pictured what retirement is going to be like.

Do people underestimate the increased time they will have in retirement?

The real issue is what are they going to do with time? For the average Joe or Josephine, they are out of home, 50 hours a week. Commute time plus work time plus commute time by five, generally 50 hours. So, when they retire, they get 50 hours back, every week for the rest of their life now. Now, what are you going to do with this time?

Any thoughts on the first thing you should do when you retire?

Splashy holiday?

Be careful initially because it's much easier to spend money when you're not working. And money can leak away. ‘I will have a cup of coffee’. ‘Ah sure, we'll go out to lunch’. ‘Let's fly to London’. And suddenly where did it all go? We at RPCI are very clearly saying that for the initial period, plan what you want to do. Particularly plan your first three months or six months, usually because the first few months are typically like an extended holiday.

What other issues come up on the course?

We look at things like social welfare and topics that they might not have thought of like diet, wills, enduring powers of attorney, health, finances in terms of investments. Most senior people will have their advisers, but what we're doing is saying maybe it would be a good idea to talk to them

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Retirement

about issues they may not have considered. At the end of the course, they should have an idea of what their retirement is going to be like. They have some priorities as to what they must do and they have lifetime support from us for nothing.

tionships out there now. But it's around finding a new equilibrium. There's been a kind of habit and custom for years and years. That's all changing.

And you must find a new settling point. The key things that change are: routine (or structure), relationships and identity.

Who is currently undertaking this course?

Talk some more about identity

They tend to be senior executives. They are so focused on their job, and their social life is tied up in their career. Their non-work activities tend to be pushed very much into the background. They are not looking at more than the immediate. But where do we see ourselves in five years?

The big thing is we all tend to describe ourselves by what we do rather than by who we are. So, in retirement, what's my new identity? And often, the partner's status is linked to our identity.

So not only does the person who retires have a change of identity, but the partner can also feel a difference. Sometimes that means that the person who retires has got to accept the supporting role. I would call a rebalancing. It's repositioning in a relationship.

What do I want to achieve by the time I'm 70? And the answer might be volunteering. It might be taking up a hobby. Might be learning something new or returning to education. It might be taking up a sport. Might be a combination of all those things.

What response do you get back from participants?

Very often it's something very simple summed up by the phrase “I never thought of that�. They're blinkered as to what the future looks like. And we're trying to help them look beyond the blinkers, expand their field of vision to see opportunities and possibilities rather than the negative.

Many people will spend almost as long in retirement as they did at work.

Do people find it easy to talk about their retirement plans?

Many people don't want people to know they've done the course. And people would say, you know, this is my business. I would say to people when they're retiring, whether they do this course or the open course, is to learn to say no firstly. Because people will assume you have nothing to do all day. People think that they have to find things to occupy you.

And then you don't get to do the things you want to do.

What changes in a relationship post-retirement?

Not everybody is in a relationship. And there's a myriad of different rela80 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

What word do you not use on the course?

The course is just going to suggest possibilities, options, opportunities. It's up to participants to make the decisions here. Because the dangerous word for anybody, whether they're retired or not, is the word should.

So, if somebody keeps hearing the word should then better be careful.

Somebody is trying to force their agenda on you.

Where do the courses take place, and what is the cost?

Typically, we do the courses in Dublin, but recently we've started doing them in Cork. We can do them anywhere in the country. The cost is E1,750. Usually, the company pays, but there's no VAT involved because RPCI is VAT exempt as we are a registered charity.

Established in 1974, the RPCI is a Registered Charity, a not for profit organisation, wholly independent of all financial institutions and with a voluntary board of directors. RPCI is based at 14/15 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2 Ph: 01 478 9471 / www.rpc.ie Courses are held in Dublin and around the country on a very regular basis.

Please check the website for more details.

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www.121SeniorDating.Com Senior Times l January/February 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 63

Northern

By Debbie Orme

Notes

Great Scot! Let’s hear it for Vivian Health and wellbeing – particularly emotional and mental wellbeing – are uppermost in many people’s minds today. Anxiety and depression are prevalent, with many people now totally dependent on antidepressants and painkillers.

Now, however, one woman in Northern Ireland has taken the bull by the horns in a bid to promote health and wellbeing across the province in beyond.

Although she is originally from Midlothian in Scotland, Vivian McKinnon is running an innovative business in the heart of County Down.

Vivian’s business ‘Hydroease’ is designed to allow clients to ‘float’ in a tank that allows your body, mind and soul to rest in 25cms of body temperature water and half a tonne of Epsom Salt.

Floatation, otherwise known as Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy or REST, promotes a state of deep relaxation, allows the skeletal structure to align, increases the release of endorphins and enables the mind and nervous system to completely unwind.

Vivian can identify with the stresses and strains that her clients experience, mainly because, although she is now a successful businesswoman, Vivian’s life wasn’t always so calm and settled.

‘I’ve been told at eight months old, I fell down 30 concrete stairs in a baby walker setting the tone for a traumatic and confusing childhood,’ she told Northern Notes. ‘I remember at four years old running from something or someone scary and hiding in long grass, as I lay there trying to stay quiet and slow my breath I watched myself come out of myself, turn and look down on myself before vaporising into thin air, at that moment it was all about survival and my body was merely a vehicle for transporting me from one place to the next.

‘My mum was of Irish descent, desperate to be a psychiatric nurse. My father, a Scottish coal miner and the president of our local Miners Club.

‘Before I was born they had my sister who was almost five, two miscarriages and a baby boy who had died at six weeks old, just two years prior to me being born. My mum was desperately for me to be a boy' ‘She lived with and later died from mental health and alcohol problems because of her

Although she is originally from Midlothian in Scotland, Vivian McKinnon is running an innovative business in the heart of County Down.

own abusive past marked by a violent and scary childhood, multiple miscarriages and the death of a son.'

‘Sometimes, as a kid, when I saw my mum, I was so afraid I used to wet myself. She used to scream, shout, lift her hands and scare me.

‘There were times when I was a teenager she wouldn’t let me into the house and my dad would tell me to go out for a walk until she calmed down. This would be one o’clock in the morning and I would have school the next day. I was always a very anxious child and remember my forehead being covered in sores when I was seven or eight years old because of stress.'

‘Our family secret left me vulnerable to suffering every type of abuse you can imagine. Not always at the hands of my parents but with strangers and in relationships.'

‘In 1999, when I was 28 years old I woke up in the intensive care unit of the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, having never really decided to go to sleep. My body and mind had decided enough was enough'

82 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

‘That’s because I had been a big drinker since the age of thirteen. I was smoking cannabis at fourteen, ran away from home at fifteen, got pregnant at 17, married and became a mum at 18.'

‘By the age of 20, my mental health was seriously compromised. I was in a troubled relationship and found myself homeless on the street with an 18-month-old, drinking too much, smoking cannabis and taking amphetamines to get through the day.'

‘The reality of my early years, through adolescence and into womanhood was a haze of alcohol, drugs, parties, relationships, dance music, black eyes, abuse, violence, abuse and more violence.' ' ‘My life had become heavy and overwhelming.

When I opened my eyes after being unconscious and on life support there was a new internal voice and this voice was telling me I had two choices. Keep going as I was and die or change. Now anyone who has ever attempted to implement change will know it’s scary and full of the unknown.'

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Northern Notes This experience was a huge wake-up call and I knew I had to change my life but had no idea where to begin.

‘I began to volunteer for a charity called Move On helping kids in care and within three months was offered a part-time job, which six months later became a full-time post. I had found purpose but still struggled with my mental health.

‘Then life changed. I was introduced to floatation therapy in Edinburgh in 2004.

Local couple changing funeral industry by thinking outside the box Leona and Seán McAllister, whose business Plotbox provides death care management solutions to assist companies involved in the business.

‘I had been told about it by a colleague when I was working for Move On, at this point I had never heard of it and I didn’t know anything about it, but I agreed and turned up as arranged for my first session. I entered the float room and saw this pod/ coffin like structure and thought, for goodness sake, how is this going to be good for me? It’s like a coffin with water. I eventually got over myself and stepped in, for the first few minutes, I thought what am I doing in here? I can’t believe I’m doing this, I thought is a bit strange and a bit different and then silence and suddenly my inner critic was gone. I had residual fibromyalgia type pain and soreness in my muscles and I had none of that when I was floating. It was gone too.'

‘This was a real turning point for me. It was 2004 and it made me realise there was magic within us all, we can all heal and change should we choose too, even in our darkest hour we always have choice, some easier than others It was such an amazing experience that I decided to spend the rest of my life helping people heal from the pain of their past.'

‘I visualised opening my own floatation centre and at that moment understood what an amazing mental health intervention it could be. It was the escape I had been looking for from the abuse, from the trauma, the disconnected childhood. I found myself floating and reintegrating, pulling that troubled little girl back towards me once again and reconnecting my mind and body.'

‘Now I am devoted to helping people cope with trauma through supporting them to identify and remove the emotional drivers of the root cause experiences and flotation, helping the world to heal one float at a time.'

‘I’m also now working with researchers in the Sports Science Department of the Ulster University, who are conducting a study into the benefits of floatation. I’ve also participated in a global research study and brought the data to NI to be analysed.'

‘Wellness for me is about life and living. It’s not just freedom from illness but a dynamic process of change and growth.'

‘The legacy I would like to leave is that it’s OK to let go and just trust that what is meant for you will always find a way to get to you, that you are always exactly where you are meant to be in life, it’s all about how you work with these opportunities and not against them.’

Leona and Seán

The death industry as it’s cheerily known, is not the most obviously appealing when it comes to career pathways, but ‘death care tech’ is currently transforming the age old sector bringing it right into the 21st century.

Leading the way in reinventing how the cemetery and funeral planning industry is managed is local couple, Leona and Seán McAllister, whose business Plotbox provides death care management solutions to assist companies involved in the business.

PlotBox is a cloud-based management platform offering services including comprehensive mapping of cemetery sites, digital recording and storage of deeds and relevant documents, plot management and memorial management. Along with a whole host of advanced finance tools, the services all run from a single application accessible from any device anywhere in the world.

Visitors hoping to trace loved ones can even avail of cemetery maps online to aid them in their search.

Leona recalls the challenges of getting such a niche idea off the ground.

‘We always get a few raised eyebrows for being in death care tech!’ she admits. ‘The idea came about around ten years ago when my husband, our CEO Seán, was running his Engineering Survey business and he was asked by our local parish to survey the graveyard. He did that, and, because it was our Parish, he wanted to do a bit extra so he took photographs of the headstones and asked me if I would transcribe the inscriptions. It was a simple concept, but an important one that was missing in this industry in terms of being able to link data to plot locations. He had the idea that we could do this service for other Parishes and it just grew from there with PlotBox as you know it now, being created in 2013.’

‘There have been a few challenges over the years in expanding,’ Leona admits. ‘In the early days, Seán and I would both have had an evening shift to cover support for our clients in the States.

Now, especially with Australia, we have the team in place to make sure we are offering support around the clock.

84 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

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Northern Notes

Book of Condolences opened to remember Harry Gregg OBE

Lord Mayor, Councillor Sean Bateson, signs the book of condolence for Harry Gregg

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has opened a Book of Condolences in Coleraine Town Hall in memory of football legend Harry Gregg OBE.

Alderman Tommy Nicholl MBE is presented with his Long Service Award by Sarah Travers and Councillor Dermot Curran.

A former goal keeper for Manchester United and Northern Ireland, Mr Gregg was part of the famous ‘Busby Babes’ squad who played under Sir Matt Busby. He passed away in Causeway Hospital aged 87 on Sunday 16th February.

Long Service Award presented to council stalwart

‘Harry Gregg will be remembered as one of the Borough’s most renowned sporting sons,’ said the Mayor, Councillor Sean Bateson. ‘He was respected and admired around the world for his performances on the pitch along with the role he played in the aftermath of the Munich air disaster in 1958. It is clear that Harry was held in high regard by so many and I hope that this brings some comfort and consolation to the Gregg family at this very sad time.’

Alderman Tommy Nicholl MBE has been presented with a Long Service Award at the Northern Ireland Local Government Awards for his 39 years’ service as a councillor.

Members of the public who wish to pay their own tribute can sign the Book of Condolence at Coleraine Town Hall, which is open every Monday – Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

Mr Gregg’s funeral took place in Coleraine at 11am on Friday 21st February.

86 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Alderman Nicholl became a councillor in 1981 and he was awarded an MBE in 2006, the same year he was Mayor of Ballymena Borough Council. Alderman Tommy Nicholl was nominated for the Long Service Award by the NAC (National Association of Councillors) and he was presented with it by Alderman Tommy Sandford and Councillor Joe Boyle. ‘I am delighted to have been nominated for this prestigious award by my peers for long service in local government,’ Alderman Nicholl said. ‘I am extremely proud to be part of our forward-looking, innovative and ambitious council, which continues to lead the way in local government in Northern Ireland.’

Literature

Hunting In the latest of her literary-themed travels around these islands Lorna Hogg visits locations featured in the historical novels of Hilary Mantel

‘The Wolf’

Hampton Court Palace can also be reached by river, allow a full day to see the kitchens, state rooms and gardens of Cardinal Wolsey’s splendid Palace, handed over to placate the King.

Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII’s grim faced and corpulent ‘ political adviser’ initially sounds like an unlikely character to draw wide public interest. However, when he inspired two Booker Prize winning stories - and a popular TV series, curiosity grew. The final book of the Cromwell trilogy, The Mirror and the Light is due out shortly , and another TV series has been commissioned – so can Henry’s Chancellor provide author Hilary Mantel with a hat-trick of three Booker Prizes?

Hilary Mary Mantel was born on July 3rd 1952, in Hadfield, a mill-town in Derbyhire, the eldest of three children born to parents of Irish descent, Henry and Margaret Thompson. When she was seven, she found herself sharing the family home with her mother’s lover. This understandably created considerable gossip in the village, and intense school curiosity around the bright and sensitive, but sickly child. Her father eventually ‘faded’ from their lives - Hilary never saw him again, and the new family group left for Cheshire, with Hilary eventually taking the name of her mother’s new partner.

She was also strongly influenced by her years of growing up in a Catholic background, and the marks it left on her psyche. Her 2003 memoir, Giving Up the Ghost, deals with those years. However, she overcame her circumstances with the help of a place at grammar school. She went on to attend the London School of Economics, transferring to the University of Sheffield. She left as a socialist, with a degree in jurisprudence.

Early jobs included social work in geriatric hospital and as a sales assistant, and in 1972, Mantel married geologist Gerald McEwan. However, her personal challenges were not over. In her early twenties, a debilitating illness was misdiagnosed as having psychiatric origins. In Botswana, where she had accompanied her husband, she self diagnosed endometriosis. Back in London, necessary surgery left her unable to have children – and with weight issues. Her marriage failed – but the couple re-married later.

Her first novel was Every Day is Mother’s Day (1985) with its sequel, Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 87

Literature

Hilary Mantel

She may have a slew of awards, prizes, Doctorates of Literature, plus a CBE and DBE after her name – yet Mantel’s forthright comments have drawn controversy. They have targeted Margaret Thatcher and the Duchess of Cambridge, the latter described in one speech as a woman forced to present herself as a `’shop window mannequin,’ with her main purpose being to deliver an heir to the Throne. In a newspaper interview, she confessed about fantasising about the assassination of Margaret Thatcher – an event she fictionalised in a 1983 short story.

Can modern politicans learn from Cromwell? Mantel’s response is - ‘Be careful. You are no longer executed for your failures – but the Tower of London is still standing’ As indeed, are its international equivalents.

Henry’s Palaces Hever Castle

Vacant Possession in 1986. Gerald’s work abroad would help with inspiration - a spell in Saudi Arabia influenced Eight Months of Ghazzah Street. (1988) A Place of Greater Safety (1992) about the French Revolution, won her The Sunday Express Book of the Year Award Mantel became the film critic for The Spectator, and worked as a newpaper reviewer. However, from the start, its was clear that personal experiences would inform her highly imaginative creative writing, and also that she had a wide range of interests, from social to supernatural. Fludd, set in a Northern village, centres on a Catholic church and convent.

A Change of Climate (1994) tells the story of a Norfolk couple who had been missionaries in South Africa, and devoted their lives to charity. An Experiment in Love(1995) relates the story of three girls who leave home for university, and won Mantel The Hawthornden Prize. However, her memoir, Giving Up the Ghost which won the 2003 MIND Book of the Year Award, used her own very personal experiences, namely those linked with Catholicism. ‘You grow up thinking that you’re wrong and bad.

And for me, because I took what I was told really seriously, it bred a very intense habit of introspection and self-examination and a terrible severity with myself....It’s like installing a policeman, and one moreover who keeps changing the law.’

Beyond Black (2005) was based around a medium, and short-listed for the 2006 Orange Prize for Fiction. It was, however, an historical book which brought this writer with a niche but enthusiastic following, to wider popular attention.Wolf Hall, the story of Henry’s VIII’s marital `fixer’ Thomas Cromwell, led to her first Man Booker Prize. The prize money was £50,000 – which she jokingly said in her acceptance speech would be spent on ‘sex and drugs and rock and roll’ . She later suggested that rehab and her pension pot might be more realistic.

The TV series Wolf Hall inspired public interest in Cromwell and their ambitions. Mantel has said that he was a man who `’conquered the system – from within.’ Her meticulous research clearly helped in transporting readers back to Tudor times, along with her ability to `’inhabit’ his mind.

The next Cromwell book, Bring Up the Bodies won her a second Booker Prize in 2012 – she was the first woman to win twice. Mantel presented the shadowy Cromwell as a `poor boy made good’ and man of his times, pointing out that then as now, the questions the book deals with are familiar to us all – ‘the world as we find it, and the world we would like to see.’

88 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Henry VIII and his wives, plus ex-wives, had plenty of choice from his sixty palaces, but only a few remain remain, in original or part form,.

The Tower of London is synonymous with Tudor intrigue – two of Henry’s Queens were beheaded on Tower Green. Along with Hampton Court Palace, the Tower is cared for by Historic Royal Palaces - check the website for historical background.

The riverside Greenwich Palace, once the largest in Europe, has gone, but the site now holds the UNESCO rated Royal Naval College, complete with its Painted Hall. Trace the grisly journey of prisoners to the Tower, via the modern river bus services, from Greenwich.

Hampton Court Palace can also be reached by river, Allow a full day to see the litchens, state rooms and gardens of Cardinal Wolsey’s splendid Palace, handed over the placate the King.

Wolsey also handed over his London home, which later became Whitehall Palace. River fronted, it once stretched approximately from Downing Street up to Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross. The famous Banqueting Hall was built in 1600s, but you can still see the old Tudor tilting yard where jousters fought, on what is now Horseguards Parade. Its archway is on the site of the old entrance to the palace.

Anne Boleyn was born and brought up at the beautiful fairytale Hever Castle in Kent, open to the public. On their honeymoon ‘Progress’ they stayed at Thornbury Castle, near Bristol, which is now a luxury hotel.

Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds, is where Henry’s last wife, Catherine Parr moved after Henry’s death. She then married her true love, Jane Seymour’s brother Thomas Seymour. Sadly, Catherine died in childbirth there, and is buried in the chapel. www.ornc.org www.historicroyalpalaces.com www.hevercastle.com www.thornburycastle.co.uk www.sudeleycastle.co.uk

Property Registration Authority launches new Property Alert Service The Property Registration Authority has launched a new service benefiting property owners, the Property Alert Service. Property is usually the most valuable asset people own. It can be sold and mortgaged to raise money and can, therefore, be an attractive target for fraudsters. As part of its Counter Fraud Framework, the PRA monitors trends in property fraud and have found that property is most at risk from property fraud when it is rented out, empty, mortgage free or not registered with the PRA. This new service is designed to help deter and detect potential property fraud. It is a free, online service available to the public that allows property owners to monitor registered properties for possible fraudulent activity. Users of the service will receive email and/or text alerts when an application has been lodged with the PRA to update the Land Register.

While the new alert service will not prevent fraud from happening, it provides an early warning system which allows owners to take appropriate action, should they suspect fraudulent activity has happened with their property. In order to avail of the service, the property must be registered on the Land Register. It is of course, of utmost importance that registered owners keep their details up to date to safeguard their rights.

Registration for the service is quick and easy: • Go to www.landdirect.ie.

• Select the “Proceed as Guest” option and follow instructions.

The Property Alert Service Support Team can be contacted to answer any questions at 0761 001610 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or by email to: propertyalerts@prai.ie and information leaflets are available on request.

An tÚdarás Clárúcháin Maoine Property Registra on Authority

The Property Registra on Authority has launched a new Property Alert Service to help property owners protect themselves against fraud.

Property Alert is a free online service aimed at property owners that allows them to monitor registered proper es.

Once you sign up, you will receive email and/or text alerts when an applica on has been lodged to update one of your monitored proper es on the land register.

WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU Providing free and confidential information, advice and advocacy on

SOCIAL WELFARE HOUSING HEALTH EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS FAMILY MATTERS INCOME SUPPORT And much more

If there’s information you need to know there’s one place you should go.

The Property Alert Service provides an early warning system that will allow property owners to take ac on if they believe fraudulent ac vity has taken place.

This service is free and easy to use.

citizensinformation.ie

To sign up, go to: www.landdirect.ie.

For further informa on, please see www.prai.ie.

0761 07 4000 Mon to Fri, 9am - 8pm Drop in 215 locations nationwide

Funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board

Know Your Rights

What is a rent pressure zone?

A rent pressure zone (RPZ) is an area where rents cannot be increased by more than 4% each year. They are areas where rents are above the national average and rising quickly. Rent pressure zones are intended to control the rise in rents in these areas. An area must meet specific criteria to become a rent pressure zone.

Advice from the Citizens Information Service

My granddaughter is starting secondary school in September and her family we live 5 kilometres from her school. Is she eligible eligible for the School Transport Scheme?

Most rent increases in rent pressure zones are capped at 4% and there are limits on how often the rent can be reviewed. There are different rules about the limits and frequency of rent reviews, depending on whether the tenancy in the rent pressure zone is an existing or new tenancy.

However, not all properties in rent pressure zones are subject to the 4% restriction. Some properties are exempt. A landlord can seek an exemption for: · A property that has not been let at any time in the previous two years · A property where no previous tenancy existed that is a protected structure, or in a protected structure or proposed protected structure and has not been let in the previous 12 months · Properties that have been substantially changed (the RTB website has full details of the types of substantial change required) Designated rent pressure zones will be in place until 31 December 2021.

You can find out if you live in a rent pressure zone by visiting citizensinformation.ie. Further information on rent pressure zones and a calculator to calculate the maximum allowable rent in a rent pressure zone is also available from onestopshop.rtb.ie/rent-pressure-zones.

90 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

She may qualify for the School Transport Scheme. The scheme provides subsidised school transport for both post-primary and primary pupils. Bus Éireann runs the school bus service and the Department of Education and Skills decides the annual fares.

The service is only provided where there are at least 10 eligible pupils in a distinct locality that can be economically serviced by a bus route. Even when a pupil meets the age and distance criteria for school transport, there is no legal entitlement to it.

Your granddaughter is eligible for the Post-Primary School Transport Scheme if she is attending her nearest school and lives 4.8 kilometres or more from the school. The Department and Bus Éireann determine the appropriate nearest school with regard to ethos and language.

Know Your Rights Parents must arrange to bring their child to the nearest pick-up point on the bus route. Generally, bus routes are organised so that no pupil has more than 3.2 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point.

There is a single annual charge of €350 per pupil. However a family does not pay more than €650 per year. The charge is due to be paid in full by the end of July or else in 2 instalments: by the end of July and the start of December. Pupils who are eligible for school transport and who hold a valid medical card are entitled to free school transport to the nearest school.

So, with the increase in the national minimum wage, you will pay €12.20 more USC per year. This deduction will be made from your gross salary.

Your increased salary will continue to be subject to the standard rate of income tax. This means you also pay slightly more income tax after 1 February 2020.

I’m a PAYE worker. What income tax will I pay in 2020?

Since your grandchild is enrolling in post-primary school for the first time, her parents should either apply for school transport online or download the form from Bus Éireann's website, buseireann.ie. Applications are now being accepted for the 2020-2021 school year. You should apply by Friday, 24 April 2020.

I’m a full-time minimum wage PAYE worker. Does the increase in the national minimum wage mean that I pay more Universal Social Charge?

The amount of tax that you have to pay depends on your personal circumstances. Tax is charged as a percentage of your income. The amount that you actually pay depends on your income and on the tax credits and reliefs that you are eligible for.

The first part of your income, up to a certain amount, is taxed at 20%.

This is known as the standard rate of tax and the amount that it applies to is the standard rate tax band.

The minimum wage increased from €9.80 to €10.10 on 1 February 2020.

A person working full-time (39 hours per week) and earning the minimum wage was previously earning €19,873 per year. They now earn €20,484 per year.

If you have income above the standard rate tax band, it is taxed at the higher rate of tax, which is 40% (also called the marginal rate). The amount that you can earn before you start to pay the higher rate of tax is your standard rate cut-off point.

From 1 February, USC rates also changed slightly to make sure that this increase in pay for minimum wage workers is not subject to the 4.5% USC charge. This was done by increasing the income threshold of the 2% band. The new thresholds now look like this:

There were no changes to tax rates and bands in 2020. The standard rate of tax is 20% and the higher rate is 40%.

Rate

Standard rate of USC Standard rate of USC (up to 31 January 2020) (from 1 February 2020) Income band Income band

0.5%

Up to €12,012

Up to €12,012

2%

€12,012.01 to €19,874

€12,012.01 to €20,484

4.5%

€19,874.01 to €70,044

€20,484.01 to €70,044

8%

€70,044.01 and over

€70,044.01 and over

So, in 2019, if you earned €19,874, your total USC for the year was (0.5% of €12,012) €60.06 + (2% of €7,862) €157.24 = €217.30. This meant your USC was €18.11 per month, or €4.18 per week.

From 1 February 2020, if you earn €20,484 per year, your annual USC will be (0.5% of €12,012) €60.06 + (2% of €8,742) €169.44) = €229.50.

This means your USC is €19.13 per month, or €4.41 per week.

Personal circumstances Single person

Tax rates and bands in 2020 €35,300 @ 20% Balance @40%

Married couple/civil partners, one income

€44,300@ 20% Balance @ 40%

Married couple/civil partners, two incomes

Up to €70,600@ 20% Balance @ 40%

One-parent family

€39,300 @ 20% Balance @ 40%

You may also be eligible for other income tax reliefs, credits or exemptions, which can reduce the amount of tax that you have to pay. Visit revenue.ie to find out more.

Further information is available from your local Citizens Information Centre.

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, 0761 07 4000.

Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 91

Meeting Place NOTICE SEAN FROM RAHENY, got a wonderful letter from you but lost your contact details. Please get in touch! CATHERIENE, MEATH NORTH WEST LADY WLTM gent 68-75 for companionship. Interests include C/W music and dancing.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A1 DUBLIN-BASED country man, 70s, single, WLTM romantic, single lady for outings, travel etc. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A2 FOREVER YOUNG LADY, 60s, North Co Dublin, with outgoing personality, NS, SD, WLTM kind, respectful gent with no ties for initial friendship/companionship. Age group 6070. Interests include cinema, theatre, concerts, all types of music, eating out, conversation, travel and healthy lifestyle.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A3 SOUTH WEST IRELAND GENT late 60s, ex teacher, enjoys dancing, walking, eating out, cinema, all types of sport. GSOH, kind and sincere. Separated for many years. WLTM lady with similar or other interests. Positive outlook on life very important.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A4 TIPP LADY, 60s, NS, SD, GSOH, WLTM kind gentleman who likes walking, dancing and travel. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A5 OFFALY MAN 60, slim and single, usual interests WLTM a reasonably slim lady 50-70 with a relaxed outlook who is not afraid to show her feelings. Let’s chat and see whether there is some common ground.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A6 DUBLIN SOUTHSIDE WIDOW late 60s, sincere, young at heart, good appearance, fit and active, GSOH. Interests include theatre, concerts, golf and country breaks. WLTM sincere, well-presented, refined, educated, outgoing gent. Age range preferably early to mid-70s to share interests and enjoy life with.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A7 NORTH DUBLIN GENT, late 60s, retired, never married. Walker, artistic. Seeks relationship full of romance, respect, high regard and support.

Where every day is an adventure\ in friendship to share the joy of living. High fives!

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A8 TIPP GENT 63, self-employed, unattached, athletic build NS, SD, loves nature, short breaks, walking, dining out, cinema, concerts, reading.

WLTM attractive, pleasant lady Irish or foreign for friendship and relationship, preferably North Munster and Galway.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A9

MEATH LADY 70s NS, SD, retired professional. Lives spiritually and mindfully. Family grown up. WLTM personable, educated gent preferably a widower, for friendship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A10 MID 70s KERRY MALE, enjoys walking, dining out, current affairs, sport and many other interests. WLTM lady of similar age to share friendship, conversation and a good laugh, preferably from Munster area.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A11 REFINED RETIRED LADY seeking women friends in Dublin with strong values and standards. Age range 50-75 REPLY TO BOX NUMBER A12 ATTRACTIVE EDUCATED MIDLANDS LADY, many interests including travel, theatre, bridge and music. WLTM that special man to share life with, chats, laughs holidays etc.

Preferable in age range 55-70.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z1.

ATTRACTIVE NORTH WEST LADY 70s, WIDOW slim build, outgoing personality, NS/ SD WLTM gent similar age, genuine, GSOH to dancing, etc. Ideally Connacht/Ulster for convenience of meeting but not exclusively so. Interests include social dancing, music, travelling, walking etc.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z2.

SOUTH MUNSTER MALE, looking for companionship with sincere lady to share interests, particularly walking, weekends away, travel, dining out etc. am 70s, love a good laugh and conversation. Looking forward to hearing from you.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z3 OFFALY WIDOW LATE 60s, GSOH, classy and loves rock and roll.WLTM male companion for chats, dinners or listening to music.

Would also be interested in meeting a female for friendship with same interests.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z4 RETIRED, RETURNED IRISH EXILE WOMAN, attractive, cheerful, unpretentious, NS. WLTM independent male with positive attitude to share travel, socials, walks etc. Ideally from Limerick/Killarney, Kerry, Kilkenny areas.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z5.

TIPP LADY 60's NS, SD, GSOH, WLTM kind gentleman. Likes walking, dancing and travel.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z6 SOUTHSIDE DUBLIN WIDOWER, EARLY 70s WLTM a nice romantic lady 50s-60s for visits to cinema, theatre, and meets for cof-fee.

Only romantics need reply.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z7

92 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

DUBLIN PROFESSIONAL LADY, EARLY 60S, RC, no children, never married. Interests include ballroom dancing, theatre, GAA and other sports, classical music, charity work and cultural travels. WLTM tall, Irish professional RC, NS gentleman 65-75 with similar interests, especially dancing and travelling, for friendship and possible relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z8 FRANK FROM DONNYCARNEY would like Ken from Artane, who gave him a lift to Santry, to contact him. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER Z9 DELIGHTFUL LADY, MEATH AREA, late 60s cheerful disposition, caring, dignified, widow, family grown up, no ties, NS ND, WLTM refined gentleman of mature years 75/85, preferably a widower, for chats and friendship from Dublin and surrounding areas.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J1 GENT MID-70s, living alone in Dublin, with wife in care, but still very involved in his creative career, WLTM a younger, educated and lively woman for coffee and conversations at a location to suit in south Dublin, but close to city centre. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J2 SOUTH DUBLIN LADY 60s enjoys history, art, travelling, cinema, reading, history, WLTM respectable gentleman with similar interests for friendship/relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J3 CORK LADY, MID 60s, honest and considerate, SD, NS, GSOH, loves chats, travel, music, cinema, reading, WLTM kind gentleman 60s to 70s for friendship. REPLY TO BOX NUMER J5 MIDLANDS LADY MID SIXTIES, retired, professional, young in outlook, genuine, kind and caring gent (Preferably midlands, Galway, Dublin). Good Health essential. Interests include walking, cycling, golf, gardening, travel, music and eating out etc.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J6.

SINGLE MIDLANDS GENT, 61, 6ft 4in, slim, athletic build, NS, ND, loves nature, driving, walking, eating out, outings, current affairs.

WLTM a pleasant, attractive Irish or foreign lady for friendship/relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J7 ATTRACTIVE NORTH MIDLANDS LADY, early 60s but looks much younger, slim, fit, GSOH. Enjoys walking, nature, travel, concerts and theatre. WLTM gentleman with similar interests. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J8 NORTH COUNTY DUBLIN LADY WLTM, genuine, romantic, caring gent aged 60s-70s.

Interests include nature, music, animals, romantic meetings etc.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J9

MID WEST LADY, new to area, down to earth, genuine, NS, WLTM single ladies late 50s-60s living in north Munster or Galway for coffee, cinema, concerts, walks, friendship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J10

MIDLANDS LADY 70s WIDOW. WLTM caring, warm gentleman for friendship. Enjoy walking, reading, dancing, holidays in the sun and winter breaks at home. NS SD. REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B6

QUIET GALWAY GENT NS ND. Interests include sport and keep fit, all types of music.

WLTM lady 50-75 for friendship and perhaps more.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B16

REFINED, FIT, SOUTH DUBLIN LADY 70, WLTM educated, sincere, caring gent. Interests include tennis, golf, travel.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J11

DUBLIN MALE 70, long time separated, happy caring with positive outlook. Interests include music, theatre, WLTM lady for friendship/ relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B7

KIND, SINCERE CLARE LADY, NS. Varied interests. WLTM gent 60-70 with good values, NS medium build into social dancing, music, particularly C&W, walking, animals, gardening.

Interested in gents from Co Clare and Galway.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B17

IRISH LADY, NS, kind, attractive, WLTM practical, respectful, honest, interesting, kind, single NS gent early to mid-60s. Are you living in the north Munster area seeking soulmate for friendship/ companionship? Love gardening, trad music, reading, concerts etc.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J12 FRANK FROM DUBLIN would like Greg and Barbara from Bray to contact him. ‘We met outside the Royal Hotel in Bray a few years ago and you brought me to your home. So, I would love to visit you again’.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J13 VERY YOUNG-LOOKING WIDOW WLTM a sincere gentleman, honest and kind of nice appearance, friendly and gentle. NS, SD, thoughtful and swell mannered, affectionate.

Would prefer a widower. Background in farming. Would love to meet that special gent.

Interested in friendship possible relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER J14 DUBLIN BASED GALWAY GIRL, attractive retired schoolteacher, mid-60s WLTM genuine NS male with GSOH for friendship, socialising and outdoor activities. Interests include golf, hill-walking, travel and a lot of joie de vivre REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B1 DUBLIN WIDOWER, 70, looks younger. Tall, active, NS, SD, GSOH. Likes walking, driving, cinema, theatre, listening to music, dining out, holidays at home and way. WLYM lady with similar interests for long term friendship/ relationship would be ideal with lots of good conversation.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B2 FEMALE NORTH DUBLIN WOMAN WLTM other ladies to socialise in Dublin and surrounding areas. Interests include nature, music. Let’s meet up for coffee.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B3 STILLORGAN, DUBLIN LADY, retired nurse, mid-60s, sincere, caring, romantic. Love the outdoor, cycling, walking, travel Ireland and abroad. WLTM a refined gent of similar age.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B4 SOUTHW EST GENT MID 60s slim and of youthful appearance. Interests include current affairs, reading, walking, travel, concerts, dining out. WLTM lady from Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford areas.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B5

SINGLE LEINSTER GENT 60s, honest, cheerful, positive with a relaxed outlook on life.

WLTM a warm-hearted lady 60s 70s who likes to enjoy laugher which is the best medicine.

Wide range of interest and always open to new ideas.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B8 RESPECTFUL DUBLIN MALE 60 (looks younger) single, WLTM a nice lady 45-70 to join a naturist club and to travel abroad on naturists holidays.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B9 SINCERE, CARING TRUSTWORTHY LADY from Leinster, widow, retired from a profession.

Young at heart WLTM educated, personable gent, preferably a widower for friendship and chats. Ideal age range 80-85.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B10 EAST COAST FEMALE WLTM aspiring Fred Astaire for ballroom, Latin and social dancing.

Let’s give it a whirl!

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B11 FED UP WITH AIRPORTS? Dublin semi-retired businessman, NS, divorced, good appearance, medium build. Solvent, kind, considerate, respectful, private, good fun. Interest include cinema, the arts. Would like to invite into my life a warm, kind, interesting, affectionate, tactile, warm woman 60-70 for companionship, chats, laughs and short breaks in in Ireland.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B12 ROMANTIC GENTLEMAN, 39, DUBLIN, never married, country origin. House, car, walker, DIY, artistic. Seeks female soulmate, share joy of living, kindness of giving. Daily celebrate with romance, caring, support, laughter, fun, woodland walks, inspirational talks, lake water lapping, herons flapping, sunny lands holding hands, happy days, Atlantic bays, scenic drives, for your high fives.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B13 CARING DUBLIN GENT, 67, SINCERE, KIND, WLTM lady for relationship. Interests include travel, music, writing.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B14 DUBLIN GENT, LATE 60s, NEVER MARRIED. Seeks female soulmate to share joyful living, romantic surprises and the wonderful adventure of a loving relationship.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B15

RETIRED FRIENDS GROUP. Are you retired but not tired? Still got a zest for living? Group forming in Midlands but open to all regions.

Replies invited from those with broad range of interests, including travel, films, theatre, sports etc. All suggestions welcome. Replies to include email/mobile. Whatsapp where possible.

REPLY TO BOX NUMBER B18

TO PLACE AN ADVERTISEMENT If you are interested in meeting someone of the opposite or same sex, send your advertisement, with four stamps (which is the average reply rate) enclosed in the envelope, to: Meeting Place, Senior Times, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

Or email: john@slp.ie

IMPORTANT Ensure you give your approximate age and the area you live, noting your interests. The advertisement should not be more than 60 words.

If you are replying to the advertisement via Senior Time’s email, ensure you include your postal address for those not on the Net. (Only Senior Times will have these details). Deadline for receipt of advertisements for the next issue is April 25th 2020.

TO REPLY TO AN ADVERTISEMENT Each reply to an advertisement should be enclosed in a plain, stamped envelope, with the box number marked in pencil so that it can be erased before being forwarded to the advertiser. Send these envelopes in a covering envelope to the address , above, so that we can forward them to the advertiser. There is no limit to the amount of advertisements to which you can reply, provided each one is contained in a plain, stamped envelope. Ensure you give your approximate age and the area you live.

For those submitting their advertisements by email ensure that you also supply Senior Times with your postal address so that we can post replies from those who have replied by post. (Only Senior Times will have your postal address).

Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 93

Four copies of the best-selling Blooming Marvellous - A Wildflower Hunter's Year to be won!

Senior Times, in associations with the publishers, The Collins Press, are offered flour copies of Blooming Marvellous - A Wildflower's Hunter's Year by Zoe Devlin in this issue's crossword competition. The book records the wildflower year in a collection of stunning colour photographs and desciptions which will be a treasured collectors item for all wildflower enthusiasts.

Name: ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Address: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Phone: ................................................................................................................................................................................................

If you wish to receive further information from us please tick this box

Email:......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

94 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

Send your entry to: Crossword Competition, Senior Times magazine, Unit 1, 15 Oxford Lane Dublin 6 Deadline for recept of entries is 20th April. The first four correct entries drawn are the winners.

Crossword Crossword Number 104 by Zoë Devlin

ACROSS 1 3 6 10 13 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 26 27 30 32 33 38 41 42 45 46 48 49 50 51 53 54 57 58 60 63 65 67 73 76 77 80 81 82 85 86 87 89 90 91 92 93

Deep, male voice or fish? (4) Saoirse __ or __ Keating? (5) ___ Sunday, falls on 12 April 2020 (6) Young rabbit associated with 6 Across (5) The day before (3) Breed of cat .. from Thailand? (7) Sift ideas and be contented (9) Walloping, drubbing .. a sound defeat (9) Small piece of table linen (9) Dispenser holding substance under pressure (7) The world of university or college (8) Intransigent .. inflexible (7) Strange, frightening, spooky (4) Freedom from control or influence of others (12) Just before the twelfth (8) Residents or persons living in particular place (9) Alley kid? No, she’s refined, with good manners (8) Shaw’s play about the Maid of Orléans (5,4) River on which Paris was built (5) Clocks change to this on 29 March (6,4) Sharp reply to a remark (6) Atoll or brief bathing suit (6) Yacht used in 1914 Howth gun-running (6) Conifer leaf or sewing implement (6) Solid lump of precious metal (6) ‘___ Women’, starred Saoirse 3 Across (6) One who cuts men’s hair (6) Mary Queen of Scots belonged to this family (6) Small container, part of condiment set (4-6) Old-fashioned wheeled vehicle drawn by animal (5) Lizard that changes to blend into the background (9) Forever ... time without end (8) State of being a wedded couple (9) & 44 Down. Plays rugby for Leinster & Ireland. (8,6) Almost undiscernible, not easily seen (12) Hawk or plaything flown on end of string (4) Passenger ship, hit iceberg & sank in 1912 (7) Cut .. or tear lace (8) Treat cruelly or harass (7) Meddle or poke a nose in! (9) Therapist who uses herb tails (9) Did Dido renew this soft quilt? (9) Revoke, countermand or repeal (7) Woollen cap of Scottish origin (3) Mournful poem or lament (5) Reference point to shoot at (6) Precious or semiprecious stone (5) Unattractive and not good to look at (4)

DOWN 1 2 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 20 23 25 28 29 31 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 47 52 53 55 56 59 61 62 64 66 68 69 70 71 72 74 75 78 79 83 84 88

Public transport vehicle (3) Cat arises and uses this set of steps (9) Open and observable, not secret (5) Replied (8) Assimilate .. ingest .. soak up (6) Physiological need to drink (6) Small celestial body - 4th from the sun (3,6) Delivered to enemy by treachery (8) Recount or give a detailed account (7) The day preceding today (9) Issue of a newspaper (7) Thin-shelled foodstuff broken to make omelettes (4) Customs & cultures inherited from ancestors (8) This day is 17th March (2,7'1) Reach the highest point by climbing or ladder (5) Soft cloth cap with no brim (5) Design on skin made by pricking & staining (6) Former Labour leader ___ Quinn (6) Equipment for taking photographs (6) Small delivery vehicle or singer ___ Morrison? (3) Highest point or peak (4) Straightaway .. without delay (9) Impossible to see (9) Sudden unforeseen crisis (9) Season of growth ... bounce (6) Incorporate, make into whole, build in (9) Downpour or violently fast stream of water (7) Natural sweetener (5) Building or operating area in hospital (7) See 67 Across Bury or entomb (5) Male name - AKA Teddy (6) Having two spouses at the same time (6) Rhythmic pulse of the heart (4) Frolic, frisk or gambol (6) Prose writing not based on imagination but truth (3-7) Batch or plenty (3) First appearance or beginning (5) Famous cathedral, ___ ___ de Paris (5-4) Small plot of land for growing vegetables (9) Looks like this * (8) Yearning or longing (9) Small concavity or recess (5) Obviously, evidently, plainly (8) Open resistance, bold disobedience (8) Drawing intended to explain how things work (7) Goblet used in religious service (7) One who buys and sells goods (6) Vehicle for carrying a coffin to cemetery (6) Short and to the point, curt (5) Informal conversation (4) Twenty-four hour period (3)

Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 95

Crafts

Connie McEvoy’s mother and fellow Carlow guild members were invited to a notable gathering at An Grianan

Recalling a 1946 ICA summer school My mother and other ICA members including Mrs Farrell, Mrs Kennedy and Mrs Foley from selected guilds of Carlow Federation were invited to attend a Summer school in Garryvoe during nice weather in 1946.

the ICA ladies were out collecting rushes from the marshlands and old man’s beard from the hedgerows so they missed the photo shoot. Included in the large photo are some ladies that Mam and I would meet, know and respect for years

Those attending the ICA Summer school in Garryvoe in 1946.

According to her diary Mam attended an ICA Council meeting on Saturday June1st 1946 (she often spoke about it) but I am unable to recall the venue at present, anyway I can furnish a photo copy of her condensed hand-written report.

Although it’s not mentioned she always told me that there was great excitement when it was announced that one of the national ICA guild organisers Phyllis O Connell from Tipperary ‘was on four wheels at last’ due to an ‘anonymous’ gift. Arrangements for the Summer school were made also. Those wishing to participate would get to and from there on their own steam, those who could teach a craft/s did so, were permitted to learn a new craft if desired and every member in attendance went on a rota (drawn up by the organisers) to do cooking, baking and housekeeping duties for the duration of the Summer school.

afterwards (but she was unable to name the two ladies who are in the back row of the small photo).

Alice Ryan, Kay Donnelly, Sheila Connolly, Ann Roche, Muriel Kehoe, M/s King and Phyllis and Helen O’Connell spring to mind as Organisers and some of them are in the large photo.

One year later according to Mam’s diary other prominent ICA personnel encountered at the Summer school attended meetings in Clonegal starting with Lucy Franks on August 26th 1947, Miss O’Connell, Mrs Bishop and Mrs Reddin attended the meeting held on September 11th 1947.

During their sojourn there Mam taught leather glove making and Moccasin slipper making, she learnt rush-work and hedgerow basketry, two beautiful new skills which she carried on and spent many hours teaching for years afterwards.

On November 18th 1947 an entry penned readsMrs Hamilton attended a meeting in the hall and on December 2nd 1947, Mam attended a meeting in Hunting Castle and an RDS lecture there on December 5th, that lecture must have been expected to be of great importance or interest as Grandma Mary Kavanagh and her sister Sarah Kavanagh travelled ten miles from the Wexford side in a pony trap and stayed overnight in our house in order to attend. All members were engaged in basket making after the business/ agenda was concluded on December 16th that was the last official meeting held during 1947 but on December 31st and again on January 1st and January 3rd 1948 Peter Murphy (Cross Country Quiz fame) collected Mam and other members who could sing and brought them to a carol singing practice at the Castle in Mrs Robertson’s car.

The carol service was part of the programme for the ‘little Christmas’ children’s party that was held annually in Huntington Castle and organised by ICA members including Mrs Robertson .

A photographer arrived unannounced one day while they were domiciled in Garryvoe and Mam bought two photos that she positioned in a prominent place on the rather large mahogany side-board in the parlour, unfortunately some of

Another lady who attended was Joan Sheehy, although Mam had never mentioned her I think she was from Tipperary, remained a member of ICA and was teaching handcrafts when I attended a six weeks E.S.B. Scholarship course at An

Apparently everything went to plan and Mam and her companions enjoyed meeting so many new friends and the discussions provided very interesting fodder for many a guild meeting that followed. Mrs Nora Manning Robertson of Huntington Castle, a prominent member of Clonegal guild ICA, collected the four Carlovians plus their luggage, conveyed them in her car to the train station and they were on their way to a most enjoyable break where some lifelong friends were made.

96 Senior Times l March - April 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie

The ‘Carlovians’ who attended that summer School

Grianan Termonfeckin January 4th to February 14th 1960. Joan Sheehy was then house keeper to Fr James Crowley CC Termonfeckin parish.

On the night of Tuesday Jan 5th those attending the course were advised that after tea-time a lady would be coming to the ‘Bruan’ to teach all 14 of us glove-making at 8pm and the suggestion was that we should be courteous and attentive teenagers. Joan Sheehy came early on her bike to the Bruan, this large room was usually utilised when the ESB gave demonstrations on the use and operation of electric sewing machines, indeed we had done dressmaking there during the afternoon under the tutorship of Miss Mary Delaney. However as our gloves would be handsewn the stress would be on the importance of electricity in providing adequate lighting while work was in progress. There was a huge box strapped on the back carrier and the hedgerow basket that was attached to the handle bars of her bike was full to overflowing, she was after-all catering for 14 raw students!

By the time that one hour had passed Joan had succeeded in assisting the successful laying, pinning, outlining and cutting out of all components for a right hand glove from white Chamois skin, she then advised us to reverse the pattern and repeat all steps for the left hand glove within thirty minutes as we now knew what we were doing and she wanted to get us familiarised with Double Fourchettes and Quirks during the last thirty minutes before supper would be served at 10pm.

Before leaving after supper Joan informed us that she expected to see us all the next night Jan 6th at the same time even though it was a holy day of obligation, of course we complied but some of the girls faced a real struggle when it came to understanding which part/side of the Quirkes and Fourchettes needed to be set and stab-stitched to a finger/thumb of the glove to be assembled. Seated in the middle of the back row I quietly worked away on my gloves as I had made gloves and lambskin mittens under Mam’s tuition at home.

On Thursday night Jan 7th Joan Sheehy arrived at the usual time bearing a large envelope, greeted us as usual and walked straight to the back row of chairs, handed me a large photo then pointed to my mother and asked if that lady was related to me. I was totally taken aback not knowing what to expect next but I managed to reply yes that’s Mam, she then took hold of my left hand and raised it announcing that she had recognised the hands last night that had taught her to make leather gloves and slippers at the ICA Summer School in Garryvoe in 1946!!

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