Paul Hopkins

The Fact OfThe Matter

PAUL HOPKINS PAUL HOPKINS Valentine: An African love story revisited ...

Back in the late 1970s I found myself in Africa, in what was then Rhodesia, in the middle of a bush war waged to overthrow the ruling white minority of Premier Ian Smith who had unilaterally broken away from British rule a decade or so earlier.

I was young, perhaps naïve, but desperate and determined to make a living by sending stories back to the Irish Press and Radio Eireann on the war being fronted by Robert Mugabe, until recently long-time president of the now Zimbabwe.

When young you think yourself invincible, shielded against destructibility by virtue of your youth. e world was my oyster back then and I, like many in the theatre of this low-waged war, was living on the edge, abetted by the adrenalin rush of a bloody con ict against the backdrop of a continent where every mountain seemed reachable if I just kept climbing. A terrible beauty of sorts. e rst time I saw her, at a party thrown by one of the foreign press, I got caught in the light in her eyes, lost to the sweet smile that gave way to generous lips. She was a Lancashire girl, and as sexy as hell; I the mad Irish man abroad, but we fell in love, in what for me was my rst grown-up a air.

I don’t know exactly now – for time meddles with the mind – how long we shared a rented property on the edge of Salisbury, as Mugabe’s guerrillas daily grew nearer the capital, now Harare.

She was everything I thought possible in a woman – beautiful, kind, generous, intelligent, fun. We shared the same birth sign. At night we would lie in each other’s arms and plan a future when “all this was over”. We talked of a little homestead in a rural setting where she could indulge her love of horses – she excelled in competitive show-jumping – and of children – “lots” – of little red wellies outside the back door, and all the other pillow-talk, future planning, one associates with young love.

She fed me and nurtured me, and taught me to drive in her beat-up, old Austin Mini. I talked to her of music and poetry and how one day I would write the great novel.

I asked her to marry me, and there was talk of going overland to Australia. She hesitated, we rowed, then made up and were still in love and eventually, Mugabe’s tanks marching down First Avenue, we left that small corner of the dark continent, she for Liverpool’s Wirral, I for Dublin, albeit, we agreed, temporarily.

Time, as mentioned, meddles with the mind and my memory is fractured. But we never did meet again. I met and married the mother of my three children, settled back in Ireland, and life moved on, the years passing, time growing shorter. Never met again until now.

A while back I found her on Facebook. I messaged her, she messaged back. And then we began a series of emails back and forth, lling in the last 40 years. She married, there are no children, and she and her husband have a small homestead with horses in the Vale of Clwyd, North Wales. I visited her a number of times before Covid-19.

My last week there had been a joyous visit, but bitter-sweet, full of what-ifs and roads not taken. While her husband, who has made me most welcome, was at work, we went for co ee, for lunch, for walks with her dogs. We reminisced, looked at old photos of us in Africa she still had in an old tea-box, the photos somewhat faded with time; we laughed, and, yes, I guess we cried a little, two middle-age hapless, as in ill-fated, humans trying to recapture something lost in the annals of time.

I knew she was scared. She was short and snappy with me, as we drove the other morning to the clinic along the coast. ere had been a lump on her breast, then a biopsy, and that day she had been called in for the result.

Give me a hug, I said. e news was good

I’m glad you were her for me today, she said, that sweet smile giving way to those generous lips.

Time passes but, no matter what takes place in the interim, there are some things we can never assign to oblivion, memories we can never erase. A piece of our hearts never disquieted.

‘A piece of our hearts never disquieted... ”

We’re all o to Lanzarote again, says Ryanair!

LANZAROTE is the top destination for Irish holiday makers for summer 2022, according to Ryanair. e airline has revealed its top holiday destinations for summer. ey are: 1. Lanzarote: always a popular choice, Lanzarote continues to welcome ocks of Irish holidaymakers year after year. Enjoy its golden sand beaches, crystal clear waters, authentic Spanish tapas while taking in its unique volcanic landscape. 2. Tenerife: the largest of the Canary Islands famed for its diversity of landscape and great weather all year round. e island has many natural wonders and traditional towns full of culture to explore this summer. 3. Fuerteventura: a famous holiday destination boasting white sandy beaches interrupted by cli s and sheltered coves. A popular spot for adventure lled tourists to enjoy water sports from sur ng, windsurfing and water skiing. 4. Gran Canaria: a hiker’s paradise. is diverse, mountainous island is known for its black lava and white sand beaches. Culture vultures are equally catered for in the ancient capital of Las Palmas, with its historic architecture and enviable shopping and foodie options. 5. Santorini: arguably the most beautiful of all the Greek islands, Santorini’s stunning caldera poses as the ultimate centrepiece, o ering the most amazing views of rugged landscapes and the whitewashed cubiform houses overlooking the sea and beaches consisting of black, red and white lava pebbles.

New carbon limits move is backed by Government

CARBON budgets to limit greenhouse gas emissions, despite scientists warning they are not strict enough, have been back by the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action by majority vote. e committee has also accepted that the budgets can only cut emissions by an average of 5.7% a year - less than the 7pc a year committed to in the Programme for Government.

However, they will, if followed, achieve a halving of emissions by 2030 which is the legal requirement under the Climate Act.

In a report to Government, the all-party committee said: “While opinions di ered in a number of areas, such as whether the proposed carbon budgets go far enough, the committee agreed that immediate action and implementation of policy is the most important outcome.”

Eleven members voted for the budgets while three, TDs Bríd Smith and Jennifer Whitmore and Senator Alice Mary Higgins, voted against. e carbon budgets were proposed by the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) and set a limit on national emissions that require annual average cuts of 4.8pc from 2021-2025 and 8.3pc from 2026-2030.

During hearings last month, the committee heard from the CCAC, climate scientists, senior o cials and representatives of business, trade unions, farmers, environmental groups and social justice organisations. e scientists argued strenuously that the budgets were not strict enough while other witnesses expressed concern that the radical measures needed to comply with them would hurt many ordinary people. e committee added: “While ambition can always be greater, the carbon budgets as proposed are a challenging but feasible pathway to achieving the reduction in emissions required.” eir report contains 36 recommendations which urge greater engagement with the public and sectors a ected by cuts, and e orts to bring actions forward rather than backload the 2026-2030 period with tougher cuts.

Ms Higgins said she was keen to have the budgets implemented quickly but added: “We also have a duty to get them right.”

“ e draft carbon budgets as currently proposed are not ambitious enough for the climate crisis we face and the report as published fails to appropriately re ect much of the powerful testimony we heard from independent scienti c experts.”

Golfgate fall-out ‘was frightening’

A LOCAL councillor says the level of calls and abuse he received over Golfgate was “frightening”.

All charges in the trial were dismissed last week when the judge agreed that Independent TD Noel Grealish, former Fianna Fáil Senator Donie Cassidy and two hoteliers had fully complied with Covid regulations.

Kilkenny Councillor Martin Brett attended the Oireachtas Golf Society celebratory dinner as an invited guest in August 2020.

He told KCLR he really would not like to experience again the reaction that it drew.

Phil Hogan had to step down as EU Trade Commissioner when further breaches of Covid guidelines emerged in the wake of the event.

Councillor Brett said Mr Hogan should still be in the European Union job and it was Ireland’s loss that he is not.

Climate awareness: St Mary’s Holy Faith TY students, le to right: Cliodhna Murphy, Amy Ward and Mia Jervis at the launch of EirGrid’s partnership with Young Social Innovators. Picture by Shane O’Neill, Coalesce

Kilkenny students invited to enter for new Climate Action award

SECONDARY schools in Kilkenny are invited to take innovative action in response to the climate emergency through a new Climate Action and Energy Award, in association with Young Social Innovators and EirGrid.

EirGrid, the national electricity grid operator has launched a partnership with non-pro t organisation, Young Social Innovators (YSI). e collaboration will see EirGrid become the new Climate Action and Energy partner with YSI for a three-year period.

Young Social Innovators empowers and supports young people to develop and implement innovative ideas to bring about positive social change for the bene t of people, communities and the environment. In the past 20 years, some 145,000 teenagers have taken part in YSI’s social innovation programmes in post primary schools nationally.

EirGrid will become YSI’s Challenge Partner under its Environment Pillar. Along with this, a ‘Climate Action and Energy’ award will be created for current participants in the Young Social Innovators of the Year Ireland Awards 2022.

Speaking about the partnership, EirGrid’s Head of Public Engagement, Sinead Dooley said, “EirGrid is transforming the power system for future generations, and with that in mind we believe it is incredibly important to listen to and involve young people who are the driving force behind climate action e orts.”

Rachel Collier, Co-founder and CEO, Young Social Innovators, said: “How we can live and consume more sustainably is a key question and one that young people can contribute to.”

Schools can register their interest in getting involved now by emailing educate@ youngsocialinnovators.ie.

Action demanded on stalled motorway

COUNCILLORS and Oireachtas members from the South East have met to discuss the N25 Glenmore to Waterford and N24 Waterford to Cahir Road Projects and the total lack of funding allocated for 2022. All members agreed to seek an urgent meeting with Minister. Eamon Ryan. ey are hoping Minister Ryan will meet to discuss the issue further as funding has to be allocated to both projects over the next couple of weeks if they are to be updated this year. e issue is a major concern for the South East regarding, business, safety and uncertainty as the survey area for the N24 route takes in 6 to 8km and the preferred route for the N25 takes in 600 metres. It has prompted anger and disappointment from local representatives in South Kilkenny.

At the meeting it was decided that more pressure needs be put on the Dáil deputies in the region to get these vital road projects back on the agenda.

To that end a meeting has been organised for 10am on Monday with TDs.

Fine Gael Councillor Pat Dunphy said it was up to Dáil deputies to demand action on this.

“ ey’re the only people we think that can deliver and get this back on track again, and to meet Minister Ryan,” he said.