Lifestyle

A research programme, aimed at improving the health of people aged over 50 in the county, was launched today (Monday) by Minister of State for Health Promotion, Catherine Byrne. University of Limerick’s Move For Life research study is encouraging people in Clare and Limerick, who are aged over 50 and who would like to be more active, to join the programme. Minister Byrne said, “This programme not only encourages people to become more active, it also empowers them to become influencers within their own communities, something which could lead to considerable positive public health implications. “Being active has so many benefits both for physical and mental health and we in Healthy Ireland are very happy to support University of Limerick in this project which, as our population ages, targets a very important demographic. As a hub of research and expertise in the areas of health and physical activity in the region, UL is well placed to lead this programme. I …

A Kilmihil-based cancer support night nurse says she is “humbled” by the welcome she receives from families while she is caring for their loved ones. Working with the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) since June 2002 as a night nurse, Anne Normoyle is one of the night nurses who are the link between the living and the dying. Speaking at the launch of the ICS’s Relay for Life, Anne admitted there is a huge trust issue when by families let a total stranger into their home to look after a loved one at a very vulnerable stage in their lives. “Night nurses are humbled by the fact we are accepted into peoples’ homes at such a delicate time for the patient and their family. “A person may be all dressed up the first night but, by night two, generally, they are in their pyjamas ready to go to bed. It is a good sign that they have their trust in us …

CLICKING on an email, Ennis man Anthony Galvin was met with these simple words: “If you do this trip, you will die.” This piece of advice was in response to plans by Anthony and his good friend, Henk van der Klok, to take on the coldest journey in the northern hemisphere, a 1,400km trek across Siberia. The pair had made contact with a local person to get some inside knowledge about the area, ahead of their plans to set off next January. However, if the sender of the email had intended to deter Anthony and Henk, he was mistaken. “We reckoned that it was the green light we were waiting for. If you get an email like that, you have to go for it,” Anthony laughs. He and his Dutch-born companion are now busy preparing for the mammoth trek, the second coldest march ever, behind Bowers, Wilson and Cherry-Gerrard’s six-week trek in search of penguin eggs in Antarctica in 1911, …

ON April 6, 2016, Dr Jim Bradley woke up to a new reality. During the night, the Ennis-based business consultant had suffered a stroke and he faced a major challenge. The stroke had affected the functioning of his right side and his arm and leg were not working properly. Dealing with the situation brought all the skills he had developed as a highly-experienced scientist, educator, facilitator and martial artist into sharp focus. As part of his healing, Jim has written a book, outlining the steps that he developed and applied to help himelf to a full recovery. RISE UP! Revolution You is a six-step guide to personal change, which launched in the De Valera Library in Ennis this week. “I have learned that when you are faced with a challenge, or a desire to make a personal change, you need to be realistic. You need to draw on all the resources that you have and focus on what you can …

YOU don’t have to have sight to have vision. Those are the words of Lahinch woman Aine Mae O’Mahony, whose determination never to quit in the face of adversity provided inspiration to others at the national launch of the Irish Kidney Association’s Organ Donor Awareness Week. Aine Mae, who lost her sight in her twenties, was among those invited to speak about their health experiences at the launch, having undergone a double transplant last year. She received a kidney and pancreas and is enjoying a life without diabetes and dialysis, as a result of the gift of life given to her through organ donation. At the age of eight, Aine Mae was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. “There was not much known about diabetes at the time, nor any new developments in terms of its management and it was quite terrifying holding that syringe for the first time preparing to inject myself,” she recalled. At 25, she lost her eyesight …

IMAGINE knowing that you, or your child, could just suddenly fall asleep at any time. Think of the implications for careers, education or something as simple as travelling on public transport. That’s the reality of narcolepsy. Think about how difficult every-day life would be if you were a young person with narcolepsy in terms of study, exams, work, using public transport, finding accommodation and socialising. It’s a reality for approximately 100 young Irish people today because they developed narcolepsy after receiving the 2009/2010 H1N1 Swine Flu vaccine Pandemrix (manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline) at the behest of Irish State. Sound (Sufferers of Unique Narcolepsy Disorder) was set up by parents of children who developed narcolepsy. The support group and registered charity continues to be run by a small voluntary team of parents of children with narcolepsy and young adult narcolepsy sufferers. Sound provides support for 87 Irish families affected by the vaccine and wants the State to provide a pathway for the …

THEY always envisaged ending up in a rural idyll, gazing contentedly across green fields and at big, empty skies. Instead, Pádraig and Julie Neylon, along with their now 19-month-old daughter Theola, pitched up in a near 200-year-old, six-bedroom house in Kilrush. Both are self-employed and Pádraig’s office is what was once the coal house in Kilrush House, which is located in Merchant’s Quay at the bottom of Frances Street. They sense that their decision to settle in Kilrush reflects a growing trend, where young families are opting to live in smaller towns, where the cost of living is manageable and the quality of life less hectic. For decades, towns like Kilrush have lost generations of young people, who either emigrated or settled elsewhere in Ireland, primarily for work-related reasons. Other friends and acquaintances are either living in, or considering moving to, the town. “I always had it in the head to move back home to Kilmurry McMahon, build a house …

LISDOONVARNA and other areas of North Clare featured in an episode of a popular Australian TV show, The Living Room last week. The show aired on Network Ten and included an interview with matchmaker Willie Daly, and a visit to the Cliffs of Moher Filming took place last autumn and was supported by Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. The Living Room is presented by Dr Chris Brown , an Australian veterinarian, TV personality and author, famously known as the ‘Bondi Vet’. Sofia Hansson, Tourism Ireland’s manager for Australia, said, “Tourism Ireland is delighted that Dr Chris and the team from The Living Room chose to film in County Clare. With an audience of about 700,000 viewers per episode, it’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase Lisdoonvarna and the county to a huge Australian audience. TV and film are recognised as strong influencers on prospective visitors and Tourism Ireland regularly works with TV and production companies around the world, to facilitate the making of travel …