Lifestyle

AT the start of the last century, workers in this country were not organised, had no rights or entitlements and were badly paid.

{morfeo 104}

SOMEONE once said to me that the worst sight in the world is a hungry mother trying to feed a hungry, crying baby from an empty breast. In East Africa, and particularly Somalia, this is the scenario being played out each day now.Mothers and fathers, having literally run out of options when it comes to providing the basics for their children, are burying them instead of being able to nurture them. As a parent myself, I could imagine the despair to which parents were driven in this terrible struggle to survive.I got to meet some of those parents, during a recent visit to Kenya and Somalia with former Irish President Mary Robinson, who is now the president of Oxfam International, and other Irish aid agencies.We saw first hand the trauma experienced by exhausted people who were pouring into Kenya across the Somali border. They had been walking for days in some cases, supporting elderly parents, coaxing young children along and …

‘WHAT is that tower?’ asked one of our recent companions on a spiritual walk around Loop Head. Coming from a landlocked African country, she had looked at the vastness of the Atlantic, then asked this question.Explaining the lighthouse, its purpose and how it functioned caused the rest of us to dig deep. We recalled the stories from childhood about heroism and danger, the work of the lifeboat service, hymns that spoke of the guiding beacon and the warning of danger, of the lighthouse as a symbol of faith. A straightforward question gave us much to think of. We learnt that things we take for granted might be new for others and that in explaining them, we find and value them again.It reminded me of learning new things when living in Norway.  This long, mountainous country with a population the size of Ireland’s was then coming to terms with newfound wealth from oil, as an asset for society. It was looking …

By John Rainsford   A NEW online niche business is offering hope of that all-important break to budding entrepreneurs in the Mid-West. Alice Quinlan has hardly had time to draw a breath such is the level of success she is having with her new venture, Fondelifair.com. The creative director for the business is Michelle Harding, who lives in Ennis and is originally from Killaloe. Just a few years ago, Alice was unemployed and looking for somewhere to hang her creative hat and now she has found it, in spades. “My first job was in Cork but after being made redundant in 2002, I returned to UL to study for a graduate diploma in advanced materials. I then went back to UL again, after a time, to study for a MSc in material science,” she explained. “After university I travelled for a while, living for five years in Bangkok, Thailand, but following my wedding in Thailand, I decided to return home. …

THERE are many noted pieces of Irish literature, some of which have won Nobel Prizes for their authors. Likewise, there have been many Irish films. Some may have been painfully ‘stage Irish’ but some of them won Oscars. The Quiet Man may not be everybody’s cup of tea but it has proven a very popular and enduring film, was nominated for seven Oscars and won two. Similarly, Ulysses might not be everybody’s favourite bedtime reading but it is considered a classic. While it may not be very well known, there is a strong musical link between both.The Isle of Inisfree is forever associated with The Quiet Man but there was another tune used as a theme during the film. When Michillín takes Sean Thornton and Mary Kate Danaher for a drive in his jaunting car at the start of their courtin’, the background music used is The Days of the Kerry Dances. One of the most frequent musical references in …

Pregnancy is a life changing experience. Having the right support can make all the difference, especially to your body, explains Paula Murphy of De Lingerie Shop, Ennis.During pregnancy, dramatic changes to the body can have hard-hitting effects on a woman’s perceived body image and self-esteem. However, according to Paula, the right underwear can mean more comfort and more confidence.“Maintaining a positive body image is tough for most women these days and being pregnant can make your body image even harder to deal with. Now that you are pregnant you may be feeling very insecure about the ways in which your body is changing. “You may not be welcoming those added curves, extra pounds or that round pregnancy belly and being sexy may feel a unreachable goal. Feeling unattractive, awkward and even ugly are things that most pregnant women experience at some point.“However, those feelings often don’t reflect the physical truth, instead they are a result of the rapid emotional and …

THE largest increase in penalty points received by motorists in the country this year has been recorded in County Clare, where more than 3,700 drivers have been penalised in the first six months of the year, compared with 2,800 penalised in the county during the whole of 2010.Clare also registered the largest increase in speeding offences from January to June, with counties Limerick and Kerry a close second.The doubling of these figures for the county is being attributed in part to the introduction of more privately operated Go Safe speed cameras, which are now a regular sight across the county.Inspector John Galvin, head of the road traffic division in the county, said the speed cameras helped gardaí by contributing to an increased presence on the ground.“It is disappointing to see that so many people have been detected. However, it’s all in an effort to reduce deaths on the road. With the bigger presence and the speed vans being deployed at …