Chinese Vice-President in Clare

Editorial

COUNTY Clare was showcased to what was undoubtedly its biggest ever TV audience at the weekend, when a considerable portion of Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping’s visit to Ireland was spent in the Banner County.
The carefully choreographed programme in Clare and Dublin showed China’s next leader and his hosts in a very positive light and the visit was extensively reported on in his home country, with a population of 1.3 billion, as well as other countries around the world.
However, dissatisfaction was expressed from a number of sources that during a series of meetings over the weekend, the Government failed to place sufficient emphasis on China’s record of human rights.
In Clare, two women showed courage in staging public protests on this issue.
Sinéad Ní Ghairbaith from Inagh protested in favour of Tibetan freedom as Mr Xi visited the Cliffs of Moher. She subsequently claimed she had been forcibly removed by a garda from where she had been protesting and that a “Free Tibet” sign she had been carrying was taken from her and broken.
A senior garda said the gardaí had not acted improperly. “She was not treated unfairly and if she feels she was treated roughly, she is quite welcome to go to the Garda Ombudsman,” he said.
In Shannon, another young woman staged a solitary protest outside the offices of Shannon Development. While kept well back from the Chinese VIP, she was allowed to remain in the vicinity, where she held a sign declaring “Free Tibet”.
While exercising their democratic right to protest, the two women’s protests will probably be registered as a mere footnote when official records of the Chinese figure’s visit are completed.
There will be far greater interest in what our senior politicians had to say. As he awaited Mr Xi’s arrival at Shannon Airport, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said, “We will have a general discussion about political and international relations and, obviously, human rights will form part of that. Ireland attaches very great importance to human rights.”
Mr Gilmore said the emphasis in discussions with China’s Vice-President would be on developing trade, investment, tourism and educational links between this country and China, the world’s fastest growing economy. Taoiseach Enda Kenny sang from the same hymn sheet in a number of interviews and in the Dáil.
The reality is that Ireland cannot afford to turn its back on the economic potential of forging greater links with China. There is no reason why this should be an impediment to any formal or informal diplomatic contact with China on human rights issues.

GAA focus on mental health

THE GAA has attracted a lot of media attention in recent times for all the wrong reasons. A number of violent incidents during high-profile games have tarnished the image of the organisation and what it stands for.
In addition to entertaining Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping at Croke Park, the GAA has shown this week it has a great deal more to offer than promoting and coordinating various sporting disciplines.
Some of the country’s best-known hurlers and footballers have committed to an initiative that could help thousands of young men and women and, in some case, even save lives. They are helping to raise awareness of one of society’s great taboos – mental health, now believed to be the main issue for young people in Ireland.
Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, and the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) have entered into a mental health partnership. Through the GPA, 25 county players have volunteered to act as youth mental health ambassadors in their own communities, something for which they deserve great credit. They will engage in a mental health literacy education programme led by Headstrong founding director, Dr Tony Bates and Dr Joseph Duffy, director of clinical support.
The Headstrong programme involves education around listening skills, how to handle a difficult conversation on mental health and will involve the GPA members in public meetings and a social media campaign. When people hear high-profile players talk about health issues and suicide prevention, it is hoped their audience can relate to themselves or family and friends who are vulnerable.
Problems associated with mental health in Clare are no different to any other place in the country and it has been exacerbated by the recession. Unemployment, large-scale depopulation in some areas through emigration and the isolation this brings puts enormous strains on communities. Many people are unable to cope with such dramatic changes in their lives, hence the increase in the incidence of mental illness and suicide.
GAA clubs are pretty much aware of problems being experienced by members, whether it be illness or unemployment and while often one cannot intrude, posting information in the clubhouse or parish bulletin about the Headstrong initiative could be of enormous benefit.
According to Dr Bates, it is known that “mental health is the number one issue for young people in Ireland and with young male suicide becoming more prevalent, we felt in Headstrong that county GAA players were the perfect fit in this awareness campaign”. Headstrong, he added, wants to grow a new generation, who understand what protects and what hinders their mental health.
Dessie Farrell, GPA chief executive, noted there is no community, parish or club that has not been affected by somebody taking his or her own life.
“We have all heard stories about young people who are in trouble and we know what lies behind these stories is often things they cannot talk about, feeling very down, worry, drinking too much or gambling. We believe that working with Headstrong is one of the positive ways of helping young people find their way,” he said.
Dublin GAA has also brought mental health to the fore. County teams sponsors, Vodafone, agreed for the opening games of the football and hurling leagues that its logo on the sky blue jerseys could be replaced by the SOS logo of Suicide or Survive, a charity whose aim it is to break down the stigma associated with mental health issues.
Backing this campaign is former world boxing champion, Bernard Dunne, an avid Dubs supporter and well-known in Clare. He is a long-time supporter of suicide prevention charities, drawing on his experiences in West Dublin, which has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, in addition to one of the highest unemployment rates between 18 and 25. Bernard believes sport, be it hurling, football or boxing, can play a huge role in suicide prevention.
Player welfare should be one of the top priorities in any sport and the Headstrong/GPA project is an important element of this objective as far as the GAA is concerned. It’s a model that could be embraced by other national sporting bodies.