Winter time can be very hard on older people, as many as 25,000 older people’s lives are at risk because of the cold. Innocent Smoothies have teamed up with Age Action Ireland to help combat this issue.
“Now in its eighth year, the innocent Big Knit is still a fantastic and engaging campaign that helps us keep older people warmer during the winter months. The money raised from the Big Knit funds goes to our Care & Repair programme, which helps more than 23,000 older people every year.” Justin Moran, Age Action Ireland.
(Source – Flickr)
The idea started in 2008 when the team asked people to knit little woolly hats. The hats were then placed on the innocent smoothie bottles and sold in stores. For each one sold they made a donation of 30c to Age Action.
“We are really proud of the Big Knit and what it does to help older people stay warm and well in winter. Over the past seven years, we’ve worked with Age Action to achieve great results and this year we are aiming for even greater results. With the help of everyone around Ireland, we are aiming to get 100,000 knitted hats on to the tops of our little smoothie bottles” Blathnaid Mc Kenna from Innocent drinks.
The little idea has done fantastically over the last few years. So far the people of Ireland have knitted an astonishing 455,000 hats. And raised over €140,000 for charities like Age Action.
Source – Gemma Kavanagh
Last year the Big Knit raised over €20,000 which funded 24,000 DIY jobs for 19,800 older people in 34 locations around the country and 2,400 queries to the Age Action Helpline on issues including fuel, poverty, benefits and entitlements.
The stall was a huge attraction at the Knitting and Stitching show at the RDS this year. There were men and women of all ages sitting around tables chatting making beautiful coloured hats for the bottles.
If you would like to help out, the team ask that you please send in your hats in by 31 July 2017 and keep your eyes peeled for smoothies wearing little hats in stores from October 2017.
Put all your hats in an envelope along with a note clearly stating:
In 2001, 13.5 out of every 100,000 people in Ireland died by suicide, a rate of death that has never been exceeded since. The lowest rate of suicide over the last fourteen years was in 2015, with 9.7 out of every 100,000 people taking their own life.
The numbers of suicides have generally been steadily decreasing since 2001. However, this stopped between 2008 and 2012, and the rate of suicide fluctuated between 11.1 and 12.4 per 100,0000 people during the recession. The numbers then returned to the 2007 rate of 10.6 in 2013 and have continued to decrease since then.
The increase in suicides between 2008 and 2012 can at least partly be attributed to the recession. Increased unemployment combined with depression and substance abuse was found to be some of the main factors in people taking their life during this time, according to a report by the Suicide Research Foundation.
During the recession, many people lost their jobs and had no means to support their families and in a lot of cases lost their homes. Psychotherapist Olivia Fox talks about how challenging being unemployed can be for people.
She said: “It can lead to depression and a feeling of worthlessness. In general, we could see an increase of hopelessness as people who had worked hard to get a job and a roof over their head saw their life work wiped out overnight.
“Even in this modern world of gender equality, men often psychologically feel the burden of being the ‘provider’ and when they can no longer do so, the resulting depression, pressure and hopelessness can have devastating consequences on the mental health of some.”
The suicide rates during the recession were not in fact higher than some of the early Celtic Tiger years but rather returned to higher figures after a decreasing trend in the previous few years.
(Source: Kieva McLaughin)
Gender
In 2015, nearly five times as many males died by suicide (375) in Ireland as females (76) and again it’s important to point out that last year’s figures are provisional. We do however, have one of the highest rates of male suicide in the world with nearly eight males taking their lives every week.
Only 25% of males who take their own lives have a history of self-harm in comparison to 50% of females. Under 40% of males are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder before taking their life while 70% of females are. More women contemplate and attempt suicide than men so where does the big gap come from?
Olivia Fox attributes it to the fact women are less likely to follow through when they think about the consequences.
“Men are more likely to act impulsively there and then without giving consideration to the outcome. Also the method people use to take their own life causes a disparity in the sexes. Women tend to overdose whereas men tend to use more violent methods, such as hanging or shooting which are more likely to result in death.”
Another reason she explains is that, “Men are less likely to talk about their feelings or express emotion. This can result in them isolating themselves from any personal or social supports and in them drinking more. Alcohol involvement in death by suicide seems to be higher in men than women.”
(Source: Kieva McLaughlin)
Area
The area with the most suicides in 2015 was Carlow, with 21.2 suicides per 100,000 people, more than the double the national average.
The figures show a large disparity from cities and their surrounding rural areas. Waterford City reported no suicides in 2015 but the rate more than doubled in the county area from 8.8 in 2014. Galway City had a small increase from 11.1 per 100,00 in 2014 to 12.7 in 2015, but the surrounding county area’s figure rose more dramatically from 10.2 to 17.4.
Mairead Wall is a knitwear and textile designer based in Dublin, recently graduated from NCAD with a first-class honours degree in textile design. Her final year project is a six-piece unisex fashion collection with the focus being on knitwear pieces and embroidered surfaces. “The inspiration for my collections came from traditional Irish craft. I looked at things like weaving techniques, basketry techniques and Aran knitting. I really love making surfaces that will make people pause and say oh I don’t know how she made that, how is that put together and I’ve had a lot of that reaction today.”
(Source: Gemma Kavanagh)
Creating a unisex collection Mairead incorporated masks into her outfits as a way to hide the model’s gender on the catwalk. “All the masks are hand knitted in traditional Aran techniques. The bodies are all done really contemporary and the top is just a little bit of traditional Irish in there.” With her sights set on London, Mairead wants to work under an established knitwear designer and develop her own contemporary Irish style and then return and set up in Ireland. “In the meantime I’m working on interior pieces like wall hangings and selling them online it’s a great way for me to try out new techniques and being creative in a much smaller way.”
All the pieces are available to buy and you can contact her through here website at:
“I create my work from factory floor waste to highlight what can be done with stuff that would usually end up on the landfill. I think that recycling starts on the factory floor so I contacted companies like Newbridge Silverware who would have a lot of factory floor waste and asked them could I create work from it. I like to push boundaries in what the material will do and my inspiration comes from the material itself.”
(Source: Gemma Kavanagh)
Martina’s main piece in the NCAD degree show was inspired by her four years in college and her journey. “I started off very unsure of what I was doing and gradually then, through the process of learning and experimenting and working with materials, I’ve come to the place now where I see possibilities everywhere.” The top and bottom part of her artwork is made from foil backed insulation, every piece is individually done and there’s nearly 5,000 pieces involved. The centre piece is made from broken CDs that have been melted together. It’s made in four different sections but is sold as a whole. The artist spent 200 hours on her creation.
“I love to work with different materials so my range of work is changing all the time. From my work with CDs I’ve developed a line of jewellery called ‘Shape of Sound’,” Martina tells us. Every piece is unique and can be personalised. A unique feature is the reflections that come from the jewellery, changing colour depending on the light you’re in. “CDs are becoming obsolete and people are throwing them away in their hundreds,” said Martina.
She will be exhibiting with Newbridge Silverware in the Style Icon museum in the next month. She is also developing her own range of jewellery and looking to branch out and work with more companies. “I would like to work with companies to create work from their factory floor waste that will represent their brand, their ethos, that they can display in a foyer or offices, restaurant or hotel and it will reflect the fact that they’re interested in being green and lowering their carbon footprint and hopefully it will raise awareness as well that factories need to look at what they’re throwing away and try to use it in a positive way.”
“I’m exhibiting a project that I worked on with the Kilkenny County Council arts office. We created an arts participation programme that we ran over three years.” The programme tackled waste and came up with different ideas of how to upcycle materials for creating craft communities around Kilkenny. “We created programmes over the three years such as ‘born to knit’ and ‘making space’.”
Using charity promotional t-shirts, they made a soft space in the design yard in Kilkenny. Deirdre said: “We used novelty sized crochet hooks and needles, I’m interested in how we can make traditional crafts contemporary, I like working in large scales. The project was about creating communities of place bringing people together who have a shared interest; there’s a very social aspect to it while being mindful that the outcome will be aesthetically pleasing as well.”
Of all the Mexican joints in Dublin, Little Ass has to be one of the most unassuming, and my personal favourite. Located on a corner of Dawson Street, this tiny establishment looks like an afterthought, crammed between a jeweller and a busy alleyway.
The location is not conducive to the level of popularity it enjoys at weekday lunchtimes but what Little Ass lacks in square metres, it more than makes up for with great Mexican fare.
Their extensive menu is hand drawn on a large blackboard in artistic fonts and three stools are wedged up against a cramped window table, giving the customer a clear view of the table and chairs which are squeezed onto the path outside.
Little Ass offers a more personal ordering experience than most burrito restaurants, as the customer only deals with one front of house employee, as opposed to the usual hectic exchanges with a series of overworked line cooks.
Boojum (Kevin Street)
(Source – Boojum)
It seems you can’t walk around a corner in the city these days without encountering a Mexican restaurant, and walking around a corner is exactly what you have to do to find the back of the queue for Boojum of Lower Kevin Street.
Its proximity to one of Dublin’s largest third level facilities at DIT probably has something to do with its popularity, but it’s not just students who choose this spacious restaurant to fill their faces with Mexico’s favourite wrapped meal. Many of the local gardai make the journey down from Upper Kevin Street to spend their lunch hour here, probably because it should be illegal for a burrito to taste so good.
Burritos and Blues (Wexford Street)
(Source – Burritos and Blues)
Burritos and Blues of Wexford Street enjoys the same locale, but if length of queue is a judge of popularity, then Boojum edges it.
The burritos at B&B taste like something you could make at home yourself. Which is not to say they aren’t a great lunchtime option, or a 4am option, which is the time B&B stays open til on Fridays and Saturdays.
Many a debauched night out has ended with an over-filled quesadilla or two, seasoned with tabasco sauce and tears of regret.
Pablo Picante (Baggot Street)
(Source – Pablo Picantes)
Baggot Street is a hive of lunchtime activity, so the competition to attract the hordes of hungry office workers is fierce. Not as fierce, however, as the heat one feels off the ‘Super Picante’ salsa with which they smear the tortilla wrap that contains a mountain of Mexican goodies.
The decor is just as aesthetically pleasing and the building’s brown and yellow facade only adds to the authentic experience – as does the selection of imported Mexican beers which go down a treat with a spicy meal.
Acapulco (George’s Street)
(Source – Acapulco)
Full disclosure, I didn’t order a burrito here, but the tacos I did order were so good I felt it deserved a place on the list.
Acapulco is also not in the same ilk as the other restaurants. You walk in, wait to be seated, look at a menu and order from a server who comes to your table. They also have a soup of the day, so it’s quite far removed from the experience you expect from your average burrito bar.
The staff are friendly, the open plan restaurant floor is busy but spacious and very colourful and the corridor which leads to the bathroom overlooks the kitchen which is interesting. Also, the baked cheesecake is as good as you’ll find in this price range.
This October saw Tom Cruise arrive on cinema screens for his second outing as the enigmatic titular character in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.
The decision to cast Cruise as Lee Child’s beloved ex-military tough guy for the prequel back in 2012 was a controversial one. Many fans of the bestselling series of novels expressed their distaste at the diminutive actor stepping into the sizeable shoes of the 6’5’’ 250lb man they had come to know from the books.
(Source: Paramount Pictures)
Viewers who are willing to set this aside however, will find that Cruise lends himself to the part surprisingly well, and recreates Child’s character with thoroughness, even more so than in the first movie. Tough, taciturn, practical and sharp, Reacher is like a more alienated, yet equally quick-witted John McClane, and Cruise plays the part well.
Soon after the opening sequence, the film takes off at high speed, the plot unfolding with minimal fuss. The dialogue is snappy and there is no shortage of action sequences and new developments, letting the film fill out its running time of almost two hours without becoming tedious.
Never Go Back risks being formulaic in its approach to the action-thriller genre. It packs in all of the ingredients you would probably expect to find: gunfights, fistfights, high-octane chases and tense standoffs. However, in doing so, it succeeds in being good at what it set out to be – a no-nonsense, exciting movie made simply to entertain rather than alter the viewer’s perspective on life.
“I’m used to working alone. I’m used to being alone.” This is Jack Reacher’s explanation for his seeming discomfort with the idea of forming personal relationships. He is a lone wolf who is much more at home playing a game of wits with a dangerous adversary than trying to express himself. Therefore, you shouldn’t expect to feel a great deal of emotional connection with him. Although he is a character you grow to respect, you may find you scarcely understand Reacher any better after watching the film than you did at the beginning.
(Source: Paramount Pictures)
Cruise is joined on-screen by a largely forgettable supporting cast. Cobie Smulders and Danika Yarosh hold their own for the most part, helping to some degree to bring out the human side of the movie’s central figure, but Never Go Back is a film built not on deep, well-developed characters or relationships, but on simple, straightforward action.
To sum it up, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is an unpretentious action movie that is sure to provide a couple of hours of distraction without challenging the viewer too much. The verdict: 3.5 stars.
Winter usually means dark, cold and dreary days but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you fancy a break to brighten up your winter, there is nowhere more magical than New York City. It is the one city that you don’t mind the sharp cold or snow, in fact, it even adds to the beauty. There are so many things to do in the winter, from ice-skating, Christmas shopping and romantic strolls around Central Park in the snow. It truly is the best place to be in the winter. The seven and a half hour flight is more than worth it when you arrive and feel like you have walked on to the set of a movie. The lights are brighter, the buildings are bigger and don’t even get me started about the shopping. Convinced yet? Here is my New York winter to do guide.
Times Square:
You know when you watch those movies about a small town girl going to New York, she winds up in Time Square with her mouth hanging wide open in awe? That is exactly what happens. You really do feel like an ant gazing up at the ginormous billboards among the crowds of people walking the street, but it is an experience like no other. Times Square is exactly as tacky as you would imagine but that adds to the fun – there are hot dog stalls, people dressed up as Spiderman and lest we forget, the Naked Cowboy.
(Source: Chelsea Tyler McNeill)
The Empire State building:
Now, I am not afraid of heights, but when you go into the Empire State building and the tour guide puts you in a lift and brings you to the 86th floor, let’s just say the view would make anybody weak at the knees. As you stand out 1,050 feet above ground level, you see every sight New York has to offer: Central Park, the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. The nausea is definitely worth this breathtaking view.
The Museum of Modern Art:
For the more cultured tourist, the world famous art museum MOMA is a must see. MOMA has played a big part in developing, and collecting, modern and contemporary art. You can go for a walk around the museum to look at the beautiful pieces, and have a look in their gift shop where they have every art book you can imagine.
The New York Public Library:
Okay, so no one actually goes to a library on a holiday, but this is no ordinary library. The library has been used as a film set ,which you may recognise as Carrie and Big’s wedding destination (well, the wedding that didn’t happen) in Sex and the City, or from the Ben Stiller movie ‘A Night at the Museum’.
Central Park:
One of the most well-known tourist attractions in New York City is Central Park, which has been in many famous movies. The park is huge, and you definitely couldn’t get around the whole thing on foot, so what better way to see all the sights than on a horse drawn carriage. You will be bombarded with offers as you approach the gates so don’t be afraid to haggle them down because some of the drivers try to charge crazy amounts, but it is definitely a great thing to do. From beginning to end, the drivers give you all the facts, show you all the sights and give you the gossip on the celebrities they have chauffeured.
(Source: Chelsea Tyler McNeill)
The Brooklyn Bridge:
The Brooklyn Bridge divides New York, it joins Manhattan to a very different side of New York in Brooklyn. The bridge is a historical monument in New York and holds a lot of cultural significance but it has also appeared in a lot of New York based movies and TV shows.
The Statue of Liberty:
A trip to New York wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Independent woman herself, the Statue of Liberty. Ferry tours are available to bring you to the Statue of Liberty and they also go to Ellis Island. You get a ferry over and you can stay as long as you want at both landmarks and get a later ferry back. There is something very moving about this tour because the ferry brings you on the same journey that Irish Immigrants would have taken to enter America. You see the Statue of Liberty in the distance, and feel their sense of hope and excitement, then you go to Ellis Island which was where most immigrants were dropped off to begin their new lives.
The Rockefeller:
(Source: Chelsea Tyler McNeill)
Christmas in New York is associated with the magnificent Rockefeller Christmas tree that goes up every year. This year, the tree will be lit on November 30th with live musical performances and is broadcast to TV across America. The Rockefeller Center is also home to one of New York’s most famous ice-skating rinks so you can skate and drink hot chocolate right under the Christmas tree.
Christmas Shopping:
New York is one of the best cities to shop in, although there are mostly designer shops that are well out of most people’s price range, they also have the huge department stores with amazing discounts. Macy’s is worth going to just to look at the Christmas decorations, it really is like a Christmas wonderland. You can pick up some amazing and unique pieces to bring home for your own Christmas tree. FAO Schwarz is one for the big kids and little kids. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to run up and down the huge piano, at any age! With 10 foot tall stuffed animals, life size toy cars and a Lego Statue of Liberty, there is so much to see in this toy heaven. New York is also home to Victoria’s Secret, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Barneys and the Kardashian’s Boutique, DASH.
The 9/11 tour:
(Source: Chelsea Tyler McNeill)
I could not recommend this tour enough and at any time of the year, it is one of the most eye-opening and moving tours that you can do in New York. You begin the tour by meeting your guide in a church. This church happened to be a church not too far from the Twin Towers where emergency services brought people for safety. In the church there are shrines built to the servicemen who lost their lives. Uniforms are left hanging in their memory, letters from their families and friends are stuck on the walls of the church to remind people of who these men were and how much they will be missed. Kids left toys in the church along with pictures they drew for the parents they lost on that day; it truly is so moving. The tour guides are all New Yorkers who lived in the area when it happened and give you first-hand accounts of where they were and their efforts in ensuring their family and friends were safe. You are then brought to the new World Trade Centre building and finally to Ground Zero, where the Twin Towers once stood. It has since been turned into a beautiful waterfall with the name of every person who died in the tragedy engraved around the edges. New York is known for the glitz and glamour but being there and hearing about the tragedy and how the city pulled together through such a horrific time, only makes the place more magical.
Hundreds took part in a protest on Saturday against the guilty verdict handed out to a 17-year-old who took part in the water protests in Jobstown, Tallaght in 2014.
A judge ruled last Friday that the teenager could be found guilty of false imprisonment but the teenager was discharged conditionally on good behaviour for nine months.
The case concerned an incident in November 2014 when the then Tanaiste Joan Burton and her advisor were trapped in their car for more than two hours.
A large crowd gathered yesterday for the demonstration, which was organised by People Before Profit. The demonstrators gathered at the Central Bank on Saturday afternoon before marching along the quays for a rally at the Children’s Court in Smithfield.
The City got Socialist party member and activist Cillian Gillespie thoughts on the verdict and wider protest movement.
A bill proposing a referendum on repealing the Eighth Amendment, and allowing for legislation on abortion, went up for debate before Dáil Éireann on Tuesday.
Earlier that day, the government agreed not to accept the bill until the Citizens’ Assembly has discussed the topic even though it is not due to start until early 2017.
(Source: Flickr)
Ruth Coppinger accused “sell-out Independents” of “putting their ministerial seats before the health and lives of women.”
“This vote will guarantee that no referendum will take place during the lifetime of this government,” she added.
The AAA-PBP (Anti Austerity Alliance – People Before Profit) bill was particularly critical of Independent TD Katherine Zappone. Zappone was elected due to her links to the marriage referendum, and the repeal of Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws.
“Many women and girls leave this state every day for an abortion. This is our reality.” Sinn Féin TD Kathleen Funchion said. She added that Ireland cannot continue ‘exporting its issues’, and that the government’s delaying tactics on this matter are unacceptable.
TD Bríd Smith brought abortion pills with her into the chamber – which are illegal in Ireland – to use as a visual aid to her argument.
“You could arrest me for having it and give me 14 years, but you ain’t going to do it because what’s on your books and what’s in your laws, you know that if you dare to implement it you would bring hellfire and brimstone down on top of this House and in wider society because we have moved on,” she said.
Smith started her speech by criticising the poor turn-out for the debate. With only 14 TDs showing up to discuss the Bill, she was not alone in criticising the attendance, and many citizens took to social media to voice their outrage. The hashtag #repealbill was among the top trending topics in Ireland during, and after, the debate taking place.
The Pro-Life campaign said that the bill was designed solely to generate publicity and not for a genuine debate.
Geordie Shore stars are known for being extremely controversial and sexually provocative. It is also a known fact that the men of Geordie Shore like to stop off at every port for a one night stand while they do ‘press tours’ – so it was no surprise that Scotty T revealed he has slept with over 1,000 women.
That is utterly stomach turning, in my opinion. I wouldn’t even want to go on a date with someone with a record that high, let alone sleep with them – but not all Irish women would agree. One of the 1000 women he slept with was a northern Irish girl, who happened to get pregnant.
Self proclaimed ‘playboy’ Scotty T is certainly not the ideal man to settle down and have a child with, which was probably a factor in the Irish woman’s decision to abort the baby.
The reality star admits, in his book ‘Scotty T: A Shore thing’, that it was just a one night stand and when she fell pregnant, she told him because she felt he had a right to know. You have to give her credit for that, telling a ‘celeb’ who has slept with over 1,000 women that you are pregnant with his child, because it must have been intimidating and his reaction was exactly what we would expect.
“Forgive me for saying it, but the sudden relief I experienced when she said that she wasn’t planning on keeping the baby was overwhelming, because I knew for sure that I wasn’t ready to be a dad.” he told the Irish Sun.
Obviously this situation is a much bigger deal in Ireland with abortion being illegal and the Repeal the 8th Campaign getting louder. She clearly felt that it was her choice to abort the baby if that wasn’t what she wanted, but I suppose she should have thought about that before having unprotected sex.
Not to say that I don’t believe women should have a choice, they should, but I don’t believe that abortion should be used as contraception. I think putting a condom on should be the first option rather than having unprotected sex and ‘getting rid of the baby’.
Admittedly, we don’t know the full circumstance or anything about this girls life so it would be wrong to condemn her, but a man who has had that many one night stands should know to wrap it up.
The Geordie Shore star supported the Irish woman all the way, he flew her over to Newcastle for the abortion, funded the whole thing and went with her. It seems that in the UK the media is glorifying him for such a chivalrous act, but should a man paying for an abortion after he slept with a woman without protection be applauded?
“To be honest it was the only occasion this had happened. But I dealt with it properly and respectfully, as should anyone else in that situation. If there was a chance that she was carrying my baby I was never going to leave this poor girl struggling on her own, that’s not right.”, he claims.
Of course it’s not right – they both had sex and they both created a baby so excuse me if I don’t jump to give Scotty T a pat on the back. Would I have expected him to just say ‘good luck’ and walk away? Yes, but that just means that he is less of a sleaze than I expected, not the biggest gentleman alive.
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