Autumn 2010

Autumn 2010Issue Five

TThhee MMiillkkyy BBrraa KKiidd..SSuucckkeerrss?? TThheerree’’ss OOnneeBBoorrnn EEvveerryyMMiinnuuttee

SSppeecc--ttaaccuullaarr RReeaadd!! RRaaiissee YYoouurr GGllaasssseessaanndd YYoouurr EEyyeebbrroowwss

TThhee RReeaall VVaammppiirreessaanndd aa TToouurr TThhrroouugghhHHaauunntteedd IIrreellaanndd

onwork, romance andbody piercing

LEGAL HIGHS TAKE A DIVEECZEMA: IRELAND'S NEW RED MENACEBULLYING: THERE’S NO HIDING FROM CYBER-BULLIES

*SPRINGBOOST FOOTWEAR GIVEAWAYWIN A LUXURY WEEKEND IN INCHYDONEY WITH MOOGOOPLUS, PRIZE PUZZLES GALORE!visit waitingroom.ie

inside

PARENTING SPECIAL

IN ASSOCIATION WITHWWW.ROLLERCOASTER.IE

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YOUR FREE COPY TO TAKE HOME AUTUMN 2010 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

features06 Ryan TurbridyTWR's Maureen Corbett talks to the wunderkind of Ireland's airwaves

22 Monsters at Home and AbroadEurope's real vampires and a tourof Ireland's most supernaturally active spots

30 Glassesfrom history's functional lenses to today's fashion accessories.And a famous murder!

junior parenting specialwith www.RollerCoaster.ie

13 Morning SicknessJust a nuisance or does it have a purpose? Our medical staff take a look

15 The Milky Bra KidFor 50 years, Ireland has been the poor woman of Europe butnow, at last, breastfeeding is making a comeback – we hope!

16 Go to School on a...Jess Keane on healthy and yummy school lunchbox recipes

18 BullyingHome used to offer sanctuary untilnext morning. Not any longer...

competitions04 On the Run! Win one of three pairs ofSpringboost Footwear

10 Luxury Weekend inInchydoney from MooGoo

12 Win Tickets The Pregnancy and Baby Fair have 10 pairs to give away

27 Big Prize Crossword Win two nights at The StationHouse Hotel, Clifden, Co Galway

health10 EczemaA high price for our high standard of living

25 Rescue RemediesIdeas and products that help along the way

lifestyle04 MoneyTWR Economist Susan Hayeslooks at how it can melt awayalmost unnoticed

12 DIY Job CreationOrdinary citizens tackle the recession. What could you do?

24 Head ShopsThey may be gone for now, but we still have a problem

26 Red SquirrelsUnder threat again. Wildlife artist Richard Ward, investigates

The Waiting Room Magazine w

ill not be responsible for, nor w

ill it return, unsolicited manuscripts. Transparencies or prints subm

itted for publication are sent at the owner’s risk and, w

hile every care is taken, The Waiting Room Magazine cannot accept any liability for loss or dam

age.

The view

s expressed in the m

agazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Waiting Room Magazine. The entire contents of the magazine are the copyright of The Waiting Room Magazine and may not be reproduced in any form without the prior w

ritten consent of the publishers.

06

FROM THE EDITORDon’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking technology. There’s no way I could run one of Ireland’s largest magazines from my homedeep in the country without the internet, so I’m grateful. And I presume that you, the readers, are probably pretty happy, too,that today’s medical science and technologycan easily cure many of the conditions thatwould have killed you stone dead less than a century ago? So, like I said, technology isgreat. But is it turning into Dr Frankenstein’smonster? In country houses, the arc of chairsthat used to face the fireplace, now faces theTV set. Conversation, a.k.a social interaction,is dying. Children spend long hours playingsolitary computer games, living in someoneelse’s imagination, not their own. I worryabout that. Two of this issue’s articles deal with the

opposite sides of the technology coin.Advances in lens technology are a boon tothose with impaired vision whereas whatever‘advances’ led women in droves to abandonbreastfeeding has to be condemned by every-body as an all round Bad Thing. If your eyesare bothering you, get them seen to. If you’re a mother-to-be, make up your mind right now to go the natural way, for everyone’s sake,especially your baby’s. National BreastfeedingWeek (early October) may be a fair bit off but don’t wait for it – start now!

May I wish all our readers a speedy recovery and continued good health.

Editor Maurice O’Scanaill Medical Editor Dr Sophie FahertyContributors Susan Hayes, Maureen Corbett, Richard Ward, JohnBurghoffer, Ann Henning, Elizabeth Gleeson, Jessica Keane, Shane Leavyand Breandan O’Scanaill Managing Director Helen GunningMarketing Manager Alex Xuereb

Would you like to get in touch? Write to us at The Waiting Room Magazine,Northampton, Kinvara, Co Galway. Call us on 091 638205 or send us your email to [email protected] – check out waitingroom.ie

Summer 2010 Winners: SpringBoost: Dorothy Halpin, Kells, Co Meath; Fozia Ahmed, Lucan, Co Dublin andAlice Finn, Mitchelstown, Co CorkDream Ireland Holiday: Fiona Fennell, Ramelton, Co Donegal; Siobhan Flint, Dunshaughlin, CoMeath and Noeleen Long, Ballybrit, Galway Seven Seas Active 55 Hamper: Kevin Kearney, Dublin 14; Noreen Furlong, Co. Cork;Carol Barter, Dublin 5; Frankie Cawley, Co.Mayo; Nora Browne, Dublin 16; Kathleen Devoy, Co Laois; Anne Collins, Co Galway;Joan Usher, Co. Dublin; Una Keogh, Co Cork and Miriam Devaney, Co Sligo Crossword: Tom Corrigan, Askeaton, Co Limerick

16

YOUR FREE COPY TO TAKE HOME

1 Direct debits These are a salesperson’sdream, your authorisation for them to dip into youraccount regularly! No wonderthey tout ‘special’ offers to getthem. You sign on the dottedline and, within a short time,it’s gone out of your head, soyou just let it ride.

REMEDY: Check to see whatexactly is leaving your accountevery month: A subscription toa gym you haven’t seen since2nd January? Payments for TVchannels you never watch? Amobile phone package thatdoesn’t suit anymore? Of coursecompanies make it difficult tochange by placing all kinds ofobstacles in your way, but bepersistent. It’s your cash.

2 Casual eating and drinkingThe groceries bill is one thing,and we also have the odd fancyrestaurant meal or a Fridaynight on the town, and thesewe budget for. But what aboutconvenience eating? The lunchyou buy because it’s easier or quicker? A coffee when in town? Late night chips on the way home? Some of this is impulse-buying but muchstems from lack of planning.

REMEDY: (a) Curb yourimpulses – it’s better, financiallyand health-wise, and (b) Plan abit: make four portions of SpagBol and freeze them for those‘lazy days’, or have lunch beforegoing shopping so you won’t betempted by all those sumptuous

cafes, or get up twenty minutesearlier to make breakfastinstead of grabbing a sugary muffin on the go. Food budgetscan be far lower if we implementsmall changes.

3 Work-relatedcosts (with apologies to the 450,000 unemployed peopleto whom, unfortunately, thisdoesn’t apply at the moment.) But for the remainder: How do you get to work? Do you buy lunch and otherthings that you wouldn’t athome? What about donationstowards workmates’ birth-days, retirements, transfers,Christmas, etc.?

REMEDY: Could you considercycling or public transport or

car pooling? Betterstill, could you actually work fromhome? And those ‘at-work’ costs? Identifythem and try to cutthem down, e.g.,bring a lunch, likeyour Mam told youto. For workplace‘occasions’, suggestthat somebody makesa cake and all sign acard instead of put-

ting money towards a gift. It’sthe thought that counts andbelieve me, your (paying) col-leagues will appreciate it!

4 HabitsCan’t imagine watching TVwithout a beer or a glass ofChardonnay? Or reading apaper without coffee and aDanish? Or buying a sandwichwithout a bottle of water thatjust keeps rolling under thebrake pedal for the next fort-night? It takes about 21 days todevelop a habit that becomesingrained in the subconscious.

REMEDY:Write down everycent you spend for one week;your costly habits will jump offthe page at you.

WAYSTOSAVE... Susan Hayes, The Positive Economist, identifiesfour ‘invisible’ holes in your pocket!

For your chance toWINone of three pairsof SpringBoost Performance Footwear

simply call our hotline on 1515 415 463 or text TWR2 followed by your name, address to 57000

Terms and conditions: 18+. €1 per entry incl VAT. Calls from mobile cost more. Network charges vary. Lines close midnight 20 October 2010.Entries made after the close date will not count and you may be charged. SP Phonovation Ltd. PO Box 6, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Helpline 0818217100.

“Our identical twin boys were born by emergencyC-section, 5 weeks early. The first thing I noticedwas that Luka was bright red and Tadhg wassnow white – we made a joke about that and Ididn't think any more about it. The boys werebrought to the infant ICU to help them get over a few challenges because of their early delivery. It turned out that the boys had had Twin to

Twin Transfusion Syndrome, which had not beendiagnosed in pregnancy. Luka was getting all thegoodness from the placenta, at the expense ofTadhg's health. Luka's red colour was due to araised haemoglobin of 24, while Tadhg's was just8. It was a blessing in disguise that the boys had

arrived early and thesyndrome hadn’t pro-gressed further. The fol-lowing morning, Tadhgreceived a blood trans-fusion – some stranger’sblood that I am eter-nally grateful for. Thelittle fella has beenthriving ever since!”

For more information on becoming a donorplease call 1850 731 137. Or visit giveblood.ie orfacebook.com/giveblood

Blood BrothersBlood transfusions are used in routine and emergency surgery, road accidents and childbirth. Recipients can be of any age, as Elizabeth Gleeson discovered.

5

Keeping TabsonYour Tablets‘Poor adherence to treatment of chronic diseases is a worldwideproblem of striking magnitude.’ WHOUnicarepharmacy and DocMorrisPharmacy introduce MyMed, a newdesign that makes it easier to keeptrack of even complex medicationregimes. With easy-open compart-ments and contrasting colours tofacilitate failing sight, MyMed hasbeen endorsed by Age ActionIreland, The Carers Association and Comfort Keepers.

BBeeffoorree yyoouu eevveenn lleeaavvee

hhoommee,, mmaakkee ssuurree yyoouu hhaavvee

aallll yyoouurr ddooccuummeennttaattiioonn::

• PPS number and medical card –

needed for any form of certification.

• Full list of symptoms and history;

don’t rely on memory while you’re

with the GP.

• If you think there may be a family

history, check it out with relatives.

• List of questions you want to

ask the doctor.

• If you’d feel happier if someone

accompanied you, make the arrange-

ment in time.

• Make a note of the name and

strength of any medicines you

may have been taking without the

GP’s knowledge.

• If you suspect you may have an

infectious condition like measles,

inform reception by phone so you

don’t end up sitting amongst other

patients, infecting them.

AAss ssoooonn aass yyoouu aarrrriivvee::

• If you think the doctor may need a

urine sample, ask for a bottle and have

the sample when you meet the doctor.

• Inform receptionist if you have an

issue to be attended to other than

the one you originally cited.

DDuurriinngg tthhee ccoonnssuullttaattiioonn::

• Pay close attention to what the doctor

says. Write things down if necessary.

• Always tell the truth, even if you

find it embarrassing – the doctor

won’t be shocked.

• Don’t use ambiguous euphemisms like

calling regular heavy drinking sessions

‘a couple of pints every now and then’.

• Don’t be shy to ask for clarification

or an explanation.

• Ask when the doctor reckons you

ought to begin to feel better.

• Ask how long to postpone a revisit if

the expected result is not materialising.

AAfftteerrwwaarrddss::

• Carry out instructions conscientiously.

• Always finish a course of treat-

ment, even after you’ve begun to

feel absolutely fine.

• Keep notes of how you are progressing,

in case you have to go back to the GP.

Getting themostout of your GPvisitNobody likes waiting. Ever. Yet

it’s amazing how much waiting is self-

inflicted. You should come to the doctor’s fully prepared to get y

ourself

through as quickly as possible and get the greatest benefit from

your visit.

All that’s required is a little forethought.

470

3000

6-8

5litres of blood in ahuman body

8per cent of the populationmake up theblood group O negative, theuniversal donor

1in 4 of us willneed a bloodtransfusion atsome stage inour lives

millilitres isthe amount of blood takenat a donationand this iscalled a Unit

is the numberof units ofblood requiredper week

weeks is theaverage timetaken for thebody toreplace oneblood donation

BLOODCOUNT

HEALINGHOWLERS:Real medical records actuallyproduced these hilarious ‘gems’!

“When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the room.” “The patient is tearful and cryingconstantly. She also appears to be depressed.” “On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it disappeared.” “The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.” “She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.” “Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.”“Patient's medical history has beenremarkably insignificant, with only a40lb weight gain in the past 3 days.”

AUTUMN 2010 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

hea

lth

6 THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2010 YOUR FREE COPY TO TAKE HOME

interv

iew

Are you a workaholic? I love whatI do but I don’t overdo it, so I’mgoing to say ‘No’ to that question!

Which broadcasting mediumgives you the greatest ‘buzz’?Well, they are two very different disciplines. Radio is like a calmbreakfast with tea and toast, whiletelevision is like bungee jumpingafter five cans of Red Bull.

Do you agree with the commonperception that the Dublin basedmedia world is not always ‘intune’ with life outside The Pale?It is a fairly common complaint andoften a legitimate one, but I havealways tried to buck that trend. Weuse non–Dublin voices as much aspossible and this year we travelledaround the country more than anyother show on Radio 1. We try todo our best in that regard and wewill definitely continue to do so on 2FM.

Will your new 2FM morningshow aim to have the same‘earthy’ tones as the GerryRyan show or be somethingcompletely new? The term‘earthy’ is an interesting way ofdescribing the tone of the GerryRyan show. Without giving awaytoo much about my upcomingshow, I can honestly say that thelisteners will certainly experiencea side to me that they have notheard before. It will be a morehonest and direct approach toboth interviews and opinion. Allwill be revealed later this summer,so tune in!

What is your opinion on the headshop debate? I haveabsolutely no interest in the debateabout headshops. I had never evenheard about them until all themedia hype started.

Have you been bitten by theonline social networking bug?Yes, afraid so. I love Twitter. It is per-fect for someone who doesn’t have a

heap of time but enjoys the randomnature of the discussion points thatemerge every day. It is also a usefulforum for me to test public opinionbefore we do an item on the show.

Do you think that the state of thenation’s moral health is a causefor concern? The nation’s moralhealth is something that should bedealt with at the most local levelpossible, the home.

As a parent, what do you feel arethe greatest challenges facingIrish parents today? I think thewhole culture of buying children too much just for peace of mind has become the greatest challengeparents today have to face. There are so many things that children can and should enjoy for free, suchas museums, libraries, parks, etc. Get out there and enjoy what we, as a nation, own.

Academic achievement aside,what were the highlights ofyour life as a student? I lovedthe social life at UCD. There wasalways some debate raging some-where and a few pints added tothe rubbish talked while proppingup the bar.

What is your attitude to binge-drinking? Among other things,my Dad always taught me to dothings in moderation. It is a valu-able lesson; however, I have beenknown to forget it and to breakthe rules on occasion.

What would be your response if in the future your teenagedaughter came to you askingfor permission to get bodypiercings done? Three wordsevery Irish father knows only toowell, “Ask your mother!”

What is your favourite book of all time? Hmm-tough ques-tion! It veers from anything byRoald Dahl to Never Let Me Go(Ishiguro) and A ClockworkOrange (Burgess).

Who has been the most influ-ential person in your life todate?Without a doubt, themost influential person in myprofessional life was the lateGerry Ryan. He was a dear friend and a great mentor.

If you were to compile a‘Bucket List’ at this point inyour life, what would it con-tain? At this stage of my life I amactually running out of thingsthat I really want to do. My hopesand dreams for the future arefocused on my daughters now.

If you wanted to make the ulti-mate romantic gesture whatwould it be? Ah now, that wouldbe telling, but suffice to say that itwould definitely involve a remoteisland off the coast of Clifden, aturf fire and yes, simple is good!

I HAVE BEENKNOWN TO FORGETIT AND TO BREAK THE RULES ON OCCASION

Join Ryan every weekday morning on 2FM from 9am to 11am or catch himevery Friday night onThe Late Late Showfrom 9:30pm on RTÉ One

7YOUR FREE COPY TO TAKE HOME AUTUMN 2010 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

interview

Ireland's wunderkind of broadcasting, chats to Maureen Corbett about life, work, romance and... body piercings

RyanTubridy


Eczema is not the onlycause of skin irritationand inflammation, but, withone in five children affectedto some degree, and one in20 adults, it is little shortof a scourge. And the incidenceis increasing, especially in the devel-oped world. This is true of allergicconditions in general, like asthmaand hay-fever, perhaps because ourimmune systems, honed to fight offthe constant challenges faced by earlyhumans, are ‘under-utilized’ in ourmodern, western, super-controlledenvironments and overreact to rela-

tively harmless triggers, like pollenand dust.Eczema, a generalised term, is

arbitrarily divided into sub-types,but nearly everything about it isvague – boundaries between types,severity of signs, frequency of flare-ups, areas affected, predictabilityof response to triggers.Apart from providing us with

a human-shaped ‘bag’ to keepour insides from flopping about allover the place, normal, healthy skinkeeps out external substances, harm-ful and harmless. Healthy skin con-sists, in layman’s terms, of layers of

cells, plump with fluids, andcemented together with a fatty‘mortar’. In eczematous patches,the cells are not as fluid-filled,nor the fatty mortar as tight(causing the dry roughness) and,of course, being defective, harm-ful environmental substances getthrough. Some of these will be‘triggers’ that set off the immunesystem, giving rise to redness,itchiness, soreness and, in severecases, cracking and bleeding.This, in turn, can open the wayfor bacteria, viruses and fungi,leading to secondary f

Secondaryinfectioncan leadto cellulitis.People havedied fromcellulitis.

Eczemaagrowingproblem

health

YOUR FREE COPY TO TAKE HOME

f Eczema continued...

conditions like cellulitis. Peoplehave died from cellulitis.For eczema to occur, three fac-

tors are needed: (a) a dry, ineffec-tive skin barrier, (b) the presenceof a penetrating ‘trigger’ and (c)the individual’s immune responseto that trigger. Therefore, to con-trol eczema – there is no cure, assuch – each of these factors mustbe combated where possible.

Dry Skin. This very commoncondition is where the problembegins. Frequent and regular useof a suitable emollient (non-cos-metic moisturiser) is essential.Emollients can be creams,lotions, ointments, oils, etc.and excellent products are com-mercially available. Your doctormay suggest a particular one.Moisturising your dry skinwill help to keep out triggers.

Avoiding Triggers.But you must first identifyyour particular trigger/s fromamongst many possibilities.You may be able to associatea flare-up with exposure to acertain environment or sub-stance, but it may take a morethorough investigation. Doctorsuse a Patch Test to isolate trig-gers – numbers of suspect testpatches are stuck, usually onthe back, and left for a few days.When they are peeled off, thesubstances that have causedinflammation are triggers – foryou. Several tests may be neededto identify all your triggers.

Controlling your immunesystem. Knocking out yourimmune system is not an optionbecause, though it is being ‘silly’by overreacting to something asinnocuous as a nickel ear-stud,it is also protecting you againstreally bad things like viruses.Unfortunately we can’t yet switchit off for peanuts or nickel ear-studs but leave it on for theBlack Death bug!A ‘cure’ for eczema doesn’t

exist. All one can do is alleviatethe existing symptoms. If youhave severe inflammation, yourdoctor may recommend a steroidcream to reduce the reaction anddiscomfort locally and give youa chance to get back to what is‘normal’ for you – dry skin anda poor barrier to triggers. Thenat least you can take steps tokeep it like that.A novel way to clear away

damaged skin cells is to sit ina tub with lots of busy DoctorFish! These industrious littleguys, natives of Turkey, are algaeeaters and they make short workof cleaning away all the dry,flaky bits. It may not be every-one’s idea of heaven but I’mtold that they do a great job!

Coping with eczema is diffi-cult enough but when yourjob sometimes demands fair-ly scanty clothing, it can be anightmare. Glamorous, multi-Grammy winning superstar,LeAnn Rimes does justthat. Having suffered sincechildhood from the condi-tion, she has managed toget on with her hectic andglitzy life and is a positiverole-model for eczema suf-ferers. LeAnn talks openlyabout her problems. "For

me, at this point in my life, it's to spread the word thatyou're not alone," she says. "That's why I really wanted to come out andtalk about it. I feel I have it under control right now, but hopefully children,young women, young men who feel they have nobody to relate to, willfinally see otherwise because of my speaking on the subject.”

ECZEMACOPING WITH

With some notableexceptions, politiciansof all parties have beentaking a credibilitynosedive recently. Respecthas been slipping for years, but thepunch-drunk electorate now takesa generally jaundiced view of themand their efforts on our behalf.Successive scandals have groundus down while timely but farfetchedcases of ‘fortuitous amnesia’ havemade us wish we could forget aboutthem. Many now believe that politi-cians in general act intheir own interests and– the ultimate goal –to keep theirseats. Thatis, if they


do-it-y

ourself

We have 10 pairs of tickets togive away for The Pregnancy &Baby Fair at the RDS, Dublin

on the 9th & 10th OctoberThis event promises everything for babies, childrenand families all under one roof – with shopping,

entertainment, demonstrations and expert advice,a visit to the Pregnancy & Baby Fair is essential

for any parent. For further information visitwww.pregnancyandbabyfair.ie

For your chance to win, just tell us:In which month is The Pregnancy

& Baby Fair being held?a) August b) September c) October

To enter, text TWR1 followed by youranswer, name, address to 53307

Terms and conditions: 18+. €0.60 per entry incl VAT. Network charges vary on SMS.Lines close midnight 3 October 2010. Entries made after the close date do not

count and you may be charged. SP Phonovation Ltd. PO Box 6, Dun Laoghaire,Co Dublin. Helpline 0818217100. By entering this competition you may be contacted

in the future regarding other promotions.

Dragon’s DenThese uncertain times have forcedpeople to start thinking for them-selves, taking initiatives and com-ing up with ideas. The popularityof the TV programme, TheDragon’s Den, attests to this.Recent ‘winners’ were two brightand enthusiastic young women,Claire Finnan and Jennifer Shaw,both with backgrounds in thehealth and caring sector.Claire explains: “We had determi-

nation, ambition and motivation and,every morning, we would brainstormon how to make our millions. Therejust had to be a way!With 75,000+births in Ireland in2008, Europe’s high-est birth rate, wereckoned we hadidentified our nichemarket and Ireland’sPregnancy & BabyFair was born!”

So far, so good, but what aboutfinance? The banks were receivingbillions from the taxpayer in onehand, but tightening their grip onloans with the other, so the girls hadto look elsewhere. “We applied toRTE’s The Dragon’s Den with ourgreat idea, big dreams and an enthu-siasm that initially entertained theDragons and in the end won themover!” says Jennifer Shaw. After anervous start, the girls impressedfour of the five Dragons – the fifth,Gavin Duffy, later joined the team.With such support and input from

further sponsors, the Pregnancy &Baby Fair has flourished and is setto be the biggest baby event in thecountry and a regular feature onthe RDS calendar.Entrepreneur, Sarah Newman con-

cludes, “We have to harness entrepre-neurial spirit and help people take thechances. Meeting the girls was a breathof fresh air; their enthusiasm and opti-mism was in stark contrast to whatwe’ve been fed in the media. Thatalone was worth backing!”

DownbutnotoutJobs, Jobs, Jobs! Ordinary citizens go it alone

are not about to retire, in whichcase, they’ll want to pass it on totheir next of kin. This is anotherreason for public disquiet. For arepublic that has yet to celebrate itscentenary, we are rapidly re-evolv-ing a thriving crop of ruling fami-lies – a few titles here and thereand we’ll soon be back in the sameboat again. And while our fledglingdynasties are busy sinking theirrootlets deep into the body politic,bloated, top-heavy, bureaucraticstate bodies, that can’t even runthemselves, are supposed to beleading the country to recovery.

Growing numbers of concernedand very able citizens remain stoni-ly unimpressed.

Get Ireland WorkingNiall Mellon saw a desperate housingneed in South Africa’s townships andjust did something about it. In fact,he did a lot. In the same Cut-The-Crap spirit, many talented peoplehave come together to concentratetheir skills into job creation projects.One of the most promising is GIWT(Get Ireland Working Team) whichhas such respected members as econ-omist, David McWilliams, ex-GAApresident, Nicky Brennan, and Prof.Robert Galavan, School of Businessand Law, NUI Maynooth. Please,please visit their website www.gwit.ieto register your approval and sup-port; it won’t cost you a cent.

Over 50% of pregnant women suf-fer from it, usually in the firstthree months, but sometimes throughoutpregnancy. Sometimes it happens earlier – thefirst hint that a woman is pregnant.Technically speaking, Morning Sickness

isn’t a sickness at all. Opinions vary as to itscauses and its purpose.One theory is that the big increase in hor-

mones circulating in the blood during preg-nancy causes the condition. This is support-ed by the fact that non-pregnant women onhormonal contraceptives or HRT also expe-rience Morning Sickness.Another theory is that it may be a natural

protective mechanism to put a pregnantwoman off much of her usual diet. Why?For the first three months, the foetus is par-ticularly sensitive to even mild, naturally-occurring toxins that have little or no effectin later life. Morning Sickness may also pro-

tect the mother herself as her defencemechanisms will have been depressed(to allow her to tolerate this ‘foreign’ entitygrowing in her womb), so her body maybe less able to deal with these everyday tox-ins. In support of this proposition, it hasbeen noted that foodstuffs with strong tastesand smells usually contain higher levels ofthese ‘harmless’ toxins and these are theones that most sufferers can’t stomach –literally! So, even if you’re lucky enoughnot to suffer from Morning Sickness, youmight wish to avoid ‘strong’,potentially toxic, foods.Of course, always discuss

your full range of experienceswith your health professionalduring routine check-ups,but most mothers have theirown ‘tips’ on how to dealwith that queasy feeling.

Juniorin association with

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

Why do75 per cent of IrishChildren suffer from TOOTHDECAY by the age of 15?BULLYING

Once there was respite at home but

now the internet lets bullies follow their

victims relentlessly, day and night.


Share yourpregnancy experiences

with Mammies at thesame stage as you at

www.RollerCoaster.ie

EasingMorningSickness!Top tips fromMammies on


It’s just as well that the joy and wonder of holding a new-born baby wipes most mothers’ memory clean becausemany mothers suffer long and hard to get to that point.And we’re not talking labour and childbirth here.

Goodmorning?

One of the nursesrecommendedsucking a wine gum.I think it brought upmy blood sugar levels.Not too sure, but itworked for me!

Nibble on crackers when you first wakeso there’s something in your stomach.I kept a pack of crackers on the bedsidelocker and ate 2 in bed, first thing, beforeI'd even got out of the bed, before my feettouched the floor.

I’ve been using seasickness bands, whichseem to work. Peppermint tea is a fantas-tic tummy-settler – definitely give it a go.

I took Vitamin B6 every day. It didn’tcompletely get rid of the sickness butbrought it down to much more manage-able levels. Check first with a doctor.

Ginger is a natural remedy thatrelieves nausea, so have a few ginger-snaps or Nairns ginger oat biscuits.

I felt sick in the afternoon and evenings.It was worse with an empty stomach,so I ate every 3 hours or so.

GOOD-TO-GOHEALTHY LUNCH BOX IDEAS

...andmore!


The only species thatseems to have a problemwith this most basic bio-logical process is us,Homo sapiens – in particular, theover-precious, westernised version ofH. sapiens. And, to our shame, we inIreland are the poor men (or, in thiscase, women) of Europe, a low spotwe have occupied for two genera-tions now. Why?It can’t be that we don’t know any

better: the simplest small farmerknows that a baby animal that isfree to suckle its mother whenever itfeels the need to is far healthier andthrives far better than one fed milksubstitutes at designated times con-venient for the farmer. This funda-mental rule of nature holds true forall species, even humans. A speciesapart we may be, but only intellec-tually; biologically, we’re far fromspecial and we flaunt nature’s basiclaws at a cost.Whatever the original cause for

the dramatic decline in breastfeed-ing – misguided, ignorance-basedfashion, or unprincipled pressurefrom the commercial interests ofthat era – it’s likely that behaviour

patterns are reinforced by example:perhaps today’s continuing low per-centage is because young mothersdidn’t see their mothers breastfeed-ing. Peer pressure may also be atwork, e.g., some women comingto Ireland from societies wherebreastfeeding is almost universal,now choose not to, just to be seento fit in. Another factor may belack of confidence, though everymother, apart from a rare few (inall mammal species), is pro-grammed to produce milk at thesame time that she gives birth.

PUBLIC DISAPPROVALA significant off-putting factoris undoubtedly the relatively highlevel of public disapproval inIreland for breastfeeding in publicplaces: a young mother may decidethat she has enough to worryabout without being stared at oreven chastised for embarrassingpeople, being an exhibitionist,making people uncomfortable.The benefits of breastfeeding are

so marked that virtually every coun-try in the world promotes and facili

tates it. At least in this regard, we areno exception and it is actually illegalto ask a nursing mother to stop, orto request that she leave a publicarea while she is doing so.

CHOICEIn a drive to facilitate a choice thatought to be a no-brainer for anymother with the best interests ofher infant at heart, breastfeedingis being encouraged at all levels.Mothers-to-be are being madeaware of its advantages and thedisadvantages of opting not to.And the public is being exhortedto facilitate nursing mothers inevery way possible. Signs like‘You AreWelcome To Breastfeed YourBaby Here’ should be prominentlydisplayed in public places, both asan encouragement to mothers andas a deterrent to those who might,misguidedly, complain.

� FACTSOnly 50% of Irishmothers breastfeed

This is the lowestfigure in Europe

Those who do,often stop too soon– average 4 months,whereas 2 years

is optimum

Our acceptanceof breastfeedingin public is low

Mothers need to con-tinue to be careful ofwhat they consume– or is that bad???

☺ FACTSThere is a slow butsteady increase in

the numbers of breast-feeding mothers

Mother’s milk is theperfect food for babies

Mother’s milk providesprotective antibodies tothe vulnerable newborn

Mother’s milk isrich in Calcium

which, along withVitamin D, is essentialfor healthy bone andteeth development

Breastfed childrentend to be healthier

and stronger

No risk of harmfulBisphenol A contami-nation from some plas-

tic containers

Contrary to what thefashion, ‘adult’ enter-tainment, and market-ing industries mighthave us believe, themammary glands haveevolved for one pur-pose only, to producethe absolutely ideal food needed to nourish the young of each species.

Get support from otherbreastfeeding mothers and

visit the Breastfeeding Discussion Board on


TheMilkyBraKid

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2010 YOUR FREE COPY TO TAKE HOME

Perfect snacks for the kid’s lunchbox;rich in protein with a few veggieshidden deep inside.

1 tbsp of olive oil1 red pepper, finely diced1 medium onion, finely diced1 handful of peas, thawed6 slices of smoked bacon, diced120g cheddar, grated120g crème fraîche5 eggs and pepper

Gently soften the onion and redpepper in olive oil. Put aside andadd the peas. Fry the bacon.Whisk the eggs, crème fraîche,cheddar and pepper together, thenadd the vegetables and bacon.Spoon into a muffin tray – theyshould be nearly full. Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned. Leavefor 5 minutes then transfer to awire rack to cool.

Mini BaconFrittatasGLUTEN-FREE WHEAT-FREE

No one food or food groupprovides all of the nutri-ents we need for goodhealth, so keep lunch boxoptions varied. Simple and bite-sized foods add interest foryounger children. Cut sandwichesinto fun shapes with a pastry cut-ter. Strips, circles or triangles ofvegetables with a dip of hummousor yoghurt and mint and piecesof fruit like plums, strawberriesor easy-peel oranges, work well.The sandwich is the standard

on-the-go food. The key is vari-ety. Try wholemeal bread, brown

soda bread, rye bread, wholemealpittas or wraps.Motivate older children to

choose healthier foods insteadof chicken nuggets, sausage rollsor chips. Explain that good foodchoices may help them to growtaller, to concentrate, to improveat sport and to have good skin.Pasta or noodle salads or flasksof home-made soup work well.Remember, one of the best

ways to influence your childrenis to set an example so take yourown nutritious, packed lunch towork too!

Goodtogo

Jess gives essential, practical advice on food and nutrition – help-ing you to take control of what you eat, to speed up your recovery,helping you to feel healthy, strong and energised. Visit www.jkn.ie

Packing school lunches with nutritious foods is one important wayfor us to contribute to our children’s life-long health, says nutritionistJess Keane. The challenge is to be creative.

Chicken Pasta Saladwith Ricotta & PestoGLUTEN-FREE (USE MILLET AND RICE

FUSILLI PASTA)

DAIRY-FREE (OMIT RICOTTA CHEESE)

Ideal for your older kids to take to school or even for yourself

to take to work. It’s a good balance of carbohydrates, protein

and 2 portions of vegetables providing a nutritious and sus-

taining lunch. If you want to sneak in some omega fats (for

skin, brain, heart and immune health), swap 1 tablespoon

of olive oil for flaxseed oil.

400g dried wholemeal fusilli pasta

4 small cooked chicken breasts, in bite-sizepieces

360g green beans, topped and tailed, cut into 3

360g cherry tomatoes, halved250g of ricotta cheese1 handful of fresh basil leaves2 handful of fresh chives1 garlic clove, slicedJuice and zest of half lemon2 tbsp of olive oil and black pepper

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water, following

packet directions, until just tender. Drain and transfer to a

large bowl. Cook the beans for 2 minutes in boiling water.

Drain. Refresh under cold water. Meanwhile, make pesto

– blend basil, chives, lemon rind, garlic, lemon juice and

olive oil. Add the pesto to the pasta and mix well. Add the

ricotta and gently stir in. Add beans, tomato

and chicken. Season with pepper.Top with a few extrabasil leaves.

kidslove It


These biscuits are made fromwholemeal flour, oats, flaxseed,almonds and raisins. Thereforethey are full of fibre and con-tain a little bit of protein andomega fats. This means theymay have less effect on yourblood sugar levels (i.e. betterconcentration, maybe lesstantrums and less cravings forsweet food). So for the dayswhen you run out of fruitand yoghurt options, theselittle yumminesses are a betterchoice than a shop-boughtbiscuit or chocolate bar.

Makes 24 biscuits200g unsalted butter150g brown sugar1 tsp vanilla extract2 large eggs280g wholemeal spelt flour140g porridge flakes3 tbsp ground flaxseed1 heaped tsp baking soda1 level tsp baking powder140g raisins50g flaked almonds,crushed

Preheat oven to 190°C.Grease a baking tray. Beatbutter, sugar, vanilla andeggs until light and fluffy.In a big bowl mix the flour,oats, flaxseed, baking soda,baking powder, raisins andalmonds. Add the butter,sugar and egg mixture. Mixwell. Divide the mixtureinto 24 golf-ball-sized balls.Drop onto the baking sheet,leaving 2 inches betweeneach one, press down slight-ly on them to flatten. Bakeon the middle shelf of theoven for 10-15 minutesuntil lightly browned.

Why do75%of Irish Childrensuffer from

TOOTH DECAYbythe age of 15?

Dentists have called on theMinister for Health and Childrento introduce ‘warning’ labelsfor carbonated soft drinks toincrease public awareness oftheir danger to oral and generalhealth. They also want the sugarcontent of food and drinks to behighlighted. Dr Billy Davis, thePresident of the IDA, said the healthwarning system has worked well fortobacco and alcohol and it is nowtime to put similar warnings on foodand drink products. Apart from thedanger to teeth, excess sugar con-sumption leads to increase in heartdisease and diabetes. On average,each Irish person drinks more than

100 litres of these drinks per year,making us one of the highest con-sumer-nations in the western world.

With 75 per cent of our childrenaffected by age 15, tooth decay isthe most common chronic diseaseof the young. The highest riskoccurs in children from deprivedbackgrounds and, as it is these chil-dren whose routine dental care willbe most hit by cutbacks in the med-ical card scheme, it is most impor-tant that the ‘warning’ labels beintroduced without delay.

Spelt, Oat &Raisin BiscuitsWHEAT-FREE

Read more tips and adviceat www.RollerCoaster.ie

Phoebe Prince left Fanorein Co. Clare with her motherand sister in the autumnof 2009 for a new life inAmerica. A few short months later,the pretty fifteen-year-old was dead,hounded by the remorseless bullyingof a gang of ‘normal’ high-schoolteenagers into a pitch-dark place ofdespair. Phoebe almost made it homeon January 14th, but not quite; her‘baby’ sister, Lauren (12), arrivingshortly after, found Phoebe’s lifelessbody in the stairwell to their 2ndFloor apartment, hanging by theorange scarf that Lauren had givenher for Christmas. Not that makingit home would have made much dif-ference to Phoebe – when the school-bell ended the opportunities for face-to-face torment, cyber bullying tookover via torrents of jeering, sneeringmessages to her phone and Facebook.When the extent of the abuse becamepublic, there was outrage, and indict-ments have now been brought againsta group of her fellow students; theinaction of teachers and staff has alsobeen heavily criticised though, as yet,no charges have been laid. One ofthe more shocking facts uncovered bythe investigation was that, even afterPhoebe died, abusive material contin-ued to pour into her Facebook page.

Sadly, the world headlinesengendered by Phoebe’s case aren’tbecause of its rarity – on any given day,there are many thousands of Phoebesin schools all around the world, youngadolescents whose already complex livesare made a living hell by their peersand/or superiors. Many follow Phoebe’spath, unable to take any more; othersmanage to avoid this ultimate act butend up psychologically broken for life.

Who knows why some humans,who would vehemently deny thatthey are twisted sadists, turn soviciously on their own kind, victimswho pose them no threat? f


The very word is ugly. Tormenting the weak,the defenceless, the vulnerable, the different,

the new, the ‘strange’. Among our manyunattractive human traits, bullying stands

out as one of the most contemptible.

BullyingEvenafter

Phoebedied,

abusivematerial

continuedto pour

into herFacebook

page

For practicaltips and adviceon parenting findall your questions

answered atwww.RollerCoaster.ie

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2010 YOUR FREE COPY

f Bullying continued...

I found onevery chilling(and enlighten-ing) account inan award-win-ning piece writ-ten by JohnBurghoffer (10)of Eagle’s NestSchool, Renvyle,Connemara, Co.Galway (see inset).

Fact is, ourschools are justtraining grounds.Bullying isingrained in thefabric of adult insti-tutions – business,prisons, armedforces – with recent, new entrantsinvariably being the targets. In theRussian army, Dedovshchina, aninfamous tradition of systematical-ly bullying young recruits that aBBC report termed ‘horrific’, caus-es many deaths every year;Deepcut army base in Surrey saw

four suicidesamong youngsoldiers sub-jected to outra-geous bullyingby their superi-ors; the 1992film ‘A FewGood Men’gives a fasci-nating insightinto the ‘clos-ing-ranks’reflex in acompany ofUS Marinesto a fatalityarising from

a ‘Code Red’ punish-ment of a maverick soldier‘ordered’ by the base commander.

It’s back to school time, both forvictims and bullies, and any lullthat may have taken place duringthe summer cease-fire will soon behistory. It is vital for parents towatch for signs that their childrenmay be suffering silently, ashamed

or afraid to report it. It is evenmore vital for parents to size uptheir little darlings with an objec-tive eye to check that they are notfostering, in the bosom of the fami-ly home, a young horror who issome other unfortunate kid’s wak-ing nightmare.

Victims may be terrified and inneed of protection but bullies aresick and in need of help.

The extendedfamily has largelyvanished, leavinginexperiencedparents to copealone with ailingchildren. Theresult: unneces-sary worry and

doctor visits.When Your Child Is Sick fills that vitalgap. Consultant paediatrician, Prof AlfNicholson, calmly discusses the toptwenty children’s ailments and how youshould react to each. A great comfort.

Recent research by Bank of Irelandand Schooldays.ie has estimatedthat it will cost almost €70,000to educate a child until the endof a 4-yr. third level course. Andthat’s in NON-fee paying schools!

With a year of ‘essentials’ at pri-mary school costing €1,500+, sec-ondary €2,000+ and third level€10,300+ it is imperative to makeprovision early. Child Benefit pay-

ments and later, as the childgrows, the sums no longerrequired for childmindingand crèche fees should reallybe ring-fenced for educationand there are some tailor-made savings vehicles avail-able, like Bank of IrelandLife’s SmartChoiceEducation Plan. Visitwww.bankofirelandlife.iefor more.

Free Education? Not!

EVERY BULLY’S DREAMI was every bully’s dream. Theywere drawn to me like bees tohoney. Such easy game: I musthave been irresistible.

The minute someone wilfullyattacked me, verbally or physically,I broke right down, burst into tears:submission, humiliation complete.Bully’s mission accomplished.

How I hated myself for being soweak! For not being able to standup for myself. It left me with adeep sense of shame.

I was too innocent to know thatit isn’t weakness to feel aggrievedas you discover brutality where youexpected friendship, duplicity whereyou had placed your trust, malicewhere you had felt devotion.

At a later stage I learnt thatthis particular despair was noton behalf of my own person. I felt– still feel – that same lump in mythroat whenever faced with humaniniquity: tales of tortured kittens,gratuitous violence; documentarieson the Holocaust; reports of cur-rent war atrocities.

However, my lament is not forthe victims, whose souls no wan-ton cruelty can touch; but forthose misguided wretches, whodeliberately have taken their leaveof the only thing worth living for:the only thing that gives life value.

Rejecting and negating humankindness, they’ve placed them-selves beyond its reach. For themthere is no hope, no redemption.

Now, as my tears fall for them,I am no longer ashamed.

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www.RollerCoaster.ie says that it isimportant to be aware of signs that yourchild is being bullied – or that your childcould be engaging in bullying behaviour. If

you have any suspicions, let the schoolknow.However, be sensitive about how youinform the school, as children often don’twant teachers to know, or fear that thesituation will worsen if it is highlighted.

For tips and advice on bullying, visit www.RollerCoaster.ie

feature

TTHHEE VVAAMMPPIIRREE kkeeeeppss ttoo tthheesshhaaddoowwss,, bbrruuttaalliissiinngg hhiiss iinnnnoo--cceenntt vviiccttiimmss,, sshhuunnnniinngg ssuunnlliigghhtt,,mmiirrrroorrss aanndd ggaarrlliicc.. Hollywood blamedDracula, Satan and his legions; Spanish neu-rologist, Juan Gomez-Alonso, blamed rabies.Watching a vampire film back in 1981, henoticed that several of the traits vampiresexhibited were common to victims of rabies.

Rabies sufferers can be insomniac and agi-tated, even violent, as the virus attacks thepart of the brain responsible for aggressiveand sexual behaviour; they can develop sensi-tivity to light, mirrors, water and strong smells,like garlic; facial spasms cause their lips topull back in a brutish grimace, and victimssometimes vomit blood. So, here were blood-drooling insomniacs, wandering about at nightwith snarling mouths, attacking – and some-times biting – their neighbours. Bitten neigh-bours in turn caught rabies and, like conta-gious vampirism, began to develop the symp-toms themselves. Gomez-Alonso noted that awave of vampire reports in 1720s Hungarycoincided with a rabies epidemic.

WWEERREEWWOOLLVVEESSDecades before Gomez-Alonso, Britishresearcher, Ian Woodward, argued that rabies,with its contagious nature and violent, animal-istic behaviour of its victims, was also respon-sible for the werewolf myth. But, in 1964, DrLee Illis blamed porphyria, the disease somebelieve was responsible for the madness ofKing George III, noting that early depictions ofwerewolves described people who wandered

about at night, with pale skin having a yellow-ish or greenish tint and many open sores, ared mouth, unsteady eyes and ‘disorderedbehaviour’. Some were, unsurprisingly fortransformed wolves, described as being‘hairy’. Illis pointed out that porphyria cancause sensitivity to light, skin lesions, ulcersthat cause mutilation of facial features, hairgrowth and reddish coloured teeth. There canalso be changes in behaviour, ‘ranging frommild hysteria to manic-depressive psychosesand delirium.’

ZZOOMMBBIIEESSIn the 1980s, while zombie horror movies likeReturn of the Living Dead reinforced Westernstereotypes of brain-devouring zombiecorpses, Harvard ethnobotanist, Wade Davis,was looking at the Haitian roots of the myth,wondering if stories of people being raisedfrom the dead and made into mindless slavesby special Voodoo sorcerers might have amedical explanation. He argued that occasion-ally victims were deliberately poisoned withthe chemical tetrodotoxin, taken from pufferfish, to put them into a death-like trance.When the victim came around again, afterbeing considered dead by his community, his own religious and cultural beliefs com-bined with the drug’s psychoactive effects lefthim at the power of the ‘sorcerer’ who hadpoisoned him. The victim then became anunquestioning servant, a baffled, undead‘zombie’ unable to think or act for himself.

Theoretical physicist Costas J. Efthimiousuggested that ‘zombie behaviour’ could be

explained by oxygen deprivation from beingburied in airtight coffins, and tells of an ado-lescent boy from a small Haitian village whobecame ill, ‘died’, then reappeared shortlyafterwards, having apparently dug his way out of his own grave. He suffered memoryloss, and an MRI scan showed brain lesionsnormally associated with oxygen deprivation.

BBUUTT...... DDOONN’’TT PPAANNIICC!!But Efthimiou has one piece of good newsfor us: vampires almost certainly don’t exist.He argues that, if (a) vampirism is contagious,and (b) vampires are immortal, then their pop-ulation growth must be exponential: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and so on. And so, if each vampire wereto infect even only one new human per month,then, within ten months, the vampire popula-tion would be 512. At twenty months it wouldhave risen to 524,288, and, by thirty months,it would have reached 536,870,912, whichwould have involved the earth’s total humanpopulation for the early 17th century!

A pleasant thought, that: Dracula can’texist, because if he did, we wouldn’t.

We’re coming to get youMost of us take vampires

and werewolves with apinch of modern-day skep-tical salt. But they didn'tin the old days – and withvery good reason... by ShANE LEAVy


feature

HauntedIrelandThe Island of Saints and Scholars couldequally be called The Island of Ghosts andHorrors because, after Scotland, Irelandhas the largest number of haunted loca-tions, ranging from old castles, to bighouses, to tiny cottages and fields.

To her horror,

she sawthat the

strangerhad a

cloven foot; she

screamed,and the

stranger disap-

peared in a puff of

smoke

We’re coming to get you There’s hardly a part of Ireland that

doesn’t have some ghostly manifes-tation, so, if you dare, let’s take ashort tour.

Leap Castle in Offaly is reputed tobe the most haunted, with at leastthree ghosts: a young daughter ofone of the owners walks the castle atnight, weeping and moaning; a priest(one of the O’Carrolls, the castle’sowners during the 15th and 16thcentury) who was murdered by hisbrother in the chapel now known asthe ‘Bloody Chapel’; and, most terri-fying, a foul-smelling, half-human,half-beast ‘elemental’ that roams thelower level of the castle. Lights areoften reported in empty rooms at thetop of the building.

In contrast to Leap’s noisome ele-mental, Ballygally Castle hotel inCo. Antrim has a friendly ‘guest’ghost. Lady Isobella Shaw has beenwalking the corridors since the 17thcentury! her ladyship has even beengiven her own room in the oldtower, ‘The Ghost Room’.

TTHHEE DDEEVVIILLTwo notorious 18th century haunt-ings featured the devil. The infa-mous hellfire Club, founded in1735, sometimes met at MontpelierLodge, outside Dublin for its unholygatherings. At one meeting the largeblack cat they were said to be wor-shiping turned into the devil him-self, or at least a demon. (The build-ing was set on fire on a number ofoccasions, most famously, and some-what imaginatively, by one of themembers pouring brandy over a ser-vant and setting him alight). Loftushall in Co. Wexford, has another‘devil’ haunting: on a stormy night,a stranger called to the door, andwas invited to spend the night. Laterthat evening, at cards, a card fell anda young woman bent to pick it up.To her horror, she saw that the

stranger had a cloven foot; shescreamed, and the stranger disap-peared in a puff of smoke.

MMAACCAABBRREEIn Connemara, there is the macabretale of the ‘halfway house,’ an iso-lated cottage owned by two strangebrothers and a sister. In bad weath-er, travellers would seek shelter. Ifthey were carrying valuables, theywere killed once they fell asleep,their bodies dumped in a nearbylake. The crime was discovered andthe trio were hanged. Strange lightsare seen near this lonely spot, andsome people have reported seeingfigures there as well.

Apart from demons, and ‘human’ghosts, there is the Banshee, or fairywoman. Associated with five greatIrish families – O’Gradys, O’Neills,O’Briens, O’Connors and Kavanaghs– the banshee’s eerie keening foretoldthe death of the heads of these fami-lies. Even if the head of the familydies far away, those at home hear thebanshee and know before otherreports reach them.

Many hauntings are associatedwith animals, like strange carriagespulled by horses, but with no driv-ers. Others feature cats and dogsbut one of the most intriguing isthe Foxes of Gormanston Castle, inCounty Meath. It is said that, justbefore the incumbent ViscountGormanston dies, groups of foxesgather on the estate, even sittingunder the window of the dyingman, and stay until after the funer-al. There are many reports of thisand even of the fox walkingthrough, and ignoring, flocks ofchickens and geese, intent on get-ting to the castle.

We want to hear your spooky stories fromlocal lore – send it to [email protected](about 250 words) – and we may publish it!

by BREANDAN O’SCANAILL



soapbox

OutofOurMinds?

With our scrambled thinking, who needed Head Shops?

24

The Derek Smalls characterin This Is Spinal Tap uttersthe memorably puzzling, butjust possibly profound line: ‘I envy us’. Well, here’s anoth-er in similar vein, an original:‘We confuse me.’

Recent robust legislation tocurb the head shops that hadmushroomed all over the coun-try followed much protest byordinary citizens, most of it legal(pickets and demonstrations)but some illegal, arson. Some

saw the burnings as the work ofvigilantes; others went a step fur-ther and blamed the illegal drugstrade whose business was obvi-ously being hit by the ‘legal’ sideof the head-scrambling business.And now everyone is sittingback, relaxed that that particularmenace has been dealt with.And, credit where credit is due,the country did well, both toprotest and to enact the neces-sary laws speedily.

DAMAGEBut where we confuse me is howcome we get so worked up overthis particular form of substanceabuse when we are so tolerant,even accommodating, of thenow-epidemic abuse of alcohol,a substance that does incredibledamage to society every year onmany different levels? I know theold argument that the object ofhaving a pint or a glass or even ashot is not to scramble yourbrain whereas that is the onlypurpose of taking ‘non-alcohol’drugs, and I’m not targeting themild drinker, but, more andmore, alcohol is being used forbinge-drinking sessions, the solepurpose of which is to get ‘wast-ed’. So, if this is tolerable, thenwhy does it matter what sub-stance the ‘wastee’ has used toachieve this very exalted andambitious aim? Sure, we go tut-tut and we voice silly meaning-less sentences that begin with: ‘inmy day’ but, beyond that, we dovery little. In fact we actuallyaccommodate this behaviour bypaying emergency services tolook after those who have volun-tarily abdicated the responsibilityfor looking after themselves andwe expect our frontline servicesto put up with the most violent

and vile abuse from them. Itseems a logical aberration – ourresponse to one substance is toprotest and burn and legislate,while to another, far more wide-spread and costly substance, wego tut-tut. If that. Sure we havelaws but they are rarely enforced– how hard can it be to find outwhere kids in a small town gettheir alcohol and to punish theamoral and illegal suppliers?What degree of responsibility isborne for drunkenness by thosewho made profit from the drink-ing session?

It’s a cultural thing: I knowparents who take an indulgent‘boys-will-be-boys’ attitude when their young lad comeshome with, not pints, but gal-lons of alcohol in him, but thesame parents would head off to do The Nine Fridays or ashrine-crawl of Knock, Lourdes,Fatima and Medjugorje if, Godforbid, they thought he hadsmoked a joint.

FOOLThe government press release(on head Shops) warned us:‘Legal or illegal highs can causeparanoia; impotence; kidney fail-ure; heart problems; seizures,death or make you act like afool.’ When I read that, myreflex reaction was: ‘yeah? youmean, exactly like alcohol?’

We Irish have a serious prob-lem with substance abuse butit’s not our knee-jerk over-reac-tion to drugs that I see as themost dangerous inconsistency;it’s our no-jerk under-reactionto alcohol.

G’bye now. have to go. Myfavourite alcohol-sponsoredsports programme is on ina minute.

Everyone experi-ences occasionalintestinal sluggish-ness. Most often,irregular transitfollows a change inhabits. Such as ontrips or holidays; weeat differently andat different times.Fruit and Fibrecubes are a naturalproduct that con-tain figs, rhubarb,dates and tamarind and canhelp you with a sluggish intestine. Fruit & fibre cubeswork in a gentle and non-habit forming way on the body. The Fruitand Fibre range is available from all leading pharmacies nationwide.For further information log onto www.fruitandfibres.com

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OVER A THIRD OFIRISH TEENAGERS ARE NOTGETTING ENOUGH CALCIUM!*Sqeez want Irish families to havestrong bones for life and thereforehave developed Sqeez Orange& Calcium as one of the deliciousvariants within the Sqeez range.It is fortified with calcium,Vitamin D and prebiotic, and isalso a great source of Vitamin C.

While the body, at any age,needs calcium, requirementsvary at different stages but ithas been found that from9-16 years is when we aremost in need of additionaldietary calcium.

Think of developing bonesas a savings bank: in youthand young adulthood (9-16)you can deposit calcium inyour bone bank when it’sdeveloping at its fastestrate. By the age of 30,bone-growth has slowedconsiderably.

* Source: The National IrishTeens Survey carried out byIUNA in 2007 found that23 percent of males and 42per cent of females haveinadequate calcium intake

25

What to do with your kids time?Check out www.mykidstime.ie and discover activities, classes,

family events and fun things to do all in local areas across Ireland.

How Healthy Are You?TV3's Autumn schedule features HowHealthy Are You? Nutritionist Elsa Joneswill examine the health challenges in mod-ern Ireland. Sponsored by Kelkin, and withcontributions from Easy Health & Living,Ireland’s leading health magazine, it's cer-tainly something to look forward to.


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nature

The Artist:Richard Ward,

wildlife artist andportraitist, is aninveterate trav-eller. Iceland,

Southern Europe,sub-SaharanAfrica, Arabia

and, latterly, Indiahave all providedhim with prolificinspiration forworks of exqui-site colour anddetail. His series‘Himba Portraits’is a stunningrecord of the

Himba people ofNamibia and theresult of manyvisits to thatparched area.

He has exhibitedin Europe, the USand in the MiddleEast. When theyare not travelling,Richard and hiswife, Wendy,

base themselvesin the westof Ireland.

For more visitrichardward.ie

The current population is descended from indi-viduals introduced from the United Kingdom inthe 19th century as it was extinct here at thetime, just one of several extinctions that are reck-oned to have occurred throughout history. Thereasons for these are not easily understood asIreland was heavily forested at the time and redsquirrels don’t have many natural predators: pinemartens, some of the larger birds of prey, includ-ing buzzards, and, perhaps the most commonone, the domestic cat. The present decline isbeing accelerated by a new arrival and competitor,the American grey squirrel, introduced in 1911at Castle Forbes in Co Leitrim. Larger, moreadaptable and with a wider range of foods (e.g.,unripe acorns which are toxic to reds), the greysquirrel is relentlessly displacing the red, not bypredation, but by competition, taking over thealready shrinking woodland habitat and using upavailable food supply. Greys spread from woodsto woods quickly because they spend a lot more

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Passing the greater part of its life among thebranches of trees, strong, flexible feet and sharpclaws enable the Red Squirrel to run quickly upand down tree trunks, using its bushy tail forbalance and steering.

HighLifetime on the ground than do reds, and it is esti-mated that once greys reach a wood, the incum-bent population of reds will be totally displacedwithin 10-20 years. Ireland’s population of greysis now reckoned to be some 250,000, outnum-bering the red by about five to one.The food of the red squirrel is varied, consist-

ing chiefly of nuts and other seeds, berries andfungi, and they famously hoard food in caches ina wide range of locations. This behaviour helpswith the dispersion of the seeds of many trees.The fact that not all of their larders are revisitedmay be a result of the animal’s faulty memorybut it may also be a long-term measure to extendits habitat, albeit slowly, for future generations.Early in spring, a round nesting drey is con-

structed of twigs, branches, grasses, etc., in whichfrom two to four young are born. Hairless andhelpless, these youngsters face an uncertain future,with only 20 per cent surviving to adulthood.Dreys are used throughout the year as, contraryto popular belief, squirrels do not hibernate.Widely loved but rarely seen, there are efforts

to arrest the present decline towards yet anotherextinction of the red squirrel. Grey squirrels havenot yet extended west of the Shannon (where redsare also very scarce) so colonies of reds have beenintroduced to virgin woodlands in Connemaraand in Mayo. Cut off from other habitats by milesof bogs, lakes and treeless mountains, the chancesof grey squirrels reaching these areas by naturalspread are almost zero, so at least they should pro-vide reservoirs, nurseries from which the ‘native’Irish red squirrel can be seeded back to other habi-tats from which it has been driven in the past.Other conservation methods include supplemen-tary feeding in red-squirrel-only woods and organ-ised culling of greys in mixed population areas.

by RICHARD WARD


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ACROSS

1 Breastbone causing upsetin Munster. (7)

8 Old name for island offIndia’s south-east coast. (6)

9 Form of marriage in whicha woman has two or morehusbands. (9)

10 Adherents of the world’sthird biggest religion. (6)

12 Once, a greatRussian ruler. (9)

13 The general area in whichto find most 10Across. (5)

15 Old Irish writingsystem – from the lettersof Omagh? (5)

16 European national – whowill shine at his work? (6)

17 Take over a neighbouror build it on to a house. (6)

18 Norwegian playwrightwho wrote Peer Gynt andA Doll’s House. (5)

20 Famous bridge in Veniceor Dublin district. (6)

24 Scene of WW2 WarCrimes Trials. (9)

26 He flew too close to thesun. (6)

27 In a kindly, older-manfashion. (9)

28 John Williams’ instru-ment. (6)

29 Describes upright humanlocomotion. (7)

DOWN

2 Body cavity containingheart and lungs. (7)

3 Musical quality thatcontains no vowel. (6)

4 Pertaining to the lesserof the two bones in theforearm. (5)

5 In UK armed forces, theRoyal Navy is considered tobe the . . . . . . Service. (6)

6 A liqueur that tastes ofliquorice. (8)

7 The revolution of 1789. (6)

11 Rudolf . . . . . . . inventorof an engine. (6)

13 Gulf Sultanate, capitalMuscat. (4)

14 Andean animal, nowfarmed in Europe for itswool. (6)

15 The Buckeye State,Capital Columbus. (4)

16 Breakfast dish sometimescalled stirabout. (8)

19 Condition caused byVitamin C deficiency. (6)

21 First name of US writerof Breakfast at Tiffanys,and surname of 33rd USpresident. (6)

22 Thick angle greater than90 degrees.

23 Flotilla of warships. (6)

25 What makes 7 downbored. (5)

BIGPRIZECROSSWORD

S L I G H T C E D U C A T E DW C N C I C C C R C O C O C EA S T H M A C D I A M O N D SL C E C A C B C V C M C S C IL E G A L C O P E R A T I N GO C R C A F T C C U C C L C NW E A R Y C T I M B E R C C CS C L C A C O C E C X C D C RC C C E N A M E L C C R I M EU C C C C C C C O R E C S C LP L A S T E R E D C L I T R EW C N C H C E C Y C L C A C AA N O R E X I A C T E N N I SR C E C R C N C C C N C C C ED I S P E R S E C A T T E N D

NO TIME TO FINISH? NO WORRIES! THIS MAGAZINE IS YOURS TO TAKE HOME!

QUICKQUIZHow smartare you?

CCoonnggrraattuullaattiioonnssSolution to the Summer 2010

Crossword won by Tom Corrigan,Askeaton, Co Limerick

f

Fill in the grid so that eachrow, column and 3x3 squarecontain all the digits from 1 to 9

4

3

239

31 72

6

1

1

7 6

572 8

3

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4

7 9

SUDOKU

Answers: 1c; 2b; 3b; 4a; 5c; 6c; 7b; 8b

Terms: 18+. €1 per entry incl VAT.Network charges vary. Competitioncloses midnight 20 October 2010Entries made after the close datedo not count and you may becharged. SP Phonovation Ltd. POBox 6, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.Helpline 0818217100.

Enter at www.waitingroom.ie or write in to The Waiting RoomCrossword, Northampton,Kinvara, Co Galway

puzzles

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24

12 27 22 23

22

16 12 17

16

18 19

16

12 12 15

12 14

13

10 11

9

7 8

1 2 3 4 5 5 7 6

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28 HOW TO ENTER: call our hotline 1515 415 464 or text TWR3 followed by your answer,name and address to 57000

When completed, the letters inthe shaded squares will spell outa word that is related to one ofthe Across answers, literally!

WIN two nights for two The Station House Hotel inClifden, Co Galway(includes an evening meal)

Question 1Caledonia was what the Romans called:a. Walesb. Portugalc. Scotland

Question 2Which city is furthest south:a. Cape Townb. Buenos Airesc. Sydney

Question 3The 2006 FIFA World Cup was held ina. Japan/South Koreab. Germanyc. Mexico

Question 4‘Girl With A Pearl Earring’ was painted bya. Vermeerb. Van Goghc. Velasquez

Question 5Fashion-designer, Gianni Versace, wasmurdered in Miami by:a. Mark David Chapmanb. John Hinckley Jr.c. Andrew Cunanan

Question 6Brad Pitt is AngelinaJolie’s third husband.Who was her second?a. Sean Pennb. Jonny Lee Millerc. Billy Bob Thornton

Question 7Mozzarella is a cheesemade from the milk ofa. Sheepb. Buffaloc. Goat

Question 8The President of South Africa is:a. Nelson Mandelab. Jacob Zumac. Thabo Mbeki

You are:1-2: A pea brain3-5: Suffering brain drain6-8: A bulging brain box

ANAGRAMSUnscramble the letters to find some well-known

people. A few hints to help you on the way.

MUSICIANS1. Presbytarians

(ex- Mrs Federline)

2. Pay Mr Clean-Cut (Yes sir)

3. Creep brings tunes(The Bossy Type?)

4. Measliest ration(Jagged Little Pill girl)

5. Dried up fly stings(was Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien, OBE)

6. Narcoleptic(Layla’s man)

FILM-STARS1. Red border fort

(Sundance Kid)

2. Snub dark local (Recent Oscar winner)

3. Ocean idol or a drip? (Beach Boy)

4. Drab non-normal(The Don)

5. Fine in torn jeans (A good friend)

6. Seminal one (One of our own)

MUSICIA

NS: 1 Brit

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ears 2 Pa

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cCartney 3 Bruce Springsteen 4 Alanis M

orisette

5 D

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HOW TO ENTER: Text TWR2 followed by your answer, name and address to 53307 or call our hotline 1513 415 049

WIN€50

kangaroo racoon lion moose baboon goosecheetah civet elephantkoala rhino hippopronghorn hornbill skuamongoose pangolin skinkantelope skunk panther

All but one of the listed animals canbe found in the grid. For your chanceto claim the h50 reward, tell us whichanimal has escaped. Words may run for-wards, backwards, horizontally, vertically ordiagonally in a straight, unbroken line.

WORDSEARCH

CODEWORDEach letter of the alphabet appears as a code number. Complete the grid and put the correct letters in the boxes below to spell the prize word.

Crack the code and be inwith a chance to win h50!

S H I H V X M K G G Q M N I Z A I SR I W O F S R O P A Q C Y L I O N X

C P J R R R D O N R N P H D I B N K

J P J N G S H M F G O T A E L Z F O

A O I B V S K I N K O N E N E B G A

L R Y I D E H T R G Z O G L T T Z L

U G D L S K U A P U D L S H O H A A

A K O L X K A N G A R O O E O P E H

D Y X O R A C O O N M K M F D R E R

I Q Q T S O V S S W K O M W O U N R

S D D J F E S K U N K N O M T N U U

G O C W J C I V E T Z U K S D A V G

C W K I B A B O O N X K G H E U Y N

P A N G O L I N F I W H R H I N O M

HOW TO ENTER: Text TWR3 followed by your answer, nameand address to 53307 or call our hotline 1513 415 050

Terms: 18+. 60c per entry incl VAT.Network charges vary. Competitioncloses midnight 20 October 2010Entries made after the close date donot count and you may be charged.SP Phonovation Ltd. PO Box 6, DunLaoghaire, Co Dublin. Helpline0818217100.

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Was it the moosethat vamoosed?

8 5 12 23 5 21 26 22 11 23

WIN

€50

NO TIME TO FINISH?

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to take home!

Terms: 18+. 60c per entry incl VAT. Network charges vary. Competition closes midnight 20 October 2010 Entries made after theclose date do not count and you may be charged. SP Phonovation Ltd. PO Box 6, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Helpline 0818217100.


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Reader Offer

happyendings

30

pieces that magnified words - but itwasn’t until the late 13th C that anunknown Italian deliberately shapedglass to make the first ‘reading’ glass,causing a grateful compatriot tonote: ‘without the glasses known asspectacles, I would no longer be able toread or write.’ That, you would havethought, was the hard part but, forsome reason, it took another fourand a half centuries before EdwardScarlett thought, in 1730, of addingear-pieces to keep the glasses in theonly position in which they could beof use – steady, before the eyes.Lenses can be ground to counter-

act visual distortions caused bydefects in eye-structure or function.Lenses that have different light-bending properties in differentareas are called varifocals, the sim-plest form of which, bifocals, wasinvented by Benjamin Franklin in1780 being ‘sorely tried by the neces-sity of constantly alternating specta-cles for different purposes.’

OUTLANDISHGlasses were once considered ‘geeky’but that didn’t last long. In old gang-ster movies, the prim, bespectacledsecretary at some point usually tookoff her glasses, shook down her hairand instantly became a purringvamp; the mild, timid Clark Kent(Superman’s alter ego who wore hisknickers and trousers in the correctorder) had glasses, just to show howwimpish he was. But when icons likeBuddy Holly and John Lennon, orAudrey Hepburn in ‘Breakfast at

Tiffanys,’ wore glasses, suddenlyglasses were okay. Then itwent to the other extreme:young Wall St. typeswith perfect sight sported cool designerframes with plainlenses. Others, likeElton John and‘Dame’ EdnaEverage champi-oned outlandishframes while

snooker champion Dennis Taylor’senormous glasses enabled him to seealong the table when his head wasbent over his cue.

MURDERSpectacles are now fashion acces-sories, the frames brand being thedefiner. But an early case of ‘spectaclesnobbery’ brought down two upper-class Chicago students. NathanLeopold (19) and Richard Loeb (18),reckoning they were so clever theycould commit the perfect murder,abducted and killed Bobby Franks(14) and methodically destroyed allthe evidence. But Leopold had acci-dentally dropped his ‘cool’ glassesnear the body, and, with only threepairs sold in all of Chicago...The most expensive ($80,000)

prescription glasses ever were thepair worn by Buddy Holly in thatfatal plane crash, a tiny sum com-pared to the dearest sunglasses at$383,609, gold frames and theDolce & Gabbana logo on the arms in tiny diamonds.Dark glasses (reputedly first worn

by 12thC Chinese judges to hidetheir expressions) became popularwhen USAF pilots faced high-alti-tude glare. Bausch & Lomb createdspecial dark green-tinted glass thatabsorbed yellow light and, in 1936,Ray Ban designed the first aviatorstyle sunglasses. Leonardo da Vinci may have sug-

gested the contact lens, but he’dprobably boggle at the any-colour-you-like now available, or the selec-tion of funky designs – stars, skulls,clock-faces and compasses.Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.

Light can be distorted in many ways – arrangelenses as for binocularsand everything seemscloser; arrange them for a microscope and we cansee tiny things. Light-distorting objects have

always been known - Nero’s tutornoted the magnifying ability of a glass of water; the Dark Ages’Reading Stones were polished glass

The secretaryusuallytook offherglasses,shookdown herhair andinstantlybecame a purringvamp

In 17th century, Renee Descartes looked through the transparent frontpart of a cut-away cow’s eye and was amazed to see that the scene wasinverted, for that is actually how images appear on our retinas, upsidedown; our brain then converts them to the way we know they must be.

Through theLookingGlass


by MAUREEN CORBETT

Images appear upside down on our retinas and the brain ‘corrects’ them

Documents

Autumn 2010