sluggerotoole--2020-09-26--Assisted Suicide; is it dying with dignity?

A good friend invited me for dinner where I met his charming elderly mother and when she established my profession she asked if I would be willing to help her “ end it all ” when that time came .
Certainly , I giggled , and we got down to discussing the upfront fee only to find that she wasn ’ t joking and she had less restraint and a more pragmatic view on assisted-suicide than I. I politely , and I hope sensitively , back-tracked as I realised that many older people , and perhaps their children too , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option than the prospect of facing the ravages and indignity of senility .
It was an insightful encounter as I realised then that this agenda was being promoted with great subtly and degree-by-degree we are likely to have assisted-suicide in the UK within ten years .
That was ten years ago and this agenda has not really moved forward .
Gino Kenny , People Before Profit TD , is to introduce a private member ’ s bill to the Dail .
The Dying with Dignity Bill had its first state in the Dail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until now .
It has the support of many high-profile campaigners ; Vicky Phelan a cervical cancer campaigner and Tom Curran the partner of Marie Fleming who was the subject of a High Court case in 2013 and has since died .
“ At the heart of this legislation is compassion , humanity and empathy .
Where somebody finds themselves in extremely difficult circumstances in relation to a terminal illness , I think they should have a choice in relation to that particular time of their terminal illness.
” “ By any means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it should be a choice and where other jurisdictions that voluntary assisted dying has been implemented , it has worked very well , there hasn ’ t been – no evidence of it being abused by any means.
” He ’ s right in that there are no examples of abuse of the law where it exists .
Legal self-killing exists in many European countries including , Holland and Switzerland , and in other parts of the developed World .
People in the developing world with famines , pestilence and genocides have yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make the concept worthy of consideration .
It ’ s a classic first World problem .
In Australia ’ s Northern Territory , The Right of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 was passed into law and ensured the dispatch of a few terminally ill patients before being repelled by Central Government in 1996 .
At least two states currently sponsoring Bills on assisted-suicide have succeeded .
It became legal in Victoria in 2020 and it will become legal in Western Australia in 2021 .
In the USA , Oregon State has had assisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has chalked up 34 deaths per year ( 344 in all in the first 10 years ) by this means .
And assisted-suicide is currently legal in Washington through the Death with Dignity Act 2009 .
A GP is able to prescribe , but not administer , a lethal dose of a drug and the prescription can only be provided for someone who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months to live .
So what ’ s keeping us back the British Isles ?
UK and ROI residents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to Switzerland to end it all in a Dignitas Clinic .
Irish girls going to England for termination comes to mind .
And it ’ s not just the terminally ill. A young man , a promising rugby play made a paraplegic by an awkward scrum , decided life was not worth living and committed suicide with the blessing of his parents ; I can ’ t imagine the horror of all this .
Debbie Purdy , wheelchair-bound since 2001 , has been to the High Court asking the Law Lords @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those who assisted her journey to Switzerland .
Initially , they stubbornly refused to give their ruling with a patronising suggestion that she go off do it and then they would deal with anyone who provided support who might or might not be guilty under the Suicide Act 1961 because they bought the plane tickets or folded her wheelchair for the trip .
This was appealed as a human rights issues and was successful in that it allowed Kier Stamer , to publish guidance in 2010 greatly reducing the risk to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their lives .
There were other tragic cases over the year ; Diane Petty who died in 2002 and Tony Nicklinson who died in 2012 , all denied .
Assisted-suicide is now firmly on the agenda North and South and if you ’ re for or against you need to speak up now .
Proponents have subtle and convincing arguments ; there are too many of us on the planet ; we cost much too much in our old age ; we should be able to die when and where we want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalating healthcare costs and an ideal solution to global warming .
The Palliative Care movement , over the last 40 years , has made the process of dying much more dignified .
They also are the greatest opponents of assisted-dying .
The judgement in the Marie Fleming High Court case in Dublin in 2013 gives voice to many of their concerns ; Yes , I do worry about this .
I do worry that there will perhaps come a time in the not too distant future when a man or a woman who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life will look at me in the indignity of my old age and say “ Dad , it ’ s time to do the decent thing ” .
“ Die Elbe ” by Leon Bovenkerk is licensed under CC BY-SA

A good friend invited me for dinner where I met his charming elderly mother and when she established my profession she asked if I would be willing to help her “end it all” when that time came. Certainly, I giggled, and we got down to discussing the upfront fee only to find that she wasn’t joking and she had less restraint and a more pragmatic view on assisted-suicide than I. I politely, and I hope sensitively, back-tracked as I realised that many older people, and perhaps their children too, viewed assisted-dying as a much more attractive option than the prospect of facing the ravages and indignity of senility. It was an insightful encounter as I realised then that this agenda was being promoted with great subtly and degree-by-degree we are likely to have assisted-suicide in the UK within ten years. That was ten years ago and this agenda has not really moved forward.
Gino Kenny, People Before Profit TD, is to introduce a private member’s bill to the Dail. The Dying with Dignity Bill had its first state in the Dail in 2015 but has not progressed much until now. It has the support of many high-profile campaigners; Vicky Phelan a cervical cancer campaigner and Tom Curran the partner of Marie Fleming who was the subject of a High Court case in 2013 and has since died.
TD Kenny states that:
“At the heart of this legislation is compassion, humanity and empathy. Where somebody finds themselves in extremely difficult circumstances in relation to a terminal illness, I think they should have a choice in relation to that particular time of their terminal illness.” “By any means, it’s not mandatory but it should be a choice and where other jurisdictions that voluntary assisted dying has been implemented, it has worked very well, there hasn’t been – no evidence of it being abused by any means.”
He’s right in that there are no examples of abuse of the law where it exists. Legal self-killing exists in many European countries including, Holland and Switzerland, and in other parts of the developed World. People in the developing world with famines, pestilence and genocides have yet to achieve a life expectancy that would make the concept worthy of consideration. It’s a classic first World problem.
In Australia’s Northern Territory, The Right of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 was passed into law and ensured the dispatch of a few terminally ill patients before being repelled by Central Government in 1996. At least two states currently sponsoring Bills on assisted-suicide have succeeded. It became legal in Victoria in 2020 and it will become legal in Western Australia in 2021. In the USA, Oregon State has had assisted suicide legislation for over 20 years and has chalked up 34 deaths per year (344 in all in the first 10 years) by this means. And assisted-suicide is currently legal in Washington through the Death with Dignity Act 2009. A GP is able to prescribe, but not administer, a lethal dose of a drug and the prescription can only be provided for someone who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months to live.
So what’s keeping us back the British Isles? UK and ROI residents, in the full glare of publicity, are going to Switzerland to end it all in a Dignitas Clinic. Irish girls going to England for termination comes to mind.
And it’s not just the terminally ill. A young man, a promising rugby play made a paraplegic by an awkward scrum, decided life was not worth living and committed suicide with the blessing of his parents; I can’t imagine the horror of all this.
Debbie Purdy, wheelchair-bound since 2001, has been to the High Court asking the Law Lords for a ruling on what would happen to those who assisted her journey to Switzerland. Initially, they stubbornly refused to give their ruling with a patronising suggestion that she go off do it and then they would deal with anyone who provided support who might or might not be guilty under the Suicide Act 1961 because they bought the plane tickets or folded her wheelchair for the trip. This was appealed as a human rights issues and was successful in that it allowed Kier Stamer, to publish guidance in 2010 greatly reducing the risk to those who support the terminally ill in taking their lives. There were other tragic cases over the year; Diane Petty who died in 2002 and Tony Nicklinson who died in 2012, all denied.
Assisted-suicide is now firmly on the agenda North and South and if you’re for or against you need to speak up now. Proponents have subtle and convincing arguments; there are too many of us on the planet; we cost much too much in our old age; we should be able to die when and where we want to; assisted suicide is a solution to escalating healthcare costs and an ideal solution to global warming.
The Palliative Care movement, over the last 40 years, has made the process of dying much more dignified. They also are the greatest opponents of assisted-dying. The judgement in the Marie Fleming High Court case in Dublin in 2013 gives voice to many of their concerns;
“even with the most rigorous systems of legislative checks and safeguards, it would be impossible to ensure that the aged, the disabled, the poor, the unwanted, the rejected, the lonely, the impulsive, the financially compromised and emotionally vulnerable would not avail of this option to avoid a sense of being a burden to their family and society”.
Yes, I do worry about this. I do worry that there will perhaps come a time in the not too distant future when a man or a woman who I have known all of their privileged life will look at me in the indignity of my old age and say “Dad, it’s time to do the decent thing”.
“Die Elbe” by Leon Bovenkerk is licensed under CC BY-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-09-27--Religion, Spirituality and the Search for Meaning during the Covid-19 Pandemic

According to many accounts , there has been a modest resurgence of religious practice in Ireland and the UK during the covid-19 pandemic .
Nationally representative surveys commissioned by the Iona Institute and Tearfund found that surprisingly high numbers of people were accessing religion virtually , and that people were praying more .
My own survey of faith leaders on the island of Ireland confirmed these trends , as have further polls by Christian Aid , Catholic Voices/York St John University , Dublin City University , and Durham University .
But last week , media outlets described the finding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republic of Ireland are ‘ unsure ’ if they will return to mass after the pandemic as ‘ a wake up call ’ ( Belfast Telegraph , Irish Catholic ) .
In light of these seemingly contradictory results , we might ask : is the pandemic prompting people to turn to religion , or is it accelerating a loss of faith ?
The Iona Institute/Amarach poll that produced the ‘ wake up call ’ returned other results , which taken together indicate that substantial numbers of people in the Republic of Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in spiritual practices or actively searched for meaning during the pandemic .
But they also confirm that the Catholic Church is not the first port of call for most of those people .
In addition , the poll provided evidence that despite its apparent popularity , online religion will not replace in-person worship .
When practising Catholics who had not returned to mass after lockdown restrictions were lifted were asked why , just 6 % said it was because they were ‘ happy to watch online ’ .
This is in line with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that less than 1 % of people intended to only or mainly worship online once churches reopened .
[ Unsurprisingly , the main reasons people have not yet returned to mass were fear of covid-19 ( 45 % ) and limits on numbers in church buildings ( 22 % ) .
A further 20 % said they didn ’ t know why or ‘ other ’ , while 7 % said they had lost the habit . ]
All this points towards a scenario in which there is sustained and even increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spirituality .
At the same time , people who are practising religion online prefer for their religiosity to extend beyond cyberspace .
Taking these findings together , we might conclude that when lockdowns ease , for many people the spiritual space that they find beyond cyberspace might not be ( and is perhaps unlikely to be ? )
a church building .
Some questions on the Iona Institute ’ s poll were inspired by a Theos/YouGov survey conducted in the UK in May/June .
[ i ] The Theos findings also cast doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in religion in UK .
Both Iona and Theos found that when asked what matters most when trying to live a fulfilling life , people in Ireland and the UK did not value ‘ growing your spirituality or religion or faith ’ very much .
In both countries , this choice ranked 13 out of 16 options .
11 % in Ireland and 10 % in the UK chose it .
The top three choices in both countries were ‘ being with family ’ , ‘ being content with what you have ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet at the same time , both surveys confirmed an increased search for meaning in life and an increased concern about death ( which is , of course , unsurprising during a pandemic ) .
In Ireland , people searched for meaning and worried about death more than in the UK , which likely reflects Ireland ’ s higher baseline levels of religiosity and belief in life after death ( including hell ) .
Some polls report that a majority of people in the UK identify has having ‘ no religion ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 % in Ireland .
The surveys asked what practices people had engaged in during the pandemic outside of formal religious services .
In Ireland and the UK , people were equally unlikely to be reading other religious or spiritual writings ( only 5 % in both countries ) or learning more about religion or spirituality ( 5 % in both ) .
In the UK , 58 % said they did not engage in any of the ten practices provided on the list , while in Ireland 37 % had not engaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were engaging in practices that could be described as spiritual , such as ‘ spending time in quiet reflection ’ ( 40 % Ireland , 26 % UK ) ; ‘ feeling a deep connection with nature/the earth ’ ( 26 % Ireland , 18 % UK ) ; prayer ( 26 % Ireland , 14 % UK ) , and meditation ( 21 % Ireland , 12 % UK ) .
People also were thinking about what makes life meaningful more than before ( 45 % Ireland , 31 % UK ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes life meaningful more than before ( 33 % Ireland , 20 % UK ) ; and feeling a need for wisdom or guidance more than before ( 30 % Ireland , 14 % UK ) .
Pondering the meaning of life was even more pronounced among young people .
In Ireland , 55 % of those 18-24 and 51 % of those 25-34 were thinking about what makes life meaningful more than before .
In the UK , the figures are 43 % of those 18-24 and 37 % of those 25-34 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what makes life meaningful more than before ( 49 % in Ireland and 30 % in the UK of those 18-24 ; 37 % in Ireland and 24 % in the UK of those 25-34 ) .
It is unclear whether this reflects a greater interest in ‘ meaning ’ that will be maintained among people in these cohorts as they age ; or whether younger people are simply more prone to search for meaning , due to having had comparatively fewer life experiences than older age cohorts .
In Ireland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after death ( heaven , hell , reincarnation ) , compared to just 29 % in the UK .
When asked how the pandemic had changed their personal attitudes towards death , 48 % in Ireland and 30 % in the UK said they have become more worried about the death of their loved ones ; while 52 % in the UK and 46 % in Ireland said the pandemic has not changed how they think about death .
While current research indicates interesting religious changes are underway , it is far too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religion in Ireland ( and the UK ) will alter as the pandemic unfolds .
But the preliminary results are moving me away from a question that asks whether the pandemic is prompting people to turn to religion , or is it accelerating a loss of faith ?
Rather , the new shape of religion on this island hinges on the question of whether or not our centuries-old Christian churches can communicate in ways that help people create meaning in their lives .
[ i ] With thanks to the Iona Institute for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results .

According to many accounts, there has been a modest resurgence of religious practice in Ireland and the UK during the covid-19 pandemic. Nationally representative surveys commissioned by the Iona Institute and Tearfund found that surprisingly high numbers of people were accessing religion virtually, and that people were praying more.
My own survey of faith leaders on the island of Ireland confirmed these trends, as have further polls by Christian Aid, Catholic Voices/York St John University, Dublin City University, and Durham University.
But last week, media outlets described the finding that nearly one in five practising Catholics in the Republic of Ireland are ‘unsure’ if they will return to mass after the pandemic as ‘a wake up call’ (Belfast Telegraph, Irish Catholic).
In light of these seemingly contradictory results, we might ask: is the pandemic prompting people to turn to religion, or is it accelerating a loss of faith?
The Iona Institute/Amarach poll that produced the ‘wake up call’ returned other results, which taken together indicate that substantial numbers of people in the Republic of Ireland (hereafter, Ireland) have engaged in spiritual practices or actively searched for meaning during the pandemic.
But they also confirm that the Catholic Church is not the first port of call for most of those people.
In addition, the poll provided evidence that despite its apparent popularity, online religion will not replace in-person worship. When practising Catholics who had not returned to mass after lockdown restrictions were lifted were asked why, just 6% said it was because they were ‘happy to watch online’. This is in line with the Dublin City University survey, which found that less than 1% of people intended to only or mainly worship online once churches reopened. [Unsurprisingly, the main reasons people have not yet returned to mass were fear of covid-19 (45%) and limits on numbers in church buildings (22%). A further 20% said they didn’t know why or ‘other’, while 7% said they had lost the habit.]
All this points towards a scenario in which there is sustained and even increased interest in what might loosely be called spirituality. At the same time, people who are practising religion online prefer for their religiosity to extend beyond cyberspace. Taking these findings together, we might conclude that when lockdowns ease, for many people the spiritual space that they find beyond cyberspace might not be (and is perhaps unlikely to be?) a church building.
‘Spirituality’ trumps ‘religion’
Some questions on the Iona Institute’s poll were inspired by a Theos/YouGov survey conducted in the UK in May/June.[i] The Theos findings also cast doubt on previous research indicating a renewed interest in religion in UK.
(The Theos poll was nationally representative and included Northern Ireland. I have not included separate results from Northern Ireland because given a baseline of just 54, it would be questionable to generalise from such a small sample size. However, previous research indicates Northern Ireland has higher levels of religiosity than England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.)
Both Iona and Theos found that when asked what matters most when trying to live a fulfilling life, people in Ireland and the UK did not value ‘growing your spirituality or religion or faith’ very much. In both countries, this choice ranked 13 out of 16 options. 11% in Ireland and 10% in the UK chose it. The top three choices in both countries were ‘being with family’, ‘being content with what you have’, and ‘being financially comfortable’.
Yet at the same time, both surveys confirmed an increased search for meaning in life and an increased concern about death (which is, of course, unsurprising during a pandemic). In Ireland, people searched for meaning and worried about death more than in the UK, which likely reflects Ireland’s higher baseline levels of religiosity and belief in life after death (including hell). Some polls report that a majority of people in the UK identify has having ‘no religion’, while that figure is less than 10% in Ireland.
The surveys asked what practices people had engaged in during the pandemic outside of formal religious services. In Ireland and the UK, people were equally unlikely to be reading other religious or spiritual writings (only 5% in both countries) or learning more about religion or spirituality (5% in both). In the UK, 58% said they did not engage in any of the ten practices provided on the list, while in Ireland 37% had not engaged in any practices.
But substantial minorities were engaging in practices that could be described as spiritual, such as ‘spending time in quiet reflection’ (40% Ireland, 26% UK); ‘feeling a deep connection with nature/the earth’ (26% Ireland, 18% UK); prayer (26% Ireland, 14% UK), and meditation (21% Ireland, 12% UK).
Pondering the Meaning of Life
People also were thinking about what makes life meaningful more than before (45% Ireland, 31% UK); talking to other people about what makes life meaningful more than before (33% Ireland, 20% UK); and feeling a need for wisdom or guidance more than before (30% Ireland, 14% UK).
Pondering the meaning of life was even more pronounced among young people. In Ireland, 55% of those 18-24 and 51% of those 25-34 were thinking about what makes life meaningful more than before. In the UK, the figures are 43% of those 18-24 and 37% of those 25-34. They also were talking to others about what makes life meaningful more than before (49% in Ireland and 30% in the UK of those 18-24; 37% in Ireland and 24% in the UK of those 25-34). It is unclear whether this reflects a greater interest in ‘meaning’ that will be maintained among people in these cohorts as they age; or whether younger people are simply more prone to search for meaning, due to having had comparatively fewer life experiences than older age cohorts.
In Ireland, 45% believed that there is life after death (heaven, hell, reincarnation), compared to just 29% in the UK. When asked how the pandemic had changed their personal attitudes towards death, 48% in Ireland and 30% in the UK said they have become more worried about the death of their loved ones; while 52% in the UK and 46% in Ireland said the pandemic has not changed how they think about death.
Can Ireland’s ‘Traditional’ Religions Provide Meaning?
While current research indicates interesting religious changes are underway, it is far too early to draw firm conclusions about how religion in Ireland (and the UK) will alter as the pandemic unfolds. But the preliminary results are moving me away from a question that asks whether the pandemic is prompting people to turn to religion, or is it accelerating a loss of faith?
Rather, the new shape of religion on this island hinges on the question of whether or not our centuries-old Christian churches can communicate in ways that help people create meaning in their lives.
[i] With thanks to the Iona Institute for providing me with access to the survey results.
(Image: Belfast’s Clonard Monastery Church, with social distancing signs. Sourced on Clonard’s Twitter feed.)


sluggerotoole--2020-09-27--Dealing with the menopause…

Dealing with the menopause…

At the age of thirty-seven I had not anticipated being thrown into the menopause practically overnight .
The ‘ change ’ was something that I had always associated with much older women but I felt that when the time came , I would take this natural part of the ageing process in my stride .
Perhaps I would not have been quite so smug if I ’ d known what was just around the corner .
My menopausal journey really began when I was diagnosed with breast cancer .
After undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment I was offered an oophorectomy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was put on the drug tamoxifen .
As some breast cancers feed on oestrogen , it was felt that my best chance for long-term survival was to remove as much oestrogen as possible from my body .
I accepted the treatment readily and with my eyes ( reasonably ) wide open as to the consequences .
There would be no more babies .
There would be hot flushes and night sweats .
There was the likelihood that libido would diminish .
And there was the increased risk of osteoporosis .
All of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was a chance to prolong my life and I was more than prepared to accept the side effects .
What I wasn ’ t prepared for was the speed at which the symptoms hit me .
What should have been a gradual process of adjustment became a crash course in coping with an emotional and physical roller coaster ride .
My experience of the menopause may have been sudden and unexpected but I believe it ’ s a fair reflection of what many women go through .
It ’ s not exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that women don ’ t always feel comfortable talking about , and certainly not a lot of men .
On the physical side , the hot flushes began almost immediately .
I can only describe the sensation as having an internal thermostat that has gone haywire .
Outwardly you may look perfectly fine but inwardly you feel like you ’ re burning up .
The night sweats can be both uncomfortable and terribly tiring , with profuse sweating posing additional challenges .
This nocturnal wakening disturbs normal sleeping patterns and it can often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The biggest physical threat for women of menopausal age and beyond , is the risk of osteoporosis ( brittle bone disease ) .
This is due to a reduction in the levels of the hormone oestrogen which protects the bones by slowing the loss of calcium .
Hence the need for menopausal women to be careful about their diet and to eat calcium-enriched foods – calcium is perhaps the most closely linked nutrient to bone density .
I regularly undergo straightforward bone density tests at my local hospital and am pleased that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ density level , attributed partly to a regular exercise program , I expect .
Then there is the emotional side of things .
Let ’ s not underestimate how big an effect these symptoms have on our lives .
It is something that I have honestly had more difficulty coming to terms with than all the physical symptoms put together .
It is well documented that post-menopausal women can become depressed and irritable , with lack of concentration and mood swings thrown in for good measure .
The knock-on effect can take a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often requires a strong partnership to weather the storm and come out the other end .
Certainly , there needs to be a willingness from both parties to understand the nuances in behaviour that the menopause can bring with it .
And the problem with a premature menopause is that these events can happen perhaps twenty years ahead of time .
The treatment hailed as a proven effective solution for menopausal symptoms is , of course , Hormone Replacement Therapy ( HRT ) .
Many women find that it ’ s the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long term problem but for me , taking HRT was not an option .
My oncologist ’ s advice was that with my particular medical history , it would be unwise to consider any form of therapy that was oestrogen related .
So I shall never know whether or not it would have worked for me , but I do know that it has transformed the lives of others .
If you ’ re a woman reading this , perhaps you can identify with some , or all , of the symptoms I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re a man ( more likely on Slugger , I expect ) who didn ’ t automatically switch off at the outset , then hopefully you ’ ll have a better understanding of the challenges involved for your partner or spouse .
Please try to be patient and understanding .
The menopause can be very challenging for any relationship but is made easier by both parties being both honest and informed , and making compromises .
While I bemoan the fact that I had the menopause prematurely , I do try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life in the here and now .
And that includes writing about subjects like the menopause which can often be uncomfortable for some , particularly in the predominantly male domain of Slugger O ’ Toole .
But it at least gets things out in the open .
Photo by silviarita is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

At the age of thirty-seven I had not anticipated being thrown into the menopause practically overnight. The ‘change’ was something that I had always associated with much older women but I felt that when the time came, I would take this natural part of the ageing process in my stride. Perhaps I would not have been quite so smug if I’d known what was just around the corner.
My menopausal journey really began when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment I was offered an oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries) and was put on the drug tamoxifen. As some breast cancers feed on oestrogen, it was felt that my best chance for long-term survival was to remove as much oestrogen as possible from my body. I accepted the treatment readily and with my eyes (reasonably) wide open as to the consequences. There would be no more babies. There would be hot flushes and night sweats. There was the likelihood that libido would diminish. And there was the increased risk of osteoporosis. All of these symptoms and more, yet to me it was a chance to prolong my life and I was more than prepared to accept the side effects. What I wasn’t prepared for was the speed at which the symptoms hit me. What should have been a gradual process of adjustment became a crash course in coping with an emotional and physical roller coaster ride.
My experience of the menopause may have been sudden and unexpected but I believe it’s a fair reflection of what many women go through. It’s not exactly a taboo subject but it is something that women don’t always feel comfortable talking about, and certainly not a lot of men.
On the physical side, the hot flushes began almost immediately. I can only describe the sensation as having an internal thermostat that has gone haywire. Outwardly you may look perfectly fine but inwardly you feel like you’re burning up. The night sweats can be both uncomfortable and terribly tiring, with profuse sweating posing additional challenges. This nocturnal wakening disturbs normal sleeping patterns and it can often be difficult to drift back off again.
The biggest physical threat for women of menopausal age and beyond, is the risk of osteoporosis (brittle bone disease). This is due to a reduction in the levels of the hormone oestrogen which protects the bones by slowing the loss of calcium. Hence the need for menopausal women to be careful about their diet and to eat calcium-enriched foods – calcium is perhaps the most closely linked nutrient to bone density. I regularly undergo straightforward bone density tests at my local hospital and am pleased that I’ve maintained an acceptable bone density level, attributed partly to a regular exercise program, I expect.
Then there is the emotional side of things. Let’s not underestimate how big an effect these symptoms have on our lives. It is something that I have honestly had more difficulty coming to terms with than all the physical symptoms put together. It is well documented that post-menopausal women can become depressed and irritable, with lack of concentration and mood swings thrown in for good measure. The knock-on effect can take a heavy toll on any relationship and it often requires a strong partnership to weather the storm and come out the other end. Certainly, there needs to be a willingness from both parties to understand the nuances in behaviour that the menopause can bring with it. And the problem with a premature menopause is that these events can happen perhaps twenty years ahead of time.
The treatment hailed as a proven effective solution for menopausal symptoms is, of course, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Many women find that it’s the only relief from a very difficult and often long term problem but for me, taking HRT was not an option. My oncologist’s advice was that with my particular medical history, it would be unwise to consider any form of therapy that was oestrogen related. So I shall never know whether or not it would have worked for me, but I do know that it has transformed the lives of others.
If you’re a woman reading this, perhaps you can identify with some, or all, of the symptoms I’ve described. And if you’re a man (more likely on Slugger, I expect) who didn’t automatically switch off at the outset, then hopefully you’ll have a better understanding of the challenges involved for your partner or spouse. Please try to be patient and understanding. The menopause can be very challenging for any relationship but is made easier by both parties being both honest and informed, and making compromises.
While I bemoan the fact that I had the menopause prematurely, I do try to concentrate on making the most of my life in the here and now. And that includes writing about subjects like the menopause which can often be uncomfortable for some, particularly in the predominantly male domain of Slugger O’Toole. But it at least gets things out in the open.
Photo by silviarita is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-09-28--Ask an Architect is Back.

Ask an Architect is Back.

Emmet McDonough-Brown is the Communications and Events Officer for the Royal Society of Ulster Architects .
We ’ ve all been spending more time at home these days and as we hunker down for another extended period of working from home , it ’ s natural that more and more of us are thinking about the spaces we live in and how they work .
In many cases , our kitchens and living rooms ( and in some cases bedrooms ) have become our work stations as we respond to the challenges of COVID-19 .
If you ’ re thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask an architect is for you .
This charitable initiative , organised by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects , sees architects give their time to members of the public in return for a £40 donation to Friends of the Cancer Centre .
When you book your no-strings-attached appointment , you ’ re getting an hour-long consultation with an expert in construction , design , and materials to advise you on how to get the most out of your building project .
Perhaps you ’ re thinking that converting your loft into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep work and family life separate , or that your kitchen is just too pinched to cook and enjoy food with everyone crowded around the table .
You might even be thinking of moving out of town into a whole new home surrounded by the splendid beauty of nature .
Whatever your needs are , a friendly local architect can safely call to your home or meet virtually to understand them .
And 100 % of your donation supports cancer research right here in Northern Ireland .
Ask an architect could even help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – maybe your ambitions for greater natural light , more comfortable spaces , and modern design don ’ t require extending after all .
You ’ ll never really know what ’ s possible until you ask an architect , but you ’ ll have to act soon .
Bookings close at the end of the month so don ’ t miss out .
Start your journey to domestic bliss today at www.askanarchitect-ni.com IMAGE CREDIT : House at Lessans , designed by McGongile McGrath , winner of RIBA House of the Year 2019

Emmet McDonough-Brown is the Communications and Events Officer for the Royal Society of Ulster Architects.
We’ve all been spending more time at home these days and as we hunker down for another extended period of working from home, it’s natural that more and more of us are thinking about the spaces we live in and how they work. In many cases, our kitchens and living rooms (and in some cases bedrooms) have become our work stations as we respond to the challenges of COVID-19.
If you’re thinking of extending or renovating your home then ask an architect is for you. This charitable initiative, organised by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, sees architects give their time to members of the public in return for a £40 donation to Friends of the Cancer Centre. When you book your no-strings-attached appointment, you’re getting an hour-long consultation with an expert in construction, design, and materials to advise you on how to get the most out of your building project.
Perhaps you’re thinking that converting your loft into a home office is the best way to keep work and family life separate, or that your kitchen is just too pinched to cook and enjoy food with everyone crowded around the table. You might even be thinking of moving out of town into a whole new home surrounded by the splendid beauty of nature. Whatever your needs are, a friendly local architect can safely call to your home or meet virtually to understand them. And 100% of your donation supports cancer research right here in Northern Ireland.
Ask an architect could even help save you money on your project too – maybe your ambitions for greater natural light, more comfortable spaces, and modern design don’t require extending after all. You’ll never really know what’s possible until you ask an architect, but you’ll have to act soon. Bookings close at the end of the month so don’t miss out.
Start your journey to domestic bliss today at www.askanarchitect-ni.com
IMAGE CREDIT: House at Lessans, designed by McGongile McGrath, winner of RIBA House of the Year 2019


sluggerotoole--2020-09-28--To no one’s surprise, it turns out Trump is not a business genius after all…

The New York Times has gotten a hold of Trump ’ s tax records , or should I say lack of tax paid records .
It turns out you and every reader of this site likely pay more tax than the self-proclaimed billionaire .
Some key points from the coverage : The consulting fees to Ivanka are estimated at $ 744K As usual , his defenders can see no wrong .
Many are pointing out the lack of tax shows just what a business genius he is , after all , who likes paying tax ?
That ordinary people defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash out of all their pockets blows my mind .
It brings to mind Leona Helmsley and her famous quote : Trump is a great marketer but a woeful business person .
He got his money from his father , and if he had done absolutely nothing with it other than stick it in an investment account , he would be better off .
The interesting question is who does he owe money too and for what purpose did they lend it ?
He was never considered a credible investment by banks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppliers for a lot of his business ventures .
It is astonishing with nearly a quarter of a million dead from Covid19 in the US , the economy in ruins and America ’ s international reputation at an all-time low , Trump is still in with a chance of getting re-elected .
Historians and social scientists will be studying these times for decades to come .
The media are going to keep drip-feeding the scandals in the run-up to the election , keep the popcorn ready .
I will leave the last word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when he offered this company , if a monkey had thrown a dart , at the stock page , the monkey on average would ’ ve made 150 percent .
But the people that believed in him , who listened to his siren song , ended up losing well over 90 cents in the dollar .
They got back less than a dime .
—Warren Buffett on Trump ’ s Atlantic City hotels business Photo by Mediamodifier is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

The New York Times has gotten a hold of Trump’s tax records, or should I say lack of tax paid records. It turns out you and every reader of this site likely pay more tax than the self-proclaimed billionaire. Some key points from the coverage:
Mr. Trump paid no federal income taxes in 11 of 18 years that The Times examined. In 2017, after he became president, his tax bill was only $750.
He has reduced his tax bill with questionable measures, including a $72.9 million tax refund that is the subject of an audit by the Internal Revenue Service.
Many of his signature businesses, including his golf courses, report losing large amounts of money — losses that have helped him to lower his taxes.
The financial pressure on him is increasing as hundreds of millions of dollars in loans he personally guaranteed are soon coming due.
Even while declaring losses, he has managed to enjoy a lavish lifestyle by taking tax deductions on what most people would consider personal expenses, including residences, aircraft and $70,000 in hairstyling for television.
Ivanka Trump, while working as an employee of the Trump Organization, appears to have received “consulting fees” that also helped reduce the family’s tax bill.
The consulting fees to Ivanka are estimated at $744K
The report also reveals the Trump Organization wrote off around $26 million in unexplained “consulting fees” between 2010 and 2018. Some of those tax deductions match consulting fees paid to Ivanka Trump in her financial disclosures. https://t.co/NNrq3glR4M — The Hill (@thehill) September 28, 2020
As usual, his defenders can see no wrong. Many are pointing out the lack of tax shows just what a business genius he is, after all, who likes paying tax? That ordinary people defend the rich who are busy hoovering the cash out of all their pockets blows my mind. It brings to mind Leona Helmsley and her famous quote:
“We don’t pay taxes; only the little people pay taxes,”
Trump is a great marketer but a woeful business person. He got his money from his father, and if he had done absolutely nothing with it other than stick it in an investment account, he would be better off. The interesting question is who does he owe money too and for what purpose did they lend it? He was never considered a credible investment by banks. He also leaves a trail of unpaid suppliers for a lot of his business ventures.
Thread. Shorter version: Trump owes more than $1.1Bn, in loans that come due in the near future (with interest rates over 4% in some cases). He’s a deadbeat. https://t.co/Yl0q51OPeh — Charlie Stross (@cstross) September 28, 2020
It is astonishing with nearly a quarter of a million dead from Covid19 in the US, the economy in ruins and America’s international reputation at an all-time low, Trump is still in with a chance of getting re-elected. Historians and social scientists will be studying these times for decades to come.
The media are going to keep drip-feeding the scandals in the run-up to the election, keep the popcorn ready. I will leave the last word to a real billionaire:
In 1995, when he offered this company, if a monkey had thrown a dart, at the stock page, the monkey on average would’ve made 150 percent. But the people that believed in him, who listened to his siren song, ended up losing well over 90 cents in the dollar. They got back less than a dime.
—Warren Buffett on Trump’s Atlantic City hotels business
Photo by Mediamodifier is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-09-29--#TheReset -We need to talk about debt…

#TheReset -We need to talk about debt…

During the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis , one of the legacies was over-indebtedness that created zombie companies which weighed on growth as the economy sought to recover .
These businesses were mostly larger and within certain sectors .
The excessive debt was largely linked directly or indirectly to property .
This time is different .
It ’ s different because the banks are well-capitalised and stable .
There is no credit crunch – where the cost of borrowing rises significantly and the availability of credit is severely restricted .
Indeed , this time around , banks have opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency lending .
According to British Business Bank figures in early August , over £1 billion has been lent by local banks in Northern Ireland since the onset of COVID-19 , through a variety of government-backed schemes ( e.g .
Bounce Back Loans ) .
But it ’ s also different in that the burden of debt this time is more widespread and concentrated on smaller firms .
Arguably , Northern Ireland already had a corporate debt issue before the pandemic .
Clearly this has been exacerbated very significantly in recent months in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate crisis .
It ’ s probably not a surprise that a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce found one in 10 UK firms that took on debt during the pandemic say they may have to cease trading .
It ’ s perhaps also not surprising that more than a quarter ( 28 percent ) of Northern Ireland small and medium-sized businesses surveyed recently by Ulster Bank said indebtedness was a problem of some degree for their company , with 10 percent of respondents saying that this issue was quite significant or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respondents said that measures from government to ease business debt would help boost their firm ’ s revival .
As we seek to navigate COVID-19 from an economic perspective whilst prioritising people ’ s health and wellbeing , it is clear that a number of things need to be achieved .
Firstly , it is important to mitigate job losses to avoid mass unemployment .
It ’ s also important to avoid having thousands of companies weighed down by their debt burden , making them unproductive .
The economic implications of this could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firms have been very dependent on support from the furlough scheme as well as support from government-backed lending initiatives .
Government has made clear that it won ’ t be continuing with the furlough scheme and has introduced the Job Support Scheme instead ( after the end of October ) .
The Chancellor also announced a number of measures on government lending schemes last week .
More borrowing to invest and grow a business is a good thing .
But it is clear that businesses can not continue to take on debt long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My view is that strategic solutions to corporate indebtedness will probably be required to help stop many firms falling into a spiral of unsustainable debt .
It ’ s something Northern Ireland needs to talk more about .
This post is part of our # TheReset series in association with Ulster Bank If you would like to get involved in # TheReset , either as an individual or as part of an organisation , please do get in touch by emailing us at [ email protected ] or [ email protected ] with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of articles or events over September and October .
Photo by stevepb is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

Richard Ramsey, Chief Economist, NI, Ulster Bank
During the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, one of the legacies was over-indebtedness that created zombie companies which weighed on growth as the economy sought to recover. These businesses were mostly larger and within certain sectors. The excessive debt was largely linked directly or indirectly to property.
This time is different. It’s different because the banks are well-capitalised and stable. There is no credit crunch – where the cost of borrowing rises significantly and the availability of credit is severely restricted. Indeed, this time around, banks have opened the spigots to provide significant levels of emergency lending. According to British Business Bank figures in early August, over £1 billion has been lent by local banks in Northern Ireland since the onset of COVID-19, through a variety of government-backed schemes (e.g. Bounce Back Loans). But it’s also different in that the burden of debt this time is more widespread and concentrated on smaller firms.
Arguably, Northern Ireland already had a corporate debt issue before the pandemic. Clearly this has been exacerbated very significantly in recent months in the effort to support companies through the immediate crisis.
It’s probably not a surprise that a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce found one in 10 UK firms that took on debt during the pandemic say they may have to cease trading.
It’s perhaps also not surprising that more than a quarter (28 percent) of Northern Ireland small and medium-sized businesses surveyed recently by Ulster Bank said indebtedness was a problem of some degree for their company, with 10 percent of respondents saying that this issue was quite significant or very significant. Almost 38 percent of respondents said that measures from government to ease business debt would help boost their firm’s revival.
As we seek to navigate COVID-19 from an economic perspective whilst prioritising people’s health and wellbeing, it is clear that a number of things need to be achieved. Firstly, it is important to mitigate job losses to avoid mass unemployment. It’s also important to avoid having thousands of companies weighed down by their debt burden, making them unproductive. The economic implications of this could be significant and long-term.
Many local firms have been very dependent on support from the furlough scheme as well as support from government-backed lending initiatives.
Government has made clear that it won’t be continuing with the furlough scheme and has introduced the Job Support Scheme instead (after the end of October). The Chancellor also announced a number of measures on government lending schemes last week. More borrowing to invest and grow a business is a good thing. But it is clear that businesses cannot continue to take on debt long-term to make up for lower demand.
My view is that strategic solutions to corporate indebtedness will probably be required to help stop many firms falling into a spiral of unsustainable debt. It’s something Northern Ireland needs to talk more about.
This post is part of our #TheReset series in association with Ulster Bank
If you would like to get involved in #TheReset, either as an individual or as part of an organisation, please do get in touch by emailing us at [email protected] or [email protected] with an idea for inclusion in a range of articles or events over September and October.
Photo by stevepb is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-09-29--First Minister and deputy First Minister silent on their inability to appoint a civil service head…

Excellent piece from Mark Devenport , asking where ’ s our next head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service… Should we be surprised that the advert to recruit a successor to a man in charge of 23,000 civil servants didn ’ t appear until about six weeks before he was due to leave ?
To be honest , given the executive and the assembly ’ s track record on filling posts , the answer is probably no .
During the Stormont stand-off , the terms of the assembly ’ s spending and standards watchdogs were allowed to expire .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but assembly member salaries and expenses are still being handled on a DIY basis .
With Westminster about to bring in proposals which will stir the Troubles legacy hornets ’ nest and severely injured victims yet to receive their pensions , the first and deputy first ministers also seem to consider it reasonable to leave the victims commissioner job unfilled .
And now we have no civil service boss , after Arlene Foster and Michelle O ’ Neill decided they couldn ’ t appoint any of the three permanent secretaries who made @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Excellent piece from Mark Devenport, asking where’s our next head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service…
Should we be surprised that the advert to recruit a successor to a man in charge of 23,000 civil servants didn’t appear until about six weeks before he was due to leave?
To be honest, given the executive and the assembly’s track record on filling posts, the answer is probably no.
During the Stormont stand-off, the terms of the assembly’s spending and standards watchdogs were allowed to expire.
A new standards commissioner is now in place, but assembly member salaries and expenses are still being handled on a DIY basis.
With Westminster about to bring in proposals which will stir the Troubles legacy hornets’ nest and severely injured victims yet to receive their pensions, the first and deputy first ministers also seem to consider it reasonable to leave the victims commissioner job unfilled.
And now we have no civil service boss, after Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill decided they couldn’t appoint any of the three permanent secretaries who made it to the final job interview.


sluggerotoole--2020-09-30--#CargoOfBricks: Strategic response needed from Stormont for “education leavers”

One of the key reasons for having # TheReset project in a space like Slugger is to look behind the headlines and try to assay the effects of the Covid emergency , not just in health , but in other key areas of life .
As we prepare for a second wave , the effects on those leaving education are acute .
So this week I spoke to Professor of Education Tony Gallagher , to get his take on what that means in practice… In it we cover… • After 2008 young people who left education in the year of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either the class ahead or the one after .
A recent survey shows that a third of nongraduates and a 1/5 of graduates commonly find jobs in areas most directly affected the Covid lockdown .
• This huge economic risk being shouldered by young people contrasts enormously with how the most serious health risks lie with older people .
As such , there is a risk of polarisation as the mediation to protect public health pushes intolerable burdens on those leaving school .
• Not all young people will be hit equally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the hardest hit .
We need a much more strategic view of education as a whole to enable politicians and social policy makers to develop ways to come to a shared and shareable view of students ’ actual needs .
If you would like to get involved in # TheReset with Ulster Bank either as an individual or as part of an organisation , please do get in touch by emailing us at [ email protected ] with an idea for inclusion in a range of articles or events over September and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can catch up on Cargo of Bricks and In Conversation and subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you get your quality podcasts .

One of the key reasons for having #TheReset project in a space like Slugger is to look behind the headlines and try to assay the effects of the Covid emergency, not just in health, but in other key areas of life. As we prepare for a second wave, the effects on those leaving education are acute.
So this week I spoke to Professor of Education Tony Gallagher, to get his take on what that means in practice…
Powered by RedCircle
In it we cover…
After 2008 young people who left education in the year of the crash are still faring worse than either the class ahead or the one after. A recent survey shows that a third of nongraduates and a 1/5 of graduates commonly find jobs in areas most directly affected the Covid lockdown.
This huge economic risk being shouldered by young people contrasts enormously with how the most serious health risks lie with older people. As such, there is a risk of polarisation as the mediation to protect public health pushes intolerable burdens on those leaving school.
Not all young people will be hit equally, poorer education leavers, in general, are the hardest hit. We need a much more strategic view of education as a whole to enable politicians and social policy makers to develop ways to come to a shared and shareable view of students’ actual needs.
If you would like to get involved in #TheReset with Ulster Bank either as an individual or as part of an organisation, please do get in touch by emailing us at [email protected] with an idea for inclusion in a range of articles or events over September and October.
In the meantime, you can catch up on Cargo of Bricks and In Conversation and subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your quality podcasts.


sluggerotoole--2020-09-30--Representative democracy and its likely (and perhaps unlikely) rivals to power

Whilst Citizen ’ s Assemblies are not the panacea that some of their advocates suggest , what they can do is reveal otherwise unregarded characteristics of the electorate to elected representatives .
As Jamie Pow notes in Fortnight Magazine , the New Decade , New Approach Deal document pledges to hold regular citizens ’ assemblies that might bring democratic institutions and the people closer .
But he says , they must be meaningful .
Well , quite .
As The Economist noted last week… But there ’ s a rub for parties who use them .
The government got zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Irish Labour party ( multigenerational champions of abortion ) has almost been wiped out .
What ’ s that all about ?
Well , for one , the Citizen ’ s Assembly is a break from a grifter media that ’ s often more intent on gaming readers for the outcome its owners want than one in the public ’ s interest .
Individuals brought into the lee of the fire storming of Twitter and Facebook whose business model involves offering the modification of user behaviour to the needs of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Behaviour of Users Modified , and Made into an Empire for Rent ” platforms according to the tech philosopher Jaron Lanier ) now dominate the democratic discourse the world over .
According to Lanier they promote weirdness and nastiness , let their commercial interests dictate what content individuals access , use social data to manipulate users , and allow fake mobs to control debate .
Another correlated trend within politics the drift away from collective to individual interests within politics and wider public discourse .
This has led many elected reps to resile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult ’ , not ‘ tough ’ because tough can be a cypher for the act of ‘ cutting ’ public expenditure .
Cuts , of course , may be part of the remedy , but rediscovering the “ public will ” requires expenditure .
Citizens Assembly ’ s aren ’ t cheap , but in terms of an intervention , they have proven useful to get public representatives in the Republic off the hook of what was otherwise an impossible dilemma .
In any case , talk to anyone in public finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will tell you that the statutory minimum is the least effective and most expensive solution to any problem .
But getting to a solution that is effective and further upstream has been crazily difficult as politicians of different stripes have pushed responsibilities away from the government onto external agencies .
A good example of a wicked problem ignored is the Comptroller and Auditor General ’ s recent critical report on special needs provision seems to bear that out : This a serious issue and one that I know from talking to parents at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twenty years ago and from what has happened since nothing has been done to address .
In the hands of Twitter response to such insights becomes deadly , because Twitter ( for journos ) and Facebook ( for citizens ) peels away context and invites every individual to append their own .
The result is a deadening not just of debate but of democratic scope .
Is this why the UK has not built any new airports since the end of WWII ( its last great seeding and flowering of collective action ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying that it needs them , but this inaction applies to almost every form of infrastructure that can ’ t be achieved by the lythe action of the markets .
But social thrust dissipates .
Those ‘ little platoons ’ beloved by Burke and heroised by communitarian Tories as , “ the first link in the series by which we proceed to love our country , and to mankind ” are unravelling .
On Facebook and Twitter our little platoons , as you will soon find out if we ask those whom we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer ‘ Us ‘ , but a tumultuous , ever competing for its own turn , ‘ I ‘ .
The paradox is that this increased frequency of ‘ social ’ interaction is also making us more lonely , whilst at the same time the chatter is crowding out the time we have to think by ourselves .
Cal Newport calls this ‘ solitude deprivation ’ which he further defines as “ a state in which you spend close to zero time alone with your own thoughts and free from inputs from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effects of this not simply in politics but in shifting patterns of mental health amongst the younger generations for whom this always on and always connected paradigm is a natural environment .
At its extreme , social media creates a world that turns marketing into a technocratic decision tree , so that everything we do is mediated by a matrix in which none of us as individuals have any control .
Citizens Assemblies provide a respite from this techno-driven world by rehumanising the decision tree and vesting some power in a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the population .
But it comes at a cost .
In the eyes of the electorate , political parties who bring in CAs may also be relinquishing their own political responsibility for building wider coalitions of interest .
What may follow is a hollowing out of representative democracy that leaves a political class stranded within a technocracy it can no longer explain to a polis that no longer understands what it is for .
It provides low hanging fruit for single-issue mobs but leaves those we elect to the government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fashion ( like right now during Covid ) lacking in agency and authority .
There are no easy tricks to fill the gap between elected officials embedded within the technocratic class of the permanent government , and an electorate increasingly trapped by the tools of a technocratic age .
Learning to value the insight of living breathing individuals might be a start , followed by developing the ability to ask better questions and then finally learning to listen and respond to insightful answers .
None of which is likely to be found from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions you already know the answers to ) the vast white noise of Twitter and Facebook .
Does that , as Carnegie argues in this Scottish case study , require a reframing of the relationship between government and communities .
I am absolutely certain that it does .
But not , as Richard Wilson has argued , at the cost of swapping the role of the representative ( with its mechanisms for recall and accountability ) for a dangerously amorphous idea of the community itself .
“ Will social computing make it easier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who we really are , to identify our real problems , to respond more fully to beauty , to place adequate value on life , and to make our world safer than it now is ?
” If you would like to get involved in # TheReset with Ulster Bank either as an individual or as part of an organisation , please do get in touch by emailing us at [ email protected ] with an idea for inclusion in a range of articles or events over September and October .
Photo by @ @ @ @ @ @

Whilst Citizen’s Assemblies are not the panacea that some of their advocates suggest, what they can do is reveal otherwise unregarded characteristics of the electorate to elected representatives.
As Jamie Pow notes in Fortnight Magazine, the New Decade, New Approach Deal document pledges to hold regular citizens’ assemblies that might bring democratic institutions and the people closer.
But he says, they must be meaningful. Well, quite. As The Economist noted last week…
…because citizens’ assemblies reflect the population, their conclusions seem to appeal to it, too. Same-sex marriage and abortion were both legalised in Ireland when whopping majorities in referendums demonstrated that the country had reached a new consensus after years of fighting. And assemblies are not just for engaged middle-class types. One European study found that people with less education, as well as those who are most mistrustful of politicians, are keenest on the idea.
But there’s a rub for parties who use them. The government got zero thanks in the following elections. Indeed, the Irish Labour party (multigenerational champions of abortion) has almost been wiped out.
What’s that all about? Well, for one, the Citizen’s Assembly is a break from a grifter media that’s often more intent on gaming readers for the outcome its owners want than one in the public’s interest.
Individuals brought into the lee of the fire storming of Twitter and Facebook whose business model involves offering the modification of user behaviour to the needs of the highest bidder.
These BUMMER (“Behaviour of Users Modified, and Made into an Empire for Rent” platforms according to the tech philosopher Jaron Lanier) now dominate the democratic discourse the world over.
According to Lanier they promote weirdness and nastiness, let their commercial interests dictate what content individuals access, use social data to manipulate users, and allow fake mobs to control debate.
Another correlated trend within politics the drift away from collective to individual interests within politics and wider public discourse. This has led many elected reps to resile from difficult decisions.
I say ‘difficult’, not ‘tough’ because tough can be a cypher for the act of ‘cutting’ public expenditure. Cuts, of course, may be part of the remedy, but rediscovering the “public will” requires expenditure.
Citizens Assembly’s aren’t cheap, but in terms of an intervention, they have proven useful to get public representatives in the Republic off the hook of what was otherwise an impossible dilemma.
In any case, talk to anyone in public finance who knows their trade, and they will tell you that the statutory minimum is the least effective and most expensive solution to any problem.
But getting to a solution that is effective and further upstream has been crazily difficult as politicians of different stripes have pushed responsibilities away from the government onto external agencies.
A good example of a wicked problem ignored is the Comptroller and Auditor General’s recent critical report on special needs provision seems to bear that out:
85% of statements are issued outside the 26-week statutory limit. Statements are legally binding documents issued by the Education Authority (EA) detailing a child’s needs and setting out what specialist provision they require within the education system.
This a serious issue and one that I know from talking to parents at the school gate in deepest Tory England twenty years ago and from what has happened since nothing has been done to address.
In the hands of Twitter response to such insights becomes deadly, because Twitter (for journos) and Facebook (for citizens) peels away context and invites every individual to append their own.
The result is a deadening not just of debate but of democratic scope. Is this why the UK has not built any new airports since the end of WWII (its last great seeding and flowering of collective action).
Not of course that I am saying that it needs them, but this inaction applies to almost every form of infrastructure that can’t be achieved by the lythe action of the markets. But social thrust dissipates.
Those ‘little platoons’ beloved by Burke and heroised by communitarian Tories as, “the first link in the series by which we proceed to love our country, and to mankind” are unravelling.
On Facebook and Twitter our little platoons, as you will soon find out if we ask those whom we still believe think most closely to are no longer ‘Us‘, but a tumultuous, ever competing for its own turn, ‘I‘.
The paradox is that this increased frequency of ‘social’ interaction is also making us more lonely, whilst at the same time the chatter is crowding out the time we have to think by ourselves.
Cal Newport calls this ‘solitude deprivation’ which he further defines as “a state in which you spend close to zero time alone with your own thoughts and free from inputs from, other minds”.
We see the effects of this not simply in politics but in shifting patterns of mental health amongst the younger generations for whom this always on and always connected paradigm is a natural environment.
At its extreme, social media creates a world that turns marketing into a technocratic decision tree, so that everything we do is mediated by a matrix in which none of us as individuals have any control.
Citizens Assemblies provide a respite from this techno-driven world by rehumanising the decision tree and vesting some power in a group which at least tries to represent the rest of the population.
But it comes at a cost. In the eyes of the electorate, political parties who bring in CAs may also be relinquishing their own political responsibility for building wider coalitions of interest.
What may follow is a hollowing out of representative democracy that leaves a political class stranded within a technocracy it can no longer explain to a polis that no longer understands what it is for.
It provides low hanging fruit for single-issue mobs but leaves those we elect to the government to make the decisions needed in a timely fashion (like right now during Covid) lacking in agency and authority.
There are no easy tricks to fill the gap between elected officials embedded within the technocratic class of the permanent government, and an electorate increasingly trapped by the tools of a technocratic age.
Learning to value the insight of living breathing individuals might be a start, followed by developing the ability to ask better questions and then finally learning to listen and respond to insightful answers.
None of which is likely to be found from endlessly trawling (or indeed trolling with questions you already know the answers to) the vast white noise of Twitter and Facebook.
Does that, as Carnegie argues in this Scottish case study, require a reframing of the relationship between government and communities. I am absolutely certain that it does.
But not, as Richard Wilson has argued, at the cost of swapping the role of the representative (with its mechanisms for recall and accountability) for a dangerously amorphous idea of the community itself.
“Will social computing make it easier or harder for human beings to know who we really are, to identify our real problems, to respond more fully to beauty, to place adequate value on life, and to make our world safer than it now is?”
–John Kellden
If you would like to get involved in #TheReset with Ulster Bank either as an individual or as part of an organisation, please do get in touch by emailing us at [email protected] with an idea for inclusion in a range of articles or events over September and October.
Photo by Element5 Digital is licensed under CC0


sluggerotoole--2020-10-01--Where are the activists?

Where are the activists?

Recently I have been reading quite extensively about the period between 1960-69 .
In Derry the bubble of ‘ bottled resentment ’ was spilling over into near riot and civil breakdown well before the establishment of NICRA in 1967 .
Hume was very active in the street politics of this time , however he didn ’ t enter elected office until 1969 when he beat the long-standing figure of nationalism Eddie McAteer .
On his defeat he conceded that the ‘ old guard ’ of nationalism had been replaced by what he regarded as the extreme tendencies of the left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece recently , Hume helped established the Derry credit union and was instrumental in the Irish credit union movement .
He founded an independent housing association to build modern homes ( with indoor plumbing ! )
for the residents of the city not fortunate enough to avial of public housing – either due to their creed or the bad luck of living in the wrong gerrymandered district no matter their religion .
He also organised the less remembered “ University for Derry committee ” in 1965 which was the precursor campaign to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was more common in this time for activists to use their energies to make real change within their communities .
It can not be discounted how Hume and McCann ( among others ) were highly educated for their time and perhaps had confidence not found amongst the swathes of the working class people they had grown up with .
But that energy , wherever it came from , wasn ’ t automatically mopped up by party machines as it so often was in Britain or in the Republic at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ballot box when no other avenue was afforded them .
Even Austin Currie had exhausted every legal channel afforded to him before his Caledon squat saga .
He was already in elected office when he pulled off this effective media demonstration .
But it was his , as well as Eddie McAteer ’ s , ability to see how such activism was able to translate into the wider political context of 1960s Northern Ireland .
The official unionist establishment seemed completely blinded by Paisley ’ s booming from the back benches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Taylor – which incidentally saw him suspended from the sitting of Stormont ’ s lower house .
Today political activists seem to enter elected office very young , there is a unspoken rule within our political parties of first taking on “ casework ” then becoming a council candidate .
In my experience the idea of entering Stormont or even Parliament without ‘ cutting teeth ’ in council is seen as anathema to the political party machines .
I think that this is a mistake , as is taking a good activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the goodwill they might have generated on social media or elsewhere in their community .
Mick spoke to Richard Wilson who is passionate about the democratic renewal , he makes the bold claim that casework is actually not an effective use of time or resources for elected representatives .
I have to agree with Wilson , Brexit was a prime example of how starved of strategy and idealism our political class has become .
Activists can and should do more , they do require support and its inevitable that in a place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think tank and little funding for policy work generally that parties fill a void .
But perhaps something better can be built , even within the party system ?
“ Eamonn McCann أيمون ماكان ” by Hossam el-Hamalawy حسام الحملاوي is licensed under CC BY

Recently I have been reading quite extensively about the period between 1960-69. In Derry the bubble of ‘bottled resentment’ was spilling over into near riot and civil breakdown well before the establishment of NICRA in 1967. Hume was very active in the street politics of this time, however he didn’t enter elected office until 1969 when he beat the long-standing figure of nationalism Eddie McAteer. On his defeat he conceded that the ‘old guard’ of nationalism had been replaced by what he regarded as the extreme tendencies of the left.
As I noted in my eulogy piece recently, Hume helped established the Derry credit union and was instrumental in the Irish credit union movement. He founded an independent housing association to build modern homes (with indoor plumbing!) for the residents of the city not fortunate enough to avial of public housing – either due to their creed or the bad luck of living in the wrong gerrymandered district no matter their religion. He also organised the less remembered “University for Derry committee” in 1965 which was the precursor campaign to the civil rights demonstrations two years later.
It was more common in this time for activists to use their energies to make real change within their communities. It cannot be discounted how Hume and McCann (among others) were highly educated for their time and perhaps had confidence not found amongst the swathes of the working class people they had grown up with. But that energy, wherever it came from, wasn’t automatically mopped up by party machines as it so often was in Britain or in the Republic at the same time.
These men only felt the draw of the ballot box when no other avenue was afforded them. Even Austin Currie had exhausted every legal channel afforded to him before his Caledon squat saga. He was already in elected office when he pulled off this effective media demonstration. But it was his, as well as Eddie McAteer’s, ability to see how such activism was able to translate into the wider political context of 1960s Northern Ireland. The official unionist establishment seemed completely blinded by Paisley’s booming from the back benches and Curries’ throwing of papers at John Taylor – which incidentally saw him suspended from the sitting of Stormont’s lower house.
Today political activists seem to enter elected office very young, there is a unspoken rule within our political parties of first taking on “casework” then becoming a council candidate. In my experience the idea of entering Stormont or even Parliament without ‘cutting teeth’ in council is seen as anathema to the political party machines. I think that this is a mistake, as is taking a good activist in their prime and running them based on the goodwill they might have generated on social media or elsewhere in their community.
Mick spoke to Richard Wilson who is passionate about the democratic renewal, he makes the bold claim that casework is actually not an effective use of time or resources for elected representatives. I have to agree with Wilson, Brexit was a prime example of how starved of strategy and idealism our political class has become. Activists can and should do more, they do require support and its inevitable that in a place such as NI with only one independent think tank and little funding for policy work generally that parties fill a void. But perhaps something better can be built, even within the party system?
“Eamonn McCann أيمون ماكان” by Hossam el-Hamalawy حسام الحملاوي is licensed under CC BY


Derek Mahon dies…

Who can invoke that sense of the greater self that we are as a community , better than a poet @ @ @ @ @ it to Derek Mahon ’ s own words , broadcast by RTÉ News earlier this @ @ @ @ @ tweet , read a poem , and maybe , if you know Derek ’ s @ @ @ @ @ below ?

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sluggerotoole--2020-10-02--An opportunity for unionism to lead the celebration and expression of Northern Irish culture…

This is the second in a two-part series on how culture war is a mark of fake politics and not the least in our own backyard and is written from a pro-union perspective .
There is an opportunity for unionism to lead the celebration and expression of culture to a new level .
To mirror others , who forfeit this to a discourse of power and mob force illiberal cultural fundamentalism , is to deny its common humanity and heritage and impose tribal identity .
Ideological polarisation and its online echo chambers hollow out cultural hybridity .
We live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , street names , songs , literature , dance and values wherein culture has a growing edge and continues to form .
Seeds , sown by Catholic , Anglican and Presbyterian Scottish Gaelic and Scots speaking people are rooted deep into our tangled DNA In her book , ‘ Twisted Roots ’ writer Patricia Craig , from a County Armagh nationalist-republican background , traces her family history to show multi-layered religious , political , urban and rural identities .
This is not exceptional to Armagh nor exclusive to one political constituency .
Anglo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an empty location and change was a two-way process .
It produced our linguistic and cultural environment .
Despite minimal differences between speakers based on gender , age and ethnicity , evidence shows that the features and historic innovations that make for regional distinctions are shared equally within the community in the interaction of linguistic elements , regardless of politics or background .
Hume is a family name derived from Hume Castle , Berwickshire in the Scottish border .
Likewise , Anderson , a Scottish surname and one of the most popular in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fitz Andrew .
It is associated with Scotland ’ s patron saint .
The political and cultural preferences of both the late JOHN HUME and MARTINA ANDERSON MLA are well-known but judging by surnames it is clear that Ulster-Scots forms a part of the web that is their individual identity .
In this part of the world such is unlikely to be one-dimensional .
Anglicized Gaelic names like KELLY ( Ó Ceallaigh ) , the maiden name of the First Minister , pepper Unionist politics , names of schools , churches , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of unionism to which the late Seamus Mallon referred .
Unionist politics and their interplay with unionist culture , which many see as identifiable only by Orange banners , bonfires and the Somme , do not complete its cultural narrative .
Single-minded in its advocacy of the Union but too often narrow-minded in other spheres , political unionism has locked itself within a too rigid cultural paradigm .
The need for recognition beyond the myths is imperative .
Israeli writer Guy Beiner in Forgetful Remembrance comments on how some communities display select aspects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they opt ‘ not to remember .
‘ He argues convincingly that Unionism has largely erased from its narrative the fact that many , who might now identify as Unionist or pro-Union , had ancestors who were members of the United Irishmen and active in the battles of Antrim and Ballynahinch .
To do this diminishes the radicalism and enlightenment of some who became unionist and has transferred into unionist cultural thinking , allowing , as Connall Parr has written , writers and artists of diverse backgrounds , to be ignored and under-valued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of both Scots and Irish Gaelic influence .
Diversity and recognition of such will not contaminate some socially constructed purist culture .
It can only enrich as the impact of different ethnic groups now resident in Northern Ireland displays year on year .
Culture is not the same as identity and the diversity that defines life in Northern Ireland offers no threat to political allegiances .
It reflects the pluralism of the United Kingdom today .
New Decade , New Approach and planning for cultural recognition has slipped under the Covid-19 radar .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility for what is seen as unionist , and therefore British culture , should ensure it is celebrated as a tapestry of hybridity and inclusivity to move beyond denial strategies of the past .
Culture is best lived for what it is , not for what it is against .
Photo by truthseeker08 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

This is the second in a two-part series on how culture war is a mark of fake politics and not the least in our own backyard and is written from a pro-union perspective.
There is an opportunity for unionism to lead the celebration and expression of culture to a new level. To mirror others, who forfeit this to a discourse of power and mob force illiberal cultural fundamentalism, is to deny its common humanity and heritage and impose tribal identity.
Ideological polarisation and its online echo chambers hollow out cultural hybridity.
We live in a shared space of speech, names, street names, songs, literature, dance and values wherein culture has a growing edge and continues to form. Seeds, sown by Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian Scottish Gaelic and Scots speaking people are rooted deep into our tangled DNA
In her book, ‘Twisted Roots’ writer Patricia Craig, from a County Armagh nationalist-republican background, traces her family history to show multi-layered religious, political, urban and rural identities. This is not exceptional to Armagh nor exclusive to one political constituency.
Anglo and Ulster-Scots culture did not come into an empty location and change was a two-way process. It produced our linguistic and cultural environment. Despite minimal differences between speakers based on gender, age and ethnicity, evidence shows that the features and historic innovations that make for regional distinctions are shared equally within the community in the interaction of linguistic elements, regardless of politics or background.
Hume is a family name derived from Hume Castle, Berwickshire in the Scottish border. Likewise, Anderson, a Scottish surname and one of the most popular in Scotland, derives from the c14th name Fitz Andrew. It is associated with Scotland’s patron saint.
The political and cultural preferences of both the late JOHN HUME and MARTINA ANDERSON MLA are well-known but judging by surnames it is clear that Ulster-Scots forms a part of the web that is their individual identity. In this part of the world such is unlikely to be one-dimensional.
Anglicized Gaelic names like KELLY (Ó Ceallaigh), the maiden name of the First Minister, pepper Unionist politics, names of schools, churches, and council areas. This is the home of unionism to which the late Seamus Mallon referred.
Unionist politics and their interplay with unionist culture, which many see as identifiable only by Orange banners, bonfires and the Somme, do not complete its cultural narrative. Single-minded in its advocacy of the Union but too often narrow-minded in other spheres, political unionism has locked itself within a too rigid cultural paradigm. The need for recognition beyond the myths is imperative.
Israeli writer Guy Beiner in Forgetful Remembrance comments on how some communities display select aspects of their cultural heritage and history which they opt ‘not to remember. ‘He argues convincingly that Unionism has largely erased from its narrative the fact that many, who might now identify as Unionist or pro-Union, had ancestors who were members of the United Irishmen and active in the battles of Antrim and Ballynahinch.
To do this diminishes the radicalism and enlightenment of some who became unionist and has transferred into unionist cultural thinking, allowing, as Connall Parr has written, writers and artists of diverse backgrounds, to be ignored and under-valued. The same is no less true of both Scots and Irish Gaelic influence.
Diversity and recognition of such will not contaminate some socially constructed purist culture. It can only enrich as the impact of different ethnic groups now resident in Northern Ireland displays year on year.
Culture is not the same as identity and the diversity that defines life in Northern Ireland offers no threat to political allegiances. It reflects the pluralism of the United Kingdom today.
New Decade, New Approach and planning for cultural recognition has slipped under the Covid-19 radar.
When it is revisited, those with responsibility for what is seen as unionist, and therefore British culture, should ensure it is celebrated as a tapestry of hybridity and inclusivity to move beyond denial strategies of the past. Culture is best lived for what it is, not for what it is against.
Photo by truthseeker08 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-10-02--How Derek Mahon caught our attention

How Derek Mahon caught our attention

Derek Mahon struggled with an intellectual ambition unexcelled by his Ulster contemporaries , elevating the commonplace into grandeur and striking the contemporary notes of recognition that draw us in .
It ’ s uncanny how that late poem “ Everything is Going to All Right , ” has shed light on darkness during the pandemic , just as it has been adopted to ease the first shock of suicide for the bereaved .
In hands such as Mahon ’ s , the commonplace phrases are the hand holds that begin to pull us out despair .
How should I not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond the dormer window and a high tide reflected on the ceiling ?
There will be dying , there will be dying , but there is no need to go into that .
The poems flow from the hand unbidden and the hidden source is the watchful heart .
The sun rises in spite of everything and the far cities are beautiful and bright .
I lie here in a riot of sunlight watching the day break and the clouds flying .
Everything is going to be all right .
Uncanny too was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used the cliche to evoke a whole attitude to life , as Shostakovtich did with his banal little march in his monumental Leningrad Symphony .
The phrase sets the rhythm and tone for “ Bagpipe Music.
” From as far back as the 1930s , it strikes an echo than can be heard today .
It ’ s no go the picture palace , it ’ s no go to the stadium..
It ’ s no go the government grant , it ’ s no go the elections , Sit on your arse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a pension .
It ’ s hardly a surprise that as the poet Laureate Simon Armitage said the other day , poetry has been enjoying something of a boom during lockdown .
So often poetry is about being alone in contemplation , giving form to where the mind ranges unbidden .
..
If one book bores me I pick up another , Skimming and skipping .
I would rather shit like a gent than trouble my digestion Some have withdrawn in hopes of a mystique , Others in horror at the great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious hate .. Knowing yourself you know the human fate .
What do I know ?
Only immediate things .
I think and write as the bird sings ; For mine is a lazy , self amusing style ..Nor do we need computers to contemplate Knowing by instinct when to travel south…* The story goes that at MacNiece ’ s graveside at Carrowdore parish church graveyard in September 1963 , the young Mahon , Longley and Heaney gathered to read their tribute poems .
Heaney on hearing Mahon ’ s tore his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
*Quoted from “ Against The Clock ” , poems by Derek Mahon , The Gallery Press , 2018

Derek Mahon struggled with an intellectual ambition unexcelled by his Ulster contemporaries, elevating the commonplace into grandeur and striking the contemporary notes of recognition that draw us in. It’s uncanny how that late poem “Everything is Going to All Right,” has shed light on darkness during the pandemic, just as it has been adopted to ease the first shock of suicide for the bereaved. In hands such as Mahon’s, the commonplace phrases are the hand holds that begin to pull us out despair.
How should I not be glad to contemplate
the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window
and a high tide reflected on the ceiling?
There will be dying, there will be dying,
but there is no need to go into that.
The poems flow from the hand unbidden
and the hidden source is the watchful heart.
The sun rises in spite of everything
and the far cities are beautiful and bright.
I lie here in a riot of sunlight
watching the day break and the clouds flying.
Everything is going to be all right.
Uncanny too was how Mahon’s mentor Louis MacNeice used the cliche to evoke a whole attitude to life, as Shostakovtich did with his banal little march in his monumental Leningrad Symphony. The phrase sets the rhythm and tone for “Bagpipe Music.” From as far back as the 1930s, it strikes an echo than can be heard today.
It’s no go the picture palace, it’s no go to the stadium..
It’s no go the government grant, it’s no go the elections,
Sit on your arse for fifty years and hang your hat on a pension.
It’s hardly a surprise that as the poet Laureate Simon Armitage said the other day, poetry has been enjoying something of a boom during lockdown. So often poetry is about being alone in contemplation, giving form to where the mind ranges unbidden.
In “Montaigne” Mahon wrote:
.. If one book bores me I pick up another,
Skimming and skipping. I would rather
shit like a gent than trouble my digestion
tackling a merely rhetorical l question.
Some have withdrawn in hopes of a mystique ,
Others in horror at the great mistake
of this made century and its religious hate ..
Knowing yourself you know the human fate.
What do I know? Only immediate things.
I think and write as the bird sings;
For mine is a lazy, self amusing style
From Data
..Nor do we need computers to contemplate
That morphic resonance were swifts migrate
In close formation from a river mouth
Knowing by instinct when to travel south…*
The story goes that at MacNiece’s graveside at Carrowdore parish church graveyard in September 1963, the young Mahon, Longley and Heaney gathered to read their tribute poems. Heaney on hearing Mahon’s tore his own up and suggested Longley do the same.
*Quoted from “ Against The Clock”, poems by Derek Mahon, The Gallery Press, 2018
]


sluggerotoole--2020-10-03--#SluggerTV – The Role of Tourism #TheReset

On Friday morning I was joined by guests , Brona Moffett ( head of experience and enterprise development at National Museums NI ) and Michael Stewart ( a local hospitality consultant of 35 years standing ) for the latest episode of Slugger TV .
Our conversation looked at how we can reset our tourism industry and help forge a recovery for the local economy .
Now with our town centres and attractions much quieter , we thought it would be a good moment to look at not just how the pandemic has impacted the sector but what could come next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are focusing on this sector , you might be interested to know that tourism is currently worth 4.9 % of Northern Ireland ’ s GDP and sustains over 40,000 jobs .
Over the past two decades we have built a key part of our economy around tourism .
This multi-million pound industry employs thousands of people and has taken a real battering since March due to the COVID19 pandemic .
It seems like a long time since we had thousands of tourists from cruise ships and tour buses wandering up our streets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Accidental Theatre and was edited by Alan Meban .
If you would like to get involved in # TheReset with Ulster Bank either as an individual or as part of an organisation , please do get in touch by emailing us at [ email protected ] with an idea for inclusion in a range of articles or events throughout September and October .

On Friday morning I was joined by guests, Brona Moffett (head of experience and enterprise development at National Museums NI) and Michael Stewart (a local hospitality consultant of 35 years standing) for the latest episode of Slugger TV. Our conversation looked at how we can reset our tourism industry and help forge a recovery for the local economy.
Now with our town centres and attractions much quieter, we thought it would be a good moment to look at not just how the pandemic has impacted the sector but what could come next. If you are wondering why we are focusing on this sector, you might be interested to know that tourism is currently worth 4.9% of Northern Ireland’s GDP and sustains over 40,000 jobs.
Over the past two decades we have built a key part of our economy around tourism. This multi-million pound industry employs thousands of people and has taken a real battering since March due to the COVID19 pandemic. It seems like a long time since we had thousands of tourists from cruise ships and tour buses wandering up our streets.
This episode was recorded in Belfast’s Accidental Theatre and was edited by Alan Meban.
If you would like to get involved in #TheReset with Ulster Bank either as an individual or as part of an organisation, please do get in touch by emailing us at [email protected] with an idea for inclusion in a range of articles or events throughout September and October.