20th June, 2002
Notice
Board
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Question I am 66 years of age and I am living in Ireland.
However, I am receiving a social security pension from Germany.
Am I entitled to free medical care here?
Answer You may be entitled to a Medical Card which would entitle
you to free medical care.
Under European Union (EU) Regulations pensioners living in
Ireland who are receiving a social security pension from another
EU state are granted a Medical Card, provided they are not
employed or self-employed here, and are not receiving an Irish
social security pension.
While there is no means test for people entitled to a Medical
Card under EU Regulations you will have to give details about
your income in order to establish that your application rightly
comes under EU Regulations. If you have unearned income of more
than ~3,174 per year (~61 per week) you may be regarded as self-employed
and would have to satisfy a means test to qualify for a Medical
Card.
You will need to obtain Form E121 from the department of social
security in the country paying your pension. If you are receiving
your pension from the UK you will not require the form but you
will need to provide proof that you are receiving a UK pension.
You apply to your local Health Board for the Medical Card.
Further information is available from the Citizens Information
Centre. This column has been compiled by Cobh Citizens
Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service
to the public. Tel: 4814422
Address: St Colman's Parish Centre, Roches Row, Cobh, Co Cork.
DOUGLAS TIDY TOWNS
As you know Douglas Village is entered in The
Tidy Towns competition Urban Village category for the months of
June July and August with results announced in September 2002.
Also Douglas Village has entered the Litter Challenge a
competition which gives a written report each week on litter. The
competition runs for a nine week period and ends on the 4th July
2002 .The following are the results for the last four weeks :
Week Commencing :
16th May 2002 Douglas 57 Kanturk 43
23rd May 2002 Douglas 40 Mitchelstown 60
30th May 2002 Douglas 53 Buttevant 47
6th June 2002 Douglas 51 Charleville 49
The remaining towns are as follows :
13th June 2002 Douglas V Macroom
20th June 2002 Douglas V Milllstreet
27th June 2002 Douglas V Blarney
4th July 2002 Douglas V Newmarket
Douglas Village is judged under three areas : Area 1 both
Shopping Centers and areas between such as Mac Donalds, Cinema,
East Village and Douglas East. This area is judged every week.
Area 2 Douglas West ,Wollen Mills and Shamrock Lawn. This area is
judged every second week
Area 3 Rochestown Road and Maryborough Hill. This area is judged
every second week
I have given copies of the judges reports to most businesses in
the areas and wish to thank those who have made an effort to
improve on the previous weeks results ,however a few businesses
have not remove weeds from outside their premises to date. The
main reason for bad results is beer cans, takeaway paper,
cigarette boxes, chip cartons cigarette ends, loose papers and
weeds.
I would like to ask for a special effort over the next couple
months to ensure that the Village is kept clean and if you can
help we would like to meet you at Douglas Community Centre any
Saturday 10.30am to 1.00pm (Street Sweep ) also telephone us at
4894955 . Also financial support would be welcome to complete a
number of projects.
Finally I would like to thank the many people who have offered to
maintain the Flower Barrels in the Village and those who have
painted their premises and put window boxes and hanging baskets
in place.
Is mise le meas
Sean O’Riordan Chairman,
Douglas Tidy Towns Committee
WESTLIFE PLAY PRIVATE CONCERT FOR ST. KILLIANS.
by George Thompson.
Westlife took time out of their concert schedule to play a
private concert last week for the students of St. Killians
National School, Evergreen St. The school were competition
winners run by the Pennies from Heaven Charity which encouraged
the nation to round up their spare Irish coins before the Euro
changeover.
The concert was held at the Rochestown Park Hotel as the school
didn't have hall facilities, this however was good news for the
families of the students as this meant that sisters and brothers
of the students could go aswell.
250,000 students from 1500 schools pledged their support for
'Pennies from Heaven' which is now well on its way to achieving
its 5 million pound target. However only one lucky participating
school could win and it was St. Killians who were announced as
winners by Westlife's Bryan McFadden and Nicky Byrne on RTE's Den
TV last December.
Westlife sang a range of their hits for their young fans who were
mesmerised by their heros, who also posed for photographs and
signed autographs after the gig before returning to Dublin for a
concert at the Point that evening.
DOUGLAS WEEKLY SURVEY
As promised last week , this
survey covers the pub trade, who goes drinking and where and why.
The area surveyed was the western side of Douglas from Donnybrook
/ Grange to the Cross Douglas Road. The interviews included all
age groups in equal proportions so the results apply to the
general population of the entire area.
Question 1
Have you been for an alcoholic drink in the past month?
Yes 68% No 32%
Question 2
In what pub do you normally socialise ?
Briar Rose 6 %, Bohemian 6 %, Rochestown inn 4 %, John O’Sullivan’s
5%, East Village 9 %, South County 13 %, Riordans Washington
Street 2 %, range Bar 6 %, The Thirsty Scholar 2%, Frankfield
House 2%, Pinecroft 2 %, P.J. Turners 6 %, Jury’s 2 %
Rochestown Park Hotel 15 %, Douglas GAA 4 %, Barry’s 6 %, Spáilpin
Fánach 2% Bull McCabes 2%
A further 6 % said they do not drink in Douglas but go into town.
Surprisingly they said that they considered the pubs in Douglas
to be too full of unfriendly young people.
Question 3 Why Do you choose this pub ?
Location 32 % Atmosphere 44% Meet Friends 24 %
Next Week we ask about car ownership and traffic in Douglas
THE SUMMER RAIN
What’s happened to our
summertime?
What can the weather mean?
Where is our sun, our sand, our fun?
What’s happened to our dream?
My Love! I miss our sunny days,
This grey rain makes me blue.
And yet I find, a peace of mind,
When my thoughts turn to you.
Yes, when I think of you my Love,
I lose all pain and strife,
For dreams may come, but you’re the one,
The sunshine of my life.
So let the winds go screaming by,
And let the cold rain fall,
And East or West, go blow your best,
It matters not at all.
There will be sunny days again,
There will be skies of blue,
But no sunlight could be as bright
Or radiant as you.
Ronnie McGinn
BOYHOOD DAYS OF YORE
Part 3 - by Ger O'Regan
As a city boy, rural life was a
complete dream and an escape away from the hustle and bustle for
the more quieter area of Drinagh in West Cork in the early 60's.It
was my pleasure to be sent there for my three months summer
holidays every year until 1967 to my cousins '' Hannah, John and
Tommy'' who led very simple but nice lives. Few people had
electricity or running water and such was their case with no
offence intended.
Up every morning at 7am, a breakfast of a hard-boiled egg, white
bread and tea. Then with John to collect the cows and ''help''
Tommy and John to milk them by hand. I use the word ''help'' in a
loose term. At around 10.30am, I'd be waiting at the farm gate
for Ned to arrive with his horse and cart to take our churns of
milk to the creamery. If he was late and I was a stickler on
time, I'd take it upon myself to go and get him. My place in the
cart was behind Ned and taking the reins now and then when the
road was straight? Tommy was on the other side. Grandmother
Galvin was related to Hannah, John and Tommy.
At Drinagh Co-op, I'd await with baited breadth for the last
churn to be removed before I'd raid the Sweet Shop and build up
my stock for the remainder of the day. A stop was always made on
the way home at a certain establishment where I first endured
''puppy love''. I was slagged so much by Jack that I was
embarrassed to go there at all but then again and after all, I
was only 11 years of age. I won’t dare to mention the young
lady’s name but boys oh boys she was indeed lovely. Her
younger sister wasn’t bad either. Both still are nice ladies
and are due a box of chocolates each.
While I returned to the farm my heart stayed behind me. Boy! I
had it bad but we agreed to meet when she would call my way as
soon as possible and she did. We only lived 600 yds apart. It
seemed like it was a million miles.
Lunch would roll by and then the afternoon was free most times to
enjoy fishing on the river that bordered the farm. Brown trout
and eels were in good supply but it was a curse trying to get the
hook out of the eel. He'd wrap himself around your hand almost
squeezing the life out of it and for what, we never ate eels,
unlike the continentals.
Sometimes, I’d visit my cousin’s friends; Lizzie,
Auntie and Timmy lived across the river in a nice sized cottage.
A very warm welcoming people and a small dog, whose name escapes
me, who didn’t like me or I it. At thrashing time one year,
he took a piece out of my forehead and all I wanted to do, was to
be friends.
Auntie has passed on but Lizzy and Tim remain my strong friends,
as do several others in that locality. Like my cousins Hannah and
John who too has passed on to a greater reward.
Hannah Shea was a lovely dear woman. She lived with her family
almost four miles South of the farm but would us visit on her
bicycle twice a week. She was so nice to me and each time I
looked forward so much to seeing her. Through her, I got to know
Mary and Tim who now are firm friends. Ned, Jimmy and Miss
Hurley, I never knew her Christian name she lived only two fields
away, they had a beautiful dog called ''towser''. He'd sit on the
pillars of the gate and invite you to stroke him. His reward to
you was his rarely given paw and a lick. Some people will be
abhorred to read this but my dad always said and I believe him
that if you had a cut, the best remedy for healing was the lick
of a dog and god knows I've had several licks and I'm still alive.
Friday night was totally reserved for the visit of Jimmy Murphy
who was a blacksmith. What stories he had to tell; ''Irelands
Own'' wouldn’t be a patch on him. I was enthralled by what
he had to say to me. He lived up the mountain in a caravan.
Many times I would fall asleep on the settle by the warmth of the
open fire and would awoken by being told, ''come on Mac, its time
for the rosary''. And sure enough, no matter how cold it was,
we'd kneel on the stone floor and recite the five decades of the
rosary before retiring to bed armed with the ceramic hot water
jar.
I miss the peace and solitude I experienced in the country. Lizzy
once told me that in the river between our farms and in one spot
in particular; there was a ''water monster''. she had seen it one
evening coming back from Hannah’s. In due time, I avoided
that particular spot like the plague and of the water monster,
yes you guessed, an otter. I had other lady friends of my age but
none left such a mark on me as Nora did.
One day in the haggard, we were playing on a reek, which was
roughly 18 ft. high, when she innocently pushed me and I fell
headfirst towards the ground. Sticking up was a sharp stone. true
enough it tore a slice off my forehead and since Hannah didn’t
have transport, a hackney was ordered and I was transported off
to Dr. Bill O'Sullivans in Skibbereen. He gave me two stitches
without an injection. I didn’t half howl but on my return, I
felt like a soldier coming home from battle with a blood soaked
bandage which I insisted was to be left on: ''The sympathy
division syndrome''.
I adore animals of all forms with my adorable Labrador
‘‘Ronnie’’ taking pride of place. We were
always a doggie family. However down in Drinagh I had a pet cow.
As a calf, I named her ''Dusty''. I would sit on the grass with
her whenever I was allowed to. As he and I grew older, she would
allow me to stroke and lie with her and would protect me from the
other cattle, the same applied when she became fully grown, a
most unusual friendship.
My experiences in rural Ireland gave me a unique gift of
openness, which has stood to me all my life.
NOTICE BOARD
Church of Ireland
Sunday June 23 2002. ORDINATIONS. Bishop Paul Colton will ordain
two people as deacons, Stella Mikhail and Joy Ferguson, in St
FinBarre's Cathedral at 3 30 pm. (In times of diminishing
vocations this is exciting news.)
Global No Incineration Day
Please note that the events that were planned by CHASE for
Sunday, 16th June at Cobh were cancelled due to the Ireland v
Spain match. It is now due to take place on Sunday, 7 July.
Apologies for any inconvenience that may have been caused.
Ali Robertson to leave Granary
Theatre
Ali Robertson, artistic director of the Granary Theatre in Cork
since 1999 has announced that he is to leave the post at the end
of August.
