Landscape

I can’t describe quite how I felt apart from that my heart pounded and I wanted to cry.  But for some reason I didn’t panic and I instead knew someone had to talk to this man, to try to be there for him and that someone had to be me because I was the one he’d phoned.

Martin told me he’d been on the streets for years and he had saved up by begging.  That he hoped he’d finally be able to start rebuilding his life but he’d been robbed that night.

“I can’t take it anymore,  I just can’t,” he kept saying over and over.  He told me how he planned to take his life that night and that he had no doubt that it was the right thing to do.

“I can’t take living like this anymore, out in the cold, every night.”  Martin explained he’d tried hostels in Dublin but he just couldn’t sleep in them. He claimed they were full of “drug addicts, alcoholics and violent people.”

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this claim from a homeless person.  Some take their chances with the streets rather than with the hostels despite how loudly the Government and Dublin City Council, claims it’s providing for rough sleepers.

Really, when you think about it, would you or I wish to sleep in an open dorm full of strangers?  And hey, you may not always be guaranteed a bed throughout the year and sometimes you may only get a sleeping bag to take back to the streets you’re trying to escape.

While also, you know you’ll spend all day roaming the streets because hostels aren’t a home and you’re not allowed to stay in your home during the day.  This is merely a ramshackle sleeping arrangement for someone who just doesn’t fit in to this fast-moving, overpriced society of ours.

His voice shook.  His words were resolute.  I begged.  This was a stranger to me but I begged.

Martin told me not to feel guilty, to go on and enjoy the final days of the holidays, to go home to my family but how could I?  I told him, if he took his life, I’d never forgive myself.  I meant it. How could I?  He needed someone.  He needed someone to give a shit.  He needed to believe someone cared.  Anyone.  And I did. I did care.

I spent around half-an-hour speaking to Martin. I asked could I pass his number to a helpline.  He refused.  I didn’t want to stress him out but I managed to get assistance with the situation.

I checked on Martin a few times later in the night and I told him I cared, that I may not know him, but if he’d done anything that I knew he would regret, I wouldn’t be able to get over it, that I’d forever be sad for this loss.

I told him he meant the world to me as a human being and that I just knew tomorrow and the next day would be better.  I knew that while he had hope, life, that he could recover, that he could rebuild, that he could get over this.

I felt closer to Martin in that short amount of time than I have with many people in my life.  I suppose the old saying does ring true to some extent…A friend in need…

Martin was the most important human being to me that night in all the world.  I know if he’d died my heart would have broken.  I’d have felt responsible for letting him down even though, in reality, I know it wouldn’t have been my fault.

I told him I cared. I told him he was now my friend.  I told him others cared too, I just knew they did and that one day he would be able to look back on this as his turning moment.

I don’t know if I said anything that mattered, that counted, that worked because guess what, nothing does prepare you in any way to deal with such a situation.

All I know is I was able to help Martin.  I got him advice and I offered an ear to someone in a very low moment.

Something must have worked because a text came through the next day that I’ll never forget.  Martin told me he was fine.  He thanked me for my “kindness.” For being a “friend.” And by good fortune, he said his money had been returned to him.

I hope I never have to face that situation again – I wouldn’t wish it on anyone either – but I do know I’d be a friend to anyone who felt suicidal and I’ll always care for those less fortunate because tomorrow it could be you or I.

#Talktothehomeless

If you are struggling like Martin was, please contact the Samaritans on 116 123 freephone 24 hours a day.

Besides, if we’re going to throw stones, I’m pretty sure you didn’t arrive with the person you’re leaving with. On Christmas Eve of all days. But I don’t judge you.

From hero to zero in fifteen seconds.

Merry Christmas!

Stephen’s Day

8:25 pm

“I’m delightful to see you’re all making up for Christmas Eve. The audacity, closing early on Christmas Eve! What do you think this is? A holiday?” says one punter I could do without.

I’ve seldom encountered such a collection of drunk people at this time. Here’s something I bet very few of you are aware of – bartenders are basically practising psychologists.

Seriously, ten years of university couldn’t answer for some of this. You fancy that nice-looking girl who looks just like your mother at the end of the bar? Oedipus complex.

Someone’s looking at you the wrong way? Maternal deprivation. You’re going to do WHAT? Freudian slip.

There’s no need to sit down on the couch. Just give me your money and I’ll keep on smiling.

11:34 pm

A bottomless ocean of broken glass, vomit and shattered dreams. Is this really the way to celebrate Jesus’ birthday?

I have to imagine some of you are probably now barred from the pearly gates. I wouldn’t let you in anyhow. The rest of you, you’re all magic. Keep those tips coming.

Paul McCartney, you were wrong. Money can buy you love.

The noise is bubbling to the point where it’s become one large droning sound. Do we realise how loud we are when we’re three sheets? Talk, don’t shout – we’re losing the art of conversation here.

Someone else just up-heaved their Stephen’s Day dinner. There were carrots involved and definitely something green …

12:23 am

The absolute golden rule for you, the customer, from your make-shift caregiver for the evening.

If you are ordering a drink, DON’T TAKE FOREVER TO PAY FOR IT. Have the money ready.

You have absolutely no idea how annoying that is, especially when it’s busy. Universal bar etiquette 101.

If you remember one thing, make it this and the bar man or woman will always be on your side.

01:40 am

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, all work and

no play ma…

New Year’s Eve

10:36 pm

And now we’ve reached that crescendo of celebration – the year’s end.

There is happiness and positivity in abundance. Yeah, 2016 was a bit of downer wasn’t it? 2017 has to be better. It will be better.

Your New Year’s resolutions sound pretty reasonable and I wish you the best of luck with them.

Although, I hope you realise that quitting drinking tomorrow means if you drink past midnight tonight, you’ve already technically broken it. So stick to your principles and stop lying to me.

Every time you lie to me, a unicorn cries rainbow tears.

11:58 pm

Two minutes from salvation. The beer is flowing, and the songs are being sung. In among all the madness, it’s a rare moment of drunken humanity.

It’s been hard work getting here and I’m not going to lie, I’m not too disappointed to see the end of it. But for now, let’s all join hands and celebrate.

Happy new year to you all.

Despite the fact these children do not have a real toy, happiness seems to be their constant friend.

In the next picture, there is a class with walls of air and desks of knees. Yet, an atmosphere of joy and passion for learning occupies the place.

Those people who suffer in such places, know nothing about modern life, but they can create love, happiness, joy, and benefit from actually having nothing. In my mind, I tell myself, those are the real happy people.

The last photo on my mind, shows two girls seeming to play over some broken stones. The real story is that those two little girls play over, their beds, toys, books, rooms, food, and what was left of the wreckage of their own house in Palestine.

The dreadful fact is they play with a harsh reality over the lost dreams. In fact this photo is a part of a normal day in Palestine.

The kids who did not see any part of the world except this broken one believe in life and insist for it to be their future. They can create beauty from damage. They know nothing about despair and losing hope. They simply make a ladder of ambition to reach the sky.

Life is a picture and it is up to you how you draw it. If you see beauty, you will hold a cloud of happiness over your head and rain smiles every time you walk.

And when you keep frowning and complaining having nothing, you will always be in the same place.

One cannot have nothing. When God created us, he gave every single person on this planet a gift to distinguish him/her from other creatures.

So stand up for life and say I am lucky. Do not try to remember why, look around you and you will understand what I mean.

The graphic, sick and violent nature of the allegations and words have caused anguish to women across the globe with “Pussy grabs back” becoming the war cry from women all over the world on Twitter.

Trump’s words, the allegations against him, are like knives digging in to most the female psyche and perhaps nowhere more than Ireland – a country that still forces rape victims to give birth.

Helen Plass from Dublin, said:  “Donald Trump’s recent remarks were vile, disturbing, deeply shocking, but ultimately it’s so sad that a man of his age and supposed importance in this world, has such a demeaning view of women.

“It shows there is so much work to be done in the higher echelons of business, politics and in life general, to bring women to at least, a level playing field, when this bull***t is around. Who stood up to him? Nobody. All I heard in the clips were pathetic sniggering men, giggling like naughty schoolboys. Disgraceful.

“I believe that because someone in his position can ‘get away with it’ on so many occasions, he sends the message across the world that it’s just ‘banter’ and that it’s okay for men to do this. He truly disgusts me. His daughters and wife should be mortified of him.  He should be arrested for forcing himself onto women without their consent, but that just won’t happen.”

Helen, who works with women and their birthing partners to achieve an “empowering, healthy and happy journey into pregnancy, birth and motherhood” with her online company Nurturemamas, couldn’t recall if she’d ever met Trump type language but she had faced laddish behaviour, like most women – and even being groped – another dirty issue many women deal with daily in Ireland.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre released research that 13% of Irish women have experienced rape or attempted rape over their lifetime.

As a nation, many of us are suffering in silence and watching a man who speaks so insultingly of women gain such power, must bother so many who’ve been mistreated or abused by men.

“I have definitely walked in on a group of lads chatting about me, in a sporting environment. It was a short conversation, I know that much,” Helen said.

“And when I was in Spain on my Erasmus year abroad, I was walking along the street during the day in Seville, when a young local lad, no more than 18 or 19, got off his bike and felt it was okay to grope my breasts.

“He got on his bike and rode off again. I felt sick and utterly violated. I was taller than him and was so angry I wanted to run after him and deck him.  Probably not the best thing to do. But I just froze and was deeply upset. Again, he just saw me as this tall, blonde creature that stuck out like a sore thumb in Seville, as the men were all tiny, so thought he’d ‘have a go’.”

Helen also told how when she was travelling by train the day of the All Ireland GAA replay.

“There was your typical group of lads on the train, in their mid-20’s, drinking before the match. They were all very-well spoken may I add,” she said.

“There were about eight of us standing in between the carriages of the busy train. One lad was noticeably louder, and more drunk. He was full of guff and started talking about his ‘conquests’ from the previous week.

“He told how he went to a strip club, got two girls to kiss in front of him, total bravado and no doubt, complete bull***t. The other guys were smiling awkwardly and aware of me standing behind him, and started to get embarrassed.

“He became aware of the awkwardness, so turned round to see me looking at him. So I said ‘oh please do finish, I’m intrigued as to what happened next.’  He was mortified and put an end to the story immediately.

“Then he tried a few minutes later to talk normally to me. What an arse. But all I could think of were my two sons, who are only small boys now, and how one day they are going to be lads going to football and rugby matches.

“I hope to God that I will have instilled in them, a deep level of respect for women. Perhaps when we have more women in powerful positions, when it is normal for women to manage men, be seen as the boss, the respect will start to even out. I’m hopeful.”

Dr Edel Hyland, researcher and lecturer at Queens University Belfast, has been enjoying a running daily joke with her partner for weeks.  It begins “Did you hear what Donald Trump said today?”

“It’s our attempt to find humour in the farcical spectacle that is the current U.S presidential race. Last weekend however, upon the release of the Access Hollywood tape (the secret recording that revealed Trump and Billy Bush’s conversation on women) we couldn’t find any humour.

“The reality of Donald Trump that was revealed in that video is shocking at best, and at worst, a damning indictment of the potential leader of the free world.

“As a female lecturer and researcher in biosciences, I have had to navigate some male-dominated arenas. As such, there were times when I was very conscious of my gender, or indeed have had other colleagues draw unnecessary attention to it.   As uncomfortable as these situations were, thankfully that has been the extent of first-hand sexual harassment.

“Unfortunately, however, I have witnessed the misuse of authority by male senior academic staff who have taken advantage of the ‘hero status’ that is sometimes afforded them by young female students, not unlike how Donald Trump misuses his celebrity status with women.

“biggest tragedy here is not only the fact that this ‘man’ is running for one of the most powerful positions in the world, but that in spite of these deplorable comments, there are still tens of millions of people who will go out and vote for him, including women.

“It would appear that people are somehow forgiving of his despicable behaviour and some women will justify it. How are we ever going to explain this to our daughters, and indeed our sons?”

Dr Hyland is a geneticist and molecular evolutionary biologist, originally from Dublin.  She graduated from the natural sciences program at Trinity College Dublin.

Edel lived in the U.S for more than ten years, studying and working at John Hopkins University Maryland and Harvard University Boston.  She currently runs her own research laboratory and lectures in Queens University in Belfast.

Aoife Lynch, photographer and lifestyle blogger, from Dublin, said:  “I think that Donald Trump is an odious, misogynistic narcissistic billionaire whose whole campaign was best described as a half-assed ego trip and adventure tourism for the idiot rich.

“I try not to focus on the boorish behavior of a brash billionaire in America, as I find everything he says to be backward, vile and small minded and I find it utterly depressing that so many people subscribe to his negative views of people and our planet.

“It’s utterly terrifying that a person who may soon be in such a position of power actually denies that climate change is happening.

“And although he has flip flopped on his abortion stance and is now on the pro-life side to adhere to Republican party views, I personally don’t believe that old white men in government have any right to dictate what we do with our bodies.”

Aoife said she found Trump’s words “offensive and crass”  and felt he had attempted to objectify women and “reduce them to nothing more than their appearance”.

“I have worked in male dominated industries since leaving college. Firstly, in TV and film post production and now in photography and I honestly have never experienced any real sexism or misogyny in my workplaces.

“But when I want to get up for a sunrise photography session or head out into nature alone to do what I love best, there is a fear that there’s a possibility that as a woman I stand a greater chance of being attacked when out alone.

“It disgusts me to hear this man so flippantly talking about sexually assaulting a woman like we are nothing more than objects on this planet for their pleasure.  It is so important that a man like Trump does not win this election.”

Aoife Lynch is currently working as a photography studio assistant. You can follow her or catch a glimpse of her inspiring photos on Facebook at Aoife Lynch Photography or on Instagram at aoifenoellelynch.

Dr Joyce Rubotham is a molecular biologist, a mother and blogger. You can read more from her blog Diary of a Wimpy Woman here.

Glenn Gannon, who penned Miracle Man, from homeless to Hollywood, after living rough on the streets of Dublin – clearly used his survival techniques to make the most of a bad situation when he was due to sing on stage to help raise cash for four-year-old Rory Gallagher, who needs a vital operation in the U.S to help him walk without a frame and to live a pain free life.

Gannon’s guitarist had to cancel last minute and the actor, who’s starred alongside big hitters including, Anne Hathaway, decided to use his cheeky Dublin charm to hire the busker for a charity fundraiser at the uber posh Lillie’s Bordello nightclub in the city.

Gannon said that after taking a walk up Grafton street to clear his head he heard a busker playing the guitar and offered him €50 to help with this event. Gannon said:  “There was no way I was letting little Rory down”.

Rory, from Sligo, who has cerebral palsy, has fought all the odds to walk following life-changing surgery in the U.S last year – but now his parents are being forced to sell their home to raise the funds to bring their boy back to America for further surgery to improve the child’s quality of life.

Mum Shauna Gallagher told Ireland Today:  “Unfortunately I couldn’t be as involved in organising this as Rory has been in and out of hospital because he’s been having seizures,” but she added that she was overwhelmed by the support and for the help of the organiser Sharon Hennessy.

“All Rory talks about is walking and boxing,” she added, explaining how important the next operation, scheduled for December, is.

Acts at the Sing a Song for Rory event included actor and performer, Nourice Stephens, Glenn Gannon and Red Rock actor, Steven Mangan.

A raffle took place during the night last Friday and a magic mirror, used to capture fun photos of the revellers, was introduced to raise further funds.

The event began at 7:30pm and the venue was packed despite the rain.

Fair City actors, Dave O’Sullivan and George McMahon, presented the show, cracking jokes. And Patrick James and Teena Gates sang for Rory, with Mr and Miss Ireland Darren king and Niamh Kennedy making an appearance.

Nourice Stephens performed some of his songs and ended his performance informing the crowd of his charity single.

Stephens has released the official EP single for Rory’s wish to walk, ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’, with all the funds raised from this single going to Rory and his family.

You can donate to the cause here at Rory Gallagher’s Wish to Walk.

By Caitriona McMahon    @Caitriona_Mac

It’s Saturday and the birds were in full song, the sun had risen and a young lady by the name of Katie Whelan was in full flight in the People’s Park, Limerick, gearing up for an extraordinary event – a huge water balloon fight designed to raise positive mental health awareness.

“I just want everyone to have fun. I want people to realise that positive mental health is something that we can all achieve,” Katie told Ireland Today.

Katie is the founder of Lisa’s light, a campaign established in memory of her late cousin Lisa who tragically took her own life.  She set up the initiative after an extremely vivid dream one night in which she witnessed Lisa on a lit up bridge.

Katie said she knew this was a sign and she needed to do something about lighting up Limerick’s bridges. With the help of friends, peers and locals, Lisa’s Light boxes are lit up night after night on Limerick’s bridges spreading messages of hope to all.

“Positive mental health is not something that comes once and stays forever, it’s something that you find in everyday life.  It’s the extra 10 minutes before your alarm, the finding €5 in your jeans pocket or someone telling you that you look great.

“It’s always those little things that we take for granted.  I want people to know there is good in everyday.”

Since the light box campaign, Katie has certainly not taken her foot off the pedal.  She was crowned Limerick’s person of the year 2015, she has continued to speak in schools and anywhere she can to spread the word about positive mental health while at the same time completing her Leaving Cert and progressing onto university.

Splash out for Mental Health, Saturday’s water fight is yet another way she sees as a fun way to bring about mental health awareness while also giving back to all those that support her ongoing campaign.

Each balloon thrown is helping to break a little bit of stigma as it hits its target.  It’s clear the city of Limerick and its people have a huge place in her heart and from the crowd attending today it’s plain for all to see that Limerick’s people feel the same about her.

When asked about her thoughts on the day as it unfolded, Katie said.  “It’s amazing , I really was not expecting such a big crowd.  Never mind the variation in ages. It was just so unbelievable.  To get the message out to all those people. I’m in shock.”

As Katie speaks about mental health she does so with passion, drive and a determination to make a difference. Encountering obstacles and setbacks as she goes, Katie takes them in her stride and learns from every pitfall.

Pools of balloons awaited their masters and eager crowds waited on the green light to get started.  Some people, who wore troubled faces left later with smiles.

This water fight took everyone back to their childhood, a place of innocence, presence and fun. A place where the ego is left at the front gate.

After all are we all not kids at heart? As each balloon launched, another worry or concern seemed to leave the throwers mind replaced with excitement.

Balloon after balloon, relief after relief. As everyone ceases fire the music, face painting and fun continued. Grandparents played with grandchildren and it was a treasure to watch.

When asked what she would say to someone in distress, Katie replied:  “I would beg them to get help. I would ask them to please get help and fight for their life and tell them that they don’t want to die, they just forget how to live.

“I would ask them to please don’t put their loved ones through what I go through every day.   I would tell them they mean something to someone and that their life is worth living.”

Kid’s characters, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Spongebob, Daffy Duck, Scooby Doo and Woodie, made an appearance at the event and made children and adults smile.

Katie is more than a campaigner for Lisa’s Light – she’s a girl who puts everyone first and no one last, a lady that adores her friends, family and boyfriend and who sees an opportunity around every corner.

And all that she does is aimed at saving a life.

Thank you Katie for being fearless and taking on the fight for others – Caitriona

They come from far and away to visit the city to get well and truly LOCKED.

In Stamullen village, just 35km north of Dublin city, preparations are underway.

Tricolours hang from shops and local businesses, and the pubs are advertising a great evening’s ‘craic’ – with live music and traditional dancing.

But local man Thomas Kiely, 75, had his own colourful take on the event.  It’ll be an open air lunatic asylum as usual, he said.

You see Thomas remembers  a time when the celebrations were considerably more subdued compared to today’s standards – which let’s face it often end up in a gang getting drunk at home before they even hit, stumble, or fall in to the streets.

“You would see a small parade going up and down the road, much smaller by the examples you see today,” Thomas said, remembering Paddy’s days of old.

But still, Thomas will look forward to enjoying a little Irish pride tomorrow.  

“The number of parades now has grown and it’s nice to see the traditions being embraced by the different generations.

And as soon as the horseracing is on, I’ll be up the road.

While for some, if the American-Irish aren’t busy lapping up our heritage, they are busy taking it over.

Elaine McDonnell, a drama teacher, feels as a nation we’ve been overshadowed by other countries often elaborate forms of honouring our patron saint.

“The Americans have often shown us up by the way they celebrate Paddy’s day,” she said.

“I hope we can top their celebrations this year.”

It’s unlikely though really isnt it?  I mean how can we compete with a New York Paddy’s Day or a Boston Paddy’s parade?

For a start, maybe most people at the American parades are sober enough to remember not to make a show of themselves and leave that to the dancing leprechauns.

Hannah Egan, 20,  a staff member at Whyte’s Bar & Restaurant, in Stamullen, said she will be too busy to be affected by the celebrations.

It’s just another day for me, another day in work.  Don’t get me wrong; it’s a big part of our culture and if I wasn’t working, I’d be enjoying it with everyone, but work has to come first, and we’ll see, I might have a drink after work.

Ah work…what a sobering thought.  Perhaps too sobering on March 17 when the rest of the country is at the pub or enjoying a take-away and a good old drink.

Fergus Mctaggart, a retired mechanic, will be a patriot tomorrow, however.  St Patrick’s Day is not about the drink for Fergus, no.

“For me, it’s an opportunity to rejoice in having the good fortune to be born in the country that I love.”

Fair play Fergus – now, shall we have a drink to that?

Stamullen resident Ethna Whearity Wilde reminded us of another sobering thought – that the village has paid its own homage to the memory of St Patrick.

“Stamullen Parish Church is dedicated to St Patrick,” said Ethna.

“It’s a special day in the parish with the blessing of the graves in the cemetery on the day. Many of the local premises love Irish dancers in on the day where they have Irish music and craic.”

Well, it’s good to know there will be dancing…

But in Dublin city, many are dreading the 17th.  They wear their battle scars from years gone by.

They’ve seen the taxi queues and the carnage in the streets and bars – and don’t even mention the words ‘Temple Bar’ to many city dwellers.

I think the image of the drunk Irishman is a very negative one for our culture.  Drinking is way too common in our society considering how unhealthy it is.

It is positive to celebrate our Irish culture with pride and to show our history.  It can be a very positive thing to be proud of your national identity and encourage others to do so.

Perhaps the best way to mark the party this year is to have a nice meal with loved ones, enjoy a few glasses of wine and the craic and go home early enough to escape the rabble who chose the alcohol supper.

Here at Ireland Today, we will be working some of the day and perhaps enjoying a pint in the evening – but we will be home well before midnight, well before the party gets messy.

On that note, Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona.

Chandler’s book, The Sins of Jack Saul, released on March 21, unravels a Victorian scandal that shook the foundations of the British state.

“I found newspaper articles, and I then carried out genealogical research and traced him back to where he was born, Kevin Street, Dublin in a tenement slum,” Chandler said.

“Jack’s father was a jarvey, a hackney cab driver.  His mother kept house for a large family.  She was illiterate, couldn’t read or write.  Jack had sisters and two brothers, who were also taxi drivers.

“If Jack stayed in Dublin, he would have ended up a cab driver, earning very little.

The fact Jack was a mystery, that no one knew anything about him, the more I wanted to find out.  I like a mystery – and the more I found out, the more interesting he became.

The very notion royalty and high class figures, including lords and members of parliament, could have been paying for sex with Saul and other gay sex workers, sent the machinations of the British legal system into overdrive, Chandler said.

The brothel was raided by police and shut down, with some of those involved forced to flee to France.

And one of the most high profile policemen of the era, Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline, who had led the investigation into Jack the Ripper – was assigned to the case.

A royal scandal was borne and the editor of the North London Press, Ernest Parke, took the brave step of identifying one of the establishment figures buying sex from male prostitutes.

The small newspaper, with a circulation of only around 4,000, reported that the Earl of Euston visited 19 Cleveland Street for “sodomitical purposes,”  – a matter the earl vigorously denied.

Parke was forced to defend a libel action in court it seemed he could not win – but a fortuitous occurrence took place when Saul, at the age of 32, decided to become somewhat of an anti-hero.

The rent boy volunteered himself in the witness box as defence for the newspaper editor, to tell a truthful account of the Earl’s debauchery.

He told how he had met the earl in Piccadilly Circus and how they had returned to the brothel together on several occasions.

I think he did it because he genuinely felt that this editor was being unfairly treated, Chandler said.

“The North London Press was a very small newspaper.  The young editor, who was about the same age as Jack, was quite a radical and he had published articles in favour of Irish home rule.

“I took the view that Jack must have thought this young editor has been screwing the establishment for the past six months, ‘I have been doing it all my life.’

“I think Jack genuinely wanted to do something good in his life and help someone because no one forced him to do it.  He could have done what a lot of other gay men did and jumped on the ferry to France.”

The Dubliner stood in the dock of the Old Bailey in 1889, several years before Oscar Wilde uttered mention of “the love that dare not speak its name”.

Saul risked his liberty – Wilde was later sentenced to serve two years hard labour in prison for sodomy – for the same admission.

Chandler believes Saul may have took this unpredictable step, to redeem himself after years of immoral living.

He had been part of a gang, who had blackmailed wealthy men to pay up or have their private lives spread across London and of course he had used his body as a convenient commodity against poverty.

“To stand up in court several years before Oscar Wilde and say, ‘Yes, I am a sodomite.  I make my name sleeping with gentlemen.  I took the Earl of Euston back to Cleveland Street and I have seen him a number of times,’ was a terribly risky thing to do,” Chandler said.

“Jack did this at a time when he could have been sent to prison for two years hard labour.  In a sense he was the first gay activist and years before Oscar Wilde put his head on the block.

“Despite admitting ‘I am a sodomite,’ the archive records show the court decided it could not convict this man only on evidence from the witness box.  In other words Jack knew where the bodies were buried.

He mentioned names of members of parliament, wealthy stockbrokers, military, and the founding member of Barclays.

Chandler believes that now is the time to tell the story to a the new Ireland – post gay marriage referendum.  The writer hopes the book will see a new generation recognise the bravery of a flawed character – who lies in an unmarked grave in Glasnevin Cemetery.

He believes tribute should be paid to Saul, for standing up for what was right, coming out so openly as a gay man in those dark, Victorian days.

“The libel case was lost in the end, the young editor went to prison and the Earl of Euston walked away without a stain on his character,” Chandler said.

“The aristocracy always win and the judge was absolutely homicidal to Jack.  He branded him a ‘loathsome, melancholy creature.’

“He said to the jury ‘How can a creature like that walk the streets of London?  ‘Look at him, gentlemen,’

“Jack was in court with a silver topped cane and a flashy ring on his finger,” Chandler said. “This was an Irish rent boy, sleeping with all and sundry in the British aristocracy.”

“He gave a long statement to Chief Inspector Abberline of the Metropolitan Police, but because he knew so much, he was never charged.

“Jack walked away from the court.  The government of the day thought if we put him in the box and charge him, what on earth is he going to come out with.

“He knew too much.  The Old Bailey didn’t send him to prison.  The authorities were desperate to keep Prince Eddy’s name out of the scandal.

“The prince’s name was never mentioned in the UK papers.  It was only ever reported as someone in high up circles, but in the American press, they said the prince went to the brothel.

“The Prince Eddie rumour was well known.”

Saul made moves to rebuild his life after the case.  He became a servant at a London hotel, a gentleman’s valet and butler.

“These were popular jobs for homosexual men back then,” Chandler said.  “Eventually he went back to Ireland, to his family.”

But this was only one scandal Saul was involved in.  There is another infamous tale that his name is wrapped up in.

Jack Saul also featured in a scandalous and pornographic book, ‘The Sins of the Cities of the plane,’ published in 1881.

The book, a mix of fact and fiction, depicts the life of Saul, a “handsome man in London, who has found his body to be his best asset and makes his way through life as a prostitute.”

The novel incorporates real-life accounts of those involved in the Cleveland Street Scandal, the Oscar Wilde trials, and other shocking cases of the period.

The book was one of the first accounts of homosexuality in Victorian England and even Oscar Wilde bought a copy.

It became an influence on the more famous gay erotic novel, Teleny, penned by Wilde and published in 1893.

There is only one copy left and it is in the British Library but this is not the original text. That is believed to be unobtainable today.

The fact Wilde was inspired by the book, to write Teleny – and that incidentally the men are likely to have known each other in Dublin, is also a matter of intrigue for the writer.

When Jack lived in Dublin, he was based in the same street as Wilde’s favourite restaurant and I would say they crossed each other’s paths, Chandler said.

The history of Saul is a familiar one, of a poor Catholic boy in Dublin in the Victorian era.  While his protestant, middle class counterparts had opportunity to thrive in Irish society, he was destined to a life of destitution.

But Saul wanted more – he had dreams beyond his Dublin, slum home.

In 1875, at the age of just 17, Saul was again caught up in dishonour, when he met and Chandler believes, fell in love, with a young lieutenant in the Dublin Militia, Martin Oranmore Kirwan.

Kirwan was the protestant son of a wealthy Galway landowner and justice of the peace, a cousin of Lord Oranmore.

The Victorians abhorred the very notion of social classes mixing, let alone having sex, and the idea of homosexuality, was of course, the stuff of scandal and criminality in Ireland in these times.

In 1884, Kirwan was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit sodomy.  Saul, who was linked with him, was arrested in London and taken back to Dublin to give evidence but fortunately this was never used and Kirwan was released.

Kirwan was acquitted but his reputation damaged – so much so that Chandler claims he is still remembered for ignominy today by the few aware of the history.

When researching the book in recent months – Chandler claims a woman who lives near Kirwan’s home, just outside Galway city, slammed her car door shut on the writer, when he mentioned the lieutenant’s name.

He said she drove off hastily to avoid any discussion about the lieutenant.

“I’ve been over to Ireland quite a few times,” Chandler said.  “To Dublin, Wicklow and Galway, tracking down Jack’s history and where he had lived.

“Jack died in Our Lady’s Hospice in Harold’s Cross.  He was taken in with Tuberculosis, aged 46 and he is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, in an unmarked grave.”

Despite Saul having purged himself of his dark past, leaving prostitution behind for an honest living, it seems like the lieutenant he loved, shame is still attached to his memory, Chandler said.

Even those who are his kin do not wish to be publicly linked to Saul, it seems.

I have spoken to one or two relatives, Chandler said.  They asked me not to reveal their identities.  They just confirmed his name was accurate and that he was born just off Kevin Street, that he was christened in Latin, Johannes Saul and he was born in 1857.

“I think Irish people would be quite shocked, all this went on, back in Victorian times,” Chandler said.

“Here is a sort of Irish villain, mixing in these circles, but Jack does something good with his life in the end.

“It seems sad he is then buried in Glasnevin Cemetery in an unmarked grave.  But he has faded from history.  I hope his sins can be forgiven and he can be remembered for good now, in history.

“Jack Saul was born at a time when there were 6,000 soldiers based in Dublin.

“He was a Catholic boy from a slum with little chance of elevating himself to a better life.  A protestant could could walk into a good, clerical job at that time and a Catholic boy, sweep floors just to survive.”

With so many soldiers in Ireland, many were looking for male prostitutes, according to Chandler and at the age of just 17, Saul learnt a less conventional way of survival in harsh economic times.

The Sins of Jack Saul can be ordered in all good book shops and can be ordered from Amazon.  It is priced at £9.99 or around €12.89.

Meanwhile Chandler has also created a musical in honour of his Dublin muse.  The Sins of Jack Saul – The Musical, will be staged at Above The Stag Theatre, Arch 17, London from May 11 until June 12.

Book tickets online for at:  http://www.abovethestag.com/show/the-sins-of-jack-saul-4/

They are priced at £19.50 or around €25.

I could explore new relationships, and I could be the person I always wanted to be.

Soon I was telling everyone and receiving hugs, instead of the rejection I had expected.

After 18 years, I could finally breathe.  But why had I waited so long?

Well, I had seen first-hand the bullying that occurred as result of being perceived as gay.

I remember one kid who never stated his sexual orientation, but was labelled gay anyway, and slagged horribly for it.

When I saw the torture this kid had to endure day in and day out, I knew revealing my true self in secondary school was out of the question.

For the last two years of secondary school, I kept quiet, and dived into my studies.

Nobody suspected or thought for a moment that I might be anything other than straight.  

So when I heard homophobic remarks uttered, I stood idly by and did nothing.  I didn’t want to be ridiculed or have my sexual orientation uncovered and blasted over social media.

Defending someone would have cost me a lot.  I didn’t know whether my classmates would ever speak to me again.

It was strange that a school that was very accommodating towards different nationalities, couldn’t muster up the same support for LGBT individuals.

The problem perhaps stemmed from the system.  I still find it bizarre to this day, that the school never took time to educate us on the multiple sexual identities out there.

As far as most of us were concerned normal meant following a strict diet of heterosexuality.

For example, every week, in sixth year, we had motivational speakers in, ranging from an ex-criminal to religious speakers, yet not once was there an LGBT individual.

It shows that despite the leaps and bounds made for the sake of equality that some traditions remain firmly locked in place.

I sincerely hope that since I left in 2012, that my old school has made changes.

Fortunately after leaving secondary there’s the move to college.  This is, I feel, the best time to express your sexuality.

There’s no better place.  People have matured and they become more open minded.

If you want to come out and still feel uncomfortable disclosing, most third level institutions have LGBT societies, and these are places where judgement simply does not exist.

Bottling up your identity should not be an option. Identity is key to who you are, and where you want to go in life.

Schools should have an obligation to teach children from an early age about the numerous different sexualities, and the acceptance of LGBT individuals.  This would help the fight against bullying, improve mental health and create a positive learning environment for all.

To the current generation struggling with coming out, I hope you have the ability to express your sexual orientation.  

I hope your friends are true friends, and will not turn their backs on you.  If you are straight and reading the article; support your friends.  My friends did, and now I’m smiling.   

The more the images were showed on rolling TV channels, on Twitter and Facebook, the more the damage of this bloody evil act, seemed to have on Dublin and indeed Ireland – as fear echoed across communities.

The names of innocent victims such as Anthony Campbell and Shane Geoghegan, caught in the crossfire of gangland killings in Ireland, are very fresh in the minds of most people.

And as a city and country everyone is very aware that if a threatened gang war erupts on the scale being discussed by commentators in the media, the threat of innocents being killed again, is a very real one.

The impact of this threat was increased once again after another murder, reported as being a revenge attack, took place on Monday night – just three days after the Regency Hotel attack.

An innocent man, father-of-five Eddie Hutch senior, 59, was shot dead by a gang of four in Poplar Row, north Dublin.

The taxi driver’s home had been sprayed with bullets.  It seemed the only reason this father lost his life in such a debased way was because he was related to a crime boss, Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch.

This killing was believed to have been carried out by the Kinahans –  an international drugs gang based between Dublin and Spain.

It is believed the Kinahan’s targeted Eddie after the murder of Byrne, one of their gang, at the hotel.

As soon as news broke of the second murder, panic again spread across social networks as ordinary Dubliners worried about the prospect of a deepening disorder on the streets of the capital.

News again flashed across our screens, not only in Ireland but in the UK and across the world, again too.

And within a short time false reports of another shooting in Tallaght, Dublin, emerged, and spread across Twitter – though there was no truth in this.

Such was the shock in Dublin after two serious gun attacks, that it seemed a deep sense of fear had taken hold among residents right across the city.

But as the finger of blame was directed at Gardai, the Minister of Justice, Frances Fitzgerald, and as far up as Taoiseach Enda Kenny – and as shock continued to surge through communities – particularly in the affected neighbourhoods –  the ordinary Dubliners continued to live and away from any shadow of fear.

We realised evil walked among us a long time ago – but we never dreamed it would parade itself on TV as it unleashed its bloody will.

Gangland figures in Dublin and across the world, may be called infamous – but they are not famous.  Most people do not wish to see them idolised and though they had their five minutes of despicable notoriety, one man’s words stand true.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said they are not idols or stars or heroes, but criminals who threaten public order and democracy.

But for now this boy will sit his Leaving Cert and he will show the system that he deserves to be counted. He will show them that he will defeat them all. And he will survive. No thanks to our Government and their provisions for him, but simply through his own determination to survive.

W.B Yeats had no help either.  My son has the same experience in 2016.  Yeats was a success and my son will be too.  But he shouldn’t have to struggle to succeed.

Earlier this month a student with dyslexia challenged the Minister for Education’s refusal to grant him an adult “reader” to help him understand his Leaving Certificate papers.

“I loved his photo.  He was real muscular and worked out a lot.  He was like my ex but better looking, so I thought, why not have some fun.

“He asked me round to his – and I can’t believe I did this – but I felt like c**p.

“I got his address and jumped in a cab.  It was like a dream – like I wasn’t doing it.  I didn’t tell my friends where I was going because I know they would have disapproved and anyhow, they were too busy with their new men.

“The taxi didn’t take long.  He was at the door of his house when I got there.  As I got nearer, I realised he looked nothing like his profile photo.

“I felt uneasy and disappointed.”

Ciara said the reason she didn’t leave when she saw the man looked older and less in shape than he had appeared in his profile, was because the streets were “deserted” and the “cab had left.”

“I felt the best option was just to go with it.  I went inside.  I thought I’ll go home soon when I’ve spent some time with the guy.”

When she got inside the house, a poor looking terrace, the man told her stories of how lost he had been.

He had recently lost his mother, and he had been single for years, unable to meet a “nice girl.”

I started to feel like he was really lost and down and I stayed on to chat longer than I should have.

“We had some drink and that was the last thing I needed.  Things moved on.  They shouldn’t have but I felt sorry for him and I felt so down about my ex – I feared he had met someone else – that I just let him kiss me.

“Before I knew it we were having sex and I was regretting it.  I asked him to stop.

“I explained I was sorry but I had just been in a break-up and I was vulnerable and drunk.”

The next occurrence shocked Ciara.  She realised she had lost control and now she was terrified.

He refused to stop.  He kept having sex with me and by this time I was begging him to stop.

“He didn’t.  He raised his voice and told me to ‘stop talking,’ that he was ‘nearly done.’

I couldn’t believe it.  He was raping me now because I’d told him to stop and he was just telling me to stop talking, to continue letting him do what he was doing to my body.

“I was angry, terrified, a lot of emotions at once – but then as I tried to move from under him – he put his hand on my throat and I froze.

“He seemed to get more aggressive as he continued to rape me.

“I was numb. I cried.  He eventually stopped and shaking I grabbed my clothes and walked downstairs.”

The man hadn’t finished tormenting Ciara though.  He followed her to the living room, where she was calling a taxi on her phone.

He told me I was “shit,” called me a “whore.” He said so many things, then he ordered me out of his house.

“I just left, too afraid to answer him.  I called the cab in the street. There was no one round.

“It was a rough neighbourhood.  I was afraid.  He was looking out of the window at me.  I feared he would hurt me, even kill me.

“I walked off up to a pub that was closed a few minutes away, to get away from that man, his house, to meet the cab at the pub.”

Ciara sat on the step outside the pub cowering in fear from the threat that the man could follow her and hurt her again.

After what seemed like “forever,” but in what, was reality, around 10 minutes, the cab arrived.

She cried in the back of the taxi.  Ciara never reported the incident to the Gardai. She didn’t tell her friends or family but she has bravely opened up to Ireland Today, in the hope of preventing others from making the same mistake.

As if what she went through was not shocking enough.  Ciara said the man continued texting her for “months” after the incident.

“It’s really weird because the first couple of times I answered him and just said I was busy and I had met someone and was happy.

“I hadn’t and I was far from happy after what he had done to me but I thought in some stupid way if I made him feel it was okay, he wouldn’t bother me again.

I was afraid of him finding me, seeing me again on the street.

But when the texts continued for weeks, Ciara began to ignore them.  For weeks she would not hear anything and then suddenly she would receive them again.

This continued but each time she ignored them.  Eventually she changed her phone number and she will never try online dating again.

I know I should have reported that man.  I know I should have but I was ashamed of my own behaviour that night.

I was afraid it would get back to my family if it went to court and in a way I knew I shouldn’t have gone to his house.

“But I do know it wasn’t my fault. At least by talking now and telling what happened to me, others might read this and not make the same awful decisions.

“I would say stay away from online dating because you just don’t know who is on the other end of the computer or phone.”

Ireland Today has also learned of incidents of men with previous histories of sexual offences using online dating as a way of finding women.

One man that we became aware of used his full name on a profile that made him very easy to link back to court records.

And now a gay man in the UK claims he has been infected with HIV after having sex with another man he met on gay dating app Grindr.

The man, from Edinburgh, who goes by the name ‘Matt’, told how he asked for his sexual partner to wear a condom – but that afterwards he feared he had not.

Days later he received terrifying texts telling him his partner hadn’t worn a condom.  He underwent tests and found to his horror, he had contracted HIV.

Police are investigating this case and several men have come forward having fallen prey to the same sickening behaviour – feared to have been carried out by one man.

The story, and the comments from Ellen O’Malley Dunlop, the CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, made before the latest horror was reported publicly, have again caused concern that online dating could be exposing us to the world of the unknown, the insidious and even the terrifying, more than ever before.

We could not touch on this issue without of course mentioning the horrific murder of Dubliner Elaine O’Hara, a 36-year-old childcare worker, with a personality disorder, who met killer Graham Dwyer, a middle class architect, on a dating site for those interested in domination, bondage and masochism.

Elaine was murdered in 2012 after undergoing mental and physical torture for months.

We also spoke to Emily from north Dublin, a 28-year-old office worker who tried online dating because she admits she was in a “trap, meeting the wrong men in bars and clubs.”

“I really kind of felt I was getting on and a lot of my friends were getting or had got married,” she said.

“There used to be a shame in going online but now it seems like everyone is doing it so I gave it a try.

“It wasn’t embarrassing anymore – and I could have the craic with the women in the office about it too, showing them the photos of the men I had talked to.”

But Emily admits that after weeks of swiping through photos of men and even their private parts (not something she had wanted to see) – she began to feel she was on a “shopping exercise,” rather than a dating search.

I felt like the way it was set up, made the men feel like products – and I am sure that’s how a lot of the women look to the men too.

“It’s almost like no one is real.  It’s weird.”

She put aside her reservations and agreed to set up a few dates but on her first one, she was already beginning to regret her decision.

“I met him in a bar and he didn’t drink.  I thought, fine, that’s okay – but then he acted disgusted that I did.

“It’s fairly unusual to go in to a bar with anyone in Dublin and then to drink tea, but this guy did and he made me feel awful for having a pint.

“He told me I was ‘in good shape,’ and then went on to ask why I was single and seemed to be looking for weak spots in his questioning.

“I felt more like I was being quizzed than having fun on a date.  The conversation was dry and it was all overwhelming, so I told him I wanted to go home and I lied and said I’d had a nice time.

He reacted badly to my wanting to leave.  I’d been there an hour.  He began getting aggressive, telling me I was no better than him.

“Then when I started to walk off he insisted I walk with him to the bus stop.  I refused three times but in the end, to avoid a public scene, I let him walk me – and though I felt uneasy, I figured the streets were lit and busy enough.”

She let the man walk with her to the bus stop and instantly regretted the decision.

He asked to kiss me and I kissed him on the cheek, though I didn’t want to.  He got angry again and started saying I thought I was better than him and I wasn’t.

“He went to kiss me on the mouth and I pulled away.  He pulled at my arms and my back, forcing my body to lean in to his.

He started kissing me, and I was absolutely disgusted and terrified.  He was hurting me.  I pulled away and told him he had better get the f**ck off me or I’d scream for help.

“A man walked past and asked if I was okay and I said I would be when this guy went away.  He told the idiot to leave and waited with me until the bus came and he was gone.

“I never used online dating again and that a**hole kept texting me for weeks – until I had to change my number.”

Ellen O’Malley Dunlop said earlier this month:  “I think it’s really important for people to know how dangerous it can be because you have perpetrators who are out there seeking vulnerable people and that site (Tinder) is extremely dangerous or can be…for people to access another person just to have sex.

“You can have perpetrators who are seeking to abuse another.

People are going on the Tinder website specifically to have a sexual relationship with another outside the realms of any other type of relationship and that is very concerning.

Ms O’Malley Dunlop, the outgoing chief executive, who is standing as an independent in the Seanad elections, said she would advise people from using the site.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre reported a 33 per cent rise in rapes and sex assaults in the first eight months of 2015 – though there could be no evident link made between this and the increase in popularity of dating sites, and in particular dating apps.

Tinder has 50 million users globally and 10,000 in Ireland.  Grindr has more than 10 million users worldwide and is popular in Ireland also.

Both websites and dating sites across the board, offer safety tips.  Tinder acknowledges it does not do criminal checks on users and Grindr warns it cannot protect a user’s location, saying even if it blocks the information, technologically skilled people can still find another user.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this feature and need to speak to someone, contact the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre 24 hour helpline on: A National 24-Hour Helpline: 1800 77 88 88 

A couple of hours later, we were both still there, alive and kicking.  I had made my first feline friend.

No tears, no runny nose, no hives, no nothing.  Just this feeling of peace and calm.  This beautiful animal had helped shift something major inside me.

The clean food, the yogic breath, the Reiki healings, the feline friend… I haven’t taken any asthma or allergy medication for over a year now, zero, zilch, nada, which for me – and for the GP, who keeps a medical history of my condition, is crazy.

Now, as an energy healer, I’m very aware that when people come to me with physical symptoms, there is often more to it than meets the eye.

Do you ever get unexplained aches and pains and wonder why the hell your bones are creaking before their time?

Well, the aches and pains might not necessarily be medical if new research is to be believed.

According to psychological studies, physical pain can be caused not only by physical injury, but also by emotional stress.

Research claims that unexplained chronic knee pain can arise as a result of an inflamed ego.

Lower back pain has also been linked to financial concerns.  Ironic because most people spend money on pain killer trying to rid themselves of an achy back.

Pain in the shoulders has been linked to a person who may be carrying a heavy emotional burden.

Sceptical?

I would have been in the past, until I miraculously cured myself of chronic asthma and debilitating allergies I had been medicating a lifetime.

Gizane Aparicio

Energy Healer & Writer

http://www.theperuviansage.com

Ireland Today does not encourage people to come off medication that they have been prescribed by a GP but if they want to follow some guidelines, such as Gizane’s towards relaxation and healthy eating, they are free to enjoy any possible benefits, though of course we cannot guarantee results!

www.theperuviansage.com

She found there was a shortage of information, so she set up her own blog: www.colourwithclaire.com to help others.

She has reviewed around 200 adult colouring books and has become part of a huge and growing online community, with colourers sharing photos of their work and stories of how the activity helps them in their lives.

Lucy Fyles, 25, from Worthing, West Sussex, is another adult colourer, who has also used the art form to help her anxiety.  She also has her own blog: www.inthemidstofmadness.wordpress.com where she writes about mental health and colouring.

“I’m an adult colourer who is currently virtually housebound with a severe anxiety disorder,” Lucy said.

I have used adult colouring throughout this period of illness and found it very beneficial for my anxiety and I now review adult colouring books and mediums from a mental health perspective.

“Before having to stop work, I was working as a nursing assistant on a psychiatric inpatient ward and I regularly used adult colouring with my patients, with great effects on mood and stress levels.”

Lucy explained she is using her blog to:  “reduce stigma, dispel some myths and misconceptions, to put a face to mental illness and to highlight positive and negative stories in the media.”

She said she never grew out of colouring  and that while completing a psychology degree, Lucy coloured as a form of relaxation and a way of using her creativity.

“I always used to have to use children’s books because adult ones didn’t really exist or just consisted of geometric patterns which were lovely but a little tedious given the lack of choice.

When I was an hospital inpatient in 2008 we participated in art therapy and were often given colouring pages of mandalas or garden scenes which were wonderfully relaxing to add colour to.

“As a nursing assistant and activity co-ordinator in an NHS psychiatric unit, I regularly used colouring with my patients to promote calmness and use as a distraction technique when they were experiencing difficult feelings.

“One of my patients brought in an adult colouring book called The Creative Colouring Book for Grown-Ups which was unlike any colouring book I’d seen before and I went ahead and bought a copy and so my adult colouring journey truly began.”

Lucy also reviews books on her blog and aims to help others who are housebound to enable them to choose their next colouring book.

There seems to be a psychological process that lies within the act of colouring – and the books are even being sold as mindfulness tools now.

It’s believed the activity engages the brain to relaxation but maintaining concentration without becoming draining.

Research carried out at San Francisco State University examined if a range of hobbies and pastimes could help workers recover from the demands of their jobs.

The study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology, found that people who pursue creative activities outside the office not only deal with stress better but their performance at work improves, too.

Dr Joel Pearson, a brain scientist at the University of New South Wales in Australia has a different explanation for the therapeutic effect of colouring stating that concentrating on colouring an image may replace of negative thoughts and images with pleasant ones.

Dr Pearson said:  “You have to look at the shape and size, you have to look at the edges, and you have to pick a colour.”

“It should occupy the same parts of the brain that stops any anxiety-related mental imagery happening as well. … Anything that helps you control your attention is going to help.”

Michelle Byrne, 51, from Trenton New Jersey in the U.S. is the founder of Coloring For Me, another adult colouring website.

Similar to the others Ireland Today talked to, Michelle finds that sitting down to colour, helps her cope.

It relaxes me. I suffer from depression and anxiety and this really helps. When I am feeling anxious,  I can really lose myself when I colour.

“I’ve been colouring For about 10 years now.  Up until this past year,  it has been really hard to find adult colouring books.  Now I find them everywhere I go.”

But of course, until the world of adult colouring exploded last year, Michelle was one of many who hid her creative side for fear of ridicule.  After all, this had been a hobby favoured by five-year-olds for so long.

Many would and still do question why adults would colour when surely they could be partaking in baking, knitting, mowing the lawn, or some other sort of serious adult activity.

“For many years I hid it,” Michelle said.  Only my closest friends and family knew about it.  My husband has always been very encouraging. Now that it has become more mainstream,  I find myself being much more open about it. I still get some strange looks though.

“I got my best friend hooked on it and we sometimes colour together.  Mostly though it is a solitary hobby.  I can lose myself in making my art and that’s truly what I consider this to be.

“I tell people all the time that I can feel my blood pressure return to normal after a really stressful day.”

I love Floral pieces and abstract animals.  I spend entire days working on pieces – and I’m talking eight or more hours.

Adult Coloring Worldwide,  one of Facebook’s fastest growing and largest adult colouring groups, has over 16,000 members.

The group also has a website to promote colouring book artists and to keep colourers up-to-date on the latest news at www.adultcoloringworldwide.com

One thing seems for sure, colouring is far from just a hobby for children anymore and mothers and fathers could get more out of play-time than they had ever anticipated.

If you have any stories of the arts helping you, get in touch.  Email:  info@irelandtodaynews.com, tweet us at @irelandtodaynews_ or like us on Facebook.

By Anna Aparicio

EYE rolls, sighs, bitten lips, thoughts of misdemeanor… do you dread having to spend Christmas with certain people?

Seasonal fake smiles, voodoo infused hugs, back-handed compliments, second hand gifts… it’s the dark side of Christmas.

If you’re lucky enough to like and love everyone around you, stop reading this and pour yourself a yucky eggnog full of love.

But if the thought of spending a minute around that certain person or people, makes you cringe, stay put.

Here are my top tips on how to stay out of jail and actually have some fun with the people you can’t stand this Christmas:

#1 Don’t take it personally:  Sometimes they’re just being themselves, sometimes they’re just being an asshole.

The key is to realise that what someone says or does often has little or nothing to do with you and everything to do with themselves and their own state of mind.

So, instead of internalising it, make a conscious decision to just let it go.

#2 Protect yourself:  By this I don’t mean go and get a head guard.  I mean protect your aura, your energy field.

Whenever you’re around this person or people, imagine you’re standing or sitting inside a bubble of your favourite colour and you’re protected by positive, peaceful vibes.

This will help raise your vibration and you’ll feel more in control of things and generally happier.

#3 Yes Darling them:  There is simply no point using “buts” with certain people, no matter how wrong you think they are.

It’ll only cause an argument no one will ever win, especially after a few mulled wines.

If you disagree with their opinion, say “yes, and…” then make your point anyway.

Psychologically speaking, the other person won’t feel as threatened – if at all – as if you had point blank disagreed with them.

#4 Remember to breathe:  Becoming mindful of your breath is the quickest and most effective way to avoid getting ahead of yourself, saying or doing something you might regret, or losing your mind.

A few long, deep breaths will help you come back to the present moment and feel calmer.

#5 Focus on what you do like:  Unless this person is the devil personified, there’s bound to be things, attributes, characteristics, that are not so bad after all.

Whether it’s something they’re wearing, or a good deed they’ve done… you don’t have to like someone to notice the good things about them.  Look and you shall find.

#6 Hairy removal:  A smart person knows when to stay put and also when to remove themselves from a situation that might potentially turn sticky.

At Christmas we tend to spend long periods of time sitting or standing around a table.

The air can get a bit stale and things can get a little hairy after a space of time and a few wines.

Be sure to get out in the fresh air now and again. Take regular oxygen breaks. Keep yourself fresh.  This will reduce the chances of things getting hairy.

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