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[image alt="ALONE" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2017/11/alone-14-296x197.jpg" width="296" height="197" credit-source="Jason%20Clarke" caption="Alone's%20Christmas%20campaign%20launch%20with%20Vincent%20Browne%20" class="alignnone" /end]
“IT’S LONELY AROUND Christmas time. One is made more aware of living on one’s own.”
Donald, an ex-journalist, once lived a very social and active life alongside his wife. However, when she passed away in 2008 Donald found himself living alone in solitude – joining the thousands of other older people across the country who are living alone.
In Ireland, one-third of people over the age of 65 live alone, rising to 60% for those over the age of 80. A striking one in 10 older people suffer from chronic loneliness.
As the years went by without his wife, Donald began to suffer from loneliness and longed for company.
“I was a very social person. When my wife died 10 years ago, I discovered that I didn’t have any close friends because were were a partnership and we were our own closest friends,” Donald told TheJournal.ie.
“You can’t replace that very easily. I have one son that lives in London and while it’s ok having Skype, it’s not the same as having an intelligent conversation face to face.”
Donald made the decision to seek out support. He contacted Alone, the charity that supports older people to age at home.
Alone works with those who have issues with loneliness, social isolation, lack of services, poor health, poverty and homelessness. It offers a befriending service, where older people living alone are paired up with a volunteer who provides regular home visits.
So far, Donald has had three home visits from an Alone volunteer. He’s always noticing a positive change in his life.
“It has made a great difference. No matter how you get by on a day to day basis, talking to people and dealing with what has to be dealt with, it’s not the same as sitting down for a chat about common interests and the world in general,” Donald said.
Spending Christmas alone
This Christmas will be Donald’s first with the support of Alone. Until now, he said that Christmas has been a particularly lonely period every year. Although he lives in a residential area of bungalows for older people, Donald said his neighbours aren’t particularly interested in socialising, even at Christmas.
It’s slightly lonelier around Christmas time. One is made more aware of living on one’s own.
Annette, a 68-year-old woman also from Ranelagh, has lived alone for years. She never married and has no children.
She, too, turned to Alone for support when she began to feel loneliness seep into her life. Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Annette had nothing but praise for the service and the positivity it has brought into her life.
“My health and everything has improved a thousand out of a thousand since I contacted Alone,” Annette said.
Annette meets up with her volunteer once a week. They go for walks or to a coffee shop for a chat. Annette’s volunteer has brought more than just company into her life, but friendship too.
“She’s a friend, she’s a very good friend. If I wanted to go anywhere locally or further away she would come with me,” Annette said.
“She’s a very nice woman and she’s full of emotion. The first time she came to me… When I opened the door she flung her arms around me and asked me how I was. I was really astonished by it but it was a really lovely gesture.”
Both Donald and Annette had a mutual word of advice to older people living alone, who lack a support system – don’t be afraid and take the first step to ask for help.
Donald told TheJournal.ie that older people have nothing to lose by getting in contact with Alone.
“If they want to have a sensitive person calling for a chat about whatever they want to talk about, I would encourage them to have a go and try it out,” Donald said.
They have nothing to lose. They have everything to gain. Some good friendships can be born by mixing with people from Alone.
Similarly, Annette told TheJournal.ie that there is no need for older people to be nervous about contacting Alone. She said: “The minute you call there’s a nice pleasant voice answering the phone and they’ll be out to you within a few days. I would advise anyone to do that.”
Christmas campaign
Annette and Donald spoke to TheJournal.ie at the launch of Alone’s Christmas campaign – ‘No one should be alone this Christmas’ – which is asking people to support the charity’s work by volunteering and donating.
Christmas is a particularly important time for Alone, as loneliness is heightened for those living alone during the holidays.
The charity runs a number of activities throughout the Christmas period, including a dinner dance for older people and volunteers, the delivery of hundreds of Christmas hampers to older people in need and a Christmas Day dinner delivery for a number of older people.
Sean Moynihan, CEO of Alone said: “We want older people to know that they have a right to be supported, to receive the support they need and to live in a place of their own choosing.
We will all be old one day and deserve to have supports and services in place to help us age well at home.
For those who have concerns about their own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of an older person in their community, Alone can be contacted on 01 679 1032.
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Not good really. Surprised at TCD. Just academic backclapping. They would do better to give free education to academically bright people who cannot afford it…. even one person.
@Paul A Whelan: Couldn’t agree with you more Paul.
@Paul A Whelan: they do a form of this already http://www.thejournal.ie/trinity-access-programme-graduate-2827733-Dec2016/
@Jen M: Dont say that it spoils their narrative. Thr truth comes second to a good old class rant
Why?
@neilo: None available the boys are partying in them or I mean they are homeless shelters.
@neilo: I only asked a simple question, why? Do you have the answer neilo?
@neilo: not like you to apologise, that’s a first.
@Benking23: new profile already restricted? Poor pet
The Clinton Foundation is shrouded in controversy, even our own ‘he who cannot be named’ is a major donor to this ‘charity’. Her husband was impeached, the first US president to be so since Andrew Johnson in 1868 (Nixon resigned during impeachment proceedings against him in 1974). They are a toxic duo and I cannot fathom why she was rewarded by Trinners.
@Frank Cauldhame: if only it had been investigated
@Dave O Keeffe: Investigated properly by someone with no connections to the parties involved, I totally agree.
@Niall Quinlan: you’d think the new administration would have been right on top of that given the campaign promise to do so
Really annoys me when she’s trying to take credit for Trump reversing his decision on the immigration issue when it was obvious it was a scare tactic by him to deter immigrants entering the USA. Hillary is just another incompetent failed politician who should not be given a public platform to speak.
@Adrian: Imprisoning 2500 kids after separating them from their parents is a scare tactic?
Your moral compass is wrecked lad
@Pearse Mc Mullen: you really need to try to understand news stories better. Don’t believe the political spin on the first break of a story.
@Adrian: o didn’t see her trying to take credit. When did she do that?
@Adrian: her and her husband made a significant contribution to achieving peace on this island. I think that entitles her to speak in trinners or anywhere else.
@Adrian: I seem to also recall her banging on about nobody questioning the outcome of the election during her campaign, whatever ppl say about how she won the public vote they both knew well how the presidency is decided just like most Americans should. Now all she can do is rile up more folks about Trump, She is a warmonger and a hypocrite and America’s Tony Blair. These kinds of ppl are not democrats.
@Adrian: Ageeed !!! Herself and the WARMONGER HUSBAND who is beyond redemption
First ang sang, now Hilary, why?
We must really love our warmongers.
@saitek: Trinity Leftest? Hillary Clinton is further to the right than Theresa May ffs.
Why? Is this a consolation prize for losing to Trump or just yet another veiled Trump protest? Either way – thought Trinity would be above that.
Clinton an out and out warmonger. Had she been elected there would be no one making a comment here. Most of the world would be obliterated by now.
@Dave Doyle: Voted in favour of invading Iraq. All you need to know….
@Daniel Donovan: in her election speeches, she wanted to go to war with most of the middle east.
@Dave Doyle: yeah right
Rumour has it that the people who organised the protest have already “committed suicide” after a short depression ;). Such is the usual fate of anyone in the way of the Clintons….
@D_Murph: ah yeah, suicide jokes, you stay classy kid.
@Dave O Keeffe: it’s not a joke. There’s a long list of people who conveniently killed themselves before they had a chance to testify against them in the past. Look it up.
@D_Murph: so the organiser of the protest really is dead? No, you were making a joke about suicide based on a conspiracy theory. You were called out on it and are now you claim you meant it to be taken as fact. Stay classy
@D_Murph: think about it for a moment. The President absolutely despises her and got elected chanting “lock her up..lock her up”. Do you not think if there was a scintilla of truth in what you said that he would have been all over this and had the AG put her on trial for it. The only “proof” for it can be found only in the darkest corners of the internet.
@Dave O Keeffe: Let me reiterate. I have no intention of mocking suicide victims. Just Hillary.
Also, oooh, I’m so scared of you “calling me out” like the big man you think you are. Behind your keyboard or phone etc that is lol.
Now run along and find something else to be offended by…..
@Diaspora’d: I’m sure he would but it’s not like others wouldn’t have tried either. It’s not what you know but what you can prove that works in cases like this. Too much smoke to have no fire though.
@D_Murph That’s the point there is no evidence or proof. The Republicans appointed a special federal investigator Ken Starr to investigate the Clintons for the whitewater and the Vince Foster suicide. It went on for nearly 4 years and didn’t come up with any proof on that matter however it did end up getting Bill for perjury about Monica Lewinsky, who by the way didn’t conveniently disappear.
@Diaspora’d: They covered their tracks well when it mattered and the one who gave him a BJ got through. Priorities….
@D_Murph: ..and the Lewinsky affair, probably the most embarrassing lasting legacy of his Presidency wasn’t a priority? I don’t buy your logic.
@D_Murph: dies someone not understand the difference between being called out and having their bs called out? Poor little snowflake.
@Dave O Keeffe: Are you still here? Still don’t realise I don’t give a shite what you think, do you? BTW, it’s “does”, not “dies”, lol. My opinion still stands no matter how many spastics like you think otherwise.
@D_Murph: well, at least now you’ve changed from declaring facts to staring opinion. The personal insults are a lovely touch though I must admit. They show who you really are
@Dave O Keeffe: you started it with the snowflake comment but I guess you’re too thick to understand that it works both ways.
@D_Murph: you’re so fragile. It’s hilarious. “You started it” what are you? 5?
@Dave O Keeffe: You’re so stupid, it’s hilarious.
I made a comment on here and you repeatedly made insulting comments trying to rubbish my post. I tried to explain it to you in a civil manner and you persisted with more of the same and when I eventually insulted you back, (not before it was due either), you try to make me look like I’m the childish one? Hahahaha unreal!!
Furthermore, you have repeatedly said that you have analysed the kind of person I am etc and it’s clear that you don’t like me but it’s 2 days since I originally posted and here you are still unable to drag yourself away from this conversation with me. You seriously need to get a life!
I didn`t realise she was that small, Little Poison Dwarf..
@Pearse Mc Mullen: fake account
What’s even more nauseating is Mary Robinson’s sycophantic fawning.
She head hunts gaddafi to death which leads to the complete destabilizing of Middle East.that area has always needed a dictator to control the area from saddam Hussein to gaddafi,now that both of them are gone it’s a complete war land with innocent people slaughtered and millions of people getting on boats that are ending up in Europe,what a disaster she has been and a disgrace trinity are honouring her
Ahhh give her a break….. She’s a lot saner than what’s in the Whitehouse at the moment….
@Sean Leonard: Is she though?
@Sean Leonard: She was adamant about a war with Russia just in case you forgot.
@Sean Leonard: wouldn’t agree with you on that. She’s a whole lot of crazy.
@Jackie Carvill Caruana: nuts! watch her clip about Ghadaffi “we came we saw he died” followed by a witch like cackle! D fact is dat Libya is 100 times worse than when Ghadaffi was in power because of her actions, and I truly would doubt it plays on her conscience as she I don’t think she has 1!
@Vote4Pedro: “watch her clip about Ghadaffi…” And Trump admin officials have cited this “Libya model” in respect of other countries, what’s your point?
@Thomas McGuire: why is everything a comparison. Can’t she just be a terrible human being on her own. Why is everything “they did it first” and “they are worse”. Can’t people and policies just be judged by their own merit or lack thereof.
@Vote4Pedro:
Because of her there are currently open African slave markets in Libya, where Children, Women, & Men are sold to the highest bidder, nice job Trinity.
@Thomas McGuire: the Libya model which Bolton was referring to was in fact a reference to the way Gaddafi gave up his nuclear ambitions for investment and access to western markets. It was not a reference to the eventual bombing and murder of Gaddafi. It was Trump who conflated the two issues.
@Thomas McGuire: I’m sorry but how is this thread anything to do with Trump. But while ur at it u acknowledge that the operation she implemented in Libya was the mother of all disasters?
@Sean Leonard: Someone who cackled “we came, we saw, he died” at the death of Gaddafi is more sane than Trump?
Why is the Republic of Ireland catering to this dreadful individual? She should be booted out, imo. Disgusted.
@Declan Carroll: Should we have booted her out during the peace process? Eaten bread is soon forgotten.
What contributions has she made exactly? A power hungry warmonger
It’s like Obama getting the Nobel peace prize based on promises. Educational institutions are so moronic when it comes to this kind of thing.
Does anybody in Trinity know how to use a search engine?!!
Crooked Hillary – the woman who laughed at getting a rap-ist of a twelve year old off jail time because otherwise it would be a miscarriage of justice…Some champion of women…
@Dumb as a Rock Mika: ya poor thing. Do a proper search on that famous laugh.
@Dumb as a Rock Mika: Very apt name. She was his lawyer and doing her job. It requires a higher moral understanding than you can handle it appears
@Mark Murphy: I’ve listened to the recording. I suggest you do too before you act as an apologist…Disgusting woman…
@Kal Ipers: Kal, my point relates to her been recorded laughing about the case, even though she implies she knew he was guilty.
You should read a point before you start questioning people’s morals, Kal…
@Kal Ipers: I’ll call you Half-Wit Kal from now on…
@Dumb as a Rock…..you really know how to live down to your name…idiot
how is it that people can loathe trump so much that such actions by this woman are brushed aside so easily. There’s a twisted obsession by alot of Irish people with the Clintons, wud i be rite in saying horny bill got an honorary doctorate from nui Galway recently? Both colleges should be investigated as to whether those making such decisions are mentally capable. Not a great example to be setting for impressionable students.
@Kal Ipers: Lawyering doesn’t require anything approaching moral understanding.
Fair dues to those hecklers
Ffs
An absolute disgrace!
Killary Clinton even worse than Trump
Ridiculas
@@mdmak33: love your spelling. Was it delibrate?
no wonder why trinity knocked out of 100, crooked hillary might as well collect all she can now, as she will be in an orange jumpsuit soon
@Karen Ryan: 1 can dream Karen
WTF are they thinking?
People talk about the northern Ireland peace process as if this somehow absolves the clintons of the massive harm they have created in the world. a few dozen lives saved in northern Ireland compared with hundreds of thousands of lives lost worldwide and counting and misery for decades to come. a bit like Joseph Stalin given forgiveness because he gave a beggar a sandwich.
Go on hillary ya good thing. Fair play to her I say anyhow.
@Mark Murphy: Get a life shes a war criminal
@Kevin Cashin: I wouldn’t pay attention to Moron Mike…he’s brainwashed, the poor chap…
@Mark Murphy: Obviously you’re a Troll.
Some have short memories. She and Bill were instrumental in the peace process in Northern Ireland. Up to then most AMerican pols took their lead from Britain.
@Brendan Walsh: Yawwwwn
@Brendan Walsh: very true, her and Bill did an awful lot to help the peace process along. Some of the tin foil hat kids here are to young for that bit of history.
@angryDuck: so the fact that they helped the peace process here in your eyes gives them a free pass on everything horrible they have done?
@angryDuck: Your use of the “tin foil hat” pejorative shows you have nothing approaching a cogent argument.
They wear colourful gowns for honorary degree ceremonies – more appealing than the suits and dark glasses of the personal bodyguards.
Time Hillary 2 go away her stupid book what happened blamed everyone but herself for her loss FBI didnt tell her to bleach bit her emails smash phones destroy laptops have a private server in her house with classified info which IG report says was hacked russians didnt tell anyone to vote TRUMP she list bcause she wasnt a good canidate was out of touch with people outside Washinton why not give this award to someone who deserves it She wont go down in history for bringing peace to NOKO hopefully TRUMP will
@Evelyn Boylan: FFS please use punctuation. You come across as illiterate and let the side down.
Well yeah, she’s an American politician. I’d consider them all warmongers. Most of the country seems fine with America going to war, they’ve been brainwashed into believing its necessary for their way of life. In reality its just good money for those in the right places.
Ireland has stopped to a new low awarding a war monger and the one who distroyed lybia , Iraq with lies . They should have awarded her for being the biggest lier and getting away with it award ..I’m ashamed to be Irish .
@Car O Line: I’m ashamed of all the Irish people hurling ignorant abuse at a visiting democrat who has always been a friend to our country and who worked so hard for peace here.
Jez, the comments section on the journal has gone full psyco tin foil hat bat sh! t crazy.
@angryDuck: There you go again with your name-calling. The dirty legacy of the Clintons is all well documented. No conspiracy theories needed. That you choose to ignore it speaks volumes as to the type of person you are.
@Tom Sullivan: When a person who invested a huge amount of time and effort into helping secure peace in our country comes to visit you hurl abuse at her. What type of person does that make you?
Good God. Another honorary degree for Hillary? What were they thinking?? This woman collects a degree and/or award approximately every other week. Events like this one are scheduled for her as routinely as appointments with her hairdresser. Ireland needs to realize that she is a silver-tongued crook. Her crimes go back over forty years. We in the United States are done with her, except insofar as she can be prosecuted. And that day will come.
@Fran Ponick: It’s funny that a right ring Trump supporter from America agrees with the loony left in Ireland. All populists spout the same spurious rubbish.
@Will J. Browne: I think you meant right WING … Also, please see https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Populism for notable right- AND left-wing populists, including Daniel O’Connell. Finally, if you are not a populist, what are you? An elitist? Thanks for sharing!
@Will J. Browne: Oh, I forgot to mention. I’m not from America. I live there. I was born in Dublin a very long time ago. Had to leave because the “elitists” kept power, money, and anything useful (including jobs) for themselves and their minions. Their genius heirs recently invented Project Ireland 2040. Meanwhile, they starve homeless citizens (12,000+ and counting) while feeding and housing imported aliens. So yeah, I’m a populist.
@Fran Ponick: I’m not a populist. I’m a democrat like Hilary Clinton and unlike Donald Trump or whatever populist muckraker you’re getting your fake news and paranoid conspiracy theories from.
@Will J. Browne: Ad hominem, anyone? Sorry, doesn’t work with me, nor, I see, with others to whom you’ve responded. Shaming’s not a useful tool either (“What type of person does that make you?”). Interest fades in the face of insult; conversation dies before it starts. Bye.
@Fran Ponick: Is calling someone a “silver tongued crook” and slanderously accusating them of unspecified crimes not an ad hominem attack? You’re a typical populist: you attack the person, not the argument, but you cry foul if anyone calls you out on it.
She should be in prison instead of receiving fake degrees.
@Herr Wolf: It’s lucky for us we didn’t adopt your ignorant attitude during the peace process.
Is there any reporting in the Irish Times about the protests?
It shows how the hard left and the hard right have more in common with each other than they do with anyone else. They both hate anyone in the center.
Big thanks to the Journal.ie and Paul Hosford for having the courage to cover this story. Because the rest of Official Ireland – RTE, TCD, The Irish Times, and even Mary Robinson who keeps preaching about human rights – all seem to be extremely complicit in white washing the crimes of Hillary Clinton, Wall street warmongering puppet that she is.
Big thanks to the Journal.ie and Paul Hosford for having the courage to cover this story. Because the rest of Official Ireland – RTE, TCD, The Irish Times, and even Mary Robinson who keeps preaching about human rights – all seem to be extremely complicit in white washing the crimes of Hillary Clinton, Wall street warmongering puppet that she is.
The 5 remaining Clinton fanatics are having nervous breakdowns here today it’s quite refressjing p.s feel free to point out spelling errors lol
Nazis
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