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James Leonard speaking on The Tommy Tiernan Show Screengrab via YouTube/RTÉ Player

Cork man who overcame years of heroin addiction graduating with criminology Masters

James Leonard shared his story of addiction on The Tommy Tiernan Show last month.

A MAN WHO discussed his story of overcoming addiction on RTÉ’s Tommy Tiernan Show last month is one of over 1,100 students graduating at University College Cork this week. 

James Leonard will today receive his first class honours Masters degree in Criminology at a conferring ceremony at the university. 

Sharing his story with Tommy Tiernan last month, Leonard said that he was first introduced to heroin when he was in prison at the age of 21. 

“I was afraid of it because my idea of heroin use was injecting, street use, all that,” he said. 

However, Leonard said he came across a man in prison who was smoking the drug off tinfoil. 

“[I thought] this is grand, there’s no needles and that, and this is the safe way to do it,” he said. 

“I thought I could do it, and I did. For the first few years, I just smoked it,” he added. 

Throughout his heroin use, Leonard explained that his mood shifted. 

“The craic left me, there was no more craic, there was no more bonding, very isolating,” he said. 

RTÉ - IRELAND’S NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA / YouTube

Leonard told Tiernan that during this period he was commit theft to gather money for his drug use. 

“What I was doing didn’t sit with me and I tried recovery a few times, went to treatment centres. But I could never imagine myself without using substances, [it was] very easy to go back to what was familiar to me, even though it was so rough,” he said. 

Leonard said that he looked “shocking” during this period of his life. He was just 9 or 10 stone, he said, and had a “very gaunt” appearance with “yellow-ish” skin. 

Recovery

By late 2012, Leonard was using heroin intravenously on a regular basis. He was also frequently overdosing at this stage. 

After one particular overdosing incident, he made the decision to contact Merchants Quay Ireland, which provides homeless outreach and drug rehabilitation services. 

From there, he underwent a detox programme. 

“I suppose I came out of [the programme] with a new frame of mind. What I longed for was the normal life, the job, the education, the stable relationship, stable accommodation, a car,” Leonard said. 

“They helped me believe these were attainable goals for me,” he said. 

From there, Leonard did a computer course in the College of Commerce in Cork. After that, he completely an undergraduate degree in Youth & Community Work at UCC. 

Today, James Leonard will receive his first class honours Masters degree in Criminology at UCC. 

Speaking of ahead of today’s conferring, Leonard said: “During my undergraduate in Youth & Community Cork, I completed two placements at Probation Service funded projects. I also researched drug policy for my undergrad dissertation. 

“The Criminology masters was the natural choice for me to get a more in depth understanding of theories and perspectives related to deviance, organised crime, recovery, desistance, youth justice, etc.” 

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    Mute Aidan Boran
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    Feb 7th 2018, 11:13 PM

    best treatment is whiskey and sand.

    Massage one or two shots of whiskey, then add handful of sand to the scalp….

    nits get drunk and kill each other throwing stones…

    472
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    Mute The Girl
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    Feb 7th 2018, 11:16 PM

    @Aidan Boran: Really? Must try that…but then why waste whisky?

    21
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    Mute Patabake Kennedy
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    Feb 8th 2018, 12:51 AM

    @Aidan Boran: May only apply to Irish Lice.

    67
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    Mute Margaret O Neill
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    Feb 8th 2018, 3:31 PM

    @Aidan Boran: best laugh I’ve had in weeks. Thanks Aidan

    8
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    Mute Boutros Boutros-Ghali
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    Feb 7th 2018, 11:07 PM

    I might be nitpicking, but I don’t think you’re meant to smoke while you treat your children’s scalps. Lousy carry on.

    315
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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Feb 8th 2018, 2:49 AM

    All done, just need a candle to read the small print…

    23
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    Mute Peter Cavey
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    Feb 7th 2018, 11:37 PM

    30 years ago this was an issue too.. although, 30 yesterday ago, head lice cream had plutonium in it.

    17
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    Mute Boutros Boutros-Ghali
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    Feb 7th 2018, 11:42 PM

    @Peter Cavey: Lice cream and jelly

    23
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    Mute Andy K
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    Feb 8th 2018, 6:53 AM

    @Peter Cavey: It just got rid of all the hair then? I guess that’s one way to be live free.

    5
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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Feb 8th 2018, 6:18 AM

    “Is there anything you can prescribe doctor?” –Homer Simpson
    “Fire &lots of it.” – Dr Hibbert
    “Oh, that’s your cure for everything ” – Marge Simpson

    14
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    Mute
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    Feb 7th 2018, 11:40 PM

    What are vegans thoughts on killing these little creatures…

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    Mute Boutros Boutros-Ghali
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    Feb 7th 2018, 11:41 PM

    @: I think they go for clean hair, so they’re not typically a worry for vegans.

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    Mute Jackie Carvill Caruana
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    Feb 8th 2018, 7:46 AM

    @Boutros Boutros-Ghali: I’ve always heard that head lice love clean hair. Do vegans have clean hair in general? The ones I know don’t!

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    Mute Desmodromic
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    Feb 8th 2018, 2:11 PM

    We see what you did there – sneaky!

    1
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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 8th 2018, 8:33 AM

    I saw a girls hair go on fire in a church once. It was heavily lacquered and the fire took hold instantly. An unlikely but quick witted hero took off his jacket and threw it over her head smothering out the flames. But for him she would have been in serious trouble because the rest of us were just standing there mouths agape.

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    Mute JJ
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    Feb 8th 2018, 11:10 AM

    I was at a bonfire once. Was deadly.

    6
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    Mute Tomas
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    Feb 7th 2018, 11:07 PM

    Fecking fire flea’s ffs

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    Mute Marie Okeeffe
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    Feb 8th 2018, 4:59 PM

    Tea tree oil the best treatment for them and its natural

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    Mute Michael Wynne
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    Feb 7th 2018, 11:18 PM

    Well I think that’ll kill the little f***ers for sure

    28
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