Latest from Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Motorsport: Paddon targets Donegal success on first competitive Irish outing
Reigning and double European Rally Champion, New Zealander Hayden Paddon (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) gets his first competitive taste of Irish rallying shortly after eleven o'clock on Friday on the 14.3km Malin Head stage, the first of the weekend's twenty stages of the Wilton Recycling Donegal International Rally. Although the three-day Letterkenny-based event is the fourth round of the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, the fact that both Keith Cronin and Matt Edwards, have for different reasons, paused their rallying, some of the usual shine has been taken from the series. However, the presence of Paddon along with Kesh driver Jon Armstrong and Moira's William Creighton has cranked up the competition level in the north-west. Paddon has faced both and indeed top seed Callum Devine in last year's Rali Ceredigion in Wales, where the New Zealander took a comfortable victory. However, Donegal will be very different as Paddon told the Irish Examiner yesterday morning. "We (with his Cork born co-driver David Moynihan) have just completed all our recce (reconnaissance), the stages are very fast and technical at the same time. It's going to be very difficult to be at the same speed as the locals when you don't have the knowledge of the roads. We're going to do the best job we can but its difficult when you don't have the experience. Ceredigion was even, we had the same amount of experience but coming here is different as they (local drivers) know the roads so well and we have respect for that. "First and foremost we've come here to enjoy ourselves. The second pass through the stages will be quicker, but until you actually drive them for the first time and have a feel of all the bumps and how the car reacts you don't know. For sure on the second pass you would be more confident." He concluded: "It's a big challenge for us both, obviously Dave (co-driver) has got to learn my pacenote system and for me it's a different voice that you hear in the intercom and how I interpret the words. A challenge is good, it makes it more exciting." Paddon will try and add his name to other luminaries that have triumphed in Donegal like Achim Armbold (1975), Ari Vatanen (1978) and Sebastien Loeb (2007) all of whom have added to the event's legendary status. Top seed Devine will be followed off the start line by Jon Armstrong - fresh from a fine third place on last weekend's Rally Poland and without the shackles of a championship bid, he's unlikely to hold back. In any case, such is the pace, there's no time to adopt a wait and see process when seconds or even parts of, are crucial. Creighton missed the last round of the BRC but arrives in Donegal as leader of the BRC courtesy of his victory in the East Riding Stages and second on the Carlisle Stages. At the wheel of the MEM Castrol-backed Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, he is fulfilling a personal desire. "Donegal is a rally that I've always wanted to contest in a Rally2 car. It's such a special event for Irish rallying and the atmosphere is second to none. The pace at the front of the ITRC is very strong. There's no room for error. It's important to find a good rhythm from the beginning of the rally. But that's what makes it such a brilliant challenge." Others in the top ten are Monaghan's Josh Moffett (Citroen C3 Rally2) and Welsh ace Meirion Evans in the second of the MEM Castrol Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars, who will be aiming to go one better than last year when he finished 17.4s behind Devine. "I'm happy with where I am with the Yaris Rally2 at the moment and I hope I can translate that into a really strong performance again. Our speed on the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney was really good and we managed to move our pace forward a bit more on the Jim Clark Rally. It would be great to go one better this time." Today's first leg is a loop of three stages repeated twice with servicing in Carndonagh.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Why many women are deciding not to have a child
A new National Women's Health Survey, commissioned by the Irish Examiner and carried out by market researchers Ipsos B&A, found that, among women who are currently pregnant or who have had a child, one in five experienced fertility difficulties. Four in five of these women sought medical advice in relation to their infertility or their partner's, while 52% underwent fertility treatment such as IVF. A total of 1,078 women aged 18 and above responded to the survey. While 45% of the women who had had a child said they plan to have another, 49% said they don't want to. Galway woman Serena Matthew, who is in her early 40s, falls into that cohort: 'Two children were always in my head as an [ideal] number. I now have an 11-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy. My husband would have loved a third, but we decided that after our second, it just wasn't an option.' Their decision was based on their finances. 'We saw the cost involved in bringing up two children. We've a four-bed house and the fourth bedroom is small, so we didn't have the space. Moving wasn't an option with prices going up. Two is what we could handle. We didn't want to put ourselves in a difficult position financially.' Matthew is not alone in her position. More than one in three National Women's Health Survey respondents report not feeling financially in a position to have a child, or another child. 11% disagree, and a large number 'don't know' or are unsure. Dr Dora Tuda, an ESRI research officer is not surprised by the finding that one-quarter of all women say they have delayed, or will delay, having children until they have reached certain financial or career goals — a thinking more characteristic of middle-class women. Tuda points out that nowadays, in Ireland, the EU and the US, more women than men hold a third-level degree: 'In Europe in 2022, 48% of women held a third-level degree compared to 37% of men. Why do people get a higher-level degree? To get a better job, a higher income. So if women are considering having a child, they also need to think about leaving the labour market for a while, which corresponds to some income loss.' While acknowledging that it sounds harsh, Tuda highlights what economists refer to as a 'child penalty' — the pay cut that having a child involves and that falls disproportionately on women. 'Even in Scandinavian countries — [considered] more 'equal' than other countries — women on average experience a 20% income loss after having a child compared to men with the same experience and qualifications. This is because of maternity leave — once they return to work, it takes time to catch up. They may lose chances of promotion.' Dr Dora Tuda, a research officer with the ESRI. Equality in leave In Ireland, parental leave is set up so women are more likely to take leave after having a child — 26 weeks paid maternity leave compared to two weeks paid paternity leave for fathers. 'The system is [such] that the income loss from having a child is taken on by women and not equally between men and women,' says Tuda, adding that Norway — and more recently Spain — are taking steps to counteract this. 'Spain has introduced a mandatory equal parental leave for both parents — they're each given six months. The mother takes the first six months, after which she returns to work, and the second parent takes the next six months. If the second parent doesn't take it, the leave goes away.' That more than one in three women here don't feel, financially, they could have a child, or another child, is also put in context, says Tuda, by the rising cost of child-rearing. 'Recent estimates from Laya Life say to raise a child up to age 21 costs €169,000.' However, delaying having children is not all down to cost. 'People are spending longer in education compared to earlier. They're also taking longer to reach job stability. Gap years abroad, unpaid internships — all valid decisions young people take to get ahead, to have better opportunities when seeking a more stable permanent job, but it also delays having children.' As do housing challenges — Tuda points out that in 10 years, the median age of buyers taking out residential property mortgages climbed by four years. 'In 2010, the median age was 33 years. In 2021, it was 37. Being older when buying property can automatically delay starting a family.' In the mix, too, says Tuda, is a sense of changing cultural norms — a move towards smaller families or even remaining childless. 'You hear this more often than you did 20 years ago.' Bonnie O'Halloran: 'One friend wants children with her boyfriend. But most people my age feel similarly to me. They don't fear pregnancy as I do — they focus more on the climate and financial aspect. None of us has stable enough careers to consider having kids. Most of us still live with our parents.' Picture: Moya Nolan Not wanting a child Of respondents to the National Women's Health Survey, who are aged under 50 and who have not yet had a child, 37% said it is unlikely they will have a child, and one-fifth are adamant they won't. One of these respondents — 25-year-old Bonnie O'Halloran from Naas — explains why, for a variety of reasons, she does not want to have children. For one, she suspects she has endometriosis — there is a family history — and she fears what pregnancy will do to her body. 'I've not wanted kids for as long as I can remember. Being a woman, it's said to you a lot — 'when will you have kids?' When you say you don't want that, you're told 'you will when you're older'. That didn't happen for me. My youngest brother was born when I was 11. I got to watch him growing up, and the responsibility of being there for another human being isn't something I wanted for myself.' 'I also saw what parenting did to my parents, not in any horrible way, but the things they had to give up. My mum went to college when she was 40 and I'm really proud of that but she couldn't do it sooner. I don't want to put that kind of pressure on myself.' Yet O'Halloran, who has a degree in illustration and currently works as a substitute teacher, loves children and thinks she might adopt when she's in her 40s. But she also sees the world's current political atmosphere, as well as climate and financial realities, as factors in deciding not to have children — a feeling she says many of her peers share: 'One friend wants children with her boyfriend. But most people my age feel similarly to me. They don't fear pregnancy as I do — they focus more on the climate and financial aspect. None of us has stable enough careers to consider having kids. Most of us still live with our parents.' While a recent CSO report indicates that our fertility rate is declining, Tuda confirms that, at 1.55 births per woman, it remains above the European average of 1.46. Among the under-50 survey respondents, who have yet to start a family, about two in five say they are 'definitely' or 'very likely' going to do so, with a further 10% saying they are 'quite likely'. Click here to read our National Women's Health Survey. The Irish Examiner Women's Health Survey 2025 Ipsos B&A designed and implemented a research project for the Irish Examiner involving a nationally representative sample of n=1,078 women over the age of 16 years. The study was undertaken online with fieldwork conducted between April 30 and May 15, 2025. The sample was quota controlled by age, socio-economic class, region and area of residence to reflect the known profile of women in Ireland based on the census of population and industry agreed guidelines. Ipsos B&A has strict quality control measures in place to ensure robust and reliable findings; results based on the full sample carry a margin of error of +/-2.8%. In other words, if the research was repeated identically results would be expected to lie within this range on 19 occasions out of 20. A variety of aspects were assessed in relation to women's health including fertility, birth, menopause, mental health, health behaviour, and alcohol consumption.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Colm O'Regan: Enid Blyton may be outdated, but my kids are into the adventure
Enid Blyton – or Gnid Blitten as I used to pronounce it when I couldn't make out the cursive. The famous signature that's on the front of about 600 different books is back on a couple of charity shop Famous Five books that are in the house. The signature of a woman who has been given a fair bit of fairly fair criticism over the last 60 years. Time has not been kind to attitudes toward the Famous Five. For decades, they have got a lot of criticism for sexism, racism, classism, outdated stereotypes, and repetitive plots. Just like the Simpsons or Bosco or Rugrats or Glenroe's Dick Moran, none of the Famous Five seem to age. Ian Mander, a contributor to an Enid Blyton fansite, has worked out that by last book 'Five Are Together Again', Julian should be 23, Dick and George 22 and Anne 21. Yet still Anne seems nervous about life in general. But with all that, I'm still reading them to the children. Maybe it's nostalgia, recapturing how I felt. But also, they're still great for an escape. To a land of cycleable rural roads, cream buns and nothing resembling responsibilities. The first rule of many books for children is Kill the Parents so that the children can do some adventuring. But the Famous Five is not just escapism for children. It's also for parents. Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin's approach to childcare is refreshing in that they don't seem to do much of it at all. They, along with the childrens' parents, send the children off to boarding school, and then during the holidays, don't mind them at all. Often, the plot hinges on Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin allowing four preteen children to head off into the countryside by themselves. Gráinne Seoige digs into a Famous Five book in 2005. Pic: Fennells In Five Get Into Trouble, Uncle Quentin mixes up the date of Easter and attends a conference during the holidays despite all the children coming to visit. The solution? The children will just go cycling and camping for a week. Aunt Fanny is worried, but Quentin just says, 'Oh, Fanny, if Julian can't look after the others, he must be a pretty feeble specimen.' A reminder: Julian is 12. Dick gets kidnapped in this book. I'm not judging Quentin and Fanny, but you'd have to say the two facts are linked. The Famous Five are not exactly strong on DEI programmes. Anyone who is different: Roma, circus folk, foreigners, the working class, are all given short shrift and are really only welcomed into the circle of trust when they've saved their lives. And that's with some of the worst stuff edited out over the years. There is a lack of garda vetting. Both Jo, an orphan with a jailed thief for a father, and Nobby, an orphan with a thief for an uncle, are handed over to other families after the aforementioned blood relatives are jailed without a single bit of paperwork. And yet despite all this, my children like the books. They know the Famous Five, apart from Timmy (who has the best radar of any of them), are sometimes unpleasant children. And the attitudes were different then. But that's fine. Enid Blyton mightn't have noticed that her heroes can sometimes be little shitebags but sometimes very generous with doling out sandwiches. That level of nuance is good for children now. They can appreciate a flawed main character and how the past was a cold place if you were different. Their favourite bits are not always the characters anyway. It's the idyllic countryside, barrelling out the door to go adventuring, the wearing of ragged old shorts and patched up jumpers, placid horses, secret passageways in wood panelling, and swimming in clean rivers. That, at least, is timeless.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
New miscarriage counselling service: trauma and grief that dare not speak its name
The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) announced earlier this month that it is expanding its counselling service to include women and couples who experience recurrent pregnancy loss. As part of a HSE-funded pilot project, anyone who has two or more miscarriages in a row is entitled to eight free counselling sessions. 'We've supported the sexual and reproductive health of people in Ireland since 1969, providing specialist counselling throughout that time,' says the IFPA's counselling director, Clare O'Brien. IFPA counselling director Clare O'Brien. 'We're delighted to have received HSE funding that enables us to become the first State-funded organisation to provide the psychological care women and couples need following miscarriage.' This care is sorely needed. Every year, approximately 14,000 women in Ireland have a miscarriage, meaning about one in every four pregnancies ends in loss. According to the Irish Examiner's women's health survey, some 58% of women report that the availability of support in the aftermath of miscarriage is poor. Women and couples have turned to organisations like the Miscarriage Association of Ireland and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Ireland or to independent therapists. 'There was nothing integrated alongside medical care, up until now. Women who have experienced recurrent miscarriage, and their partners, will now be referred to our specialist counselling services by their local maternity hospital,' O'Brien says. The custom of keeping pregnancies secret until after the first scan at 12 weeks can complicate how people grieve, O'Brien acknowledges: 'In other countries, people share their happy news much earlier. But here, the norm is to wait until after that first scan. Because many miscarriages happen in the first trimester, this means many couples won't have told anyone they are pregnant, which makes it harder to share that they have lost their baby.' Couples can grieve alone, as a result. 'And they do so in such individual ways,' says O'Brien. 'Miscarriage can cause sadness, anger, confusion, guilt, numbness, uncertainty, and fear for the future. There are so many unanswered questions about what happened and why. It's a very difficult time for people.' Alice Sheridan: 'The ripple effect of miscarriage goes on for miles. It's the loss of a life and all its possibilities." Photograph: Moya Nolan No heartbeat Alice Sheridan is a 45-year-old from Skerries in Dublin. She believes many women and couples are 'silently screaming and no one is hearing them'. 'The ripple effect of miscarriage goes on for miles. It's the loss of a life and all its possibilities. For some, it's the loss of the prospect of parenthood. It's a whole future that gets abruptly and violently taken away,' she says. Sheridan speaks from experience. She married in 2009, became pregnant three months later, and gave birth to her son, Jack, in 2010. 'I sailed through that pregnancy,' she says. However, when she and her husband tried for another baby, it took them four years to conceive. 'We were so excited, but at the eight-week scan, we realised there was no heartbeat,' she says. 'We'd lost our baby.' Over the next four years, the couple had two more pregnancies, but both ended in miscarriage. None of the pregnancies progressed beyond eight weeks, meaning Sheridan never developed a baby bump. 'In many ways, I felt this mirrored how our grief wasn't seen,' says Sheridan. 'The grief that follows miscarriage isn't always recognised by society. Lots of people don't know what to say to people who have lost pregnancies, so, often, they don't say anything at all.' Jennifer Duggan, Chairperson of the Irish Miscarriage Association at her home in Carrigaline, Co. Cork. Picture: David Creedon Relying on one another Jennifer Duggan is a 40-year-old from Carrigaline, in Cork, who also knows the pain of miscarriage. When she married at 23, she never imagined she would have difficulty starting a family. 'We married in 2007 and were pregnant at the start of 2008,' she says. 'I was already starting to show when we had our first scan at 12 weeks.' They were devastated when that scan failed to find a heartbeat. Their baby had stopped growing at eight weeks. Having been reassured by doctors that their miscarriage was 'just one of those things that happens as part of women's reproductive life', Duggan and her husband soon started trying again. They experienced another loss before having their son Dáithí in 2009. Two years and two more miscarriages were to follow, before their daughter, Síofra, was born in 2011. 'Looking at us from the outside, people probably thought we had planned the perfect family: A boy followed by a girl two years later,' says Jennifer. 'They would never have guessed we had lost four babies along the way.' Both had come from large families, so they yearned for more children. 'But we held off for a while, after Síofra, for fear of something going wrong,' says Duggan. 'But, eventually, the want for another baby grew bigger than the fear.' They had two more miscarriages before they sought help from a fertility clinic. 'They told me my ovarian reserve was low and recommended we try IVF with donor eggs,' says Jennifer. 'But that didn't feel right to us, so we decided to try one last time, and, happily, we had our son Oisín in 2015.' Looking back on it now, Duggan can see how traumatic the pregnancy losses were: 'My husband and I really relied on one another for support. Our family were great at looking after us, but friends often struggled to know what to say. I started trying for a family at the age of 24, when none of them were at that stage of life.' She found the peer-to-peer support offered by the Miscarriage Association of Ireland helpful. 'Because members had been through it themselves, they understood the jealousy I'd feel at others being pregnant or the sadness I'd feel coming up to the due date of a baby I'd lost. They got what I was going through,' says Duggan, who is now chairperson of the association. Alice Sheridan: 'The grief that follows miscarriage isn't always recognised by society. Lots of people don't know what to say to people who have lost pregnancies, so, often, they don't say anything at all.' Photograph: Moya Nolan Grieving alone Sheridan benefited from counselling after her miscarriages: 'It helped me process my loss and figure out what the future would look like for me and my family.' Sheridan found the experience so beneficial that she decided to retrain as a counsellor: 'I wrote my thesis about the disenfranchised grief many feel after miscarriage. People don't always recognise the profound loss involved and how women and couples need that loss to be acknowledged.' Acknowledging that loss is what the IFPA's new counselling service plans to do. 'It's difficult to say what the demand will be, but we do know that one in four women experiences miscarriage and our team of eight counsellors will be there to support them,' says O'Brien. 'All of us are accredited by the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy or the Irish Association for Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy and have decades of experience. Women and couples will be able to choose between in-person counselling at six centres throughout Ireland or sessions over the phone or Zoom.' These sessions will aim to validate people's bereavement. 'The grief that accompanies miscarriage is real and deeply felt,' says O'Brien. 'We don't want anyone to feel isolated and alone. We want them to know they can speak to us about their loss, frustrations, and fear, without judgement and with total confidentiality and support.' In the meantime, if you know someone who has experienced pregnancy loss, O'Brien has advice on how to support them. 'Sit with them and listen to what they have to say,' she says. 'Don't feel you have to suggest something to fix the situation, as they have just had a huge loss that can't be fixed. And remember that practical help — like childcare, cooking meals, doing shopping or cleaning the house — can make a big difference when people are going through something as physically and emotionally taxing as pregnancy loss.' If you have experienced miscarriage and want to avail of free counselling from the IFPA, ask your healthcare professional to refer you to the service. Click here to read our National Women's Health Survey. The Irish Examiner Women's Health Survey 2025 Ipsos B&A designed and implemented a research project for the Irish Examiner involving a nationally representative sample of n=1,078 women over the age of 16 years. The study was undertaken online with fieldwork conducted between April 30 and May 15, 2025. The sample was quota controlled by age, socio-economic class, region and area of residence to reflect the known profile of women in Ireland based on the census of population and industry agreed guidelines. Ipsos B&A has strict quality control measures in place to ensure robust and reliable findings; results based on the full sample carry a margin of error of +/-2.8%. In other words, if the research was repeated identically results would be expected to lie within this range on 19 occasions out of 20. A variety of aspects were assessed in relation to women's health including fertility, birth, menopause, mental health, health behaviour, and alcohol consumption.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Wine with Leslie: Intriguing tastes of Nebbiolo
I've often been asked what led me to fall in love with wine, and I think it was probably just my innate hedonism. I adore the scents, flavours and textures to be found in even modest bottles of wine, and of course in great wines from say Burgundy, Bordeaux and Piedmont (to name just three of my favourite regions). What inspired this column was a fragrant and fruit-driven Nebbiolo di Langhe in Lidl this month as part of their Italian celebration. Given that my last two columns covered southern Italy, I decided I needed to give other countries a chance, so I have chosen two other wines that offer similar pleasures. Nebbiolo is rarely a bargain and this is because it is such a difficult variety to manage. Nebbiolo is picky about the soil it is planted in, it is the first variety to bud but also the last to ripen (usually mid-October). It needs a long growing season with plenty of sunshine and well-drained soils so it is particularly suited to Piedmont. You will find examples in Australia, California and almost every new world region, but none have come close to recreating the complex aromas and flavour profile of the wines of Piedmont. Nebbiolo can have scents of violets, cherry and plums but also tar, ink, and cold tea. The best Barolo and Barbarescos are fragrant, elegant and enticing, but also much more grippy and structured than you would expect from such a beguiling aroma. I'm also recommending a Spanish Mencía which can also offer intrigue and complexity, but is generally a more easy drinking wine. And of course I had to include a Bourgogne Pinot Noir which is all about the seductive scents matched with structure and acidity; even Riedel recommend the same glass for both wines. There are finer Bourgognes to try, but this one is a good place to start. Santenzo Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont; €10.99 Santenzo Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont; €10.99 Lidl This has to be the best value Nebbiolo in the country and is one of number of good Italian wines in Lidl this month (also look for Fiano and the Riccardi Chianti Colli Senesi). Blackcurrant and dark plum fruits with a touch of ink, fruity and ripe with noticeable weight and texture. Tannins are present, but they are integrated and overall this is quite the charmer. Brezo de Gregory Perez, Bierzo, Spain; €21 Brezo de Gregory Perez, Bierzo, Spain; €21 MacCurtain Wine Cellar; Sheridans Dublin and Galway Mencía has similar molecular properties to black truffles, they say, and matches them brilliantly, as does Nebbiolo. Mencía offers scents of violets and lively ripe fruits such as blackberry and cherry, but also an earthy tone. This is one of my favourites, with pastille aromas, supple and layered fruits, but with a lightness of touch and lingering red and black fruits. Louis Jadot Pinot Noir, Bourgogne, France; €32-33 Louis Jadot Pinot Noir, Bourgogne, France; €32-33 JJ O'Driscolls; La Touche; Molloys; O'Briens Pinot Noir is an obvious grape to compare to Nebbiolo and this Bourgogne version is even somewhat affordable; Jadot are big but they are consistent. Bright cherry-strawberry aromas with a hint of earth; supple, textured and lingering tangy red fruits. O'Driscolls also stock the excellent Two Paddocks & Two Picnics Pinot from NZ, both made by Sam Neil (yes, that Sam Neil). Beer of the Week 8 Degrees Brewing 'Full Irish' Single Malt IPA, 6% ABV, 440ml €3.75 8 Degrees Brewing 'Full Irish' Single Malt IPA, 6% ABV, 440ml €3.75 Bradleys; Matsons; Tesco; Independents; I first tasted this in 2014 (initially for a festival but soon brought into the core range) but have not featured it here. From Irish grown barley malted in Cork, but using New World hops (simcoe, cascade, citra and amarillo). As expected from those hops this is a hop-bomb, packed with lime and lychee fruits but with a good hit of malt on the mid palate. Perfect summer drinking. Read More Wine with Leslie: Deep reds to savour from my Italian excursion
