Headford News and Community Spotlight - Between the Covers

May 17th will be IDAHOT Day, so wave a rainbow flag. That's the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. It's recognised in over sixty countries around the world. The reason it takes place on May 17th is because that's the day (in 1990) when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.

The main purpose of the May 17 mobilisations is to raise awareness of violence, discrimination and repression of LGBT communities worldwide, which in turn provides an opportunity to take action and engage in dialogue with the media, policymakers, public opinion, and wider civil society. This event does not require any specific type of action, just global awareness. This decentralized approach is suitable due to the diversity of social, religious, cultural and political contexts in which rights violations occur.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT 

Between the Covers

It’s a beautiful, sunny day, and Edel Talbot is spending it inside the Headford Library. That’s because it’s her job. As Headford’s librarian, she drives all the way from Oranmore to keep us in books. And she’s proud of her small literary dominion.

“We have a new scanner and copier,” she says, showing me the countless options on the machine. Recently, this library became computerized, so now Edel can access memberships and book due dates as quickly and efficiently as they can in the bigger libraries in the city.

On this Tuesday afternoon, the Headford Library is surprisingly busy. In the span of ten minutes, the patrons include an overprotective mom with three children, a Presentation student who uses one of the computers to research a project, an elderly gentleman, three more people with two children, and a desperate-looking woman asking for the loo key.

Edel tells me the library loans, on average, 300 books a week. Even at the limit of four books per adult and six for children, that represents a lot of visitors. Clearly, Headford area residents like their books.

Edel Talbot, Headford's Librarian

‘We have two book clubs,’ Edel says. One is a group of ten to twelve year olds who meet one Saturday a month. The other is a book club for adults that meets the first Wednesday of each month. Everyone in the group reads the same book and then discusses whether or not they liked it, what they thought of the characters, what personal experiences they may have had in their own lives that are like the story, and other points of interest.

Every summer, there’s a ‘Reading Challenge’ programme to encourage young people aged five to thirteen to continue reading while they’re on holiday from school. ‘We usually have good participation,’ Edel says.

In this tiny library, ‘children are seldom quiet,’ Edel says. One borrower describes that fact as ‘frustrating.’ Another person tells me the behaviour of ‘bold’ children in this confined space is ‘maddening.’ But Edel points out, ‘The library belongs to the people of Headford.’ Though she admits, it ‘needs to be in a larger space.’ She says many libraries are venues for craft lessons, language lessons, local meetings, but the Headford space is too small to accommodate such things. Although, in the past, there have been readings and lectures inside the library after hours.

Edel says she likes working with books. ‘I’ve always been a reader and encouraged my own children to read and to use the library as they were growing up. I always felt at home in libraries.’ And this one does feel ‘homey.’ That might be due, in part, to the fact that it’s about the size of most people’s sitting rooms. The shelves are completely full, with more books stacked in boxes, on a cart, and leaning precariously at the edge of Edel’s desk. This prompts me to ask her if the library will go digital soon, as many have in other countries, or if e-book licensing is being considered. But she’s not heard of any such plans.

One of the great things about the Headford Library is that it’s part of the Galway system, so the card catalogue is accessible online at: http://www.galway.ie/en/services/library/ Books can be found and reserved from home.

Edel would also like to make sure that everyone knows about the excellent resources available for genealogy research through the Galway library site. ‘So many people come in asking about tracing their roots.’ They come into the library when they’re on holiday, looking to find out about ancestors who might have lived in the Headford area. ‘But there used to be mostly businesses in Headford,’ Edel says. Most families lived outside the village. ‘People need to do some research before they come,’ she says.

If you’re interested in doing genealogy research, the site to visit is:

http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/Library/LibrariesForms/FilesTable/TheFile,10260,en.pdf

Alternatively, you can visit the Galway library site: http://www.galway.ie/en/services/library/, click on ‘Local History,’ then ‘Research Guide’ and follow the link. There you will find nine pages of information on ‘Family History and Genealogy.’ Specific resources are listed including the census returns, primary valuation, land records, newspapers, etc.

This year, the Headford Library turns ten years old, which means Edel has assisted and encouraged a whole generation of readers. And if the traffic in and out of the place is any indication, Edel and the library will be around for a long time to come.

Headford Library Opening Hours:

Tuesday 2:30-5 & 6-8

Wednesday 11:30-1:30

Thursday 2:30-7:00

Friday 11:30-1:30 & 2:30-5:00

Saturday 11:30-3:00 (closed on Saturdays that precede Bank Holiday Mondays)

Headford News and Community Spotlight - Feeling Better

Good news! The date has been set for Headfest 2014. Our community festival will take place this year from Friday August 22nd to Sunday August 24th. The event is in the early planning stages so anyone who'd like to be involved in any way is encouraged to attend the next meeting at Cloughanover on Wednesday, 30th April at 9 pm. If you'd like to send an email, the address is headfest@gmail.com. Show the Love(fest), Headford! 


COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT  

Feeling Better 
Anyone who’s walked into Flanagan’s Pharmacy has probably noticed the dark-haired, soft-spoken man behind the high counter. If you’ve been in there, you may be sure he’s noticed you. For over ten years, Jarlath Phillips has been one of Headford’s community pharmacists. Back in 2003, he bought the pharmacy, and then the building. The Health Shop next door used to be the Mayo Bar, but now sells everything from tinned beans to scented soap.

When I ask Jarlath why he became a pharmacist, he says he always liked science, but he also likes meeting people. ‘I enjoy the interaction,’ he says. ‘I’m definitely not a lab or hospital type person. This [pharmacy] was a more appealing route.’

Back when Jarlath decided to become a pharmacist, he had to go out of the country to study. ‘Because,’ he says, ‘back then it was Trinity or die.’ And there weren’t very many available openings at Trinity, so after studying science at NUIG, he went to Liverpool to get his pharmacy degree. Now, there are three colleges in this country where those who want to can get pharmacy degrees. 

His early career was spent in the U.K. too. ‘I liked the unique situations,’ he says. In seven years there, he saw some drug abuse issues, but also did some compounding against prescriptions, as well as monitoring medications, counselling customers on drug use, and the usual duties of a pharmacist.

Jarlath Phillips of Flanagan's Pharmacy

The toughest thing about his job here is that pharmacy is ‘a very regulated sector,’ especially since 2007. Most of us remember the heated debates that hit the news seven years ago when everything changed in the Irish pharmaceutical world. According to the Pharmaceutical periodical, Counter Intelligence, ‘The Pharmacy Act of 2007 signalled a new era for Irish pharmacy. Up to this point, pharmacy in Ireland was governed by a variety of acts and regulations dating from 1875. The 2007 Act became the one document governing the profession.’ And with it came a lot of time-consuming criteria that has to be met. ‘It involves a lot of box-ticking,’ Jarlath says, ‘and working evenings and weekends, coming in early, staying late.’ It also involves keeping books scrupulously up-to-date with revenue.

Jarlath says, in his line of work, ‘sometimes you just have to be a listening ear for somebody, maybe after a bereavement or a personal tragedy.’ Yet, at the same time, he confides that trying to spend time with everyone is one of the most challenging aspects of his job. He also sees himself as the middle man, so to speak, between the patient and their G.P. ‘When you know the patient,’ he says, ‘the G.P. is the point of contact. In that case, I might be the bridge between the two.'

As a pharmacist, Jarlath seems keenly observant, intuitive almost. He admits he notices physical things, behaviour, and of course he’s aware of prescriptions and watchful for reactions. ‘Sometimes, you just know what’s going on,’ he says. If he knows someone’s personal situation, and is aware they are in trouble, he might discuss different non-drug related treatment options with their G.P. The personal attention he gives is far from the anonymous dispensing of drugs that would happen in a large city. ‘That’s the luxury of being a small town pharmacist,’ he says.

Although, coming to work on a Sunday doesn’t seem like much of a ‘luxury.’ Flanagan’s alternates with Ryder’s Pharmacy so that one or the other of them is open each Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s important, Jarlath says because, ‘Often, on the weekends, you might be the only point of contact for somebody.’

Pharmacy has become a family affair for Jarlath, who met his wife, Clodagh, in college. Clodagh works at their other shop, Flanagan’s on Shop Street in Galway. They now have one son and two daughters and swap working every other Saturday so they can each spend time with the kids.

When I ask Jarlath if there’s anything he’d like people to know, he says, ‘If someone wants to talk to me and I’m busy, they should always try to ring back later.'

‘So, do you ever get time off?’ I ask.

He flashes a shy smile and nods. When he responds it’s in that same, subdued voice he uses with customers. ‘When you help people out, it’s rewarding. You feel better going home.'

Headford News and Community Spotlight - Mail Model

Last Friday was Spring Equinox, and our friends at The Woodland League, headquartered in Scarriff, County Clare, would like to remind us that, 'This is an excellent time to give thanks, respect and praise for the Forests - for all the seen and unseen benefits they bestow on ALL living beings. They never ask nor take anything in return, standing silently, giving their all unconditionally. The prophet Mohammad said, "The person who plants one tree and takes care to nurture it, at the end of their days, will go straight to heaven." On that note, perhaps each of us could also consider pledging to plant one tree and take care of it in 2014, and spread the message far and wide.'
http://www.woodlandleague.org/


Happy Spring Equinox, Headford!


COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT 

The Job of a Rural Postman

Mail Model

When Olly O’Connor first started delivering the post in the Headford area back in 1996, he probably didn’t imagine he’d still be delivering the post eighteen years later. Back then, the post office, now a derelict old building, was inside John Molloy’s house in Ower, and Olly had just one week to learn all 200 houses and names on his route.

His first day on the job, at the age of twenty, Olly says, ‘John Malloy showed me around, then I was pretty much on my own.’ Because there were no house numbers or specific addresses, Olly kept a small book with notes like, ‘so and so lives in the house with the green door.’ In one village, he says, there were seven families with the surname ‘Lee.’ So, if he had an envelope addressed to ‘Mr. Lee,’ it might take a bit of detective work to figure out where it should go.

Then, of course, there’s the dog issue. Postmen are forever getting bitten by dogs, and Olly is no exception. ‘But I’ve had my tetanus shot now,’ he says. He reckons dogs attack postmen because they come and go so quickly, ‘like robbers,’ which is ironic, since he’s leaving things instead of taking them away.

Today, Olly says, ‘It takes two weeks to train new [postal delivery] people.’ And Olly is a great role model, having trained several others on his own route. His day begins early, sorting letters and packages by area. Then he loads them all in his van and takes off. He has to stop and collect post from pick-up boxes at a precise time. Scanning the bar code on the green letter box at 9:59 a.m. instead of 10:00 will bring a call and a complaint from his supervisor.

Most days, Olly’s job is a race against the clock. He’s got to bring the post back to Headford in time for the 3:45 p.m. pick up. If he doesn’t get deliveries to all the houses on his route done first, then he has to drive back out into the countryside and deliver the rest of the post.

Just after the turn of the century, in about 2000, greed engendered by the Celtic Tiger became widely apparent in the area. New houses popped up like mushrooms, creating the flood plains we now have in the countryside surrounding Headford. By 2004, the rural post office in Ower was moved to Headford, and Olly’s job became even more complex. Today, there are 417 houses and three schools on his route.

Olly says the best part of his job is getting to listen to whatever radio channel he wants while he’s working, and changing the channel as much as he wants. ‘If I was in a factory or something, I’d have to listen to whatever someone else wanted.’ As you might imagine, he gets a lot of alone time in that green van, so if you see him rockin’ out when he drives by, he’s probably listening to some good tunes. But if he sees you on the road, he always waves and will even stop and hand you your post through the car window.

The worst part of his job is a wet day.

‘Why?’ I ask.

‘Because no one wants a wet letter.’

Which brings up the inevitable topic of weather, and I have to ask him if that old postman’s creed it true. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds, was originally a quote from an ancient Greek named Herodotus (circa 500 BCE) who was describing the Persian system of mounted postal carriers. Olly tells me that’s still the case, the post must be delivered regardless of weather. In 2010, when there was ice everywhere and we were all warned to stay home, Olly was out delivering our post. Christmas time, however, is the real challenge. Every year. ‘There’s loads to be done,’ Olly says, ‘and you’re under pressure to get it all done before dark (because of the short days).’

Olly loves to travel, but not necessarily up the one kilometre driveway of one of the houses where he has to deliver the post. ‘I dread when that guy gets a letter,’ he quips. He’s been to the beach in Key West, Florida; tangoed in Cuba; been tossed around on a small fishing boat in the Atlantic off the coast of Valencia, Spain,; over a month in Argentina; been to London, Yorkshire, Leeds and done the Jack-the-Ripper tour; visited what was left of the Berlin wall; Lourdes, France; Munich; floated down a canal in Holland; visited Edinburgh Castle; Belgium; Portugal; the Dominican Republic; didn’t gamble in Las Vegas (but did enjoy the beer); and would not recommend Rio de Janeiro (‘capitals aren’t great places to go’).

When I ask Olly what he’d like people to know about his job, he has to think about it. Finally, he says, ‘A lot of people like to talk about the weather and then we got to make up the time.’ So if he seems like he’s in a hurry to get away from you, don’t take it personally. He’s just doing his job. And it’s also good to keep in mind that, unlike a courier service, an An Post employee, like Olly, has to hand you your package, or leave it for you at the Post Office. That package won’t be left with an unknown neighbour or dropped-kicked to your door. All the more reason to appreciate our local postman.