A grandmother’s legacy lives on in the work of Muireann Irish, whose research has shown that people with dementia don’t just lose the ability to remember the past, they also lose the ability to envisage the future. ℘℘℘ One of my favorite memories of my grandmother, Molly Lowney, is calling in to her house every day after school to chat about the day over a cup of tea. On … [Read more...] about “Molly, you have Alzheimer’s”
Health
Living in Each Other’s Shadow
We should be attendant to any story that involves love, even when it’s the strange and wonderful bond between a cat and human. Earlier this summer my cat died. I know it’s not important in the scheme of things, but it left me reeling. For days I was buffeted by my grief in the most unexpected places: in the supermarket checkout line (no longer any need to buy pet food or … [Read more...] about Living in Each Other’s Shadow
Sláinte! All Hail the Humble Spud
Edythe Preet writes about Ireland’s relationship with its signature crop. Back in first grade, my “see Spot run” primer told how Dick and Jane grew potatoes in their backyard and roasted them in an autumn leaf bonfire. If those kids can do that, I thought, so can I. Mom supplied a few spuds that had begun to sprout “eyes,” and we buried them in a skimpy strip of dirt edging … [Read more...] about Sláinte! All Hail the Humble Spud
The Irish and Suicide
According to a 2017 report by UNICEF, Ireland has the fourth highest rate of teen suicide of E.U. or O.E.C.D. nations. Furthermore, Ireland has Europe’s highest rate of suicide among girls. “While the overall number of people dying by suicide has declined,” James Doorley, National Youth Council of Ireland deputy director, notes, “there has been an increase among young men. … [Read more...] about The Irish and Suicide
Irish Cancer Survivor Hikes Iceland Glacier on Crutches
Irish woman Nikki Bradley, a courageous survivor of a rare form of bone cancer known as Ewing’s sarcoma, has just defied the odds once again after climbing an Icelandic glacier on crutches. Since she was diagnosed in 2002 at the age of 16, Nikki has been battling cancer now for nearly a decade and half, and after double hip replacement and now the possibility that she might … [Read more...] about Irish Cancer Survivor Hikes Iceland Glacier on Crutches