On The Afternoon Show this lunchtime Clare FM’s Máire Moynahan was joined by Mary Aiken. Mary is a Cyberpsychologist and Research Fellow with the Royal College of Surgeons. She discussed “cyberchondria”, where someone uses online sites to help diagnose their symptoms, a practice which can lead to anxiety. According to a new survey – 43% of mothers use the internet to diagnose their children’s symptoms when they’re sick. A survey, from eumom, revealed that of 1,800 mothers in Ireland found that four in ten mothers see the internet as the first place for advice when dealing with a sick child rather than going to a GP or the pharmacist. Mary discussed how we can become over anxious and suffer from an escalatory effect when researching symptoms online. For more details see http://www.rcsi.ie/index.jsp?p=100&n=110&a=2449
Micheal O’Dwyer is an Air Quality Specialist with the Environmental Protection Agency and joined the show to outline the EPA’s new Air Quality Index for Health (AQIH). It’s a web-based index that shows current air quality in Clare and across Ireland on a coloured scale divided into 4 bands: Good; Fair; Poor and Very poor, with health advice provided for each band. The Index was developed in conjunction with the Health Service Executive, Met Éireann and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. You can see the current readings at www.airquality.epa.ie
Sue McKinney from the Irish Coast Guard also let listeners know about how the organisation has launched a summer water safety campaign designed to protect children on beaches and near coastlines. The Coast Guard is distributing thousands of free waterproof wristbands under the ‘Give us a Hand’ campaign. Parents or guardians can write their phone numbers on the wristband so that lifeguards, emergency services or members of the public can contact the child’s parents if the child becomes lost or becomes separated. The wristbands have been made available to Irish Coast Guard Volunteer Units for distribution through schools, lifeguard stations and maritime community events around the country. The wristbands carry a message reminding the public to call 112 and ask for the Coast Guard for beach, water or cliff emergencies.
Molly Muldoon, Deputy Editor of Irish Central in New York joined us for a look at the major news stories that are affecting the Irish community in the United States – including the tragic death of young Irish immigrant Kevin Bell in New York and the Irish diasporas views on the Obama family’s visit to Ireland.
Rob Connellan is the organiser of Clare Tag Rugby and joined Máire in studio to let us know about how the sport is becoming a firm favourite in Clare. Tag rugby is a non contact sport that is becoming increasingly popular around the county –here in Clare hundreds have joined up to enjoy the game and the competitive league that’s currently underway. It’s open to all ages and all levels of fitness and Clare Tag Rugby will continue to run leagues into the Autumn and Winter. They run training nights at the Fairgreen in Ennis every Tuesday night from 7pm and all are encouraged to come along and try it out. For more details see claretagrugby.com and their facebook page.
Writer and Actress Stefanie Preissner was also a guest of the show this afternoon. Her one-woman play entitled “Solpadeine Is My Boyfriend” comes to Culturlann Sweeney, Kilkee this weekend. It is about a new Irish generation who were promised everything; a life of financial stability and job security, but they now find themselves queuing either at the airport to emigrate, or the social welfare office to sign-on. It is a generation that feel entitled not to experience depression, economic or personal, and whose availability to over-the-counter medication allows them to numb both. Written and performed Stefanie, this high-octane performance is broken up by moments of near stand-up comedy. While premiering at Dublin Fringe in 2012, the show received rave reviews and extensive interest from around Ireland and abroad. The piece resonates with all Irish audiences, regardless of where they are from due to the mass exodus of young people leaving for Australia, Canada and America in recent years. Show starts at 8pm on Saturday June 29th at Culturlann Sweeney in Kikee.
To contact the show please email afternoon@clare.fm
