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A NEW CHRISTMAS advert is urging older people not to be afraid to ask for help during the festive period.
The ad highlights the simple tasks, like changing a lightbulb, that cause difficulties for older people and that they often require help with – though many would not want to burden someone with it.
Sean Moynihan, CEO of Alone said this year’s ad is about rights. It is about reminding older people they not only deserve to live with dignity, but they have the right to.
“We want them to know that they have a right to be supported, to receive the care they need and to live in a place of their own choosing,” he said.
Many older people think that by asking for help and support they are bothering people. We want them to know that they deserve more than a little help and support and they shouldn’t be afraid to ask for it. For those who may feel that they have no one to ask for help, Alone offers supports and services that can link older people back in with their community and neighbours.
Moynihan said Christmas can be an especially isolating time for older people, particularly those who have no loved ones to share it with.
“Our campaign is reminding the Irish public that many older persons within their community need help and support. We are asking people to check in on their older neighbours, for a cup of tea, a quick word of kindness or just to see if they need a lift to the shops,” he said.
The charity’s volunteers will be visiting older people each week in the run up to Christmas, it will host a dinner dance and deliver hundreds of Christmas hampers and dinners.
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Protected cycle lanes are needed in Dublin. Painting a white line on the road and calling it a cycle lane does not offer any protection to cyclists.
@Nomis Andrews: hardened rubber uprights need to be parallel to every cycle lane
Damaged bumper rather than an injured cyclist
@Nomis Andrews:
The lycra brigade never use the cycle lane in my experience
Try riding a bike to work for a year in traffic, see if the reasons become apparent to you.
@Nomis Andrews: the article says the bus was turning right, so it would seem the victim was on the right hand side of the lane.
Condolences to the family of Mary White. And also the driver must be given a bit of sympathy as well. The faults/reasons in this incident are difficult at best to side on. Instead of taking sides why dont both motorists and cyclists show each other more due care and attention.
On a side note, I cycle myself late at night, but my lights are rated at 700 lumens front and dual 50 lumen rear reds. You should not be driving or cycling if you cant notice something that bright. Was Mary’s lighting strong enough for the driver to notice her? Visibility is paramount for cyclists. Im not trying to say her lights were at fault. A sad incident. Be safe everyone.
@Finn Faulkner: you’re right it’s a tragic and difficult case, but a court of law, having heard all the established facts, found him guilty. That in itself is rare enough.
@IrishSportives.ie: with respect, it’s not rare. The outrage that often follows in such cases from certain quarters usually hangs on it ‘only’ being a suspended sentence – not that the person is found not guilty.
@IrishSportives.ie: Yes, i completely agree. My sympathy for the driver is limited, but he will have to live with that for the rest of his life. He maybe should have pleaded guilty…..
@Finn Faulkner: I believe he should have pleaded guilty, but I suppose he had his livelihood to consider. He also allowed his barrister to try and victim blame the woman who died, but a Garda witness put the record straight on that one.
I noticed that more and more drivers are cutting the corners when they are turning right at a junction. They show a complete disregard for the safety of others road users.
@Vincent: Same with curves in the road too. Cutting them to “straighten out” the road.
@John Flood: yep. Driving to fast to take the curve in their lane.
Very sad.
So deeply remorseful yet you plead not guilty there needs to be a penalty for the not guilty plea
@Seán O’Sullivan: Exactly. If he was that remorseful he would have taken a plea deal and avoided dragging the family through court. He was obviously desperate to save his job and happy to sacrifice them on the way
Life is so cheap in this country…
This Bus driver will live on to drive one of the biggest vehicles on the road, to pass many more cyclists and pedestrians…
Who knows what could happen, the potential is there again for him to kill due to his carelessness, he wanted to save a few seconds by cutting a corner, yet he cut the life of the victim off permanently…
It’s almost impossible to get any jail time in this country if you kill a vulnerable road user with a motor vehicle on Irish roads..
@Dotty Dunleary: can’t see any bus company giving him a job, not after being found responsible for a death, the insurance would be phenomenal.
@edelno5 .: As far as I know, Dublin Bus insures itself.
May you Rest In Peace Mary.
Your soft voice, sincere smile, compassion, and sincerity, will always be remembered by your previous work colleagues at OLHSC.
Very good video by the RSA on just how vulnerable cyclists are when moving with HGVs and LPSVs, it shows clearly how often in the space of seconds cyclists are not seen as they pass vehicles that have by their nature blind spots. Sympathy to the family of the cyclist and spare a thought for the driver.
@William Bryan: hi I am taxi driver and when I am behind cyclist in traffic in bus lane I stay behind till gap in traffic I know there situation :ie manhole or gully or pot holes I cycle for years to and from work
WTF Judge Useless & very wrong let Driver walk free
@Brian Flavin: After reading the full story I disagree with you.
@Ciarán O’ Donoghue: i m disagree you
@Brian Flavin: No, you disagree with the sentence.
@Ciarán O’ Donoghue: how can he disagree with a sentence if he can’t write one?
@Eoin Byrne: watch out lads the grammar Nazi is about!!!!
1. 13 tonne buses don’t cut corners on their own .
2. Since the driver was Deacon couldn’t a confession or a few prayers be prescribed.
No jail time for killing a person. Well done..
It is difficult for me to accept the judge’s ruling as it was for me to accept the jury’s finding about the Wellington Quay deaths.
@Denis Patrick Gill: W@nker comment of the week, and it only Monday.
RIP to the lady who lost her life. Perhaps we should all be more aware of the dangers to both cyclists and motorists on the roads. Last Thursday night we were stopped at traffic lights on the quays travelling towards O’Connell Street. We had a clear left indicator on signalling our intention to turn left after the lights changed. Cyclists came up our left hand side and remained there despite the indicator being on. Rolling down the window I asked the nearest cyclist did he not see our indicator. Having removed his headphone he asked what I had said. Then he apologised and moved in front of us. What would have happened if we hadn’t spotted him and the lights had turned green? Just an observation.
@Mary Dunphy:
(b) A pedal cyclist may overtake on the left where vehicles to the pedal cyclist’s right are stationary or are moving more slowly than the overtaking pedal cycle, except where the vehicle to be overtaken—
(i) has signalled an intention to turn to the left and there is a reasonable expectation that the vehicle in which the driver has signalled an intention to turn to the left will execute a movement to the left before the cycle overtakes the vehicle,
SOURCE: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2012/si/332/made/en/print
One can deduce with certainty that the vehicle you were travelling in was stationary at the traffic lights by way of your observation that whilst stopped at the traffic lights, “cyclists came down our left hand side and remained there”. This certainty is further supplemented by the fact you were able to engage in conversation with one of them at the traffic lights.
“What would have happened if we hadn’t spotted him and the lights had turned green?”
Goodness knows but should a driver of a vehicle turn left in the very circumstances you describe above, s/he would be fully liable for any collisions that may occur on grounds of negligent driving.
@Mary Dunphy: You need some driving lessons love. Indicators do not and never have allowed priority. It’s amazing you don’t know this.
So Mary Dunpy came to a story about an incompetent driver to declare that she’s an incompetent driver.
@Bob Moore: As you may not have noticed I was not driving at the time. We did indeed notice the cyclist and asked if he had seen that we were indicating to turn left. Having removed his headphones he admitted he hadn’t as he was feeling quite tired at the time. It was merely a point in observation which was applied to both motorists and cyclists and obviously you have some type of chip on your shoulder if this is your nasty reaction to an observation. There was never any danger to the cyclist under the circumstances so what’s your point?
@Mary Dunphy: “what’s your point?”
You came to a story about an incompetent driver to declare that you’re an incompetent driver.
Incredibly sad. She had all the “necessary” equipment and yet it proved to be no use against careless driving. The sentence handed down by the judge is bitterly disappointing.
My thoughts are with her family and friends, justice wasn’t served.
@C Moloney:
Bus driver is still on the roads. The courts allowed a killer bus driver to carry on over Christmas.
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