Archive News
Weighty issue for a generation in which one in three is obese
Date Published: {J}
In the first few weeks of the new year, it seemed that the entire nation was embarking on a mass diet. Everywhere you turned, there were experts – some qualified and some not – giving advice about calories, ‘correct’ food types and fat-burning exercise.
We are obsessed by weight, yet the irony is that as a nation, we have never been so fat and apart from the vanity aspect, being overweight or obese carries health risks.
Two thirds of adults are either overweight or obese, according to endocrinologist Dr Francis Finucane, who leads a team based at UHG, which is dedicated to providing a medical service for people from the West of Ireland who are overweight or obese.
With 23 per cent of us overweight and another 34 per cent ranked as obese, we are right up there with other developed nations, says Dr Finucane.
The endocrinologist, who trained as a physician at the Royal College of Surgeons before doing post graduate studies in TCD and Cambridge, has been in UHG since last September, heading up Galway University Hospitals’ bariatric medicine service which was set up by Professor Tim O’Brien, NUIG Professor of Medicine.
The service, which has a nurse specialist, a dietician, a surgeon and a psychologist as part of its multi-disciplinary teams, helps people for whom weight is causing serious health problems, such as cardiovascular problems, Type Two Diabetes or Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.
These clients are referred by other hospitals in the HSE West region or by General Practitioners. They are people who cannot lose weight by following the standard advice of eating less and exercising more.
According to Dr Finucane, it can be harder to reduce weight than you might think, especially if you have a severe problem.
“People with a more severe problem may find it more difficult to come into a weight loss programme or instigate lifestyle changes.
“People might think they are doing well, but when you go through what they are buying, and eating and how much they are exercising, that might not be so. It’s very difficult to get a realistic idea of what people are doing.”
A person’s weight is measured using a technique known as Body Mass Index, which is “a relatively crude measure of excess fat, but the best we have”, according to Dr Finucane, who predicts that in the next five to 10 years the methods of measuring weight will become more sophisticated.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
People’s living conditions less than 100 years ago were frightening. We have come a long way. We talk about water charges today, but back then the local District Councils were erecting pumps for local communities and the lovely town of Mountbellew, according to Council minutes, had open sewers,” says Galway County Council archivist Patria McWalter.
Patria believes we “need to take pride in our history, and we should take the same pride in our historical records as we do in our built heritage”. When you see the wealth of material in her care, this belief makes sense.
She is in charge of caring for the rich collection of administrative records owned by Galway County Council and says “these records are as much part of our history as the Rock of Cashel is. They document our lives and our ancestors’ lives. And nobody can plan for the future unless you learn from the past, what worked and what didn’t”.
Archivists and librarians are often unfairly regarded as being dry, academic types, but that’s certainly not true of Patria. Her enthusiasm is infectious as she turns the pages of several minute books from Galway’s Rural District Councils, all of them at least 100 years old.
Part of her role involved cataloguing all the records of the Councils – Ballinasloe, Clifden, Galway, Gort, Loughrea, Mountbellew, Portumna and Tuam. These records mostly consisted of minutes of various meetings.
When she was cataloguing them she realised their worth to local historians and researchers, so she decided to compile a guide to their content. The result is For the Record: The Archives of Galway’s Rural District Councils, which will be a valuable asset to anybody with an interest in history.
Many representatives on these Councils were local personalities and several were arrested during the political upheaval of the era, she explains.
And, ushering in a new era in history, women were allowed to sit on these Rural District Councils – at the time they were not allowed to sit on County Councils.
All of this information is included in Patria’s introductory essay to the attractively produced A4 size guide, which gives a glimpse into how these Rural Councils operated and the way political thinking changed in Ireland during a short 26-year period. In the early 1900s, these Councils supported Home Rule, but by 1920, they were calling for full independence and refusing to recognise the British administration.
“I love the tone,” says Patria of the minutes from meetings. “The language was very emotive.”
That was certainly true of the Gort Rural District Council. At a meeting in 1907, following riots in Dublin at the premiere of JM Synge’s play, The Playboy of the Western World the councillors’ response was vehement. They recorded their decision to “protest most emphatically against the libellous comedy, The Playboy of the Western World, that was belched forth during the past week in the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, under the fostering care of Lady Gregory and Mr Yeats. We congratulate the good people of Dublin in howling down the gross buffoonery and immoral suggestions that are scattered throughout this scandalous performance.
For more from the archives see this week’s Tribunes here
Date Published: 23-Jan-2013
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Date Published: 29-Jan-2013
Athenry FC 1
Kilbarrack United 2
(After extra time)
For the second year in succession Athenry were done in extra time in the FAI Junior Cup as last season’s beaten finalist’s came from behind to snatch an excellent game in Moanbawn on Sunday afternoon.
On a heavy pitch that was only playable following extensive groundwork by club officials all morning, the home side were by far the better side in the opening half, but failed to take advantage of a number of opportunities that came their way.
An Alan O’Donovan penalty gave them a merited advantage just after the restart, but thereafter were on the back foot as Kilbarrack took over, but for all their pressing, the home rearguard were dealing comfortably with their forays.
However they were struck a body blow just six minutes from time, as big striker Keith Kirwan was left all alone at the far post to head the equaliser and from that point on the Dubliners were the better side.
They started off the extra time in the ascendancy and enjoying all the momentum before striking for a good winning goal on 104 minutes. A strong bench allowed them to make some necessary changes and it was not a facility that was available to Athenry manager Gabriel Glavin.
With Gary Forde and Gary Delaney out through suspension following their sending off against OLBC in the previous round, and Seamie Crowe injured, it left their bench rather threadbare with just a number of young squad players available.
Playing with the aid of the slight incline and any wind advantage going, the home side had a Connor Cannon effort on target in the opening minute, while John Meleady was just over with a flick at the other end.
Meleady then tested Andrew Walsh who saved comfortably, before the goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant double save on 14 minutes.
Firstly he went full length to push away a Meleady shot and was then back on his feet to parry David Jackson’s close-range rebound.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.
Death driver with drink and drugs in his system is sent to jail
‘Double standards’ on Covid bonus for hospital catering workers
Funding for dedicated cancer care facility in Galway
Appeal for responsible parking as huge crowds expected at Connemara beaches
Galway public asked to consider all options before attending ED over bank holiday weekend
East Galway farm sells for €1.3 million
Burkes return home to revel in their local roots
Man prosecuted for building house instead of agricultural storage unit
OPW Minister to meet Council engineers on ‘flawed’ motorway design
Official opening of Galway’s new pedestrian and cycle bridge
