Aladdin, Panto in Derry

I may be an adult in age but when it comes to Panto season I'm a child at heart. If it's one thing you do with your child this Christmas, do make it a visit to the annual Derry panto!
Part of the annual Christmas tradition here in the North West of Ireland is the staging of the Milennium Forum pantomime. This year is certain not to disappoint with Aladdin, in association with Dunnes Stores, commencing on Friday December 4th.
"The Forum's fine tradition of staging pantomimes continues to provide the very best in festive entertainment." (Derry Journal)

When street urchin Aladdin frees a genie from a lamp, he finds his wishes granted. However, he soon finds the evil Jafar has other plans for the lamp - and for Princess Jasmine. But can Aladdin save the Princess and his love for her after she sees that he isn't quite what he appears to be?
This year 2015 in Derry sees William Caulfield, the panto Dame, celebrate his 10th year as the star of the Forum's panto. He never fails in delivering a fun-filled, lively entertaining show and I don't doubt this year will be no exception.
Young and old alike will desend on Derry's Millennium Forum and kickstart Christmas with a bang. Others will wait until after the big day and unwind with this fabulous show.
Tickets for the said show which will run from December 4th until January 3rd can be purchased online at Millennium Forum Box Office now.
An avid fan of panto from my youth I can certainly recommend this as an absolutely amazing family experience for all ages. This is one show you don't want to miss this Christmas.

GMcC

World Prematurity Day 2015

Today marks the 5th World Prematurity Day. Today is a day I hold very close to my own heart. It is a day I remember my eldest son being born. I was just 28 weeks pregnant when the boy decided to make an appearance. He was born at St. Munchins Maternity Hospital in Limerick and it is a day I shall never forget.
My eldest son was born at just 28 weeks gestation and was given just a slim chance at survival. He weighed in at just over 3lb's and dropped to 2lb 14 after the first day.
St. Munchins Maternity Hospital in Limerick provided him and us with the utmost of care and thanks to all of the staff there our little boy defeated all the odds.

We were told that if he survived the first 72 hours that the odds were in his favour. He did just that and made it from one week to the next. After just 4 weeks the boy weighing just 4 lbs was moved out of the incubator and into a cot. We were beside ourselves with excitment. And just 4 more weeks after this, we were allowed to take our little 5lb baby home.
The doctors told us that this little boy was a born fighter. He told us that he really was a special little man. Very few premature babies get discharged from hospital before their due date and here was our wee man going home a whole month before he was due to be born.
His consultant did tell us to be prepared that our boy would always be small for his age and have a low IQ. We didn't mind this as we just wanted our boy alive and well.
But now 24 years later, he really did defy all odds. He proudly stands at 6 foot tall and with a higher that average IQ, he went on to prove everyone wrong.
World Prematurity Day will always hold a special place in my heart. Please take a moment today and remember all our babies that are born too soon. Not everyone is as lucky as we have been.

GMcC

My sympathy with Paris

On Friday night last as the terror attack struck Paris, I was inside The Arts Theatre in London's West End with my 17 year old son. We had travelled to London to see the musical American Idiot for the said boy's forthcoming 18th birthday.
Having spent the day on Friday doing all the sites of London we ventured into Leicester Square at approximately 7pm. We spent almost an hour just wandering around watching folk walk by and taking in all the illuminated sights. The boy had never been to London and was thoroughly enjoying this night time experience in the city centre. We laughed and we joked as we people-watched, and then we made our way to the theatre.
As I purchased a glass of fine wine for myself and apple juice for himself (yes he really is teetotal), we then made our way downstairs to the theatre for the show. We settled ourselves into the allocated seats and spent the next two hours, singing, humming, and just enjoying the sheer brilliance that was on the London stage. Huge Green Day fans, we both rocked to the beat.
At no time did I feel concerned or worried or otherwise. I was just very happy and content with the boy at this, his first West End experience. The theatre was rather dark and dreary but the stage was alight with musical talent. I don't normally like dark and dreary environments but I still felt very much at ease here.
When the two hours were up my boy and I left the theatre feeling very much elated with what we just witnessed. We sauntered along the London streets oblivious to what had happened in Paris. We even went underground and took the 'Tube' back to Russel Square. And then we stopped at Sub-Way, as the boy was hungry.
When we eventually arrived back at our hotel room, we settled into our cosy twin beds and logged onto our facebook. I sat bolt upright as soon as I saw the words 'terror attack' on Paris. As I read a number of pieces, I learned that 12 people had been killed that night. I was aghast and decided to put the phone down as this was spoiling the night I had just experienced. As we were both shattered it didn't take long for sleep to welcome us.
By 7am I was crying on my bed. I had awoken early and logged on to see just what had happened the previous night. As the events unfolded before my very eyes in words, I began to put myself in the position of those poor people. As I sat in a London theatre next to my son, these people had stood/sat next to each other in a similar theatre in Paris. Tears ran down my face as I tried to imagine what these people must have felt on realising  what was happening around them. This could so easily have been us that previous night.
But it wasn't us, it was 100+ people in Paris. My tears were getting stronger as I realised just how horrific the terror was. I dressed and went walking the streets of London. I felt a common bond with everyone I met....we were all thinking the same thing....we were all thinking on Paris.
My son and I left London on Saturday afternoon. We talked about Paris for the rest of the day. We tried to imagine how the Parisian people were feeling. We could only be certain of how we were feeling. Sombre and sad. There was nothing that we could do, and to say we felt helpless was an understatement. But we had to journey on and make our trip home.
Paris has been on our mind ever since. As a Mum I can only send my sincerest condolences to the people of Paris. As a Mum I can only be thankful that my son is alive and well. I can only be thankful that my three sons are alive and well.
I guess the moral of my story is, treasure your children. None of us know what tomorow will bring. Paris didn't!

GMcC

Brooklyn, The movie, and that dreaded 'goodbye'.

Last night I went along to see the movie Brooklyn. Based on the novel by Colm Toibín I was really looking forward to seeing it on the big screen. Being an avid book lover I was well prepared for the movie falling short of the book. Which it did...but....
The movie awoke in me memories I thought were in the past. Images which I could so clearly relate to, and a genuine heartfelt sympathy towards every mother in the past who said 'goodbye' to a son or daughter from the homeland.
Brookly tells the story of a young Irish girl, Eilis Lacey, who leaves her home in Co. Wexford to build a better life for herself in Brooklyn. She leaves behind her elder sister Rose, and her mother. It is mid 1950's and the boat journey alone was one of sheer horror.
I knew the story. I've read it and tutored it. There were going to be no surprises here for me. Or so I thought.
As Eilis boarded the ship at Cork and her mother and sister stood by, it simply drew on raw emotion from every single person in the packed cinema theatre. One doesn't have to have experienced this situation to have been affected from this on the big screen last night. Such was the portrayal. Close up shots of both Eilis and her family were enough to bring a tear to every eye.
But alas the tears I shed were not just for this and so many other families in years gone by. My tears that welled up were awakening memories from just a few years ago.
My eldest son was leaving home to spend two years in a very remote part of Canada. I was so pleased that he was going to see the world and no doubt better himself in so many ways, but the experience of that 'goodbye' ripped a little piece of me to shreds.
As I watched these scenes last night it made me realise just how lucky I had been, and how lucky all of us mothers in the modern day are when saying such a 'goodbye'. We have the internet, we have mobile phones and we have such easy accessibility to keep in touch. As my son left Irish shores I knew I'd be speaking to him the following day. I knew I'd see him on a regualar basis via 'Skype' and 'Facetime'. And I knew that he would definitely return home again. Even if he had chosen to make a life long-term in Canada it wouldn't have meant never seeing him again.
As I watched this gripping scene last night I thought on all those mothers who said 'goodbye' to sons and daughters all those years ago and they genuinely didn't know if they would ever see their children again. It would be weeks and maybe months before a letter would arrive with news. Many were never heard of again. As a mother, I cannot even begin to contemplate such.
When the tears finally subsided I did enjoy the movie Brooklyn. It showcases emigration and all that it entails wonderfully. It is definitely a movie I would highly recommend but put a tissue in your pocket (you will be needing it). Saoirse Ronan excels in her portrayal of Eilis.
More than anything I came away thankful for the developments in modern technology and knowing that we mothers will never experience the great sense of loss and that 'wake' by the boat. Count our blessings that emmigration in the modern day doesn't mean 'goodbye' forever.

GMcC

Leaving Cert prep

Having two sons well and truly through the Leaving Cert it's now time to try and prepare the youngest kiddo for such. June 2016 seems a lifetime away now in November but alas it will be upon us before we can say 'Big Maggie'!
And yes, Keane's masterpiece 'Big Maggie' is indeed one of the texts he is studying for the forthcoming exams. With seven subjects alongside LCVP to prepare and revise it's quite a daunting concept thinking that these exams really can determine your future.
When kiddo no. 1 was preparing for the Leaving Cert I was nagging day in, day out, to get the books out and get revising. I would consistently repeat, 'these are the most important exams you will ever do'. And I still stand by the fact that these probably are the most important exams they will ever do: but I'm a tad more relaxed now with no. 3!
I'm not relaxed in that I don't want to encourage him to work well and do his best but more so in that I've realised these exams are not the 'be all and end all'. I've watched parents sending their 10 year old children to 'grinds' over the past year in preparation for the 'transfer test' in Northern Ireland. I watched the same children redo and redo past exam papers. These kids are just 10 years of age. Personally I view this as cruelty. And here I am just nagging the 17 year old to read over notes!
I place huge emphasis on my boys getting a good education. The main requirement always has been that they 'have' to do the Leaving Cert. I had dreams that they would then choose to take the college route and acquire a third level qualification - to which boys 1 and 2 have done.
Now as the youngest kiddo prepares for Leaving Cert and plans to further his education after such, I can smile with the knowledge that they will each have that little thing called an education to help carry them through life.
Having that said education is no guarantee to success or fortune, but it will be of huge benefit in so many areas in life. It instils a level of self-confidence and self-belief in themselves. It teaches them life and social skills for the future. It teaches them that they have a 'voice'. And going to college does of course teach them to fend for themselves (well maybe not!!).
So as the onslaught of the forthcoming Leaving Cert fast approaches and the stress kicks in, I must keep reminding myself that this is not the 'be all and end all'. It is just another step forward in the boys life. When he decides to turn on the playstation and convince me it's his 'time out', I must remember to respect that 'time out'. And then when June arrives, I'm going to trust that the kiddo will indeed do the best that he can do. I don't expect him to do the best that someone else can do. He isn't someone else, He's just himself. And whatever the outcome I know I'll be proud. Leaving Cert 2016 we're ready. Come and get us!

GMcC

Sick Days

It's Monday morning once more and it brings with it not only the wind and the rain, but some sickness too. The kiddo was awake and ready for school but the coughing and spluttering was consistent. And so I told him to go back under the duvet and have a day of rest to see if the dose might shift.
I came downstairs and then contemplated my decision. I know I've made the right one but I didn't always do such. When the children were young I was adamant that they couldn't miss school. I didn't want them falling behind with that all important school work.
Now I still think it's important to keep up with that all important school work but I think it's much more important to keep on top of your health. The kiddo might just have a bad cold and cough but I'd much rather know he was under his duvet, warm and comfy, than troopsing through school all day and passing around his germs.
Next week he has his final set of 'house exams'. His next exams will be the Mock Leaving Cert in February and then of course it's the 'big one' in June.
He's been given some instructions (by me, mother of course) to read over some revision notes, after he's had an extended morning sleep, and stay warm for the day.
Maybe this makes me a bad mother encouraging him to stay off school when he's really not falling apart at the seams, but I've learned with experience that having a healthy family far outweighs the opposite.
Everyone who knows me will be aware that I place my children's educatioin at the core of their development but their health and well being is so much more important.
So it's a sick day for the kiddo today. I'll be getting a mid-morning text message from school saying he's been marked absent. I'll make the call to explain he's sick and all will be well.
I've learned over the years that a clean sheet of attendance is nice to get, but not at the price of my kids health. Sick days, we all need them!

GMcC

Living on a Council Estate!

Whilst blogging with Mummy Pages I wrote a piece one month about my bringing my boys up on a Council Estate. It got a lot of feedback so I'm doing similar again. Not because I want lots of feedback but because it's something I feel very strongly about.
I moved to my present house when my two eldest boys were just 4 and 1. Having moved back home after a number of years in Co. Clare and a short spell in New York, my husband I had been renting a house in our local area for a few years. We had been placed on a waiting list for new Council housing as at that time we were both unemployed. Luck was on our side and in 1995 we were allocated a brand spanking new three bedroomed house in the village we were residing (and still reside today).
We moved in shortly after and life took a turn which I wasn't expecting.
Having grown up in a modest 4 bed bungalow in the countryside I had no understanding of council estate living or the like. So moving into this new house could only bring joy and happiness...right? Wrong!
It brought us a very comfortable place to live, warm, clean and spacious. It brought us the opportunity to settle and begin to build our family home. But it also brought us social segregation from many around. Living in a council estate gives others the right to judge you. Or so those others seem to think.
Fortunatley myself and my husband both came from strong independent backgrounds and both had good educations. But that didn't matter to others. It did matter to me. Having this behind me enabled me to grasp at my own confidence and self-esteem to get through many times when I felt frowned upon by others on the so called 'outside'. Those who lived in large, fancy houses. And those who probably wouldn't know the meaning of the word 'manners' if one threw it at them. But each and every one of my neighbours knew the word 'manners'. There was a mutual respect from everyone in the neighbourhood. Mind you that's not to say there weren't falling outs among neighbours, neighbourly disputes on many occasions, but those are all long forgotten about and put to rest. Doesn't everyone fall out now and again? I'm aware of people in neighbouring villages and towns who don't speak to their neighbour over silly issues. But of course we don't talk about them. They don't live in a council estate!
I can say that everyone in my street speak, greet and welcome each other on a daily basis. I still live in that same house, with the same neighbours and unfortunately still some of the same prejudice. I and my husband bought our house many years ago. At one time we contemplated selling up and moving out. We could buy in another estate in the village...or we could build a nice home in the country. But after thinking about it, we decided to stay where we were. There are neighbours all around where we can call if something is wrong. We can call in the middle of the night if we need something. And I'm pretty sure I can call first thing in the morning if I need a drop of milk.
Many of my neighbours still rent their house from the local council. Does that make me better than them because I own my house? Most certainly NOT. If anything it makes us all the more equal. We all live in the same street and have made our family lives in the same vicinity. Much of my work takes me around the local area, county, country and indeed sometimes further afield. I've met some amazing people and in recent years I met many contemporary music stars. I've hung out with Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy)...I've chatted with Bryan Adams...and I've had the banter with Sinead O'Connor. As for trad musicians worldwide, I've lost count of those I've interviewed and gotten to know. But at the end of all this, I return home to my little abode in that Council Estate. That abode that I call home. That abode that is surrounded by great neighbours and the abode I don't plan on leaving anytime soon.
Being a Mum in this situation was never easy. It made me more determined that ever to ensure my boys were educated to the highest degree. The youngest boy is preparing for his college education next year and the elder two have done theirs. But that's not the only education that I've encouraged in them. Perhaps the most important education they have gotten is that they know never to judge another person.
Word to the not so wise....never judge a book by it's cover and never just a person by where they live.

GMcC