An Historic Power Shift

As I am sure you are aware, Ireland is facing a severe economic crisis that has shaken many people to the core.  I have written about it in this blog in the past. Unemployment is very high (13.4% in January 2011) and extremely difficult cuts in the budget will have to be made.

Amidst the great economic disillusion, the lower house of parliament, called the Dail, was dissolved and a general election was held last Friday, February 25. 

Some elections have not been called yet, but it is certain that the long-ruling party Fianna Fail (pronounced something like “Fee-nay Fall”) has been soundly defeated.   This is no surprise to me.  As far as I can gather, almost everyone holds the ruling party largely responsible for the ongoing economic crisis.  Fianna Fail has been the largest party since 1932. 

For the first time in history, the Fine Gael (pronounced something like “Finn-eh Gale”) party has become the majority party.  The second largest party now is Labour with independents in third.  Fianna Fail has the fourth place.  Labour and Sinn Fein won more seats than ever before

Campaigning officially began on February 1 and ended on February 24.  Political ads are banned on TV and radio (imagine!), but there were several televised debates.  I also saw two local candidates campaigning last Sunday.  As I left church, they were ready and waiting with loud speakers to make their case to the emerging congregants.

The Irish election system is called “proportional representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote” (STV).  A voter is given a slate of candidates and s/he rank orders them.  I understand the processing of the votes can be complicated.  I watched some returns coming in today and I heard commentators mentioning a “seventh count,” etc. 

This Poster Asks People to vote for Fine Gael 1, 2, 3 and 4

I’m sure the language barrier was largely responsible, but I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to Italian politics when I was on sabbatical in Italy.  With the exception of following Silvio Berlusconi’s seemingly frequent scandals, I was not tapped in to the Italian political world.  In contrast, I have found the Irish election fascinating.  I especially appreciate the short campaign period and the ban on TV and radio advertising.  How much of substance can you actually learn in 30 or 60 seconds anyway?

After mass this morning I talked a little bit about the election with Fr. Dick.  He was clearly immersed in the whole process.  He mentioned it in his homily and in his bulletin column.  Another man standing nearby said something like, “With all the attacks going on, you’d have to be crazy to run for office.”  Sadly, such things might be universal.  

Note:  I relied on Wikipedia for much of this information.  I also visited the Electoral Knowledge Network online and a few other economic websites.  Please forgive any mistakes.  

Slainte

Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness. 

–Seneca the younger

When I go out walking on particularly nice days I often see young people gathered along the river in pairs and groups drinking beer or other alcoholic beverages.  Living as I do, on the docks, I awake on occasion in the middle of the night when loud and laughing drunk people walk past my building.  Last October I heard an extremely intoxicated woman jump into Galway Harbor in the middle of the night.  Worried for her safety, I got out of bed and looked out the window and saw her winter-coat wearing friend watching her from the dock.  I saw the "swimmer" half way up a ladder that leads to dry land, so I imagine she made it home cold, but safe.  

The Irish caricature is almost always a drinking or drunk person and I have taken care not to stereotype.  I have, however, wondered about the role of alcohol in Irish society.  Historically and currently, the Irish have had their share of hardship and yet they remain a warm, friendly, and welcoming people.

Last December I attended a panel discussion at the National University of Ireland, Galway on “Ireland, Alcohol, and Sexual Violence against Women.”  The Global Women’s Studies Program sponsored the panel. 

The first presenter, Dr. Stacey Scriver Furlong, discussed findings from a research project that looked at rape in Ireland.  She stated, “In Ireland, alcohol is the most common date rape drug.”  According to the study, in the rape cases that went to trial, 2/3 of the complainants and 88% of the defendants had been binge-drinking.  One disturbing story was told of a young man who consumed thirty pints of beer, returned home and raped his sister.  I find it almost impossible to imagine the trauma that family suffers.

In the last week I have seen a public service commercial on television that explains that it takes about one hour to metabolize one serving of alcohol.  After illustrating what constitutes one serving of alcohol, the commercial asks the viewer to consider if they might not be sober the morning after.  This commercial illustrates the culture of binge drinking I heard about at the panel in December. 

The presenters and audience members at the December panel view the drinking culture of Ireland to be a significant problem.  One person commented that while binge-drinking is a common problem for youth in other countries, it remains a problem for older adults in the Ireland.  Others shared that there are few social activities that do not involve alcohol.

A 2007 study* of alcohol use in Ireland found that

·      24% of 18 – 29 year olds drink 9 or more drinks on a “typical drinking occasion”

·      10% of drinkers reported drinking more than the “recommended weekly limit” of 21 drinks/week for men and 14 drinks/week for women

·      28% of drinkers reported binge drinking (defined as six or more drinks) at least once a week

·      Over half of all drinkers reported a harmful pattern of drinking

I’m not a teetotaler; I especially enjoy a glass of wine or two on occasion.  If Irish culture promotes binge-drinking, though, the consequences for personal and community health and safety are enormous.  Clearly, alcohol plays a role in sexual assault.  Alcohol is estimated to be a factor in one of three fatal car crashes in Ireland.  This does not even consider the effect of excessive alcohol use on personal relationships, and work and school performance. 

Ironically, the traditional Irish toast, “Slainte” literally means “health.” 

*Available at: http://www.dohc.ie/publications/pdf/slan_alcohol_report.pdf?direct=1

Churning: An Update

Washer/Dryer

I forgot how much noise my washer/dryer generates.  That’s right!--Laundry churns in my home once again! 

Last week Monday, the friendly repairman returned with the correct parts.  He had the machine fixed within thirty minutes.  When we were saying our goodbyes, he said, “I hope I don’t see you again.  Enjoy the rest of your time here.”  I took that in the kind manner in which it was intended. 

Since that day, I have delighted in doing my laundry.  Though I appreciated having my dirty laundry picked up and then delivered back to me clean, I enjoy that I don’t have to negotiate this task with other people.  Nor do I have to hand over money for the privilege. 

Clean sheets and towels  :-)

Galway Harbor

           

My last blog reported on the gale winds that struck Galway last Thursday.  I eagerly anticipated the report on the gale that I was sure to see on the news on Thursday night.  I did see the report, but I was struck by the matter-of-fact tone of the fairly short segment.  I imagine the Galwegians experience gale-force winds the way I experience a tornado warning:  I don’t like it, but I don’t go on and on about it.  It is simply a fact of life. 

The Irish Meteorological Service issued another gale warning for Friday.  I once again enjoyed the show from my perch by the window.  The water in the harbor looked different than it did the day before.  On Thursday, small waves of water moved across the harbor for short distances.  Some of the waves were strong enough to splash up on the concrete of the docks.   The wind picked up water and blew a significant amount of mist into the air.  On Friday, the harbor resembled a pot of bubbling and boiling water.  Occasionally a small amount of water would “boil” out of the harbor and onto the concrete; I kept imagining a hissing sound when it happened.   

Berating myself for avoiding the roof patio on Thursday, on Friday I made my way to the fifth floor armed with raincoat, camera and cell phone.  The sound of the wind howling through the patio doors started my heart beating with fear.  A resident of Aengus House needs to use a fob to both get onto and off of the patio and I had visions of being so battered by wind that I would be unable to open the door.  I like to characterize my decision not to go on the roof as wise, but others should feel free to consider me a wimp.  I’m not likely to argue.  I went outside to experience the wind on ground level where there is not so far to fall. 

When I woke on Saturday, the harbor was completely calm.  The orange wind sock that hangs on top of the Galway Harbor Company looked worn out and ill used.  The water was very brown from all the churning and I saw trash floating in the usually fairly clean water.

I was happy to get outside on Saturday and move around.  I did a number of errands and rather than return home quickly, I bought a newspaper and stopped for a relaxing lunch at Sweetie Pies.

I appreciate that I continue to have new experiences while doing the same old things—looking out my window and walking around Galway and Galway Bay.  Rest assured, I will report in this space on the next event of note.

A calm harbor, once again

Calm...  ahhh.....

"I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore" -Dorothy Gale

The last few days have been very windy, but that in and of itself is not unusual for Galway.  My first clue that today’s wind was remarkable came this morning during low tide:  the water was choppy enough to splash up on the cement of the dock. 

I planned to go on an errand or two but as the wind blew so strong, I thought I might skip my midday excursion and settle back in my chair near the window and keep working.  I was quite productive this morning, but as the wind picked up even more and the tide came in, I was more and more distracted by the choppy and splashing harbor, the blowing sea water, the rhythmically rocking boats in the marina and the low and quick moving gray clouds overhead. 

I wanted more information, so I visited the Irish Meteorological Service website:  met.ie/.  While there I learned that there was a gale warning and today’s winds might reach up to 110 kilometers today; that’s up to 68 miles per hour.   Staying in seemed wise.

I searched the web for information on wind speed and learned that the Beaufort Scale categorizes wind speed as such:

            0            Calm                            < 1 mph

            1            light air                        1 – 3 mph

            2            light breeze                  4 – 7 mph

            3            gentle breeze               8 – 12 mph

            4            moderate breeze         13 – 17 mph

            5            fresh breeze                18 – 24 mph

            6            strong breeze              25 – 30 mph

            7            high wind,                  31 – 38 mph

                          moderate gale,

                          near gale                       

            8            gale,                            34 – 46 mph

                          fresh gale

            9            strong gale                   47 – 54 mph

            10          storm,                          55 – 63 mph

                          whole gale

            11          violent storm                64 – 72 mph

            12          hurricane-force            > or equal to 73 mph

My dad called me and I filled him in on the weather.  He said, “You have to go outside and experience this.”  He was right.   I put on my waterproof hiking boots and my hooded raincoat and, armed with my camera, went downstairs and out the door. 

The wind blew from the west, so my building was blocking the blast.  I walked slowly toward the harbor and gingerly stepped out from the protection the building offered.  The wind was breathtaking.  And awesome.  And crazy.  And overwhelming.  I leaned into it.  Way into it.  I got as close to the water as felt safe.  While I was likely overly cautious, I have little experience with ocean winds.  I wasn’t sure if I could expect a bigger gust that could push me in to the roiling harbor.   I soon sought the shelter of the building.

Taken while out in the storm

As I was heading back up to my apartment, I wondered about the view from the fifth floor community patio.  I decided that if I was nervous about going near the water’s edge, I should be doubly nervous about going out on a roof. 

I managed to accomplish some work this afternoon, but mostly I was mesmerized by the churning and splashing outside my window.  Things have quieted down some.   I don’t know how strong the winds actually were; I’ll check the news tonight* and find out, but based on the on-line descriptions and pictures, I’d say we had a “whole gale” for at least some of the afternoon. 


*Addendum:  I learned that the winds reached "storm or whole gale force" which is 55 - 63 mph.

Taken from my balcony

The wind blew the life ring from its case

A good Samaritan stopped his van during the storm and put the life ring back