George Hook opens new family bereavement room in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda

A new family bereavement room was officially opened by broadcaster George Hook at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda yesterday.

The family bereavement room is a space created for relatives to grieve the passing of a loved one. It is also a dedicated space for them to spend a short period with their deceased relative before they are transferred to the care of the funeral director.

Speaking about the facility, Operational Services Manager, Yvonne Gregory complimented the staff who had fundraised to assist with the refurbishment of the space and provide the furnishings and artwork for the rooms.

“The provision of this facility is testament to the efforts of the hospital staff who fundraised in the last year to generate the funds to carry out this work,” she said.

“It is much needed within the hospital and will offer a dedicated space of solace for families who are bereaved. I am proud of the staff for recognising and supporting this need.”

The hospital’s End of Life Coordinator, Mary McGrane said: “We aim to fulfil the requirements of a Hospice Friendly Hospital (HFH), where we have dedicated space for families to spend time near their relative who is approaching end of life.

“This facility meets that aim and also offers families the option of spending time immediately after death with their relative in a relaxed and quiet environment. We hope to continue to deliver similar facilities in other parts of hospital in the future.”

Staff also unveiled the hospital’s annual Tree of Remembrance on the day. This is a symbol of love for all who have died recently or some time ago and provides an annual opportunity for staff and visitors to remember colleagues, family and friends by placing a card of prayer or thought on the tree.

Dundalk IT music lecturer opens up her home for newspaper article

Una in her D4 home. Picture: Tony Gavin/Irish Independent

Broadcaster and Dundalk IT music lecturer Una Hunt features in today’s Irish Independent, where she opened the doors of her Dublin 4 period home to the paper to show all she has done with the property.

Una, who lectures in performance and also appears on Lyric FM, bought the house with her husband Paul Kelly a number of years ago.

Although she grew up in Belfast and now lives in Dublin, Una would be well known in the college and a grand piano features prominently in the house.

You can read the full article here.

Spanish man makes game about local legend Cu Chulainn after falling in love with the Irish language

Francisco Blazquez, the creator of the Irish-language game ‘In Cu Chulainn’s Footsteps’, inset with his partner, Eva

A Spanish software expert has devised a computer game based on the adventures of local legend Cu Chulainn after falling in love with the Irish language.

Francisco Blazquez (46), who is from Madrid, first came to Ireland when he was 18 to learn English.

However, he was so taken with the Irish language that when he returned home he signed up for classes at the official language school in his native city.

The software consultant has been based in Ireland since 2010, and Francisco and his partner Eva Garcia are now set to launch their new game ‘In Cu Chulainn’s Footsteps’ on Thursday at Croke Park.

The game features music from Clannad, Kila and Sharon Shannon, and legendary broadcaster Micheal O Muircheartaigh also provides a voiceover for part of the game – in English and in Irish.

“The idea is to promote Irish,” said Francisco. “Our aim is to create a portal with many games.”

The game can be played in both Irish and English, swapping and mixing both languages as the player wishes.

“It is aimed for children aged between eight and 12, or perhaps slightly older. Players lead Cu Chulainn through a mysterious island, solving puzzles and riddles to find the way out of there,” said Francisco, who has formed his own company, Duineacu.

He said that along with the game, players will also find information related to Irish culture including music, literature, sports and legends. It is a 3D adventure played in the third person, driven by mouse clicks or taps on the screen.

A licence to play the game is bought online, he said.

Meanwhile, in the school version, teachers can very easily change the content, the voiceovers and the text.

For further information see: www.cuadventure.com

Source: Irish Independent