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Mid Ulster FOCUS
Mid Ulster FOCUS
3
CONTENTS
5
How does your
garden grow?
Oliver Corr
10
Spotlight on...
Stefan Quinn
18-19
23
Cover
Story
Recipes
Cracking treats
for the children
this Easter
24-25
Big
Feature
W
elcome to the
April edition
of Mid Ulster
Focus. They
say when April arrives it opens
with the day of “fools”.
The earliest recorded reference to April Fools’ Day was in
Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury
Tales in 1392.
In Belgium, France and Italy,
there is an April Fool tradition
of playing pranks on people by
tacking paper fish on their backs.
It is a month usually full of
thoughts of renewal and fresh
beginnings. These are the days
when the sun is shining… it may
bring us April showers but the
warm showers are refreshing and
invigorating because we know
the sunshine will return soon. As
Mary Doris our gardening expert
says “It’s going to be a busy and
exciting month in the garden”.
In this edition we feature
Dungannon singer song writer
Wendy Jack who is starting to
make a real impression on the
Editor’s Letter
All the action
from the
Magherafelt
Harriers 10k
Classic, p32,
33
local music scene.
We travel the world with John
Harrington from Clonoe who has
spent the last few years visiting
all five continents on the earth.
Magherafelt Harriers held a
very successful annual 10k run
and our photographer was there
to capture the action.
Our theatre reviewer JD
Harper gives his verdict on
the new play by Belfast writer
Brenda Murphy, which played
to packed houses at The Craic
Theatre, Coalisland.
Maghera-based family wellbeing expert, Elaine Curry also
looks to the new season and
offers words of inspiration for
getting over those wintertime
blues and starting afresh in
spring.
If you have an interesting story to tell, or if you are organising
an event that we could cover,
please contact the magazine
midulsterfocus@gmail.com or
phone 07803729290.
If you are a charity, community or sporting organisation based
or operating in the Mid Ulster
area let us know what you are
doing and Mid Ulster Focus can
give you a platform to promote
your events.
Mid Ulster Focus is about
looking at the good things
happening in our area and we
hope you make it a regular and
enjoyable part of your month.
To view or buy any of the pictures in this magazine
go to www.midulsterfocus.com
Address:
34
Team of
the Month
35
Cookstown
Citizen
Mid Ulster writers
going for Olympic gold
Mid Ulster Focus
18 Washingbay Road
Coalisland
Co Tyrone
BT714PX
Editor:
Oliver Corr
07803729290
Advertising:
Cathal Campbell:
07565412289
Reporter
Eimear Quinn
midulsterfocus@gmail.com
Publisher:
Quinn’s Printers
Unit 3-6
RJ Hall Industrial Estate
BT13 2GA
Belfast
Design & Production
RE&D
124-144 Royal Avenue
Belfast
BT1 1DN
02890554882
4
Mid Ulster FOCUS
The Dancing Queens
Ardboe O’Donavan Rossa present a colourful stage production of “Dancing Queen”
performed by dedicated members of the GFC in their community centre
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Mid Ulster FOCUS
GARDENING
5
Mary Doris
Work, then - relax and enjoy
T
he clocks have gone
forward, and we
can now spend even
more time in the
garden. But expect
inevitable April showers along
with the sunny days. It’s a busy
and exciting month.
Don’t forget though that there
might still be some frosts, so don’t
be tempted to put out tender bedding until much later in the month,
and even then, be prepared to cover
it if necessary.
GeneRAl TASkS
ea hea a o ils an give
them a liq uid feed or a sprinkling
of bonemeal and then let them die
down. K eep deadheading spring
bedding to keep it looking neat,
an to enco rage ne o ers.
ontin e ith o r spring cleaning. Hoe borders and get rid of
weeds before they take hold.
he soil is starting to ar p
and things are starting to grow, so
add some general purpose fertiliser
before covering with mulch, especially in the borders, the fruit and
veg patch and containers.
lch a a hile o can
still see what you are doing. Use
your own garden compost or leaf
mould, well-rotted manure, the
contents of out-of-date grow bags
or ready-made soil conditioner.
e ove oss an ee s ro
paths and drives.
oses are gree an ill reall
benefit ro ee ing as the co e
into growth.
r ne ors thia as soon as the
have finishe o ering c tting
back to strong, young shoots.
ake ne be s an bor ers
ark the shape ith san trickle
from a bottle, remove the top layer
of growing vegetation and dig
the ground over, incorporating as
much organic matter as possible. If
you are making a bed in the lawn,
remove the turf - if you only dig it
in, the buried grass will regrow.
lean an repair o r gar en
tools. Try storing them in a bucket
of sand. It keeps them clean, dry
and free from rust and corrosion.
o ortnightl
ore i the
grass is growing really fast. Only
ever reduce the length by a third to
avoid scalping the lawn. Gradually
lower the cutting height from 1.5 in
( 4 cm) to half an inch ( 1cm) .
reat she s trellis an ences
with wood preservative. Do this
when the weather is warm and dry.
heck gar en rnit re or rot.
GROwinG FRUiT AnD VeG
There is nothing more satisfying
than growing your own. If you
don’t have a lot of room, then use
large bins for spuds ( remember to
put holes in the bottom) , and use
hanging baskets for alpine strawberries or dwarf beans.
S ow S pring Onion seeds in
drills outside for a q uick crop. Y ou
can also plant onions, shallots and
garlic cloves for crops this sumer. ontin e to plant aspberr
and Blackberry canes.
BODY MinD AnD SOUl
In a garden, you should feel free
to relax. Take a breather from your
hectic and busy schedule. Even go-
PLANT OF THE MONTH
Vinca minor ‘Autopurpurea’
(lesser perriwinkle)
This is a low-growing
woodland perennial and is more
decorative than
the common blue
form. It is robust
an long o ering.
It helps to add colour
in a shady corner. To prevent
it from becoming invasive, cut
back unwanted shoots in spring.
Position: Full sun or partial
shade
Soil: All types
Rate of growth:
Average to fastgrowing Flowering
period: April to
S eptember
Flower colour:
Dark plum-purple
Hardiness: Full hardy
Height: 0.5m ( 20 inches)
S pread: 0.2m ( 8 inches)
ing for a short stroll in the garden
can have a calming effect.
Y es, a garden req uires work,
but that doesn’t mean becoming
enslaved to it. Don’t work so much
in the garden that you don’t give
yourself time to enjoy it.
We should never feel guilty
about taking some time out for
ourselves. We all need to strike the
right balance between work and
rest. Those moments are more precious now than ever because they
are happening less and less.
Take a well deserved break!
enJOY YOUR GARDen!
Garden events in April
18-19th April: 1.30-5.30pm
S pring Fair 2015, B arnett DeDe
mesne Belfast: Floral Art
Demonstrations, S pring Flower
sho
hil ren s ctivities.
ontact
.bel astcit .gov. k
parksandopenspaces
Tel: 02890320202
18th April: all robert ottage
all clare o. ntri
ha
lants an ha
laces
on
choosing plants to grow in a shady
gar en. ontact
.ball robertrobert
cottage.com Tel: 02893322952
6
Mid Ulster FOCUS
Mid Ulster FOCUS
7
Love in every brushstroke
A
S a former ML A for
Fermanagh and S outh Tyrone
ring the ti e o the first
asse bl oan arson has
ha al a s ha a e irons in
the fire an she oesn t appear to be slo ing
o n an ti e soon. t this ti e it s all or
an a a ing ca se an ver close to her heart.
n
oan lost her a ghter anet n an
to breast cancer an has since been tirelessl
tilising her artistic talents to raise one or
ancer oc s.
ter retiring ro her post as rinciple
in a na ore ri ar chool prior to
p rs ing a career in politics oan o n
ore ti e to p rs e her long ti e passion o
painting. aving been t tore in painting b
her or er rt eacher athleen ri le she
beca e a ver skille painter an has hel
e hibitions all over the orth.
he procee s o all paintings sol at these
e hibitions no go into a orget e ot
n set p in e or o oan s late
a ghter anet.
orget e ot n is a ni e an
(L-R) Margaret Quinn from Ranfurly House Arts Centre, The artist Joan Carson and Emma McCann from Cancer Focus
ancer oc s to provi e their vital services to
special approach to raising one in hono r
ore people an also helps to a vance cancer
o a love one lost thro gh cancer. t s also a
research.
a in hich to create a areness o cancer
b hol ing p blic n raising events an
or ore in or ation on ho to get
ca paigns ith o r a il rien s an
involve in pco ing events or even to create
colleag es.
a orget e ot n in e or o a love
he one raise thro gh the n enables one visit www.cancerfocusni.org
8
Mid Ulster FOCUS
Shake, Rattle and Roll
“All Shook Up,”a musical featuring the hits of Elvis Presley was produced by
Coalisland Fianna GFC as a fund raiser for the club
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Mid Ulster FOCUS
IT MAKES YOU THINK...
S
9
Martin J McGuinness
On the conduct of each
depends the fate of all
OMETIMES titles
can be misleading. Many right
honourable MP s,
for example, often
behave dishonourably, which
certainly makes the evening news
more interesting.
Then there are care assistants
who sometimes fail to live up to
their name, and make life worse
instead of better for the most
vulnerable members of society.
There was a tragic story in the
news recently. A woman hired
a carer to look after her mother
who was bed-ridden and had
dementia. The woman could
not understand why her mother
kept losing weight, especially
as reports from the carer were
favourable. A concealed camera
was placed in the mother’s room,
so that the carer could be seen
going about her duties. S oon it
was revealed that she was eating
all the food herself and starving
the patient.
I worked in a small hospital in
Dublin one summer. It was really
more of an old people’s home
that also offered respite care. I
was a ward assistant. My duties
involved making tea and bringing it round the wards, serving
dinners in the dining room, and
washing up, plenty of washing
up.
I used to take my tea break
with the care assistants. One day
I mentioned the fact that there
were a few real characters on
the wards. ‘ Oh, I prefer it when
they’re asleep,’ said one young
woman. ‘ Then you don’t have to
talk to them.’ I was shocked by
her attitude. How could she think
of all the elderly as “them”?
They were all individuals with
their own names and personal
histories, just like us.
MPs Jack Straw and Malcolm Rifkind have denied wrongdoing after being caught up in a Channel 4 ‘Dispatches’ investigation
One old woman sang more
or less every waking moment,
usually hits from the 50s . One
day she was singing ‘ L ittle Ol’
Wine Drinker Me’ and because
my own elderly mother is such a
Dino fan, I stopped to talk to her.
‘ That’s a Dean Martin song,’ I
said, ‘ you know, Dean Martin? ’
But I could detect no hint of
recognition.
‘ Don’t you know Dean
Martin? ’ I asked.
All of a sudden she became
lucid, looked at me like I was an
idiot, and said: ‘ And how would
I know Dean Martin and him a
eckin fil star.
When I was doing the teas for
the first ti e notice that abo t
half way through the second
ward the tea was starting to get
strong and cold, and there was
still another ward to do. N ow I
don’t like strong tea, so I thought
I would high tail it back to the
kitchen and make a fresh pot.
That’s exactly what I did, even
though the nurse that was with
me was calling me back, saying
that it would do. From that time
on, I made two pots of tea at
break time, which I considered a
small victory.
But there were also defeats.
One time I saw an old lady in a
wheelchair being manoeuvred
o t o a confine space. he care
assistant wasn’t paying attention.
As she tipped the wheelchair
back, she trapped the patient’s
foot against some furniture.
There was a cry of pain. But the
carer, instead of apologising and
admitting her own fault, turned
on the patient and said: ‘ What are
you shouting about? ’ It was an
awful thing to witness, and I still
regret not saying anything.
S ome of the patients, who
were mostly women, had pictures
of themselves in younger, happier
days close to their bed, as if to
say, ‘ I wasn’t always as I am
now.’ It reminded me of a story...
A young R ussian couple were
in P aris travelling on the Metro.
They were very much in love and
could hardly leave each other
alone, as they laughed and gazed
into each other’s eyes. At one
station a dishevelled woman in
late middle age got on. The years
had not been kind to her and the
couple made some comment
along the lines of, ‘ My God, if
you looked like that, would you
even bother coming out of the
house? ’
As the unfortunate woman got
up to exit the train, she leaned
over to the couple and whispered
in perfect R ussian, ‘ Y ou know, I
wasn’t always ugly.’
We live in crazy, crazy times.
We value the nonsensical and
trivial – X Factor, Bake Off,
S ewing Bee – a nd trivialise that
which should be valued.
It is wrong to separate any
group of people from the rest of
us – be it the elderly, the
unemployed, or those of a different race or faith.
As the poet said, no man – or
woman – i s an island. We are all
in this together, and we make life
either better or worse for each
other by the way we conduct our
lives each day.
10
Mid Ulster FOCUS
SPOTLIGHT ON
STEFAN
QUINN
D
ungannon man S tefan
Q uinn is an artist with
a passion for all things
expressive. From drawing
portraits to street art there
are very few art mediums that intimidate
him. S tefan is currently a part of the
P urple Dot Consultancy Team at The
Enterprise Centre, Dungannon, where he is
igital i eo ficer. e pro ces vi eos
for clients, a few of which are local engineering farms, businesses, charities and
increasingly international clients. S tefan is
also involved in a community organisation
known as 5t h Element which aims to coach
the youth towards harnessing that spark that
lies in all of us.
I would descried it as warm hearted, culturally
and historically rich, but most of all full of
potential.
if y ou could b e invisib le for one day
what would y ou do?
what are y ou watching on
television now?
o l fin o t once an or all hether or
not a falling tree makes a sound in a deserted
forest.
what’s y our least appealing hab it?
It would have to be my erratic cycling like
tearing down S cotch S treet, Dungannon
helmet-less.
what is y our greatest trait?
I genuinely care about the people I meet, even
the prickly characters.
if y ou could ask God one q uestion,
what would it b e?
on
knees ga ing to heavens
Did y ou have a role model as a
y outh?
ha an t o o hich ere i i en ri
and V an Gogh. As a kid I thought if you could
break the mould then you were special and in
Jimi’s case he has shown the world just how
fragile the mould really is.
How would y ou describ e Mid
Ulster to someone?
and social media. It’s not looking good when
you do something that matters kids, it’s doing
something good even when no one’s watching.
Has there been a defining
moment in y our life?
As a child at school when it rained outside we
called it a wet break. It was thanks to these wet
breaks where there was nothing fun to do but
draw that I developed my eye for detail, that
eye has steered me through life.
N othing, television is so yesterday.
What is the first record/tape/CD
y ou ever b ought?
The N irvana – Bleach Album, I was disappointed at the time but after listening to it
1,834 times it grew on me.
Who’s you favourite band/singer?
Without a doubt – Z ero 7. L ounge out on a
bright summer’s day with a beloved few with
ero filling the air aves an chances are
you might smile, a lot.
What’s your favourite film?
It would have to be Inception as I love
anything dream related.
what is y our happiest childhood
memory ?
what is the most emb arrassing
thing y ou have done?
I performed a set at a local music event and to
put it subtly, I am a guitar player and I am not
a singer. This was made immediately apparent
q uite literally when I opened my mouth.
what is y our most treasured
possession?
My Family and my Jack R ussell
Do y ou have a catchphrase?
o or it la
or lassie
what’s y our tipple?
I’m a sucker for red wine, Guinness and a
good strong coffee. N ot all at once mind you.
Who would play you in a film of
y our life?
hea it s gh ack an or ason tatha
in reality it could be more like S creech from
S aved by the Bell.
what song would y ou like play ed at
y our funeral?
The countless summer days running around
being free with a clear mind and no
“responsibilities” Ah the good life…
N one, people always cry when the ballad is let
rip. I would much prefer an ecstatic celebration of a person’s life story than a morbid
gathering to watch the body of our loved ones
sinking in to a dark hole in the ground.
what makes y ou angry ?
who do y ou most admire?
That fact that our kids’ special gifts are being
made redundant due to advances in technology
Without a crackle in my voice and by a long
chalk
Mid Ulster FOCUS
11
CREATIVE WRITING
Leaving - by Joe T. Fearns
A
nother night.
Another nightmare.
They were
always on the
same theme-abandonment.
L ast night he was waiting with
his wife at the station. Just as the
train arrived he ran off leaving her
there with all the luggage.
Another time there was something about mountain climbing
with his wife and their three chilren. e as lea cli ber. is
family were roped in a line behind
him when suddenly he fastened
his rope to a belay and climbed
away from them, freestyle, ignoring their shouts. The other variety
was leaving his family at a motorway service area while he made
his own way to a new life.
N ow, here he was, alone, with
another wife, another family. And
yes he’d got what he thought he
he’d wanted and even deserved
and truth be told he felt in many
ways he was better off now than
he’d been before but the cost had
been heavy. It had taken an awful
toll on his health and at times the
pain from the scars were hard to
endure.
A few years before he’d left
he’d felt he was in the throes of
some emotional turmoil and given
he was in his forties wondered
if this was what people referred
to as a i li e crisis. e as
concerned enough that when he
next met, at a wedding, a friend,
a Christian minister, he asked
him if he thought there was really
such a thing. The minister said he
believed there was but he didn’t
elaborate and moved on to talk
with the other guests.
N ow, if someone asked him
the same q uestion he’d tell them
alright. es there is s ch a thing.
It’s a disaster area littered with
unexploded mines and barbed
ire. eep a a . e o n
himself in the middle of it and
even when he tried the path to go
back he realised he’d gone too
ar. e re e bere sinking to
his knees, asking for forgiveness,
then imagined himself leopard
crawling to relative safety.
Then there was the picture that
had come in to his mind at a time
ring the crisis. e as getting
a lift to work from a colleague
when he visualised a room with
damp wallpaper peeling from
soaking et alls. e realise
that was a picture of the deep sadness he was feeling inside.
And again, looking back, he
remembered suffering from an
enervating sense of boredom
and monotony. Boredom, like
death-watch beetles, creeping into
the fabric of his being, chewing
their way through his vitals, those
being his twenty years of marriage resulting in three children,
a large detached house in the
country, a professional career and
the respect accorded a sincere
church-goer.
S igns of the infestation in his
soul were not taken too seriously
or simply ignored so that by the
time the tempest blew up his
whole system was overwhelmed
and he had begun to seek refuge in
a secret shelter in which he found
relief.
By the time the shelter was accidentally discovered he had little
desire to immerse himself once
again in his former existence that
seemed to be dogged by tedium
and uneventful repetition.
It was as well he had found
shelter. It saved him from volley
after volley of emotional shells
fire b a il an rien s tho gh
it didn’t prevent him from the unremitting feelings of guilt which
threatened to take his life. A spell
in hospital acted as respite. Counselling temporarily eased the pain.
e as neither s re his e perience had made him stronger or
happier. What he was certain of
was that he had made a decision
to take a route that not only altered his life forever but the lives
o his a il also. e ha no ill sions that his nightmares had any
intention of leaving him soon.
12
Mid Ulster FOCUS
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Mid Ulster FOCUS
ROnAn MC MAnUS
elephant in the Room
Ronan McManus (Pub)
R onan McManus ( whose Grandfather hails
from S tewartstown) is probably better
known for his membership of the L ondonIrish band ‘ The Biblecode S undays’.
‘ Elephant in the R oom’ is his second solo
offering. From it’s Beatle-esque 45 s econd
opening track which morphs into the wonderful ‘ Own Two Feet’ a real toe-tapping
feel-good rocker, this album exudes
class both in terms of song
writing and musicality. ‘ Dead
Man’s S uit’ with it’s cool 60s
vibe is a track that L ennon &
McCartney would not have
been ashamed of penning and is
qui ckly followed by another 60s
styled rocker ‘ Cat On A Hot Tin R oof’.
These latter two tracks wouldn’t sound out
of place on a S trypes album.
onan then intro ces the first balla
on the album ‘ The Heart’, a lovely love
song which even contains a biology lesson.
‘ N othing Matters When Y ou’re’re Y oung’
fairly romps along while ‘ S tone in Y our
S hoe’, which name checks some of R onan’s
sical in ences escribes ho no atter
what direction life may take, for a musician,
sic ill al a s have first call.
‘ This S tubborn Man’ and ‘ The Tinker’ are
also rockers, with R onan sounding uncannily like Elvis Costello in the latter, not a
surprise given they are half-brothers, ( Elvis
aka Declan McManus being the older) .
‘ It’s All Over’ is another song on which the
vocals echo big brother lvis. he final song
pi er an
anger o se is a re ective
Gig watch
Rock/ Pop
Illegals with Niamh Kavanagh Marketplace Theatre, Armagh - April 11th 8.00pm
Talon - Burnavon Arts Centre, Cookstown
- April 19th - 8.00pm
By Eamonn
O’ Flannagain
ReView
look back at R onan’s and his younger brothers childhoods. All together ‘ An Elephant
in the R oom’ is a wonderful uplifting light
rock album which should have wide appeal.
Highly recommended.
Rating 4 . 5 / 5
nOel GAllAGHeR’S
HiGH
FlYinG BiRDS
C hasing Yesterday
Sour Mash
Gallagher is forging qui te a reputation
as a solo artist.
Freed from the restraints and possibly
toxic nature of his musical relationship with
brother L iam, N oel clearly appears to
be enjoying himself on this album
which he also produced, resulting
in an album which has a natural
o to it in ter s o song placement, although not so sure about
‘ the Mexican’ in this context.
Chasing Y esterday is solid enough
as a pop-rock album. On a positive note it
is laden with great guitar solos, a touch of
psychedelia here and there, and even a jazz
inspired sax solo suggesting a development
of musical direction for Gallagher.
Y et, any long-term fans of Gallagher will
fin eno gh o an aisis es e vibe here to
satisfy. Highlights ‘ In The Heat of the Moment’, ‘ L ock All The Doors’, a track with a
Folk/ Trad
Realta - Marketplace Theatre, Armagh April 24th - 8.00pm
C ountry
Nathan Carter - Milennium Forum, Derry
- April 23rd - 8.00pm
13
nod to David Essex’s ‘ R ock On’, The R ight
S tuff and ‘ Ballad of the Mighty I’ which features Johnny Marr guesting on guitar.
Overall, qui te a good effort. Maybe
Gallagher’s next album will move even
further away from the relative safety of the
Oasis sound and demonstrate that his music
can stand on its own two feet.
Rating 3 . 5 / 5
kODAline
C oming Up For Air
RCA
‘ Coming Up for Air,’ K odaline’s relatively fast
follow-up to their debut album ‘ In a P erfect
World’ ( 2013) , successfully follows its predecessor’s focus on formulaic anthemic pop. Y et,
if anything, the sound and feel on Coming up
for Air is even bigger, testament to L A-based
pro cer ackni e ee s in ence on the alb .
The opening track ‘ Honest’, is as radio
friendly as a song gets, sets the scene and is
followed by a series of well crafted and
produced singalong anthems.
Autopilot, R eady and Better
are some of the other highlights
on the album.
In ‘ Unclear’ vocalist S teve
Garrigan sounds like Bono at
times, making a change from the obvious comparisons one could make between
him and Coldplay’s Chris Martin on many
of the other tracks.
Overall ‘ Coming Up for Air’ is not a
huge leap forward from the band’s debut but
there’s every chance it will perform even
better. Much will depend on the transfer
from album to stage once the touring begins.
Rating 3 . 5 / 5
Local bands and/or venues in the
Mid Ulster area - if you want your
album featured in a review or you
have a gig/s you want highlighted,
contact Éamonn via on these pages
please contact:
midulsterfocus@gmail.com
Mid Ulster FOCUS
14
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A
pril is Autism Awareness
onth an recent fig res or
N I show a 6 7% increase in the
n ber o school age chil ren
iagnose as having tis
S pectrum Disorder ( AS D) .
iscovering o r chil has been iagnose
ith sle ia or
can present an
orries partic larl hen i fic lties at school
beco e evi ent.
or pro essional a vice e t rne to
ngannon pto etrist oel c r stal i
lster s lea ing specialist in vis al treat ents
or sle ia spra ia an
incl ing
sperger s an
.
what are the common visual sy mptoms
and prob lems?
esearch sho s that
o all learning is
vis al or chil ren ntil the are abo t
ears
old.
is al stress associate ith sle ia an
o ten lea s to n er per or ance at
school. o r chil a sho slo ness or i fic lt in rea ing print. he a re entl
ove the selves closer or rther a a ro
the page beco e restless ickl se their
finger as a arker skip or s or lines r b their
e es an or blink e cessivel .
or ove ent or istortion is o ten a
proble . or s can s irl reverse bleach o t
or shi er on the page ca sing e estrain
hea aches igraine an atig e.
his e acerbates rea ing riting an
co prehension i fic lties. n so e cases there
are muscular anomalies and it is important to
a ress an
scle proble s or strains both
insi e an o tsi e o the e e. olo r eficienc
st also be anage .
what treatments are availab le?
he se o colo re tints in lenses or contact
lenses can be ver e ective ith or itho t
prescription. ne o the latest an ost pro ising sol tions is a ni e pri ar colo r base
s ste calle rthoscopics. his a itive
techni e can reach ch eeper into colo r
space than as previo sl possible.
t is partic larl se l ith acial recognition
an can help those ith
an sperger s.
rthoscopics also o ers significant help or
spra ia
igraine s erers an
certain t pes o sle ia here vis al processing is the iss e.
he choolvision progra e a resses
sc lar ano alies an e e o inance along-
si e colo r an can o er s bstantial i proveents in
o patients partic larl in the
enc an spee o their rea ing overall confi ence an attit e to learning. ach person
ill have an in ivi al range o s pto s.
specialist optician ill take the ti e to a ress
each o ering bespoke a vice on the latest treatent an anage ent options.
oel c r stal is one o the e practitioners in the
an relan to o er the acclai e
choolvision rogra e an the rthoscopics
colo r correction s ste . oel is shortliste
or the pto etrist o the ear ar in the
national
ptician ar s
.
. ccr stalopticians.co
Pictured ab ove: local mum, Danielle
Turton and her daughter Gray ce. watch
Gray ce’s Schoolvision success story , visit
YouTub e - McC ry stal Opticians
Scotch Street Centre Dungannon,
Co. Tyrone, BT70 1AR
t. 028 8772 2379
e. icare@mccrystalopticians.com
www.mccrystalopticians.com
Mid Ulster's ONLY Specialist
in Visual Dyslexia & ASD
Specialist Services:
»
»
»
»
Schoolvision
ChromaGen
Intuitive Colorimeter
Orthoscopics
%HQHŗWV
»
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Solutions
Better School Performance
Improved Reading Speed & Concentration
,QFUHDVHG6HOI(VWHHP&RQƂGHQFH
Reduction of Headaches/Migranes
Change your
Child’s
Future…
Advertising feature
PET CARE
S
Mid Ulster FOCUS
15
With Mary Ellen O’Hagan BVSC MRCVS
Out & about - Meet and Greet
ocialisation is one o the ost
i portant things e can o or o r
og both or ental an ph sical
health. ocialising allo s the og
to e perience the orl an e press nat ral behavio r. t is all abo t allo ing
the to interact ith other ogs h ans an
other ani als getting the acc sto e to all
the eir an on er l things the orl has
to o er.
MeeTinG OTHeR DOGS
hen o eet other ogs o ant things
to be carried out in a calm, controlled manner.
arl alks hen the og is still o ng ill be
i portant or setting the gro n r les or alking an eeting behavio r.
proactive approach is best so o can
g i e o r og thro gh to proper responses an
behavio rs in a controlle setting.
DOS AnD DOn’TS
erbal an ph sical bo lang age are i portant hen eeting ne ogs. e have to
keep in in ogs are in t ne to the slightest o
changes in behavio r an bo lang age. hen
o t an abo t tr not to allo o r bo to
tense p an o not s enl tighten o r grip
on o r ogs lea
s o ill be in irectl
sen ing a essage to o r og that there a
be a sit ation occ rring an he she ill respon .
o are nervo s or ear l o a strange og or
o o r o n ogs reaction then this trans ers to
the og an the a react in a ear l or even
aggressive anner.
o are ns re o another og s bo
lang age or too a are o o r o n ogs reaction in a cal an nresponsive anner change
o r irection to increase istance pre erabl
still passing the other og. se istraction
techni es s ch as co an s treats a ball or
s eak to s hilst passing.
o r og reacts
ba l ignore the behavio r an ove on i the
og is cal rela e an nresponsive an the
passing as a s ccess praise an re ar
SeTTinG UP THe MeeT AnD GReAT
he best a to train o r og to respon
appropriatel is to set p controlle eetings.
his ill allo o r to control the sit ation
have kno le ge o the other og s behavio r
hich there ore rela es both o an the og.
GReeTinG AnOTHeR DOG
o both ogs sho an interest
so ask the other o ner i the are
ortable ith the interaction.
eep the og on a short b t lose lea .
llo the to sni one another brie .
eep the eeting short an si ple.
o r og reacts ell praise an re ar .
n signs o ear or aggression o not re act
st cal l en the greeting.
co
ReADinG BODY lAnGUAGe
al rela e an ne tral not ch change
in bo
hen eeting ne og a sit la
o n or looking aro n .
n io s an nervo s ost re is al little
ore tense an rigi ears slightl back an
tail lo ere b t a still be agging their tail
slightl
rightene ense post re slightl stoope
hackles p hair along the spine ears back
tails t cke n er bell
a have e cess saliva
tre bling snarls or gro ls.
o inant a stan tall an tr to stan
over their other og o nt the other og pa
o or the other og. his oes not ean the
og is aggressive.
b issive og s all la s o n sho ing the n erbell . his oes not ean the
og is rightene . o e ogs ill per or this
behavio r in or er to ease a nervo s or sh og.
cite or pla l ails is p an agging
panting pla bo ing
ping p an o n
b ping into the og ith hea or back en
tr ing to initiate pla
a be ver vocal possibl ith a high pitch bark or s eal.
ggressive ense post re bearing teeth
rigi stance ears p lle back gro ling or
snarling an tail sti an straight.
Mary ellen OHagan, Bsc (Hons) Degree in
Animal Behaviour
For Dog Sake! Boarding kennels and
Grooming Parlour, 4 1 Annaghb eg Road,
Just off Tamnamore Roundab out.
18
Mid Ulster FOCUS
COVER STORY
The
singer and
the song
U
Wendy Jack in full voice,
and below, laying down some tracks in the studio
Mid Ulster Focus' Eimear Quinn chats to
Dungannon born singer-songwriter Wendy Jack
pon meeting Dungannon born
singer-songwriter Wendy
Jack, you are gripped by her
strong character and intense
knowledge of the world around
her. Once you’ve engaged in conversation you
begin to get a sense of the insightful and creative
world of this talented lady.
Wendy is knowledgeable in many different
ways; she obtained a degree in business at N apier University in Edinburgh and has travelled
extensively since graduating in 1997. During her
st ies her interest in sic began to o rish
as she began to learn the g itar this in ence
her to use her pastime of writing poetry and
embarked on a path of song writing.
While studying her business degree, she
decided upon pursuing a more ethical stance
in business as opposed to the corporate side of
things. Following her studies she ventured further afiel on a backpacking trip across rope
where she acq uired q uite a taste for travelling.
Wendy’s travelling exploits matched with her
interests in ethical business enabled her to join
the non-governmental organisation ‘ Development Aid P eople to P eople’ ( DAP P ) in 1998.
After getting on board with the N GO development programme, she began training in
N orway, just N orth of Oslo, where she enjoyed
the company of like-minded people striving
to make a change in the world. Following the
completion of her training she got on board for a
6 -month stay in S outh Africa with the organisation, where she worked on setting up development projects in Johannesburg.
The next chapter in Wendy’s life was to see
a return to N orthern Ireland. Upon her return
to familiar lands, she had come to realise that
although she’d travelled beyond the realms of
home, she had seen very little of this little green
stamp on the map.
The timing of her arrival home was met
with a new job
opportunity to aid
in the research
and development of a tourism
company, which
became known
as ‘ S hamrocker’.
S pecialising in
n fille a vent re
tours of Ireland,
‘ S hamrocker’ enabled Wendy to see
much more of her
beloved homeland.
Although no longer
working with them,
she continues to
organise activity
based tours for backpackers all over Ireland –
and enjoys every minute.
Commenting on her introduction into the
world of song writing, Wendy shared, “I’ve
dabbled in writing all my life. Even as a child I
would have dabbled in writing poetry, not necessarily songs at that point. It wasn’t until I started
to learn guitar that I began to develop my own
poetry into song writing and it wasn’t until a few
years ago that I thought about promoting myself
as a songwriter.
“I think I just had to make that step to take it
seriously. I suppose you need to have a certain
a o nt o confi ence in o rsel as a songwriter and I didn’t have that. P utting something
out into the world you have to back that up with
something else. Y ou’ve always got these little
voices telling you, whether its other people or
yourself, telling you that you shouldn’t be doing
Mid Ulster FOCUS
19
COVER STORY
this and you should get a proper job.”
espite the initial str ggles ith confi ence
Wendy found empowerment to release her
first sel title
in
. t incl e the her
wonderful pieces of work, ‘ Derrylahan Dream’,
‘ S oldiers Heart’, ‘ S unsets’ and ‘ V alentine’.
Currently, she is working on producing more
material that she plans to take on the road with
her in the near future.
When listening to Wendy’s music, you get the
sense that she is a highly aware character and a
creative soul at heart. S he knows herself and has
absorbed the world around her over the years.
Her life experience gives her a uniq ue platform
to comment on the many aspects of modern day
life through the medium of her music.
In March, Wendy’s song “For All Who Come
After Me” made the short-list for Tradconnect’s
S ongwriters S howcase with Christy Moore. The
song, written in December of last year, deals
with the topic of modern day emigration and
has been listened to by Christy Moore himself
as he assists Tradconnect in the choosing of a
‘ winner’.
Describing the inspiration for the song on her
website, Wendy explains, “I do love Ireland and
appreciate that there are so many good things
about living here. I would therefore like to think
that we can ‘ emigrate our brains’ instead of
physically leaving. We can educate ourselves
and think outside of what the government, the
church or the corporate media are trying to
brainwash and exploit us with. “We can look for
inspiration in other parts of the world and learn
from migrants who are now living and working
with us here. Together we can create an Ireland
- which we are all proud to call home. S o my
song ‘ For all who come after me’ is a protest
song. It is a song of hope, and a song of determination to achieve change.”
At the recent launch of the Mid Ulster Focus
magazine in February, Wendy performed her
ne est creation title
egrees . his song
came about when she welcomed her many
Facebook followers to contribute lyrics - which
she would then construct into a tune.
S peaking of the idea for the project, Wendy
remarked, “I just thought it would be a good
idea. I just wanted people on my FB page to be
involved in the process as well. The audience
is a very important part of making music so I
thought it would be more fun for them to be
involved in the writing process as well.”
If you missed out on a chance to see Wendy
perform at the Belfast N ashville S ongwriter
Festival in March or in Dungannon for the S t.
P atrick’s Day celebrations, all is not lost. Y ou
can catch p ith en on at r a n
May for International P ermaculture Day in
P ortaferry. Y ou can also keep up-to-date with
all things Wendy Jack via her website www.
en ack sic.co or fin her on acebook
by searching Wendy Jack Music
20
Mid Ulster FOCUS
Luke and
Brian have
a day to
remember
L
ittle boys dream of
being superheroes,
and 4 little boys got
the opportunity to
meet theirs.
The Fire Crew in Dungannon
Fire S tation played host to L uke
and Coen O’Hanlon, Brian Og
McS travog and James McCaughey.
The excitement was obvious
as the bo s investigate the fire
truck, sprayed the hose and tried
on o tfits. hrieks o la ghter
were all consuming and it was
hard to imagine the challenges
ahead for 2 of these little boys.
L uke O’Hanlon and Brian Og
McS travog, whose mothers are
cousins, have both been diagnosed
with a devastating genetic muscle
wasting condition, Duchenne
Muscular Dystrophy. The boys
are missing two pieces of one of
their genes which means that they
can’t produce an essential protein
called Dystrophin which is vital
in repairing muscles
after wear
and tear. Their lack of Dystrophin
means their muscles get weaker
every day and by the time they
are five the bo s ill have lost
around 30% of their muscles, and
face being in wheelchairs before
they leave primary school. L osing
strength in their upper bodies
means they will not be able to
feed themselves, swallow, hold a
pencil, or move in bed. S ince the
heart and lungs are also muscles
they are also at a high risk of
respiratory and heart failure.
L uke’s mum said: ‘ L uke and
Brian Og are boys’ boys, they
love tr cks tractors cars an fire
engines. When you have a child
who is life limited you try to
sq ueeze as many experiences into
their child hood as possible.
ke sa a fire engine one
day and shouted that he wanted
to drive it and so I contacted Tim
R ichmond from the Cookstown
and Dungannon Fire and R escue
S ervice. He was so accomodating
an the fire en in ngannon
Fire S tation were very welcom-
ing and really eager to create a fun
and memorable experience. L uke
talks abo t his ri e in the fire
engine every day. I really struggle
to imagine how my baby boy will
one day not be able to do all the
things he loves so much.
The N orthern Ireland life
expectancy for a child with Duchenne is 19 years old and there
are no magic treatments or cures.
There is no magic pill that will
make their condition go away, no
government funding for research,
very little knowledge about the
condition among health and social
care professionals and the care
standards in N I are the worst in
the UK .
S ince diagnosis’ the family
have become active campaigners for the improvement of care
standards in N orthern Ireland and
have raised thousands of pounds
or research to help fin treatments that may slow the progression of the condition and add
precious years to the boys’ lives.
They are hopeful that the current drugs pipeline will produce
something to help slow the
progression of Duchenne within
the next 10 years, but they are
cautious that red tape within the
drug regulatory system and delays
in N HS funding may mean that
these drugs come too late. With
the correct processes in place
and the funding to bring drugs to
market there is every possibility
that these little boys will become
part o the first generation o
children to survive this relentless
and devastating condition.
The Fire Crew from Dungannon Fire Station played host to Luke and Coen O’Hanlon, Brian Og McStravog and
James McCaughey.
Mid Ulster FOCUS
21
NEWS
Enabling access for all
W
illowbank
L td &
Cookstown
District &
Disability
Forum in partnership with Dungannon & S outh Tyrone Borough &
Cookstown District Councils have
launched an online resource for
Disabled people & their carers in
the Mid Ulster Area.
The site has been in the planning stages for two years and after
securing funding from Awards for
All and the councils last year the
community organisations came
together to develop the site which
provides a range of access information for businesses in Cookstown
& Dungannon. Ursula Marshall,
Chairperson of Cookstown & District Disability Forum said: “The
site was modelled on the Inclusive
L ondon site which provided access
information for the 2012 P aralympians and this seemed like a great
place for Mid Ulster to start”.
In accessing the site you will be
able to search for a business and
fin o t in a vance hat access
features the registered shops in
Cookstown & Dungannon have,
where you can avail of parking and
where the accessible toilet facilities
are in the towns.
After agreeing the concept
stakeholders developed a comprehensive q uestionnaire covering a
range of accessibility areas, including physical access, visual awareness, deaf awareness and general
customer care q uestions, designed
to assist disabled customers gain
access to shops and services.
The support of the councils, the
Chamber of Trade in Cookstown
and Dungannon Trader Association
meant 200 businesses signed up.
“Access isn’t just about lifts and
ra ps. his ork it has efinitel
raised awareness amongst traders
on the range of ways they can make
their businesses accessible to disabled customers and their carers.
“Disabled people are people
with P hysical Disabilities, L earning
i fic lties is al pair ents
Hearing Impairments and hidden
disabilities and most businesses
are already catering to the needs of
disabled customers, but there are
always opportunities to improve
access and we hope this site will
help to widen access and increase
awareness” said Catherine McCrory, Willowbank L td.
The site at www.accessmidulster.
com is a developing resource any
business who wants to promote
their accessibility should sign up to
the site.
Disabled people make up 20%
of the population of N I and that’s a
considerable number of customers
and spending power.
Ann McGlone, Willowbank L td
congratulated both councils on the
support which helped to bring out
organisations together to bring this
project to fruition.
Top: Left Roger Burton (The Mayor of Dungannon and
South Tyrone Borough Council) Councillor Sean McGuigan,
Catherine McCrory (Willowbank) Ursula Marshall
(Chairperson of Cookstown & District Disability Forum) Ann
McGlone (Willowbank)
Middle: i Ursula Marshall (Chairperson of
Cookstown & District Disability Forum) Ann McGlone
(Willowbank)
Bottom: Left Phonsie Eastwood (Cookstown & District
Disability Forum) Wilbert Buchanan (Chairman Cookstown
Council) Ursula Marshall (Chairperson of Cookstown &
District Disability Forum) Cathal Mallaghan (Chairman Mid
Ulster Council) Councillor Christine McFlynn
22
Mid Ulster FOCUS
Advertising Feature
Spring – full of growth
and new beginnings
Local family well-being expert, Elaine Curry offers a few words of inspiration
for getting over those wintertime blues and starting everything afresh in spring
S
P R IN G has sprung
- or has it? I am not
qui te sure, looking
out at the weather as
I write. S pring and
Easter is a time of
new beginnings; the ground
is starting to warm up
hope spring o ers are beginning to
appear and we see
la bs in the fiel s.
Easter was set in
conjunction with the
spring equi nox, a time
of new life and new beginnings in the Christian and
old P agan calendars alike.
Most of us make a list of N ew
ear resol tions on the first o
January. Q uit smoking, lose
eight get fit st
har er
get organised… the list can be
endless. K eeping these resolutions is hard, especially when it
is cold and wet outside. N ow that
we have returned to springtime
once again, let’s think about new
beginnings and a new life. We
can make changes at any time
of the year, but spring is a great
time to start.
N ow is the time to celebrate
the new and make positive
changes to your life. Wrap up
warmly and take a walk outside
with your family. It’s beautiful
outside. L ook around and watch
nature as it changes and grows.
Take a few big, deep breaths in
thro gh o r nose an fill o r
body with fresh oxygen. Encourage your children to do the same.
S tart to teach them about the new
o ers b s on the trees
newborn lambs in the
fiel s. o on t
have to be an expert, simply explain
to them what you
observe, ask them
to tell you what
they see. Maybe pick
so e spring o ers to
brighten up a room in your
house as a reminder of your walk
and the time spent together.
Encourage your children to
get back to playing outside.
We all need a little time in the
nat ral light ever a . cientific
research has shown that natural
sunlight can boost V itamin D
pro ction benefit sleep patterns
and can help people become happier, calmer and more productive.
o ho o e fin the ti e to
get outside every day? Why not
go for a walk at lunch time, walk
to pick your children up from
school, walk to the shops. There
are many very simple ways in
which one little change to your
daily routine will allow you some
time in the natural daylight.
Think about your own new
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back into old habits that you are
beginnings. Is there one thing
trying to change. Take a
that you would like to
deep breath and say
change about yourself
ips for
“That’s ok, I can
or for your family?
tarting fresh
start again.”
Write it down.
Each day is a
N ow write
1. S et yourself an
new begindown what
achievable goal
ning. L ove
you have to
2 . Give yourself
yourself for
do to achieve
a time limit
trying and
it. N ext, set
3 . P romise yourself a reward
appreciate
yourself a
how well you
time limit and
4 . Don’t get cross if you slip
are doing.
a reward that
into old habits
you will give
R emember, you
5 . S tart afresh
yourself when
are doing great
everyday
you reach your
and aim a little
goal. Make your goal
higher, bit by bit.
and time frame a realistic
E laine Curry, mum of
one; don’t expect to change evetwo f rom Maghera, is owner
rything in a week. Each week, or
of Calm Confident Kids, yoga
daily, write down what you did to & pilates-inspired family
get closer to your goal.
fitness. Subscribe to the
We all break our resolutions,
monthly newsletter www.
we all have times when we slip
calmconfidentkids.co.uk
- we are all human. Don’t get
newsletter by visiting
cross with yourself if you slip
www calmconfident ids co u
ose of the
enefits
onth
ree ose
rings stabilit an balance to
pens the hip oints
proves concentration
trengthens the legs
tretches the spine
in
bo
Caution: Place your foot above or below the knee, not on the
knee. For high blood pressure, keep arms at chest level.
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Mid Ulster FOCUS
FOOD
Cook with Claire
Easter Cup Cakes
These cute cakes make a delicious Easter treat
12 cupcakes
C
C
D C
15 m inutes
15 -20 minutes
15 m inutes
10-15 m inutes
D
H C
115g ( 4oz ) softened butter or margarine
115g ( 4oz ) caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
g o sel raising o r
25g ( 1oz) cocoa powder ( optional)
D
H
85g ( 3oz) softened butter
175g ( 5oz ) icing sugar
25g ( 1oz) cocoa powder
1 tablespoon milk
3 drops vanilla extract
2 packets mini eggs
H D
P reheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4.
P lace the butter in a mixing bowl with the
s gar. eat ntil light an
. hen gra all
beat in the eggs, a little at a time.
i t the o r an cocoa po er i sing into
the mixture. Fold them in with a large spoon
until combined. Use a teaspoon to dollop the
mixture into silicon cases, or paper cases, lining
a patty tin.
ake in the preheate oven ntil ell risen an
fir to to ch
to
in tes. eep checking
them so they don’t burn. Transfer to a wire rack
to cool.
To make the buttercream topping, place the butter in a bowl. S ift in the icing sugar and cocoa,
and then add the milk and vanilla essence.
eat ntil reall light an
.
When the cupcakes have cooled, ice them. It
looks good if the icing is piped on into a nest
shape, this is optional. P lace chocolate eggs in
the centre of each nest to decorate.
23
24
Mid Ulster FOCUS
BIG FEATURE
John
Harrington
A Coole
globe-trotter
M
ID Ulster
Focus met up
with John
Harrington in
the Craic Theatre, Coalisland where he works as
a volunteer when he isn’t travelling
the globe.
With his weathered white breaded face and his rucksack nearby,
John looks every inch a wanderer.
In the past 10 years he travelled
to all five continents or the ost
part going off the beaten track, to
parts of the world that many of us
will only ever see on TV or glossy
magazines.
He comes from a family of 11,
nine boys and two girls. His father
was a master carpenter, a trade
John wanted to pursue. However he
eels it o l have been i fic lt to
emulate his father in his career as
he was “a master of his trade.”
John attended Aughamullan
P rimary school under the renowned
school master Frank O’N eill and
then progressed to Dungannon
Tech where he did an apprenticeship in electrics and carpentry.
We are talking to John in the
Craic Theatre, and it was in this
very building, when it was part of
the Coalisland Weaving Factory
co ple that he got his first ob
back in the early 196 0s.
Then, on August 4 , 196 8, with
his friend Jim “Junior” Coney, he
headed to L ondon where he was to
spend close to the next 4 0 years.
Typical of many men who travelled across the Irish S ea to seek
their fortunes, he worked on the
building sites.
For eight years he toiled with
the aites fir
ost notabl on
h ge obs like ston rain tation
and renovations to the Bank of
nglan then in
he lan e
a ob ith slington o ncil ith
whom he was to spend the next 29
years, employed as a paver laying
paving stones.
John always lived life
passionately and to the full. In
L ondon, he became a passionate
Arsenal fan and was a regular at
Highbury for during their glory
ears o the late s an
s.
is first visit to ighb r he re-
e bers ell on g st
when the Gunners beat Manchester
City 4 -1.
He was also at White Hart L ane,
home of Arsenal’s arch rivals
S purs, when R ay K ennedy scored
the winner in the 86 th minute to
ake the nners the
Football L eague Champions.
And a week later he was
cheering from the stands at the
never-to-be-forgotten FA Cup
final at e ble
hen rsenal
beat L iverpool after extra time to
win the double. Charlie George’s
famous celebration after scoring the
terrific inning goal is an in elible
image in John’s memory.
During the near 30 years with
Islington Council John made what
was to be a life-changing trip to
the sun drenched Greek Island
of Crete. He fell in love with the
island and went on to make many
visits over the following years
especially to the little village of P alaiochora on Crete’s southern coast.
When he eventually retired from
his ob ith the co ncil he ret rne
to P alaiochora. His imagination
as fire an enco rage b a
close good friend Herta, a fellow
gobal traveller, John decided he
wanted to see the world.
He read an article in the Guardian about Machu P icchu, the 5 5 0
year old Inca citadel in P eru, and
after doing research at an internet
café in Islington, he booked an adventure holiday to see the famous
site. an oine a gro p o
like
minded folk to travelled with them
over lan thro gh c a or.
t as to be the first o an
o rne s over the ne t
ears.
John explained, “I had a powerful desire to see the world and experience these countries for myself.
I wanted to witness their culture
first han an see ho the live . t
opens your whole way of thinking
your whole outlook on the world.
a
st back ro an a a ing
four week trip to Mongolia which
is an amazing place.”
A global wanderer, John
discovered how Mongolia is very
different from what he envisaged.
The capital Ulan Bator is a highly
developed city with many high-rise
Mid Ulster FOCUS
BIG FEATURE
buildings and a vibrant economy.
However outside the city remains
utterly remote place with very poor
infrastructure.
John discovered that his great
love of football is shared all over
the world and helped him connect
with many indigenous people.
ea e
ongolia is five
times the size of France but with
a population of only three million
people many of who still practice a
nomadic lifestyle. N o matter where
I have been in the world as long as
I make an effort to communicate
with people in their own language
ith even st a or or t o it gets
a great response. My love of football has helped break down many
barriers. Football is an international
language all of it’s own.”
In the last 10 years John has
traveled to a multitude of countries
including China, Iraq , Iran, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, India,
P akistan as well as many nations
in Central and S outh America and
more than 20 countries in Africa as
well as Australia and N ew Z ealand.
And now His feet are getting
restless again. John is planning
another big adventure in S ydney at
Christmas but in true wanderlust
style, he won’t be taking the direct
ro te. is first stop ill be to hailand and from there he will travel to
via Bali south to Darwin. Then he
will make his way down the West
Coast of Australia through a mining
town in the out back he has long
desired to visit and onto Mount Isa
a city in the Gulf Country region of
Q ueensland, Australia.
After returning from Australia
he has his eye on a trip from Canada through the United S tates into
Central America Mexico, Belize,
ate ala on ras l alva or
icarag a osta ica an finishing in P anama City.
choing the a o s balle
‘ Wandering S tar,’ John Harrington
is happiest when he is visiting new
places and meeting new people.
“It’s a small world and you can
get to any part of it in 24 hours,” he
added. “I love to travel. It’s a long
way from Coole in Clonoe county
Tyrone but staying on the road is
what keeps me going.”
John’s photographs from his travels around the globe, including Ayers Rock and Sydney, Australia, Machu Picchu, Peru, and across Mongolia
25
26
Mid Ulster FOCUS
’
O
Invites and bad intentions
S
O readers I left you
last time with my tale
of meeting “Mr Massive.”
My new crush – and
the man it has become my mission
in life to marry!
He started work as my new head
of department ( Eek) , so what has
this meant to my life?
Well, it’s meant getting up at
6 .30am to straighten my hair, curl
my lashes and contour my face.
It’s meant no more dashing out
into the car at 8.15 in the morning
with a toothbrush in one hand and a
steering wheel in the other.
And, to be honest, I’ve been
R AGIN G, for despite my greatest
efforts, Mr Massive doesn’t seem
to have noticed me at all.
S o, I had to do what I do best,
and that is to plan a party!
night. I mean how could HE have
S o off I went to get into the
found a life partner and I’M still
party mood with a visit to the
single? ? ? ? ! ! ! ! !
icks. es
ha es an a
S o, the rest of the month was
bottle of vino in tucked handily into spent discreetly ogling Mr Masmy Michael K ors) .
sive’s various generous proporWell what can I say?
tions, and either drunk, or badly
Anatasia wasn’t the only one
hungover.
who got a surprise that night!
Then, as fate should have it –
When nature called ( the wine! )
one morning last month – I found
Just 20 minutes into the movie,
myself on my tea-break, alone with
I tipsily made my way down the
“Mr Massive” # awkward.
darkened row. Then – whoops a
S o, we’re making small talk and
daisy! – I tripped and landed, on
I’m batting my lashes so much I
my pretty little derriere, in the aisle. think I might take off, when he
As if that was not bad enough,
said: “I hear you are a bit of a party
as o ble ortifie
animal? ”
when I realised that the
oi sai acting
Unnecessary
person who picked
puzzled.
purchase of the
me up was no other
Then a light bulb
month
than “Mr Cook! ”
appeared above my
S tila Custom
Contour Brush
head. I invited him
OMG! My ex!
to a dinner party
What was he doing
at my house on the
here? ( Apart from
S aturday night.
picking a few much
t ll be b ing
needed sex tips from Mr
promised. Anyone whose anyone
Grey! ? )
will be there.’
Well, it turned out he was there
at r a
e sai . h er
with “Mrs Cook”! ?
love to, but I have tickets to go see
What, when, how did this hapthe Belfast Giants that night! S orry,
pened? ? ? ?
and thanks for the invite’.
N eedless to say he spoiled my
G-U-T-T-E-D. N ot only have
I been turned down, but I’ve also
promised the mother of all dinner
parties, and I’ll have to have one
now, in case he says something in
the o fice a n it hat s a girl
to do?
S o, usual suspects were rounded
up – The S tepford Wife, her hubby,
Timebomb, Mr L over, and her
Majesty, minus her husband ( something not right there) .
Anyway, I’ve never been one to
blow my own trumpet, not when
there are so many other delicious
trumpets available, but as well as
having the best hair in Mid Ulster
this girl has always been able to
cook too!
And so the party was born.
or the first
in tes
anyone looking in my window
would have thought this was a
civilised affair, but some how it
t rne ro
o e ine ith e
to o e ine ith e.
Ten or so bottles of wine later,
we were all playing Twister in the
conservatory! R ight hand on pink,
anyone? !
Well I don’t know what
happened, but before I knew it
Timebomb, was projectile vomiting
out of my door. And, as tradition
dictates, the knock-on effect was
predictable. Her Majesty followed
suit almost straight away and very
soon my decking was a swimming
in carrots and Chardonnay.
or
I decided to tackle the mess in
the morning and was about to head
to bed when the doorbell rang. N O,
N O N O – I answered the door and
ho sho l it be
. . onl
“Mr bleedin’ Massive”!
But 15 minutes later and we
were sitting cosily sipping what
alcohol was left. Well what can
I tell you – he was perfect. He
looked unreal and I loved the fact
he obviously hadn’t shaved.
I couldn’t believe he was there,
my heart was pumping, I thought
it was love, and then . . . And then
What? ? ? I don’t know. I woke up
in by bed AL ON E! ?
What happened? Had we kissed
i e fight oh go hope
wasn’t sick on him. Why oh why
do I do this to myself? ? ?
How am I going to go back to
work. # THE HOR R OR S
Bella
Mid Ulster FOCUS
F
O
a
lin O’
27
ill
Guys don’t need lot of choices,
they need the right choice
T
i e ies an riting this column
has made me even
more aware of how
qui ckly the months
roll b . t is no o ficiall spring
an e are efinitel beginning
to see the green shoots of the
spring season coming through
in the world of fashion. It is not
warm enough for shorts and Tshirts et b t its efinitel beginning to look a lot more hopeful
Must Have for Spring/
Summer 2 0 15
A special collection entitled
Modern Essentials, selected by
David Beckham, has just been
released by H& M which confir s the act that ever
an
should have essential, basic
pieces in their wardrobe, which
will allow them to embrace each
season ahead. These items will
allow you to wear the new seasons trends with ease.
keeping o r o tfits si ple
or at least grounded in simplicity, you get the added bonus of
allowing your personality and
confi ence to shine thro gh.
R emember, a man should wear
the clothes, not the other way
around.
White shirt
Dark jeans
Camel Chinos
White T-shirt
Blazer
Statement Stripes
Whether vertical or horizontal,
broad or pin thin, stripes are a
S pring/ S ummer staple in 2015 .
Chances are there will be men
reading this who have a few striped
shirts in their wardrobe, however
this season the stripe has had a
akeover an no eat res oral
insets and bright bold colours.
S tripes are no longer seen as boring
and this timeless motif has been
re-imagined for the coming months.
The revival of
Dr Marten
Who would
have thought
that Dr Martens
would make a
comeback?
I remember going
to WR K in
Dungannon many years
ago with my brothers as they
frantically begged my parents
or herr
es o hear
e
herr
s. specificall remember my eldest brother stating his must have a steel
toe cap. Thankfully
they have moved on
a little embracing
the brogue and the
loafer. But DM
still keep the old
favourites. Their
new standalone
store in Belfast is
a efinite
st see
if only for a trip down
memory lane.
28
Mid Ulster FOCUS
PUZZLES
Sudoku
Scrib b le b oard
Across
Crossword Clues
1. Indicator, meter (5)
4. Artist’s stand (5)
7. Not fit for
purpose (8)
8. Back, behind (4)
9. Territory (8)
11. Highest point,
peak (4)
12. Middle (6)
14. Yield (6)
16. Golf club (4)
18. Concepts,
proposals (8)
20. Cab (4)
21. Muse, ponder (8)
23. Musical or colour
Answers on page 31
harmony (5)
24. Layers (5)
Down
1. Real, true (7)
2. Overturn (5)
3. Fade, wane (3)
4. Conductor, terminal (9)
5. Attendant, minion (7)
6. Depart (5)
10. Indistinguishable (9)
13. Strain, stress (7)
15. Ineffectual, futile (7)
17. Respond, reply (5)
19. Lift, elevate (5)
22. Enmesh, nab (3)
Answers to the puzzles
are available on Page 31
Mid Ulster FOCUS
KIDS PUZZLES
29
30
Mid Ulster FOCUS
30
Philly Mc
Mid Ulster FOCUS
SPORT
Meet the Easy Ryder
Golf
Ry der C up
Dungannon’s Darren Clarke has
been announced as the European
captain for the 2016 R yder Cup
at Hazeltine N ational in Chaska,
Minnesota, from S eptember 30th
to October 2nd 2016 .
The 2011 Open Champion
beco es the first orthern rishman to lead Europe against the
United S tates, having played in
the biennial contest five ti es
featuring on the winning side on
four occasions. He was also a vice
captain under Colin Montgomerie
and José Marí a Olazá bal in the
European wins in 2010 and
2012 respectively, and succeeds
rish an a l c inle
ho
captained Europe to a 16 1/ 2 to
tri ph at leneagles last
S eptember.
Darren Clarke 2016 European Ryder cup Captain
Clarke takes the reins for the
4 1st R yder Cup with the aim of
emotional, R yder Cup performleading Europe to a record fourth
ance came two years later when he
consecutive victory in the biennial
inspired Europe to victory by the
contest.
same record eq ualling margin in
The 4 6 year old was chosen
ront o passionate rish galleries
b a five an selection panel
at The K Club, just six weeks after
consisting of those three most
his first i e eather passe a a .
recent European R yder Cup
Clarke won all three of his
captains
c inle
la bal
matches in County K ildare, joinand Montgomerie - as well as the
ing forces with L ee Westwood
Chief Executive of the European
to defeat Mickelson and Chris
o r eorge
ra an
roDiMarco then Tiger Woods and
pean Tour Tournament Committee
member David Howell, which met Jim Furyk in the fourballs, before
beating Z ach Johnson 3 and 2
at Wentworth Club in February
in the singles. His two victories
2014 .
alongside Westwood mean the
The 14 -time European Tour
duo are joint second in the all-time
winner made his R yder Cup debut
list of most successful R yder Cup
in 1997 at V alderrama in S pain
partnerships, with six points from
under S eve Ballesteros, partnertheir eight matches together, while
ing Montgomerie to defeat Fred
overall Clarke has contributed to
o ples an avis ove in the
fourballs before losing narrowly to a total of 11 1/ 2 points in the blue
of Europe.
hil ickelson in the singles.
He returned to The R yder Cup
He then contributed two points
fold four years later as a vice
at each of the next two R yder
captain under Montgomerie at The
Cups, at Brookline in 1999 and
The Belfry in 2002, and three-and- Celtic Manor R esort in Wales, as
Europe beat the United S tates by
a-half points in Europe’s record
14 1/ 2 to 13 1/ 2, and he gained
18 1/ 2 to 9 1/ 2 victory at Oakland
further experience as part of the
Hills Country Club in 2004 .
backroom team under Olazá bal at
Clarke’s most memorable, and
Medinah in 2012.
hat ca e a ear a ter the finest
individual achievement of his
distinguished career, when he held
off Mickelson and Dustin Johnson
to win the 14 0th Open Championship at o al t. eorge s a ing
the Claret Jug to the two World
ol ha pionship
titles
he won in the early 2000s, when
he became just the second player
after Tiger Woods to win more
than one
cro n.
arren larke is the first captain to be chosen using R yder Cup
Europe’s new selection process the third method used to pick The
R yder Cup captain since players
from Continental Europe joined
the fold for the 1979 contest at
he reenbrier in est irginia.
Dungannon Golf C lub
ngannon ol l b one o the
original o n er cl bs o the ol ing nion o relan an ho e
to 2011 Open Championship
winner Darren Clarke, had reason
to celebrate recentl . ast a
Captain S adie Maxwell, who was
ngannon ol l b a
ap-
tain in 196 0, celebrated her 100th
birthday in February. S adie very
kindly donated a trophy to the
ladies branch to encourage new
lady members to play in competitions, the trophy will be played for
in S eptember.
pril sees ngannon ol
Club host the Charles McK enna
Cup, Father Eustace Trophy, N eil
ether p
ankar an
the ent s enior s pen. hilst
May sees the Club host the Centenary Medal, L adies Open, R otary
a
ghnaclo
tter ra ers
Cup - Mixed Event, and numerous
charity days.
Further information on the club,
competitions and both member
and visitors tee time availability
and booking can be found by visiting www.dungannongolfclub.com
killy moon Golf C lub
ill oon ol l b also a
o n ing e ber o the
an
situated in Cookstown celebrated
its 125 th anniversary in 2014 .
The L adies’ Branch of the Club
celebrates its 125 th Anniversary
in 2015 . As part of the 125 th Cel-
Mid Ulster FOCUS
SPORT
ebrations, the ladies are compiling
a booklet and slide show for their
Celebration Day on Friday 17th
April 2015 . The booklet and slide
show will be made up of photographs, press clippings, books and
digital pictures of K illymoon L adies past and present. The Celebration Day will be an opportunity for
members and friends of the club
to gather and reminisce about days
and events recent and not so recent.
Further information on the club,
competitions and both member and
visitors tee time availability and
booking can be found by visiting
www.killymoongolfclub.com
Moy ola Park Golf C lub
o ola ark ol l b relan s
youngest golf course, was officiall opene on th epte ber
an hel its first ro
on
9th August 1979.
The 11th August 1980 perhaps
its ost significant an historic
date since then. This was the day
PUZZLES
Answers
31
Philly Mc
that the 1979 British Open Champion S eve Ballesteros played an
exhibition match and held a coaching clinic at the cl b. t is
ears
since Moyola last held a S cratch
Cup and it makes its return on
S unday 18th May 2015 .
Further information on the club,
competitions and both member and
visitors tee time availability and
booking can be found by visiting
www.moyolaparkgolfclub.com
Round-Up
he first e
onths o the ear
have been very exciting for many
local teams in a variety of sports.
Hurling
Derry won the inaugural Conor
c rk p earlier this ear hen
the beat r agh in the final b
four points, on a scoreline of 2-16
to 1-15 . Armagh had led through
an early goal but once L iam
Hinphey goaled for the Oak L eafers, Derry were always in control.
lan rant score err s secon
goal early in the second half, after
his side had led by three points at
hal ti e
to . he final o
the onor c rk o rna ent
took place under lights at the Dub,
Q ueen’s University Belfast.
Gaelic Footb all
S t. Joseph’s Coalisland recently
on the rone
ost ri ar
S chools Championship Final. The
Coalisland boys defeating Dean
Maguirc, Carrickmore, in a replay
played in Clonmore, on a scoreline
o
to . n hat as a tight
and exciting game Coalisland, who
had led 2-7 to 2-4 at half-time, had
to withstand a late comeback from
Dean Maguirc. The Coalisland
goals coming from, top scorer,
Thomas Carney and centre halfforward R yan O’N eill.
Rugb y
The R oyal S chool Dungannon retained their Danske Bank S chools’
Trophy with a 29-10 victory over
rgan ollege in the final hich
was played at Banbridge Academy.
L urgan College did threaten the
Dungannon boys for a period at the
start of the second half but it was
a game in which Dungannon dominated. Dungannon who led 12-3 at
half-time really took control of the
ga e in the final
in tes. he
o al chool score five tries in
all onathan lack
atthe
larke eter oran an aron
c a on in a ga e in hich
their out-half and captain John
Buckley was one of the stand out
performers.
Appear in the nex t
Mid-Ulster Focus
If you know of an individual/
team/ club that should be included in our monthly
f eature please get in touch with
PhillyMc:
E mail: phillymc.muf ocus@
outlook.com
32
Mid Ulster FOCUS
Magherafelt Harriers
10k Classic
F0415 - 115
F0415 - 116
Winner of the Ladies section Gemma Turley (Springwell Running Club)
Kevin Murphy (Magherafelt Harriers) Dame Mary Peters and Patsy Forbes
F0415 - 118
F0415 - 117
Winner of the Magherafelt 10k Classic Christopher McPeake (Derry City
Spartans)
F0415 - 119
Mid Ulster FOCUS
F0415 - 120
F0415 - 121
F0415 - 122
View and buy pictures @ www.midulsterfocus.com
33
Mid Ulster FOCUS
34
Team of the Month
Dungannon U-15 Ladies Rugby Team
F0415 - 124
F0415 - 123
F
emale rugby in Ulster is enjoying a
h ge gro th in profile an participation numbers.
his is largel
e to the recent
s ccess o the relan s a
hich eat res
an lster pla ers. he
a si e relan
tea
on the
ations ran la or the
first ti e in their histor in arch
.
he a si e s a reache the arter
finals o the gb
orl
p in osco in
F0415 - 126
ne
orl
ali
an have earne a place in the
evens eries. he are also ai ing to
or the l pics in io e aniero in
.
F0415 - 125
or those ith the talent an rive there
are realistic possibilities o orl travel an
co petition. here reall has never been a
better ti e to get involve rien ship health
li est le travel s ccess a break ro the
ki s
e are al a s on the look o t or ne pla ers coaches an vol nteers to help contin e
the evelop ent o the e ale ga e.
here are c rrentl
cl bs in lster ith
a e icate e ale sections a lt o th or
both an
ngannon n er
s pla in a
leag e that incl es tea s ro
nniskillen
logher alle an irginia o avan.
he o en s ga e is ll contact base
altho gh ne co ers to cl bs o l not be
e pecte to get involve in ll contact ntil
the are both co petent an confi ent to o
so. oaches an pla ers at ngannon ill
happil elco e o an help o to progress
at a rate that o are co ortable ith.
ngannon a ies train on a e nes a
ight
p at tevenson ark.
an one is intereste in oining co e o n on
a training night an have so e n as ell as
meeting other team members.
ngannon a ies gb as o n e in
. he tea is stea il gro ing an e
enco rage girls to get involve in the sport.
rrent pla ers on the n er tea incl es
atie rns
c
rkington i ohnston a ra a n ers oi e aggan race
hrestha annah cott rro s eorgia
ross eah llen aitl n nch
F0415 - 127
View and buy pictures @ www.midulsterfocus.com
Mid Ulster FOCUS
35
Olympic art attack
From the archives of the
Cookstown Citizen
16th August, 1920
rowsing through the
ooksto n iti en ro
ears ago it re in e
e o so ething
long
orgotten abo t regar ing the
l pic ga es. rt co petitions
or e part o the o ern l pic
a es ring its earl ears ro
to
. e als ere a ar e
or orks o art inspire b sport
ivi e into five categories
architect re literat re
sic
painting an sc lpt re.
n back in
a oorto n
an al ost beca e relan s first
l pic gol
e allist ith his epic
essa
oorto n vers s the in ill
onl or an ob ection ro a
rench participant hich evastate
the i
lster ar er an pset tho san s o s pporters sparking e tre e
violence.
he nt erp l pics in
ollo e
orl
ar ne an as the
l pic a es in erlin ha
been cancelle there as
ch anticipation aro n the event. a l inn
ha been escribe as a goo la in
his school report in
b t little i
the kno at t alach s ri ar
chool in oorto n that the al ost
ha an l pian in their i st.
hen inn anno nce to the
ooksto n iti en in
that he
inten e to participate at the nt erp
l pics in the riting section the
newspaper ran at least two stories per
onth on his preparations. n ee
as a sen o be ore he parte these
shores or elgi
the ooksto n
iti en o ere all their rea ers a ree
pencil i the bo ght the paper as ell
as a p ll o t paper ask o
inn s
ace.
inn s per or ance at the l pics as ollo e b the hole o
relan accor ing to the th g st
e ition o the paper. t rea
ver
gathere o tsi e the
ansion belong to he er everen anon ag ire in issan as he
ha a big ra io ith a ver lo vole b tton. ears o o ere evi ent
hen r inn s essa
oorto n
vers s the in ill
as rea
o t to the orl . otalling
or s it tol the tale o a rien l
ga e bet een the t o si es hich
res lte in pla ers hospitalise atte pte ecapitations an in fighting
bet een the clerg . ppla se rang o t
across elgi
hen the stor en e .
he res lt is e pecte to orro .
he article ent on to state that a
serio s a o nt o rink as taken
that night in i lster as ost
believe the e al as in the bag.
o
entators in all co ntries agree
ith the pre iction that the
oorto n la o l beco e relan s first l pic gol
e allist.
n ort natel an eagle e e
rench riter p t a spanner in the
orks. n er le . it state that
the essa
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