MS Ireland
Informing, Supporting and Caring for the MS Community
The MS community is a strong vibrant gathering of different people affected by or interested in MS. Whether you want to be an active member or just receive information and updates, we welcome anyone to become a member of MS Ireland.
Your membership also means we can provide and develop our services. As our contribution for the government only covers 50% of the cost of our services we provide to people and families affected by MS, your support through membership, donations and fundraising is very important.
MS Ireland operates lifetime membership of €50. Apply online or download membership form to become a member today.
*MS Ireland’s services are available to anyone affected by MS regardless of membership status.
MS Ireland's conference talks streaming live on Saturday, 23rd September. Watch Live from 9.45am
We are live streaming talks from our 'Living Well with MS' Conference in Sligo this Saturday, September 23rd. You can join us on the day from anywhere around the world... We are delighted to welcome our guest speakers: Dr. Orla Gray, Neurologist, Queens Hospital, Belfast @ 10am Dr. Deirdre Corby, DCU School of Nursing @ 11am Dr. Sinead Hynes, OT, NUIG @ 12.15pm Dympna McNamee, Social Worker @ 2.30pm Tune in on Saturday, 23rd September from 9.45am. Click the link below and join the conversation. #MSLiving https://youtu.be/Bj8_Ug7ftMM
Today, 13th September we celebrate one of our all-time favourite children’s authors and friend of the MS Readathon, the legendary man that is Roald Dahl. As we step into this magnificent world of childlike imagination and wonder we can’t help but notice that his books are still as fantastic today as they were when we were your age! Roald Dahl is a man that needs little introduction and if we were to tell you all of the reasons why we have chosen to celebrate his works over other authors we would be here a very long time! We are so looking forward to this week when we get to lose ourselves in this fantastical world where anything is possible. Isn’t that the point of reading? When you pick up any of Dahl’s books you know you’re about to be transported to a topsy-turvy world where the witty language is as inventive as the characters using it. One of our most treasured Dahl-isms is actually from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory but originates in the timeless book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Willy Wonka is talking about some of the things the children can taste in his lickable wallpaper room. He then says matter-of-factly, “The snozzberries taste like snozzberries.” Veruca Salt responds, “Snozzberries? Who ever heard of a snozzberry?” Wonka puts an end to this by simply stating, “We are the music-makers, and we are the makers of dreams.” It doesn’t matter one bit that we don’t know what a snozzberry is, now does it? The point is that you should never stop using your imagination. It can be whatever you want it to be! Dahl has created so many stories within so many books and each is as varied as the last. One of the things that makes a Roald Dahl story different from any other is his unique ability to take the fantastical and make it seem completely normal. The BFG being the perfect example – shortly into the book there is no doubt left and you begin to believe that there are Big Friendly Giants out there delivering good dreams to children! But of course, Dahl was also a poet and what a scrumptious collection of poems he left behind! If you haven’t read Revolting Rhymes we insist that you go to your local library and find it today! Each poem is based on a traditional fairytale but naturally Dahl wanted to put even more magic into the tales so he created his own endings to wow all of his little readers. Children’s literature owes a lot to Roald Dahl and we are so thankful he shared his wonderful imagination with us. Now go pick up one of his books, open your imagination and enter the lickswishy world of Roald Dahl. Open a wonderful world of adventure and imagination through reading for a great cause and sign up to the MS Readathon
30 years of the MS Readathon celebrated with Felicity Dahl Proudly supported by Heinz, over 10,000 Irish kids are set to embark on a one-month reading marathon this October in aid of MS Ireland The 30th MS Readathon launched on Monday September 11th with Felicity Dahl marking the milestone for the sponsored reading initiative, along with official proud sponsors, Heinz. Felicity’s late husband, Roald Dahl launched the first ever MS Readathon in 1988, beginning three decades of adventures in reading. More than 10,000 young readers in schools around the country took part last year, reading 87,000 books in total and raising funds for people with Multiple Sclerosis in their community. Joining Felicity Dahl at the launch of the 30th MS Readathon was ambassador, Michelle Hanley, 27, from Cork who is living with MS, and her two children, Abbey and Alex. Multiple Sclerosis Ireland is inviting schools and home readers to sign up for the 30th MS Readathon. The reading month will take place from October 13th to November 13th 2017. Please visit www.msreadathon.ie to find out more. Felicity Dahl, speaking at the launch of the 30th MS Readathon: “Roald once said, 'if you can learn to treat books as your friends when you are young, you will always be able to cope with the tougher [more serious] ones in later life.' Over the past 30 years, MS Readathon has encouraged children all across Ireland to make friends with books and the reading habit whilst raising funds for a highly worthwhile cause. Roald helped to launch the very first MS Readathon in Ireland and I am delighted to be following in his rather giant footsteps to help launch this year’s MS Readathon.” Some of Ireland’s leading authors and illustrators have also provided great support to the MS Readathon, including Sarah Webb, Cecelia Ahern, Nicola Pierce, Judi Curtin, Alan Early, Anna Carey, Roisin Meaney, Jon Berkeley, Oisin McGann, PJ Lynch, Matt Griffin, Sheila O’Flanagan, Claudia Carroll, Marisa Mackle, and Pauline McLynn. Cecelia Ahern, author, praised the initiative: “MS Readathon has been so influential in encouraging children to read over the past thirty years. Reading is so important because it broadens our imaginations, and imagination is so important because it give us the opportunity to envision new possibilities, charges our creativity, and enhances our life. It helps us to ask two very important words...what if? If we’re always asking then we’re always thinking in new ways.” The 30th MS Readathon encourages children to open a wonderful world of adventure and imagination through reading for a great cause. Ava Battles, Chief Executive of MS Ireland commented: “We are very grateful to the young readers, teachers and families who have helped us to reach our 30th year, a significant milestone for MS Ireland’s key annual fundraising campaign to support vital services for people with Multiple Sclerosis. We are delighted to welcome our new sponsor, Heinz.” Emily O’Kane, Marketing Manager Kraft Heinz added: “The MS Readathon has been central to the school calendar for Irish families for years, and we’re delighted to be a part of this celebration. Our own classic products fuel great-tasting mealtimes for the whole family, encouraging children to expand their imagination in new ways. The convenience of our food allows parents the time to join their kids on all kinds of adventures, culinary and literary! The movement of young readers around the country joining this fantastic cause is something to be really proud of. Here’s to the next 30 years!” More than 9,000 people are living with MS in Ireland, with thousands more family members affected. Multiple Sclerosis, meaning ‘many scars’, is the most common neurological disease of young adults in Ireland. MS affects the motor, sensory and cognitive functioning of the body and is usually diagnosed between 20 and 40 years of age. There is currently no known cause or cure for the condition. MS symptoms include impaired mobility and vision, severe fatigue and cognitive difficulties. Three times more women than men are diagnosed with MS. Funds raised by young readers around the country directly support vital services, for example the MS Ireland Information Line, enabling one-to-one support for those newly diagnosed, physiotherapy and exercise classes to help people with MS remain independent, and respite care. To increase awareness about Multiple Sclerosis for young readers, MS Ireland introduced MS schools ambassadors. People living with MS visit their local schools and talk about the complexity of the condition and the nature of relapses, or attacks when MS symptoms flare up.
The results are in... Firstly, we would like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered a photo for our 2018 calendar competition. Our judging panel found it incredibly hard to make the final decision as there seems to be a lot of talented photographers around the country! The winners Anthony Whelan “Boat on Lough Ramor”, Virginia, Co.Cavan: Breffni Photography Club - Front cover Eoin O’ Shaughnessy “Rainy Wet Days Mean Puddle Chasing”, Lower Liffey Street, Dublin Christine Taylor “Stag Reflection”, Killarney: Celbridge Camera Club Dieter Setz “Inistioge Bridge”: Co. Kilkenny Rory O’Conner "A Place of Quiet Reflection": Blarney Photography Club Todor Tilev “Portaneena” : Co Westmeath Lorraine Strang "Ragwort Reflection”, Co Laois Ita Martin “The Perfect Ascent”: Malahide Camera Club Bernie Kelly "Sligachan Reflection", Skye Robert Cochran “Autumn in Mount Usher Gardens” Ashford: Dublin Camera Club Tim Bingham “Sun Rise Over the Docks in Cork”: Co. Cork Sean Ward “Early Morning Over Mullagh’s Lake”: Co. Cavan, Tony Murray “Customs House” Dublin: Malahide Camera Club **Pre-order our stunning 2018 calendar** Get in touch For more information contact Sally Spearman: email calendars@ms-society.ie
Get snapping! Following on from last year's incredibly successful competition where we discovered that there are hundreds of talented photographers across the country, we're delighted to announce that we are on the hunt for images again! MS Ireland is creating a 2018 calendar and is asking photographers to submit their work for consideration. We’re looking for images based on the theme of Reflections. Photographs must have a reflection as part or all of the subject. Reflections can be of anything and on any reflecting surface, such as water, glass, metal, a copper door knob, a shiny car, anything! Read Terms and Conditions 12 images will be selected to appear within the calendar and one of these will be chosen for the cover. Winning entrants will see their image in the following places, in addition to the calendar: In our MSnews magazine which goes to 5000 members, clinics and health professionals around the country In a special edition of our electronic newsletter, delivered to over 4000 people Throughout our social media profiles – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube ***Closing date for entries: 5pm Friday August 12th 2017*** So get snapping and enter our competition today! Get in touch For more information contact Sally Spearman: email calendars@ms-society.ie
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