MS Ireland
Informing, Supporting and Caring for the MS Community
Firstly, we would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who entered a photo for our 2019 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!
Cover shot: Todor Tilev - Dolman
Pat McHenry – Dunluce Castle
Michael Smith – Luas Beresford Place
Oliver Gargan – As Time Goes By
John Brew – Dublin Clocks
Jennifer Grey – Footprints
Eamonn Lawless – Seafront Kiosk, Bray Co. Wicklow
James Mahon – In Golden Oats
Owen O’Donohoe – Blood Moon
Mark Gorman – Shandon Time
Colin Fitzpatrick – Deer in Phoenix Park
Alan Mahon – Rock Stars
Anne Francis- Nee – Umbrella
**Order our stunning 2019 calendar**
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For more information contact Sally Spearman: email calendars@ms-society.ie
Prize draw winners announced Following the prize draw on RTÉ's fab News2Day we are delighted to announce the winners of the 2018 MS Readathon prize draw! Ipad Winners Catherine Clinch, Scoil Bhride, Dublin Riain Flemming, Scoil Mhuire, Dublin Jacob Vaughan, St Brigids, Dublin Ciara Leahy, Scoil Ide, Galway Muireann Lambe, Cloonakilla NS, Roscommon Sarah Lukacova, Kinsale Community School, Cork Leon MacCartaigh, Gaelscoil Dara, Galway Alison Thornton, Ballymakenny College, Louth Rebecca O’Connor, Scoil Realt na Mara, Dublin Leah McDonagh, Allen NS, Kildare Headphone Winners - kindly sponsored by Panasonic David Mullarkey, Carrig NS, Tipperary Ryan Kavaige, Gaelscoil Ui Drisceoil, Cork Poppy Comerford, Rathgar NS, Dublin Siofra Mason, Munroe NS, Kilkenny Eabha McCoffey, Castletownsend NS, Cork Grace Nolan, St Laurences NS, Kildare Abbie Sweeney, Kilbarry NS, Cork Senan Miland, Marnocks NS, Dublin Conor McDermot, Our Lady's NS, Dublin Karoilna Gorzala, Tullow Community School, Carlow Cian Byrne, St Mary's, Wicklow Amber Donohoe Harbridge, Stratford NS, Dublin Cal Jackman, Portlaoise Educate Together, Laois Shane Doherty, Scoil Naomhh Fionán, Donegal Aidan O'Dunaigh, Gaelscoil Ros Eo, Dublin Brianne Farnan, Oatlands Primary, Co Dublin Lyla Roddy, Scoil Bhríde, Kildare Alice Ryan, Scoil Bhríde, Galway Jake O'Dathlaoich, Gaelscoil Nás na Ríogh, Kildare Erica Keddy, St Brigid's GNS, Dublin Florence Ross, SVdP Girls NS, Dublin Beth Ni Choibheanaigh, Gaeelscoil Charraig Uí Leighin, Cork Cathy O'Mahony, Crecora NS, Limerick Isabel Fleet, Galway Greta Patterson, Co Dublin Rachel Cleary, Tipperary Amal Salawu, Dubln Ella Monahan, Meath Abi Murphy, Meath Cliona Manning, Cork Thanks to everyone for taking part in the 2018 MS Readathon
Following on from the success of the MSunderstood Café back in March of this year, we are delighted to announce that we will be bringing the MSunderstood Café in the form of a bus to various locations around the country! Check the schedule below to see where it is coming to near you! In case you missed out on the café in March, to give you an idea of what it involves you can watch the video here as to how this experiential café gave people a glimpse as to what it is like living with MS. The Café has been adapted on a specifically designed bus to provide people with a unique insight into what it is like to live with MS and some of the challenges they may face on a daily basis. MS Ireland hopes the MSunderstood Café Roadshow will build on the support created by the Café in March and highlight the urgent need for improved access to medicine and treatment for the management of MS. In recent years there has been significant improvement in medicine and treatment, however unlike other EU countries, the Irish market access system means people with MS here face significant delays. To discover more about the Patients Deserve Better campaign you can take action here We hope you are able to attend the Café on the day and please feel free to tell you friends, family and colleagues to come along! All proceeds raised on the bus will go towards MS Ireland. Day 1 Date: Sunday, 4th November Location: GALWAY, The Plaza, Eyre Square Time: 2pm Day 2 Date: Monday 5th November Location: TIPPERARY - Tipperary Town Plaza Time: 12pm Day 3 Date: Tuesday, 6th November Location: ENNIS, Abbey Street car park Time: 10am Day 4 Date: Wednesday, 7th November Location: LIMERICK, O' Connell Street, Load Bay Area at Brown Thomas Time: 10am Day 5 Date: Thursday, 8th November Location: CLONAKILITY, Emmet Square Time: 10am Day 6 Date: Friday, 9th November Location: CORK CITY, Mahon Point Shopping Centre Time: 10am Day 7 Date: Saturday, 10th November Location: WEXFORD, Quayfront, Wexford Town Time: 10am Day 8 Date: Monday, 12th November Location: BRAY, Supervalu, Castle Street, Co Wicklow Time: 10am Location: DUBLIN SOUTH, Dundrum Shopping Centre, Dublin 16 Time: 2pm Day 9 Date: Tuesday, 13th November Location:-CLONDALKIN, The Mill Shopping Centre Time: 9am Location: BLANCHARDSTOWN, Shopping Centre Time: 2:30pm Day 10 Date: Wednesday, 14th November Location: NAVAN ROAD, Tesco carpark Time: 9:30am Location: SWORDS, Main Street, Swords Time: 3pm Get in touch For further information contact Tom at thomasm@ms-society.ie
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. Calling on all bookworms! Open a wonderful world of adventure and imagination through reading for a great cause and sign up to the MS Readathon
Almost 10,000 young readers expected to take part in the sponsored reading campaign helping people with MS We have launched the 31st MS Readathon, entering a new era for the sponsored reading initiative. We were joined by MS ambassador Jordan Byrne, 23, who is living with MS, charity partner Leinster Rugby and young readers. A new MS Readathon character Bobby Bookworm was also introduced!! Thanking young readers, parents, teachers and schools for their continued support, the organisation is now encouraging schools and home readers to sign up for the 31st MS Readathon. This year the campaign will run from October 12th until November 12th 2018. Please visit www.msreadathon.ie to find out more. MS Readathon ambassador Jordan Byrne was diagnosed with MS on New Year’s Day 2015 at the age of 21: “I knew very little about MS at the time,” she says, “I read some terrible stories. I just didn’t know what was going to happen.” The damage that MS causes and the nature of MS attacks are often invisible to others. Jordan suffered from constant pain and fatigue. She and her family found the support they needed from MS Ireland: “Geraldine from MS Ireland started calling around shortly after my diagnosis, to help me come to terms with things. Finally, someone understood what I was going through. MS Ireland helped me to meet other people my own age living with MS. Their support made an incredible difference.” Jordan is positive and wishes to spread awareness for young people diagnosed with MS so that they can have someone their own age to talk to about it. She says: “I may have MS but MS has not got me." Ava Battles, Chief Executive of MS Ireland commented: “Through 30 years of the MS Readathon and now into the 31st year, young readers, parents, teachers and schools have continued to support the MS community, reading and raising funds to help people living with MS and their families. This is greatly appreciated and as each annual MS Readathon come around, we want to acknowledge their efforts. The MS Readathon is a key annual fundraising campaign for MS Ireland.” Ireland’s authors and illustrators continue to support the MS Readathon with encouraging tips and advice for young readers which can be found on www.msreadathon.ie, including Sarah Webb, Cecelia Ahern, Nicola Pierce, Catherine Doyle, Oisin McGann, Aine NiGhlinn, Ruth F Long, Erika McGann, Kieran Crowley, Chris Haughton, Claire Hennessy, Alan Nolan, Judi Curtin, Alan Early, Anna Carey, PJ Lynch, Matt Griffin, Marisa Mackle, and Pauline McLynn. The MS Readathon is Ireland’s biggest sponsored reading initiative when young readers raise funds for vital services to help people living with Multiple Sclerosis in local communities. 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, 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. Get in touch Visit: www.msreadathon.ie Email: read@msreadathon.ie Phone: (01) 678 1624
The results are in... Firstly, we would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who entered a photo for our 2019 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 Cover shot: Todor Tilev - Dolman Pat McHenry – Dunluce Castle Michael Smith – Luas Beresford Place Oliver Gargan – As Time Goes By John Brew – Dublin Clocks Jennifer Grey – Footprints Eamonn Lawless – Seafront Kiosk, Bray Co. Wicklow James Mahon – In Golden Oats Owen O’Donohoe – Blood Moon Mark Gorman – Shandon Time Colin Fitzpatrick – Deer in Phoenix Park Alan Mahon – Rock Stars Anne Francis- Nee – Umbrella **Order our stunning 2019 calendar** Get in touch For more information contact Sally Spearman: email calendars@ms-society.ie
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