
Wexford man appointed as Peace Commissioner
Outside of his volunteer work, Tom is extremely engaged in promoting mental wellbeing and is aiming to develop a local mindfulness and compassion-based project to benefit people of all backgrounds.
The role of Peace Commissioner is an honorary appointment made by the Justice Minister. They witness signatures on documents, take statutory declarations and affirmations and perform other duties permitted by law.
"This is a voluntary position, and I won't be charging for any services,' Tom says. 'If you ever need a form signed or a declaration witnessed for something like a passport, social welfare, or other Irish documents, I'll do my best to help where I can — by appointment.'
Delighted to take up the role and eager to get started, Tom can be contacted on 0871356861.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Diary of a Gen Z Student: Yeah, no... I'm grand, I will yeah — and other quirks of Hiberno-English
Some people say there is no such thing as direct translation. Because it's not possible to wholly reproduce a language, region, dialect, historical epoch, culture, atmosphere and so on. For example, there's no word for 'yes' or 'no' in Irish. But the language functions perfectly fine without them. This is all information I know and understand. Despite that, I often forget that speaking my version of English to people who have grown up with their own version will cause some difficulty. This has been brought into focus for me lately as I am visiting my sisters in Australia. Further to that dilemma, I have an incessant desire to fit in with locals whenever I travel abroad. That requires a serious amount of Google and ChatGPT searches before my flight touches down. I want to be ready for anything. Of course, it never really works. My pitiful attempts at another language just ooze tourist. Bookending 'Can I have a cappuccino?' with 'bonjour' and 'merci' isn't going to convince anyone, I have learned. I thought I would get away without any miscommunication in Australia. Sure it's an English-speaking country. We speak the same language. However, in practice, I am coming to understand just how much a language barrier exists between English speakers around the world. Not that it's a major issue, but I have found myself having to repeat and rephrase some of my Irish-isms whenever I'm conversing with an Australian. It's fair enough, if you ask me. A lot of our phrasing doesn't make a whole lot of sense, if you've not heard it before. Hibernian English is what we call it, but speaking gibberish is what everyone else seems to hear. This language barrier first became apparent to me in an airport in Melbourne. A little dishevelled, needing sleep but settling for caffeine, I walked up to a bar and said: 'You don't do coffee?'. A simple enough question, to my mind. But to the poor Australian man behind the counter, I had just greeted him with a statement, telling him that he does not serve coffee. The confused look on his face as he said 'Would you like coffee?' told me that maybe my question hadn't been as clear as I thought. In fairness to the guy, I hadn't asked a question, but merely given the impression of an inquiry. So I tried to summon some standard grammar: 'Yes… do you serve coffee here?' And we were golden. Soon enough, I was sipping an oat milk cappuccino and waiting to board my next flight. Another confusing habit Irish people tend to have is our apparent inability to directly answer a question. It's rare that you'll get a clean cut 'yes' or 'no' from me. Of course, in Ireland, the lack of coherence is grand. We understand how nuts we are. I can greet a magpie and everyone will know that I'm just warding off death. Obviously. We also know that when someone says 'no yeah', we mean 'yes'. And when someone says 'yeah no', we mean 'no'. Also, if someone says 'I will yeah', what they're really saying is 'not a chance'. I could go on, but you know what I'm getting at. It's all pretty intuitive for us. We go off vibes. And that does us perfectly well. It only becomes a problem when you're trying to communicate with someone who's never heard of In a restaurant in Melbourne, I was told that they had run out of the flavoured coffee I ordered. Not a problem. They asked if I would like to try an alternative flavour. Again, thinking I had mastered Aussie-ness, I said 'no yeah, that's perfect.' The waitress staring blankly in response, illuminated the havoc I was wreaking on this nice woman. Rephrasing to 'yes, I'll try that' got things straightened out. But it is only as I continually confuse other English speakers with my Hibernian English habits, that I'm realising just how odd our phrasing can be. Fluent English speakers look at me with confusion when I think I couldn't be clearer. Basically, until I work out how to translate our terribly confusing turns-of-phrase, my chances of appearing local in Australia are not looking good. I've been trying my best, seriously. But there's only so much I can ask ChatGPT before my laptop combusts. Maybe this just is 'a me problem with a Duolingo solution'. Who knows anymore. And if you need this column translated, let me know. I won't be able to help, but I'm interested, all the same.


Irish Independent
19 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘You don't have to be in crisis to call', says Dublin Samaritans volunteer
'I won't lie, it was daunting,' she said. 'But once I got into it, I felt prepared. The training is just phenomenal. You're never left to do it alone.' Sharon, who works as an HR Generalist with DHL Express, only became a volunteer at the end of last year. But already, it's changed the shape of her life. 'I'd always seen myself as a caring person, but after I took part in a 'Learn to Listen' workshop through work, something clicked. 'I just thought, this is what I want to do. Within a week, I'd signed up to volunteer.' Now, she gives three hours a week to the service, plus a night shift every couple of months. 'It just fits in. I schedule it in like anything else. Honestly, every time I finish a shift, I walk out with a sense of warmth. Like yeah, I did something that mattered today.' Today marks the charity's annual 24/7 Awareness Day, and Sharon helped coordinate something bigger: the delivery of 24 native Irish trees to all Samaritans branches across Ireland, north and south. The Tree of Hope project, a collaboration between Samaritans, Coillte and DHL Express, sees native Irish trees delivered to each of the 24 Samaritans branches as a gesture of unity and resilience. 'Nobody plants a tree without hope,' said Mary McMahon, Volunteer Director of Dublin Samaritans. 'It's a powerful reminder that no matter what's happening, life can grow from even the hardest ground.' This is the first time all 24 branches have come together in a single nationwide initiative. The trees were delivered in time for July 24, a date chosen to reflect the service's commitment to being available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. 'We're literally delivering hope,' Sharon said. 'That's what these trees represent. 'It's all connected – our 24-hour delivery network, Samaritans' 24-hour helpline, and our shared value of being there for people, no matter what.' Last year, 470,000 calls were answered by Samaritans volunteers across Ireland, up from 400,000 the year before. That's an average of 1,500 calls every single day. More than 6,800 calls in 2024 were diverted to 116 123 when other organisations were shut, underlining the 24/7 support the service provides. 'Strong emotions don't clock off at 5pm,' Ms McMahon said. 'We get calls at every hour, from people in distress, people who are worried about someone else, or just people who need to feel heard. We're here. Always.' To mark 24/7 Awareness Day in the capital, Dublin Samaritans presented a native Irish tree to the Deputy Lord Mayor, councillor John Stephens, at the Mansion House. The tree was then planted in St Stephen's Green, where it will remain as a public reminder of connection and support. If you're looking for support, the Samaritans can be contacted by email jo@ or call 116123


Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
The Model achieves Heritage Council accreditation for its outstanding collection care and public engagement
MSPI is an accreditation programme that supports museums and cultural heritage collections across Ireland to achieve and maintain the highest standards in how they are managed, how they care for their collections, and how they engage with the public. It supports both large and small institutions – from volunteer-run local museums to national cultural institutions – to build strong foundations in governance, collection care, exhibitions, education and visitor services. Of particular note is The Model - Home of The Niland Collection, which has achieved Full Accreditation for the first time – the highest level of recognition available through the programme. The museum has demonstrated diligence for its outstanding collection care and public engagement, especially in how it brings important Irish art to life for both local and national audiences. Since it began in 2006 with just a handful of participants, MSPI has grown into a nationwide programme supporting nearly 70 museum sites. Museums work over a number of years to meet 32 professional standards and are assessed through a rigorous, independent process. This year, 11 museums are being recognised for achieving accreditation through the MSPI programme. Their hard work and dedication highlight the importance of protecting and sharing Ireland's rich heritage. Each museum has undergone a detailed assessment to show how they meet the required standards and how they serve their communities, visitors, and collections. Launching the ceremony in Kilkenny Castle, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O Sullivan TD, said: 'It is an honour for me to open today's Museum Standards Programme for Ireland accreditation awards ceremony and to celebrate the incredible impact that our museums, galleries and historic objects and places make across the country. "The diligent care and attention demonstrated by the 11 accredited museums to protect our heritage, and the interpretation they have curated to enable our heritage to be better and more easily understood, is commendable. The achievements of these museums prove that we can hold our heads high with the best in the world, confident that we are professional, thorough, knowledgeable and ambitious for our cultural heritage institutions.' Addressing the accredited museums today Chair of the Heritage Council, Martina Moloney, said: 'Museums and cultural heritage collections play a profound role in our national conversation. Cultural heritage collections and the audiences they serve are a fundamental focus of MSPI and professional standards are a vehicle through which we can insure these values. "The work done by our accredited museums is invaluable in upholding these standards. The Heritage Council will continue to do everything it can to create the conditions for cultural heritage collections, museums, galleries and heritage sites to evolve and thrive.' Meanwhile, CEO of the Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan, added: 'I would like to commend all the accredited museums in 2025 for the focus they demonstrate, day in and day out, on engaging communities with societal issues, both contemporary and historical, via their collections and organisations. We appreciate the work that these museums do and the profound capacity for impact that our museums and cultural heritage organisations represent. On behalf of the Heritage Council, I want to congratulate to all 11 organisations receiving their accreditation today.' Looking ahead, the Heritage Council is committed to ensuring that MSPI continues to meet the evolving needs of the museum sector. Over the next 12 months, the programme will undergo a series of improvements, including updating the standards to reflect contemporary best practices, modernising the programme's operations to improve communication and support, and streamlining the application process to allow even more museums across Ireland to benefit from the programme.