The pandemic and mental health: ‘I kept thinking that we'd go into lockdown again, and I started to have paranoid thoughts'
The global pandemic affected people in so many ways, over and above the HSE-reported 10,000 deaths linked to Covid in Ireland alone. The lockdowns in particular saw people suffer in a myriad of other, often unseen ways.
Lisa Callaghan is testament to this as, having suffered with depression at various times throughout her life, the aftermath of enforced isolation and collective stress caused her to have a serious mental health breakdown, which doctors later described as psychosis.
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Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Delays to colonoscopy tests could be a matter of life or death
This week, we learned that thousands of people have been waiting far too long for vital cancer testing procedures, a problem which seems to be getting worse. Some 2,764 people have waited between 29 and 60 days for an urgent colonoscopy between January and May this year. According to the guidelines issued by the HSE, those with symptoms of bowel cancer should be seen within 28 days. That means some people have been waiting for over twice as long as the recommended time period for this vital intervention. To make matters worse, that number appears to be increasing, as 3,623 people were waiting longer than the recommended timeframe in 2024. The Irish Cancer Society pointed out that in 2017, no patient in Ireland had to wait longer than 28 days for an urgent colonoscopy, yet if the current trend continues through 2025, more than 6,500 people will not be seen within the 28-day period. The society's description of this development as a shocking deterioration in service, which is putting lives at risk, cannot be contradicted. This may seem at first glance yet another health service fiasco, one in a long line of similar disasters. But bowel cancer is a particular challenge. It is the second most common cancer in men, the third most common cancer in women, and the third leading cause of cancer death in Ireland. The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) said this months screening from the age of 50 was likely to be effective in terms of reducing deaths from colorectal cancer. However, plans for earlier screening are meaningless if that screening cannot be carried out. The long waiting times for colonoscopies which were revealed this week are a disheartening reminder that even established processes can break down, given the deterioration in waiting times between 2017 and the present. Strategies conceived with the best of intentions count for little if they cannot be put into practice. Failings of a justice system The man responsible for the killing of Irish soldier Private Seán Rooney was sentenced to death at a military tribunal in Beirut, Lebanon, this week. According to Lebanese media reports, Mohammad Ayyad was sentenced to death and fined 100m Lebanese pounds, or approximately €970. The remains of Irish UN peacekeeping soldier Seán Rooney arriving at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnell, Co Dublin, in December 2022. Pte Rooney, from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, was killed on active service when his convoy came under attack in Lebanon. Another defendant was sentenced to three months, while yet another received one month: They were both fined as well. Ayyad was not in court for the sentencing however, while local media have reported that Lebanon has not carried out an execution in decades — so he is likely to receive a prison sentence instead. Pt Rooney, of Newtowncunningham, Donegal, was killed when a UN peacekeeping force was targeted in an attack on their vehicle in at Al-Aqbiya, Lebanon, in December 2022. He was 24 years old. Those responsible have received light sentences, with the exception of one individual who remains at large in the country and did not even have to attend the sentencing. Concerns have been raised repeatedly about the progress of this case, and the verdicts issued this week show the validity of those concerns. A justice system in which a killer does not even have to be present in court when sentenced to death hardly seems fit for purpose. The Rooney family, which has already had to deal with the trauma of losing a loved one, has been badly let down by that justice system. Taoiseach Micheál Martin weighed in on the matter yesterday when saying that the case had taken too long and that some of the sentences issued were unduly lenient. It should also be pointed out, perhaps, that earlier this year the Taoiseach also said: 'Hezbollah are responsible, in my view, for the murder of Seán Rooney.' Some armchair activists might bear that in mind when signalling their advocacy for certain groups. Pt Rooney made the ultimate sacrifice for peace and his family deserve the support of all. What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here New Garda commissioner The next Garda commissioner was announced on Tuesday, with Justin Kelly — who was appointed deputy commissioner for security, strategy, and governance in October 2024 — taking over from the outgoing commissioner, Drew Harris. Justice minister Jim O'Callaghan, incoming Garda commissioner Justin Kelly, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and current Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, at Government Buildings in Dublin as Mr Kelly was announced as the next Garda commissioner. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA The process was far from straightforward, given the reticence of some senior officers to apply for the post because of pension implications. At one point, it was even suggested that those pension implications might mean only applicants outside Ireland would apply for the position. This is not to cast aspersions on such applicants, but at this fraught time in Irish life, it is surely preferable to have someone at the helm of the national police force who is already familiar with the particular challenges facing An Garda Síochána. That is certainly true of Mr Kelly, to judge by his policing background, which includes stints as assistant commissioner with responsibility for serious and organised crime, as well as detective chief superintendent in the Garda counter-terrorism unit. The rise of the far right, the ongoing threat of drugs gangs, the operation of rogue states in Ireland, the shadow cast by cybercrime — these are all challenges requiring urgent attention. Morale and standards within the force will also be scrutinised. Mr Kelly's appointment coincided with reports of a former garda being jailed for seven years for impersonating a colleague online, and inciting men to come to her home and rape her. The new commissioner's in-tray is already full. Best wishes to him. Read More Irish Examiner view: State must be ready to step in
Irish Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Help us save little Éabha.' Family make appeal for baby's overseas treatment
An Irish family have made an urgent appeal for help as their beloved one-year-old daughter prepares to travel for life-saving treatment overseas - just weeks after they tragically lost their adored three-year-old daughter to the same rare condition. Éabha Duggan, born on June 24, 2024, has been diagnosed with a rare and serious genetic condition that requires a bone marrow transplant – a treatment not currently available in Ireland. Her only option is to travel to Prinses Máxima Centrum in Utrecht, a world-leading specialist children's hospital in the Netherlands. The Duggan family of Mayo and Galway are now making an urgent public appeal for financial support as their one-year-old daughter prepares for the life-saving bone marrow transplant in the coming weeks. For parents Tommy (from Bekan, Claremorris, Mayo) and Martina Duggan (originally from Eyrecourt, Galway), this is an unimaginable second journey down a path of profound sorrow. Their eldest daughter, Saoirse, bravely battled leukaemia after being diagnosed in late 2023. She underwent a bone marrow transplant in February 2024, but tragically, the disease returned months later, and she passed away peacefully on June 15, 2025, surrounded by love. "To face such loss and now fight for another child's life is more than any family should have to bear," says Éabha's aunt, who has launched a fundraising campaign with the family's permission. "While the medical costs for Éabha's transplant are covered by the HSE, the overwhelming financial burden of travel, and related living expenses in the Netherlands falls entirely on the family." Time is critical for Éabha. The "Together for Éabha" GoFundMe campaign has been established in response to the many friends, neighbours, and kind-hearted people who've asked how they can help. This initiative aims to alleviate the significant financial strain, allowing Tommy and Martina to focus solely on their daughter's treatment and recovery. All donations will go directly to the Duggan family to support Éabha's medical care and associated costs. To donate to the fundraiser, head here. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
RTÉ News
19 hours ago
- RTÉ News
HSE warns over u12s drinking slushies containing glycerol
The Health Service Executive (HSE) National Clinical Lead for Obesity, Professor Donal O'Shea, has said that letting young children drink slush ice drinks, also known as slushies, is as bad for them as letting them drink antifreeze. The warning comes in the wake of research from Children's Health Ireland (CHI) that showed that consumption of the sweet frozen drink by children under the age of 12 could lead to a condition known as glycerol intoxication syndrome. The work published in March by CHI described 21 cases of children with glycerol intoxication syndrome. Prof O'Shea said people needed to be aware of the issue, and if slushies are consumed, it should be in moderation and only for older children. Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Philip Boucher Hayes, Prof O'Shea said the ingredient that prevents slushies from completely freezing - glycerol - was the original antifreeze used in cars to stop the water from freezing. While it is no longer used in cars, he said drinking too much glycerol in slushies, "especially for a young brain", is potentially very dangerous. "If you get too much glycerol into a young brain, it shrinks the brain a little bit, and it has been used in the past to treat swelling in the brain as a medical treatment, but a young brain then gets affected." He said people can then present with symptoms like confusion, headaches and nausea. Long-term consumption, the syndrome can cause unconsciousness and seizures, which can lead to serious long-term outcomes. He warned that no young child should consume the product. "If a kid does have a slushie and they say they like it and they want another one, they should certainly not have a couple of them back-to-back". He said that people do not associate a brightly coloured ice drink with negative health consequences for children. "The way these products are positioned and the way they're coloured, kids find them very attractive." Prof O'Shea said if a child was going to have a slushie, it should be one without glycerol, but these tended to have large amounts of sugar, which comes with a high calorie content. According to the Food Safety Authority (FSAI), Glycerol or E422, is an approved additive in the EU used in slush ice drinks as a substitute or partial substitute for sugar. It is used because it helps maintain the slushy texture by preventing the liquid from freezing solid. . After reaching that age, they advise people to exercise caution and moderation if they must consume slushies. Prof O'Shea said that he would like to see a very cautious approach to glycerol consumption under the age of 12. "It is an acute intoxication syndrome. Glycerol is an alcohol-like product, so you have acute intoxication with alcohol. "Terrible things happen while you are acutely unwell, like you fall and hit your head, then you are left with the long-term consequences, but then once the alcohol, in this case glycerol, is out of your system, you will be sitting up and you will be well again". He said that if you "wouldn't give a child under the age of seven or eight a glass of whiskey or a glass of wine", and so they really should not be having slushies.
