No. 75 [email protected] Dublin 4th April - 5th April 2009 www.sunshinehouse.ie PRICELESS HERE COMES NowTHE more than ever we tion that provides holidaySUNSHINESUNSHINE breaks for For almost 75 years the Fund has that they enjoy so much. last them a lifetime. thousands of children from disadvan- been there to give children in need a However, funding is constantly need- On behalf of the children’s behalf, a need your help! taged areas around Dublin. break from the dangers and stresses of ed to maintain the facilities in the Recession, current climate, sincere THANK YOU! Last year, nearly 1,300 children daily life. house and grounds, and to stock up on We fully intend to invite another economic downturn, credit enjoyed week-long breaks and over Despite the many changes the food, clothing and the other essential 1,300 and more children to holiday in crunch…these are just some of 230 children were in invited to Christ- house and grounds have witnessed supplies for the summer. the words used to describe the mas parties in SUNSHINE HOUSE, Bal- over the decades, our goals have Sunshine house this summer and Contribution with your charitable support of time financial setbacks most of the briggan. always remained the same. Generosity The children’s well being is still our top Also, with your continued support, and money we know that can be pos- country has been experiencing priority and because of that each child we have improved some of the play sible. It is now more than ever we since late last year. This year we have more and more knows they are in a secure and loving equipment in the near field, and we need your support. For most of us the days of careless children coming to our attention as environment. have implemented much needed Especially in this ‘current climate’, spending are long gone. Forget job their family financial circumstances The children’s daily activities refurbishments of the downstairs toi- we implore you to continue your spir- security, 09 cars, multiple foreign change. haven’t changed much either, visits to let block. holidays and long weekend breaks. Were it not for your continued gen- the sandy beach in the mornings, Your contribution today will not it of generosity by giving to The Sun- All of us are making sacrifices and erosity and support we would not be afternoon treasure hunts, shopping in only provide some child with a happy shine Fund today as you have done so feeling the pinch. in a position to offer these children a the local town and crab hunting still week by the seaside but will provide often in the past. The Sunshine Fund is an organisa- place on our holiday programme. form a big part of the holiday package happy memories that will hopefully Happy Easter! GIVE THE HOLIDAYOF A LIFETIME 8198430/81984318198430/8198431 Lines open Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th April, and RING NOW TO SUBSCRIBE BY CREDIT CARD every Tuesday and Wednesday evening. 2 WE’RENext year SunshineREELING House ally followed the same pattern; down you, so there!’ the back way, across level crossing, I knew she wouldn’t, but you’ve got to celebrates 75 years of joy saunter across the wooden walkway try, haven’t you? … and happiness. over the viaduct to the front strand, Rock pools appear as the tide slowly Who can reckon all the crabs along to the path past the tower and ebbs away and as our timing on this down to the old bathhouse. warm Saturday morning is right, there that have been caught, all the My Nan Calow used to tell me how she will be many for us to explore. goals that have been scored, all liked to take seaweed baths down there But what will we find? Well let’s see… the singing and dancing talent in the thirties. God, the thought of any- First of all there are thousands of on display, all the sand castles in one paying good money to sit in a bath baby crabs scurrying sideways trying to of sea-weed was beyond my comprehen- find a bit of wet sand to hide in for a their variety baffling the judges. sion for it sounds like some kind of tor- few hours. Them crabs must be daft Every year, every week is differ- ture to me! But she said it was good for leaving it so late to find shelter. If you ent yet the timeless wonder of rheumatism, and, well it must have creep up, you might just see a dab set- childhood remains largely the been, for she definitely had it. tling down in the sand at the bottom of same. Escaped deep pool. Mind you, you’ve got to be careful on those rocks for only a few I was reminded of this when long On this first part of the walk we’d pass minutes ago they were under the water and lanky JP sent me the reminis- groups of nuns taking in the wonderful and are very wet and covered in sea- cences of Roger Turner writing air. I often wonder what them nuns did weed. about his visit to “Baller” in the all day in that convent? It can’t be very Seaweed again! Why didn’t Nan Calow fifties. True, he was an English boy nice for they never looked very happy to come and sit in one them pools full of over from Sheffield with his Mum on me. Maybe they had escaped and got seaweed? Grown-ups are very strange their annual visit to ‘Auntie Eileen’ caught. when you are only a little kid! and not a resident of Sunshine Our Pat won’t be too happy either, I suppose she might have been scared House itself. Still his world was, and because I’ll soon be telling her I’m tired of them horrid jellyfish. Our Pat told is, the world of the Sunshiners: and ask if she’ll carry me. I know what me, if they stung you you’d die. Bit like “I loved that coastal walk and despite she’ll say… But that’s what big sisters being kissed by a big sister then! Any- the fact of we children having little legs are for: winding up. way, I’ll not chance either, and I’d give we would set off at a brisk pace. My ‘My legs are tired, Pat,’ I would say. ‘If any jellyfish I see a bash with me little mother, being in far from the best of me dad was here he would put me on spade. health, was usually well behind us with his shoulders for a ride!’ Not brave enough to do the same with Auntie Eileen, still chatting away. It usu- Our Pat would give me the dead eye. our Pat though... ‘Well he’s not here, and I’m not carrying Anyway to get back to the rock pools, 3 it’s not just little crabs and dabs you It wouldn’t have been the first time our bour where several seals were scroung- an IT worker, an middle-aged woman BACKfind. One year I came across a bloody Pat went to bed to find one THElying in wait ing fish. The previous year MacKenzie YEARSwho was off for a year as a volunteer to great conger eel at the bottom of one of under the sheets. ‘MUM!’ she would yell was only the ghost of a man who had Uganda at the end of the week and a those deep pools. It looked dead, so I at the top her voice. ‘Tell him to give jumped off the spire of St George’s woman marine biologist who had spent poked it with a length of driftwood. over!’ Church and had no brother, never mind some years tagging sharks off Hon- Big mistake! Ha! Ha! It was worth a crack from a boat. duras. It jumped up out of the water, gnash- Mum. Traditions over seventy five years The week is so full you tend to forget ing its teeth at me. I don’t know who ‘Come on you children,’ Mother would have smoothened the task of running a the outside world while you are there. was most startled, him or me. I fell call from miles in front of us. ‘Let’s put a week in Sunshine. The running of any Kids can make as much noise as they backward and dropped the driftwood stone on the Sailor’s Grave’ seven days is the product of the week’s like most of the time. One favourite of plank on him at the same time as the How did they get so far ahead of us? personalities, adults and children. The theirs is to yell out “Game Ball” when conger’s nose hit rock under my feet Explanation “old hands” among the stewards and the head-Steward calls out “How’s yes and fell back in the pool. Never been children show the newcomers the ropes. auld’ wan?” after lunch. In retrospect shines again fond of conger eels ever since. I know it’s what we do. What I don’t The basic rules are not negotiable, the custom became poignant for me. TODAY’S edition of The Advocate, Now starfish, they’re good sports.They know is why we do it? Life’s like that. everything else is. Adults and kids During the week that I was there my old for the THIRTEENTH year, has been just lie there waiting for the tide to When you are little, you are told to do arrive and immediately old friendships class mate, Ronnie Drew, died designed and printed by the staff of come chasing back up the shore.