THE European Commission’s research arm carried out a study in 2022, the results of which were revealed last year. The study, on the subject of loneliness, revealed the Irish were by far the loneliest people in Europe.
Hard to tally that with our reputation for being fun-loving, mischief-making, music and art-loving souls, but that is what the scientists discovered.
And they even quantified it – they said that 20% of Irish people had reported feeling lonely ‘most or all of the time’, while the European average was 13%.
And while Ireland is – physically – isolated from the rest of the continent, being on the far outreaches of Europe’s share of the Atlantic ocean, geography doesn’t appear to have played a part in other countries’ levels of feeling isolated.
In Scandinavia, Sweden and Finland are at different ends of the spectrum – with the Swedes above the norm, and the Finns below.
And the Spanish and the Dutch are among the least lonely – below 9% – while their Portuguese and Belgian neighbours are close to the 13% average.
But whatever the reason, it is often at this time of year that people feel most lonely. It is so hard to avoid the messages of expectant happiness and joviality at every turn – on television ads, in your social media feeds, on billboards, in print adverts and on the radio.
It’s almost as if the advertising copy writers don’t realise that not everyone looks forward to this holiday season. For so many people it represents the opposite of what we are trying to achieve – and it all just seems like enforced gaiety with many people feeling anything but joyful.
The holidays can bring back bad memories of loved ones who have passed at this time of year, of bad experiences with friends or family during Christmases past, or maybe families are coping with someone who is currently unwell, trying to put a ‘brave face’ on a bad situation.
The Irish are particularly good at the ‘sad clown’ syndrome – trying to add a smile on a face that’s hiding sadness. We often feel it’s unfair to share our burdens at a time when it seems almost selfish to ‘bring down the mood’, as we often say.
But there can be no better way to exercise the essence of Christmas than to bear in mind that not everybody is full of the joys of life in December. It’s a good time to keep an eye out for those who might be feeling the strain of the season a little too much to bear.
Or even just for those who are cheerful and content but are just living alone with no family around to pop in over the holidays.
An unexpected call to a live-alone neighbour, or a rarely-visited relation, might be a good first step in spreading that spirit of Christmas to those in danger of being left behind. It might not need to be a face-to-face visit – maybe just pick up the phone, drop a card in a letterbox, or even just a short email to say ‘we’re thinking of you’. Often these small acts of kindness – which don’t take a lot of effort, but just a small bit of thought – are the very things that can change a life.
It’s why we are concentrating on the theme of loneliness in this week’s paper (pages 6 and 7) and talking to some people who understand that Christmas might be the season of goodwill, but for some, they simply cannot wait until those pesky new year celebrations are over too, and the rest of January comes in, with the first hint of spring not far behind.
A region full of talent
THIS week three well-known names in West Cork were honoured by UCC at a special ceremony in the city campus. Olympic rowing coach Dominic Casey and Oscar winners actor Jeremy Irons and producer David Puttnam received honorary doctorates.
It is wonderful to have such strong talent recognised and for UCC to choose three of West Cork’s favourite residents – and including a very popular local, of course, in Dominic Casey – to honour for all their incredible achievements.
It comes in the week when the multi award-winning Dede restaurant in Baltimore was the pride of Ireland, too, getting a coveted slot in the massive BBC cooking show, Masterchef.
Further proof, if any was needed, that West Cork is full to the brim with some very special talent.
