BY JACKIE KEOGH
KITTY Hughes of Age Friendly Ireland recently paid her first ever visit to Skibbereen to address a meeting of the West Cork branch of retired teachers at the O’Donovan Rossa Community Hall.
Kitty, a native of Co Longford and a retired teacher herself, was very impressed with the history of the area, especially the Heritage Centre.
The keynote speaker recalled stories from her early days of teaching, getting married, and rearing a family in rural Ireland.
In 2007, she became involved in the World Health Organisation initiative of an action plan on ageing and health. Kitty said retirement can be a bit of a shock to the system, as people rely on work to support their identity and by extension their emotional health.
Many retirees go back to school again, some even train for new careers. That, she said, is how it should be because retirement can open up a whole new realm.
She quoted George Bernard Shaw: ‘We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stopped playing.’
Today’s 65-year-olds are not over the hill, they have just reached a new level – were Kitty’s final words of encouragement.
Other speakers included Maeve Buckley AIB manager, Sarah O’Sullivan Bank of Ireland manager and Tony Hughes, chief executive of Access Credit Union. Their contributions focused on the services available to senior citizens, as well as warnings about fraud, the need for internet safety, and information about services required post bereavement.
Aisling O’Sullivan of the Older Peoples Council with Cork County Council outlined the local authority’s work in relation to Age Friendly towns and related services.
Delia Van Hemmen, co-ordinator Skibbereen Community and Family Resource centre, gave a detailed account of the services they provide.
Garda Liam Ryan of Garda Community Services at Clonakilty Garda Station was also on hand to offer insights in relation to crime prevention and how to stay safe.
