Ballinasloe Active Retirement Association Online: March 2017

St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 2017

Having just completed an eight week “Fit Town Programme” we felt we well fit and ready for our annual walk around town in this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

However, the extremely bad weather conditions on the day quickly dampened our enthusiasm, After a hesitant start, we decided to brave the elements. As the rain poured down, 32 brave warriors in our group donned the hats, boots and rain gear. Adorned with green sashes , we bravely joined the parade and were enthusiastically cheered on by a somewhat smaller number of spectators.

Having done our bit for our Patron Saint and for our community, we dragged our drenched bodies up the stairs in Gullane’s for a more than welcome bowl of lovely hot soup and tea/coffee

I believe there were some who availed of hot toddies!

Well deserved, I say !!!!

Chris O’Flynn (P.R.O)

“Young People’s Perspective on the elderly to-day”

Well done to the two young T.Y. students, Emma Loughnane and Emily Gavin from Scoil Mhuire, who couragesly gave us a very interesting and enlightening presentation at our monthly meeting last Wed.

We seem to constantly criticise the younger generation for their constant use of phones and other technology, their lack of communication, their bad pronunciation, their sloppy dress code, ripped jeans, over use of make-up etc.

We were pleased to hear they considered us wise, religious, more domesticated, better dancers, thrifty, respectful, responsible, generous, good listeners and chatty

On the negative side they noticed we were lonely, impatient, grumpy, hopeless at technology, not great drivers, prone to sickness.

The result of a research amongst the general body of students showed they considered you were “old” at age 75 and they thought our generation had a better lifestyle than the young people of to-day.

It seems we could learn a lot from each other!!

Chris O’Flynn P.R.O.

Emma Loughnane Gabriel Rohan Emile Gavin