Born and raised in County Cavan it was safe to say that when I chose the course Journalism as my passion for life my fellow Cavan natives thought I was full of “notions”. Creative courses are not exactly the norm in rural Ireland.
Luckily for me I have always been surrounded by an extremely supportive and enthusiastic family. My family consists of my dairy farmer father, my chef mother and a primary school teacher as my sister. Due to my rural background, I have had the extra niche of ideas that my fellow classmates may not have been aware of.
As well as this because I had a sister with special needs that unfortunately passed away when I was a child, I have always had the chance to be educated on the reality of what it is like to live in Ireland when you have additional needs.
Known by my friends and family for my love of talking and pestering my parents to listen to the most accurate sources for the news, Journalism has always been a passion of mine. My ability to chat to people has no limit as I have always enjoyed conversing with anyone from anywhere. An example of this is my ability to have tea with an elderly neighbour and spend time in the playground with my little cousins.
I believe it is important to consume all types of media from hard news to soft news and entertainment. Life is a balance of both therefore, so should your media consumption. My hopes for my future in Journalism as a career involve documentaries on hard news topics to light-hearted podcasting on the realities of life. Although it may seem I am simply ambitious and hyper-optimistic for a balance of a career targeting both, I have no doubt that I will be able to do so.
Addiction has festered as a normal trait of Irish society. The most common topical addictions being alcohol and drug abuse. Yet with bookies swarming Irish streets is Gambling an issue in Ireland?
An interviewee with Eoin Gilsenan who works in a Boyle Sports in Galway provided an extensive conversation on the realities of this environment. Gilsenan discussed how taken aback he was when he heard of some of the treatment staff have experienced.
“Biggest shock when working there was when I first started, I heard of a girl in another shop that was punched across the counter for asking a customer if he had ID. People didn’t seem phased by it. They said it usually happens once or twice a year”
Applications of FOI’s (Freedom of information) documents provided crucial information on the phenomenon of Gambling addiction in Ireland. An example of this is the fact that the beef sector in Ireland makes just as much revenue for the Country as the Gambling sector.
“To put the size of the gambling industry in Ireland in context, revenues from gambling in 2022 were approximately the same as those from Irish beef exports (€2.3 billion).” From the Gambling factsheet provided by alcohol and drugs Ireland. The government noticed an increase in Gambling addiction in Ireland and as a result, regulations bills were introduced. This was an attempt to hinder how accessible Gambling was in Ireland and bring in reform. The independent body known as the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland was introduced in 2022.
The existence of this type of addiction came to the surface in Ireland when multiple GAA players were involved in a video to create awareness. Those in the video include GAA players from Armagh (Oisin McConville) Tyrone (Con Fitzpatrick), Kilkenny (Ritchie Power). The video can be found on gamblingcare.ie. Each player is varied in age with two poignant things in common, talented at their given sport and addicted to gambling.
The Ad was released in March of 2024 with Gambling care stated what they hoped from its release; “Talking about an issue reduces the stigma surrounding it and encourages people to think about the problem, express their views, ask questions and most importantly- reach out for help.”
Despite an effort made to try and combat this issue the level of Gambling addiction in Ireland remains a large problem.
An interview with Tim Mahony who works in a rehabilitation Centre in Ireland with a program that focuses on Gambling addiction said; “The kids are the targets. You are dealing with a different type of gambling now,”
With the development of online Gambling, and easier access to it, this has resulted in a rise of people with this addiction. Reflecting on his experience with problem gambling, Mahony described The crippling isolation and loneliness involved, as you face this addiction alone.
“I never suffered the loneliness from drinking that I did with gambling”
Despite a notable increase in services for problem gambling over the past nine years, Ireland still needs more facilities.