Seniors Alert Scheme

This scheme, which has been advertised on the radio recently, is government-funded, and offers peace of mind to people aged over 65 who know that if they have a fall or need help with anything, assistance is just the press of a button away.

The purpose of the scheme is to enable older people to continue to live in their home with independence and confidence by providing them with a free personal monitored alarm. The alarm can be worn as a pendant or around the wrist like a watch. When pressed, it connects wirelessly to a base unit, usually attached to a phone. The base unit immediately sends a call to a 24 hour monitoring unit. 

The scheme is administered locally by community and voluntary groups from the local area. Further information is also available from Pobal athttps://www.pobal.ie/Beneficiaries/Seniors%20Alert%20Scheme/Pages/default.aspx

If you would like further information about this scheme, let us know, and we’ll pass on contact information.

In 2016 alone, MSF carried out in Greece:
• 54,200 outpatient consultations
• 8,100 individual mental health consultations
• 650 group mental health sessions

I would invite you to look at page 44 of our activity report for the most up to date information on our work in Greece.
http://www.msf.org/sites/msf.org/files/msf_activity_report_2016_web.pdf

You can also find further information on our website here:
https://www.msf.ie/greece

Dear parents, members and friends of the Hellenic Community of Ireland,

We have the pleasure to inform you that registration for the Greek Language
( modern and ancient ) courses for children and adults can be made online at www.hellenic.ie following the link :
https://hellenicschool.membersportal.co

The annual manual registration and membership can also be made following the equivalent link:
https://hellenic.membersportal.co

We hope that the online registration facility will simplify and improve the registration process. If you have any queries or require any further information, please contact the board or the school committee of the Hellenic Community at
board@hellenicommunity.ie or school@helleniccommunity.ie

Thank you

Schools to remain closed Tuesday 17 October, 2017

Following careful consideration by the National Emergency Coordination Group, the Department of Education and Skills, has decided that all schools will remain closed tomorrow.

This decision was primarily taken in the interests of child safety and on the basis of information available in what is a developing situation. While it is recognised that some schools may not be as badly impacted as others, the information available at this time indicates that over 350,000 businesses and homes are already without power, and severe winds continue to cause damage across the country as the storm progresses. Many regional and local roads are closed due to fallen trees.

It is also the case that school authorities will in very many cases not have had an opportunity to check their buildings and confirm they are safe, have power and water, and that routes to the school are safely open.

It is recognised that the decision to close schools will have a major impact on families and on the workforce. However, this decision has been taken in the interests of safety for children and to provide clarity for everyone concerned.

GOVERNMENT OF CYPRUS PRESS AND INFORMATION MINISTRY OF INTERIOR OFFICE (P.I.O.)
PRESS RELEASE

No.1

The President of the Republic addressed the people of Cyprus on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Cyprus, yesterday

Our side is ready for the immediate resumption of the negotiations on the Cyprus problem in accordance with the framework of the UN Secretary-General and the UN relevant resolutions, said the President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, on 30 September 2017, in a televised address to the people of Cyprus on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Cyprus celebrated on 1 October.

In addition, President Anastasiades said, inter alia, that through hard and persistent efforts the direct participation of Turkey in a direct dialogue became for the first time possible, in order to end the unacceptable situation we are experiencing since 1974.

President Anastasiades also said that as a result of our strategy we managed to focus the discussion, for the first time in the history of the Cyprus problem, on the essence of the problem, which is none other than the security of the future state, the abolishment of the system of the system of guarantees, the termination of the dependence and guardianship, and the withdrawal of the occupation troops.

“It has to do with principled positions, which the UN Secretary General himself included in the framework of the six thematic units he submitted at the negotiations”, President Anastasiades added.

President further pointed out that «we have submitted realistic proposals which took into consideration the concerns of both communities», and which are based both on the framework of the UN Secretary-General and on the capacity of Cyprus as an EU and a UN member state.

“Despite statements to the contrary and repeated public commitments by Turkey for a positive response to the UN Secretary-General’s framework,” the President pointed out, “Turkey has instead adopted an inflexible stance, insisting on maintaining the Treaty of Guarantee, the rights of intervention and the permanent presence of troops.”

The President told the people of Cyprus that “I want to assure you that the new failure will not break us. The process for the Cyprus problem will be resumed and we will be ready to participate with the same fortitude and the same creativity.

It is for this reason that I conveyed to Mr Guterres our readiness for the immediate resumption of the negotiations, in accordance to his framework as well as in accordance to the UN relevant resolutions.

To this end, and in order to avoid a new failure, I gave emphasis on the need for a good preparation that will allow the new Conference to take place on solid ground”.

President Anastasiades also called on Turkey and in particular the Turkish Cypriots to understand that an agreement must be based on mutual respect without creating winners and losers.

In reference to the economy the President stated that the Government has managed to return Cyprus back to growth, registering one of the highest rates of growth in Europe for 2017, thereby creating the prospects for a more prosperous future.

_______________
RM/ML/EG

Apellis St.1456 Lefkosia (Nicosia), Cyprus – Newsroom and Website Administration Section
Tel: +357 22801196/7 – Fax: +357 22665043
E-mail: newsroom@pio.moi.gov.cy – Website: http://www.pio.gov.cy

Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation

Join the Hellenic Community of Ireland & the Greek Orthodox Community for a taste of Greek culture. Learn a Greek dance, communicate in Greek in our Greek school or visit the first Orthodox church in Ireland (the only Greek Orthodox church on the Island!)

Everyone welcome!

Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Address: 46 Arbour Hill, Dublin 7
When : Friday 22 Of September 2017

Father Thomas Carroll is a 70-year-old priest in Dublin, Ireland.
He grew up rural county Tipperary, in a family with strong military ties. His grandfather fought in Gallipoli, while his great uncle was at the battle of Thessalonica during the first World War.

Growing up in a Catholic secondary school, he felt called to take holy orders but was told he was not ready, so he followed the family tradition and joined the military.
“We seem to be a family that was always involved militarily. There was discipline among us, but the rules were not too strict. Yet, I could never consider myself a free spirit,” he recalls.
It was while serving in Cyprus with the UN in the 1960s that Father Carroll’s life, vocation and future were set on a path that led him to a narrow brick-built church in the centre of Dublin. A church which stands out from others in the city because of richly gilded decorated screen which separates the altar from the nave, but also because it is orthodox.
To prevent its servicemen being influenced in anyway, the UN did not permit any interaction between them and either communities. However, Father Thomas could not entirely follow the discipline, that both the peace keeping forces and his family have edified him.
“I had a few acquaintances with Cypriots, but the only person that I had a lot of communication with, was a Greek orthodox priest in a village,” he recounts. Father Thomas would meet up with him on a regular basis, to talk about theology and argue regarding everything around it.
“We often could not agree on anything, but he left a lasting impression on me,” he continues.
That prompted him to explore the Orthodox religion further, but when he returned to Ireland there were only a handful of Greeks and Cypriots living in the country. They did not have an established community, so nobody could help him.
It was only when the Archbishop of Great Britain Methodios, established the first parish in Ireland in 1981, that became possible for him to talk to people with the same interest.
Prior to this he had contacted the Greek Orthodox archdioceses in London, but nobody responded to his letters. “They probably thought that I was some guy seeking only information,” Father Thomas says.
When the parish has been established by Methodios, a friend happened to mention it to him by chance. He then got around there straightaway, but it took him another 5 years before he decided to make the “big jump” and convert.
“I eventually became an Orthodox in 1986, so I do not do anything in a hurry as you see,” he jokes. “But after that, I was committed. I took early retirement from my job in 1996 and went to study theology for 5 years.”
After the conclusion of his studies, he initially served as a deacon for four years in his new parish, before eventually becoming a priest. And to him it is a vocation, not his profession.
Ultimately, it was the outward portrayal and the beautiful liturgies of the orthodox dogma, that attracted him to it. “I came from the tradition that initially the Catholic Church came from, with many similarities in liturgy and rituals. But after the Second Vatican Council in the ‘60s, everything changed and became more simplified,” the priest explains.
For Father Thomas, the traditional poignant ceremonies had been stripped from the Catholic faith. Services had become to some extend “protestantized” in the method of worship, minimalised. So, he realised that it was not for him.
This inevitably left a big hole in his spiritual life, that he couldn’t relate to this new situation in the Catholic Church. “This is where Orthodoxy entered my life and gave me something tangible to hold on to. Something about the church itself, its layout, the rituals even the smell of incense, would grab you straight away,” he describes.
At the time, among the Orthodox community in Ireland, there were about 20 nationalities. The original parish was founded for all orthodox Christians within the island of Ireland, regardless of any jurisdictions.
As immigration increased into Ireland, many of these new arrivals established their own communities and Father Thomas’ parish eventually became primarily Greek. The community has grown in recent years due to the increasing emigration from Greece, thus the future of his parish looks secure.
For Father Thomas, a church is a living thing and must adapt to society, rather than society adapting to it. Another reason why he admires the Greek Orthodox Church, is because it reaches out to every nationality.
“All Greek orthodox archdioceses in the UK, have up to 30% clergy that is non-Greek, thus the liturgies are commonly English speaking. Other jurisdictions like the Romanian or Russian, are operating in their language solely for their own people,” he says.
The priest believes that breaking down language and nationality barriers is very important for a modern religion, especially when attracting young individuals.
Otherwise they could be at the mercy of fundamentalist evangelical churches, while others may become attracted to radical Islam. “They are giving them something to live for, when often they have nothing,” claims Father Thomas.
He is the only one who converted to Greek orthodoxy in his family. “It did not make any difference to most of them, but I think today they would be happy with my choices,” he says.
“If you asked me how Ireland is responding to a church of different dogma about 50 years ago, there would be quite hostile reaction to it. Now nobody cares. At the last count, there were about 130 different religions the country, most of them established during the past 15 years,” Father Thomas explains.
About 50% of those are ethnic African churches. “But the people of Ireland are accepting all religions in their country now. Maybe the reason is that most of them do not go to the church themselves,” he continues.
“Young people particularly, who are carrying on the catholic faith in Ireland, have absolutely no animosity to anybody outside this tradition,” he concludes.
Father Thomas is one example of a man, who did not just follow a religion due to family, community or national traditions. He researched, reached out and when the time was right, he found what was best for him.
By Christos Mouzeviris.

ΠΡΟΣΚΛΗΣΗ

Η Πρεσβεία της Ελλάδος στην Ιρλανδία, σε συνεργασία με την Ελληνική Κοινότητα και την Ελληνόρθοδοξη Κοινότητα, καλούν την ομογένεια να συμμετάσχει στον εορτασμό της εθνικής επετείου του ΟΧΙ για την 28η Οκτωβρίου 1940.
Η Δοξολογία θα πραγματοποιηθεί την Κυριακή 30 Οκτωβρίου, στις 11.00 π.μ., στον Ιερό Ναό του Ευαγγελισμού της Θεοτόκου στο Δουβλίνο (46 Arbour Hill, Dublin 7).

ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΠΡΕΣΒΕΙΑΣ ΔΟΥΒΛΙΝΟΥ

Αγαπητοί συμπατριώτες, συμπατριώτισσες, φίλες και φίλοι,

Οι εκλογές της 29ης Μαΐου ανέδειξαν ένα νέο Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο(ΔΣ), με αρκετά νέα πρόσωπα. Η σύνθεση του νέου αυτού ΔΣ βρίσκεται στο τέλος του μηνύματος.

Είμαστε ιδιαίτερα χαρούμενοι που τέσσερα από τα οκτώ άτομα που το απαρτίζουν διαμένουν εκτός Δουβλίνου και έτσι αντιπροσωπεύουν περισσότερο από ποτέ όλη την Ιρλανδία, όπως το προηγούμενο ΔΣ προσπάθησε ιδιαίτερα να κατοχυρώσει.

Θα θέλαμε λοιπόν καταρχήν να ευχαριστήσουμε το προηγούμενο ΔΣ για όσα προσέφερε στην Κοινότητα, τόσο εκείνους που επέλεξαν να συνεχίσουν στο νέο ΔΣ όσο και εκείνους που επέλεξαν να μη συνεχίσουν.

Τα περισσότερα μέλη που απαρτίζουν το νέο ΔΣ είναι γονείς, γεγονός που  πιστεύουμε πως θα βοηθήσει ιδιαίτερα στην προσπάθεια ίδρυσης άλλων σχολικών εστιών, που καταβάλλουν συμπατριώτες μας που διαμένουν εκτός Δουβλίνου.
Επίσης αισιοδοξούμε πως θα έχουμε ανταπόκριση στην προσπάθεια εξεύρεσης διαφορετικού κτιρίου για τη στέγαση του σχολείου μας στο Δουβλίνο ώστε να καλυφτούν οι αυξανόμενες ανάγκες του. Μέχρι τώρα ήμασταν τυχεροί που η μόνη μας φροντίδα ήταν η έναρξη και διατήρηση του σχολείου χωρίς το άγχος της στέγασής του. Τώρα όμως που ο αριθμός των μαθητών αυξάνεται διαρκώς πρέπει να εξετάσουμε την επιλογή εύρεσης καινούργιας μόνιμης ή προσωρινής στέγης.

Τα τελευταία χρόνια παρατηρείται μαζική μετεγκατάσταση Ελλήνων όλων των ηλικιών στην Ιρλανδία. Ευελπιστούμε λοιπόν να αγκαλιάσουμε όλες τις ηλικίες διοργανώνοντας εκδηλώσεις και συναντήσεις που θα έχουν απήχηση σε αυτές. Θα θέλαμε να εξετάσουμε τη δυνατότητα ίδρυσης ενός πολιτιστικού κέντρου που θα ανταποκρίνεται σε αυτές τις ανάγκες. Παρακαλούμε ελάτε σε επαφή μαζί μας αν θα θέλατε να βοηθήσετε στην έρευνα για ένα τέτοιο χώρο.

Το πρώτο και σημαντικότερο μέλημα του παρόντος ΔΣ  είναι η έμπνευση αγάπης, αλληλεγγύης, ενότητας και σεβασμού μεταξύ όλων των μελών της Κοινότητάς μας.

Το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο

Πρόεδρος:
Κα Στυλιανή Ξενοπούλου

Αντιπρόεδρος:
Κος Κωνσταντίνος Δρακάκης

Ταμίας:
Κος Μιχάλης Γιούλτον

Γραμματέας:
Κα Κυριακή Τζουβελέκη

Βοηθός Ταμία/Υπεύθυνος Σχολείου:
Κος Βασίλης Βασιλειάδης

Βοηθός Γραμματέα:
Κα Σταματίνα Βελονάκη

Μέλη:
Κος Νίκος Σκευούλης
Κος Δημήτρης Γεωργολόπουλος