Craig Hand

Dublin dad, born in the 70s,dreamt in the 80s, danced in the 90s , married in the noughties #communityhealthcare #disabilityinclusion #greyhoundrescue #livelife

[Ban Blood Sports @banbloodsports]

Senator Chris Andrews: "Judges need to get some training in animal welfare issues and be familiar with the crisis in dog, horse and pet welfare. Dog abusers and pet abusers should be given a lifetime ban for owning a pet" • Rescue a dog - there's a dog out there for every family

[Sryan Bruen Photography @sryanbruenphoto]

Hmm... what's this then? A shop? I could never 😉 #ComingSoon

[Niall Harbison @NiallHarbison]

A small story that might help people out there who suffer with addiction, depression and alcohol in particular…

🍷 The first picture is my own table in Thailand. Most nights used to be 2 bottles of wine and 6 big beers with 2 packets of smokes. I’m not proud of that picture but it reminds me what my life used to be life.

🏥 The 2nd image is from ICU when it all came to an end and I tried to drink myself to death. Hooked up to every machine imaginable for 3 days.

🎉 I used to think alcohol was my whole personality and life. I had no escape from it. I told myself I wouldn’t be funny, good at work or able to be social without it.

📅 Every week would be the same cycle. I’d say I’d give up but then Friday would come. Sports. Friends going for a meal. The excuses are endless. Alcohol is everywhere.

🍺 Everything changed for the better when you give up alcohol if you have a problem. Chances are you probably know deep down if you do yourself. Like I was, you are scared to let go

🌅 The trust is without alcohol you can become your true self. I’m dependable now, on time and I’m not constantly ashamed of myself.

🐕 You’ll find all the time in the world to follow your passions and you won’t be one bit bored. Mine is dogs but it could be golf, cooking or sailing for you. You can actually become the person you were meant to be without that weight on your shoulders.

🍹 Of course I’d love to sit in a bar and laugh with friends and drink myself worries away. That look for escapism never fades. But I know life is too meaningful without it.

I’m not an expert on how to give up (I just got the fright of death and went cold turkey which I don’t recommend). But I’m here to tell you that life without alcohol is like heaven on earth once you taste it.

It took me 25 years and endless attempts. I’m not here to preach or say that it’s easy. I’m just here to tell you to please don’t give up and that there is an amazing world out there if you don’t take that sip! You can do it ❤️

[Sryan Bruen Photography @sryanbruenphoto]

One of the best mornings I’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing. An epic moonset, an epic sunrise and lovely misty scenes.

It’s moments like these that you’ll never forget and will always remember very fondly.

#dublin #ireland

[Craig Hand @Gymman76]

@OCallaghanCian Congratulations Cian !

[JarlVarl 🇺🇦 🇬🇪🇧🇪 🇪🇺 @WildcardGamez]

If the 'no more forever wars' was so important to republicans and trump, why did they stall aid for 6+ months?
The reality is that after months of stalling Johnson realized that part of their voter base really supported Ukraine despite everything
He then switched tune
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[x @HomeInsteadDub]

This special week is devoted to Home Instead CAREGivers who embody the heart of compassionate care in Ireland.

[BUCHANAN: Dublin Time Machine @RobLooseCannon]

On this day in 1984 a terrified, freezing 15- year-old schoolgirl called Ann Lovett was crouched in the fetal position, in agony, at the grotto of the Virgin Mary in Granard, Co. Longford.

But whilst this child is certainly innocent and worthy of help, and this is a place where pious people come to seek assistance from Our Lady, her desperate prayers will not be answered that lonely night.

Amid the darkness and cold, Ann will give birth to a stillborn baby. Compounding that unimaginable tragedy which occurred in this dreary garden of Gethsemane, just hours later this teenage mother will also perish in Mullingar hospital.

Although barbaric scenes like this have played out countless times in "modern" Ireland, this instance captured the country's imagination. The 80s were a more media-savvy age than ever and with the added symbolic poignancy of the grotto was impossible to ignore.

The town of Granard, then only a rural village of 1,285 souls reacted in a variety of ways to these horrific events. Ireland, let alone rural Ireland, in 1984 was practically a religious theocracy. The Catholic Church and conservative outlooks born of generations of poverty stifled the lives of people in general but women and girls in particular.

Some locals were aware of Ann's pregnancy. Gardaí have never revealed how a visibly pregnant schoolgirl could leave a classroom on a freezing rainy winter's day. Everyone had failed this girl and baby boy, from the nuclear family unit all the way up to Leinster House.

Four months before that fateful night two-thirds of the country had voted in an abortion referendum to enshrine the "right to life" of the unborn in the constitution, without adequately clarifying what happened when this clashed with the constitutional "right to life" of the mother. Ann's deceased infant boy was posthumously baptised Pat. The two innocents, the child, and her child, were buried together in the same coffin.

It was obvious this very homegrown horror story would become a religious and political football for people who didn't give a damn about females or babies. But when the handful of female TDs and activists attempted to speak out for victims they were roundly ignored in favour of a soundbite from a bishop, or a geriatric male politician.

Despite Minister of State for Women's Affairs and Family Law Nuala Fennell making a passionate plea in the Dáil for an inquiry, none materialised. However, amid the sanctimonious accusations and assignations of blame real social progress took root. The closest Irish society came to openly dissecting the issue was on The Gay Byrne Hour radio show.

Hundreds of people, mostly women, wrote in to talk about their experiences and their hopes for change. And so bit by bit, around dinner tables and office desks, on barstools and in double beds stories are told.

Then, as now, progressive Ireland creeps forward. Becoming more and more humane and tolerant, we hope. Our compassion growing with our own experience of pain and loss.

If you need advice about family planning, pregnancy or termination please contact one of the below services.

https://t.co/GHPKNyoPXY

https://t.co/k4jFoCUgbU

https://t.co/msd9SjJblc

[Muslim Sisters of Eire @Msoe_Dublin]

Tonight we had nearly 460 meals. Each week, as we get closer to winter and much colder weather, we are noticing a need for hats, gloves, scarves, sleeping bags, socks, rain coats and heavy coats. 

This week, we loaded up a lot of items and tonight we provided additional sleeping bags, ground mats and tents, due to the bad weather. With people sleeping on the streets, their sleeping bags are bound to become spoiled and wet, and they don’t have any place to dry and clean them in order to reuse them for the next night. There is a high need for sleeping bags each week the colder it gets. In order to prepare for what would be needed on Friday night, we watched the weather forecast every week. 

Again it was a bitterly cold night and the rain was quite heavy. The cold and wet weather didn’t deter people from queuing up, right around up to Henry Street. The wind battered onto people’s faces and some had umbrellas and others didn’t, and stood quietly in the queue.

We received a call today at the office from a young lad who queues up each week for himself and his brother. He let us know that he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to find out what time the soup will be outside the venue. He informed us that he comes every week and that extremely tired to stand in the queue. He then informed us that he’s been coming to our queue every week and he starts queuing from 16.30. This week he was really tired and unwell and was extremely appreciative when we explained to him that he should take down the name of one of our management volunteers, and ask for her when he arrived. There were packs we made for him and he didn’t need to queue. He was so overwhelmed with not having to stand in the queue for an hour and a half and continued to thank us. 

When the team leader who took the phone call, and put down the phone, she was visibly upset. She mentioned that to alleviate someone from standing in the queue for an hour and a half to just give them a basic meal, and to hear how appreciative they are, just touched on her heart. That’s the reality of what we’re living in and what’s going on week in and week out. 

Not only with this soup runs, but with other soup runs, the stories are all the same. It’s heartbreaking to see that but that is the reality of 2023.

Please continue to supprt us as we approach the colder and harsher months of the year. We greatly appreciate every donation.

https://t.co/w2pcYXyhr9…

[dublinbusnews @dublinbusnews]

We wish to advise customers that due to #StormDebi and the red weather warning issued by @MetEireann for Dublin, no Dublin Bus services will operate before 09.00hrs on Monday, 13 November.

Services will begin a phased return after 09.00hrs and during the morning.

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[HSE Drugs.ie @drugsdotie]

We have warnings throughout Dublin tonight, stay safe and look out for eachother
#harmreduction

[Sally Downing 🇮🇪 @Decembersally]

Making a difference - Leah and Ian from @AnaLiffey today checking in on people, spreading word of the @HSELive overdose warnings and handing out naloxone, a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids.

[Dr Jordan B Peterson @jordanbpeterson]

It's hard to believe
How bad this might get