Christmas is LESS than a week away, so naturally we've complied the things you'll probably encounter over the festive period.
Deep breathes lads, grab a drink and see how many you and your mates relate to on this list.
Sure, it wouldn't be an Irish Crimbo without them.
1. The relative that asks you what 'Santa got you' even though you're 25 – and don't forget the wink if there’s a child around.
2. Hiding Roses wrappers – you have no idea how many you've managed to eat without vomiting and you're hiding the wrappers of shame from the fam.
3. Being woken up to go to early mass or trying to stay awake for midnight mass – and the church is always freezing, WHY?
4. Having to fake liking a gift – they've no clue what you're into or what you like and haven't bothered to find out. This one will definitely be re-gifted, thanks Linda.
5. Getting to the age when gifts of socks and shower gel are exciting presents – sure, we can't afford the luxuries anymore when we are forking out an arm and half for rent in Dublin.
6. Your siblings that have well and truly moved out of the house are back for the Christmas period and this means war. Reverting back to childhood roles and fighting over the remote is just a rite of passage.
7. Board games are broken out and they start off well, until someone gets WAY too drunk, starts a fight or storms off.
8. It wouldn't be Christmas without your drunk uncle singing RA songs in the corner.
9. The unwanted comments on your fashion choices – "that skirt is a bit short, did you forget your trousers?" "Are you not cold wearing that?" "Do you know you have holes in your jeans?" – EYE ROLL.
10. Trying to find your glass of wine; It's come to that time in the evening when everyone is tipsy and nobody knows who's glass is whose.
11. You've been looking forward to your FAVE soap Christmas special all year. The writers are going ALL out and the plot is just divine…and then you have that one person who has never seen an episode since last Christmas asking who every character is – breathe, just breathe.
12. It isn't a family gathering without this question and we suggest a shot of bourbon every time it's asked – DO YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND YET? When the answer to that question is you have a better relationship with wine than the male species – just smile and walk away.
13. It wouldn't be the silly season without the grandparents being slightly racist – just look at the ground, deep breathes.
14. Spicy comments about any of this year's referendums – my body, my choice, Declan – don't start.
15. Or any political comments that you just don't have the strength to argue about after a year of working your ass off at work.
16. Same conversation again and again – yes I'm still single, yes I'm still working there, yes, nothing has changed.
17. Having to watch the Angelus bells on RTE, although you have no religious beliefs, but you know your mother is watching and she'll disown you otherwise.
18. The one relative that always loses or misplaced their glasses – cue the entire room looking for them, when they realise they were sitting on them in whole time.
19. The person who said they aren't drinking but ends up getting hammered.
20. The hungover person: the one who was way too ambitious with the drink on Christmas eve, and they're trying not to vomit as they force the Christmas dinner down.
21. Waking up at crack of dawn for the Christmas sales, being abused by the crazy crowds for a bargain and then being shamed by the family for going out on the holy days and ruining tradition.
22. Acting surprised as money from the Christmas card falls into your lap – ah, Jesus that's a lovely card Mary, OOHH and€50 too – ah you shouldn't have.
There are few better ways to spend a Sunday afternoon than a spontaneous cross-country day trip, and with so many fantastic destinations dotted around this little island of ours, there's no reason to ever be stuck for something to do on your day off.
Ireland is bursting with pockets of cultural, scenery and heritage just begging to be explored, and seeing as most of them will only cost you the price of petrol money or bus fare, it'd be rude not to, really.
Here's our top five picks:
1. Glencar Waterfall
Situated near the Leitrim-Sligo border, Ireland's most beautiful waterfall flows from a height of 50ft and once served as inspiration for the William Butler Yeats poem, The Stolen Child.
The relaxed atmosphere offers the perfect escape from urban life and is a popular day trip destination for families, couples and friends alike.
There are picnic and café facilities available on site, as well as ample parking and tranquillity for days.
Easily accessible from all corners of the country, the Lakelands Lough Derg are absolutely bursting with scenery and heritage just waiting to be discovered.
Located between the counties of Clare, Tipperary and Galway, the lake offers a huge variety of water activities including stand up paddling, sailing, cruising canoeing and fishing.
And for those of you who don't fancy getting wet, there are plenty of scenic walking routes to explore and local food to be sampled.
One of Ireland's most beautiful 'hidden' beaches, this small stretch of golden sand is completely enclosed by a sloping hillside, making it the perfect spot for some serious rest and relaxation… well once you get down the hill, of course.
There are a handful of parking spaces available, however, if you're not lucky enough to nab one of these, you'll need to continue your journey on foot.
The steep descent does require some hard work, and you'll probably fall more than once, but hey, it'll all be worth it when you get a glimpse of that breathtaking ocean view.
Created between the years of 1906 – 1910, the world famous Japanese Gardens were laid out by Japanese gardeber Tass Eida and his son Minoru.
Designed to symbolise the 'Life of Man', the gardens offer vistors a uniquely peaceful experience as they stroll through the seamless fusion of Eastern and Western cultures.
Oh, and if you fancy a bit of retail therapy to go along with all the soul searching, Kildare Village is just a 4 minute drive away – just saying.
Penneys is officially open again. It feels like a decade has passed since we stepped foot inside every Irish gals favourite shop, but the countdown is officially over. Hundreds queued up outside Penneys this morning and we don't blame them.
We've been longing for a fresh pair of Disney pyjamas, a five-pack of knickers and some bobby pins for far too long.
If, like us, you've yet to brave the queues then let us re-jog your memory, here are 10 things that always happen every time we go on a Penneys shopping spree.
1. You skip down the road super excited about the prospect of buying at least ten new things
2. You eye up a fab new dress but you spot someone else has their eye on it too…
3. You pick up the pace and grab it as soon as you can – WE WIN!
4. Everything is SO CHEAP!
5. The crowds are starting to get to you now…
6. You trip over a shoe lying idle in the jumper section and begin to think your shopping trip is over
7. You go to pay and realise you spent way more money than you meant too…
8. You’re on the bus home and realise you forgot to get the Penneys essentials like hair bobbins, bobby clips and socks…damn.
9. Nevertheless, the joy you feel when you get home and lay out your new items cannot be matched
10. You try on everything you bought and put on a fashion show for your extremely jealous sisters
Christmas Day is almost here but I feel like all anyone is thinking about is whether their online deliveries will arrive on time or what time Penneys closes at on Christmas Eve.
As a child, my fondest Christmas memories are of my parents and their friends singing along to Slade in the kitchen, decorating the tree with my little sisters and bickering over who will put the star on top, visiting my Nanny’s house and revelling in the fact that we could eat chocolate before dinner.
The last thing I think of are the gifts. Don’t get me wrong, I nearly keeled over with joy when a Sylvanian Families Brick Oven Bakery was under the tree one Christmas, but nowadays the most wonderful time of the year is all about shopping.
Christmas is starting to revolve around Amazon deliveries, late night shopping and taking the perfect photo of the tree for Instagram.
We’ve forgotten the fact that spending hundreds on gifts isn’t the true meaning of Christmas.
We have been conditioned to think this way so let me remind you of the things that truly matter at Christmas time.
Waking up on Christmas morning and hugging your Mam.
Singing along to Wham as you drive home with your Dad.
Swooning over Jude Law in The Holiday with your sisters.
That first sip of Butler’s Hot Chocolate on a cold December evening.
Catching the Father Ted Christmas special and quoting the entire thing.
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree, literally.
Helping the men of the family wrap their presents on the sly.
Stopping to listen to carol singers on Grafton Street.
The smell that hits you as you open the first tin of Roses.
Dancing around the kitchen to Mariah Carey with your best friends.
Pints in your local pub on Christmas Eve.
Fluffy roast potatoes that make you drool.
Laughing as you struggle to fit the turkey in the oven: “It didn’t look that big in the butchers.”
Receiving Christmas cards from family who won’t make it home for Christmas
Seeing the baffled look on your cat/dog’s face when they see the tree for the first time
Saying ‘Merry Christmas’ to the bus driver
Your Nanny’s red cheeks after one too many glasses of mulled wine.
Sharing stories about the loved ones who are no longer around for Christmas.
Pretending your Grandad didn’t fall asleep after dinner: “I was just resting my eyes.”
Watching Santa leave the North Pole on the news, no matter what age you are.
Driving around and looking at all the Christmas lights in your hometown.
Trying to find out which one of your cousins keeps putting empty wrappers in the tin of Celebrations.
The most wonderful time of the year is here and there’s no place we’d rather celebrate than home. There’s something so special about Ireland at Christmas time and Deliveroo has reminded us of that.
They gathered up a list of the country’s top Christmas traditions and all our favourites made the list, including the Late Late Toy Show.
Deliveroo’s survey highlights that six of Ireland’s fifteen most popular festive traditions that inspire the most Christmas spirit revolve around food and drink.
Top 15 Traditions that inspire the most Christmas Spirit:
Christmas decorations
The Late Late Toy Show
Christmas adverts
Festive coffees
Mince pies
Christmas songs
Christmas sandwiches
Receiving the first Christmas card
Christmas markets (at home and abroad)
Christmas dinners
Glass of Bailey’s
Opening the first window of an Advent Calendar
Festive crisps and dips
Carol singers
Christmas filters on Snapchat and Instagram
Food will be as important as ever this year, as the average Irish person will consume 6 slices of smoked salmon, 2 glasses of Bailey’s, 4 Christmas sandwiches, 6.5 mince pies, 2.5 glasses of mulled wine, 2 Christmas dinners, 11 Brussel Sprouts and 1 potato croquette.
When do we start to get those Festive Feels? The research reveals that almost one in three (32%) start to feel festive at their first Christmas party. While 27 percent say that the turning of the calendar to December 1st prompts their feelings of festivity. Almost one in five Irish adults (19%) say that the Late Late Show kicks off the festivities, followed by receiving the first Christmas card (12%) and seeing the Christmas lights being turned on (8%).
Based on our favourite parts of Christmas, Ireland is a traditional bunch. Food and drink were voted as the favourite parts of Christmas, time off work follows. Perhaps surprisingly, people held more favour with attending Christmas Mass and services than receiving Christmas gifts.
We think it is one of the best! The magnificently restored Georgian estate in County Meath, is also celebrating 10 years of delivering truly unique, exclusive weddings and events to guests from Ireland and overseas. To mark the occasion, Clonabreany House has launched its ‘A Passion for Provenance’ menu celebrating the very best of seasonal, Irish produce and its continued commitment to local suppliers. The stunning setting of Clonabreany House, which led to it being chosen as the location for The Great Irish Bake Off in 2013, is complimented by the highest quality, bespoke service ensuring that this beautiful venue is constantly in high demand. The quality of the food at Clonabreany House and the team’s commitment to local suppliers, is undoubtedly one of its key differentiating factors.
The 'A Passion for Provenance' menu celebrates Clonabreany's commitment to Irish produce and the valuable relationships that the team has developed with local suppliers which includes sourcing fresh fruit and vegetables from Grange Farm in Trim, breakfast products from Doherty Craft Butchers in Kells and the highest quality beef from CR Tormey's farm in Kilbeggan.
Executive chef Simon Mooney’s menu also celebrates award-winning produce from all over Ireland, such as Goatsbridge trout, Velvet Cloud cheese and yoghurt, Wild Irish Foragers preserves and syrups, and Highbank Orchards apple cider, balsamic vinegar and pink apple juice, to name just a few.
Simon commented: “At Clonabreany House we utilise the finest, seasonal ingredients to ensure that every guest has a wonderfully memorable dining experience. We take particular pride in meeting guest’s individual dietary requirements, whether that’s vegan, vegetarian or a preference for plant-based, we strive to deliver a top-level restaurant experience for every guest.”
Mary O’Neill, General Manager, Clonabreany House commented: “Our food offering has always been an integral part of the unique Clonabreany House experience. We’re delighted to mark our 10th birthday with the launch of this new menu. We look forward to welcoming and celebrating with many more happy guests in the future.”
The opening of Clonabreany House in 2009 marked the unveiling of a 10-year restoration project of the 18th century land master house and adjoining courtyard, which received an Ellison Award from An Taisce for excellence in conservation. Guests celebrating at Clonabreany House have exclusive use of the beautiful buildings, which can cater for groups of 220 and accommodation for 90 guests, with further accommodation options available in the local area and neighbouring towns.
The hugely successful private wedding and event venue is a key employer in the area, and generates significant business for other suppliers in the wider area such as florists, photographers, musicians etc. on an ongoing basis.
Gardaí in Dún Laoghaire are seeking the public’s assistance in locating the whereabouts of 14-year-old Emma McAlinden who was last seen this morning, Thursday, November 7, 2019 at approximately 9am.
When last seen Emma was walking in the area of Shanganagh Park, Shankill. Emma is described as being 5' 5" in height, slim build with long red hair and brown eyes.
Emma was wearing her school uniform which is a grey jumper, grey and red pin stripe skirt, black jacket and carrying a black school bag.
Gardaí and Emma’s family are very concerned for her whereabouts.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Dún Laoghaire Garda Station on 666 5000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
A man in his twenties remains in custody after the body of a boy was found in Limerick on Sunday evening.
Gardaí discovered the body of a boy, believed to be 11-years-old, in the Ballynanty area of Limerick City.
The young boy was found with numerous injuries shortly after 7pm. He was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.
Gardaí arrested a man in his 20s after finding the boy. He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Henry Street Garda Station.
They stated that they’re investigating all of the circumstances of the boy’s death.
The scene is preserved for a forensic and technical examination. The State Pathologist will carry out a preliminary examination later today.
Research from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has presented results on the graduates who are most likely to find a job after college.
Naturally, we were curious and had to check out the scores. Unsurprisingly, creative work seems fairly sparse *sighs*.
As it turns out, teachers are the most likely to find a job after they graduate, with over 93 percent of recent education grads finding employment within nine months of finishing their course.
The HEA's research found that graduates in areas such as health and welfare (87 percent), ICT (82 percent) and engineering (82 percent) had especially high employment outcomes.
Nearly 80 percent of third-level students secured work within nine months of graduating, which is good news.
The HEA found that students who studied subjects like philosophy and literature were the LEAST likely to be employed…sorry to all those deep thinkers and bookworms out there.
Anyone who completed their arts and humanities studies were actually among the highest percentages who embarked on further study, at 24 percent.
The study involved 29,000 participants who graduated back in 2017, and found that teaching grads are one of the best paid. Their starting salaries mostly came in at €30-€35,000.
The average salary of full-time graduates in employment was €33,574. The HEA's Valerie Harvey said that those who complete further study are the most employable.
She commented on the research, saying that; "The overwhelming majority of all graduates are working and as you move through the levels of educational attainment higher numbers are in employment."
She continued, "So we found that 75 percent of honours degree, 86 percent of post-graduate taught and 91 percent of postgraduate research graduates are in employment."
78 percent of those participants surveyed are working or due to begin a job, and 14 percent of those surveyed are in training or further education.
A further five percent are searching for work, and the remainder are in "further activities", like travelling the world or saving the turtles. Apparently, 90 percent of those who graduate find a job in Ireland. That one surprised us, alright.
The sunny weather has finally made an appearance and we can’t help but daydream about summer adventures. Spending the summer in New York sounds perfect, but unfortunately, our bank accounts are stopping that dream from coming true.
Luckily, there are plenty of places to visit around the Emerald Isle that are perfect if you’re in need of some time away from reality.
There's one place you must visit this summer and it’s the charming town of Clonakilty, Co.Cork. The West Cork town is one of the nicest parts of the county with the stunning Inchydoney Beach, snug pubs, plenty of dinky cafes and dozens of historical sites including Michael Collins House.
Once you arrive in the colourful and vibrant town you’ll never want to leave. The locals and their cheery disposition will make you feel like you’ve lived there your entire life.
There are plenty of hidden gems in Clonakilty that will make your trip all the more memorable.
1: Cafe On The Lane
This quirky spot is hidden down Spillers Lane, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets. The cafe is covered in bunting and fairy lights, with fresh flowers donning every table. The main seating area is full of mismatched, vintage furniture that adds to the character of the place. Treat yourself to a croissant or a brownie and a cup of coffee and listen to Elvis play on the cafe's record player.
2: Cycle around Clon
Clonakilty is the first rural community to offer a bike rental scheme. There’s no better way to see the glorious town than cycling around Clonakilty, especially when the sun is shining. The Clonakilty Bike Scheme even shares advice on how to cycle safely on West Cork roads. Cycle out to Long Strand, which is only 20 minutes away from the town. Take in the breathtaking scenes and breathe in that fresh sea air.
3: Pints in Scannells
This gastropub is the heart of the town, known as the small pub with the big garden, you just have to visit Scannells for a quick pint and a bite to eat. You’ll struggle to leave the pub with the infectious atmosphere and assortment of live music, from jazz to trad, Scannells has something for everyone.
4: A bookworm’s paradise
The Children’s Project charity shop may just look like every other charity shop, but once you go upstairs you’ll be greeted by mountains and mountains of books. The second floor of the shop is a bookworm's idea of heaven. They have shelves full of best-sellers, horror tales, young adult novels, well-loved classics, popular chick-lit books more. You’ll go in for a quick browse and end up leaving the shop hours later with bags full of books.
Clonakilty is the perfect place to visit if you need to escape to the country, especially when the sun is shining!
Coca-Cola hosted their inaugural Melodic Wood area at All Together Now festival in Waterford, purely to create an atmospheric chill-out zone.
The area centred solely around sustainability and was an immersive experience thanks to the electronic music supplied by rising Irish music duo; Prizm.
Those at the festival who were drinking cans were encouraged to bring them along to be pressed into leaves for the installation, with Coca-Cola commissioning native trees in Waterford alongside Native Woodland Trust.
Coca-Cola has donated €10,300 towards the commissioning of 412 native trees to be planted in Waterford, following the success of the Melodic Wood area and it's hypnotic lights show.
The Native Woodland Trust are Ireland’s only organisation with a sole focus on preserving our ancient woodlands, and it's hard to believe that they're the only ones.
We chatted to Prizm as well as the Native Woodland trust about their time in the Melodic Wood, and the importance of Ireland's forests at this critical time in the planet's environmental history.
Prizm are an up and coming electronic duo comprised of Ivan Nicholas and producer Aidan Bond, alumni of the Sound Training College in Temple Bar.
Their intricate knowledge of sound, coupled with their varied instrumental experience leads to standout performances. Their first headline show is set for later this year, and they're scheduled to play a string of festival performances and gigs this year.
We were dying to ask them about their Melodic Wood gig, which acted as a useful yet artistic recycling hub for festival goers.
The Wood's eight trees were all created from recycled materials, with the area forming part of the Native Woodland Trust's wider World Without Waste initiative. World Without Waste commits to collect and recycle the equivalent of every can or bottle that they sell by 2030.
We quizzed them on everything from their first meeting to their involvement in the environmental project;
How do you think your music fuses with nature?
For the song we wrote for Coca-Cola’s Melodic Wood at All Together Now 2019, part of the request was to incorporate nature sounds, we used wind and rustling trees in the intro of the track, and it worked really nicely.
How did you both meet, and when did you decide to become a duo?
We were working in the same place and got talking about music and quickly realized we both wrote and produced music. We strangely had the same vision for a project, so it kicked off from there.
What are your thoughts on Ireland’s attitude to sustainability?
It’s going in the right direction, small things like cardboard straws are a good start but it’s obviously a global problem, you have to start somewhere at the same time.
Why are you named ‘Prizm’?”
In optics, a prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. At least two of the flat surfaces must have an angle between them. “ We are part of the two… it made sense for us musically and we just both totally agreed on the name.
How did you become involved with the Melodic Wood and All Together Now?
We put our song forward and Coca-Cola loved it.
How do you think Ireland’s music scene can become more eco-friendly and sustainable?
Taking home your tents and cleaning up after yourself is simple and makes a huge difference.
Do you think music has the power to encourage people to focus on climate breakdown and the environment?
No, people have the power.
What are your hopes for the future of your music?
We want to release our debut song and work towards an album. Our live show is very important to us, we want to be a touring band.
What would be your dream gig to play?
Closing out a big festival. Our shows will have all the right ingredients to bring you back to life.
Prizm seem like the ideal artists to have played the Melodic Wood, as All Together Now have been an eco-focused festival from the beginning.
The band too share an interest in reducing their carbon footprint, and we were intrigued to hear what the Native Woodland Trust had to say about the installation.
The Native Woodland Trust is the only environmental organisation in Ireland with a focus on saving the last of Ireland's Ancient Woodlands, now down to as little as 0.1 percent of what originally existed.
The Trust is also the only Irish environmental organisation which has raised the funding to acquire and save some of these woodlands while also planting thousands of trees every year. The Trust now manages 11 woodlands and nature reserves across Ireland, from Donegal to Waterford.
We were delighted to be contacted by Coca-Cola to provide new trees to complement their recycling concept. The Native Woodland Trust is the only non-profit in Ireland with a network of nature reserves where we plant new woodlands, so we were able to commit to planting new trees for Coca-Cola as part of the Melodic Wood initiative which comes under their World Without Waste global strategy.
Can you tell us a bit about Ireland’s Ancient Woods?
Ireland’s Ancient Woodlands are those that have been in continuous existence since at least 1650 – this means that they predate most imports of trees and are directly descended from the primeval forests that once covered almost all of Ireland. They are the most biodiverse habitats we have and are often home to rare and unusual species.
What do you think Ireland’s woodland will look like in 30 years?
A few things will change – but gradually. We will continue to lose our old and ancient woodlands – they are not all protected and the protection is poorly policed. We will also lose some more species – some perhaps due to climate change – and gain some too – especially insects and birds. But our Ash trees, which is one of the most common trees in the country and famously used to make hurleys, will become as rare as Elm trees are today.
What would happen if Ireland lost its woodland and nature reserves?
We would lose a huge part of our cultural and environmental heritage. Trees and woods were a significant part of Gaelic culture – with even our native Ogham alphabet having its letters twinned with the different trees of the forest. We would also lose our connection to the original primeval forests of Ireland – which once were thronged with bears and wolves and were the source of many myths and legends. And of course, we would lose biodiversity in a very significant way.
What worries you the most about climate breakdown?
On a small island like Ireland, many species will not have the ability to simply move north – so we may lose some species. Higher temperatures and changing weather patterns may also add stress to various habitats, like woodlands and make them more prone to damage and disease. Climate change may very well alter the composition of our woodlands and change the face of our countryside.
How sustainable do you think Ireland’s festivals are?
They’re clearly improving hugely and its clearly part of the ethos of just about every festival now. Most festivals also now invite environmental groups to have a stand or kiosk, which is a great way to get our messages across to people and to allow them to actually engage with us in ways that we can’t do on social media or email.
What does the Native Woodland Trust hope to achieve in the future, what are its aims?
We are also trying to prevent the loss of any more Ancient Woodland. We only have approximately 0.1 percent of those woodlands left – so 99.9 percent have been cut down, and yet now in the 21st century, we’re still losing some of what’s left. We would ultimately like to be able to plant a huge new forest – thousands of acres, which could make a really meaningful difference to people of wildlife.
How can we help the Native Woodland Trust?
There are lots of ways to help – join as a member, sponsor some trees – as presents, to offset your carbon or just because you want to. Come and volunteer with us – especially if you live near one of our reserves, there’s always lots of work to get involved with. If you run a company or work for one who will listen – get them to take out a corporate sponsorship with us.
Are businesses and specific corporations causing the most issues regarding the conservation of our landscapes?
Obviously agriculture and industry has a huge impact – but we as individuals are consuming these outputs and as a species, humanity needs to change its very wasteful behaviour. If we become less wasteful, we can change the behaviour of those businesses that produce them and who use up our natural resources.
Wherever humans go, we tend to wipe out wildlife. We need to give some space back to nature and to leave it to its own devices, without human interference.
What is it about Ireland’s landscapes that makes you so inspired and passionate?
For such a small island, we have such diverse landscapes, many of them as dramatic and picturesque as anywhere in the world. Within these, there are so many wild habitats that are home to our many native plants and animals. There’s something still innately wild about Ireland and its landscapes and its always a pleasure to be outdoors in nature in Ireland.
You can watch the Melodic Wood’s All Together Now journey here –and join the conversation using #WorldWithoutWaste. To volunteer with the Native Woodland Trust, click here.
The giggles, the embarrassment and the speculation circled the classroom – a lady was on her way to teach us about sex.
Cue the dildo sitting in the centre of the table and the dodgy glances between a bunch of 17-year-old girls.
After a brief, two-sentence description on what a penis was – it was whipped away, as the woman exclaimed that we would be WAAAY too distracted by the sight of the male anatomy – b*tch, please.
Periods, pregnancy and STIs were mentioned, and that was it – that's all I can remember about my sex education in school – but it seems like I was one of the lucky ones.
Grilling the SHEmazing office about their sex ed, more often than not I got the reply of – 'we didn't get any,' 'I went to an all-girls school,' or 'there was the advice of waiting until you were married.'
I'm not gonna lie but I was stunned – but I don't know why? If you even try to talk to the majority of Irish men about periods – they're clueless, and that it isn't entirely their fault – it's the culture we've been raised with.
Shame around sex, unplanned pregnancy and masturbation are commonplace in classrooms around the country.
But the lack of sex education means that young people are missing out on serious topics too – these are just a number of topics that weren't discussed in our Irish sex education lessons.
It is only in the last couple of years has the issue of consent been raised in our society.
Yet still, people dismiss the importance of teaching men and women what is and isn't consensual sex, kissing and touching.
The word wasn't even uttered in the classroom and when the possibility of it being taught in universities arose, people scoffed.
If you do have the opportunity to go and learn about consent, please do.
Porn
God forbid that the 'expert' stood at the top of the room might address the issue of what you see in porn.
But we could only imagine the looks and dismissal you would receive if you even try to ask the question.
Yet the porn industry is a problem for young men and women around the country – leading to very high, misinformed expectations and unreasonable pressure around sex for both parties.
More often than not, both genders feel like their body and performances can't live up to what they see on porn – and FYI, the reason for that is because porn isn't reality.
Unplanned Pregnancy, Miscarriage, The Morning After Pill, Abortion and Fertility issues
Usually, the pregnancy topic is approached from a very unrealistic standpoint – "when you find yourself a nice husband, you can settle down and have a baby."
I know first hand what unplanned pregnancy feels like and I can confirm that none of my sex ed helped me prepare myself for how scary and challenging the situation was.
There's no information offered surrounding the morning after pill, the time window you have to use it and how effective it is.
And of course, because abortion was illegal – it wasn't even dared to be uttered.
However, the topic of miscarriage could and should have been spoken about, so if you ever find yourself in this heartbreaking situation, you know what to do and what to expect – to know that you aren't alone and you haven't done anything wrong in your pregnancy.
Fertility issues are very common in our society, particularly conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome – yet we weren't given any information about the signs, symptoms and treatments available.
Contraception and STIs
Though some of us got the condom on the banana job – most of us didn't get a good understanding of what types of different options we have out there.
What the side effects come with different contraceptives, how effective they may or may not be and how crucial double protection is – (I now have a four-year-old thanks to this).
And although some of us got to grips with STDs and STIs, it was with a lot of stigma instead of real advice.
Education and being comfortable with the subject is becoming more and more important as there had been a 10 percent increase in STIs from 2016 to 2017.
Empowerment of personal sexuality, masturbation and sexual orientation
Want to learn that it's perfectly healthy to explore your body, mind and sexuality? Then don't go to your sex ed class in school.
More often than not, these subjects aren't even touched.
Enjoying sex, masturbation and those we chose to love should be embraced and not shamed, since in the real world the majority of people don't give a flying f**k.
No LGBT or LGBTQ organisations were even mentioned or how normal it is to be attracted to the same sex.
