Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

johnfás wrote:

imokyrok wrote:

johnfás wrote:

Glad to hear you are out in Dun Laoghaire having a nice day. No place in Dublin better on a nice day.

Wouldn't be a fan of my home facing the sea though, it is all well and good on nice days but it is dire when the weather is bad.

That said, I might not get a whole lot of choice if I stick with the girlfriend given that she wants to join the RNLI .

Ah jaysus John between that and the cats maybe you need to rethink your situation. You're right about being beside the sea and bad weather. It's the rare day the wind doesn't make sitting out impossible when you live by the sea but then again the beauty and the walks make up for it. I love it.

Yup, she's a wild one...

RNLI? As in a hands-on role rather than, a la Donegal Catch, one of those office girls who say hello? I'd stick with her, she sounds exciting.

As in one of the one's who head out into the ocean in the dark in the middle of the night. She's a sailor and all that lark. You can't really do the RNLI training until you are free of all your studying commitments though nor can you do it unless you live nearby the station so you can't really commit until you are settled in life - but yes that is her plan. Training is a very expensive process for the RNLI, it costs several thousand for each of their crew, who are all volunteers and are prepared to risk their life in an instant for you or me, we should be very grateful for our lifeboats.

johnfás wrote:

As in one of the one's who head out into the ocean in the dark in the middle of the night. She's a sailor and all that lark. You can't really do the RNLI training until you are free of all your studying commitments though nor can you do it unless you live nearby the station so you can't really commit until you are settled in life - but yes that is her plan. Training is a very expensive process for the RNLI, it costs several thousand for each of their crew, who are all volunteers and are prepared to risk their life in an instant for you or me, we should be very grateful for our lifeboats.

Is she in the Irish Navy, or is the sailing done privately as in rowing, yachting and suchlike? I commend her for doing it. Volunteering to be a lifeguard in the RNLI is a major and worthwhile commitment. I will throw a few euro into the next collection bucket for them to help towards meeting those expenses.

No she does sailing privately as in yachting, big and small - is also one of the instructors for the Irish Special Olympics Sailing Team. In her other life she is doing an MSc in Speech & Language Therapy.

johnfás wrote:

No she does sailing privately as in yachting, big and small - is also one of the instructors for the Irish Special Olympics Sailing Team. In her other life she is doing an MSc in Speech & Language Therapy.

I see. Is she studying Speech & Language Therapy so as to work with special-needs people professionally?

Isn't sure what area she wants to work in with Speech Therapy yet, there are alot of areas from rehabilitation following stroke or brain injury to children with all sorts of development difficulties. Lots of areas of study, but no jobs - story of most positions in the health sector at the moment I am afriad. I have three physiotherapist friends on the dole yet there are long waiting lists in the local hospital - they even offered to work for free.

johnfás wrote:

Isn't sure what area she wants to work in with Speech Therapy yet, there are alot of areas from rehabilitation following stroke or brain injury to children with all sorts of development difficulties. Lots of areas of study, but no jobs - story of most positions in the health sector at the moment I am afriad. I have three physiotherapist friends on the dole yet there are long waiting lists in the local hospital - they even offered to work for free.

Yeah, I remember reading up on Occupational Therapy and I was half-tempted to study that. I'm not big into Medicine, but the whole area of occupational therapy fascinated me.