It has often been said in the past couple of years that you can find anything you want on the World Wide Web. The people saying this were not, in general, trying to be complimentary about the new medium. If anything, a lot of them would have been seeking to decry something they had little or no experience of. Modern-day Luddites, perhaps.
Nevertheless, they had a point. There is hardly a day goes by that I am not surprised at what you can find on the web. And, mostly, the new discoveries are good and interesting sites. For Irish parents, the number of helpful sites seems to be growing on a weekly basis. And if you know of one you think should be included, let me know by emailing or writing to the address below.
The Irish Countrywomen's Association dates from 1910 and has a reputation in some quarters for being old-fashioned. Aiming to improve the standard of rural and urban life, the ICA has about 1,000 guilds and now also has one fine website (www.icwa.ie).
While its traditional fields of arts and crafts, agricultural science, domestic science, social studies and music are well covered here, it may come as a surprise to some that issues such as family counselling, drug abuse, schizophrenia, cancer and meningitis are covered in a very sensitive and intelligent manner.
The advice and information given in all cases is common sense and easily followed. It is also not a bit afraid to tell it like it is. It has, for instance, this to say on the use of sunbeds or sun lamps: "These may in fact have extremely detrimental effects on your skin and are not recommended."
A well designed and well-worth-visiting site.
Unlike the ICA, the Irish Multiple Births Association is young but, in common with the ICA, it is one with an eye on the future. To this end, they are already on the web at http://homepages.iol.ie/erogers/imba.htm. Their objectives are to improve services and to act as advocates for parents and their families of twins, triplets and higher multiples. As they say themselves, "the births of multiples can be exciting, overwhelming and sometimes frightening."
The very existence of such an organisation is a boon to firsttime multiple-birth parents, but the fact that they are on the web means that not having a huge number of local branches does not hamper their efforts to help each other out. The site is rudimentary in its scope at the moment, but that, no doubt, will change in time. (See also page 5, `Real Work'.)
The Irish Girl Guides Association (www.iol.ie/igg1/) has a good site which covers Ladybird Guides (ages five to seven ), Brownies (six-and-a-half to 11 year olds), Guides (10 to 14-and-a-half ), and Senior Branch (for 14-and-a-half and older).
Its home page invites the visitor to "Discover what it's like to be part of a movement of 10 million people who look different to you, eat different food, speak different languages, but all think the same way as you do." It is a summation of part of the Girl Guide philosophy, but could also act as something of a web motto. A site worth seeing for anyone who has a daughter, granddaughter or niece interested in joining the guides.
