A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Over 500 expected to go for Sligo 'Dip in the Nip'
FIVE HUNDRED people, mostly women, will strip naked to dash into the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday for what’s become known as Ireland’s third annual “Dip in the Nip” to raise funds in the battle against cancer.
For the first time, the dip will be named to honour a cancer patient who took part in the first one in 2009, posed naked with a pink feather boa for a commemorative calendar, but died before she could take part in another one.
Mona Heneghan’s daughter, Maire Ivanna, who shared the naked splash when 180 women took part in the first dip at Lissadell, Co Sligo, said this week she was “bursting with pride” that her mother’s name had been honoured with this year’s campaign.
Ms Heneghan, a mother of five from Tourmakeady, Co Mayo, battled cancer from 2002 until her death last year.
Maire Ivanna, a teacher in Corofin, Co Galway, this week recalled how her mother maintained a positive attitude despite constant medical treatment during her last eight years.
The first dip was organised in strict secrecy because organiser Maire Garvey wanted to persuade as many people as possible to take part and she wanted to ensure it wouldn’t be spoiled by “peeping Toms”.
This Saturday’s event – with women and men splashing in at separate nearby locations somewhere in Co Sligo – aims to raise €100,000.
The beneficiaries of this year’s plunge will be the Irish Cancer Society, the haematology and oncology department in Sligo General Hospital, and Drogheda Cancer Research and Education Trust.
See dipinthenip.eu
Campaign targets risk of infections from sport
A NEW health awareness campaign being launched today aims to help people involved in sport to avoid the threat of preventable infections such as hepatitis B and tetanus.
The initiative titled I nfections in Sport . . . Prevention is Keyraises awareness of the many infections that can be acquired and highlights the importance of focusing on safe practices among athletes, their coaches and first aiders.
Central to the campaign is a new sports health booklet which has been endorsed by IRFU, FAI, GAA and the Irish Hockey Association.
It addresses a series of infections that can be acquired through track and field activities, including blood-borne ones such as hepatitis B , and other infections such as tetanus.
Sponsored by pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur MSD, the guide provides advice on practical preventative measures that can be taken.
Although the incidence of blood-borne infection in sport is low, there are a number of ways they can be acquired during sporting activities.
These include person-to-person contact, exposure to infected blood or bodily fluids, or from the use of unsterilised equipment or sports activity areas.
Infections can also be spread by having infected blood or other bodily fluids splashed into the mouth, eyes or nose, or onto an open cut or cracked skin.
The booklet will be available on the websites of all endorsing bodies and at irishsportscouncil.ie. Copies will be available in student unions and GAA, rugby and soccer clubs nationwide.
Call for unwanted computer games
THE JACK Jill Foundation announced a new games recycling initiative at the charity’s Family Fun Day in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. People can donate unwanted computer games, no more than three years old, including Wii, Xbox/Xbox 360, Ps2 and Ps3, DS/DSi/3DS and PSP. Jack Jill already raises money through recycling old mobile phones to fund its national home nursing care model. Games can be posted free of charge to: Jack Jill, Freepost, PO Box 7958, Dublin 11.