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Sexuality studies to start at DCU

A NEW Masters in Sexuality Studies has been announced by Dublin City University.

DCU said it was the first university in Ireland to offer such an interdisciplinary programme.

It will begin in September, subject to final approval.

The programme is designed for

people working in education, management, healthcare, medical practice, law, human resources, media, social work and other care services.

South Africa trumpet may be hearing hazard

THE VUVUZELA has been as much a feature of the World Cup as the football itself and not always for the right reasons.

The sound from the horn-like instrument has been compared to the buzzing of a swarm of bees and they are blown non-stop at matches, drowning out the commentary and even leading the French captain, Patrice Evra, to complain that it is affecting the ability of players to communicate with each other.

Not only are the vuvuzelas a nuisance, they are a potential hearing hazard, according to Irish audiologist Keith Ross of Hidden Hearing, who said the trumpets can reach decibel levels of 127db, the equivalent noise of a jet taking off.

“For football fans attending the World Cup, they are in danger of having permanent hearing damage within just 15 minutes of being exposed to the sound levels that the vuvuzela trumpets reach,” he said. “With tens of thousands of vuvuzela trumpets being blown in the stadiums, fans are warned to wear earplugs to protect their hearing or risk a permanent buzzing sound in their ears and irreversible hearing damage.”

With their recent arrival in at least one shop in Ireland and the decision by Sainsbury’s in the UK to stock them, they may become a feature of English soccer from the start of next season unless they are banned. The move to have them banned has been led by Lionel Messi, the Argentina playmaker, along with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. However, FIFA boss Sepp Blatter said the vuvuzelas were an authentic part of the African World Cup and he did not want to “Europeanise” the tournament.

Blind man to add sailing round Ireland to his feats

A BLIND adventurer is hoping to make history by sailing two-handed around the coast of Ireland this weekend.

Mark Pollock (34) lost his sight when he was 22 when his retinas became detached but it has not stopped him taking on adventures, including running marathons at Mount Everest base camp and completing six marathons in seven days in the Gobi Desert.

He has won medals at the Commonwealth Games in rowing for Northern Ireland and became the first blind man to reach the South Pole.

Mr Pollock will be competing in the Round Ireland Yacht Race in the double-handed section with Air Corps pilot Captain Mick Liddy in their Class 40 racing yacht, Daft.com.

The race starts off Wicklow Head on Sunday and should take between four and seven days depending on weather conditions.

The pair will sail clockwise around Ireland, a distance of 1,400km. Mr Pollock will spend most of his time below deck on Daft.com, but he will perform tasks such as winching up the sails and navigating the boat while Capt Liddy takes short naps.

The pair have already sailed the boat from France to Ireland and are confident of not just competing, but winning the race.

“We believe we have a real chance,” said Mr Pollock.

The biggest challenge will be sleep deprivation which makes it different and harder in some ways than what I have done before. Going without much sleep for six days is going to push us to the limit.”