Smashing Times Theatre Company

Photo: Eoin Kirwan

Seán Crudden stands up to speak from the gallery at the SmashingTimes Theatre Seminar for Dialogue and Training.  The theme of the seminar was, “Women: Peacemakers or Agitators.”

The seminar took place in The Táin Theatre, Jocelyn Street, Dundalk, on Friday 8 March 2013 and Saturday 9 March 2013.  Seán participated on both days and had a whale of a time.  Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD attended on Saturday and found the going tough.

The underlying methodology was based on the principles of “Theatre of The Oppressed.”

The seminar was part of the Acting for Peace Project funded by the International Fund for Ireland.

The centre piece of the seminar was a solo bravura performance by Cathy White of the play, “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” written by Paul Kennedy.  Cathy and Paul took part on Saturday in a post show discussion and improvisation involving 2 facilitators, Idan Meir and Chrissie Poulter, as well as all those attending the seminar; about 50 souls in all.

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Seán Meets Erik

On the weekend of Sunday 24 February 2013 Erik Olsen, chairperson of ENUSP (European Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry), attended a conference in The Gibson Hotel, Dublin.  The conference was a plenary organised by EDF (European Disability Forum).  Seán Crudden, secretary, IMPERO, visited Erik on Sunday afternoon where Erik was staying in Jury’s Inn, Parnell Street.  The two individuals engaged in a hearty chin-wag for an hour or two before Erik caught his plane home.

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Spring 2013 Interim Meeting, The Old Schoolhouse, Bellurgan

The interim meeting took place in the old schoolhouse, Bellurgan, on an arctic easterly dry afternoon, 23 February 2013.  The meeting which lasted less than an hour commenced at 14.00.

Apologies from Joan Hardy, mentor, and Michael Farrelly, vice-chairperson.

Attendance: Anne M. Muldowney,chairperson; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD Ph D, joint treasurer; Kevin McGeough, joint treasurer; Seán Crudden, secretary.

The secretary read his journal for 21/22/23/24 January 2013 the time he attended the European Patients’ Forum seminar in Hotel Bloom, Brussels.  The theme of the seminar was around eHealth.  There were no comments on the reading.

The meeting decided unanimously that Seán Crudden, on behalf of IMPERO, should continue to participate in the UN on-line consultations about “The World We Want 2015.”

The result of last year’s IMPERO application for ECOSOC consultative status with the UN should come out later on this year.

The Cooley Environmental and Health Group’s winter workshop “Mental Health: Peers in Progress” held on 26 January 2013 was well attended, up to standard, helpful to IMPERO.  The chairperson drew attention to a peer initiative in The Community School, Tralee, Co Kerry.  It was resolved to request Michael Corrigan whose paper to the workshop was impressive to handle the  Peers in Progress initiative on behalf of IMPERO.  The feeling of the meeting was that we should start close to home by consulting Co. Louth VEC.

It was decided to try to make an application to The Community Foundation for Ireland for funding to run an educational project on Stigma.

Reporting on the affairs of the joint policing committee for North Louth and Dundalk the Archbishop called for more constructive meetings.

The meeting approved the secretary’s initiative and discussions with Sinéad Fearon of Co. Louth VEC concerning an adult education proposal.

The secretary informed the meeting that he had a phone call before lunch from Erik Olsen, chairperson of ENUSP.  Erik was calling from The Gibson Hotel, Dublin, where he is attending an event organised by the European Disability Federation.  Erik is staying in Jury’s Hotel, Parnell Street.

Seán and the Archbishop will attend a Smashing Times drama school, 8/9 March 2013, in the Town Hall, Dundalk.  The theme of the school is the question whether women are victims or agitators?

The nomination of Dermot Mooney for election to the disability pillar of Co. Louth Community and Voluntary Forum was approved.

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EU Membership: Ireland 40 Years On

A conference and lunch organised jointly by European Economic and Social Committee’s various interests group and European Movement Ireland took place on Friday 1 February 2013 in Castleknock Hotel & Country Club, Porterstown Road, Castleknock, Dublin 15.  The title of the conference was “Ireland 40 Years On: the benefits, opportunities and challenges of EU membership.”  Pictured below at the conference, Seán Crudden, secretary, IMPERO; and Noelle O’Connell, Executive Director, EM Ireland.

The conference was sponsored by Bord Bia (Irish Food Board).  Among the speakers were Joan Burton T.D., Minister for Social Protection and Mairéad McGuinness MEP.  The first thematic session, “The costs and consequences of a non-Europe,” was chaired and moderated by Eileen Dunne, International President of the Association of European Journalists, newscaster with RTE.

EPF eHealth Seminar; Hotel Bloom, Brussels, 23 January 2013

The European Patients’ Forum seminar was subtitled “The way towards large-scale deployment of eHealth: where do patients stand?”

The final speaker at the forum who presented on the topic “Setting up a multi-stakeholder platform on eHealth” was Elena Bonfiglioli of Microsoft.  She is pictured below with Seán Crudden, secretary, Irish Mental Patients’ Educational and Representative Organisation (IMPERO).

The final session was chaired by Nicola Bedlington, The Director, EPF.

Autumn Interim Meeting: 13 October 2012

Autumn Interim Meeting 2012

The Autumn 2012 interim meeting of IMPERO took place in the old school, Bellurgan, Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co. Louth, at 14.00 on Saturday 13 October 2012. The meeting lasted about 1 hour.

Present: Mrs. Anne M. Muldowney, chairperson; Archbishop Michael D. Hynes OMD PhD, joint-treasurer; Joan Hardy, mentor; Seán Crudden, secretary; Eric Cuthbert.

Apologies: Edward S. Crudden; Kevin McGeough, joint-treasurer; Michael Farrelly, vice chairperson; Dermot Mooney, joint-treasurer.

The meeting opened with a prayer recited by the secretary.

Those attending watched a film profiling IMPERO. The film had the advantage that it was short. The secretary suggested that IMPERO should make use of the opportunity, if one arose, to make another short film.

The secretary reported that IMPERO has lodged an application for ECOSOC status with the UN.

The secretary reported that changes in the leadership of ENUSP are currently taking place. He will not be attending the forthcoming conference of ENUSP in Zagreb from 19 to 21 October.

The secretary undertook to organise a meeting of joint treasurers of IMPERO in the wake of the meeting of Cooley Environmental and Health Group which is slated for 25 November 2012.

It was felt that medicine is an inaccurate form of science. Practitioners are not going to rock the boat. Money is a big consideration in psychiatry. “Incorporate scientific thinking into the medical world to create a more positive outcome for the patient,” is the way the chairperson summed up the discussion.

“Mental Health: Peers in Progress,” is the title of the 13^th annual winter workshop to be run by Cooley Environmental and Health Group which will take place on 26 January 2013. The basic conundrum is, “How do you help people?” the secretary suggested. He mentioned the 5^th and 6^th Stations of The Cross: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross; Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. “Simon and Veronica are the two most loved saints in the New Testament,” Seán stated, “because the help they gave was direct, practical, uncomplicated.” Several members of IMPERO present indicated that they would be participating in the workshop

Reporting about the North Louth Joint Policing Committee of which he is a member the Archbishop, who is the IMPERO representative on the committee, mentioned contradictory statistics, unreported crime, intimidation, twisting figures. The committee meets 4 times per year in The Town Hall, Dundalk. The next committee meeting will be followed by a public meeting.

The Spring interim meeting was fixed for 14.00 on 23 February 2013 in The Old Schoolhouse, Bellurgan. It was suggested that those attending might bring some food, etc.

Secretary and Mentor Meet

Joan Hardy, mentor, and Seán Crudden, secretary; met for coffee and a short discussion in Ballymascanlon Hotel on Tuesday 7 August 2012 at 11.00.  Kevin McGeough, joint-treasurer, and Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes, joint treasurer, were both otherwise engaged and declined to attend.  Seán and Joan discussed the spate of publicity recently about mental illness, consultation and the legislative process, professional responsibility, community development, film, ECOSOC status, the interim meeting to be held in October.

Annual Assembly 16 June 2012

Minutes

Annual Assembly of IMPERO, Saturday 16 June 2012

The Strand, Omeath, Co Louth.

Agenda

1. Minutes of the previous annual assembly held in Omeath on 12 June 2011
2. Election of officers
3. Discussion of activities during the past year. See http://imperodotorg.wordpress.com
4. To read and adopt a written constitution
5. Annual account
6. Application for ECOSOC status with the UN
7. Funding
8. Human Rights
9. Strategy for 2012/2013 and beyond
10. Any other business

The assembly commenced at 14.00 immediately following a communal meal of brown bread and butter, chips, ham salad, tea, trifle and cream. The meeting which was fluent and interesting concluded at 15.20. The secretary recited grace after meals at the start of the meeting and the archbishop spoke a short extempore prayer at the end.

Present: Anne M. Muldowney, chairperson; Seán Crudden, secretary; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD, joint treasurer; Dermot Mooney, vice-chairperson; Kevin Hynes; Mary O’Shea, Omeath Active Retirement Association, delegate observer; Michael Farrelly; Kevin McGeough, joint treasurer; Eric Cuthbert.

Apologies: Joan Hardy, mentor; Edward S. Crudden

The minutes of the previous annual assembly were read aloud by the secretary and adopted on the proposal of the archbishop seconded by Dermot Mooney.

Joan Hardy will continue as mentor having been installed for a minimum of 2 years at the last annual assembly.

The secretary reported that he had visited Ita Daly in Omagh on 17 August 2011 and again on 8 June 2012. She is willing to continue as president and the assembly unanimously agreed that she should be president for the coming year.

The secretary also reported that he had visited Bishop Tom Daly’s grave in Clostohen on 31 May 2012 almost a year to the day after Tom’s funeral. He passed round a photo of the headstone.

The following team of officers suggested by the secretary was ratified for the coming year: chairperson, Anne Muldowney; vice-chairperson, Michael Farrelly; secretary, Seán Crudden; joint treasurers, Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes, Dermot Mooney, Kevin McGeough: on the proposal of Kevin Hynes seconded by Eric Cuthbert. In addition it was agreed that the others to be members of the committee of IMPERO for the coming year would be: Kevin Hynes, Eric Cuthbert, Edward S. Crudden

The secretary read out loud the written constitution he was proposing for IMPERO. It was unanimously adopted by the assembly on the proposal of the archbishop seconded by Dermot Mooney.

The secretary reported that the balance on IMPERO’s account in Ulster Bank, Dundalk, stood currently at €86.85, before today’s expenses have been discharged. Basically a zero position.

The secretary requested a written financial account for the year ending 31 May 2012 necessary to complete the application for ECOSOC status with the UN.

The chairperson stressed the urgency of fundraising and some possibilities were discussed.

The secretary tried to explain why the UNCRPD had not been fully ratified by Ireland. He pointed out that Irish Law some of it very old was not in harmony with CRPD (Convention on the rights of people with disabilities) and that laws on legal/mental capacity and The Mental Health Act 2001 would have to be reviewed and rewritten at least to some extent to bring Irish law into harmony with the convention. The secretary also read aloud a letter from Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Children inviting views on the welfare of children. The secretary pointed out that psychiatry was increasing its profile among children and he wondered if all this was compromising children’s human rights? Anne undertook to answer the minister’s survey.

There were no major decisions or suggestions on strategy. The secretary said the outing to Conca Wood golf club on Mayday this year was enjoyable and liberating. He suggested an outing to Monasterboice next Mayday with maybe a few cars or a small bus. Someone remarked that the mentally ill are not assertive and are not noticed.

The next interim meeting was fixed for Our Lady of The Wayside Church, Jenkinstown, Co. Louth, at 14.00 on 13 October 2012. The next annual assembly was fixed for the afternoon of 15 June 2013, in The Strand.

The archbishop pointed out that the annual winter workshop to be held by Cooley Environmental and Health Group on Saturday 26 January 2013 in The Strand would address the theme, “Mental Health; Peers in Progress.”

Peers in Concra Wood

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Michael Farrelly and I took a little trip to mark 1 May 2012 from his home in 19 Cherryvale, Dundalk, to Concra Wood, Castleblayney Golf Club, after lunch today, driving in my white 2010 Toyota iQ.  Michael and I have many things in common.  Although his father was from Longford, his mother from Leitrim; my father from Westmeath, my mother from Meath; Michael and I are both natives of Co. Louth, he living in Dundalk and I living in Jenkinstown on the rural outskirts of the town.  Michael is 66 and I am 68 at the present time.  He played in goals for Clan na Gael; I played in the full back line for Hunterstown Rovers: gaelic football.  Michael has two sisters, alive, and two brothers, dead.  I have 2 sisters  and 2 brothers, too, all of them still alive.  Unlike Michael, you see, I am older than all my siblings.  We shared a psychiatrist, Professor S. Desmond McGrath, in St. John of God’s in the 1970’s/1980’s and we both attend the same psychiatrist now, Dr. Geraldine Lyster, in the Ladywell Clinic, Dundalk.  Michael trained in Jury’s Hotel as a hotel manager and really enjoyed working in Canada in that business in his early years.  I am a fully qualified teacher and practised my profession for a number of years until things got too much for me.  As you know 1 May is associated with labour and the worker.  Work was the furthest thing from our minds today as we reminisced and pontificated about life.  A cold day, windy, with a hint of moisture in the air.  As you may detect from the pictures this did not deter the golfers.  Quite a few women braved the elements today.

Spring 2012 Interim Meeting, IMPERO.

The Spring 2012 interim meeting of IMPERO took place in Jenkinstown Church, on Saturday 18 February 2012, commencing at 14.00 with hymns accompanied by Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD on the church organ. The following hymns were sung

· God of Mercy and Compassion

· He Is Lord

· Soul of My Saviour.

The rest of the meeting took place in the meeting room within Our Lady of The Wayside Church from about 14.20 until 15.50.

Attendance: Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD, joint-treasurer; Seán Crudden, secretary; Mrs. Anne M. Muldowney, chairperson; Eric Cuthbert.

Apologies: Kevin McGeough, joint-treasurer; Joan Hardy, mentor; Dermot Mooney, vice-chairperson; Kevin Hynes; Teddy Crudden; Michael Farrelly.

The chairperson welcomed those present and thanked them for attending.

The secretary read a short and friendly e-mail from Gabriela Tanasan, chairperson ENUSP, with greetings and good wishes for today’s meeting

The secretary summarised the business of the previous meeting held on 29 October 2011.

The secretary read his journal for 4 days from 20 to 23 January 2012 covering his visit to Budapest to attend the ENUSP seminar on strategy and rebuilding. “It was very detailed,” the chairperson remarked afterwards.

The archbishop reported that a meeting of North Louth Joint Policing committee was slated for Monday night. He was asked to make it explicit at every opportunity that he was nominated to the committee by IMPERO. The archbishop undertook to report in writing to the secretary.

The following are some phrases from the discussion on human rights

· Declaration on Human Rights

· Formula UN

· Multi racial multi cultural society

· Above law

· Live and let live

· Entitled to live the way they please

· No compulsion

· History of person

· Psychiatric assessment

· Arrested for starters

· Who is to know?

· Doctors are perfect

· Drink

· Discrimination mental health

· Dr. and chemist in Carlingford discriminate on grounds of mental health

· Doctors have no right to discriminate

· Ways around the law

· Writing laws is no use

· What is education? Bring one to full knowledge and truth

· More truth in England than Ireland

· People must seek truth

The secretary described his recollection of the death of Saddam Hussein as he saw it on television in the White Elephant Lounge, a room in his house. He said the United Nations had sponsored recent dirty wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya. “Where is the truth in CRPD or any of their provisions about human rights?” the secretary asked. He concluded, “I have no worries about my human rights at this meeting because I am dealing with decent people.”

The secretary read an e-mail from Professor Dennis Pringle, Department of Geography, NUI Maynooth, commenting on the Peers in Progress proposal. It was encouraging but it was decided to take it easy and try to get a few people involved locally, like Michael Farrelly and Gráinne Kellet, before writing on behalf of IMPERO to the adult education department in NUI Maynooth. The Cooley Environmental and Health Group will be organising their 13^th annual winter workshop in January 2013 on the theme, “Peers in Progress.” The next Cooley Environmental and Health Group meeting is slated for 4 March 2012 starting at 10.00 in The Strand, Omeath, Co. Louth.

The IMPERO account had not been shifted from Ulster Bank to the Post Office. It was decided to let the matter rest and keep the account in Ulster Bank.

It was decided that a bus trip be organised to Concra Wood GC on 1 May 2012.

The annual assembly of IMPERO was fixed for 14.00 on Saturday 9 June 2012. Venue to be decided later. If a meal is provided it will commence at 13.00 on the day.