3.3% of the adult population in Ireland, or 130,000 people, are people with problem gambling.
An additional 7.1% of the adult population, or 279,000 people, show moderate evidence of problem gambling.
People with problem gambling, on average, spend more than €1,000 per month on gambling, accounting for 28 per cent of total spending on gambling.
Gambling Regulation Bill 2022 will provide a framework and legislative basis for a robust regulatory and licensing regime to regulate all forms of gambling.
The Gambling Regulation Bill 2022, is, at its core, a public health measure aimed at protecting citizens from gambling harm, including younger people and those more vulnerable in our communities.
The publication today of research on problem gambling, gambling behaviours and perceptions of gambling in Ireland, was carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute’s Behavioural Research Unit.
The study was commissioned through the Implementation Team supporting the establishment of a new independent statutory body called Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.
The review records that 3.3% of the adult population in Ireland, or 130,000 people, are people with problem gambling, a figure that is ten times higher than previous estimates.
Furthermore, the research finds that an additional 7.1% of the adult population, or 279,000 people, show moderate evidence of problem gambling and a further 15%, or 590,000 people, who report at least some problematic experiences or behaviours in relation to gambling.
It should be noted, the researchers point out that their study is more likely to have underestimated the prevalence of problem gambling than have overestimated it.
The research also finds that people with problem gambling, on average, spend more than €1,000 per month on gambling, accounting for 28 per cent of total spending on gambling.
The research concludes that nearly half of the gambling industry’s revenue in Ireland is generated from people experiencing multiple negative effects from gambling.
The ESRI’s research also found that:
While problem gambling is more common among adults aged under 50 (and highest in the 30-39 year age group), men and those with lower educational attainment, it is widespread, with 2.9% of women and 2.6% of people educated to degree level estimated to have problem gambling.
two-thirds of people with problem gambling stated their wish to gamble less, indicating problems with self-control.
the public, holding a generally negative attitude to gambling, believes that the availability of opportunities to gamble and exposure to gambling advertising are the main causes of problem gambling.
When I was a child and while wearing the short trousers of a child, we didn’t have DVDs or Videos or the Internet or Sky TV. But we were very far from being a bored generation. I was reminded of this the other day when the television cracked up in a certain house, and one wee boy thought the world had ended. Time was before television (B.T), when this wee lad would be far too delightfully occupied playing marbles.
Marbles – of the “Mibs” or “Glassies” or ”Beauties” variety.
Of course, we didn’t call those little, colourful objects marbles. No, we preferred to designate them “mibs” or “glassies” or ”beauties”(them of the multi-coloured variety). There were also the “lucky ones” guaranteed to take on and beat all-comers-“ironies” or “clays” and “crocks”(large multi- coloured beauts), designed to scattered all others in all directions and designed for long distance events.
There were many games of “mibs” one could play, depending on the imagination of the players, and once I played a game, starting from the Watery Mall in Thurles all the way to Holy Cross Abbey, some five miles away, in a “Mibs Marathon”. The back aches still at the very memory of it.
Admittedly, sometimes marbles were used for mischievous purposes, as when heartless, thoughtless ones used them as “ammo” for y-shaped “gallogs” of wood, with strong rubber pieces attached to the forks for catapults such as Samson (last of the judges of the ancient Israelites) might have envied and which were used to “wipe out” imaginary Japanese Pacific machine-gun nests, but sometimes succeeded in obliterating the glass in some unfortunate person’s greenhouse or their back window pane.
You can see many former marble players on a golf course today, I can assure you I could name names and reveal just how good at marbles some of my whizz-kid contemporaries were, and how their basic education in marbles lore helped them to get out and get on in this great world of ours.
Mind you, some of these genteel gents or courtly girls, would be mortified to have it bandied about that, just as they have a habit of shooting too far short of the green today, so too this had been apparent at an early age, when they were similarly off the mark at marbles. When you think of it, a former marbles man or woman who wanted to bring the game of marbles indoors must have conceived the notion of office golf. After all, the spectacle of middle-aged men or women bending down to the kerbs and flicking glassy objects under the chassis of this Volkswagen or that Opel Vectra, is not a sophisticated one; and certainly, not a pursuit to earn even one mark in relation to Health and Safety.
In my childhood, it was a boy of little standing who did not show pride in his “mibs” of whatever colour, weight or make. Indeed, many a self-made millionaire rose to prominence in the community on the strength of his accuracy with his iron beauty or clay marbles. A ‘Man of Marbles’ was one to be respected; a pillar of the community, and it was to him we went for counselling and caution on all matters that greatly affected our lives; such as hurling, swimming, comics, sweets, girl-friends (well, friends who were girls, really). The top notch marbles man had a cool, calm, collected personality, either literally or figuratively speaking. In truth, he never ever ‘lost his marbles’ about anything.
In later life I was to meet journalists, editors, army officers, mother superiors, school principals, parish priests, GAA officials and rugby/hockey secretaries; all who were able to attribute their standing in the world to an early and liberal education in marbles. And few marbles players have ended up in the clink; either they were too busy throwing marbles as kids, to end up getting into trouble, or too cute to get caught. These worldly wise marble players never let their marbles get stuck in a corner like a sitting duck or never swapped a “beauty” for an “irony”.
To this day I keep a few “glassies” around the house. They serve several purposes. For instance when I am moved to mighty madness at the unjust, unyielding, uncaring ways of the world, I take out these marbles and play a game involving flicking them into an egg cup. I imagine this egg cup is the world and the marbles neutron bombs. Wonderful game at a time of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Talk about therapy! I then return the marbles to the basket and I am happy again having removed the root, rotten cause of my moodiness. It beats throwing the laptop out the window or playing football with the telly.
I see few, if any, children playing marbles, nowadays. Such a pity. For now more than ever there’s a need for a cool and calm marbles personality to restore our sense of ‘proportion and ould style dacency’. For the life of me, I cannot imagine a fellow old school tie-wearer of the ‘Marbles Academy’ ever letting the old Marble School down. I cannot imagine a marbles woman or man up to any kind of devilment or destruction. For, deep down, they would figure it was not only ‘not cricket’, but also, more importantly, decidedly ‘not marbles’.
Tipperary and Drom and Inch senior hurling player Mr Séamus Callanan yesterday (Wednesday September 6th), has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling, following some 16 years with the Tipperary senior hurling squad.
In announcing his decision Mr Callanan stated that it had been a privilege and that he was most grateful to have had such an enjoyable career with so many truly outstanding memories.
Séamus Callanan celebrates winning the Liam MacCarthy cup in 2019, at Semple Stadium, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Photographer: John O’Loughlin, Thurles.
Mr Callanan was part of the All-Ireland winning teams of 2010 and 2016, going on to captain the squad in 2019 and celebrate winning the Liam MacCarthy cup again, following Tipperary’s win over Kilkenny in 2019; with being named Hurler of the Year, thus adding to his enumeration of four All-Star Awards.
In a statement Mr Callanan said: “I wish to thank all the Tipperary players I had the pleasure of calling my team mates since 2008. I have made lifelong friends and feel honoured to have taken to the pitch with some of the greatest hurlers who ever wore the Tipperary jersey. I am also grateful to all the managers and backroom teams who gave me so much support and guidance through the years”.
He also thanked his club, and added that he looked forward to continuing to line out for ‘Drom and Inch’ for many years to come while wishing Co. Tipperary every success for the 2024 season.
Looking for something new and an exciting experience next weekend, then read on.
Medieval archery contests, mounted swordsmanship and jousting will be showcased during the inaugural Grand Medieval Tournament at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in County Clare this coming Saturday and Sunday. [September 9th & 10th]
Reenactors from the Wexford-based Horsemen of Éire group will play the knights of the Earl of Ulster Hugh De Lacy and his bitter rival John DeCourcy as they take over the paddocks of the Folk Park.
Visitors can also experience a true to life medieval encampment and witness history come to life by meeting the characters, learning about the turbulent times, lifestyles, customs and skills of 12th and 13th century Ireland.
The two-day medieval spectacle will also afford the public a unique opportunity to witness the preparation and training required for those facing into battle and see how their customs, crafts and traditions have shaped modern society.
The tournament consists of a series of duels and feats of arms horseback and on foot where the two teams try to accumulate points. Visitors will see mounted knights joust at the quintain attempting to strike stationary objects with a lance and hurl javelins at targets, archers demonstrate their accuracy and precision by shooting at distant targets, knights duelling while mounted on their steeds, and multiple knights engaging in a fierce battle within the arena, demonstrating their swordplay, agility, and tactics.
The closing ceremony each day will feature two of the most outstanding knights facing each other in an epic duel on horseback and on foot. A panel of experienced judges will assess the participants’ skill, technique, sportsmanship, and adherence to the code of chivalry. Points are awarded for successful strikes, deft manoeuvres, and demonstrations of honour and respect. The victorious knight will be crowned the Champion of the Grand Tournament, awarded with a glittering laurel wreath, and the admiration of the crowd.
Bunratty Castle was itself the target of multiple attacks during medieval times. The castle was captured and destroyed in 1284, before being rebuilt by Thomas de Clare, Lord of Thomond, three years later.
See www.bunrattycastle.ie for more on the Grand Medieval Tournament at Bunratty Castle on September 9-10th.
Good humouredly described by someone recently, as being “A cross between a game of Ice Hockey and Murder”; yet over 80,000 spectators from home and abroad will descend on Croke Park, Dublin, on Sunday next, July 23rd 2023, to watch Co. Kilkenny, (the latter ‘All-Ireland winners’ 36 times in total, between the years 1921-2019), compete with the current reigning champions Co. Limerick, in the game of Hurling.
Hayes Commercial Hotel, Thurles, Co. Tipperary today.
Hurling remains the fastest field sport in the world today, with the ball often reaching speeds of up to 100mph and with, on average, an estimated 350,000 hurley sticks produced every year within the Irish State.
One of the oldest games still in existence in the world, the game of “Hurling” dates back to early times, here in Ireland, with the first written reference to the game appearing in the written Brehon laws of the 7th century.
However, references to hurling were made much earlier in tales of the heroics of the Irish legend, warrior hero and demigod, Sétanta. Latter would gain his possibly better-known name, after killing the craftsperson Culann’s fierce guard dog, in self-defence; having driven a hurling ball (sliotar) deep into the animals throat, using his hurley stick, thus resulting in the choking the unfortunate animal. Sétanta offered to take the dogs place, until a replacement could be located or another animal reared, hence he, Sétanta, became the “Hound (Irish for which is “Cú”) of Culann“; hence his new name/title “Chullainn”.
While banned in the 12th century by Norman invaders who had arrived into Ireland, the game of hurling nevertheless, continued to grow in popularity up until the early 19th century, before Irish customs and traditions became again heavily repressed and which saw hurling decline across the island, with the exception of strongholds here, within the province of Munster.
This decline was to change following an article written by Co. Clare man Michael Cusack, called ‘A Word about Irish Athletics’ which appeared in both the ‘United Ireland’ and ‘The Irishman’ newspapers. On October 11th, 1884 Cusack’s article to both papers was supported by a communication from Tipperary man Maurice Davin, who had dominated athletics for over a decade and who gave his full support to the October 11th publications.
A week later Cusack submitted a signed letter to both newspapers announcing that a meeting would take place in the Hayes Commercial Hotel, Thurles, Co. Tipperary; staged to take place on November 1st 1884. Thus the first meeting of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) for the Preservation and Cultivation of National Pastimes took place, recognising that Ireland’s indigenous sports needed to be preserved standardised and regulated.
At the meeting Maurice Davin was elected President, while 3 other attendees namely Michael Cusack, John Wyse Power and John McKay were elected as secretaries. Archbishop Thomas William Croke, Charles Stewart Parnell and Michael Davitt were invited to become patrons.
The newly formed Gaelic Athletic Association would cover both of Ireland’s indigenous games identified as Gaelic Football and Hurling. GAA clubs quickly began to spring up all over Ireland and people began to play the games of Hurling and Gaelic Football and take part in Athletic events with pride.
The first All-Ireland hurling match took place in 1887, in Birr, Co. Offaly, with Co. Tipperary defeating Co. Galway.
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