The Royal Hospital is currently hosting the 7 Up Winter Wonderland and will do so till the 9th of January 2012. It houses a circus, fun fair with a selection of rides, Christmas market and an ice rink. I visited it myself and while I found the prices expensive for some of the rides (in excess of 4 euro), it was good to see so many happy faces knocking about during the cold weather. Plus there is a bar that sells only German beer.
Local residents and local businesses were left stunned recently after their local Centra shop on James Street ceased trading. The shop was shut on a Wednesday evening at 6 pm, and never re-opened as a Centra shop. However, the post office which also operates from the same building has not been affected by the closure all customers will be glad to learn its business as usual. But the shop ceasing trade has had a huge affect on the local people, while there are excellent stores in both the Basin St Flat complex and just of Pim street, the Centra was a mini supermarket and was of great use to local people and other working in the area, There has been rumours of a possible Gala shop moving into the premises, however this not confirmed.
I recently visited S.I.C.C.D.A to see their jobs club in action. They are based at 90 Meath Street here in the Dublin 8 area. You can phone ahead for info or an interview with Barbara or Caroline, Monday to Friday on 01-453 6098, except bank holidays and public holidays. As you may be aware I work as a writer for the Fountain Resource Group digital magazine that goes on the internet every 6 to 8 weeks, but for about 7 months I wasn’t working and I linked into this club as it helped to give me a routine as one might know once you stop working your routine can go all over the place. It also allowed me to meet other people who were in the same boat as me.
I needed to brush up my CV and the people at this job club had typed it up nicely for me. Barbara and her team at that time really helped me, not only with my CV but in preparing for possible job interviews through mock attempts. The staff will make you feel very special and they are incredibly friendly and understanding.
Caroline and Barbara would like to inform new, present and old clients that they will be now providing assistance with anyone who has difficulties with benefits and needs welfare advice. They will be there to help you fill in any forms, help with any queries, they will have forms on site, but please note, as they are working with the welfare their office is not for people wishing to sign on.
If you have no job why don’t you join the Jobs Club? I found this very good , you will meet people in the same boat as you, you can also teach one another ways and techniques that worked for you and them, it’s a very, very supporting club, you will come away more wiser than you went in. Just to say a big, huge thank you to Daniela, Caroline & Barbara for their wonderful welcome a couple of weeks ago, and the nice cup of brew, thank You.
Also on Thursday 24th of November gone it was women’s day, sadly myself and my editor Eoghan couldn’t make it, as I had other things to do, and Eoghan was called into a last minute meeting so none of us could make the balloon releasing, Daniela we hope you had a lovely time and a good turnout, well done !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, People who are on the methadone programme and are attending St Andrews Clinic in Rialto have seen changes recently to their Friday Clinic. The old clinic times for people who work have been changed, it used to open on a Friday morning from 7 to 8 am, so people who were employed where able to go to the clinic, then go to work. But in recent weeks this has all changed, there were fears that this timeframe did not provide ample time for people to use the service. This was rectified by new arrangements the clinic now opens at 8 am and stays open to 10 am. Some people have been affected, but most were able to make the changes.
IMAGE: The old Church and Graveyard on St. James’s Street, Dublin 8 – image credit: P.L. Chadwick/Geograph.ie
The Views of this Your Say! article do not necessarily represent the views of the Fountain Resource Group. If you agree with this contributor, or perhaps you disagree and would like to write a response, feel free to email us at info@frg.ie to have your say!
This article was originally published in:
Fountain News Digital – December 2011 (Issue 7)
We are re-publishing all articles from our past newsletter, Fountain News Digital, and you can view all completed newsletters here. There were nine issues published in total between 2010 and 2012.
Timeline of our local news services (1994-2013)
Hashtags: #Addiction, #Dublin8, #JamesStreet, #Kilmainham, #MeathStreet, #Rialto, #TheLiberties, #Unemployment 
