Meet the Wexford woman empowering diverse voices in Irish business – ‘A lot of workplaces are still catching up to the reality of what Ireland is right now'
Growing up in Enniscorthy, Mamobo Ogoro admits to having feelings of 'not belonging'. Arriving in the Co Wexford town as a three-year-old she was part of the first wave of African immigrants to come to these shores, to attempt to integrate into communities which, up until that point, were almost exclusively white Catholic.
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Irish Independent
9 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Meet the Wexford woman empowering diverse voices in Irish business – ‘A lot of workplaces are still catching up to the reality of what Ireland is right now'
Growing up in Enniscorthy, Mamobo Ogoro admits to having feelings of 'not belonging'. Arriving in the Co Wexford town as a three-year-old she was part of the first wave of African immigrants to come to these shores, to attempt to integrate into communities which, up until that point, were almost exclusively white Catholic.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Diary of a Gen Z Student: Finding a decent bikini in 2025 is no mean feat
Any time I use a changing room in a clothes shop, I find myself asking the same question: Does the person that designed the changing room actually want to sell clothes to the public? I'll leave the changing room with my head drooping low. Feeling like I've just completed a high-intensity exercise class, cheeks flushed, hyperventilating, my hair reaching levels of frizz I never knew to be possible. I hand all of the clothes back to the member of staff bearing witness to my distress. I consider everything that is going wrong in the modern changing room. The curtains that don't close all the way, fluorescent overhead lighting, the miniscule amount of space, the distinct lack of air circulating, the funhouse mirrors. You'll stand in front of the mirror, new blemishes appearing by the second. You may feel rested, but that lighting means your under-eye bags tell a different story. Your pale skin loses all sense of vitality. The clothes may fit, but it'll still look like there's something off. You're not alone in this experience, for two reasons: Firstly, the person in the next changing room is likely suffering a similar crisis of self- confidence; secondly, the curtain has remained slightly open for the entirety of your fashion show, so innocent bystanders have shared in this emotional rollercoaster. It's a painful experience any time of year, but especially as we come into the summer months: As brave women across Ireland embark on the perilous journey to purchasing swimwear. This week, I have been one such woman. Finding a decent bikini in 2025 is no mean feat. You see, bikinis are not what they used to be. The numerous triangles that you tied around yourself five years ago have undergone some change. For one thing, they've significantly shrunk in size. Now, I'm no prude. I'm about as perky as I'll ever be and if you can't get the cheeks out when you're in your 20s, when can you? But there's a time and place. If I'm going to the beach with my family, I'd like to avoid giving anyone a fright. It's probably got to be something to do with my Irish upbringing. No matter how hard I try, ye old Catholic guilt and shame persists. My bikini choice should be distinct from my morality. But there I was, sweating in a changing room, wondering if the church has brought in an online booking system for confession yet. As if the coverage of the bikini wasn't enough to grapple with, the fit must also be considered. What does one do when the top and bottom come in a set of one size? Maybe I shouldn't be admitting to this, but what about us imbalanced folk? We spend our lives being told about good, strong, child-bearing hips. Not so much about trying to fit those hips into the bikini bottoms that correspond with the size of your top half. Some of us were not blessed with perfect proportions. Dear bikini manufacturer, do we not deserve bikinis? Even if you manage to find a halfway decent bikini in the changing room, you've only won a battle. The war begins when you attempt to wear that bikini on the beach or for a dip in the sea. If you make it through a beach trip without an accidental flashing, then, and only then, have you won the war. It is a rare bikini that will carry you (literally and figuratively) through such an excursion. I do wonder, why should we be so worried about the odd nip slip? If it's not a problem on a beach in France, why should we be stressing about it in Portmarnock? Sure, the second it hits 14 °C here, men refuse t-shirts. As a society, we seem to have accepted that. I like to think we're progressive enough that having nipples shouldn't be a scandal. Maybe this is a conversation to be having in the girls' group chat, but it can be difficult to put things into perspective when you're running your daily struggles past the girls. It's too easy for them to relate; things tend to dissolve into a frenzy of shared experience. We're all too traumatised by the changing rooms and the nip slips to be dishing out advice. They'll just remind me how easy it is for a tampon string to dangle out of a bikini bottom (not helpful). Really, I'm grand, but if anyone knows of any good support groups, or bikinis, my Instagram DMs are always open.
Irish Post
2 days ago
- Irish Post
Principal's ‘inspirational leadership' commended as he announces retirement from historic Irish school
A PRINCIPAL who has served at an historic Irish secondary school for more than eight years has announced his retirement. Father Ignatius McCormack will retire from his position as principal of St. Flannan's College in September, bringing an end to his 24-year career at the school in Ennis, Co. Clare. Fr McCormack, who hails from Kilcolman in Co. Offaly, first joined St. Flannan's in 2001 as a teacher. Father Ignatius McCormack has announced his retirement He later served as dean of the boarding school before being appointed principal in 2017. 'It has been a great privilege to serve as principal of St. Flannan's College, a place I fell in love with when I first drove through its gates in 2001,' he said this week. 'I am deeply grateful to the staff, students, parents, and board of management for their support over the years,' he added. 'As I prepare to step back, I do so with a heart full of gratitude and pride in what we have accomplished together.' Bishop of Killaloe Fintan Monahan, who is patron of St. Flannan's College, described Fr. Ignatius as an 'inspirational leader and a steady hand at the helm of St. Flannan's College'. 'His leadership has been marked by a deep commitment to the values and mission of Catholic education, fostering a spirit of compassion, integrity, and excellence,' he explained. 'His impact on the life of the school is immeasurable, and he will be deeply missed.' After a sabbatical following his retirement, Fr. Ignatius is set to return to parish ministry. The board at St. Flannan's has confirmed the process to appoint a new principal will begin in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition. Fr Ignatius McCormack and Bishop of Killaloe and Patron of St. Flannan's College, Fintan Monahan (Pic: Paul Corey) 'Fr Ignatius McCormack's tenure has been marked by inspiring leadership, unwavering commitment, and genuine pastoral care,' Leonard Cleary, Chairperson of the St. Flannan's College Board of Management, said. 'Thanks to his guidance, the school and its students have thrived academically and spiritually. 'I extend our heartfelt thanks for his exceptional service and wish him every blessing as he embarks on the next chapter of his priestly ministry.' Taking its name from the 7th-century patron saint of the Dál gCais, St Flannan's can trace its origins back to Springfield House in Ennis in 1846. It relocated to the current school 30 years later, which underwent a significant expansion during the 1960s and again in 2003. Co-educational classes were introduced at the school in 2002. Fr Ignatius McCormack pictured with members of the board of St. Flannan's College. Back row (l-r) Benny Duggan, Daragh Hassett, Leonard Cleary (Chair), Bishop Fintan Monahan (School Patron), and Christy O'Connor. Front row (l-r) Tracey O'Donoghue, Elaine Duffy, Marion Coughlan Flynn, Marie Keane. (Pic: Paul Corey) Fr McCormack's retirement later this year will coincide with the opening of the first phase of a significant expansion of the historic St. Flannan's campus. The new 2,500 sqm development features special educational needs facilities and general educational spaces, including classrooms, science rooms, and a construction studies room. The expansion is supported by the Department of Education and is regarded as a prototype rapid build project, which could be replicated elsewhere throughout Ireland.
