Latest news with #NiamhClarke
Irish Independent
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wexford school revive old May Bush tradition at special community event
An old village tradition was revived at the school on the afternoon of May 2, as the school held a May Bush ceremony to mark the start of the summer. In accordance with the tradition, the first decorations were put up on May 1 (May Day), but the school held the ceremony the following day to coincide with Kilanerin National School's garden club and the mid-term break. More than 50 people turned up to celebrate including schoolchildren, the school band, local residents and people from across Wexford, Wicklow, Dublin and overseas. Niamh Clarke of Kilanerin Tidy Towns was one of the leaders of the event alongside the school's garden club volunteers and Principal Mary Byrne. Kilanerin Tidy Towns thanked the students for their involvement and for helping decorate and playing music. They also gave a special mention to their 'May King' and 'May Queen' as well as Maureen Bushe, who remembers a May Bush Féile from her youth in Ballyfuff around 90 years ago.
Irish Examiner
02-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Working Life: It's a real privilege to work with people who place their trust in you
I was i nitially drawn to secondary school teaching because I've always had a passion for learning and a genuine desire to help young people grow and reach their potential. There's something incredibly powerful about being part of a student's journey, supporting them not just academically, but in building their confidence, curiosity, and sense of self. Working closely with students, I noticed that many were struggling not just academically, but also emotionally and psychologically. That same drive to assist others is what ultimately led me to psychology. Being a psychologist allowed me to step further into that supportive role, working alongside people through some of their most vulnerable moments, and helping them to understand the situation, develop coping strategies, and find a way forward. Knowing that you have helped someone through a challenging time, and seeing the progress they've made is deeply rewarding. It's a real privilege to work with people who place their trust in you. Just as important as 1:1 therapy are the universal psychology intervention strategies — like the HSE Balancing Stress Programme — which are vital in promoting wellbeing on a broader scale. Dr Niamh Clarke: "It's a real privilege working alongside people through some of their most vulnerable moments, and helping them to understand the situation, develop coping strategies, and find a way forward." Picture: Ger Rogers The programme focuses on helping people understand and balance their stress to enhance their wellbeing, something that is increasingly vital in today's climate. These proactive, preventative approaches help build resilience, emotional regulation, and coping skills across communities. Our office is in Mullingar. My daily work varies, but it's always centred on improving HSE services for children, adults and their families. Right now, I'm heavily involved in the reconfiguration of children's services in my HSE area. This necessitates working closely with a range of stakeholders to design a children's service that provides a single point of entry, prompt communication, ensuring a seamless transition between services and timely diagnostics. It's a varied and challenging role, but incredibly rewarding. Spending time outdoors is really important to me, especially walking and running with my golden retriever, Jesse, and my family. It's a great way to keep active and unwind. I have a real love of nature and animals and find both incredibly grounding and restorative. I'm someone who likes to stay busy, whether it's gardening, reading, community activities or just catching up with friends over a coffee.' The HSE Balancing Stress Programme is a free programme to manage stress, worry, anxiety, low mood and relationship difficulties. For more, see
