Latest news with #O'Reilly
Irish Examiner
18 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Hearing aids: how getting your ears checked can help end the silence
The hearing loss had been gradual. One day, it required a tilt of the head at dinner to catch a drift of conversation to the left. Craning my neck, I'd pick up every fifth word or so, enough to get the gist of an exchange. And then, as I settled into my 40s, it came to a point where I could bluff it no more. I'd sit down at a work function and immediately say sorry to the person to my left. 'I won't be able to hear a word,' I would explain, embarrassed and apologetic. I began to turn down social invitations I would have jumped at just a year or two earlier. I had been aware of the persistent ringing in my ears for at least a decade at that stage. I figured it might have been there all the time, and assumed others had the same inner alarm bell ringing. Today, I know it is tinnitus. I was mindful of my seating, my place at a table. Subconsciously, I was positioning myself to see people's faces, specifically their mouths. Without realising it, I was lip-reading to get through conversations. This realisation came with a bolt in 2020, when suddenly mouths were covered, literally overnight, by face masks to protect us from covid. Still, though, I persevered. I didn't count myself as a candidate for hearing aids. I'm almost, but not quite yet, 50. And in hearing terms, thankfully, I'm considered to be a bit of a spring chicken. I had had a few hearing tests and outpatient clinic appointments in my late 30s, when I could still cobble together a conversation to my left. The deterioration, though, couldn't be ignored when I found myself unable to hear my kids at breakfast. School runs were punctuated by my consistent refrain: 'What?' I would repeat the word over and over, gesturing with great animation and frustration to my left ear. The TV volume was a source of contention — too low for me, too loud for them. It seemed to worsen with each season of Dancing with the Stars. The kids had had enough. Understandably. Annoyed at having to repeat everything twice, sometimes three times, they were the ones in the end who forced me to get my hearing checked. And how right they were. Hearing test reveals the truth I meet Emer O'Reilly at Blackberry Hearing in Douglas, Cork. Established 10 years ago, the company has 60 clinics nationwide. I explain how my hearing began to dip in my late 20s to early 30s, a few years after I finished chemotherapy for lymphoma. I outline the family history — my brother's deafness would be classed as profound. There's no definitive way to tell my root cause, O'Reilly says. A hearing test shows me to be a step away from profound in my left ear. My right ear, meanwhile, as I guessed, was in good shape. I grasp the positives, but O'Reilly tells me I am a definite candidate for hearing aids. The test itself is simple — you press a button when you hear a sound, often through crackling, swishing wind noises. I'm instantly aware of my sensitivities to certain frequencies in my left ear. The Widex SmartRIC 330 hearing aids, available through Blackberry Hearing. I am shown a range of hearing aid options, and in the end, I opt for the Widex SmartRIC 330. I am given them for a six-week trial. If I am happy with them, the cost is €4,798 — a €1,000 hearing aid grant from the Department of Social Protection is available to offset some of the costs. They are small and discreet — six weeks later, no one has noticed them, unless I point them out. My hair is also shoulder-length, which easily conceals them. They are set at 50% capacity to ease me in. O'Reilly warns me it will be overwhelming at first. And this is no lie. I emerge into the crowds in Douglas Court Shopping Centre, and it reminds me of that moment in The Wizard of Oz when everything turns technicolour. I can hear my water bottle swishing in my bag. I hear a woman across the aisle discussing coleslaw options for lunch. My voice sounds loud, harsh, and booming. I ring my husband, I can hear a bird singing in the background as he talks. The radio is sharp, crystal clear. On a return visit to Blackberry Hearing a week later, the audio is increased to full. The aids are connected to my phone, and I leave with a kit to sync my TV. It means my calls are connected directly to my hearing aids, and the TV is also looped to them. I am all but bionic. This visit is almost as big a game-changer as the last one. The TV is no longer a trigger for eye rolling at home. We can all watch it together, at a volume we can agree on. I go to the cinema, as well as the opera, and it feels beautiful. In the car, I listen to 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Aspects of the song, I realise, are relayed from the left or right speaker, while others are centred. As I experience the stereo panning for the first time in a couple of decades, it is immersive and surprisingly emotional. Campaign call As I settle into life with hearing aids, I have just one question. Why did I wait so long to get them? When I needed glasses for night driving, I strolled into an optician without a second thought. So what was my hang-up about hearing aids? Matt Gleeson, managing director of Blackberry Hearing, understands my hesitation about getting hearing aids. In his experience, people generally wait up to seven years to seek help. 'There is a lack of awareness, a lack of understanding of what hearing aids are now compared to before,' he says, referencing the advances in technology and design. Gleeson talks about the impact hearing loss can have on people's lives, the isolation it can lead to. He is speaking from experience — he set up Blackberry Hearing when he saw how difficult it was for his grandfather to access hearing aids for his grandmother when her hearing began to fade. 'He didn't find the process transparent or affordable,' says Gleeson. He set out to change that, and takes solace in knowing that he is 'doing good for people'. Chime is the national charity for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Founded 60 years ago, it offers services that include care, technology, and advice. The majority of its funding comes from the HSE; the remaining support is sourced from grants, government departments, and our social enterprises. Its CEO, Danielle McLaughlin, also talks of the stigma around hearing aids. It often stems from their association with ageing and disability. And then there are the optics. Glasses today can be funky and fashionable, while hearing aids are often wrongly assumed to be bulky and noticeable. McLaughlin also believes the lack of a national hearing care plan could be the root cause. 'People put off going for a hearing test,' she says. 'They are quicker to have their eyesight checked than their hearing. And people wait until their hearing gets quite bad before considering getting a hearing aid. This is why Chime believes that a national campaign is required to educate the public about the risks of untreated hearing loss and the benefits of seeking treatment early. It is one of the key areas we are campaigning for, along with the campaign for a National Hearing Care Plan.' We are used to eye tests — hearing exams less so. They are simply not built into regular check-ups. McLaughlin points out that Ireland has a high level of unaddressed hearing loss — yet we prescribe hearing loss at less than half the rate of the British per head of population. According to the HSE, eight per cent of the adult population has a significant hearing loss and needs audiological intervention — that's 300,000 people in Ireland. However, only one in five people with significant hearing loss has hearing aids. 'Chime has been campaigning for several years to improve the level of take-up of hearing aids amongst the population,' says McLaughlin. The charity's 2022 survey showed that many people put off going for a hearing test, with 86% of respondents agreeing that people were quicker to have their eyesight checked than their hearing. Almost nine in 10 agreed that people wait until their hearing loss becomes quite severe before considering a hearing aid. But it's wrong to wait, says Chime audiologist Sarah O'Sullivan. 'The longer a person avoids addressing their hearing loss, the more challenging it will become to adapt to living with hearing aids. It really is a case of the sooner the better,' she says. 'Hearing aids work to stimulate the auditory processing of the brain that becomes idle without stimulation. Introducing hearing aids at a later stage of hearing loss often means poorer results for any individual.' Untreated hearing loss can 'chip away' at a person's identity and social connections, she adds. 'Having difficulty following the thread of a conversation, enjoying yourself at a wedding or in a restaurant, or staying involved and linked in with family and friends in your everyday life, can lead to a deterioration in an individual's sense of self. 'Untreated hearing loss can have very serious impacts on a person's wellbeing and in their key relationships, which can result in avoidance, isolation, and depression.' A life transformed A 2011 US study, published in JAMA Neurology, found that the rate of cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss compared to their hearing peers was double for those with mild hearing loss, three times for those with moderate hearing loss, and five times for those with severe hearing loss. In 2020, a Lancet commission of global experts in dementia estimated that 8% of dementia cases could be prevented by early treatment of hearing loss. There is strong evidence that this increased risk is largely eliminated through the early fitting of hearing aids. Cost is, of course, a barrier, but following a change to the hearing aid grant available through the Department of Social Protection, an additional 7,000 people got free hearing aids in 2021. The HSE provides audiology services to medical card holders and children, and there are record waiting lists — more than 25,000 people are waiting for a first appointment. Approximately 70% of hearing aids are provided through private providers. According to Chime, a national hearing care plan would ensure that people with hearing loss could access quality audiology services in a timely manner, irrespective of whether they accessed hearing care through the HSE or private providers. Chime has made a submission to the Hearing Care Plan Working Group, jointly chaired by the Department of Health and the HSE. A report with initial recommendations is due by the end of this summer for consideration in Budget 2026. In the meantime, O'Reilly keeps checking in from Blackberry, and I tell her, six weeks in, the hearing aids are working seamlessly. On a very odd morning, when I forget my hearing aids, there is a tap on the shoulder, and my kids draw me close, reminding me to pop them in. They don't need to repeat themselves, over and over, anymore. Our mornings, and my life, are transformed.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Housing charity says it has prevented almost 1,000 households from becoming homeless since April
The housing charity Threshold says it has prevented almost 1,000 households from becoming homeless since April alone. And it says tenancy termination remains the biggest issue facing renters, accounting for just over a third of all the queries it has dealt with in the second quarter of this year. The details are contained in its impact report for the period April to June of this year, published on Thursday. It shows Threshold advisers have supported more than 8,500 households, including over 11,400 adults, and more than 7,000 children. Of the new households that contacted the charity since April, 1,595 were at risk of homelessness, and the charity helped the occupants of 951 households to stay in their home or find a new home, where possible. Tenancy termination accounted for 35% of all queries, with other queries including advice on leases, accessing social housing, and general rent queries. Single-occupant households accounted for 40% of households helped, with one-parent families accounting for 20% of the cases. Threshold's national advocacy manager Ann-Marie O'Reilly said while the charity was still concerned about the strains on renters, she was encouraged to see people contacting them for support and guidance around their rights as private-sector renters. 'Our Q2 impact report highlights the need for continued work and advocacy to support private renters across Ireland, even with the updated rent pressure zone [RPZ] legislation, which extends the RPZ rent controls across the nation,' she said. Since June 20, 2025, all counties have been classified as an RPZ, meaning all tenancies benefit from the cap on rent increases — rent cannot be raised by more than 2%, or the rate of inflation if lower, every 12 months. Any rent increase must be issued through an official rent review, with a formal notice provided to tenants at least 90 days in advance. In the areas newly designated as RPZs, landlords must wait 24 months from the date of the last rent review before issuing another. This must also be delivered as a formal physical document, as informal methods such as text messages or phone calls do not meet the legal requirements. Ms O'Reilly said the national extension of the RPZ was welcome, and provided crucial protection to an additional 41,000 households. 'We now want to ensure that all renters know that they are protected by the 2% rent increase cap and encourage renters to get in touch if they have any questions, worries, or concerns,' she said. 'We support the revised National Development Plan, given the importance of delivering housing and infrastructure to support housing development. 'We will continue to engage with the Government and other stakeholders in the coming months on further proposed changes to seek the best outcome for the rental sector as a whole.' Threshold's service is available by phone, Monday to Friday, 9am-9pm at 1800 454 454, or online at
ITV News
a day ago
- ITV News
Two burglars jailed after two-month crime spree across the South East
Doorbell camera and footage inside home shows burglars break in and ransack property in broad daylight. Credit Surrey Police. Two burglars have been jailed after taking part in a two-month crime spree across the South East last year. Terence O'Reilly, 23, and James Carthy, 33, carried out burglaries across Surrey, Hampshire, Kent, and Sussex. O'Reilly would often be the one to approach the house first, wearing a cap and a mask, and knock or ring the doorbell to check if anyone was inside. Once satisfied the house was empty, he and Carthy would break in through rear doors and windows. The pair used covid-style surgical face masks to conceal their identities while they ransacked homes looking for safes, loose cash and jewlery. The pair also stole expensive cars and designer handbags. A distinctive modified silver Audi S3 with its front grille and badge painted black was seen in multiple CCTV clips at or close to the scenes of the offences. The car was also seen at the scene of a burglary in Billingshurst in September 2024, where a rare Mercedes E43 AMG was stolen. The Mercedes was recovered several weeks later stuck in a ford in Bordon, likely dumped after the driver misjudged the level of the water. A sledgehammer was found inside. The pair were caught on 2 October 2024, after the silver Audi made off from police in Hascombe, the driver and passenger discarding a Louis Vuitton and Chanel handbag and a dirty pillowcase containing jewellery out of the window before decamping a few minutes later. Officers swarmed the area and they were soon cornered. A police dog kept O'Reilly at bay on a hillside long enough for officers to detain him, and Carthy was found trying to hide from police under a bridge in the nearby river. Carthy and O'Reilly had discarded some of their clothes and shoes when they ran from police and covered the inside of the car with bleach in an attempt to cover their tracks. Inside the Audi officers found two baseball caps, a crowbar, a chisel, a pickaxe, and a pair of Covid-style surgical face masks. On Monday (21 July) at Guildford Crown Court, Terence O'Reilly, of Cranleigh, was sentenced to eight years imprisonment for burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, and theft of motor vehicle. James Carthy, of Dunsfold, was sentenced to six years imprisonment for burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, and theft of motor vehicle. O'Reilly and Carthy are also both subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO), a court order designed to stop persons from engaging in further serious criminal activity by setting restrictions on their behaviour and outlining conditions they need to adhere to. Investigating officer DC McBain said: "This was a challenging case of organised criminality spanning the Southeast. Carthy and O'Reilly showed no remorse or regard for the effects of their crimes and locking them up will prevent many more burglaries."
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Charity prevented 950 households from becoming homeless and supported more than 7,000 children in past three months
The national housing charity, which released its Q2 2025 impact report today, supported over 8,500 households from April to June this year, including 11,400 adults and more than 7,000 children. Meanwhile, tenancy termination remains the biggest issue that renters face, with one in three (35pc) queries related to this, similarly to previous quarters. Of the new households that contacted the charity since April, nearly 1,600 were at risk of homelessness. Threshold's National Advocacy Manager, Ann-Marie O'Reilly, said: 'While Threshold continues to be concerned about strains on renters in 2025, it is encouraging to see people reaching out to us for support and guidance around their rights as private sector renters." "Our Q2 impact report highlights the need for continued work and advocacy to support private renters across Ireland, even with the updated Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) legislation, which extends the RPZ rent controls across the nation," she added. Threshold welcomed the nationwide extension of the RPZ to all counties on June 20, which means that all tenancies benefit from the cap on rent increases. Ms O'Reilly said: 'Threshold welcomes the extension of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) nationally, providing crucial protection to an additional 41,000 households." "We now want to ensure that all renters know that they are protected by the 2pc rent increase cap and encourage renters to get in touch if they have any questions, worries or concerns. 'We support the revised National Development Plan, given the importance of delivering housing and infrastructure to support housing development. "We will continue to engage with the Government and other stakeholders in the coming months on further proposed changes to seek the best outcome for the rental sector as a whole," she added.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
1 Stock-Split Stock to Buy Hand Over Fist in July and 1 to Avoid
Key Points Stock splits don't change fundamentals, but there's some evidence they can lead to outperformance. O'Reilly has been a longtime winner in the auto parts industry. Interactive Brokers has delivered strong growth, but lower interest rates would put a significant dent in its profits. 10 stocks we like better than O'Reilly Automotive › Stock splits don't do anything to change the fundamentals of a stock, but investors still like them nonetheless. Some believe they make the stock cheaper, which is not really true. Though stock splits do lower the individual share price, they don't affect the valuation of the stock, which is what actually matters. Additionally, there's some evidence that stocks tend to outperform the S&P 500 after their split. That could be because management chooses the timing of the split, and they're likely to do it when they're confident that the stock can keep rising. Additionally, if investors see the stock split as a bullish signal, that could become a self-fulfilling prophecy, driving the stock up because people expect growth after the split. While there are a number of attractive stock-split stocks on the market, not all of them are buys. Let's take a look at one stock-split stock worth buying and another one to avoid. One stock-split stock to buy O'Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ: ORLY) has quietly been one of the best-performing stocks of the 21st century. The auto parts retailer has delivered a steady stream of growing profits and established a competitive advantage in serving the commercial channel, meaning repair shops. In that business, having the needed part in stock and being able to deliver quickly is essential. O'Reilly has also blanketed the U.S. with stores to drive its growth. Since 2000, the stock is up more than 12,000%, making it a 100-bagger. Given those gains, it shouldn't be a surprise to see the company finally issuing a stock split. It announced a 15-for-1 split on June 2, which went into effect on June 9. O'Reilly trades at a premium, but it's well-deserved. In the first quarter, comparable sales rose 3.6%, and the company continues to open new stores, with 38 new locations in Q1. For the full year, it sees comparable sales of 2% to 4%, and earnings per share of $42.90 to $43.40 (before the split was announced). That's about $2.90 in earnings per share. O'Reilly's distribution network is a key source of competitive advantage for the company. Having the right inventory in stock has helped it serve both the commercial and DIY channels. The company has also benefited as the average age of a car on the road has increased. This means that Americans are spending more money on repairs, instead of buying new cars. One stock-split stock to avoid The stock-split stock to avoid is Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR), a leading discount brokerage, which issued a 4-for-1 stock split in June. It's true that Interactive Brokers' recent performance has been impressive. In Q1, commission revenue rose 27% to $516 million, buoyed by higher trading volume. As with other brokerages, the bull market has been good to Interactive Brokers, as investors tend to be more active when they believe stocks will go up. Customer accounts in the quarter were up 32% to 3.87 million, and equity rose 34% to $664.5 billion. Those numbers are all positive and show the business delivering solid growth. However, the reason to avoid the stock is that most of its revenue currently comes from interest income, and that may not be sustainable. While interest rates have remained elevated due to fears about inflation coming back, the Federal Reserve still aims to bring down interest rates, which will cool off Interactive Brokers' most valuable profit stream. The company collects interest on both the cash it holds and margin loans, and says that yields are generally a reflection of benchmark interest rates, which are greatly influenced by the Fed. Cash and margin loans contribute a similar amount of its income. Additionally, the stock is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 35, though interest rate cuts or a sell-off in stocks could wipe out profits. While the company deserves credit for its execution and the growth of the business, the valuation and reliance on interest income set the stock up for a potential pullback. Should you buy stock in O'Reilly Automotive right now? 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The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2027 $175 calls on Interactive Brokers Group and short January 2027 $185 calls on Interactive Brokers Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 Stock-Split Stock to Buy Hand Over Fist in July and 1 to Avoid was originally published by The Motley Fool
