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Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Ireland's young adults on the future: ‘We are lost, forgotten about, no prospects'
The social contract is an understanding, long perpetuated by parents, believed by children and lived by older adults, that if they worked hard at school, a good 'permanent and pensionable' job would follow, and then a house and a life that moves forward in the traditional way. But times have changed and life looks very different for those hoping to follow in the footsteps of the generations that went before. We spoke to some young adults to see if all the certainties they were taught to expect are now just a fairy tale. Katie O'Reilly, 22 : 'Rent is astronomical. I'm stuck at home' Lives with her mother and sister in Tallaght O'Reilly says her mother 'really, really did value the importance of education' and 'I was marched to school every morning without fail, right up until I did my Leaving Cert'. Her mother 'would very much push us to get these results to bring us out of the situation. She wanted better for us than what she had for herself.' READ MORE O'Reilly, who graduated from Maynooth University with first-class honours in social science, is the first person in her family to get a degree, she says. But the college experience was very different for her generation, she says. 'Maybe one, two maximum, of my friends were able to find accommodation ... Most of us were commuting, which means we're literally doing our studies and we're leaving. There's no hanging around, joining societies, going out. There's none of that any more. It's all completely gone, which you would [have seen] as the traditional college experience. It's so hard to make those connections any more, because everyone's just in and they're out.' She worries about getting a permanent, pensionable job in the future. She has a temporary job for summer, but doesn't know what will happen after that. She has sent off lots of CVs and applied for graduate programmes in private companies. 'I've literally got nothing back,' she says. 'I don't see myself moving out [of home] for the next five to 10 years. It's just not viable. The rent is astronomical ... I'm stuck at home. Don't get me wrong, my mam and my sister are great, but it just doesn't feel natural ... You feel like you're stuck in the stage of being teenagers.' She applied for social housing but was not eligible. 'With the amount of work that I've put into my degree, and the education that I have, and all of the work experience and other educational certificates, it should really be a last resort, but it's becoming the only resort for a lot of people my age. If you are even eligible.' She believes the social contract has been broken and says this has taken its toll on her mental health. 'I just find sometimes you're a bit hopeless. You're working for all this and you're seeing yourself stuck in the same position. 'When you look back at my parents' generation, when my mam was 23 she had a mortgage. She had me. She was moved out [of her parents' house]. She was a lot more progressed in life than where I would be.' O'Reilly thinks the Government has '100 per cent' forgotten about people like her. Leo Galvin, 19 : 'It's not really optimistic' Law and criminology student Leo Galvin. Photograph: Alan Betson Galvin believes 'all those promises you would have had in the social contract have gone'. He doesn't think the changes are 'in any way a good thing'. He doesn't think it's the older generation's fault. 'Older people do want the best for younger people,' he says. 'There's a really small group of people who have a great deal of power who have decided that instead of working towards the betterment of society, they've more so worked towards a betterment of themselves.' He feels 'to a certain degree you can see that stunted growth. Couples who are still living in their parents' house who are really struggling ... I can see that kind of struggle in my own future,' he says. 'It's not really optimistic. 'After Covid and everything, there was already a certain degree of stunting in how much life I've lived,' he says. 'I have been trying to make up for that a little bit, and open myself up to new experiences.' He believes 'that old ideal is still there. Your parents will always say, 'Oh do your best at school and you'll succeed, or you'll get a house.' And what success looks like is a house, a family, that nuclear family. 'That traditional idea is still there, but I just know it's not really achievable, at least in a young person. I don't see that ever happening for me. I'd love for it [to], but I just don't think it's going to happen. 'I have resigned myself to it,' he says. 'I do feel cheated on a broader scale ... What my parents grew up with was the concept that you go to college to develop yourself as a person. And then when you go into a job, they'll train you. And then you'll go into employment and they'll look after you. And then when you retire, you'll be looked after as well. And I don't feel that's going to happen.' [ What's it like to be 25 in Ireland today? 70% live at home with their parents, CSO finds Opens in new window ] Aisling, 31 : 'Do I freeze my eggs? How long are we going to be waiting to start a family?' Works in finance Aisling and her partner, who is a tradesman, have been together for nine years. She believes 'the social contract is completely broken. That was ripped up 10-15 years ago. That contract doesn't stand any more.' Getting a pensionable job is something her parents had told her was important. She has recently got one. 'I have worked since I'm 17 and I have absolutely nothing to show for it,' she says. 'The plan was education, a good enough job that will carry us through, a pensionable job, then a house, get married, and then have kids ... It's out the window. It's up in the air. It's literally paused. We don't know what we'll do. 'Everything is on hold to try and save this deposit [for a house]. And then, once we have a deposit, we will never be able to go into a bidding war. We're not in a position. It's never ending. 'It's very hard to keep motivated, to keep positive. It does have an effect on your mental health. It has an effect on your relationship. Because it's another stressor.' She got engaged in 2022. 'I wasn't even that excited ... It was kind of like, 'Yeah, well, we're not going to be able to get married for a good while, because we need to focus on a house'. I'm not planning my wedding because I can't afford to plan my wedding.' She suspects the place she's renting with her partner could be sold soon. 'We don't have that security. That's why we're not starting a family. And even now, do I freeze my eggs? How long are we going to be waiting to start a family? 'I don't want to have to go through fertility treatment. But the way things are looking, that would be our only option,' she says. 'I don't want to bring kids into our current situation. 'We are lost. We are forgotten about,' she says. 'No prospects. No future.' [ 'How are you meant to enjoy sex and a relationship?' The reality of living with your parents in your 30s Opens in new window ] Kevin, 37 : 'I'm looking at 40, and it's only now that we're talking about the big life decisions' Works in media and grew up in a 'very underprivileged area' There was an idea 'that if you worked hard, you did the right thing, you treated people with respect, you gave it your best effort, that life would ultimately be better,' he says. That 'was a big part of the impetus that was upon people from my class background of getting out of the situation, getting out of poverty, and everything else'. He believes his generation was failed by austerity measures during the last recession. Cuts meant he had to drop out of university as a mature student, he says. 'I couldn't find a job on a full-time basis to keep going because entry-level positions had turned to JobBridge.' The scheme, introduced in 2011 by then minister for social protection Joan Burton to provide internships for unemployed graduates, closed in 2016. Kevin says what would be typical milestones have been delayed for his generation. 'The housing crisis meant that we had to continue postponing our decisions ... We couldn't either save or rent to live independently, and many of us ended up back in our parents' box rooms, [and] ended up having our development, our further life, stunted in other degrees like conducting relationships, sex, etc.' Kevin and his partner have had to put off conversations about future plans. 'We're at the point now, in our late 30s where the knock-on effects of austerity are everywhere,' he says. 'I'm now in my late 30s, looking at 40, and it's only now that we're talking about the big life decisions. Anything from pets to marriage to house.' The changing landscape of media means he's also wondering if the career he chose is an area he can continue in. 'The social contract, as far as I'm aware, we were told as an aspirational thing as working-class kids. I don't think it ever really existed.' In conversation with Jen Hogan EXPERT VIEWS Michelle Murphy : 'We need a new social contract' Research and policy analyst at Social Justice Ireland Michelle Murphy. Photograph: Alan Betson 'We need a new social contract, and we need a new conceptualisation of what that means,' says Michelle Murphy. 'It requires a conversation.' 'Social contract' – as the justice advocacy organisation has highlighted in recent years – is a centuries-old term now used to refer to the implicit understanding that citizens contribute to the common good on the assumption that the State will ensure a minimum standard of living, the provision of essential social services and infrastructure, and the protection of their basic rights. The housing crisis alone suggests that the State is not holding up its end of the bargain – as do child poverty rates. Difficulties accessing everything from school places and childcare to hospital beds also reflect fractures in the social contract that may have become harder to fix over time. 'You get to a situation where the deficit is substantial, and it will take a lot of investment to close the gap,' says Murphy. 'But we do need some kind of reset.' When people are delaying having children because of their housing situation, when single people's ability to own a home is 'almost off the table now' and when those who have children are 'having to jump through hoops' to ensure they receive basic services, it all points to a broken social contract, she says. The impact on wellbeing can be profound. Dr Malie Coyne : 'Young people can feel stagnant, feel shame, feel helpless' Chartered clinical psychologist and author of Love In Love Out Dr Malie Coyne. Photograph: Joe O'Shaughnessy 'We have this idea in a modern practical sense that if we stay in school, work hard, play by the rules, then society will reward us with a stable job, a home, the ability to raise a family, retire comfortably and have a say in our future,' says Dr Malie Coyne. 'But when the contract feels broken, when you try so hard, go to school, go to college, get a job, but then housing is unaffordable, jobs are not secure and hard work doesn't lead to stability, people can feel betrayed by the system and the Government.' The delayed independence that results can 'weigh heavily' on mental health and alter people's worldview. 'If young people are unable to leave the family home despite having a good job or advanced degrees, then they can feel stagnant, feel shame, feel helpless,' says Coyne. Across age groups, people who once expected to own their own home but have now been forced to give up on that ambition can feel 'a sense of failure, even though these barriers are not of their own making'. They might 'experience grief for the life they thought they would have'. Disillusionment and anxiety can follow. Economic barometers tell us that Irish people are anxious about the future. Consumer sentiment in 2025 to date has been 'markedly more negative' than the levels recorded in 2023 and 2024, despite the strong performance of the Irish economy, according to the sentiment index published by the Irish League of Credit Unions. Core Research, which collects the sentiment data and is part of the marketing group Core, separately tracks an age group it calls the Celtic Cubs, or 39-55-year-olds, and a group it calls the Triple Resilient, now aged 26-38. The crucial difference between the two is that the younger group started to come of age after the financial crisis, meaning they entered the workforce just as employment and training opportunities dried up. They also endured the pandemic at a more formative age, while some may have absorbed the stress of parents dealing with negative equity during the property crash. Core Research's Predict 25 report, which explores hopes for the year ahead, found that the younger group were more likely to be interested in the State addressing mental health services and the provision of social and affordable housing, while there were also differences in how they viewed the role of work. Some 43 per cent of 26-38-year-olds, for instance, hope that 'mental health services are fully integrated into the healthcare system', compared with 30 per cent of 38-55-year-olds, while some 61 per cent say they are interested in 'working less, to enjoy the rest of life', compared with 53 per cent of 38-55-year-olds. If perceptions about work are indeed shifting, it is hard to disentangle that from younger generations' awareness that making the traditionally 'right' choices is no longer any guarantee of life progression as it was once imagined. When the maths become impossible, and people know their earnings – current and future – are too low to allow them to get a mortgage or even comfortably pay rent, that alters the rewards work can offer, and the sense of purpose it gives people, too. Challenges to our sense of self can 'lead to a re-evaluation of what it means to be successful in life', says Dr Coyne. 'Parents do face a dilemma about how to motivate their kids to pursue their education and careers when maybe the social contract isn't as certain. The key is to emphasise the intrinsic value of learning, learning for the sake of learning, personal development for the sake of personal development,' she says. 'It's also important for parents to validate their kids' concerns and not dismiss them, not dismiss the reality. We need to help them stay hopeful and proactive as well.' Despite everything that is thrown at them, younger generations display 'amazing creativity and resilience', she says. Suzanne Feeney : 'Both employees and employers are feeling it' Country manager at recruitment firm Robert Walters Ireland 'In recent years, the younger cohort have been really affected by there not being the same number of opportunities when they come out of college,' says Feeney. Robert Walters Ireland's recent survey found that some 68 per cent of Irish employers had noticed a decline in employee morale, with only a quarter of Irish professionals saying they found their roles fulfilling. 'There's definitely something there. Both employees and employers are feeling it,' says Feeney. Employers need to understand, firstly, that younger workers are suffering the brunt of the housing crisis, while if employers want a 'purpose reset', she says, it is vital they allow opportunities for staff to progress. Finian Murphy : 'People are investing in friendships and families' Marketing director at Core Finian Murphy of Core There is an 'optimism gap' between persistent scepticism about systemic reforms and a desire among many to seek out hopeful news and embrace new ideas, according to Core. Younger generations' coping tactics include a greater focus on wellness, social activism and relationships, says Finian Murphy, marketing director at Core. 'People are investing in friendships and families, even in the likes of getting a good night's sleep. These are all things that are within our own control.' - Laura Slattery
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
League of Ireland: Shamrock Rovers remain six points clear at the top
Shamrock Rovers remain six points clear at the top of the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division this evening. A late, late equaliser from Conor Keeley helped Drogheda United salvage a 2-2 draw against Waterford at the RSC. Advertisement That sees the Louth side go into the summer break in second place. The Hoops were held to a scoreless draw by Galway United at Tallaght Stadium. Dayle Rooney's early penalty gave Bohemians a 1-0 win over Derry City at Dalymount Park. Cork City ended a four-game losing run, earning a hard-fought 1-1 draw at home to Shelbourne. The Leesiders move a point ahead of bottom side Sligo Rovers, who were beaten 1-0 by St Pats at the Showgrounds.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Shamrock Rovers' return to the top driven by era-defining trinity of Burke, Lopes and Watts
Shamrock Rovers is a club of contradictions. Four league titles in succession were followed, last season, by the club's best ever European campaign. The Hoops achieved this despite a boardroom in open conflict since co-owner Dermot Desmond questioned the actions of 'some' directors. The situation made Rovers manager Stephen Bradley consider his own future . 'It's draining,' said Bradley in April, 'but over time you learn to manage it and realise what is important – family, health and the football.' Last year's second-place finish on 61 points was Rovers' lowest total since 2017 (excluding the shortened season of 2020). And yet, they banked €6.4 million in Uefa prize money for making it beyond the league phase of the Europa Conference League. READ MORE At the halfway stage in 2024, just before the international break, a six-point gap from eventual champions Shelbourne was extended to nine when Will Jarvis slotted two penalties at Tallaght Stadium as Pico Lopes was dismissed with two yellow cards. Dan Cleary, Trevor Clarke and Josh Honohan all limped off that night and Rovers seemed to be coming apart at the seams. The squad looked old as it faced into the 2025 season. Johnny Kenny's return to Celtic, after a 20-goal loan season, had people questioning Bradley's decision to fast-track a 16-year-old named Michael Noonan. In February, Noonan scored on his debut in a 1-0 win over Molde of Norway, but 10 more appearances failed to yield another goal as the manager's decision-making was put under the microscope. Only Bradley and Rovers' sporting director Stephen McPhail could see the wood for the trees. The Hoops were tracking John McGovern , a prodigious Gaelic footballer from Down, but Dungannon Swifts were not willing to sell the 22-year-old mid-campaign. McGovern finished the season with 20 goals, including a thumping header in the Irish Cup final victory over Cliftonville. 'We could have moved in on other players in the previous window, but we wanted to wait for John,' Bradley revealed this week. 'We really like what he's about.' Roberto 'Pico' Lopes has been a rock at the heart of Shamrock Rovers' defence for several seasons. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho By waiting for McGovern, Rovers took a risk as Noonan shared minutes with veteran forwards Aaron Greene and Rory Gaffney. Despite a combined age of 70, Greene and Gaffney contributed nine goals between them and Noonan has three in the last three victories over Waterford, St Pat's and Derry City. Rovers have gone undefeated since the 3-2 loss to Bohemians on Easter Monday. It got lost in the shock of Rhys Brennan's 96th-minute winner for Bohs, but Noonan scored his first league goal that day – a gliding 40-yard dribble and cool finish. The Rovers academy is producing a stream of talent since Gavin Bazunu was sold to Manchester City in 2019. The imminent sale of 16-year-old Victor Ozhianvuna, potentially to Arsenal, could involve a seven-figure fee. Both Ozhianvuna and Noonan were among the five Hoops named in Colin O'Brien's Republic of Ireland under-17 squad ahead of November's World Cup in Qatar. The kids are flying. However, throughout this decade of groundbreaking success, there have been three constants on the pitch: Lopes, Dylan Watts and Graham Burke. Others made significant contributions, like Dan Cleary and Danny Mandroiu, while Jack Byrne constantly struggled with calf and knee issues. This season, however, Byrne has six assists in eight games, proving that his technical excellence is permanent. But it is Lopes, Watts and Burke who define this Shamrock Rovers era. Galway United's Vincent Borden (right) jumps for a header with Dylan Watts of Shamrock Rovers during a league match this season. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho Lopes has been so defensively solid over the past five years that his father's country, Cape Verde, took him to the 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Cup. Watts is the midfield glue, playing all 18 matches during the Covid-restricted 2020 title-winning season. He maintained a remarkable level of consistency to be voted the PFAI Players' Player of the Year in 2024. Burke is another ever present. The 31-year-old's silky style covered the wait for McGovern and injury to Mandroiu, with six goals and five assists putting him on course to better 2018, his best statistical season, when he had 16 goals and six assists (numbers that earned him three senior caps). Rovers' return to the top of the Premier Division has them six points clear of Drogheda United while Shelbourne are nine points adrift in sixth. That's an 18-point swing away from Damien Duff's team in 12 months. Bradley has turned the tide at a critical juncture. A domestic cushion is needed ahead of, possibly, eight Conference League qualifiers from early July to late August. Mid-season, Rovers are in fine fettle. The rest have lacked consistency although Drogheda, under Kevin Doherty, backed up their FAI Cup success by showing the value of becoming a fully professional squad. After this stage last season, the Drogs languished in the relegation play-off spot with 15 points. Currently, they are second on 29 points. Moses Dyer, Galway United's New Zealand international, leads the scoring charts on eight goals, one clear of Sligo Rovers teenager Owen Elding. Burke is joined on six by Derry City winger Michael Duffy, Drogheda revelation Warren Davis and the Tottenham Hotspur-bound Mason Melia. Like Noonan, Melia recently found his groove with four goals in four games for St Patrick's Athletic, including a bullet header against Cork City that might become his calling card.
Irish Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Prostate cancer: ‘When you hear ‘inoperable', your world falls apart. But soon I realised that didn't mean terminal'
Tallaght man Phelim Warren knows all about Gleason scores, the measure which tells you how prostate cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. Former US president Joe Biden (82) was given a Gleason score of nine when his office announced a week ago that his diagnosis of prostate cancer was deemed to be an aggressive type, having already spread to the bone. When prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it often spreads to the bones. Metastasised cancer is much harder to treat than localised cancer because it can be hard for drugs to reach all the tumours and completely root out the disease. However, when prostate cancers need hormones to grow, as in Biden's case, they can be susceptible to treatment that deprives the tumours of hormones. 'Joe is a fighter – and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership,' said the former US vice-president Kamala Harris following news of his diagnosis. Biden's health was a dominant concern among voters during his time as president. READ MORE [ New prostate cancer imaging shows 'extremely encouraging' results in trials Opens in new window ] In Tallaght, Warren was also given a Gleason score of nine following a biopsy in August 2023, which confirmed earlier suspicions – a high score on a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test and lesions near his prostate seen on an MRI scan- that he might have prostate cancer. The Gleason score will usually be described using a number from six to 10, with nine and 10 considered high-grade and often associated with more aggressive cancer. 'I was diagnosed six days after my 57th birthday. I had no symptoms whatsoever: no pain, no bladder or bowel issues,' says Warren, who had taken early retirement from the civil service in 2022 to look after his wife, Louise. She has reduced mobility, and is affected by fibromyalgia and functional neurological disorder (FND). Warren says that the initial diagnosis terrified him – particularly at his relatively young age – but when he discovered that his cancer was treatable, his view changed. 'When you hear 'inoperable' – as my cancer was because, it had spread to the lymph nodes in the pelvis – your world falls apart. But, soon I realised inoperable didn't mean terminal,' he says. Warren feels sympathy for Biden and finds some negative social media comments following the former US president's diagnosis highly distasteful. 'People celebrating Biden's seriously bad cancer diagnosis or thinking he deserves it, is shameful, abhorrent, disgusting and unforgivable,' he says. Biden's prostate cancer was diagnosed following urinary symptoms and the discovery of a prostate nodule. However, his office said his cancer was deemed to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management. Joe Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden in a post to X last week, when he said: 'Cancer touches us all' In 2022 Biden made a 'cancer moon shot' one of his administration's priorities, with the goal of halving the cancer death rate over the next 25 years. The initiative was a continuation of his work as vice-president to address a disease that had killed his eldest son, Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting men in Ireland, with about 4,000 men diagnosed with it each year. Dr Lynda Corrigan, medical oncologist at Tallaght University Hospital, says: 'The difficulty about prostate cancer is that the narrative in the community is that 'You won't die from it, you'll die with it'. This is unhelpful for men who are diagnosed with advanced-stage prostate cancer.' [ 'Prostate cancer is not necessarily an old man's disease' Opens in new window ] About 10 per cent of men with prostate cancer in Ireland are diagnosed when the cancer is at an advanced stage, in that it has moved beyond the prostate gland, often to the bone. 'Prostate cancer is a life-changing diagnosis and this narrative minimises their condition and can affect the support men with advanced stage disease get,' says Dr Corrigan. Superior detection with more refined diagnostic equipment, and an ageing population, means that there is a growing incidence of prostate diagnosis in Ireland. The fact that GPs can refer patients to rapid-access prostate clinics in all the main cancer-treating hospitals following high levels of PSA means that there is a clear pathway for diagnosis and treatment. However, urologist Louise McLoughlin in St James's Hospital, Dublin, says that 'bottlenecks' in getting MRI scans can delay diagnosis. 'Men can wait up to six months for an MRI scan, which is key to finding out if the cancer is early-stage disease confined to the prostate or later-stage disease,' she says. Surgery to remove the prostate gland or radiotherapy (external beam radiotherapy or brachytherapy, in which radioactive beads are implanted in the prostate) is the standard treatment for early stage prostate cancer. Those whose cancer is already more advanced are treated with hormone therapies to stop the disease from progressing. You can feel perfectly healthy and have advanced-stage prostate cancer — Louise McLoughlin Warren, positive by nature, took on board that although surgery was not an option for him because he had advanced prostate cancer, there was an effective treatment regime he could undergo. In October 2023 he received the first of four annual hormone therapy injections. These slow-release drugs stop the production of testosterone in the testicles, preventing the cancer from progressing further. He was also prescribed daily hormone tablets to supplement the work of the injections. 'The tablets can have quite severe side effects and cause issues with liver, heart and blood pressure, but thankfully this didn't happen to me,' says Warren, who writes a blog to document his cancer journey. When he shared his story on social media and on his blog, Warren was overwhelmed by the messages of support he received. 'People were incredible, and I know that at least 15-20 people have said to me that because of reading about my situation, they took it upon themselves to have their bloods done. In more than a few cases, they discovered that they did have issues, so sharing my story has been very effective in that regard.' He has found speaking to others with a cancer diagnosis helpful, and is also trying to maintain a positive attitude. 'Your positive mental attitude is key in this and I'm a firm believer in that,' he says. He says that the main side effect he has experienced is fatigue. 'I mind my energy levels and I don't let cancer stop what I enjoy doing. I look after my wife, I do my music, my football, walk the dog and mind the grandchildren and if I feel tired in the evening, I'll go to bed,' he says. [ Prostate cancer: can regular physical activity reduce the risk? Opens in new window ] Other common side effects of hormone therapy are hot flushes, erectile dysfunction, weight gain, low mood and reduced bone density, leading to osteoporosis. In April, Warren got the good news that his PSA levels were not detectable, meaning the cancer had effectively been stopped in its tracks. 'I won't need any further scans once the PSA levels remain low. I now feel joy, elation, relief and gratitude,' he says. He is passionate about encouraging all men over 50 to have annual blood tests to check their PSA levels. Warren cites the example of British Olympic cycling champion Chris Hoy (49), who was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in September 2023, as a wake-up call to other men. Hoy told reporters that he had first attributed the pain in his shoulder to working out in the gym. 'I assumed it was going to be tendonitis or something, and it was just going to be lay off weights or lay off cycling for a wee while and get some treatment and it'll be fine,' Hoy told BBC Sport. Hoy's openness resulted in a near eight-fold increase in NHS searches for prostate cancer symptoms over the following days. New, persistent or worsening urinary symptoms (needing to go the toilet urgently or more often), unexpected weight loss or bone pain are symptoms that men should get check out with your GP. Warren says: 'A lot of men refuse to the go the doctor even when they don't feel well. We bring our cars for NCTs every year. Do it for your body too. Having your blood tested is a way into knowing more about your health.' The problem is that although prostate cancer is now more like a treatable chronic disease, the lack of symptoms means it can go undetected for a long time. Dr McLoughlin says: 'We still see people presenting with advanced disease. You can feel perfectly healthy and have advanced-stage prostate cancer.' Ireland is one of the countries involved in the EU prostate cancer screening pilot study. The research project, PRAISE-U is looking at whether organised screening programmes could be a feasible and cost-effective way to increase the early detection of prostate cancer across Europe. Prof Ray McDermott, National Cancer Control lead for prostate cancer in Ireland, says that screening for prostate cancer should only be introduced if there is a reliable test that picks up most cancers early and doesn't miss others. 'This test is a few years away yet and it won't be PSA,' he adds.
BreakingNews.ie
22-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (30s) in hospital following serious assault in south Dublin
A man is being treated in hospital following a serious assault in Clondalkin in Dublin on Thursday morning. Gardaí say the attack happened at a retail centre on the Ninth Lock Road at 11.45am. The man in his 30s was taken to Tallaght University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Gardaí are asking anyone who was in the area this morning between 11:30am and 12pm to come forward. Advertisement
