News
Student proves importance of grabbing that second chance
Sometimes people just need a second chance.
Like Arron Claffey-Conneely; originally from Ballybane in Galway city, he is one of those given another shot at education – and now he’s polishing off his final year at NUI Galway, thanks to the university’s access programme.
The programme is designed to give those who were disadvantaged either financially or socially after their Leaving Cert another opportunity to receive a third level education.
Upon successful completion of the year-long course, students are accepted into the university to work toward a full degree.
Arron, now 30, had a rocky experience when he attended secondary school. He lost all interest in his education, got kicked out of school, failed his Leaving Cert and fell into addiction problems.
He later found himself in undesirable conditions while he worked in construction and in a factory.
Alongside with dreading work, Arron found himself in a dark place. But as he approached his mid-twenties, he decided he wanted to turn around his life.
And that’s when he checked himself in at a rehab centre designed to help those who struggle with addictions.
He spent about five months there and began to regret not taking his education more seriously – so, with help from those at the centre, he took the initiative to get back in the books.
“I applied for the access programme from the rehab centre,” Aaron says.
“The nun who was working there at time, Sister Bernadette, helped me with the application. I didn’t have a clue what it was. I heard about the access programme through people that I knew and they went back and have been successful.”
Thankfully for Arron, he was one of 40 students accepted into the 2012’s programme.
Within a few months, the then-25 year old noticed how much he improved academically since the course commenced.
“I couldn’t send an email before the access programme. I couldn’t send a simple email, let alone one with an attachment. I never knew how to write an essay and didn’t have any academic background at all,” he says.
Though at times tough, Arron completed the programme all while enjoying the college scene.
“It has partly saved my life. It allowed me to live the life I always wanted and have the career I always wanted. Even if I had been able to get in under-grad first year, I never would have lasted because I couldn’t even write an essay. I couldn’t even send an email.”
When it came time to choose what course he wanted to complete for his undergrad, Arron knew he wanted to study psychology even though he didn’t know what it entailed – and he has just finished his final year exams.
Now, he’s waiting to hear back from several universities around the country to see if he has been given a spot in their Master of Health Psychology course.
“It’s funny – I used to hate secondary school. But from the moment I sat in my first psychology lecture I knew it was for me.”
Between classes and studying, Arron has kept incredibly busy on campus. He’s been involved in raising funds for the access programme, being a student mentor for first years, has had roles in the psychology society and was involved with a pilot programme that helps people who have been affected by suicide.
Most recently, Arron was chosen for a scholarship to travel to Thailand and work with Burmese refugees in July for eight weeks.
While he’s proud of how far he’s come, he says he’s only halfway through it all.
“This has given me a purpose, a feeling that I’m going in the right direction. For 25 years I was living a life that I didn’t think was me, and I suppose that probably was part of my own unhappiness.
“So, aside from being able to write essays and send emails I get to help people. Three or four years ago I was in rehab being helped. Now I’m at the stage where I’m helping other people,” he said.
He hopes to complete his master’s degree then continue his education by earning his PhD so he can pursue his dream of working as a clinical psychologist and continue to help people.
And that’s proof of how access programmes really do give you a second chance.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.
But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.
“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”
We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.
Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.
To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.
He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.
Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.
Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.
She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.
“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.
“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.
She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.
In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.
But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.
“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.
“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.
Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.
However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.
“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.
“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”
In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.
“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
