< Previous© November 2018 The Meath Coaster30Immune SupportWith the flu season well and truly upon us, this is an excellent time to look at our im-mune system and discuss ways in which we can support it in a bid to stay healthy this Winter. The immune system is composed of a net-work of cells, tissues and organs which, when working properly protect the body from invading organisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc). Occasionally however, the immune system may not function as well as we would like due to factors such as:• Stress: adversely affects the body physi-cally and weakens the immune system.• Alcohol: impairs the function of white blood cells, thereby suppressing im-mune function.• Diet: deficiency in nutrients such as pro-tein, zinc, iron, selenium, vitamins A, B6, C, D and folic acid reduces immune response.• Sugar: suppresses white blood cell func-tion, making the body vulnerable to in-fection.• Sleep deprivation: studies show that those who get 7-9 hours sleep regularly have stronger immune systems and are less susceptible to viral and bacterial in-fections.Our diet is an excellent tool in our artillery to ward off cold and flu viruses. Includ-ing the following foods regularly should support your immune system and get you 'Winter-ready':• Pro-biotic/fermented foods (e.g. live yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir, etc) can support a healthy colony of bac-teria in the gut, which constitutes 70-80% of our immune system. This may help keep bacteria, vi-ruses and fungi at bay, balance inflammation and reduce food and environmental intolerances.• Garlic is a great general immune booster as it has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. For best results it should be eaten raw or added at the very end of the cooking process.• Ginger has anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. Praised for it's ability to open nasal passages, clear congestion and ease nausea it is an excellent ally in the battle against colds and flu.• Omega 3 fats(found in oily fish, nuts and seeds) are anti-inflammatory, strengthen cell membranes and increase the activ-ity of white blood cells, thereby increas-ing resistance to infection and speeding up healing.• Citrus fruits tend to be high in vitamin C which helps increase production of white blood cells(key to fighting infec-tions). Because vitamin C cannot be stored in the body, daily intake of vita-min C is essential to a healthy immune system. Other sources of vitamin C in-clude peppers, kiwi, papaya and green leafy vegetables.• Nuts, particularly almonds are a good source of vitamin E(and omega-3 fats), which is key to a healthy immune system. Anna Ryan, Dip. NT, DC, mNTOI, BAI, BAwww.nicanutrition.ienicanutrition@gmail.com© November 2018 The Meath Coaster31Laytown Tidy TownsWe received the Adjudication Report for the Tidy Towns Competition at the end of September. We were pleased to note that our overall mark had gone up by three points!The report was mainly very positive. The adjudicator remarked that the shops in the village were neatly presented. Ones that caught the eye were Pats, The Cottage Inn, the Chinese Takeaway and bookmakers.The adjudicator admired the recent work done in the Memorial Garden. Also ad-mired were the “Welcome” and “Slan” signs on the planter outside the village.They admired the new black signs in Inse Bay, also commenting that this residential area is a credit to the residents who obvi-ously take great pride in where they live. We noted that the adjudicator remarked that the kerbs in the main car park were weedy, so we set to work to remedy this! It is an ongoing job but thanks to the fact that our CE participant is doing such a good job litter picking during the week we are able to spend our Saturday mornings working on this when the weather allows!If you ever feel like joining in, even if only for half an hour, your help would be very much appreciated! We supply the tools needed!The Municipal District Pride of Place awards were held on Thursday 24th Octo-ber in Conyngham Arms Hotel in Slane. We had no luck this year, but sincerest congratulations to Bettystown Tidy Towns and Julianstown Tidy Towns for their well-deserved awards! Week 1...before and after!work in progress!A photo of the Football pitches up at Seafield in Laytown by Cormac Butler© November 2018 The Meath Coaster32Know Your Rights Flu Vaccine Question. I’m thinking of getting the flu vaccine. Can you tell me about this vaccine?Answer Influenza, usually known as the flu, is highly infectious and any-one can get it. However some groups are at greater risk of complications if they get the flu. This includes people over the age of 65, pregnant women and people who have a chronic medical condition.The flu vaccine can help protect you from getting the flu. The flu virus changes every year and this is why there is a new vaccine each year. Vaccination is strongly recommended if you:• Are aged 65 or over• Have a long-term medical con-dition, for example, diabetes or chronic heart, kidney, liver, lung or neurological disease• Have an impaired immune sys-tem due to disease or treatment• Have a body mass index (BMI) over 40• Are pregnant • Live in a nursing home or other long-stay institution• Are a carer or a healthcare worker• Have regular contact with poul-try, water fowl or pigsIf you are aged 18 or over, you can get the vaccine from your GP (family doctor) or pharmacist. Children can get the vaccine from a GP.The vaccine itself is free of charge if you are in one of the recommended groups. However, doctors and pharmacists may charge a consultation fee when they give you the vaccine.If you have a medical card or GP visit card, you can get the vaccine without be-ing charged a consultation fee.You can read more about the flu and the vaccine on hse.ie.Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.Contact InformationAddress: 43 The High Street, Ashbourne, A84FX66, Co. MeathTelephone is 0761 07 6110 and Email : ashbourne@citinfo.iehttp://www.citizensinformation.ieInformation is also available online at citi-zensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, 0761 07 4000PLEASE PLEASE HELPKEEP OUR BEACH SAFE AND RE-PORT SPEEDING OR DANGEROUS DRIVING TO THE GARDAI041 9827074(WHY NOT ENTER THIS NUMBER IN YOUR MOBILE PHONE NOW)If possible try to take a photograph of the offending vehicle to show registration number and the driver, the Gardaí will take action.We, as beach users, must try to protect ourselves by reporting Dangerous Driving and Anti Social Behaviour to the Gardaí.This is the only way we can make our beach safe for all and be able to enjoy this wonderful natural amenity.This notice has been placed by con-cerned citizens of Laytown, Bettystown and Mornington. LAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN MORNINGTON LAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN MORNINGTONLAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN MORNINGTON MORNINGTON LAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN © November 2018 The Meath Coaster33© November 2018 The Meath Coaster34Julianstown Youth OrchestraThe senior section of the Julianstown Youth Orchestra resumed rehearsals in September and with over 60 members this year, they are sounding bigger and better than ever. Following last season’s performance with Sligo Academy of Mu-sic and an adventure weekend in Bun-doran, the group are in great spirits and ready for action.The year ahead looks very promising in-deed with the first major performance in the National Concert Hall on February 9th. The Julianstown Youth Orchestra will give a 20 minute performance at the fes-tival of Irish Youth Orchestras of Ireland. They are currently rehearsing a variety of music for this, including some parts of their Gesamkunstwerk project, in which members of the orchestra composed new orchestral pieces under the mentorship of celebrated composer Brian Irvine. The Musical Director, Fergus Sheil and the composers/musicians are very much look-ing forward to bringing this original and innovative sound to a nationwide audi-ence at the festival in the NCH.In late October, the players put down their bows, bassoons and beaters but made a lot of noise rattling buckets at their fundrais-ing bag pack in Tesco, Drogheda. Parents and children spent their weekend raising much-needed funds for a trip to Portugal which is currently in the planning stages. In June 2019, Fergus and the senior or-chestra hope to travel to Lisbon to collab-orate and perform with a youth orchestra there. The junior section of the Julianstown Youth Orchestra, consisting of mainly pri-mary school children, have also resumed rehearsals. This group of over 30 mem-© November 2018 The Meath Coaster35bers are working hard under the direction of Conductor Ailbhe Kirkan, to prepare new music pieces to perform with another youth orchestra.The Julianstown Youth Orchestra is cur-rently recruiting new members to both senior and junior orchestras. Potential players should be taking formal les-sons in their chosen instrument and the Julianstown Youth Orchestra facilitates tuition in a wide range of instruments. There are a wide range of instruments to choose from in the orchestra. The string section has violins, violas, cellos and dou-ble basses. The wind and brass sections can have flutes, piccolo, oboes, clarinets, bass clarinet, trumpets, French horns, trombones and bassoons. There is also a very exciting percussion section complete with timpani drums, bass drums, snare drums, cymbals and a glockenspiel as well as many other smaller percussion in-struments. Many of the players own their instruments, but the Julianstown Youth Orchestra, also has an instrument rental policy particularly for some of the more expensive and less common instruments. Parents and potential players are welcome to come to Cólaiste na hInse any Friday evening from 6.30-8.30pm or Saturday morning from 8.50-10.15am to observe the senior and junior rehearsals respec-tively. Committee members are always on hand to provide information and answer any questions. It could be the beginning of a long musical journey for a player who would like to develop musical skills and make new friends with a shared interest. www.jyo.ie she. November 26th & 27th An Grianán See "she"Coláiste na hInse, through it's nation-ally award winning Lady Gregory Project, will perform an original produc-tion, 'she.' on November 26/27 in the school. Tickets will be €6 and available on the door. The play deals with adult themes and pa-rental discretion is advised. Performanc-es begin at 7.30pm and we would love to see as many people from the community come and support this unique creative project. © November 2018 The Meath Coaster36Coláiste na hInseCNI 10 Year Anniversary Gala DinnerTo celebrate 10 years of Coláiste na hInse, a gala reunion dinner will be held in Halla Spoirt at 7pm on Friday 16th November. All former dáltaí are invited as are all cur-rent and former tuismitheoirí and muinte-oiri. It will be a chance to relive the days in the Neptune, the Danlán and into our current building.Tickets are limited and are available for €20 on Eventbrite. Dinner will be served on the night. Bring a table of ten and make sure that you dress to impress. Special recognition to those that incorporate the school colours of sea blue and gold.For more details, please visit the school website, colaistenahinse.ieDebatingIt's an exciting start to the debating year for the Coláiste's debaters. With wins in the qualifying rounds of the UCD Junior Schools Competition and the Leinster Senior Schools Debating Competition hosted by Trinity College and UCD, our juniors and seniors are off to a flying suc-Best Speaker in Final at Junior Debating National Mace© November 2018 The Meath Coaster37Dáltaí Attend Claire Byrne Live in RTÉTwenty dáltaí attended a live recording of Claire Byrne Live in RTÉ Studios in Don-nybrook in October. The dáltaí were ab-sorbed by debates regarding homelessness and whether Ireland should boycott the Eurovision in Israel next year. Afterwards, dáltaí met the host Claire Byrne and had a tour of the studio before returning home.MusicalThis year's musical production is Queen's We Will Rock You and rehearsals are well underway. The show takes place from January 16-19th. By the end of this month, tickets will be available through event-brite.ie and local primary schools will be contacted about attending our special matinee performance. Lá SpóirtLá Spóirt took place on October 5th in both the school and at St. Colmcille’s GAA grounds in Piltown. The day was hugely successful at both venues as dáltaí enjoyed all the traditional events, includ-Junior National Mace Debating Winnercess. However, it was the qualifying round of the largest competition in the country that saw the Coláiste already bring home some silverware! At the second prelimi-nary round of the Junior Debating Na-tional Mace competition in Loreto St. Ste-phen's Green it was a clean sweep for the Coláiste. From 120 speakers, the Coláiste had the top two speakers in the competi-tion, Aoife Forkin (1st) and Laragh Phillips (2nd), the best speaker in the final (Laragh Phillips) and the best first year in the com-petition (Sean Corr). With only private schools otherwise ranked in the top ten, it really was an incredible achievement. There's a hectic November ahead, we can't wait for the new challenges! Continued over....© November 2018 The Meath Coaster38ing 100m, 400m, relay, shot putt, welly throwing, the egg and spoon race and the three legged race! A huge thank you to all múinteoirí involved in organising the day, and especially to St. Colmcille’s for their continued support of Lá Spóirt.Idirbliain Trip to GlendaloughThe entire Idirbliain year group travelled with their caomhnóirí and réaltóir to Glendalough in Co. Wicklow for a bond-ing day at the beginning of October. On a cloudy, drizzly day, the dáltaí completed the 12km Spinc trail. Beginning with the seemingly, neverending uphill climb by the Poulanass Waterfall, everyone en-joyed the reward of the spectacular views of the lake before we passed through the Miner’s Village on our return to the Visi-tor Centre. Despite the difficult conditions and steep ascents, every dálta completed the hike and felt a sense of satisfaction in spite of their weary bones.Oíche OscailteColáiste na hInse hosted its Oíche Oscailte for incoming dáltaí at the end of Septem-ber. Our dáltaí led tours on the night, as well as putting on displays of their work in Home Economics, Art, Science and many other subjects. Go raibh maith agai-bh to all dáltaí who helped on the night, and to all future dáltaí and their tuismith-eoirí who attended on the evening.CNI Under Boys Contest GAA BlitzCNI u14 Boys’ Gaelic Football team com-pleted their North Leinster efforts lately at the lovely facilities of Pats Stamullen. It was the first time representing the school for many of the first year students and there were a number of excellent perfor-mances from the likes of Aidan Clarke, Darragh Bracken and Adrian Kavanagh. Special mention must go to Rang Bree student Jakub Kuberski who not only watched his first GAA match on the day but also played in his first GAA match af-terwards. §© November 2018 The Meath Coaster39Church of Ireland, St Mary’s JulianstownOn Sunday the annual service of Re-membrance will take place in St. Mary's Church of Ireland Church, Julianstown at 10.30am. On this centenary of the Armistice in 1918, all those who died in that war as well as all who have died in wars and conflicts since and all who have served us, will be remembered. Everyone is very welcome.§Stamullen Fianna FáilLisa Mellor has been appointed as a lo-cal area representative for Fianna Fáil in Ashbourne Local Electoral Area. This area includes Stamullen, Gormanston, Ashbourne, Kentstown and surrounding areas. She is looking forward to work-ing with local residents and community groups, listening and helping to make our community a better place for us all. She will be working along with Thomas Byrne TD and his office. If you would like to contact her, please do not hesitate to do so on 0876355519 or lisamellorff@gmail.com §Next >