NOVEMBER 2008
www.celtic-connection.com
Page 25
THE NIGHT STALKER
UVF Denies Link to Weapons Cache
BELFAST - Police found more than 80 guns in the Belfast house where a former loyalist paramilitary Billy "Black Neck" Bell shot himself after battling cancer.
Officers investigating Bell's death on October 16 found the arms hidden with thousands of bullets in his terraced home in Ballysillan. Other weapons, thought to include a handgun and rifles, were found in a local lock-up.
Sources said that Bell, who was in his fifties, specialised in turning replicas into real arms, and was linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force.
Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) spokesman Billy Hutchinson denied the discovery had any connection with the armed group, which has pledged to put guns beyond reach.
"These guns are categorically not linked to the UVF," he said. "He isn't a member of the UVF. This man ran a combat company."
In May 2007 the UVF effectively declared an end to its campaign of violence by announcing it was adopting a non-military civilian role.
Ballistic lab tests should reveal if any of the weapons found had been fired in paramilitary attacks.
Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly said, "Nationalists will be asking what were the UVF doing with 70 guns and ammunition 14 years after they declared a ceasefire?"
SDLP Assembly member Alban Magennis said, "It begs a lot of questions about the truth of the UVF statement that they have put arms beyond use.
"We don't know the full facts on this yet but it represents a very serious departure from the UVF's commitment to put arms beyond reach.
"To have an arsenal of weaponry suggests to me and most ordinary people that they are there for a specific use."
HINGS are quieter around the Sldinte estate these days. Or should she say these nights.
Earlier this year Sldinte discovered she had a serious sleep disorder -her husband.
He would start the night on his side but eventually would roll over onto his back and sleep with his hands behind his head. That's when what Sldinte could best describe as a "snorechestra" would start.
A dissonant orchestra of whistles, squeals, squeaks, snorts, and snarks would emanate from his mouth gradually building in volume.
Then silence that was cut short by a bed-shuddering sucking snort that would shake Sldinte awake and then it would start all over again.
Snoring is no laughing matter. This night stalker can kill your bed mate. Eventually Sldinte's hubby had a sleep study performed and he was diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Those short periods of silence occurred because he would stop breathing, sometimes for over 60 seconds.
In addition to snoring, the repeated awakenings and lack of deep sleep can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, irritability, difficulty in concentrating and personality changes in sleep apnea sufferers.
A red flag the brain may not be getting enough oxygen is a chronic headache in the morning. In the brain, damage from lack of oxygen can cause strokes, and in the heart, it can cause heart attacks and arrhythmias.
The cardiovascular system is affected too with up to half of people with sleep apnea suffering from high blood pressure.
Pulmonary hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux, nerve damage in the feet, diabetes and even one report of intestinal malabsorption can be caused by sleep apnea.
If you have both erectile dysfunction and sleep apnea, chances are the two are related.
In a study published several months ago, researchers from the University of Louisville found that people with sleep apnea are at risk of developing erectile dysfunction which can persist long after the sleep apnea itself is corrected.
Luckily it responds to drug treatment (e.g. Viagra, Cialis or Levitra).
Snoring usually occurs when the sleeper lies on their back and gravity causes the soft tissue at the back of the tongue and soft palate to fall into the throat.
Air passing through this collapsed airway is what causes the sounds of snoring. The harder the lungs have to work to pull in air, the louder the snoring.
As sleep deepens, this tissue relaxes to the point where the obstruction cuts off most or all of the air flow. That's when the snoring gives way to silence.
Normally oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves via the lungs so this decreased airflow translates into lower oxygen and higher carbon dioxide levels in the blood.
SLAlNTE - TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH!
Both conditions stimulate the "drive to breath" but this effort is hampered by the obstructed airway which further decreases oxygen and increases carbon dioxide.
Eventually both situations intensify the drive to breathe to the point where the sleeper is forced out of their deep sleep into a light stage to enable the lungs to pull in air despite the obstruction.
This effort caused the loud bed-shuddering snort Sldinte would hear when her husband was able to breathe again. This cycle repeats itself many times during the night.
What can you do to stop snoring and help prevent sleep apnea?
• Getting your bedmate to sleep on their side is one way to stop sleep apena but the trick is to get them to stay there all night long.
Some people sew a small soft ball into the back of a T-shirt. The ball on their back keeps the sleeper on their side.
• Lose weight and stop smoking. If your bedmate is obese, reducing the volume of fatty tissue at the back of the throat can help prevent the airway from collapsing.
Research suggests that smoke irritates the soft tissue in the upper
airway causing it to swell and nicotine withdrawal overnight causes that tissue to relax and become too slack.
• Don't drink or take medication to help you sleep. They also cause tissue at the back of the throat to relax too much.
• Ask the dentist about the available dental devices for snorers.
• Products sold during infomercials seldom work to reduce snoring.
The last solution is the one Sldinte's bedmate chose to control his sleep apnea. It's called "continuous positive airway pressure," or CPAP.
The sleeper wears a special mask over his nose and/or mouth (there are many variations) and a machine blows air up his nose to keep the airway open.
This option helps most people who have sleep apnea but they must be willing to take the time to find a machine and mask type that fits their lifestyle.
Sleeping next to someone with a CPAP machine sounds a lot like sleeping next to Darth Vader but is nowhere near as difficult as trying to sleep with a snorer.
For more information go to: www.medicinenet.com/sleep_apnea/ article.htm.
Sldinte!
[Maureen Keane MS CN is a graduate of Bastyr University and member of the American Dietetic Association. She is the best selling author of Juicing for Life, What to Eat When You Have Cancer, What to Eat when You Have Diabetes and 14 other health books. If you have a question or comment regarding nutrition or health that you would like to see addressed in this column, e-mail it to: Maureen@KeaneNutrition.com.]
Explanation for McAnespie Shooting Officially Discounted
The shooting death more than 20 years ago of Aidan McAnespie remains controversial and now has more reason to be.
An Irish Catholic, McAnespie was killed in contested circumstances by a bullet from a heavy machine-gun held by a soldier at Aughnacloy border checkpoint in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland during The Troubles.
The Historical Enquiries Team in the North has been reviewing the original investigation and has now cast doubt on the explanation of the British soldier who fired the fatal shot.
After being questioned at an army checkpoint while on his way to a GAA match, the 24-year-old was shot in the back.
Based on exchanges with British soldiers prior to that incident the McAnespie family has always claimed that he was murdered.
Now the HET has concluded that the soldier's explanation that his hands were wet and slipped, causing the machine gun to fire, "can be virtually disregarded."
At one stage the soldier was charged with manslaughter but that was later dropped.
•
Claims that Sinn Fein
is a Major Loser in U.S. Financial Crisis
Newspaper reports, quoting unnamed sources, claim that Sinn Fein has been a major loser with the collapse in U.S. banking stocks. It is alleged that the party had invested huge sums which had been raised from supporters in the States; the figures of EU200 million and EU250 million had been mentioned.
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Dermot Ahern chose the latter when he became involved in verbal exchanges with Sinn Fein TD Caoimhghin 0 Caolain in the budget debate. Ahern assumed the figure to be true as Sinn Fein had not issued a denial.
•
Death of Wei I-Known Ballad Singer Eileen Donaghy
Ballad singer Eileen Donaghy has died at the age of 78. She was at the height of her popularity in the 1950s and 1960s with her recordings of songs such as The Ould Lammas Fair and^L Mother's Love's a Blessing.
During her career Donaghy, originally from Coalisland, County Tyrone, toured the world giving concerts and retired from singing when her husband died in 1991. She is survived by three daughters and six sons, one of whom, Plunkett, gained fame as captain of the Tyrone football team.
•
Former Am bassador to Washington to Retire
Senior civil servant Dermot Gallagher, secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs, is to retire in January. Gallagher was a key figure in both the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement and the establishment of the power-sharing administration in the North.
During his career the Carrick-on-Shannon native also served as Ambassador in Washington; holding that post from 1991 to 1997.
IRISH WOMEN'S NETWORK
Next Event: Wine and Cheese
VANCOUVER - The Irish Women's Network (IWN) is up and running again after a long summer break.
In October, members enjoyed a cup of tea with the Irish Ambassador Declan Kelly on his recent visit to Vancouver.
Be sure to mark November 20 on your calendar for the next gathering of the IWN. This will be a social evening with wine and cheese available. During the evening, the executive will provide members with a report on the past year's activities, the exciting plans for next year, and discuss volunteer opportunities on the various event committees.
Nollaig na in Ban 2009
Nollaig na mBan (pronounced Nol-ag na Mon) which means Women's Christmas in Irish Gaelic is celebrated on January 6, the twelfth day of Christmas.
Having had a busy few weeks beforehand, Nollaig na mBan was when the women downed tools and had a day off while the men folk took over the household duties for a day.
This is a tradition that's experiencing a revival in Ireland and the IWN have celebrated it every year since 1999.
A spokeswoman for the IWN said, "we're looking forward to a right hooley on January 10, 2009 in the Renaissance Hotel in Vancouver.
"If you know any Irish women who have recently arrived in Vancouver, you are encouraged to bring them along. And for those that have been here awhile, it will be lovely to see you again."
The event will consist of dinner, entertainment by the Athenry showband (the new Irish showband from White Rock), followed by ceili dancing and singing. It's a great occasion to meet up with friends and catch up after Christmas, and it's one of the social highlights of the IWN year.
Tickets are 050. For reservations, mail cheques to Eilis Courtney at #302 - 1445 Marpole Avenue, Vancouver V6H 1S5. Call Eilis at (604) 325-7560, or Deirdre O'Ruairc (604) 538-6765, or e-mail: shamrockhome@shaw.ca. Reservations must be made before the December 15 deadline. Receipt of payment guarantees your reservation.