President Mary McAleese asks "Where are all the men?" in RTÉ Radio 1 interview

President Mary McAleese speaks to RTÉ Radio 1's Farm Week tomorrow evening at 9pm about a new GAA Social Initiative tackling social isolation amongst older, rural men.  President Mary McAleese has given her support and backing to the initiative aimed at tackling rural isolation and loneliness amongst older single men.

The new GAA Social Initiative, officially launched at the GAA Annual Congress last month, will devise a programme of GAA-themed events aimed specifically at older men living alone in rural areas.  The initiative came about as a result of Dr Martin McAleese contacting RTÉ Radio 1's Farm Week programme after hearing one of its series of programmes on the issue of rural isolation.

Speaking to Damien O'Reilly on Farm Week President Mary McAleese describes her first hand experience of rural isolation;

"I often attend senior citizens' events and one of the things that would perplex me would be the vast number of women and the small number of men at these events. I would ask 'where are all the men'?

They are just not as good at social engagements as women. Rural men living alone are particularly vulnerable. If we look at the suicide statistics we know that the older men over 65 years of age are the second most at risk group to suicide. That tells us a lot about the loneliness, the lack of social engagement and the lack of connective ness that they are experiencing.  There are loads of things that they could be involved in but for whatever reason, it's not happening.  

Martin and I discussed this and we approached the GAA and the IFA because of their phenomenal network and knowledge base all over the country. We were not surprised that they instantly signed up to the idea to help with an initiative to tackle rural isolation among older men. They are two organisations who will know how to attract these men in the vulnerable group. The last thing we want is for people to live unnecessarily lonely lives. At the moment, 11% of the population are over 65. In a very, very short time, 25% of people will be over 65 so the problems of this target group will not go away if we do not do anything".

Presenter Damien O'Reilly says;

"Dr McAleese heard one particular programme on isolation in Kerry. He told me that the issue was something which was very close to his heart and that of President McAleese.  They had been thinking for some time about doing something to deal with the issue of rural isolation among older single men. 

I met Dr McAleese and a steering group was formed which included senior representatives from the GAA and the IFA. After a couple of meetings, the steering group of which I was part of agreed to establish the GAA Social Initiative. It will involve running GAA themed events in a number of counties which will be aimed specifically at attracting older single men who simply cannot or will not attend other social events organised locally. The attraction of the GAA may be too much for them to resist. It will be well organised by a full time co-ordinator to be appointed and paid for by the GAA".

Damien O'Reilly interviewed President McAleese at her official residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, earlier this week.

TUNE IN: FARM WEEK, RTÉ RADIO 1, FRIDAY, 9pm, repeat on Saturday morning at 8.30am.

LISTEN BACK: www.rte.ie/radio1/farmweek/