1. Newsletter
Unit 1, 2 Parker Hill, Lower Rathmines Road, Rathmines, D6 April 2013
We Need your Articles!
Welcome to the April edition of your newsletter. This newsletter is run by a small team of people who meet
every Thursday in the drop-in centre. We welcome new people to the team, but if you want to contribute, you
don’t need to commit to weekly meetings. It is our aim to have all our articles written by Gateway members.
We are trying to shine a light on mental health and reduce mental health prejudice for good. But you can write
about anything that interests you—it will probably interest someone else too! There will be a drop box set up in
Gateway, you can post to the above address and you can use a different name if you want your identity to be
kept confidential. You can also email us at our new address—thegatewaynewsletter@gmail.com – The Editors.
What? “Dotmocracy”.
Hats off Yes folks, when Martha wanted So the next time Barrack Obama,
members to decide what courses Enda Kenny or even Kim Jon-il want
Let us all stand, take our hats off, they wanted this year, she used a to be fair and govern in a
and congratulate our very own very democratic way of doing it, democratic way, they will look to
Martha Griffin for winning the and used a system called Martha Griffin and us in Gateway
2012 Dotmocracy Award for her Dotmocracy. And in doing so, has for guidance in how to conduct
unique and special way of using won an award that has put their affairs.
Dotmocracy. Gateway in the world spot-light of Well done to Martha. -Ciarán
democracy. Just google the word
Easter  Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25.
 Pysanka is a specific term used for the practice of
Easter is known as a spiritual time of year Easter egg painting.
Celebrations round the World without fear
 Each year we eat nearly 90 million chocolate bunnies.
Its a sacred time we can heal our pain
Praying for peace and let go of strain  When it comes to eating of chocolate bunnies, the
Sometimes the World can be a dark place ears are preferred to be eaten first by as many as
76% of people.
Easter represents love and amazing Grace
Children indulge in chocolate with sheer delight  Easter is now celebrated on the first Sunday after the
You can look to the stars and feel bright full moon, which happens on, or after March 21, the
Spring Equinox.
Its also a happy time people find it funny
The World is aglow with the story of the Easter bunny  The custom of giving eggs at Easter time has been
traced back to Egyptians, Persians, Gauls, Greeks and
Romans, to whom the egg was a symbol of life.
By Patrick C.
 The first Easter baskets were made to look like bird's
Interested in Fishing? A Fishing group is starting up. It Thank you! Since I have come to Gateway I have
will be run in Gateway initially so members can get enjoyed it very much. The people are understanding
familiar with the gear. Please let Tom or Ali know so we and very nice. I thank Mary and Martha for accepting
have an idea of interest and can get this off the ground. me. Today being the first time it was enjoyable to take
part. -John L

2. A Game of Billiards Peer Support
For me personally when I first came into contact
A member of Gateway
with Gateway the stigma was a factor in becoming a more active
(Nicholas) and myself
member. I was generally demoralised and had given up getting
had a game of Billiards in
any sort of needed support. I would have a tendency to distance
Goodfellows in
myself when my health is not good but this would distance me
Rathmines a while ago. It
further.
was most enjoyable and Nicholas won by
40 points to 34. Billiards is a game played
on the big table with 3 balls. Your “My mood picks up”
opponents ball and your own and a red.
I am now very settled within Gateway and know most of the
Scoring consists of potting the red or going
members. Sometimes I have found on my way there the pattern
in off same 3 points potting your
of negative thinking can overwhelm me, but once I am socialising
opponents ball or going in off same 3
with other members my mind settles into the now and my mood
points potting your opponents ball or
picks up with it. Why does this happen? I believe there are a few
going in off 2 points. You can also get a
unwritten rules amongst members in Gateway, the first one being
score by hitting your opponents ball and
a complete understanding of the challenges that face someone
the red called a canon 2 points. As I said it
with a mental health difficulty.
was most enjoyable and we are planning a
return game in Terenure. -Terry D As all members know it is not just low mood and sadness that
affects someone suffering from poor mental health they can also
Care & Repair: have very high mood, hyperactivity, grandiosity, fast speech, poor
Free repair service in Dublin 4, 6 & 12 to judgement and many more. While my experience has been
people 65+ years of age. Small repair jobs mainly of depression, my mental health is generally made worse
call 01-4059819 by those who have no understanding of it. I have always been an
extroverted person and could mix easily. But when my mental
health is not so good I still feel the need to be an extrovert and
Counselling ‘My Mind’ this can often backfire as I can be a handful.
My Mind in Ranelagh are still offering
discounted counselling services. Vouchers “The value of support”
are still available to Gateway members.
The cost is €10 per session for 5 sessions. Most members will recognise this type of behaviour and overlook
For more information contact Mary Barnes it and see it for what it actually is but the real world is less
on 01-4965558. accommodating. Then I am more at ease and will be able to
benefit from, in my opinion the best therapy there is available
‘other people’’ and a feeling of shared circumstances strengthens
My Story on Confidence this feeling. This is why I believe Gateway provides an invaluable
I got a book from the library in Rathmines service a place to provide peer support. Though I
called ‘Boost Your Confidence’ by Melanie believe most members overlook the value of the
Fennell. This book has helped me because support provided to one another. -Thanks, Tom
my confidence was holding me back. I was
afraid to speak in case I would say the look for 158. I also read another self help book that tells me that
wrong thing in case it would sound stupid when you talk to somebody you make eye contact and listen to
or silly and people would what the other person is saying. Eye contact is important because it
put me down. I only got my means you understand what the other person is saying and you can
confidence a while ago with answer them back. I use to look at the floor as I was too scared to
the help of these books and make eye contact as my confidence was very low but gradually I’m
a very dear and a very gaining confidence.
special friend.
I hope this helps somebody like it has helped me. It’s changed my
Self Help life and there are books out there to help you. I have discovered this
When I go to the library I just go straight to and I will keep reading these books. I am so much happier now and I
the self help section. I know the books to am very grateful I have found these books. -Mary Q.

3. final, that went down to the black the world ranking of Pool players,
Pot Black Tim ball again, but instead I am going to Tim has taken centre stage at last.
They say to write about this Colossus of a man, Recognition for his effort has not
win it once is Tim. gone un-noticed. As well as the
a secret Who is this man, I hear you ask. millions of Euros that Tim will pick
ambition of up in vast corporate sponsorship
Tim was born of parents who think from this wonderful achievement,
every Pool
a Pool cue is something that forms he will be forever known as the
player in
outside a swimming pool complex man who won 2 Gateway Pool
Gateway, but to win it twice is a
on a summer’s day. Tim shocked competitions in a row.
feat not seen since the good old
the world when he said to his
days of Hurricane Higgins, Steve And I know one or two Pool
parents that he was giving up his
Davis or Chris Andrews. And we players, who would very easily
job and going to concentrate on his
who were there to witness this swap their mother, father,
Pool playing.
great achievement of Tim’s were jewellery, false-teeth, or anything
left with no doubt that we were And what can we say? of value, just to win it once. So well
watching a true genius at work. We are all flabbergasted at the done Tim, and hearty
I could give you a shot by shot transmogrification that has taken congratulations to your new found
account of yet another thrilling place with Tim. From what some success in the world of Gateway
might say a lowly ranking 2,3498 in Pool.
Wednesday Meet-Ups Random Notes Radio Show by Richard Moloney every
Second Wednesday between 9pm – 10.30pm on Near
1 o’clock in Toast are still on, check
90.3fm and online at www.near.ie/livestream
with Oliver D for details
Plain English
In March, Claire from NALA (National Adult Literacy Agency) came to give the
team some training in how to use plain English in the newsletter. Plain English
is a way to write and present information so a reader can understand it after
a single reading.
What we learned
 Claire taught us how important it is to use personal language like 'we'
and 'you' so that what we want to say is clear to you, the reader.
 We also talked about the importance of using clear fonts (types of print)
so that people can read the newsletter without any difficulty.
 We learned that a useful way of making an article easy to read is to use shorter paragraphs, and to
break them up using headings and lists when possible.
We have tried to use the lessons we learned in this month's newsletter, and we would welcome your
feedback on how we have done. The idea of using plain English made a lot of sense to me. I would encourage
you to ask for plain English to be used whenever you find an organisation using confusing language or
unexplained terms.
NALA has a website dedicated to all things plain English. You can visit it at www.simplyput.ie -Ali
Relaxation & Meditation There is a public meeting on Mental
continues on Mondays in Health Services on Wednesday the 10th
April from 3.45-4.45pm! April from 2:00 to 4:30pm in the
Carmelite Centre on Aungier Street.
Indian Head Massage
Mental Health Reform wants to hear
is on the last Monday every from anyone with an interest in mental
Month from 1.45pm health. Come along!

4. 11 Wynnfield Road
Rathmines Dublin 6
01 496 5558 www.projectgateway.blogspot.com
The views expressed or otherwise stated in this Newsletter are the views of the
contributors and not necessarily the views of the Gateway Project.
Get to know your member!
What do you like about being a member in Gateway? It breaks the isolation
D IAR M A I D
When you were younger what did you want to be when you grew up? Rich
Where is your favourite place in the world? Coggee Beach in Sydney
One thing no one knows about you? My name means free spirit
in a little world of my was making me feel
A Personal own. I found College hard. calmer, I didn’t feel
Story I hear people nowadays
say it was the same for
myself.
I
everyone, and I have to Friendship Works Best
have experience of
raise an eyebrow. College
depression for close Relationships! I've come
for most people is a riot
on forty years. This to the conclusion that
and fun!
is not something to friendship works best for
put on a C.V. or for any me. I've had a few little
My experience of
prospective employer to relationships don't get me
hospitalization was
read. It comes in waves, it wrong, I am not a total
harrowing the first few
creeps up silently and prude, they generally start
times, I thought it was
gradually and before you Sitting on the Dock off well and somehow get
prison and I would never
know it you are drowning a bit intense and mostly
Then suddenly when I get out. I moved to Dublin
in despair and sadness and end disastrously with
would hear the songs on the Summer of '95 in
inadequacy. Brushing your tears. I have stopped the
the radio sitting on the search of work and instead
teeth can be as equal a screaming matches (not
challenge sometimes as to dock of the bay watching I found love with an lady-like!). I am learning
climbing Mount Everest! the tide ebb away, sitting Italian guy. When he left I to act more maturely with
on the dock of the bay felt devastated and
the opposite sex.
wasting time it would traumatised, didn't sleep
Blood, sweat and tears
literally spin me around for weeks and was
For me Gateway is
I've seen friends and and make me joyful and eventually picked up by
literally that, I can be
acquaintances be the weight of the world the police for a public
myself, everyone is
successful in work, get and my anxieties would order offence. I was totally
friendly and accepting if
married and start families disappear momentarily. out of it. I thought the
you are having a slightly
seemingly effortlessly Songs like Bryan Adams mafia were after me. I under the weather day.
while I every morning "Summer of 69" - “we calmed down and was
Like the other day I had
struggle to figure out just were young and restless placed in a hostel where I
just broken up with a guy I
what to wear! and needed to unwind” got all my meals and had a
was in hospital with last
Miraculously I got through and Bruce Springsteen’s bit of structure to my days.
Summer and Sharon and
College and got an 'The River' "we'd go down I was still delusional and John cheered me up
honours degree in to the river and into the went to the trouble of
tremendously and made
engineering of all things. river we'd dive..." They all doing an Italian course.
me laugh. Another one
The blood sweat and tears kind of uplifted my mood My Psychiatrist at the time
bites the dust as they say!
that went into that of and were the back tracks told me to stick to the Irish
And I thank God that my
cramming for exams was to my anxiety filled years guys. I knew more what I
anxiety is at a controllable
mind shattering as I knew in College. was dealing with.
and manageable level
well by then I was battling
nowadays.
a mental illness at the A World of my Own I kept defaulting on the
same time. I had one medication once
friend and I think she While my peers were discharged only to be -Annemarie M.
knew.... developing social skills readmitted every six
and prowess I was literally months, really although it