Many adult education departments are adapting to Covid-19 and Ashton School in Cork is no exception.
 
According to Adult Education Director John O’Sullivan on the department’s website, “we have adapted due to the uncertainty we faced as we awaited instructions and advice from the appropriate authorities”.
 
As a result, the programme of classes this term is limited but there is still plenty of interest available.

​As well as in-school and remote learning, Ashton School also offers classes that are held in other locations. Golf, horse-riding and tennis are all offered in suitable locations, so that participants can get the best out of their experiences.
 
“We are very appreciative of the effort our tutors are making to offer courses,” said John. “We are also very grateful to the community for the support we have received in Adult Education over a long number of years.”
In addition, “it is very important for us to assure those who enrol that we are following all protocols and procedures as advised by NPHET and the Government. Classes will be reduced in size.” And, the department’s Covid-19 guidelines are also available on its site, so that all measures and precautions are being taken to protect learners and staff.

You can find night class details on Ashton School’s website, and Facebook page.

​Chinese is just one of many courses on offer in the Adult Education programme at St Tiernan's Community School, Ballally, Dublin 16. The school runs a range of evening classes, covering new skills, accredited qualifications, hobbies, and fitness.

Arnold Guo is the tutor charged with teaching Mandarin to participants. “I came to Ireland in 1997 and pursued a Master’s in marketing in Dublin City University. I’ve worked in different industries since then and have taught Chinese along the way. A year ago, I contacted Ronan Conneely, the Adult Education Director in St Tiernan’s about teaching Chinese there.”

Face masks are the new must-have item as we adjust to living with Covid-19. And the sewing class in The Donahies Community School in Dublin 13 has been right on trend with its production of cotton face masks.

“During the lockdown and over the summer, most people made face masks for friends and family,” says sewing tutor Mary Coonan.

“With things in short supply and shops closed during the lockdown, people made do with what they had. They were able to make face masks from pieces of fabric that they had left over or collected over the years. So, there was a lot of upcycling and recycling.”

Mary is an experienced designer, and her sewing class is so popular that it runs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, along with Wednesday afternoons, Saturday mornings and Saturday afternoons.

It’s all systems go at O’Fiaich Institute in Dundalk, Co Louth.
 
Night classes commence during the week starting Monday, 21 September, and include QQI certification.

Gorey Community School in Co Wexford has enlisted the help of a hairdresser with TV, film, and theatre experience to tutor a night class in Hair Braiding and Plaiting.

The five-week course will cover everything from the basics of hair plaiting up to the intricacies of French, Dutch, fishtail and waterfall plaiting. Learners will even be able to duplicate the Viking look as featured in the TV series of the same name!

Tutor Marion O’Toole herself worked in the Viking TV series, as well as Game of Thrones, Moone Boy, Little Women, Badlands, and the Wexford Opera Festival.

“Viking plaits are quite popular now and many of those styles were designed on Vikings and Game of Thrones,” says Marion, who runs a mobile hairdressing service covering Wicklow, Wexford, Carlow, and Dublin.

Today, she specialises in wedding and occasion hair styles, as well as hair extensions. “There’s one technique to braiding or plaiting your hair and, once you’ve mastered that, you can adapt that to other styles.
​
“Dutch plaits, for instance, are popular with girls who play sport or for school days. Waterfall plaits are popular with First Communion girls. Fishtail plaits then are suitable for the dressier look.”

Whatever the occasion, once you’re able to master crossing over three strands of hair, you have cracked the code of plaiting and braiding! ​

​Malahide Community School, Co Dublin, has launched its Autumn 2020 list of night classes. And, as with everything else these days, amendments have been made to take account of Covid-19.
​
“Classes that we are offering will be delivered in different ways,” said Robbie Harrold, Director of Adult Education. “Like most other enterprises, we have had to make many changes to the way we run things so that participation by adult learners can be done safely and risk to health is almost reduced completely.”

One of the big changes is the inclusion of blended learning and remote learning alongside the traditional face-to-face format. “Some classes are available in school only, for instance, Computing, Guitar, and Digital Photography. Other courses, such as Irish Conversation and Italian, will be available in a blended format i.e. a small number of students in the classroom while others will view the class on webcam. And others, such as Yoga and Pilates, are only available remotely.”

When a proposed visit to Ireland by Spanish students was called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers turned to technology instead. Spanish tutor Mariana Jiménez Moreno, who delivers beginners and advanced Spanish night classes in Cork, tells the story:

“In January, a group of adult Spaniards in Valencia who were doing English classes put together a plan to visit Ireland in April. Nuria, the person who organised the trip, contacted me looking for Irish students here who were learning Spanish.

Mariana Jiménez Moreno delivers beginners and advanced Spanish night classes in Bishopstown Community School, Ballincollig Community School, Ashton Comprehensive School, and Carrigaline Community School. ​Last year, in simpler times, she took her adult learners on a trip to Spain.

Down through the ages, humanity has been captivated by the glory of night sky. It has always invoked a sense of wonder, curiosity and awe. “What are we looking at? How far away are these twinkling and shimmering stars? Is there life, even intelligent life, out there?”

​The study of astronomy holds the key to unlocking many of these amazing mysteries and the good news is that it need not, in any way, be an arduous undertaking. Many online courses, as well as courses in adult education settings, are now available for those wishing to take their first tentative steps in this exciting subject. Generally, no prior knowledge at all is required, only an interest and a willingness to learn! And nothing more than a pair of basic binoculars need assist you in your adventure! 

Star gazing is, in itself, a wonderful and uplifting activity, but when accompanied by the knowledge and understanding that astronomy provides, it can be simply captivating! So why not sign up for that next Beginners’ Course in Astronomy that you see advertised? Remember, the sky’s the limit!

With Irish barbers remaining closed, due to COVID-19 restrictions, until 20th July, and with people getting out more, there's never been such a need for home haircuts. With that in mind, Daiva Dabuleviciene, professional barber and Pobalscoil Neasáin tutor, has put together some guidelines for a simple men's haircut using clippers and scissors.

In the video below, Daiva takes you through the process step by step for a man's haircut using a number 3 clippers on the back and sides, and a scissors on top. She points out that you almost can't do it wrong, and that the most important is not to be afraid. 

For this haircut, you will need:

• A Wahl Magic Clip (number 3 blade), or any professional clippers, but note that numbers can vary on different clippers
• A wide tooth comb
• Hairdressing scissors
• A bottle with water to spray
• A gown

Daiva's barbering course at Pobalscoil Neasáin covers all you need to know about working in a professional barber shop, including Creative and Classic Cutting Techniques; Clipper Work; Fading & Blending; Styling & Finishing; Current Trends & Media Influences; Client Consultation; Product Knowledge and Working on Live Models. The course will be available for enrolment as soon as it is safe to restart courses.

​A number of our other schools also run Barbering and Hairdressing courses.

Memoir writing is a good place to start. This is not the story of your life. It is simply a collection of memories. Or even just one memory - a memory from your childhood or your teenage years. It could even be about this strange time that we are living in now. 

Memoir writing is about real life and the struggles and joys that we all face. 

People are characters so this is where you can get your inspiration. Try to notice how people behave. Everyone is unique. Every character is too. 

• Create characters that will surprise you. You should have lots of knowledge about you character. But they should always be able to shock you or surprise you. Never assume you know everything about your characters.

• As your writing develops, so will your characters and allow them to change and do things that you never thought that they would.

• Take time in finding the right name for each character. 

• Imagine how they would speak. Are they articulate? Are they well mannered? Or perhaps they are witty. Do they use body language when they speak? Are they loud? Or shy? Have they any unique traits in their voice?

• What do they look like? Create a visual for the reader but allow them to have their own interpretation. ​

Mari Gregan is a tutor on the QQI L5 Nutrition certificate night class in Gorey Community School. Here, she outlines tips for eating well during the pandemic.
 
During this time of uncertainty and angst, many of us reach for the fridge or snack cupboard for comfort. For many, that can be a normal human reaction. This is a time, however, when keeping our body well is more important than ever.
​
The foods you eat affect your health and wellbeing. Eating healthily can reduce your chances of developing a lot of diseases. In fact, a good diet can improve all aspects of your life from brain function to your energy levels. Food affects every cell and organ in your body.

These foods are low in fibre, protein, and vitamins or minerals but are high in ingredients like added sugar and salt. Thus, they provide a lot of empty calories. These foods are engineered to trigger your pleasure centres, so you are tricked into overeating. For some, this can even lead to a food addiction.
​
This includes sugary drinks. These are the most fattening items you can consume. The brain does not recognise the calories from fizzy sugary drinks like food. So, you end up eating way more total calories in the day. Fruit juice can be just as bad in this regard.

Eating enough protein is vital for good health. Try to include protein with each meal. High protein not only aids in the protection and health of every cell in our bodies, it has also been shown to lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Not only that, eating protein gives us the most satisfied feeling and keeps us full for longer, which helps us to avoid reaching for sugary snacks!

Fruit and vegetables are loaded with all the good stuff! They are packed with our essential vitamins and minerals and antioxidants. Include fresh, seasonal (where possible) fruit and vegetables in your daily diet.

Not all carbohydrates are the same. Some are highly processed foods where the good stuff like fibre has been removed. Stick instead to the whole grains and your fruits and veg.

Fats are necessary in our overall diet. But look for good healthy fats, which do contain some saturated fat. Healthy fats include olive oil, avocados, nuts, chia seeds, dark chocolate, and fatty fish.

Exposure to just 15 minutes to sunlight on your face and arms gives you all the vitamin D you need in a day. But if we are not getting this, it is beneficial to take a supplement. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium which aids bone health. It also plays an important role in our immune health.
​
Other foods to aid the immune system include broccoli, garlic, peppers, spinach, almonds, ginger, green tea, kiwi, and turmeric.

You need to drink adequate amounts of water for good health. Authorities commonly recommend eight 8-ounce glasses, which is about two litres.

Exercise with a good diet can help maintain optimal health. It is also crucial to get a good night’s sleep. Remember, that stress also plays a vital role in how we digest the nutrients from our food, so it is helpful to learn ways to help minimise our stress response.

Lauren Ryan has more reason than most to learn Russian – her boyfriend was born in Russia and she will be hoping to converse in his native tongue when they visit Russia in the next few years.
​
“I took the Russian beginners class in Coláiste Chiaráin in Leixlip to learn his language,” says Lauren, who loves languages and took on Irish as an extra subject in her degree. “And I wanted to do something to challenge me after I had finished my degree.

“I’m absolutely loving it. Whilst I have a good grasp of speaking Russian, I wanted to improve my reading – the Russian alphabet is completely different. But it’s so much easier to learn Russian when you can read it, as it is literal and phonetic. Once you can read it, you can sound it out.”

Passionate tutor
With seven people in the group, there is great variety – and tutor Rodica Darii comes in for great praise. “Rodica has a great way of explaining everything and she talks us through what we’re doing so that it’s easy to understand. She also finds new things for us to do at home so that we practice during the week. She puts her heart and soul into it.”

Russian pride
“People in the class want to travel in Russia and be able to speak the language, which I think is great. The class makes is so that you wouldn’t be apprehensive now about speaking Russian.

“There’s a massive Russian community in Ireland and Russian people are so proud of their language and heritage. And I think it’s really cool that people here are learning Russian for their own personal reasons.”
​
For Lauren, being able to communicate in Russian now means she can text her boyfriend’s mother in Russian!  

Mary O’Sullivan has been attending the lace making class in Ashton Comprehensive School for five years. She tells us of her experience in the class:

“This class was a totally new experience for me. During Heritage Week over five years ago, I went to a Lace Expo in Cork and was intrigued by what I saw. Veronica Stuart, our tutor, was there that day and she recommended the class in Ashton. Veronica is one of the longest-serving tutors in the school.
 
“Everybody makes different pieces, with lace, crochet and embroidery. I'm working on a table runner of wildflowers of the forest. It is Mountmellick Lace style which is unique as it is the only form of white-on-white embroidery from the Nineteenth Century which can claim to be entirely Irish in origin and design.

The 2019/20 version of the Adult Education Ireland lifelong learning booklet, a celebration of adult learning at NACED schools, has just been published. Featuring the articles and interviews which have appeared on this site over the past 12 months, the second edition of this booklet tells the stories of many students and tutors across a range of hobby and certified courses. Print copies of the booklet will be available at any of our member schools, and the electronic version can be downloaded here.

Lifelong learner
Ger Keegan loves the night classes in Hartstown Community School. “Every year, I look at all the local brochures and, inevitably, I end up going back to Hartstown,” says Ger, who has just completed a Dog Grooming night class and is currently participating in the Meditation and Mindfulness class.

“I feel things are well-organised and the place is lovely and warm. I find everybody lovely there and I love the cup of tea in the middle of the class – you get to chat with the others and it’s a great social element to the night.”

The Dog Grooming class was just the ticket for this dog lover. “I found it terrific, very informative. The tutor, Louise, was wonderful – as well as grooming, we covered positive reinforcement and feedback to the dog.” This practical hands-on course also includes dog handling, brushing, bathing, clipping, ear cleaning, nail clipping and dental care.

“Louise brought in a different type of dog each week and her grooming table and showed us great tips to help everyone keep their own dogs tidy at home.

“It was a most enjoyable class – you wouldn’t want to miss one!”