For the love of Gauis Plinius Caecilius Secundis-AD 100

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (A.D. 61/62-c. 113) Roman lawyer and writer known as Pliny the Younger, left a collection of letters that gives the most complete picture available of public and private life in Rome at the end of the 1st century.

He was born in northern Italy at Novum Comum (now Como) and adopted as heir by his uncle, the scientist and historian Pliny the Elder. Practicing law from the age of 18, his honesty and financial skills brought him success in inheritance cases and as the prosecutor of corrupt officials.

c. A.D. 100

"You say that you are feeling my absence very much, and your only comfort when I am not there is to hold my writings in your hand and often put them in my place by your side. I like to think that you miss me and find relief in this sort of consolation. I, too, am always reading your letters, and returning to them again and again as if they were new to me — but this only fans the fire of my longing for you. If your letters are so dear to me, you can imagine how I delight in your company; do write as often as you can, although you give me pleasure mingled with pain."

Photo Minute: This is England

The secret to raising an honest child

The secret to raising an honest child: Hold your tongue if they admit they have done something wrong 

• A new study looked into how children feel about lying and honesty

• They told stories to kids involving doing something wrong 

• Kids aged 4-5 are more likely to think lying is a good idea than those aged 7-

• Those who are less honest also expect parents to react badly to lies

When your child does something wrong, the natural way to react might be to lose your temper.

But getting angry may do more harm than good, according to a recent study.

Children are more likely to tell the truth when they expect their parents to react positively, even if they know they are going to get punished.

"When your child does something wrong, the natural way to react might be to lose your temper. But getting angry may do more harm than good, according to a recent study 

When your child does something wrong, the natural way to react might be to lose your temper. But getting angry may do more harm than good, according to a recent study (stock image)

Understanding how children perceive lying and honesty can give important insights into a child's behaviour.

To explore this, researchers from the University of Michigan looked into what kind of feelings children have about lying and confessing when they have done something wrong.

Dr Craig Smith, from the Center for Human Growth and Development, presented a group of four to nine-year-olds with a series of hypothetical questions told through different stories.

In each situation, the children had done something wrong then either lied about it or confessed.

‘In one story the transgressor stole candy from a friend, and in the other story the transgressor pushed a child to the ground in order to obtain a playground swing,’ the authors wrote in the study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 

In half of each of the stories, the main character told the truth about what they had done and in the other half, they lied.

Children are more likely to tell the truth when they expect their parents to react positively, even if they know they are going to get punished (stock image)

The researchers asked how the kids felt during and after reading each story, focusing on how they thought the characters felt and why they did what they did.

Afterwards, they asked about the characters’ parents and how they expected them to react, while also interviewing the children’s mothers in real life about how honest their children are.

The children aged four and five were more likely to think positively about lying and negatively about confessing, while the seven to nine year olds understood better that lying is wrong.

HOW CHILDREN LEARN TO LIE 

 A study published in October last year found kids’ perception of truth and lies changes as they get older.

Researchers from McGill University analyzed the behaviour of nearly 100 children between the ages of six and 12.

Overall, the children were easily able to distinguish between truth and lies, regardless of age.

In deciding which behaviours to reward or condemn, the researchers noted two significant differences among the age groups.

When assessing a ‘false confession’ scenario, in which a character would claim responsibility for another character’s misdeed to spare the real perpetrator, the younger children were more likely to view this as negative behaviour than older kids.

A similar trend was seen in the case of tattling.

While younger children were less concerned with the negative consequences of truth-telling, older children were often conflicted.

‘Looking at how children see honesty and deceit is a way of gaining insight into different stages of moral and social development,’ said Victoria Talwar, a Canada Research Chair in McGill’s Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology.

This means, even if they believe they could be punished, shows older kids are more likely than younger children to view confessing to a misdeed as the right thing to do.

But this does not mean little kids do not experience guilt or understand lying is wrong, the researchers say.

Instead, they are more likely to lie because they expect their parents to react badly.

‘Children who anticipated that an authority figure would be upset following a child’s confession were rated by their own parents as less likely to confess compared with children who expected an authority figure to be pleased by a child’s decision to confess,’ the authors wrote.

This means, kids who think their honesty is going to be met with a positive reaction, even if they will still be punished, are more likely to tell the truth, the researchers say.

One sure way to guarantee a child will not confess is to ‘bite the kid's head off immediately,’ Dr Smith said.

‘It goes along with the larger picture of being approachable as a parent,’ he said.

‘Convey that you're going to listen without getting angry right away,’ Dr Smith added.

‘As a parent, you might not be happy with what your child did, but if you want to keep an open line of communication with your child you can try to show them that you're happy that your child has told you about it.’ 

Abigail Beall

Eight men own same wealth as half the world; one in 10 people live on less than $2 a day

Eight men own same wealth as half the world; one in 10 people live on less than $2 a day

A new report has highlighted that the eight richest people in the world own the same wealth as 3.6 billion people who make up the poorer half of the world’s population.

The report was published today by Oxfam ahead of a meeting of political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week.

An Economy  for the 99 percent shows that the gap between rich and poor is far greater than had been thought thanks to new and better data on global wealth.

The world could also see its first trillionaire in just 25 years. To spend a trillion euro, someone would have to spend over €1 million a day for 2,738 years.

Since 2015, the richest one percent has owned more wealth than the other 99 percent combined.

The report also details how governments are facilitating big corporations and the super-rich to dodge taxes and use their power to influence politics – which is fuelling the inequality crisis.

"It is obscene for so much wealth to be held in the hands of just eight men – so few they would fit on a golf buggy – when one in nine people on this planet go to bed hungry every night," says Jim Clarken, Oxfam Ireland Chief Executive.

"Public anger is already creating political shockwaves across the globe with inequality cited as a significant factor in the election of Donald Trump in the US and Brexit in the UK.

"People are tired of a system which seems rigged against them, where big business and the super-rich use their money and connections to ensure government policy works for them.

"A fundamental change in the way we manage our economies is required so they benefit everyone, not just a fortunate few. We need a global economy for the 99 percent, not just the one percent."

The report highlights how large-scale tax dodging by corporations and wealthy individuals is contributing to inequality with the poorest losing out, as they are most reliant on the public services this forgone revenue could provide.

Kenya is losing $1.1bn every year in tax exemptions for corporations, nearly twice its budget for health, in a country where women have a one in 40 chance of dying in childbirth.

Oxfam Ireland is also asking that commitments made in the Programme for Government to ‘develop the process of budget and policy proofing as a means of advancing equality’ be put into action.

"Inequality is not inevitable. World leaders can rebalance economies with every budget passed and every rule of law or regulation written or dismantled."

Oxfam’s report lays out a blueprint for a more human global economy, which includes greater cooperation between governments on tax dodging to generate the funds needed to invest in healthcare, education and job creation, and by dismantling the barriers to women’s economic progress such as access to education and the unfair burden of unpaid care work. On current trends it will take 170 years for women to be paid the same as men.

Denise O’Donoughue

Galway and Connemara: Going wild in the wonderful west

The vernacular architecture of the west is just part of its charms; pictured is An Sceach Gheal, one of the 17th century cottages at Cnoc Suain in Spiddal

Bog standard. I've no idea who invented the term, but they've obviously never been to Co Galway, where the peat lands are anything but standard. As I leaned over the half-door of An Sceach Gheal, I was transported to the bee-loud glade of Yeats's iconic poem, where peace came dropping slow. But I wasn't in Sligo, I was in Spiddal - Cnoc Suain, to be precise - on a 'restful hill' in a bog deep in the Connemara Gaeltacht; blissed out by the beauty.

I've always found the west offers a kind of balm for the soul; a particular state of grace only to be found far beyond the Pale. My friend Christine and I were hoping to find just that, as we headed for the City of the Tribes to explore some of the Wild Atlantic Way while doing a mini digital detox. No emails, no social media: just us and the wild west, old-school style.

We'd been to Galway City before, but neither of us knew its history, so we met up with Brian Nolan of galwaywalks.com to be educated. Brian's knowledge of the city's history is encyclopaedic, which, coupled with his charm and storytelling prowess, makes for an irresistible combination. Our walk began on the Corrib's bank. At 6km, it's the shortest river in Ireland - and it led us through the city; a story at every turn. One pitstop was in the Claddagh, once a fishing enclave of traditional thatched cottages. In 1932, the vernacular architecture gave way to a corporation estate and what is today some of the most coveted real estate in the city. Some years ago, an enterprising man by the name of Mike Walsh built Katie's Claddagh Cottage, replicating a traditional thatched house of the Famine era. The house, which encompasses a museum, and a tea-cum-gift shop, is an unexpected jewel and a must-visit. See claddaghartscentre.com.

Galway, Brian told us, grew up in the 13th century around a castle owned by Norman, Richard de Burgh. The settlement grew and thrived under the Normans until the 14th century, when rule shifted to an oligarchy of 14 merchant families, the famous 'Tribes of Galway', dubbed such by Cromwell.

History is hungry work, but it was Saturday, so the market was on - it takes place from 6am-6pm weekly in Church Lane, adjacent to the historic St Nicholas's Collegiate Church, which dates from 1320; the saint being none other than Mr Claus himself. The historic church counts Christopher Columbus among its past worshippers; he visited in 1477. We sampled some of the market's myriad delights - Christine enjoyed her first oyster, I savoured Breckish Dairies' goat's cheese and we both purchased produce from Paddy Hogan of Kinvara; his family have been stallholders since 1937. But having walked the length and breath of the city at this stage, we were in need of more substantial fare, which we found at Ard Bia at Nimmos, an atmospheric gem with super staff, located opposite Galway City Museum. Following divine chowder, we lingered over excellent coffee before popping into the City Museum for a whistle-stop tour of its artefacts, and then on to Salthill, and our bed for the night, the Galway Bay Hotel. We headed straight for the pool, and, a few leisurely lengths later, we felt we'd earned our dinner. The hotel's restaurant, The Lobster Pot, faces the prom and has fabulous views of the ocean. The swim had us famished, so we polished off a smorgasbord of seafood, ranging from mussels and clams to scallops and sea bass.

Next morning, it was time to head for Connemara. Our first port of call was the aforementioned Cnoc Suain, an award-winning cultural retreat situated on a lofty hill outside Spiddal. Cnoc Suain is truly unlike anywhere I've ever been. Founded and lovingly run by husband and wife team Charlie and Dearbhaill (who is a native of the area), the 200-acre retreat offers an immersion in Irish culture, past and present, in a richly diverse bog landscape. There are 17th century cottages, perfect for an idyllic break; the field room, where Charlie illuminates guests on the wonders of the bog ecosystem; the meeting house, which hosts music (Dearbhaill is an accomplished musician), song and dance as part of the cultural experience of Cnoc Suain, all situated in luxuriant bog beauty. Because of the eco nature of the place, unless you're staying, visiting is through organised groups only, see cnocsuain.com for details.

It was a day for the bog, and next stop, via the vivid Connemara landscape of the Maam Valley, we arrived at Derrigimlagh, a desolate spot of outstanding boggy gorgeousness. Derrigimlagh has two claims to fame: it's the site of the (crash) landing of Alcock and Brown's Vickers Vimy biplane on June 15, 1919, having completed the world's first transatlantic flight; and it is also the location from where some of the earliest transatlantic wireless messages were sent by Marconi, who had a base here in the early 20th century. There's an informative looped trail explaining the site's rich history; indeed, so beguiled were we, we failed to notice the light fading, and had to hurry to make it back to the car before darkness descended. It was a short drive to our lodgings, the Connemara Sands Hotel, set on its own private Blue Flag beach on Mannin Bay. The beautiful boutique hotel is decorated in seaside hues, with a twist on the traditional, evident in the jewel-coloured velvet soft furnishings. Our suite had direct access to the beach, so following dinner in the hotel's Erriseask Restaurant - try the sublime salmon succotash - we headed to bed early, soothed and sated.

The morning brought unseasonably warm sunshine, so we grabbed a couple of the hotel's complimentary paddle boards and worked up a monster appetite for breakfast. Mannin Bay is a sublime palette of green sea, white sand, black rocks, brown earth and purple heather. Totally Insta-worthy, but we kept our phones firmly in our pockets. Post-breakfast, a long walk on the beach was just the ticket, followed by a leisurely brunch in the Sands Bar.

A little legwork was next on the agenda, but it was of the assisted kind. In Clifden, we hired electric bikes from All Things Connemara, a craft shop on Market Street. There are various routes you can follow, but ours was the famous Sky Road. It's hilly, to say the least, so the electric bikes were invaluable on what was a three-hour trip. The electric aspect of the bikes meant we were able to scale vertiginous gradients with relative ease. The sky was cloudless, making the views across Clifden Bay even more breathtaking.

Following a lingering meal back in Guys Bar in Clifden, it was time to point the car for home. Sad as we were to go, it didn't matter: we were firmly in a Galway state of mind.

This break to the Wild Atlantic Way is an opportunity to completely switch off and relax. The immersion will be more complete if you can make a conscious effort to minimise technology, social media, phone calls and email. Take this opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the external beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way and be fully present in everything you do. The enjoyment of this time out and mental rewards and sense of renewal will be much greater, the more you can allow yourself to truly switch off from daily life and engage with the Wild Atlantic Way.

Embrace the Wild Atlantic Way of Life today at WildAtlanticWay.com

Things to do

■ Best of Galway Walking Tour, see galwaywalks.com

■ Galway City Museum, see galwaycitymuseum.ie

■ Cnoc Suain, see cnocsuain.com

■ Derrigimlagh, see wildatlanticway.com/directory/signature/derrigimlagh-bog/342/

■ Discover Connemara by bike at allthingsconnemara.ie

Where to stay

■ Galway Bay Hotel, see galwaybayhotel.net

■ Connemara Sands Hotel, see connemarasands.com The Connemara Sands Hotel reopens for the season in March.

By Gemma Fullam

Photo Minute: The bear necessities win every time against wolves

The persecution of Ian Bailey

         

   

                                                                           Ian Bailey
                         

It was never the prosecution of Ian Bailey for the murder of Susan de Plantier back in 1997 but the persecution of Ian Bailey that was ever going to land him in court, and only the court of public opinion. As many a murder suspect before, even the ‘self confessed’ ones, this was just another trial by media if ever there was one. Rather than citing the plethora of media outlets than jumped on the bandwagon to crush Ian for almost 20 years, for the sake of jury-prudence, I thought it best to write about one particular journalist that represented the biggest selling newspaper in the land at that time, and who wrote the article titled, The Trials Of Ian Bailey, almost 13 years ago.  The writers name was Stephen Dodd.

Stephen wasted no time in getting to the heart of the matter by his many sources starting with the ‘neighbours.’ The reader is told by them or Dodd that Ian Bailey did not have a wholesome reputation; he was an oddball, an Engllish blow-in that frightened and who beat his lover, and howled at the moon. Despite Ian being a journalist, Dodd thought he had only literary pretensions. There was more: Ian was seen by people at night, roaming the lanes with a big thick stick in his hand; it was called Bailey’s ‘thinking stick.’ Brian Jackson, one of the neighbours, recalled he ‘learned’ that Ian’s hobby was destroying religious artifacts. Apparently Dodd had the neighbours feelings confirmed, and I guess his own, that Ian Bailey was a vicious man, shorn of kindness and compassion, puffed with misplaced pride.  The neighbours were forced out of the closest in a libel action by Ian to stop them, their lies, and the media from destroying what was left of his already tarred and feathered reputation.

It was all to no avail. It also came out that he assaulted his girlfriend when he snapped while under the constant and crushing yet unrelenting weight of that gossip that he was a murderer, where the only evidence against him was that he was a ‘self confessed suspect.’ She believed the attack of trial by media and neighbours was much worse than the 3 fights they had in all of that time (7 years) and 13 years later again he is still with his girlfriend who believed always and ever that he was innocent.  Ian claimed then as he does now that he had been “Eaten alive, battered, vilified and demonized by those press reports." When asked did he think the court should award him damages for being told that that he was a prime suspect in the Sophie Toscan Du Plantier murder, even though he was a self-confessed suspect who tried to kill his lover, Ian could only answer sheepishly that that was for the court to decide. Despite the fact that he did not try to kill his lover and absolutely no evidence that he tried or did murder anyone else, court privilege can let a prosecutor say anything they like but not so the defendant.

Dodd then informs the reader in his piece that the libel trial was not a criminal one without once questioning neighbours their morality of character, and especially one like Richard Shelley. With neighbours like this guy you do need a bigger field for your house, with electric fence, CCTV cameras, audio equipment and a few man-eating dogs for good measure. Apparently Ian Bailey also confessed to Richard of murder and in front of others too at a party. He even showed them clippings of the case just to make sure they knew who he was talking about. I know he might have thought they were all a bit thick but surely they were not that thick. And if you have a neigbour like Marie Farrell, then you just better move altogether, preferably to another country.

She stated about the night of the murder this: “I Just saw this man sort of staggering, half walking along the road, his arms were waving and his coat was flying open; like somebody who was half drunk.” Yeah, old Ian again. She also stated that Ian tried to intimidate her later and once made cut-throat gestures toward her.” She went on: “My life was a living nightmare because I couldn’t even stay in my shop. I had to pay 3 girls to stay there all the time because I couldn’t be there, and in the end I just ended up in debt because I was so afraid to stay there because of Ian Bailey.” If that didn’t do it to finish off Ian’s reputation, they wheeled yet another star witness afterwards, who was then a 14 year - old boy named Malachi.

Accepting a lift from Ian, who by then was a well known suspected murderer or at least a self-confessed one and quite infamous to boot, in his car one evening, Malachi testified he noticed that Ian was anxious, preoccupied, holding his head and cursing to himself, and when he asked him how was work going, Ian replied: Fine until ‘I went up there with a rock and bashed her  f***ing brains in.” I couldn’t help wonder at this point in Dodds rather colourful piece then was Malachi Reid a cub reporter later.

Dodd tried to finish his article with a flourish by telling us that Ian Bailey was now adrift, facing the twin disasters of a possible overwhelming legal bill and a civil case taken by Sophie de Plantier’s parents, with the director of public prosecutions also re-examining the case.  But perhaps the future was laid bare best by Ian Bailey instead when he said: “ I couldn’t leave it behind, this is not going to disappear. Anyway, there were articles written about me in French, Spanish and Italian media, and one piece in America. I also knew that a murder inquiry has no statutory limitations and I stayed to fight and prove my innocence.” That fight, then it its 7th year, would need another decade or more  before the tide would turnouts a little for Ian Bailey.

By the time 2013 arrived, Marie Farrell had already re-canted her statements 8 years earlier, citing she had made them at the time because of pressure from the Gardai (which they denied as usual); files have gone missing since as usual as well, others sought, and Ian Bailey has got a law degree and is suing everybody related to his persecution including the ones who got away first time around. The overwhelming legal bill looks like it will land on us only, the long suffering taxpayer, and may be the price that has to be paid if it gets real justice for Ian or anyone else that matters.  

Daniel Toscan du Plantier, Susans husband, who died in 2003, had seen the future too when he said: "I knew the dangers of blaming Ian Bailey. I criticize them (the Gardai) for throwing out his name with such incredible recklessness. Because, if there is one chance in a hundred that he is innocent, it is terrifying.”

The odds have gotten a lot better since.

Barry Clifford