EM - April/May 2012 - (Page 35)

Life There is no stumping the success of this club Health & Habitat, page 31 35 Italy looks past the eurozone crisis Health & Habitat, page 34 April/May 2012 www.esb.ie/em Image in-box 1 a selection of your photography 3 2 4 6 5 7 8 1 ‘You talking to me?’ by Keith Murphy, Retired Staff. 2 ‘Angel without Wings’ by Joe Walker, Business Service Centre. 3 ‘Bosque, Nabarniz’ by Bittor Zabalegui, Bizkaia Energia. 4 ‘Sydney Opera House’ by Michael Hughes, Retired Staff. 5 ‘Nothing but Blue Skies’ by Kevin Grace, Corporate Centre. 6 ‘Watermelon Slim’ by Keith Murphy. 7 ‘Tree of Life’ by Tony Walsh, ESB Networks. 8 ‘Winter Sunrise in West Clare’ by Jim McArdle, Moneypoint. By Kathleen Thorne book review On Canaan’s Side By Sebastian Barry Published by Faber and Faber Price €13.99 At the start of the 20th century, Lilly Bere is just a child. However, she is living in the midst of troubled times and these troubles – both the Great War and the War of Independence at home in Ireland – impact seriously on her life. Her brother Willie is killed in combat in Picardy. Her father is a widower and an officer in the Dublin Metropolitan Police. He adores Lilly. But these connections with the British establishment set in motion a long trail of unhappy events for Lilly. The consequences endure for the whole of her life. She meets Willie’s friend from the battlefields and marries him. Events conspire to force the pair to go to America in the hope of finding a peaceful life there. Lilly does not find peace. War, death and misery follow her relentlessly causing anguish and enormous prob- lems. However, her life is not completely negative. Along the way she is blessed with some wonderful friends who love her and support her throughout all her ups and downs. The novel takes the form of a memoir, put together in the days following the death of Lilly’s beloved grandson, Bill. It is a format that allows for easy movement between present and past events. The story is well-paced and told in a reflective style that evokes great beauty and allows for philosophical musings. Once again, as in The Sacred Scripture, Barry successfully assumes the voice of an older woman whose life is weighed down by the times she has been destined to live through. It is not a cosy, comfortable book but it is a successful attempt to deal with the social, emotional and spirit- ual consequences of living in a time of great upheaval. n http://www.esb.ie/em

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of EM - April/May 2012

EM - April/May 2012
Contents
News
Services & Electric Ireland
ESB Networks Ltd
ESB Energy International
Health & Habitat
Life

EM - April/May 2012