THE VIEW FROMTHE STREETS

Each week, we hit the streets of County Wexford to ask the public their thoughts on a range of subjects... this week: Will you be giving up anything for Lent?

STACEY BROWNE, WOLFE TONE VILLAS, WEXFORD

‘I’m going to try and give up smoking. I’ve been smoking too long. I hope I’ll manage it, the plan is to give them up completely.’

LAURA O’SHEA, ENNISCORTHY

‘I’ve given up sweets, well I’m going to try and give them up. Actually, I have a bet on about it too so I’m going to try my best to give them up.’

DEIRDRE O’ SULLIVAN, CARNEW

‘I’ll be giving up absolutely nothing for Lent. It isn’t important to me, it’s just a religious thing. If I’m unhealthy, then I would rather stop eating sweets because I’m unhealthy rather then if someone tells me to this because it’s Lent you have to do this now.’

JO FAHY, NEW ROSS

‘I would always try to give something up, but I’m giving up eating out for lunch this Lent. I said I’d do it at the start of the year but it didn’t happen. I got into a bad habit last year. Barbara in The Bakehouse is not going to be too impressed!’

CHARLIE BROWNE, WOLFE TONE VILLAS, WEXFORD

‘Yeah. Fizzy drinks.’

JIMMY O’BRIEN, ENNISCORTHY

‘I have no vices really so I’m not sure what I’ll give up. I might think about it and decide on something but at the moment I’m not sure because there’s nothing too bad that I need to give up.’

DENIS WHITE, GOREY

‘I’ll be giving up nothing for Lent this year. In my family, we never give up anything. If you don’t spend money or whatever you give up, someone is not getting the business out of that, that’s not helping the economy. It’s all rubbish, we’ve gone beyond that.’

JACQUELINE COLFER AND DAUGHTER AOIBHINN MCLOUGHLIN, TEMPLETOWN

‘I love Picnic bars so I’ll be giving them up. We’ll be having lots of pancakes on Tuesday and will be taking a healthy approach from then on.’

GER DOYLE, MAUDLINTOWN, WEXFORD

‘Only what the wife will make me give up! I don’t usually give anything up. I live modestly, get my few drinks at the weekend and don’t over-indulge in anything.’

SADIE BROGAN AND CATHERINE O’CONNOR, ENNISCORTHY

‘No, I haven’t really thought about giving up anything yet. I might decide to give up something but at the moment no I haven’t anything in mind to give up.’

TIM MURPHY, GOREY

‘I haven’t given it much thought but I suppose it would be a good idea to give up being lazy. Lent is a season in the church, and it would be important to me in that sense.’

ANN CARROLL, FETHARD

‘I’m giving up chocolate. I don’t normally give anything up but since Christmas I’m gone to hell on them. I’m giving them up for health reasons. You might see me in a bikini on Easter Sunday! I’ll be looking forward to have some squares of

DAIRE HEANEY, RATHANGAN

‘Instead of giving up something I might start doing something instead. My parents are after starting a business at home so I might just help out with that.’

PATRICK AND TARA O’BRIEN, ENNISCORTHY

Patrick: ‘I’m not sure what I’ll give up this year but 13 years ago I did give up cigarettes and I have stayed off them since then.’

Tara: ‘I’m going to give up ice-cream. I think that would be hard to give up so I’ll try this year.’

NIAMH COX, TILDA MURPHY AND ELLIE-MAY MAHON, KILDAVIN

Niamh said it doesn’t really matter to her, Tilda always tries to give up something, usually chocolate. Ella-May said all of her family give up something, usually the bad stuff, as they are all quite religious.

PAT RYAN, NASH, GUSSERANE

‘I’ll be giving up sweets for Lent. I’ve a sweet tooth and love anything sweet. I’m a church goer and I’d always give up something for Lent. I think it’s a bad thing that less and less people are going to Mass as we’re losing a sense of community.’

CIARA ROCHE, TALBOT GREEN, WEXFORD

‘Maybe just chocolate and junk food. I think I’ll be able to manage the 40 days. Half our generation don’t bother with Lent though, they’re not really big believers, there’s more atheists now than Christians.’

JUDY BROWNE, ENNISCORTHY

‘I have not decided on anything in particular to give up yet. I think I might try and give up cigarettes though because that would be good. I think that’s what it will be; I’m going to try and give up cigarettes.’

DAWN ROTHWELL WITH HER CHILDREN, LINDA AND JANE, FERNS

‘I hadn’t even thought about it. Lent was probably something more important when I was younger. It’s harder to do now because there’s more choice and variety out there than years ago.’

MICHAEL AND MARGARET FURLONG, NEW ROSS

Margaret: ‘I gave up sugar years ago. Coffee cake is my go to dessert now so I’ll be giving that up.’ Michael: ‘If I don’t make ‘em (promises) I won’t break them. When Margaret gives them up (I don’t have them) so I give them up too – that’s my contribution.’