Bridging the lonely divide

Thousands of elderly Irish men are living in isolation, cut off from their communities, writes Conor Kane.

LIVING alone, miles from the nearest town, long since retired from the job, never married — welcome to the lives of tens of thousands of elderly Irish men.

They were never ones for joining clubs or getting involved in hobbies; can’t get to the pub because there’s no lift, or if they’ve their own car they’re afraid of the drink-driving laws; the post office where they used to walk to collect their pension is long since closed.