Talking Newspaper

In 1993 a meeting was called of all interested parties to participate in the founding of a Talking Newspaper for visually impaired people in the Sligo region. Talking newspapers had been in operation in other areas of the country for some time and two people, namely Helen and Laurence Cassells, decided to find out if it was feasible to set up a talking newspaper in Sligo. Sligo was rich with drama groups and other community based groups and so it was decided to give it a go. It was necessary to have some recording equipment and a place to store and use it, a newspaper to read, people to edit, read, parcel and send tapes etc. It seemed a rather daunting task but it took off. Sound operators were trained and the rest fell into place.

Sligo Drama Circle is one of seven groups committed to the “Sligo Champion” Talking Newspaper. The team is comprised of members and friends of the Circle. Over the years the commitment has waxed and waned but through thick and thin, wind and rain the newspaper, donated by the “Sligo Champion”, has been collected, edited and read by a team of four, under the auspices of a sound engineer, on Tuesday evening in the recording studio at the Gillooley Hall. The master tape, of 90 minutes duration, is copied by another team of dedicated volunteers and mailed to approximately 100 visually impaired people in the Sligo area and beyond. The postal service is provided, free of charge, by An Post. The tapes are returned, via An Post, and are reused every two weeks.

The Drama Circle thus not only provides entertainment through drama but also contributes in a small way to helping those who see less well than most keep up to date with local news through the medium of the printed press. The feedback from the people who receive the Talking Newspaper is very positive and makes this undertaking very rewarding. On October 8th 2003 the Talking Newspaper of the “Sligo Champion” celebrated the recording of the 500th edition. Without your goodwill this would not be possible. We hope this continues for a very long time to come.

We are always looking for new recruits and would appreciate contact from people who are interested in committing themselves, for a short period of time every seven weeks or so, to ensuring this venture stays alive in the future. If anyone is interested in helping out in the areas of editing, reading or sound engineering you can contact Sally Browne at 071 9145507 after 6.00 pm.