This edition has a predominant Easter flavour. We had a great time tasting Easter eggs in the office (the things we do for our readers) and our rather unscientific findings can be seen on page 34. Benoit Lorge’s chocolate-making and the French Easter experience by Saoirse will have you on a chocolate high. The repercussions of 1916, the anti-incinerator meeting, the work of Enable Ireland and the Lord Mayor’s call to nominate Unsung Heroes are some of the features bringing us back down to earth.

I would like to acknowledge the support that we have received from the Dublin Docklands Authority, Dublin City Council and Dublin Port. Without their grants and assistance our equipment would still be in the dark ages. Thanks to Fás who fund this project and many other Community Employment projects throughout Ireland.

Our advertisers are the lifeblood of the paper as we need their continued support to make ends meet. Thank you all. To all our friends who bring in photographs and articles for inclusion in the paper, thank you. I have enjoyed sharing memories with you.

This is the last time I will be writing to you in the capacity of Editor of NewsFour. Fás will not make funding available for any participant or Supervisor over the age of 66 and therefore I must retire from this position and I will try to do so gracefully. Grace has written a lovely tribute to me on page 33 but I would like to acknowledge the work of supervisors who went before me: Dermot Rafter, Denis McKenna and Martin Lacey who all helped to make ‘NewsFour’ and the project in general a success. Under Denis’s leadership SCS produced three history books, helped many aspiring journalists and photographers and is remembered very fondly by everyone. The Sponsoring Committee of SCS has been a great support to me, especially the oracle that is Ed Penrose.

I am going to miss my colleagues here. All of you have been loyal, hard-working and fun to be with. Eugene has had to put up with all the last-minute items I want him to squeeze in, Miriam has been a great help balancing the books, Grainne has remained smiling when I have urged her on to meet her targets and John is placid in his acceptance of my constant demands for photographs.

I know I leave NewsFour in good hands and give my best wishes to the new Managing Editor/ Supervisor for the future.

Ernest Hemingway said that retirement is the ugliest word in the language but I’m not really retiring– I’m just moving on!

Ann Ingle