Cyclists sweated and panted alongside the car as we climbed the switchbacks of Holmenkollen mountain. At the top, a huge metal and concrete ramp stretched up towards the sky. And at its base, steep tiers of concrete seating circled the sunken gladiatorial arena. […]
Category: Domhnall MacAuley
Domhnall MacAuley on a great Norwegian success story
A great Norwegian success story. Celebrated at Kleivstua in the pine forests of the national park as the sunshine and snow flurries competed for the Nordic Spring. This was the ten year anniversary meeting of the Oslo Sports Trauma Centre. And what a story… When we invited Roald Bahr to write his clinical review on […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Paddy the cricketer
Rain stopped another Ireland giant killing exploit at cricket’s ICC World Twenty20 yesterday. Having beaten Bangladesh and Pakistan in 2007, victory over England would have been the ultimate achievement. But, of course, it was Eoin Morgan who led the England innings. And, when an Irishman is the great new hope of English cricket you might […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Behind every tragedy is someone’s secret hope
Every time the telephone rings, it could be you. Waiting for a transplant is long and difficult. With renal dialysis you are hopefully quite stable, but with other conditions it may be a race against time. Every phone call could be your lifeline so the telephone becomes the focus of your day. Silence weighs heavily. […]
Domhnall MacAuley on Dubai writing and education workshops
One of the last arrivals before the Icelandic volcanic dust closed European airspace, planes were parked bumper to bumper on the tarmac with thousands crowded into the airport terminal. As part of the BMJ outreach and partnership programme, I had just arrived back from Dubai where, together with Jenny Lewis and Mark Tracey, we shared […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Wayne Rooney’s ankle and the injury league
Wayne Rooney’s ankle injury may have cost Manchester United a Champion’s League place and could still influence their premiership hopes. It is unlikely that Cesc Fabregas’s injury affected the result between Arsenal and Barcelona, but it has had a major impact on the Arsenal team performance. And, Chelsea have a who’s who of international football […]
Domhnall MacAuley: A full Irish breakfast and a pint of Guinness
A full Irish breakfast and a pint of Guinness. The perfect Easter brunch. But, not on Good Friday. The pubs are closed in Ireland on two days of the year; Christmas Day and Good Friday. And, given that the Catholic Church deems Good Friday a day of fast and abstinence (one main meal, two snacks, […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Illness hidden behind steel doors?
Ever thought about prisoners? Not those unfortunates banged up in a far away jail; misguided young drug couriers, misunderstood plane spotters, or those whose foolish misdemeanours have been magnified through the eyes a different culture. They don’t tend to be forgotten. And elsewhere, we sympathise with downtrodden citizens protesting in foreign dictatorships, slammed into jail […]
Domhnall MacAuley: goodbye health visiting
Baby clinic was always the happiest and busiest afternoon of the week. After routine medical checks, there was a chance to share the excitement of the new baby and build on a relationship for the future. Our practice has had an open access baby clinic, where mums can see both the doctor and health visitor […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Bishops, doctors and, God
Remember being called to the headmaster’s office? Of course not. All you doctors were goody-goodies, never misbehaved. But, when I see the 24 Irish Bishops summoned to Rome after publication of the recent Murphy report on clerical child abuse, it looks just like Form 6c lining up to be carpeted. And you can imagine the […]