VISITOR LETTERS

(1) 21/01/04 THANK YOU anon

Hi, I just wanted to say thankyou. I've been a lacto ovo vegetarian for the past 8 years (since the age of 27) and as I lead a pretty busy life I don't get time to meet other like-minded souls. Thus I've always wanted to complete the switch and become vegan but have found it too hard to give up dairy. For some reason lately I seem to have found that strength and I am gradually making changes ... carefully. I've been checking things out on the web. It's daft but it was lovely to come across your site. I've been relying on UK sites mainly so to find an Irish one was lovely. It gives me hope that if I rearrange things a bit I might even get into the co-op on Andrew's Street. Anyway, thanks for being there.

(2) 26/01/04 BECOMING VEGAN im

As a child, I was always a fussy eater ... a nightmare to feed! This was partly because if my "food" appeared to be alive or resembled an animal I felt very put off, especially if it looked like a fish! As I got older, I became more aware of the source of my "food", making comments such as "that's a pig so I don't want to eat it!". Unfortunately, back then even vegetarianism was considered unusual, and parents firmly believed in their children needing to eat meat. Becoming friends with a vegetarian family really opened up a whole new world to me. They gave me the support and information I needed on what to eat, as well as lending books, etc on how animals are treated cruely in both the food industry and making of cosmetics/toiletries. Before then I didn't realise what animals are put through for our vanity. By 13 I was a full vegetarian, and by 14 I was a full vegan. Many people warned me that my health would deteriorate and that I would become run down, but in fact the opposite happened! I now trusted my food and became more interested in eating a wide variety of very healthy natural foods. The once finicky eater, who used to get sent home from school for looking sick, had become much more healthy and energetic ... and at a young age had learnt alot about nutrition. The teenage years can be a hard time to feel different, and after 4 years of being a vegan, I went back to being just a vegetarian. In that time as a vegetarian I was accidently given meat to eat, such as a "vegetarian" spring roll which had big pieces of chicken in it, and vitamin tablets which were labeled "suitable for vegetarians" but which contained fish derivatives. While boiling an egg I also realised that it was a fertilised chicken egg which had been mixed up with the others. Apparently none of these disturbing situations were unusual. The term "vegetarian" is used by many as a person who doesnt eat red meat ...... and thats often only because they are afraid of what they might catch from it! Life as a vegetarian was turning out to be very difficult, as it was nolonger understood and didn't feel good enough anymore. Believe it or not, life as a vegan has been both easier and more fulfilling. I do not need to feel guilty for exploiting animals, as I do not drink the milk intended for their young nor eat what may be their unborn. If nature gave an animal the ability to produce a substance, whether it be their milk or even honey, then nature intended it for their use only. People do not need to exploit animals. It may seem to be the easier option as "everybody is doing it", but with respect comes enlightenment ..... and isn't that what everyone really wants and needs? I appreciate all who have helped with my becoming a vegan, and all the support I have had to help deal with some unfriendly and accusing attitudes. Vegans in Ireland are still a minority group, and most related organisations are based abroad, so I have created this website in the hope that it will provide some support and encouragement for others ..... as well as a great way of rounding us up for a good chat! I have already had emails thanking me for creating the site, so imagine what we could do if we all got together ...... veganism is growing and maybe someday we won't be the minority!