Ben Cranny (51) is from Arklow, Co. Wicklow. He completed the IT and Business Technology course in National Learning Network in Bray in 2008.
The sea is my passion and I was a fisherman for most of my life. I started fishing with my dad when I was just 14 years of age and later owned my own trawler. Everything was going well until I noticed that I was beginning to drag my left leg and my vision in one eye was becoming blurred. I went for tests and in 1999 was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I struggled on, but it became increasingly difficult for me to continue on the trawler and when the day came that I could no longer climb out of the boat, I knew it was time to stop.
The next few years were very tough. I didn’t really have a purpose or direction in life. I ended up staying at home, staring at the four walls. My wife became increasingly concerned for me and in 2006 we decided to go to Lourdes to find a cure. There I met a guy called Ciaran who mentioned National Learning Network to me. Suddenly the future looked began to look brighter. I guess you could say that I found my miracle in Lourdes afterall!
My first visit to National Learning Network in Bray was in October 2006 and it really marked a turning point for me. It was the opportunity I needed. I had never turned on a computer before, but within two years I had progressed to an ECDL qualification at an advanced level.
The training I received at National Learning Network was excellent and I can’t praise the staff there highly enough. What’s more, I was getting out of the house and meeting new people. For me, that was one of the most important parts of my time at National Learning Network. From staring at the four walls, suddenly I had an active social life. I was attending quizzes, going to the cinema and taking day trips.
I met some wonderful people during my time with National Learning Network and made some friends that, I’ve no doubt, are friends for life. Even though we’re no longer attending the centre, we still meet up on a regular basis for lunch and to catch up.
I’ve now finished in National Learning Network but my love of learning has continued. I completed an Access course to UCD and I’m now studying for my Leaving Certificate in not one, but six subjects! It’s definitely a challenge, but one I’m really enjoying.