Stammering and 'The King’s Speech’

Dear sir - Being able to communicate relatively well comes naturally to most people but for approximately 48,000 people in Ireland, this is not the case. Stammering has and continues to control every aspect of their lives from selecting friends and partners to applying for jobs, and everything else that happens in between. Colin Firth portrays so well King George VI of England in the film 'The King's Speech'. In a recent interview, Colin expresses his delight at being given the opportunity to portray such an important leader in the early part of the 20th century, and continues to say “I'm very well aware that not many films have addressed this issue (stammering) – except to make a mockery of it or to use it for comedy.†Geoffrey Rush plays Lionel Logue, the speech therapist who helped King George overcome his stammer, focussed on breathing and assertiveness. This is a very similar approach that the McGuire Programme uses. For more information about this topic or the McGuire programme, contact the undersigned on (074) 912 5781 or (086) 342 9602, or email Joe at mcguireprogramme@rocketmail.com Yours, Joe O'Donnell, Regional Director, McGuire Programme Ireland.