200 Kildare couples ask Accord for relationship advice

by Louise McCarthy   Accord Kildare reveals that at least 200 couples are now seeking relationship counselling in the county. New figures reveal at least 50 people in Kildare have subscribed to Ashley Madison, the dating website for people seeking extramarital affairs. Kildare based Marriage and Relationship Counsellor for Accord, Mary Johnston said: "Undoubtedly when  sensitive  issues such as affairs or infidelity are  highlighted in the media  it has the potential to  effect couples and individuals in marriages and relationships. Accord does not want to comment on Ashley Madison. What I would say in  more general terms is it can be  devastating for any individual  when they  become aware that their partner/ spouse  has been or is unfaithful to them.It is also difficult for the person who has been involved in an affair when it comes to light." Meanwhile the Ashley Madison site hit the headlines in recent weeks after hackers leaked a dump of the company's data online including the personal details of 37 million users worldwide. This information included an estimated 115,000 subscribers with emails linked to Ireland, but as the addresses cannot be verified it is unknown whether they relate to actual individual users. Data indicated that 1,636 email addresses were linked to Kildare, Kildare had the fourth highest number of paid subscribers to the website in the country. The data showed there were 477 subscribers in Dublin, 128 subscribres in Cork, 62 subsribers in Galway and 50 subscribers in Kildare. Accord Kildare currently has 13 counsellors based at the Parish Centre in Newbridge. The service is free but welcomes donations.