WE HAVE all heard stories about people who retire from their jobs and are dead a matter of months later. Their purpose in life is gone and they have nothing to fill the space once occupied by their work.

It is exactly this type of situation which the Retirement Planning. Council tries to help people avoid. The council runs courses which aim to prepare those in work (and their partners) for leaving employment with special emphasis on finance, health and relationships.

"The message we would like to bring home to people is the need for long range planning," says the council's chairman, Paul Kenny.

"We would suggest that people should start thinking about their retirement from about 10 years out, because it takes time to make the sort of financial and other provisions they are going to need in order to enjoy their retirement to the full. Retirement is not a threat. It is an opportunity and the better the planning the more fulfilling it will be."

Paul Kenny also believes that companies need to be far more proactive in terms of offering preretirement training.

"There are some enlightened companies which have good programmes in place. But they are few and far between. It is difficult to persuade a personnel or training manager to devote part of the budget to pre retirement training, but it would certainly be very desirable."

Pat Egan retired from the public library service in Cork three years ago and she has not looked back.

"I am finding my retirement a very satisfying time and I can only wish the same contentment to anyone approaching that important milestone," she says.

"Retirement is a milestone, not a cut off point. It is still possible to go on growing intellectually and emotionally and to make a very valuable contribution to those around you."

She is closely involved with Aged and Opportunity, a national group: set up to change negative attitudes towards ageing. She is also active in a book club for retired people and works voluntarily at a day care centre for older people. Now she is in growing demand as a speaker on retirement and retirement planning topics.

"I think the biggest fear people have about retiring is loneliness, and as someone who is quite happy with a good book and my own company, I can understand those who are reluctant to push themselves into group activities or into joining a club or class. But the loss of colleagues and camaraderie when one leaves the workplace is quite significant and I think it is important to make some effort to replace this loss with other social contact. Being lonely is stultifying," she says.

In Pat Egan's experience, returning to learning and participation in the arts offers great rewards for older people.

"I've seen people get a whole new lease of life from drama and dance groups or storytelling or planning a garden. For others some sort of voluntary Work is ideal. For example, groups like the Samaritans often welcome older people who have experience of life and are good listeners.

"Getting involved with younger people can also be very valuable for both sides, as teenagers and older people have a lot in common. Both fear loneliness, isolation and being different."

Tom Garry, the former general secretary of SIPTU, retired in 1994. A Guinness employee for 32 years, he had first hand experience of people for whom retirement proved extremely traumatic when the company announced plans to cut its workforce in half.

"Guinness introduced retirement planning in the early 1970s and they included spouses, which was very far sighted at the time," he says.

"BUT the harsher psychological effects of compulsory retirement resulted in a significant increase in stress related illnesses and a number of nervous breakdowns.

"I believe retirement needs to be planned and that there are three main issues to be addressed. These are securing some degree of financial independence, being ready psychologically to accept major changes in your life and having a clear idea on how you propose to structure your daily routine."

Tom Garry's views are shared by the former principal of Pearse College, Dublin, Pat Feehan, a director of the Retirement Planning Council, who also offers a counselling and careers advice service to people of all ages. "With so many people now working on contract the whole issue of pensions needs to be looked at every closely," he says.

"I also think people need to consider their health, keeping fit and addressing their psychological wellbeing. It is also important to consider one's partner, particularly if one person has stayed at home while the other has been out all day. The person at home has his or her own routine and is used to his or her own space and it is very difficult to suddenly start sharing that."