Part One BY JOHN FITZGERALD In the opening decades of the twentieth century, Callan people, young and old, had to make their own sports and amusements. In an age devoid of TV, radio, computers, and all the other mod cons we now take for granted, open-air fun was all the rage. That was in the …

607

AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON We don’t know what gifts Enoch Burke received in his now familiar surroundings of Mountjoy prison but one metaphorical present arrived in Christmas week. It was news about the UK’s advice to schools on how to handle pupils questioning their gender identity. The document, described as calm and moderate …

114

By Phelim Devane, Dublin Review. There are times when being a journalist is one of the nicest jobs going. When your editor emails you to cover the Dublin New Year’s festival, then it doesn’t get much better. My remit was to cover music at Dublin Castle, National Museum, and Meeting House Square. It was while …

129

Private (Acting Sergeant) Patrick Horan, Haggartsgreen, Callan, Co Kilkenny was killed at Adamstown, Wexford on 24th March 1923. Aged 25, he was serving with the 47th unit, attached with the 14th Battalion, Waterford Command and stationed at Palace East, Wexford. For approximately 100 years, 8 months and 12 days Patrick has laid in an unmarked …

125

Playing from Wednesday, 31st January to Saturday, 3rd February in St.Eoghan`s, Centre, Kilmoganny at 8.15pm nightly. Loosely based on Euripedes tragedy Medea, this is the prophetic tale of Hester Swane, an Irish Traveller, who attempts to come to terms with a lifetime of abandonment in a world where all whom she loved have discarded her. …

143

Report for the Kilkenny Observer By Svitlana Saseyi.: Photos by Oleksandr Rymar On the 28th of December, Springhill Court Hotel in Kilkenny hosted a Christmas Concert organised by the Ukrainian Community. The event was dedicated to both modern and traditional ways of celebrating Christmas in Ukraine and was a great display of singing, acting, and …

152

FURTHERMORE  By Gerry Moran What’s another hundred years going to bring? Who the hell knows but at the rate we’re waging incessant, callous and cruel wars I wouldn’t  be surprised if we weren’t around (all it takes is a few trigger-happy lunatics to nuke us into oblivion). Or perhaps AI will rule the roost and …

126

BY CLAIR WHITTY I get asked a lot about dry and itchy scalp. There are a couple of reasons why your scalp is itchy. It could be the hair colour product that you use. Try switching them around and using something different. Brands like Naturatint and Naturigin are worth trying if you think this is …

101

THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS Three things will predominate this new year, and they are global politics — general elections, effectively — the further rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and further advances in space travel and revolutionary advances in medical science. Over Christmas, as I watched two of my four granddaughters joyfully …

103

BY MICHAEL O’LEARY HAPPY NEW YEAR! With The Christmas Season and all it’s Festivities over and behind us, attention will now turn to the weeks and months ahead in what promises to be a busy Sporting Year in 2024. First of all, before focusing on the year ahead, there was plenty of sporting interest from …

107