Save by the hand of God
By John Fitzgerald (Part two) Kathleen Aylward (nee Murphy) of Mullinavat (and later Kilmacow) had what she believed was a miraculous escape in 1941 when the German airforce bombed the mailboat she was travelling on, the SS St Patrick. She was thrown overboard after the explosions, but was saved from drowning as a result of “divine …
GOFFS THYESTES CHASE 2026
The 2026 Thyestes Chase once again underlined why it is regarded as one of the most prestigious and demanding handicap chases on the National Hunt calendar. Staged at Gowran Park amid the usual tough January conditions, the race provided excitement and high-quality competition throughout, with a strong line-up of experienced stayers guaranteeing a thorough test …
MUCKALEE LADIES CELEBRATE IN STYLE
The Muckalee Ladies Football Club recently held a fantastic celebratory dinner dance, marking a hugely successful season and bringing together players, management, supporters, and friends of the club for a memorable night. The event took place in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, filled with pride, laughter, and a strong sense of community spirit that reflects …
LORETO KILKENNY ANNUAL ACADEMIC AWARDS 2025
Photo Credit Tom Beirne We at Loreto Kilkenny were delighted to welcome back our past pupils who achieved over 550 points in the 2025 Leaving Certificate to our annual Academic Awards ceremony, held in December. It was a wonderful occasion to celebrate the exceptional academic achievements of these former students, whose dedication, resilience and commitment …
Statement from Bishop Ger Nash
Bishop Ger Nash has been appointed Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Ossory. The following statement, issued by Bishop Ger, has been received by the Kilkenny Observer newspaper. “I have been informed by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Montemayor, that Pope Leo XIV has appointed me Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Ossory, to …
Thomastown Concert Hall to host McPherson’s The Weir
By David O’Brien (Kilkenny Observer) In 2018, a chance meeting between Seamus Quigley from Thomastown Concert Hall and Ger Cody from Lake Productions set the ball rolling for a great theatrical relationship. The week prior to this, Ger Cody and Emily Kelly had met and hatched a plan to form a new theatre company in …
First-class relic of Saint Brigid for annual service
This year’s St Brigid’s Day service, led by the Kilkenny Gospel Choir, will take place on Friday, 31 January (eve of the Feast of St Brigid) in St Fiacre’s Church, Loughboy, Kilkenny, at 7.30 pm. A first-class relic of Saint Brigid will be available on the night for blessing. Saint Brigid, ‘the Mary of the …
The heart of the matter – a quiz
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran I read with great interest last week my fellow columnist Paul Hopkin’s column. Paul (also the Editor of this newspaper) had open heart surgery 15 years ago for a congenital defect which, in midlife, had caught up with him. Next month, Paul, because of wear and tear, will go under the …
Our outlook in global financial markets
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Global financial markets are flashing warning signs, and Ireland, one of the world’s most open economies, is particularly exposed, according to the Central Bank of Ireland’s most recent Financial Stability Review. Governor Gabriel Makhlouf highlighted a worrying disconnect. While equity markets, driven largely by US technology and artificial intelligence (AI) …
Tragedies show up cracks in child protection
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON A friend was in raptures over the film Hamnet, its cinematography, and portrayal of grief. Did she cry? Yes, everyone did, came the reply. Hamnet is a fictionalised version of the loss of Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway’s son (11) to the plague at a time of high child …
