How housing plan delay causes concern
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Ireland’s housing market is under strain with property prices rising 7% in the three months to June 2025 driven by a continual shortage of homes. According to MyHome.ie the average asking price reached €395,000 nationally with Dublin sellers seeking €495,000 and regional prices hitting €340,000. The report, authored by Bank …
Callan’s Field of Dreams…
BY JOHN FITZGERALD Callan’s Moat Field Heritage Trail is a major attraction, a jewel of the South East. And the field once encompassed a magical castle on a hill! Norman invaders built Callan Motte, known locally as the “Moat”, in about 1217. It was a wooden castle situated on top of an artificially created mound of …
Beating the sky-high cost of social homes
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Last month the plug was pulled on Government contracts for building social homes due to value for money concerns. And the price involved? One million euro a unit – they couldn’t be serious! But they were: plans for 500 social homes in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Sligo were …
Debate on assisted dying still very much alive
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS Terminally ill people in England and Wales are to be given the right to an assisted death in a recent historic societal shift that will transform end-of-life care. MPs narrowly voted in favour of a private member’s Bill introduced by Labour’s Kim Leadbeater, which could become law …
Stripeywomen’s hopes go whistlin’ in the wind
Ref’s call in extra-time swings game as Tipp win Glen Dimplex Senior All Ireland Championship Quarter Final Kilkenny 0-19 Tipperary 1-22 Aoife Lanigan, PRO A Disappointing end to the Glen Dimplex Senior All Ireland Camogie Championship for Kilkenny as they fell short to their neighbours, Tipperary in the Quarter Final in Croke Park last …
BetterYou pill free magnesium
BY CLAIR WHITTY Magnesium is a popular supplement. It is responsible for over 300 chemical reactions inside the body. It helps support calcium absorption, maintenance of normal bones and teeth, and healthy functioning of the nervous system. It helps recovery after exercise, supports muscle health, helps reduce tiredness and fatigue and promotes relaxation and healthy …
Summer reads: your finances, page by page
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Summer is here and whether it is sunny or pouring (typical Irish weather!), it is the perfect time to dive into a good book about your finances. You do not need to be a financial expert to enjoy these books. From increasing your savings to understanding crypto, these books offer …
Lack of trust grows when watchdogs fail
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Some things simply don’t change do they? It’s two millennia since Roman satirist Decimus Juvenal penned his books of verse but some of his observations are every bit as applicable today. Take one of his memorable quips, ‘Quis custodiet ipsos custodes’ (who guards the guardians?), from a satire …
Their lives on line for complete strangers
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS The recent detainment of People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy by Egyptian authorities is not quite in the same league as that of Cork woman Deirdre Murphy (70) held for over a week by Israeli forces. She had been volunteering with the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement (ISM) …
Official Opening of Woodstock Gardens & Arboretum – Inclusivity and Accessibility Enhancement Scheme
Kilkenny County Council is proud to announce the official opening of the Woodstock Gardens & Arboretum – Inclusivity and Accessibility Enhancement Scheme, marked by a special ceremony attended by Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, elected members of Kilkenny County Council, Oireachtas representatives, council officials, community partners, and invited guests. …
