Opinion
Any given day, and it could be you …
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS Fifteen years ago, my heart was broken. And, as I peered at myself closely in the misted mirror, drawing the cold blade once more across the soaped-up skin, I felt like the condemned man having his last shave — to be clean before his Maker — and …
A city under siege… from the wind
By John Fitzgerald The Kilkenny Heritage Walkers have been time travelling again. Ailbhe Fitzgerald’s presentation on the cultural significance of the Butler Gallery and the Kilkenny Design Workshops drew sighs of admiration. Ailbhe displayed a superb academic flair and an uncanny grasp of historical detail as she rhapsodized about the contribution of the Gallery and …
Be the change and start a revolution
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton When thinking about what to write this week I had many ideas about mental health ,social media, global and political troubles etc. and the list gets longer everyday… so I decided not to go there as I am heartily sick of being reminded of all that’s wrong . …
Dandie Dinmont terriers and magnetic cows!
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran So, if every dog has its day, where does that leave our feline friend the cat? Does every cat have its day? And if every cat has its day, what about big cats – the cheetah, the cougar, the lion. Do they all have their day? And what sort of a …
Christmas bills looming large in January
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR As we usher in 2026, reflecting on the 2025 festive season reveals a sobering reality. If your shopping trolley felt heavier on the wallet last Christmas, the figures confirm it. The average Irish household spent roughly €700 more on celebrations in 2025 than five years earlier in 2020. This was …
Echinacea: Nature’s natural immune support as viral infections rise
BY CLAIR WHITTY With winter well underway, viral infections are placing noticeable pressure on Irish hospitals as flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses circulate widely, resulting in increased hospitalisations in recent weeks. I know that many of you are seeking natural ways to support your immune defences, so you can stay out of hospital. Echinacea …
New Year tonics that don’t cost a cent
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON We live in uncertain times. Imagine if President Trump gave Ireland the same treatment he applied to Venezuela — sending in planes, helicopters, and agents to whisk Micheál Martin and Simon Harris away in their PJs to stand trial for activities which are not in America’s interest, like …
Wait, Mr Postman, is there a letter for me?
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS When I was a young journalist in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe in the late ’70s, I would regularly write home to my parents of my adventures in a country at war — and that I was okay. They were more like missives: a dozen foolscap pages every other week, typed …
Burnout: Life overloads you!
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton I hope that everyone has had a good rest over the holidays. However, I am not foolish enough to think that this is the case for all. For many people Christmas and New Year can be simply exhausting if you’ve been juggling family, work and all that goes …
Seventy really can be the new 50
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Auto-enrolment came in earlier this month, copper-fastening pension contributions and drawing attention to that arbitrary line drawn across our later lives. There are around one thousand people every week in Ireland tumbling over that cliff edge called retirement. Currently there are a million of us in that ‘old’ …
