Opinion

BY JOHN FITZGERALD Heroes of the Land War In 1949, two brave clerics, Fathers Tom O’ Shea and Matt O’Keeffe, founded the Callan Tenant Protection Society. This was Ireland’s first pressure group to campaign for fair rents and against the tyranny of landlordism. Though it came to prominence in the 1880s, the tenant rights campaign …

THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS Ireland joined the European Economic Community on January 1, 1973. September 16 that year saw me join the Irish Press as a rookie, initially running copy to the print room in the halcyon days of hot metal. Back then, Dublin’s Rathmines College was the only institution offering …

BY CLAIR WHITTY Every day we get asked for natural solutions for things like pain, earache, headaches, and warts. For aches, pains, and stiffness, one of the first natural cures I learned about was the apple cider vinegar cure. I clearly remember a customer telling me about it almost 20 years ago now. Add one …

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR In a recent survey conducted by leading property website MyHome.ie, the concerns of potential homebuyers have once again come to the fore. The survey, which gathered responses from more 2,000 people in late October 2023, revealed a growing unease among those seeking to enter the property market, citing rising interest …

BY CLAIR WHITTY Are you worried about a health issue but you haven’t the time to get to the GP or your GP hasn’t an appointment for you to go to? Now the great news is that you can do self-testing for various health issues in the comfort of your own home. This can save …

AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON “We are so incredibly lucky,” remarked friends happily when we met up recently.  No, they hadn’t won the lottery but rather considered themselves blessed compared with their contemporaries; their two sons work in Ireland and live nearby within babysitting reach for my friends’ grandchildren. Whereas so many people they …

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Concerns are growing that the Government’s long-awaited auto-enrolment pension scheme is set to miss, yet another, launch deadline. This landmark scheme has been mired in delays and, despite initial plans to begin in early 2024, the absence of State contributions in this month’s Budget may cast doubts on the timeline. …

THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS The woman at the supermarket check-out says to me: “It’s very changeable.” As I bag my Pinot Grigio, I say: “I think it’s rather mild for the time of year, what with the clocks about to go back and all.” Another customer says: “And then you go …

FURTHERMORE  By Gerry Moran Over a quarter of a century ago, on a rain swept Halloween night, my wife and two American friends, pulled in to the Von Trapp Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. During our brief stay I met two very interesting women – one, a member of the famous Von Trapp family who founded …

BY JOHN FITZGERALD Matt the Miller is one of Kilkenny’s best known benign ghosts Tradition has it that Matt’s mill was situated on the River Nore in the shadow of John’s Bridge. Tired of grinding corn, he experimented with home brew. He kept the best of the barley that arrived at his mill to use …