Opinion
A cut above the rest…
BY JOHN FITZGERALD Paddy O’ Halloran was the barber to whom Callan lads of all ages turned to for a haircut from about 1950 onwards. His shop in Bridge Street remained an integral feature of the street- and the town- up to the day of his passing in 1995. Paddy became apprenticed to a barber …
Halberds, cock-fighting, and bull-baiting
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran This week, some interesting facts about Kilkenny. St Ledger’s Cross was the name given to the intersection of Walkin St, Parnell St, New St and Friary St. It was called after Thomas St Ledger who had built a house on the site towards the end of he 16th century. Scald Crows …
Tim Kennedy: He loved Shakespeare, hurling and everything Irish…
BY JOHN FITZGERALD A teacher who transformed the lives of many pupils via his enlightened approach to learning has bid goodbye to the world. Last week, hundreds of his past pupils in Callan and district were saddened to hear that Tim Kennedy, who taught for decades at the CBS in West Street, and later at …
Inflation, or whatever, is worrying food for thought
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Inflation is easing they say. Consumer prices only rose by 0.5% month on month according to the figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) last week, the 19th straight month where the annual increase in the CPI has been at least 5.0%. The CSO published the national average prices for …
Are you stressed about exams and worried that anxiety or panic could hold you back from being able to concentrate?
BY CLAIR WHITTY Lots of people find natural remedies helpful for stress and anxiety but high-level anxiety on the day of an exam is a different story. Sometimes a combination of supplements might be needed. You may have been taking supplements to help you cope on an ongoing basis. Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Lemon Balm, Passionflower, B …
It may be time to reconsider our neutrality
AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON The presence of Russian ships loitering with mysterious intent in Irish waters for the second time in a matter of weeks is a chilling reminder of how warfare has changed. It also adds fuel to any future debate about Irish neutrality – should we run for protective cover with …
Climate exchanges at the back of the supermarket
THE FACT OF THE MATTER PAUL HOPKINS I am coming out the back of my local supermarket around seven on a Sunday evening recently, when the heavens open. I stop short of the main exit door, the rain splash-dancing ferociously across the car park. I have parked my car at the very far end, with …
Key mistakes made by runners that cause poor performance and injury
BY EOIN EVERARD “ It takes no more time to do the right training as the wrong training”. I find it incredibly frustrating when I see runners of any level not getting the results they should from the effort they put into their training. There are two typical scenarios I’ll explain here where this occurs: …
Girl Auction
BY NED EGAN Part 17 Now, deep in Bilzies Wood, the two girls move silently, one each side of the phantom ‘Barker’. The Mollers now has the Four Ten shotgun at military ‘high port’ – and will unhesitatingly riddle any human – or spectral – enemy who shows up. If – and it’s a big …
A cemetery with no names Callan Workhouse story
BY JOHN FITZGERALD PART TWO Callan Workhouse opened its doors in March 1842. The building had been erected on a six-acre site at Prologue, on the edge of the town. The site was purchased from Lord Clifden, the notorious absentee Landlord who lived in opulence while the local population starved or struggled to scrape a …
