Opinion
Slow down enough to notice life’s hidden beauty
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton Looking out of my kitchen window, I can see a slow breeze gently moving the trees. They are slowly and gracefully moving their newly leafed branches like elegant ballerinas in the chorus line. I am slowly sipping my morning coffee and simply being — watching and sipping slowly, …
It’s time to talk openly about succession
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Many Irish family-owned businesses are heading for a crisis of their own making. According to the new IFAC Family Business Report 2026, 61% have no succession plan in place at all. Even worse is that 44% say the issue is not even on their agenda. Yet, 77% of owners admit …
Do you really want to live to be 100?
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON The goalposts for growing older are moving dramatically. We are living much longer — average life expectancy is now 83, but around a third of those born today will eventually celebrate having 100 birthday candles on their cake. Would you like to live to be 100 years old? …
Five in the morning; at the bar they’re flyin’
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS There is something naughty but nice about downing a pint at 5am in the comfortable confines of an airport, as the rest of the world seems to be still sleeping and the pubs don’t open these days until around lunchtime. Or maybe just sipping that pint as …
Natural Support for Sinus Congestion
BY CLAIR WHITTY Sinusitis is a condition associated with colds or flu. But some people can have sinusitis all year round. Common symptoms include nasal congestion, stuffiness, a runny nose, and pain or pressure behind the forehead and face. Pain in your head, jaws, or pain radiates to your ears. If the mucous is green, …
New folk museum a “treasure trove”
By John Fitzgerald (Part Two) (The Gáirdín an Ghorta Farm and Folk Museum at Newmarket is drawing visitors from all over the South East, with its vast collection of exhibits that shine a light on Irish life through the decades. Part One can be read on the Observer website). Among the must- see exhibits at …
New folk museum a “treasure trove”
By John Fitzgerald (Part One) A new museum in the heart of the county is drawing visitors from all over the South East. It nestles in the tiny village of Newmarket, and looks set to complement the internationally acclaimed Famine Garden- Gáirdín an Ghorta- which commemorates the Great Hunger of the 1840s. The Gáirdín an Ghorta Farm …
It’s a hoofler and a right lasher…!
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran I found myself in Cork last week. FOUND myself in Cork! You’d swear I was lost. Actually, I did get lost which I’ll get to later. Getting to Cork is not a problem, getting around the city is the problem. We’re looking for the Wilton Shopping Centre. We’re heading there not …
So, could AI solve your money troubles?
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR How would you feel about never having to open your banking app again? Bills paid automatically, better savings rates found for you, fraud spotted in seconds and even your salary quietly split between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ in the background? This is the dream banks are now chasing with artificial intelligence …
Can war be waged without killing?
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON The recent fuel protests by farmers and hauliers illustrated a useful point. It’s possible to win wars and gain concessions without bloodshed. The principle is simple, you deprive the other side of something that is vital for survival. In unarmed one-to-one combat you deprive your opponent of air …
