Opinion
Migrants: we need to know what to do
AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON Migration has the potential to make us like the old woman in the nursery rhyme who lived in a shoe, with so many children she didn’t know what to do. Confusion reigns, as she woman struggles to manage and the rhyme has a nasty ending. Some clear thinking needs …
My Father: like some sort of unsung hero
THE FACT OF THE MATTER PAUL HOPKINS I only ever saw my Father cry once. And that was when his own father died and the word came through with a messenger from the local newsagent, the only ones in the area with a phone in those days. And he sat down at the top of …
Girl Auction
BY NED EGAN Part 4 “That ugly incident put me ‘on the watch.’ It wasn’t his field, and nowhere near where he had any business to be. The only consolation was that no real harm was done: maybe it was, in fact, a timely early warning. A sign that trouble was coming – and maybe …
The Great Kilkenny Floods
By John Fitzgerald Turning now to the great floods that have struck Kilkenny over the centuries: In part one I reproduce here the text of a captivating letter received by a young woman in Dublin from her merchant father in Kilkenny: Abbeyvale, Oct 5th 1763 Miss Kitt Coles, C/O Mr. Christopher James, Merchant In Earl Street, Dublin Dear …
Love is … Out of the mouths of babes…
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran Valentine’s Day is upon us and love is in the air. And it’s the best place for it. Keep it up there in the ether because it only causes problems on planet earth, not least planet Hollywood. Consider: Johnny Depp & Amber Heard, Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise & …
Government in new move on private pensions
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Are you one of the 750,000 workers in Ireland that have yet to make some pension provision? If so you will be dependent on a State pension just over €260 a week when you retire. Unfortunately, if the State pension is going to be your only means of income you …
The cough season seems to be going on and on forever this year
BY CLAIR WHITTY The cough season is not going away, it seems to be going on and on this year. There are lots of cough remedies available but not many for the younger child. Thankfully there’s Otosan ForTuss for Dry and Productive Coughs. I talked about this one last year, and I didn’t think I …
Homework gets poor marks with our President
AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON Pity Michael D wasn’t in the Aras when I was at school. A president who declares that homework should be banned would have been a hero not just at my school but among the entire nation. Teacher and columnist Jennifer Hogan started the ball rolling recently when she declared …
This €36bn crazy little thing called love
THE FACT OF THE MATTER PAUL HOPKINS It’s a crazy little thing. It’s a burning flame. It means never having to say you’re sorry. It can make us feel over the Moon. Then again, it can hurt. What is this thing called love asked Frank Sinatra in the Cole Porter song. Indeed. And, while February …
Girl Auction
BY NED EGAN Part 3 It’s a different way round with a bauhoc like Paudhaun: no right father would give his daughter – never mind a dowry – to such a wretch. So he has to pay. A dowry paid to get a girl into that smelly den – to cook and skivvy for that …
