Opinion

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR As part of its ongoing work to supervise the withdrawal of Ulster Bank and KBC Bank from the Irish market, the Central Bank recently published a report showing the trends in account closures and openings. The data shows a total of 292,996 accounts have been closed by customers in Ulster …

AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON How can someone get suspended from their job just because of a four- letter word? No, it wasn’t one of those words but the apparently inoffensive third person plural pronoun ‘they’. The matter didn’t end there but continued in a row which led to contempt of court proceedings and …

BY CLAIR WHITTY Constipation is a common condition that can affect children and adults. Being constipated means that you are not having regular bowel movements. This can cause bloating and discomfort, or it can cause piles from over straining. While constipation is not a serious medical condition, you’ll feel far more comfortable when things move …

THE FACT OF THE MATTER PAUL HOPKINS Though our need to connect is innate, many of us frequently feel lonely. That sense of discomfort that results when one perceives a gap between the desire for social connection and the actual experiences of such. That’s how my psychologist friend from Magherafelt defines loneliness. Even some people …

Part 1 Old tales of the ‘Troubles’ were grist to the mill for Moriya Phelan, who lived up the road from my house in Baurscoobe, near Dunamaggin. {I never saw her name written down – but it was pronounced Morr-eye-agh.} When I was seven or eight, she was an old woman, would have been born …

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Pensions Awareness Week (PAW22) will take place from September 19 to 23. It is designed to raise awareness about retirement planning. As there have been some dramatic changes in financial markets and the world in the recent past and the continuing uncertainty, it’s time to look at what it means …

AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON This week the lurch of combined anger and incredulity I felt over the Commission Report on Mother & Baby Homes ignited again. I was dismayed by the 2021 report which was criticised for its inadequacies, including the failure to report hundreds of testimonies given by survivors. Following public outcry, …

BY CLAIR WHITTY Vollagen®, what’s it all about? If you’re interested in collagen but you are vegan, or you just can’t stomach the idea of taking a bovine or a marine sourced collagen supplement, then I have some exciting news for you. Terranova one of our favourite brands has launched Vollagen®, a range of supplements …

BY NED EGAN Reader, the following tale/drama was passed on to me in dribs and drabs, all, naturally, from ‘the old days.’ There will be some subsequent chapters, each one more or less a story on its own – but linked as well. I can only give facts as well as I can assemble them. …

President Biden has mocked Donald Trump’s claims that all classified material brought by him to his Florida home had been declassified beforehand.” I want you to know I’ve declassified everything in the world. I’m President, I can do — c’mon,” Biden has said, yhe quip reflected his most extensive remarks about an issue he has …