Opinion
Art and heritage shine in summer-fest
By John Fitzgerald A highpoint of this year’s Callan Open Doors Festival, for me at least, was the performance of a play, The Deeds of Lord Barnard. Scripted by Iarla O’ Neill, who also acted in the drama, it was set during the Great Famine of the 1840s. And what better stage than the garden of the old …
Why are figures for domestic abuse still rising?
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Every hour, six people – generally women – will suffer domestic abuse in Ireland. The figure is shocking, even more so given that violence or abuse of intimate partners in the home is going up every year. So far this year, the Gardaí have received 1,000 notifications of …
It’s time for honest debate on migrants
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS In the week when a Congolese man, allegedly shoplifting in Dublin, dies while being restrained by security guards, the State brings out stamps to honour the Traveller community – a people we have ignored for so long – and the 2026 Dublin Rose of Tralee, medical scientist …
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 …
