Opinion
Re-Empowering Death Conversations
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton Talking about sex does not make you pregnant! Talking about death does not kill you! Talking about such things is empowering and need not be taboo… so let’s start such conversations sooner than later. I’m a great believer in talking and learning as much as possible about the …
“Saved by the Hand of God”
By John Fitzgerald (Part One) Along with the horrors of war, we hear the occasional feel-good stories…of narrow escapes and heart-stopping brushes with death A County Kilkenny woman, the late Kathleen Aylward, told me of how divine intervention saved her from the wrath of the German Air Force during World War 2. In July 2002, …
To see or not to see – that is, Hamnet
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran And so I went to see Hamnet (the movie on everyone’s lips) about the death of Shakespeare’s only son, Hamnet (the name was interchangeable with Hamlet in 1600s’ Stratford-on-Avon, Shakespeare’s birth place). The movie is hugely popular especially here in Ireland as it has not one, not two, but a trilogy …
Go far and wide, but have that travel insurance
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR In a time where the cost-of-living squeeze shows no sign of easing, it is surprising that many people are still planning multiple overseas trips this year. Recent surveys reveal that more than half of us plan three or more holidays in 2026, with Spain topping the list as the favourite. …
Weighing into prejudice against those extra kilos
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Having been fat at one point in life and also having been skinny at another, I honestly think in between the two is better. I ran to ‘puppy fat’ at puberty and became thin when suffering from gall stones in mid-life. Being called fatty as a pre-teen was …
Any given day, and it could be you …
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS Fifteen years ago, my heart was broken. And, as I peered at myself closely in the misted mirror, drawing the cold blade once more across the soaped-up skin, I felt like the condemned man having his last shave — to be clean before his Maker — and …
A city under siege… from the wind
By John Fitzgerald The Kilkenny Heritage Walkers have been time travelling again. Ailbhe Fitzgerald’s presentation on the cultural significance of the Butler Gallery and the Kilkenny Design Workshops drew sighs of admiration. Ailbhe displayed a superb academic flair and an uncanny grasp of historical detail as she rhapsodized about the contribution of the Gallery and …
Be the change and start a revolution
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton When thinking about what to write this week I had many ideas about mental health ,social media, global and political troubles etc. and the list gets longer everyday… so I decided not to go there as I am heartily sick of being reminded of all that’s wrong . …
Dandie Dinmont terriers and magnetic cows!
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran So, if every dog has its day, where does that leave our feline friend the cat? Does every cat have its day? And if every cat has its day, what about big cats – the cheetah, the cougar, the lion. Do they all have their day? And what sort of a …
Christmas bills looming large in January
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR As we usher in 2026, reflecting on the 2025 festive season reveals a sobering reality. If your shopping trolley felt heavier on the wallet last Christmas, the figures confirm it. The average Irish household spent roughly €700 more on celebrations in 2025 than five years earlier in 2020. This was …
