Opinion
Ignoring economy threats invites disaster
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Tony Benn, the late British socialist, once told David McWilliams in an interview that “the young and the old are bullied by the middle-aged”. His words ring true today as Ireland’s Department of Finance’s Future Forty report lays bare a troubling economic path for Ireland – a route that prioritises …
Andrew’s disgrace: the trouble with ‘spares’
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Charles 1 lost his head in 1649 and the British Monarchy abolished. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor only lost his title as Prince and Duke of York and his home in the Royal Lodge at Windsor. His disgrace follows ongoing revelations about his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and …
What if there were no internet?
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS While doing a WhatsApp video call with my two granddaughters here, aged four and two, to my other two granddaughters in America, aged seven and four, I was amused by the quizzical look on the youngest child’s face, perplexed to a degree as to how she could …
Rethinking the word “Apocalypse”
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton I was listening to the radio recently when a scholar mentioned the true meaning of the word “Apocalypse” comes from the Greek meaning “lifting the veil / to uncover / to reveal.” I had a lightbulb moment! Wow! Was it misinterpreted to mean, “the end of the world …
A tribute to Tommy Cuddihy
BY JOHN FITZGERALD Callan witnessed a sad farewell last week. Amid pouring rain and a wind that fanned autumn leaves across darkened West Street, hundreds of grieving friends queued outside the funeral home. They had gathered to say goodbye to Tommy Cuddihy. They recalled Tommy (66) as honest, kind, a lover of nature, and the …
Supporting Immunity Naturally
BY CLAIR WHITTY We are in the season once again of colds and flu, stuffy noses, and viral infections. Here are some tips to get you through this season as healthy as can be. A healthy diet rich in antioxidants is a great place to start. Antioxidants help protect the cells in the body from …
Let’s dish the dirt on kids
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton What is the most important thing that your kids should eat? According to Canadian micro-biologists, B Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta the answer appears to be some plain good old healthy dirt according to their book “Let them eat dirt: Saving your child from an over sanitized world.” …
Our changing pensions landscape is taxing
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR For business owners, landlords, and high-earning professionals, Small Self-Administered Pension Schemes (SSAPs) have long been a beacon of financial autonomy. These schemes, typically used by proprietary directors, offer unparalleled flexibility in retirement planning allowing investments in diverse assets like property, stocks, and commodities. However, new regulations set to take effect …
Ann Hehir: caring, talented, unassuming …
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran We met in O’Riada’s pub most Wednesday nights. There were five of us: Pat Delaney, Jimmy McGarry, Bill and Ann Hehir and myself. Peig, our landlady, and the owner of O’Riadas at the time, called us ‘The Wednesday Night Gang’. And I guess we were. Sometimes we were joined by Nicky …
A wish list for our new President
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Congratulations to Catherine Connolly, who began her Presidential campaign early, worked hard and won hearts. That she is our 10th President is due partly to circumstance: the effect of our convoluted nomination system, combined with misjudgements by the two main parties. Had it been otherwise, there might have …




