Opinion
The science of forecasting – it’s complicated
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON If you want to see sectarianism in action look no further than the 35 Orangemen who want to march the Garvaghy Road in Portadown and the Republican residents who oppose them. It’s an insidious ‘them and us’ division If there is one thing we like to grumble about …
The Health Benefits of Iron
BY CLAIR WHITTY Iron is an essential mineral that your body needs every day. It plays a central role in making haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. Iron is also involved in muscle function, energy production, normal growth and development, the production of some hormones, and supports normal …
Heritage group celebrates 750th walk
By John Fitzgerald The Kilkenny Heritage Walkers marked another milestone on Saturday. Marianne Kelly led them on their 750th outing, exploring more of the city’s hidden and overt cultural gems. I joined them for the occasion. The weather was favourable. A freezing cold morning had given way to autumn sunshine. A blessing, everyone agreed. Afterwards …
Some touching words on The Long Goodbye
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran Forgive me if I tend to go on a bit about dementia. There are two reasons for this. One, my older brother John suffered with it for several years before passing away in 2025:Two, I’m understandably concerned that it may be genetic or hereditary, although anything I’ve read to date suggests …
Learning to live with life’s uncertainty
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton I came across a term I hadn’t heard before, “Radical uncertainty,” popularized by two economists, Kay and King. Some things like throwing a dice or betting have certain odds that make outcomes vaguely possible. Radical uncertainty applies where possible future states can’t be defined; the difference in other …
How sectarianism blights hopes for unity
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON If you want to see sectarianism in action look no further than the 35 Orangemen who want to march the Garvaghy Road in Portadown and the Republican residents who oppose them. It’s an insidious ‘them and us’ division which can affect everything from failure to provide effective government …
Armageddon out of here while I still can
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS In his warning about a sustainable economy, Tánaiste Simon Harris recently paired major wars and our ageing population as twin threats to our fiscal health. And then, before I had time to digest my imminent annihilation by a misguided drone on a ghost housing estate or that …
Budget more generous to some than to most people
It’s what’s left in the bank account on Friday, says John Ellis BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR The Government said Budget 2027 was for working people. But when the speeches are over and the bills land, it will be more generous to some Kilkenny households than others. I read the Budget the way most people …
Ready for anything except living now!
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton Just when I thought the state of the world couldn’t get any worse, the government booklet Be Emergency Ready landed in my post box. Having predicted this in my article of 5th June, I was not entirely surprised. Similar booklets have been delivered across Europe in recent months, …
We need to chat about AI outsmarting us
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS The proposed EU legislation to limit access to social media, video-sharing platforms and online games for under-15s, a move Irish ministers have advocated for some time, is as clear as the proverbial mud. How we will opt for a “gradual approach” with an effective ban on platforms …
