Opinion
A timely lesson in the real cost of education
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR The sun is shining. It’s the middle of June with more than 130,000 students completing their Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle exams in more than 800 venues across the country. Holidays will then begin in earnest and the last thing families will want to think about, for a while anyway, …
The Magic of Castlemorris
BY JOHN FITZGERALD Part 2 Fair Day at Castlemorris was an ideal time of the month to settle old scores or exact revenge on anyone who had wronged you. You would walk up to the culprit, remind him of your grievance, and then commence to beat him senseless. A blackthorn stick was useful, but your …
Don’t get bitten alive by mosquitos
BY CLAIR WHITTY Do you get bitten by mosquitos at home or abroad? I know that some of you get bitten and more of you are left alone, it isn’t fair. Luckily there is help, Incognito Insect Repellent is a clinically proven repellent that can protect you. And a Wexford woman from Enniscorthy is co-founder …
Will wind energy blow down electricity prices?
AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON If you live near or visit the sea, there may be a change of scenery coming your way. Fast forward three years or so and there will rows of turbines as tall as the Eiffel tower whirling away their giant arms near the coast as they convert kinetic wind …
Letter From America
The millions condemned to war without end PAUL HOPKINS Memorial Day, and I am with my son and his American wife and two darling granddaughters as we line the streets with neighbours and friends – armed with picnic baskets and waving Stars ‘n’ Stripes – to watch the Big Parade honouring America’s fallen soldiers – …
Arts flourish in the county…
BY JOHN FITZGERALD Kilkenny is renowned for its annual Arts Festival. But you don’t have to wait till August to savour the county’s prolific output of painting, ceramics, and sculpture. This month you can call to the Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny to see Clodagh Holahan’s Natural Designs exhibition. And last week I was privileged view …
The Magic of Castlemorris
BY JOHN FITZGERALD Part 1 Paddy Hearns of Hugginstown could recall a different time in Ireland, so far removed from our own fast-track age as to be almost beyond present-day comprehension. In 1989, he told Radio Kilkenny listeners about what he called “growing up in Paradise.” In his young days, Paddy lived in a cottage …
You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss – and more!
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran Every morning I see them. Two men kissing. Two elderly men in their 60s or more. Two, not very attractive men, locked in a passionate kiss. A full on, mouth to mouth, kiss. I see this every morning when I go to my fridge for milk. What I’m looking at is …
The rising popularity of the PRSA pension
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR The increasing popularity of a Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) for pension provision in over the last decade is reflected in the recent Pensions Authority data. Currently there are 355,706 PRSA contracts in place with an asset value of €9.986 billion whereas in 2010 there were 181,711 such contracts with …
Maintaining weight naturally
BY CLAIR WHITTY Are you post-menopausal and trying to maintain your weight naturally? Being post-menopausal myself, I know that this can be difficult. But I think a balanced diet, not worrying about calorie counting, looking after gut health, adequate sleep, and keeping stress under control, as best I can, all help. My personal way is …
