Opinion
There’s often another way….
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton Have you ever seen a sign that reads, “Help Yourself” ? and sometimes we can be hesitant…. Something is offered for free…. What’s the catch? We are often suspicious when something is simply free to be taken away. We can help ourselves to free things… free samples or …
Brewing up a storm with Gerard (aka Gerry)
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran So, fame at last. Kind of. I have recently been shortlisted. For the Booker Prize? No. For the Nobel Prize for Literature? Don’t be daft. I have been shortlisted – or at least my name, Gerard, has – for the name of a possible upcoming storm! So, Gerry, or rather, Gerard, …
So, will that be cash then sir, or Zippay?
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR In a significant development for Ireland’s financial sector, AIB, Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB have announced plans to launch Zippay. An instant mobile payments service to be launched in early 2026. This initiative is aimed at counteracting the rapid rise of fintech competitors such as Revolut and is a …
Boosting brain health tips for college students
BY CLAIR WHITTY What can we do to boost our brainpower, especially for students going back to college? Discover the key factors that can boost cognitive function and focus, empowering you to reach your full potential and set yourself up for success. The brain contains more than 100 billion cells working together to process information, …
Time to celebrate the lengthening of life
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON You might think that one of the greatest achievements of the last century, a gain of 30 extra years of life, would be celebrated from the roof tops. But, instead, those extra years are more frequently perceived in negative terms, with whinges about the cost of pensions and …
Country folk and the Emergency
BY JOHN FITZGERALD (Part One) Farmers kept the country “fed and watered” throughout the Emergency years (1939-45). So recalled Nell Leahy. They coped better than most urban dwellers with the wartime restrictions and shortages, she confirmed, being well used to riding bikes or pony and traps in preference to motor cars, having their own meat …
Remembering Thom McGinty, the iconic Diceman
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran This year marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Thom McGinty, The Diceman, who died at the untimely age of 42. Thom was renowned on the streets of Dublin in the 1980s and early 1990s for his outrageous costumes and poses; he was also a regular visitor to Kilkenny when …
Digital currencies … and financial meltdowns
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR From rural Tipperary to running Stripe, a $100 billion payments giant, Patrick Collison is a proud Irish success story. In March he told a US congressional committee that stablecoin, a digital currency tied to real money like the dollar or euro, could make the US dollar the top dog in …
A guide to B complex vitamins
BY CLAIR WHITTY There are eight B-complex vitamins, and they are known either by their numerical name or another name for example B1 is Thiamin, B2 is Riboflavin. Vitamin B1, Thiamin plays a critical role in energy metabolism, and therefore, in the growth and development of cells. Vitamin B2, Riboflavin is a key component of …
Why not give 16-year-olds the right to vote?
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Cross the Border into the North and things change. For one thing your average life expectancy will be two years less in the North, you will have far less chance of having Third Level education – in the South we are just about the most educated nation in …
