Opinion
Could loyalty be your biggest blind spot?
THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan Loyalty. It’s a word that rolls off the tongue with a certain charm. You know what I mean. In Ireland, loyalty is more than just a word; it’s a way of life, a badge of honour. From the tales of old to the bustling streets of our towns, loyalty …
Happiness is NOT a cigar called Hamlet
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran Thursday, March 20 gone by was International Happiness Day. And no one told me (I only found out later). Not one relation, friend or acquaintance phoned me, texted me, emailed me – to let me know because, if they had, that gesture in itself would have made me happy. Or at …
Sludge: deep flaws with the Welfare system
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR The cost-of-living crisis has driven many low-income households into “financial distress”, forcing them to make high-risk decisions that could have lasting consequences; so states the newly published report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) shedding light on the stark realities faced by these households and detailing their struggles …
Stop the future – I want to get off…!
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON A story about an automated taxi confirmed my worst suspicions about the perils of technology taking over from humans. This rogue AV ( autonomous vehicle) lost the run of itself with a passenger on board. It went ceaselessly round and round a car park while the hapless man …
Adolescence and the role of toxic masculinity
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS The mental health knock-on from the pandemic lockdown, perceived lack of opportunity for a good income, lack of housing, and the concerns of climate change are cited as reasons for the changing attitudes of young males, some of which borders on criminality – think riots and robbery …
Hangovers & The Mind-Body Connection
What a hangover can teach you about the mind-body connection By Paul Bolger. Chartered Physiotherapist at Nano Physiotherapy, Kilkenny (www.nanophysio.ie). Nobody is quite themselves when they are hungover. If you’re anything like me, your thoughts and behaviours change. This is a great example of the mind-body connection at work – showing us that mind and body …
Jimmy Hennessy – “The boy who hit back”
BY JOHN FITZGERALD (Part two) Last week I recounted how Jimmy Hennessy, in that classroom in the Callan CBS back in the 1920s, was relieved that he’d worked out the right solution to a maths question, one that every other pupil in class had got wrong. After leathering all the other lads, the teacher, known as the Bulldog, came …
Bishop calls for courage in face of pressure
Bishop Niall Coll of Ossory has emphasised the importance of speaking the truth with love and courage in today’s world, urging people to be faithful to their own values in the face of the pressures of life today. In his homily for St Patrick’s Day in St Mary’s Cathedral, Bishop Coll pointed to the emptiness …
I’m fine… I can reach the shower head
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS I live alone, though the mother of my three adult children is never far away should I need her help. Our divorce was amicable, we’re civil to each other. She was particularly good to me during the pandemic. My eldest child lives 10 minutes away and is …
Jimmy Hennessy: “The Boy who hit Back”
BY JOHN FITZGERALD (Part one) The late Jimmy Hennessy was just four days from celebrating his 93rd birthday in April 2003 when I interviewed him about his long and varied career. I’d like to pass on some of the rare gems I collected on that trip to his home in Borris, County Carlow. He was helping his …
