Opinion
Do all parents have a favourite child?
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS While every family has their own particular dynamic, researchers have discovered that, in most families, favouritism for a certain child can be a fact. Studies from an American and an Australian university have concluded that a parent, by and large, has a favourite child. The researchers placed …
So, go ahead Clint, and make my night…
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran I remember when television was first launched in this wee country of ours: 1961 – only one channel and in glorious black and white. And always it closed down around 11.30pm. or thereabouts with the playing of the National Anthem. I can still see the Tricolour (in black and white, of …
Mortages could be below 3% by this summer
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Irish mortgage holders have received some welcome news as mortgage rates recorded their largest monthly drop since at least 2017, according to the latest Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) report. In December 2024, the average mortgage rate fell to 3.80%, down from 3.97% in November, marking the lowest level in …
Are we losing the art of a good insult?
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON More than a few feathers have been ruffled recently by name calling. First it was Micheal Martin who called Mary Lou McDonald a liar – he says he didn’t, the word he used meant untruth. Then Donald Trump, in an unprecedented diatribe, called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalensky a …
Natural Remedies for Toddlers
BY CLAIR WHITTY Are you looking for natural solutions for everyday childhood ailments? Sleeping problems are one of the biggest issues we get asked about. BetterYou Goodnight Spray for Kids is a brilliant magnesium body spray that can be gently massaged into the skin at night before bed to help get fall to sleep faster. …
The Tans arrive in Kilkenny
Showdown at Nine-Mile-House BY JOHN FITZGERALD (Part four) One of the best-known military engagements involving the County Kilkenny IRA occurred at Nine-Mile-House, just inside the Tipperary border in the valley of Sliabh-na-mBan. On December 20th, 1920, volunteers of the 7th battalion Flying Column, backed up by Tipperary IRA men, lay in hiding on a hill overlooking a section of the main Kilkenny to Clonmel road. They …
There’s always that shed in the back garden
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS There’s a terrible irony that thousands of homes remain vacant despite a national housing crisis. New figures show that close to 81,000 residential properties were vacant in the final three months of last year. This has barely changed since the same three months in 2023, according to …
The realities of ‘free’ healthcare in Ireland
THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan The term ‘free healthcare’ suggests medical services with no charge, but reality is more complex. While certain services have no direct cost to patients, not all are without charge. The Health Service Executive (HSE) defines ‘free’ care as covering essentials like GP visits for children under six, the elderly, …
Probiotics for Kids
BY CLAIR WHITTY Common childhood conditions that probiotics can support include: constipation, colic, eczema and allergies. Having a balanced gut microbiome with healthy levels of friendly bacteria may also help support immunity and reduce the frequency and duration of popular nursery and school bugs, such as the common cold. Re-establishing a child’s levels of friendly …
The Tans arrive in Kilkenny
Continuing the story of how a planned attack on the well-defended Woodstock House unraveled… BY JOHN FITZGERALD (Part three) No sooner had Ernie O’ Malley woken the next morning when word reached the Hanrahans that a large military force appeared to be heading in their direction. James Hanrahan’s sister warned that the enemy could soon be on their doorstep. Incredibly, O’ Malley reacted …
