Opinion

By John Fitzgerald Continuing the story of the days when religion ruled in Callan and Fr. Bob (not his real name) patrolled the district with a blackthorn stick in search of courting couples in the ditches. You can read the previous parts on the Observer website. When the Missioners came to town, they put the …

CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton How much attention do you really give to your incredible five senses? Your sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch? Sight enables our eyes to detect light and interpret it as images, shapes, colours and distance. Hearing enables our ears to detect air vibrations, allowing us to perceive different …

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR If you’re one of the many households with savings parked in an easy-access account, the past decade has taken a quiet but heavy toll. Over that time, the average demand-deposit account has lost more than 21% of its purchasing power to inflation. That’s not a line on a graph. It’s …

AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON It would put the heart across you is a pretty graphic saying. Racing heartbeat, breath holding and a prickle of alarm about danger are some of the things that describe it. I had the heart put across me the other day as three young lads careered up the …

THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS With the on/off heatwave this summer, if you think this is as good as it gets, think again. New research shows that Ireland could reach peak temperatures of up to 45C (113F) within the next 30 years. Prolonged periods of heat above 40C would also bring about …

BY CLAIR WHITTY Sustainability is a word you hear a lot about, but what does it actually mean? Simply put, sustainable living is about making choices that meet our needs today without harming the environment for future generations. We can make small changes one step at a time, we can learn as we go. One …

CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton Brian Redmond was on KCLR Radio recently interviewing a guest about possible laws to decriminalise some recreational drugs in Ireland. The guest had much personal and professional insight into the issue and spoke about the easy availability of drugs across the country. He argued that society needs to …

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR For many people, turning 65 no longer means an abrupt end to working life. Some picture themselves on the golf course or minding grandchildren, while others have no intention of stopping. A growing number are choosing a gradual slowdown, taking on part-time or consultancy work while reducing hours over time …

AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON It’s a familiar story. It’s holiday time, you are out and about in an unfamiliar place, when nature calls. When you have to go, you have to go … but where? This is the point where calling toilets public conveniences can be an oxymoron. They may be far …

THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS There can be no one who has not been moved to tears and outrage and a sense of helplessness by the daily images coming out of Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, of the thousands of innocent souls caught in the nightmare that is war. There too, in the …