Opinion
Turning a blind eye to sex trafficking
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON “There’s no so blind as those that cannot see,” was a favourite saying of my mother’s, referring to those who refuse to recognise what is in plain sight. Never truer than in the case of the web of sex intrigue surrounding convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Curious isn’t it, …
Big pay, you expect job to be well done
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS Salary rises have just been approved for CEOs at numerous semi-State bodies. Wait for it…. they include a €100,000 pay rise for the CEO of Uisce Éireann, Niall Gleeson. Increases have been sanctioned for CEOs at Dublin Bus, CIÉ, Bus Éireann, and Iarnrod Éireann. This the same …
Freedom to flourish: How to claim bodily autonomy in changing times?
CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE By Judith Ashton Am I my body? Where in my body does my consciousness abide? These are interesting questions to ponder and are deep spiritual considerations which have occupied philosopher’s thoughts since time immemorial. However, more recent questions have arisen which include: What are my bodily rights? Why can the state …
Annie Keating: Poet of the People
By John Fitzgerald (Part One) Every town and village has its Poet of the People. Annie Keating (nee Kelly) of Bridge Street was Callan’s resident poet. She eulogized every aspect of the town’s life, culture, and heritage in her verses that appeared in the Kilkenny People…or that in some cases were written simply to boost …
Natural Support for Oral Care and Dry Mouth
BY CLAIR WHITTY Looking after oral health is probably more important that we give it credit for. For example, did you know that there is a strong link between oral health and brain health? Harmful bacteria can travel through the bloodstream to the brain, causing inflammation. Poor dental health can result in dementia, Alzheimer’s and …
Guess what? We are not alone…
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran I knew it. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it all along. We are not alone. The aliens are out there. Don’t take my word for it – take the word of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, who, when asked are aliens real, in a …
Families battle generational wealth gap
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Young people today grapple with soaring house prices and stagnant wages, while parents and grandparents are looking for ways to offer a leg-up without adding to their children’s/grandchildren’s tax burden. The annual small gift exemption is a straightforward tax benefit that, when combined with child savings plans from providers across …
Getting the balance right in the North
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Over the Christmas break my partner and I went to visit Derry. I have been tantalised by the city’s dramatic location embraced by the Foyle as I bypassed it, but neither of us had actually been there before and found it a great destination. Does it matter, though, …
The crack-cocaine of modern technology
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS Twenty years after it was first mooted, the iPhone has made Apple the world’s most valuable company (with a market capitalisation of $4 trillion – the first publicly traded company to reach the mark of $1 trillion eight years ago – but, in a way, that’s the least …
Romance as a many splendored fiction
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON “A fine romance with no kisses. A fine romance my friend this is.” There’s no doubt about it, romance is a funny business. And it is a business, worth a billion dollars in Valentine’s Day card sales alone in the US, never mind the red roses, dinners for …
