Opinion
Infrastructure challenges: time for Chinese take-away
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON The connection between local Chinese take-aways, the fabled Silk Road which brought produce from the East to Europe for centuries and the challenges facing the State to provide for a population which has ballooned by more than 10% in the last seven years may not be obvious. But …
Top on Vitamin D for winter protection
BY CLAIR WHITTY Every year I talk about Vitamin D. It is one of the most important vitamins for maintaining various aspects of our health. Vitamin D is required to absorb calcium, an important mineral for bone structure and strength. It helps to prevent rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. It became a household …
KILKENNY FLOODLIT FOOTBALL LEAGUE
BY MICHAEL O’LEARY In early October the Kilkenny Floodlit Football League (KFFL) will commence their new season, and now heading into it’s 24th season it’s been a major success since it started in 2001. The Floodlit Football League has been a hugely important fundraiser for The O’Neills Centre/Enable Ireland in Kilkenny throughout the years and …
My recall of the ‘60s with the Christian Brothers
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS The 700-page Scoping report on historical sexual abuse at religious schools in Ireland is so candid in its shock and horror that some chapters begin with a content warning. These chapters are the harrowing accounts from those who endured and survived extreme sexual violence and abuse. “Reading …
High Noon in Callan: A Tale of Two Factions
BY JOHN FITZGERALD (PART TWO) The fight arranged between Denton and Barry (and their followers) loomed. Edmund Barry had refused to withdraw his allegation regarding the pig. He’d accepted Denton’s challenge to a duel between their respective factions. The contest was set for noon on November 20th. From early morning on that day, hundreds of …
CILLIAN BUCKLEY
The retirement of Cillian Buckley from the Senior Inter-County scene over a month ago after 13 years of service brought to an end a highly successful career in which he won 3 All-Irelands, 8 Leinsters, 5 National Leagues and 2 All-Stars, while he also captained Kilkenny to win the National League Final against Tipperary in …
Tales out of school … with Ronnie and Reg
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran “August is a wicked month”– so wrote the poet TS Eliot. TS (Thomas Stearns in case it ever pops up in a quiz) was wrong. August may well be wicked but September is worse. Why? One word – school. Three words if you prefer: back to school. GP (Gerard Peter in …
High Noon in Callan: A Tale of Two Factions
BY JOHN FITZGERALD (PART ONE) Pre-famine Ireland could be a dull, uneventful place. People led simple lives and regulated their existence in accordance with the cycle of nature. But they had own diversions and social outlets, and one event, above all, was guaranteed to liven up a town or village and bring crowds from miles …
Pandemic of loneliness as we grow even older
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS It’s only the one life and we should make the most of it and surround ourselves with what’s good and wholesome. For very many that’s not likely, or even possible – just look to Gaza or Yemen or South Sudan. However, no matter how we might agree …
Is it time to declare Waterford Airport a failure?
THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan Waterford Airport, once a beacon of hope for the South East, has been struggling for years. I’ve watched as promises of growth and prosperity have fallen flat, leaving us to wonder if it’s time to cut our losses. The airport’s underperformance is no secret, and its high time we …
