Opinion
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 …
Would banning smart phones in class work?
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON With an election looming and Taoiseach Simon Harris’ new broom sweeping the country, promising to take action in areas likely to catch votes, has moved into top gear. This doesn’t necessarily make for the best decisions though. Take Education Minister Norma Foley’s plan to ban smartphones in …
How generations are missing out on tax rebates
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR With the Budget coming down the line people are discussing what benefits may be available by way of tax reliefs and other rebates or repayments. But many PAYE workers in Ireland are unaware that they could be owed thousands of euro in tax rebates from Revenue through tax credits, tax …
Omega Active by Revive Active – A New Fish on the Block
BY CLAIR WHITTY Revive Active is a popular Irish Brand that many of you are familiar with. There are several products in the range including Revive Active. The green box is their most popular product, many of our customers love it and use it regularly. It supports your energy levels, heart health, immune system and …
Harris and Walz show they can do better
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS By any standard, Donald Trump and the Republican convention to nominate him as candidate for president failed. In matters of foreign policy, his MAGA show depicted every problem in the world as easily bent to his alleged “strength”, as contrasted with the putative weakness of Joe Biden. …
Re-Turn deposit: making polluters pay, or rewarding them?
THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan The Re-Turn deposit return scheme has been making waves in Ireland, aiming to tackle the ever-growing issue of waste. The idea is simple: you pay a small deposit when you buy a drink, and you get it back when you return the empty container. Sounds straightforward, right? But as …
