Opinion
THE BLACK ABBEY
BY JOHN FITZGERALD (PART TWO) A TREASURE TO BEHOLD Continuing the story of this treasure of Kilkenny’s heritage… By 1776, the Black Abbey’s status as a church had been almost forgotten. The building was in a dilapidated state. Its roof had fallen in, part of the nave had disappeared, and the church pillars were buried …
Rights for the sisterhood: are we nearly there?
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Just the other week we said ‘Goodnight Sister’ to Nell McCafferty, journalist and founding member of the Irish Women’s Liberation movement. While she may be gone, she was unforgettably unique and scores of illuminating memories and tributes to her have shot across the media like August meteor showers. …
Counting up the soaring cost of an education
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR It’s upon us once again, the new academic year, with many families struggling with the considerable burden of educating their children. According to Zurich’s annual Cost of Education survey, the costs associated with primary, secondary, and third-level education in Ireland continue to rise, placing a substantial strain on family resources. …
Healthy school lunches
BY CLAIR WHITTY Packing a healthy school lunch can be difficult especially if you have a fussy eater. I remember it well. You can only do your best. Seeing an empty lunch box coming home can be very rewarding, especially when you know that it was packed with good nutritious foods. But of course we …
WOK, summer’s over… back to school now
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS You know the summer is gone. You know that, because the schools are about to reopen. For some, it will be their first day at school – daunting in itself, their schoolbags bigger than themselves. For others, their first year in secondary school. And a record 136,160 …
Floradix Has You Covered
BY CLAIR WHITTY As the season is about to change you might feel a change in your energy levels or that your immune system might need a boost. Or, maybe you are stressed and frantic with back-to-school arrangements. Thankfully there are natural remedies to help get you back on track. Floradix is a brand that …
Prospective homeowners need to remain proactive
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR As I write I discovered that tonight, August 19, we will witness a rare event – a blue moon. In another rare turn of events, Irish banking customers are currently witnessing there own ‘blue moon’ event – a shift in both mortgage and deposit rates. The average mortgage rate in …
Could technology restore faith in boxing scores?
THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan Boxing, a sport steeped in tradition and drama, has long been plagued by dodgy scoring decisions. The controversy was on full display during the recent Paris Olympics, where several matches were marred by judgments from judges who had previously been identified as making questionable decisions. Fans and fighters alike …
How Should We Treat Osteoarthritis?
How might we change our approach to this growing condition to reduce suffering? By Paul Bolger. Chartered Physiotherapist at Nano Physiotherapy, Kilkenny (www.nanophysio.ie). If you have been keeping up with this series you will know that osteoarthritis is a growing problem, that many factors influence joint health and that our joints are very much living, breathing organs that …
The Black Abbey
BY JOHN FITZGERALD (PART ONE) A Treasure to Behold The story of Kilkenny’s Black Abbey reads like a “stranger than fiction” tale. It’s as much a tourist attraction as a place of worship. A painstaking restoration process lasting decades has ensured the preservation of the building and its historic treasures. William Marshal, the Norman Lord, founded the …
