Opinion

AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON In England in medieval times stocks were a form of public punishment. The miscreant would be locked in a device on the village green where passing folk could hurl abuse and rotten eggs at the culprit. In the modern equivalent cars are clamped and the abuse gets hurled …

BY JOHN FITZGERALD The city celebrates a special “birthday” this month 21 years ago, Treasures of Kilkenny saw the light of day. The stunning publication offered us a look at some of the old charters and civic records of Kilkenny City, dating back to the 13th century. The Kilkenny City Archive is the oldest set of such records in Ireland after Dublin. Its …

THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan I am sure that our family was no different to any other family when it came to the sound of post dropped to the hall floor. There was a mad dash to pick it up and bring it to Mam. In later years, watching rugby I remembered those hallway …

FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran I loved being sick when I was young, when I was maybe 12 and in 6th class in Primary School. And I loved being sick for a three reasons: one, I didn’t have to go to school and school was tough. We had a Brother Grennan, known as ‘Jack’ because of …

BY CLAIR WHITTY From the exciting moment of your child’s first words through to their first day at school, it’s amazing how quickly a child’s brain grows and develops. By the age of 6, the brain has already reached 95% of its peak size! We can’t overstate the importance of supporting a child’s development during …

THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan Pedestrianisation, the act of converting streets for the exclusive use of pedestrians, is a hot topic in urban planning. It promises cleaner air, safer streets, and a boost for local businesses. But, like a double-edged sword, it can also disrupt traffic and accessibility. So, is it a blessing or …

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Almost half a million drivers across the country are paying hundreds – and in some cases more than a €1,000 – more than they need to on car insurance cover because they have penalty points on their licences. According to a recent cost comparison analysis by motor insurance experts at …

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 …

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 …