Opinion
Quiet times but the Cats are still top dogs
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran The town is never quite the same when Kilkenny are not in the All-Ireland Final. I miss the buzz about the place. Miss the vendors flogging flags and match paraphernalia. Miss the black and amber displays in shop windows. Miss the arguments, predictions in the pub and, of course, I miss …
From spinning wheels to those digital bytes…
THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan It’s fascinating to ponder how society has evolved from the days of spinning wheels to the era of digital bytes. I often reflect on how the transition from hand-crafted threads to automated textile machinery marked a turning point, ushering in what we now recognise as technological disruption. The weaving …
There has to be a bit of Shirley Valentine in all of us
By: PM O’Sullivan “The smell of the bakeries was just gorgeous…” Mary Cradock is talking about Kilkenny in the mid 1970s. Settling there simultaneously felt like destiny and the lucky side of mere chance.Her production of Shirley Valentine, with Clare Gibbs in the title role, will shortly be staged in The Home Rule Club. This …
FabÜ an Irish Brand
BY CLAIR WHITTY Some of you will be familiar with the Fabu brand. You may have seen it on the shelf in your local store. Did you know that this is an Irish brand formulated and developed by Laura Dowling? Laura is a scientist and an award-winning pharmacist and is passionate about the healing powers …
Remote work, war zones and beach babes …
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS The woman at the checkout says: “It’s not great, is it?” I look at her quizzically. “For July. The weather.” I say: “Oh? Depends.” What is it, this obsession of ours, with the weather? When it’s hot, it’s “very hot, isn’t it”? And when it’s cold wet …
Saving money with climate change initiatives
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR In their recent 2024 Annual Review, the Climate Change Advisory Council has laid out detailed observations and recommendations aimed at transforming the ‘Built Environment Sector’. This sector includes all residential, commercial, and public buildings which continues to be a significant contributor to emissions, primarily due to fossil fuels use for …
Saying “sorry” for Cromwell
…the Huntington peace visit to Kilkenny BY JOHN FITZGERALD We’ve all heard or read about the depredation wrought in Ireland by Oliver Cromwell when he led his Roundhead army on a bloody re-conquest of the country. But in 2002 a little publicized “peace mission” to Kilkenny from the tyrant’s birthplace sought to heal the old wounds and attempted, …
Time for Sinn Fein to do some resetting
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Time for a reset! Cheery headlines to signal a change of mood in Anglo Irish relations following Labour’s landslide UK victory. But who is going to do the resetting? The subtext here is that Labour leaders care more about Ireland than the Conservatives did and it should be …
KILKENNY CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
With the dust having settled following Kilkenny’s All-Ireland Senior Semi-Final defeat to Clare a fortnight ago, and the Inter-County Hurling Season coming to a climax on Sunday (barring a replay) with the All-Ireland clash of Clare and Cork, attention in Kilkenny has now turned to the upcoming Club Hurling League/Championships in Senior, Intermediate and Junior …
Getting down to that job this summer
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR My first summer job was in a meat factory. I spent most of that summer up in the roof above the boning hall making boxes. I cannot remember what I was paid but still remember the thrill of getting my first wage in a little brown envelope. Just as in …
