Opinion
Stress, Pain & The Brain
Mind-body interaction has an impact on how we feel pain By Paul Bolger. Chartered Physiotherapist at Nano Physiotherapy, Kilkenny (www.nanophysio.ie). Descartes was wrong – the mind and the body are not separate. There is remarkable overlap. How we feel and what we think does have a measurable, biological and chemical impact on our body. Things that …
Here’s why we are not laughing anymore
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Whatever happened to comedy? I mean the kind of TV and radio shows which make you laugh out loud, programmes which are so entertaining that you just have to tune in to the next episode to get some light relief from the daily grind. What prompted my question …
Old Ned, Grandpa Jones, and Bono’s dad Bob
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS I have but one memory of my grandfather, Old Ned Hopkins, and he sitting at his dining table having eaten a hearty Sunday dinner and being fussed upon by two doting daughters who never married but stayed home to mind their ageing parents – as was the …
Looking after your ears
Do you suffer from excess wax in your ears? This happened to me recently for the first time ever. I thought I had an ear infection because I had some discomfort and tenderness so I went to the GP to have it checked out. It turned out that there was no infection but one ear …
When growing older can cost you money
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR As a financial adviser I often encounter individuals with differing expectations about their financial needs in retirement. They often underestimate how much money they will need and how long they expect to live in retirement. Living longer into your 80s and 90s can significantly impact your financial needs. The State …
Irish Coffee and seeing red in Liverpool Airport
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran I had a drink last week. Really, Gerry! The drink I had was an Irish Coffee – something I haven’t had in quite a while. And, as I sat sipping, and savouring, it I got to wondering how Irish Coffee came about. Indeed I wondered if it’s Irish at all? And …
Golden Memories
PART 1 BY JOHN FITZGERALD A visit to Desart Court When she was 77 years old in about 1958, Nell Dooley-Monaghan wrote to Callan’s local correspondent Peter Roughan to share some memories with him and his readers. Nell was a daughter of Jim Dooley who worked with Ben Thompson, a gamekeeper in Desart. In the letter she wrote: “Dear Peter, You will …
Lovely hurling: the future of TV in Ireland
THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan Television in Ireland is in the middle a revolution! Gone are the fixed TV schedules, making way for the reign of streaming services and smart TVs, our modern thrones. We’re entering a new era where TV suggests shows quicker than a barman pours a pint unless it’s Guinness of …
Honouring the great James Nowlan…
Over the past few weeks; I’ve recounted the stories of County Kilkenny heroes of the War of Independence. Since last week’s article, I accompanied the Kilkenny Heritage Walkers to Nowlan Park to mark the hundredth anniversary of the death of a great sportsman and patriot, James Nowlan, after whom the mighty venue is named. He was born in Monasterevin in 1862. His father was a …
Will reality hit home in local elections?
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS I could say that most of the contentious issues the public have been enraged about in the run-up to the local elections don’t particularly affect me, given I am in the autumn of my years. But I would be wrong to take such a stance. Let’s do …
