Opinion

BY JOHN FITZGERALD A shadowy chapter of our past opened up for the Kilkenny Heritage Walkers last weekend when they confronted the mixed legacies of two former industrial schools: St. Joseph’s on the Waterford Road, and St. Patrick’s on the Kells Road. St Patrick’s first saw the light of day in 1879, when the Bishop of Ossory, Dr Moran, acquired …

PART 3 BY JOHN FITZGERALD The Callan Electricity Board Twenty years before the advent of the ESB, Callan already had its own somewhat limited supply of electricity. Local business people, acting with the full sanction of the Town Commissioners, set up the town’s privately run electricity board in 1909. Seamus O’ Brien, in his researches, unearthed the names of the board …

FURTHERMORE  By Gerry Moran This week, dear readers, some phrases, and catchphrases, that we are familiar with – but not with their origin. So, let’s start at home, well sort of – seeing as how many of us are Kilkenny ‘cats’ – here’s one that we all know very well – ‘letting the cat out …

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Six months into 2024, there is a growing sense of optimism about the global economy. Energy and food prices have decreased, inflation is gradually easing, and interest rates are falling. The European Central Bank (ECB) cut interest rates by 0.25% earlier this month, with further reductions of about 1.5% expected …

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR First-time buyer (FTB) mortgages and household incomes in Ireland have reached record levels. A report, the latest Mortgage Market Profile Report from Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), provides a detailed analysis of the mortgage market. It highlights “significant trends and shifts in borrowers’ profiles and regional dynamics”. It outlines …

THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan Choosing terms for our older friends stirs debate. “The elderly” sounds delicate, while “old people” feels outdated. “Seniors” carries respect, reflective of wisdom. “Elderly adults” finds a middle ground, embodying both formality and casualness. It’s the blend of respect with a human touch that truly matters. Ultimately, the significance …

AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON The warnings of climate catastrophe are too urgent to be ignored in UN Secretary General Antio Guterres’ stark ‘moment of truth’ declaration recently. If we miss our limit of no more than 1.5 degrees warming and go scorching on to 2.9 degrees increase by the end of this …

THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS One of the great war-cries among boys of a certain age, when they have fallen foul of yesterday’s best friend, is to mutter with clenched jaw and fists: “Loser!” How often have you said to your children at some school sporting event, “Go out there and do …

BY CLAIR WHITTY Summer is here and it’s the time for thinking about our holidays. But this time of the year whether at home or abroad we will have a variety of insects that bite, including midges, ticks, and mosquitos. The last thing we want is to be bitten by these insects. Thankfully there is …