Opinion

FURTHERMORE  By Gerry Moran Every now and again we talk about ‘characters’ in the pub (a much needed respite from politics and sport). We talk about the ‘characters’ from our childhood and our youth. We remember ‘Aeroplane’ Meehan, May Timmins, Kitty Saunders with her numerous dogs in tow, Kevin Traynor, selling the Press and Herald …

PART 2 BY JOHN FITZGERALD In 1958, when she was 77, Nell Dooley-Monahan wrote to Callan’s newspaper 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. Last week, I recounted her visit to Desart Court and her precious memory of a childhood meeting …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …