Opinion
An immigrant father’s unrepentant self-belief
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS It must be 35 years ago that I first met Abbas and his wife and three young children – two boys and a girl. Abbas was from Pakistan and had come to live in the then small community where I and the mother of my three children …
Fancy being in the Street Food business?
THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan During The Kilkenny Observer’s six week look at the Kilkenny County Council proposed Nighttime Economy the idea of Street Food trucks was mentioned. This generated a lot of interest and now that Kilkenny County Council has sought expressions of interest from people interested in setting up a business, I …
Stress & Your Immune System
A little stress boosts immunity – but chronic stress causes problems By Paul Bolger. Chartered Physiotherapist at Nano Physiotherapy, Kilkenny (www.nanophysio.ie). Last week we looked at what stress is – a key physiological response that allows living things to survive in this world. It is perfectly healthy and normal, but it can become a problem when …
My memories of the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival is upon us and I have some great memories of it down the years. And some not so great. Take for instance the year I brought my 14-year-old to a show in Langton’s. We sat in the front row; we had to as the place was …
How much Protein do I need?
BY CLAIR WHITTY With longer days and brighter evenings, now is the perfect time of year to focus on your fitness goals. Whether it’s weight resistance training, a light jog or joining your local dance class; your body will thank you for getting your heart pumping and limbs moving. Here are some tips from Aoife …
Local Heroes…
PART 2 BY JOHN FITZGERALD The Tans again snatched Tom Barron from the village of Newmarket. An impromptu escape bid was thwarted when the enemy shot part of a wall from under him with a Lewis Machine Gun. Villagers shuddered as the weapon spat fire and sent stone and mortar flying through the air. They jostled Tom …
How your vote could shape Europe’s future
THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan When ever we talk about the Members of the European Parliament, or MEPs as they’re known, it’s like talking about the unsung heroes of our day-to-day. These folk have a hand in everything from the air we breathe to the safety of the food on our plates. But, let’s …
Bambie proves a different kind of ‘Vision
AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Well, maybe she didn’t win the Eurovision with Doomsday Blue, coming a creditable sixth, but Bambie Thug came first in other ways. In the contest staged in Malmo Sweden where anything went as an attention grabber, like underpants and a flesh coloured cod piece (Finland’s Window95 Man’s No …
Kilkenny’s “forgotten Market House” revealed by Heritage Walkers!
The Kilkenny Heritage Walkers are renowned for celebrating aspects of local heritage, but on Saturday they went a step further: Marianne Kelly, who had the honour of giving the day’s presentation, uncovered a part of the city’s past that had almost disappeared without trace. She revealed evidence for Kilkenny’s forgotten Market House. This took the form of an inscription on an …
Of pastoral farming and Panama cats!
FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran It’s that time of year again – exam time – and straight away may I wish all you students oceans of calmness, confidence and, all going well, correct answers, not like the following answers purportedly from actual exams, which I hope give you all a giggle at this stressful time (and …
