Opinion

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Most people are saving for something.  They are putting aside some money for a rainy day, their children’s education, a comfortable retirement, or a dream holiday. But thinking about investing that hard-earned cash can be a daunting prospect. On the one hand you could increase your money by wise investing …

PART 3 BY JOHN FITZGERALD Continuing the story of the infamous Friary Street Ambush: The British army patrol had just entered Friary Street and was trudging towards them. As McEvoy gaped in horror and alarm at the sleepy-eyed woman in the doorway, a corporation worker quickstepped past Dunne and himself on his way into the church …

BY CLAIR WHITTY I often get asked about thinning hair and hair falling out. This can affect people of all ages. It is a distressing problem that can cause stress, anxiety, and embarrassment. For most people there is a cause at the root of it. Common reasons for hair loss: Hormonal changes, especially during the …

AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON Like most, when I pop off, I would like to have a peaceful departure. But, although death itself is certain, there is no certainty about how it may come about. I hope, as we all do, to be able to die with dignity, pass away peacefully in my …

PART 2 BY JOHN FITZGERALD Continuing the story of the infamous Friary Street Ambush: If you missed part one last week you can read it on the Kilkenny Observer website… The Threecastles group was to disarm the rearguard of the military patrol outside the Friary church. The Kells men were to waylay the ass and …

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Price walking, also know as a loyalty penalty, is a form of price discrimination whereby longstanding, loyal customers of a service provider are charged higher prices for the same services compared to customers that have just switched to that provider. The pricing strategy was recently banned by the Central Bank …

FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran April 2005. My wife and I are sipping Bellinis in Harry’s Bar in Venice (a favourite haunt of the writer Ernest Hemmingway). We are celebrating a birthday, a big, birthday. Down the bar an American couple are chatting loudly (as Americans do); the man lights up a cigarette and immediately the …

THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS My bugbear are the hordes of men who don shorts at the first sign of the clock going forward. More specifically men over a certain age, an age when they really should know better, who assail my senses with visions of knobbly knees, bow legs or flat …

BY CLAIR WHITTY Gout is a type of arthritis that causes pain and swelling. It happens when high levels of uric acid build up in the body and form needle-shaped crystals in and around the joint leading to inflammation of the joint. Gout is commonly seen in your big toe but can happen in other …