Opinion

AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON From where I sit at home watching goldfinches feeding on Niger seed and a queen bumblebee searching for the first dandelion flowers, nature restoration sounds great. The same thing goes for Eurocrats, concerned about climate change, biodiversity loss and sustainability but, like me, they are far removed from …

BY JOHN FITZGERALD Before the band struck up in the City, and as choirs rehearsed their renditions of” Hail Glorious St. Patrick”, the dedicated Kilkenny Heritage Walkers were setting out on their by now almost traditional tour of St Patrick’s Parish, which contains a wealth of historic and architectural gems. Guided by Paddy Neary, a …

Self-compassion helps us to form healthy habits  A CHARTERED PHYSIOTHERAPIST’S PERSPECTIVE By Paul Bolger. Nano Physiotherapy www.nanophysio.ie Here are two different approaches to life – which one do you think is more likely to lead to healthy habits and fulfilment? 1. I strive for perfection. I am very strict with myself. I’m not satisfied unless my …

THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS My father was wont to say that “life is great, but the best part of life is being young”. He hated ageing – most of us, if we’re honest, do – and, though he kept himself in good shape, by cycling, swimming and walking into his 80s, …

FURTHERMORE  By Gerry Moran I sometimes read the newspaper backwards ie. from back to front!  In fact I often read the newspaper from back to front. And why?  Because of sport. Sport frequently features on the back pages of many papers and typical male that I am I resort to reading the sports results first. …

Customers often ask me which brand of supplements is the best. New staff ask the same question. There are several excellent brands to choose from but, Terranova is one that stands out and comes to mind first. This is because they are an ethical brand with top quality ingredients. They never use fillers or binders, …

AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON It couldn’t be clearer, the Government and every opposition party with the exception of Aontu who wanted Yeses to the two Referendums have suffered a resounding defeat. The people have spoken, or rather the overwhelming majority of those who voted not be saddled with the so-called Family and …

FURTHERMORE By Gerry Moran My first time in Paris was with Eadie, my late sister. One summer Eadie drove home from Geneva, where she worked, in a small, red Fiat. Her first car. She surprised us by her arrival and she then surprised me by producing a ferry ticket to France. “You,” she smiled, “are …

BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Recently we looked at the landmark announcement from the Government revealing a series of significant changes to the State Pension (Contributory). It promised flexibility and improved benefits for those aged 66 and above. We saw that the most striking development was the decision to maintain the State Pension age at …

THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS Here’s an awesome fact: when the universe was very young — something like a hundredth of a billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second — it underwent an incredible growth spurt. During this burst of expansion, which is known as inflation, the universe grew …