FURTHERMORE  By Gerry Moran “August is a wicked month”– so wrote the poet TS Eliot. TS (Thomas Stearns in case it ever pops up in a quiz) was wrong. August may well be wicked but September is worse. Why? One word – school. Three words if you prefer: back to school. GP (Gerard Peter in …

BY JOHN FITZGERALD (PART ONE) Pre-famine Ireland could be a dull, uneventful place. People led simple lives and regulated their existence in accordance with the cycle of nature. But they had own diversions and social outlets, and one event, above all, was guaranteed to liven up a town or village and bring crowds from miles …

THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS It’s only the one life and we should make the most of it and surround ourselves with what’s good and wholesome. For very many that’s not likely, or even possible – just look to Gaza or Yemen or South Sudan. However, no matter how we might agree …

THE LAST WORD By Pat Coughlan Waterford Airport, once a beacon of hope for the South East, has been struggling for years. I’ve watched as promises of growth and prosperity have fallen flat, leaving us to wonder if it’s time to cut our losses. The airport’s underperformance is no secret, and its high time we …

AS I SEE IT BY MARIANNE HERON   With an election looming and Taoiseach Simon Harris’ new broom sweeping the country, promising to take action in areas likely to catch votes, has moved into top gear. This doesn’t necessarily make for the best decisions though. Take Education Minister Norma Foley’s plan to ban smartphones in …